Adults Book Reviews
This is where I review books that are meant for adults - that means anyone over the age of 18. Of course, there are those under 18 years old who may find many of these books to their liking, particularly the classics which include most of my favorites. I've been on a mission to read the Pulitzer fiction winners and I think anyone who can understand these books, and many are also required reading in high school, should enjoy these classics. If you have a suggestion for a book you would like to read that you want my review of, I would be happy to assist you.
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I bought this book a few years ago but like many books in my extensive library, it was on my short list of books to read next. Of course, the title drew me in; was this written by an egotistical ass? I was sure I would find out after reading just a few pages.
The book, for me, was a combination of words written by a comedian, a bore (I can give you the page numbers), a brilliant author, a bereaved and sad human being just trying to survive in extenuating life circumstances that not a lot of people would be able to tolerate. Bravo for him (based on Dave Eggers’ true life story) taking on the responsibility of caring for a younger brother (13 years younger) when, in a short time, they lost both parents. Moving to CA only seemed to add to the unstable life situation but it was also the place they needed to be. An older sister was going to college there so there was some family. The oldest brother was not so much in the picture.
I would have a hard time rating this novel since there were some sections that went on too long and bored me so much I was close to giving up. But I didn’t, I kept reading. And I, in the end, felt a strong admiration for a man who took on the responsibility at age 21 of caring for a younger brother of 8 years old, right when his own life would have begun. This is a good man.
I rate “A Heartbreaking Work…” 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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This collection reminded me, loosely, of my own short story collections. Creative and engaging, you try to figure out the ending of each story but sometimes, reminiscent of Raymond Carver, as Ferris has been compared to, the ending is often a surprise.
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Although I’ve only read one book by Haruki Murakami, ‘A Wild Sheep Chase’, that I found just a bit confusing, particularly the ending (in my defense, I found out later that Wild Sheep Chase was the last book in a trilogy – the novel might have made more sense to me if I knew that and had read the other two novels first), I have been drawn to his work and bought ‘Novelist as a Vocation’, his latest. Not his usual fiction novel but a non-fiction book (he does have other non-fiction books) it is packed full of useful information that every writer could use, particularly if you are not a traditional author, the category I find myself in since I write in a variety of genres and don’t seem to have a fixed style (think of James Patterson).
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To say I loved this book would be an understatement. I can’t think of higher praise than to say that Ms. Long gave us a book long overdue. Since I am in the category that she refers to in the book, “Dancing with the Muse in Old Age”, I could relate to so many of the stories she shared.
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- Category: Adults
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My first exposure to Lilian Jackson Braun, "The Cat Who Had 14 Tales" is a collection of short stories where a cat, or two, plays the main role.