Redux #10 - "Beneath a Marble Sky" by John Shors

Beneath a Marble Sky (2004) by John Shors is a book I received from my mother. She was giving it away but said that it was worth reading, so I grabbed it. And now that I'm taking a mini break from library books and finally getting to all the books I have sitting around, I finally read it. Beneath a Marble Sky is a fictionalized story surrounding the building of the Taj Mahal. When Jahanara's mother dies in childbirth, her father, the Emperor, is buried in grief, and he decides to build a wondrous mausoleum to honor her. But the main love story in this novel is Jahanara and Isa's story; they meet during the building of the Taj Mahal and try to stay together through marriages, births, uprising, turmoil and death.

On the whole, this was an entertaining book. I liked the characters, cared about them, and wanted good things for them. The intrigue, excitement, and danger of a power struggle for the kingdom kept me turning the pages. The historical setting and details were interesting and added a lot to the story.

However, I wouldn't call this novel great. The characters were one dimensional, and I was often left wondering about their motivations. Jahanara was supposed to be extremely smart and cunning in ways of the court, but then she does some stunningly stupid things that were not explained in the book and didn't fit with her character. I had the same problems with Jahanara's evil, power hungry brother, Aurangzeb. His motivations stemmed from a lust for power, jealousy, hatred, and religious conviction, changing as the plot required, but I never had a good idea of who he was. It also made no sense to me that Aurangzeb, a man beset by paranoia with spies working for him all over the kingdom, would so cavalierly allow unknown visitors to see and talk with his father and sister in private, while they are imprisoned: not the actions of a good despot. In addition, almost all the other characters easily fit into "good" or "bad" stereotypes, being either unendingly loyal and helpful or indesribably evil.

This novel read like a romance novel set in an interesting historical period with some good details. It was entertaining and not difficult for me to finish, but the characters and plot details kept taking me out of the story and I found myself wishing I could read a non-fiction account of the Taj Mahal and the royal family.

Redux #9 - "The Hotel New Hampshire" by John Irving

I've had a copy of The Hotel New Hampshire (1981) by John Irving hanging around my place for awhile, but I always had something else to read. I've read and loved The Cider House Rules, and I've also read A Widow for One Year, although I think I was too young to really understand it. Now John Irving is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. Between not wanting to give anything away and being somewhat exhausted, I'm afraid this is going to be a quick review.

The Hotel New Hampshire was one of the most original novels I have ever read. I spent most of the book in pure amazement at Irving's talent with words, character, and story, wondering where he could possibly go next. John Berry, the narrator, is the middle child of a unique family, growing up in small-town Dairy, New Hampshire. His older siblings, Frank and Franny, and his younger siblings, Lily and Egg, along with his parents, form the foundation of his life. Early on in the novel, the family dynamics reminded me somewhat of Little Miss Sunshine, but that resemblance faded as the novel went on.

The focus of the story is on the Berry family and their relationships, as they grow and move around throughout the book. Often hilarious, but also sometimes heartbreaking, ridiculous, and disturbing, it was always interesting. There's so much going on, this is one of those books that I would have liked to read for a class or a book club.

Redux #8 - "The Brutal Language of Love" by Alicia Erian

I discovered The Brutal Language of Love (2001) by Alicia Erian while browsing through Marra Alane's blog. I think she mentioned it as one of her favorite books, which piqued my interest. When I saw the glowing reviews on Amazon and realized that Erian also wrote Towelhead (I haven't actually read this book, but I've seen the movie), I decided to pick it up.

The Brutal Language of Love consists of nine short stories, all with female protagonists who are disturbingly flawed, vulnerable, and real. My primary experience of reading these stories was very similar to my experience of watching the movie Towelhead--they made me uncomfortable. The very first story begins with, "Beatrice told Shipley she would sleep with him, and then she passed out. When she awoke the next morning, he said he'd gone ahead without her. He got dressed and asked her to drive him to the police station so he could turn himself in for rape, but she said not to worry about it." I was still caught up in all the action of this revelatory half-paragraph: disturbed by the situation; wondering how Beatrice really felt; wanting to know what Shipley was really thinking. But Erian was already moving on to other important relationships in Beatrice's life. I often felt like I was playing catch-up, not emotionally able to digest and understand everything that was happening so fast on the page.

When Erian hit on something in her stories that I could personally relate to, it was often so blunt and honest that I had to catch my breath. However, in situations farther from my personal experience, I sometimes had problems understanding the characters' motivations. This did not lesson my interest or the impact of the story, but was probably an effect of her writing style. The world 'brutal' in the title is perfect. The stories are brutal, their effect on me was brutal, and Erian's writing is so unembellished, direct, and naked--that her writing is brutal as well. I don't think I could say that I enjoyed reading this book as it made my stomach tie up in knots more often than not, but I'm not going to forget these stories. I'm finding that the more I think about them, the more I find in them.

Now, solely for my own benefit and memory, I'm going to list them with a quick (hopefully unspoilerish) blurb, so I can revisit them again:

• "Standing Up to the Superpowers" - details Beatrice relationships with Shipley, a college Freshman and her Russian literature professor. Includes the line, "In return he offered her nothing," which I couldn't forget.

• "Alcatraz" - Roz is 13 and having a sexual relationship with Jennings while dealing with Jennings' bully friend Garrett. This is where I rediscovered that reading about 13 year olds having sex or being hit on creeps me out.

• "Bikini" - Vanessa's early relationship with her boyfriend Shawki, including his dislike of promiscuous clothes and their outing on a lake. This story had me on edge the entire second half.

• "Almonds and Cherries" - a film student with a crush on her professor and confused about her sexuality makes a movie about an incident in a fitting room. Consistently interesting, but probably the one I least understood.

• "Lass" - Shayna marries Carl, the son of a famous novelist and goes to live with his parents in Ireland. I really couldn't understand the motivations in this story, although I frustratingly felt they were right below the surface.

• "On the Occasion of my Ruination" - Very relatable story about a girl heading off to college and eager to lose her virginity while she works in the mall over the summer.

• "The Brutal Language of Love" - Another disturbing story with a character named Penny and her problematic relationships with her father, her boyfriend at the movie theater, and the man who films her for his documentary. A lot going on.

• "Still Life With Plaster" - a young girl who lives with her grandparents with her younger brother and uncle, a loving home for her that still has its lies and violence.

• "When Animals Attack" - a grown brother and sister meet a teenage runaway at a bus station because their mother had befriended him in New York and given him money to get back to him parents. Again, disturbing, and did not go where I was expecting.

Redux #7 - "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall

I saw Christopher McDougall on The Daily Show, talking about his book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (2009). He brought up the rather intriguing idea (to me) that running barefoot can be fun and good for you. After reading another article about him in The New York Times, and constantly battling injuries myself, I decided I wanted to hear more about what he was saying. Now that I've finished McDougall's book, I'm annoyed that it's below freezing and the ground is covered in snow, because I would like to get out there and try some barefoot running. Although I was a little disappointed in the book as a whole, it kept my interest and reminded me why I try to run in the first place.

Part of my problems with the book stemmed (of course) from my expectations. From what he said on The Daily Show, I thought that McDougall had spent months with the Tarahumara and really became a part of their culture. And the back of the book states: "McDougall's ambitious search leads him deep inot the ragged folds of Mexico's Copper Canyon, where he somehow manages the impossible: He plumbs the mystic secrets of the fleet-footed Tarahumara Indians while never losing his deep enchantment with the majesty of their culture." I was looking for some deep insight into the Tarahumarans and their lives. But when you actually get into the book, it turns out McDougall only spent a couple days with the Tarahumara, barely even interacting with them. I did not get a good feel for their culture or how they live, and I felt that McDougall often fell back on the convenient stereotype of noble, primitive man who lives in some sort of Eden because he is far from the world's corrupting influences--but without any actual evidence.

Without having much information on the Tarahumara, the book is padded with some other interesting information about when the Tarahumara ran the Leadville 100 foot race and other famous ultra runners around the world, as well as a quick view, from an evolutionary background, of how we developed to be runners. The end culminates with a small race in Tarahumara canyon country between a couple of the best American ultra runners and some of the best Tarahumara runners.

McDougall also discusses the problems with the modern running shoe, which I thought was really interesting. This idea did not stem from the Tarahumara, but it is true that they use simple, flat sandals when they run. Many running coaches assert that it is best to land on the fleshy part of your forefoot, but the modern running shoe, with it's cushy, padded heel and modern stability, forces you to land on your heel. Studies have shown that the more cushioning you have, the harder you're going to jar the landing--so you're putting more stress on your body. Also, always having your feet controlled and supported weakens them. So, you might be better off with minimal support and cushioning, but running with better form. Although if you try to jump into running barefoot, you could also hurt yourself, because you haven't built up your foot strength yet. McDougall went from constantly nursing injuries to running more and faster than he ever had before. But McDougall also had a world-class, personal coach training him on form and running; it wasn't as easy as simply getting simpler shoes.

Having just read Krakauer's latest book, with his attention to detail and in-depth research, it was a little frustrating to read this one. I felt that McDougall often erred on the side of attention grabbing and storytelling rather than really digging deep and finding the truth. He superficially focused on the eccentricities of everyone involved but rarely gave any indication of their real lives. Superlatives were thrown liberally throughout the book without much evidence or explanation to support them. The Tarahumara were the "best" runners, and everyone was constantly "risking their lives" or "almost dying."

All of my complaining may indicate that I liked this book less than I actually did. In reality, it was a quick, informative, and enjoyable read. If I hadn't just read Krakauer, and if I hadn't been expecting something more (by the misleading advertising, which is always a pet peeve of mine), I wouldn't have been as frustrated. If you see the book as a series of light, interesting articles on why we run, ultra running, and races between Tarahumara Indians and Americans, then you will be satisfied; I'd recommend this book to anyone with an interest in running.

Redux #6 - "Where Men Win Glory" by Jon Krakauer

Football and war are far from my favorite topics, but I am a fan of Jon Krakauer, so there was never any question of my reading his latest book, Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman (2009). Whether Krakauer is talking about climbing Mt. Everest or fundamentalist Mormons, he never fails to draw me in with his in-depth and sympathetic research and storytelling. And Where Men Win Glory was no different, sucking me into the life of Pat Tillman and deeply affecting me.

I find the news incredibly frustrating to watch, so for better or worse, I tend to avoid it like the plague. Thus, although Pat Tillman's story sounded vaguely familiar, I knew basically no details about his life, his death, or how it was reported at the time. I have since learned that Pat Tillman was an idealistic and unique individual whose hard work and self confidence earned him a spot on the Arizona Cardinals' NFL team after college. But the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 affected him deeply, and his idealism and love of challenges had him giving up a promising and lucrative football contract and leaving behind his loving wife to join, along with his younger brother, the Army Rangers for a three year contract. After his training and a relatively noneventful tour of duty in Iraq, Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Adding insult to injury, the true story of his death was kept from his friends and family as the Bush administration turned him into a martyr and symbol of the war on terror.

I love the way Krakauer writes: he finds a subject that deeply interests him and delves into every facet and detail in order to give a comprehensive picture of the people involved, their motivations, and the environment surrounding them. And I don't know how he does it, but I couldn't put this book down--even the detailed descriptions of Pat's football games had me gripping the edges of the book and reading on without pause. With such a detailed and careful look at Tillman's life as well as the many revealing quotes from Pat Tillman's journals, I felt like I knew him, and I knew that I would have liked him. It's hard for me to even imagine what his brothers, parents, wife, and friends went through when they lost him, and I was left with my constant refrain when it comes to war: What a waste. Why do we do this? What a waste.

Krakauer dicusses in some detail some other friendly fire cases as well as the story of Jessica Lynch, all of which were hi-jacked by the Bush administration and re-told in a more palatable way in order to encourage the country to support the war. I really felt like I got a good, visceral idea of what happens during a war when everything gets fucked up beyond recognition and there are no do-overs. Some of the reviews on Amazon complained that Krakauer was too partisan and used this book to dump on the Bush administration. Certainly, Krakauer is no fan of the Bush administration and is obviously disgusted (as am I) by how they started the war in Iraq, ran the war in Afghanistan, and used Pat Tillman's death for their own purposes, but his primary focus remains on the life and thoughts of Pat Tillman. Krakauer does spend a couple of one-sided pages on the 2000 Bush-Gore election and the Supreme Court decision that gave Bush the presidency, but when seen as one of the many, seemingly unrelated circumstances that eventually led up to Tillman's death, I can see why Krakauer included it. Krakauer also understands the inevitability of friendly fire and that governments have consistently tried to cover up these instances throughout history; in that, he doesn't single out the Bush administration.

Krakauer's style, subjects, and attention to detail are especially appealing to me, so I am not certain that everyone will like this book as much as me, but I found it eye-opening, insightful, educational, and moving. I also believe that you have to read the entire book to really understand (as much as is possible) what made Tillman click and how he lived his life and lost it. A short synopsis won't give you the full picture.

Redux #5 - "The Language of Emotional Intelligence" by Jeanne Segal

I don't want to spend much time discussing The Language of Emotional Intelligence: The Five Essential Tools for Building Powerful and Effective Relationships (2008) by Jeanne Segal because I wasn't impressed with it, and I really don't want to spend any more time on it. I picked up this book as part of my continuing efforts to become a firefighter. The entry test for firefighters involve some questions on "emotional well-being" and "interpersonal skills." Although I am pretty confident in my ability to do the math and English sections on the test, I figured it wouldn't hurt to focus a bit on "emotional well-being" and "interpersonal skills"--an important part of the test, and two things that law school definitely does not encourage. So, after looking at a list of recommended books from the little firefighter study packet, I found this one.

Now, I like learning how people think and interact; I usually find psychology studies fascinating, but this book was a pretty painful read. It was so general it was impossible to learn anything, and it was incredibly repetitive. I've learned more about humans from reading books about chimpanzees. There weren't many reviews on Amazon for this one, but they were all pretty positive. Now that I've read the book, however, I suspect the author/publisher has been busy on Amazon themselves. I'm a little wary of these "self-help" type books, but I wouldn't mind them if they were a little more interesting and helpful. I might try one or two more from that list just to be thorough, but if they're like this one, I'm giving up.

Redux #4 - "Half the Sky" by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

I picked up Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (2009) by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn as a direct result of reading a Cannonball review on Pajiba. I hadn't heard of the book or the authors, but it sounded so interesting that I immediately put it on hold at the library. It's often hard to read books that focus on the worst living conditions in the world--they can easily become mindnumbing and depressing, but I was impressed by how Kristoff and WuDunn balanced intelligent communication of the worst effects of poverty and gender imbalance on women, while still inspiring me with stories of women who manage to survive, and sometimes even thrive, despite horrors and limitations I could hardly comprehend.

Half the Sky focuses on women and three particular abuses that they face in disturbing numbers, including: sex trafficking and forced prostitution; gender-based violence, including honor killings and mass rape; and maternal mortality. Using personal stories of women they have encountered and interviewed on their travels, they describe a system of slavery of women in sex trafficking that involves significantly larger numbers than those involved at the height of the African slave trade in the 1800's. Young girls are sold, kidnapped, or tricked into a brothel, and once there, they are beaten and drugged into submission. Often addicted and infected with AIDS, they live hopeless lives. Even if they manage to run away, most often they do not speak the local language, they have nowhere to go, and the police might send them back or sell them themselves. The hopelessness was sickening, yet there were women who not only survived these situations but managed to set up programs to help others.

Another focus of Half the Sky was the the effects of untreated fistulas on African women. Often caused either by incredibly violent rapes that tear holes into the bladder and bowels or long, difficult labors, women are left dripping urine and feces without control. Their husbands and family will abandon them or sometimes build a hut for them far away in order to avoid the smell, and they become pariahs. Adequate maternal care could help avoid this problem and a small surgery can often heal the fistulas, but many women do not have the access or money for it.

There are many other personal stories and crises women are facing around the world discussed in the book. Kristof and WuDunn make no secret of their goal to encourage and mobilize their readers to help the women, whose stories they are telling, and the many others in need. Yet they manage to do it without being sanctimonious or partisan and by taking an objective look at real, grassroots programs, headed by locals, that have worked well throughout the developing world. For instance, they report that something as simple as providing school uniforms keeps young girls in school longer, preventing them from getting pregnant so young. Also, something as simple as adding iodine to salt can prevent mental retardation in children and significantly raise IQ points.

I would recommend this book to anyone. The personal stories are well-told and wrenching, and it is full of well-reasoned information about problems and solutions for improving women's--and thus everyone else's--standard of living in the developing world.