This Cold Heaven by Gretel Ehrlich

This was an interesting read, for a text that might be periodically referred to, as one would, to any 19^th century explorer’s text.

In that style, it is clearly an amateur scientific diary with the common trait, from a century ago, of being overly, almost didactically profuse in the descriptions, to the minutest detail and profundity.  The audience in mind is a fellow quasi-scientist/explorer captivated obsessively with a guide book to continued exploration of this fascinating country and peoples.  I have several such books in my library.

I would draw the line however, at this being a book of general interest to a broad community of adult library readers. 

The author has an amazing ability to capture scenes of nature {and culture} with wonderful simile and metaphor, such that the reader is left mesmerizingly drained with the beauty captured in her scenic words, and awed by her insight into the meaning of civilization’s encroachment into this stone-age culture. 

Unfortunately, the scenes and the insights are not enough to carry this book beyond a reference text book.  All too often, our book club selections are left to the extremely east coast PC white wine sippers{ecwwsps}, who in this case are sending the message, “You must empathize with these beleaguered Inuits and their disappearing land – read this book and then support their cause.”  Of course, the truth is that, for those having read the book {not the ecwwsps}, this is the way of the Earth – things may change, or be made to stay the same; doesn’t matter the world goes on – species go extinct by the dozens each year.

There is no lacking in Ehrlich’s passion for the subject matter, or her thorough recording of events, nor her wonderfully comprehensive historical recap of the last centuries (& more) events.  The problem is – she is not a mass media author, certainly not a fictional author, although, with her flights of fancy, she has possibilities there.  Alas, she violates so many “rules” of writing {aptly codified}, that her antiquated style quickly becomes droll, and encourages the reader to skip on forward to the next “activity”.

I am reminded of my next-door neighbor when she and I were in graduate school together in Tucson.  We had lengthy discussions about the plight of the western Indians.  I, of course, proposed monumental sieges, battles to the death: honorable; but with great loss of life.  She spoke of love and of oneness with nature – of nature’s ultimate victory over strife.  Our focal point in these discussions was the movie “Easy Rider”, 1969 - Dennis Hopper, Jack Nickolson, Peter Fonda.  What was the message you got from this movie.?

Padma's Comments on History of Love

In many ways I found this book quite lovely and in many ways quite confusing. I felt I need to read it again and hoped that would help me understand it better. I read it again (skimmed, I admit) and I did understand the “plot” better; but still not very interesting.

The writing was nice, humorous, and at times poetic. I liked the children but could never figure out the significance of the religious fanaticism of the brother, Bird. I did like that he was called “Bird” that was original.

I enjoyed Leo’s reflections on his life, his sense of humor, his relationship with Bruno. Although I could not figure out when Bruno, or Leopold, for that matter, actually died. I thought the scene of Leo posing for the art class was truly funny, and realistic.

I did not understand the idea of pages with one or two sentences on the whole page. Did someone think the book should be longer? Perhaps this also was the point of a few characters for whom I could not figure out a purpose.

For example what was the point of the old professor Alma meets who is a paleontologist? Or the scene with the rich man who is locked out of his home and pays Leo with a $100 bill?

Some of these things just felt thrown in with no particular purpose. As if the author had a clever idea that she could not resist writing about, so she put it in this story. I think perhaps she should have resisted, maybe saved her ideas for another book where they might be more relevant.

I also did not get the purpose of the photos of her grandparents. Were they supposed to be characters in the novel? Did she want us to be certain that she actually had grandparents? Is there something special about having grandparents that I missed?

All in all I could have passed on this one.

 

Just finished “Dearie,” the Julia Child biography and cried at the end. I was even inspired to get her first book, The Art of French Cooking, and have enjoyed cooking from it.

Engrossed in “A State of Wonder,” by Ann Patchett. Only about 1/3 into it; but so far very good, mysterious with good character and plot development.

Sorry to miss the group. I’m at a craft fair at the Airport Club to benefit their Cancer Wellness program. Curious to hear news of how others liked this book.

padma

History of Love Comments From: "Sharyn Ferguson"

Hello Group,

First, an apology to Mauri. When I first saw the latest book, "History of Love", I made the snide comment that it couldn't have been very good because I remembered the cover distinctly but the story not at all! Therefore, it must not have made much of an impression on me.

How very wrong I was. I don't know why it didn't register with my memory but, suffice to say, I could not have been more in error.

This is beautiful book. Although challenging for me to keep track of the characters and their history in the history of love, I feel it is one of the better books our group has read. It was funny, mysterious, and, for me, an entirely different approach to presenting a story. I honestly cared about the people; I honestly wanted to know what happened; I honestly wanted a happy ending. Did it have one? I think so, but would like to know what the group thinks. I really wish I could be there with you.

This story had me so interested, I didn't even notice if there were any editorial errors...I didn't care.

The following are just a few of my favorite passages:

Page 115 --

"He wondered if what he had taken for the richness of silence was really the poverty of never being heard."


Page 156 --

"He learned to live with the truth. Not to accept it, but to live with it. It was like living with an elephant."

Page 192 --

"Every year, the memories I have of my father become more faint, unclear, and distant. Once they were vivid and true, then they were became like photographs, and now they are more like photographs of photographs. But sometimes, at rare moments, a memory of him will return to me with such suddenness and clarity that all
the feeling I've pushed down for the years springs out like a jack-in-the-box."

These last two quotes are ones that are extremely specially to me. My only child was killed seven months ago.

These words succinctly express how I feel and how I worry about the potential for fading photographs. May you never have unwanted jack-in-the-boxes.
 

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

 

No plot – all character development.  That’s the way I described this book last Sunday on the radio (Peter & Pat on books – 1^st Sunday of the month at 8pm).

The orange prize is an obscure sort of inside literati New York/London scene award for young female authors who are innovative in their approach to fiction.  Well I’m old school and did not find Nicole’s approach either thoughtful or stimulating. 

I found the stream of consciousness blather to be like reading snippets from someone’s diary – and the some ones were people to whom I didn’t take a liking.  They were boring people.  Alma Singer was totally forgettable.  Leo Gursky was a putz.

The missing plot gimmick leaves the reader without a “hook”, something you can grab a hold of so you can look over to your bedmate and say, “I’m reading a great book about murder on the orient express”.  ---PLOT--- and quickly, dozens of subplots and themes come to mind, so your partner says, “Tell me a little more about it”.  But we don’t have a defensible plot for Leo, so leaning over across the bed, I would say, “I’m reading a book about this nebbish who comes to America after the war and looks up his old girlfriend but she is married now, so not a part of the story anymore.  But she had Leo’s son, so fifty years later Leo tries to look up the son, but he has died by now … .. but at this juncture my bedmate would be snoring, in their loveable way.

For ten years, I’ve finished even the “worst” of book club selections.  This one was just too blah.   I will leave a backdoor open.  Maybe it was me. 

This past few weeks has been an emotional and stressful time for me.  My sister went back to Waterloo Nebraska and laid to rest our mother’s ashes; her estate was settled which allowed me to pay off my home mortgage, and commit to the completion of my house renovations; I have been distracted enough that I forgot and missed the casting call for the Library’s Reader’s Theater 2013 program.