communication breakdown: Book Reviews

Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist is a charming little story about a boy with big dreams. The protagonist, a young shepherd who decides to forsake everything and pursue a treasure and thereby achieve his "Personal Legend", is a role model for all those seeking identity and individualism. His journey, and eventual achievement, will undoubtedly provide a lift to anyone looking for encouragement. Despite this, The Alchemist is really just a simple motivational story masquerading as a mind-blowing, metaphysical phenomenon. Sure, it's a quick and effortless read, and it contains some timeless wisdom, but it's really no more than a collection of proverbial knowledge wrapped around a simple story. No doubt it is a great read for a teenager, or for anyone looking for an inspirational story, but if your expectations are too high you're likely to walk away wondering if you missed something - even though you probably didn't...

A young, adventurous sailor finds himself in the middle of a terrible storm that leads to shipwreck, and resorts to abandoning the ship in order to save his life. He finds himself standing trial alone for his actions (whether cowardly, misguided, or both) and is stripped of title and disgraced. With nowhere left to turn he flees to a remote forgotten island, and earns redemption by becoming a leader of the people and saving them from those who attempt to do them harm.

Sounds like an interesting premise, right? Well, Joseph Conrad finds a way to take a promising outline and make it insufferable in his supposed classic Lord Jim. Conrad, best known for his other supposed classic Heart of Darkness, has a bona fide talent for sucking life out of a story like a vacuum. I found Lord Jim to be an exercise in patience and willpower; it was solely my unwillingness to quit in the middle of a book that propelled me toward its finish. After 9 months, I finally reached the end; by comparison, I immediately began and then finished another book in a matter of days. What we have here is a charming little short story that is stretched to the limit with meandering dialogue and cumbersome prose, and the result is like butter spread too thinly on toast...

With my last couple forays into the "Modern Library Top 100 Novels of All Time" ending in disappointment, I was yearning to find something truly great on the list. Against all expectations, I found what I was looking for in Appointment in Samarra. Named for a short story by W. Somerset Maugham in which a man has an inevitable date with death, the novel is aptly named in retelling the tragic tale of socialite Julian English. Julian and his wife Caroline are the pride of the 1930's social circuit in the small, fictional city of Gibbsville, Pennsylvania. Life seems to be nothing more than parties, drinks, and enjoyment. But when Julian makes one bad decision, he sets off a string of events that irreparably change his life for the worse.

This is a relatively short and lightning-fast read, mainly because of the skill demonstrated in John O'Hara's writing. Interestingly enough, not too much really happens in the story - despite Julian's fall from grace, I would argue that the story is not that complicated or eventful. But despite that, it is an extremely engrossing read, and is a delight from start to finish. In my opinion, that is the triumph of a great writer; given a simple story, he can make it marvellous without mucking it up. At the risk of sounding blasphemous, the best way I can describe Appointment in Samarra is to say that it is everything The Great Gatsby wishes to be...

E.M. Forster's last and most influential novel about British-occupied India and the cultural tensions between the two peoples is a daring work, considering the timeframe in which it was written. Penned before the true emergence of Gandhi and the independence movement of his nation, A Passage to India shed light on the problems posed by British occupation - indeed, for many readers it was probably their first exposure to the issue. The story takes place in the small town of Chandrapore, and follows the daily routine of several Indians and the British occupiers with whom they interact. Though relations are tense and far from ideal, they abide under a fragile relationship, until a misunderstanding between a British lady and Indian doctor causes the foundation to crumble and hostilities to come out into the open...

Under the Volcano is a tough read, but I guess that is only fitting considering its tough subject matter. It depicts the tragic latter days of its lead character, Geoffrey Firmin, a British ex-consulate to Mexico. Recently resigned from his position due to tensions between the two countries, he lives now in the small Mexican town of Quauhnahuac. This is the least of his problems, however; his real struggle is with alcoholism. A self-deprecating and relentless drunk, the novel chronicles how his dependence on liquor drives him into a doomed spiral from whence he cannot recover. Despite the promise of hope, and the opportunity to escape his demons, he eventually succumbs to the inevitable.

If it sounds depressing, that's because it is. Make no mistake, this is a dark and frustrating read. Complicating matters is the fact that the style which the author employs is very nonlinear, full of obscure references and meandering, almost stream-of-consciousness thoughts. These things alone are not enough for me to discourage others from reading the book - in fact, most of Faulkner's work shares the same characteristics, and are all worth a read despite the high level of effort required to complete them. But in the case of Under the Volcano, there's no real payoff. After 400 pages of slogging through difficult prose and macabre inner dialogue, I find myself no better, wiser, or more enlightened...

Mark Twain's timeless novel about boyhood exudes so much passion and charm that it's almost impossible not to enjoy it. From Tom Sawyer's humorously renegade spirit, to the boundless imagination of him and his friends, to their youthful naivete, it is no wonder that this book is often considered one of the prime examples of, if not the quintessential, American novel. Men in particular will identify with the novel, seeing their own boisterous adventures of days gone by reflected in its pages; but there is enough adventure and romantic idealism here to make a fan out of every reader...

American Psycho practically knocked me off my feet. It is a novel of unbridled power, absolutely refusing to pull any punches in its portrayal of a truly frightening man in an equally disturbing society. Bret Easton Ellis' tale centers around the rich and stylish Patrick Bateman, a young Manhattanite living in the lap of luxury. He eats at ultra-expensive restaurants, sleeps with gorgeous women, and obsesses over material things. And, in his spare time, he kills people and disposes of their bodies in gruesome ways. He never gets caught, and even worse, nobody even seems to care...

Mark Haddon's debut novel is charming, wildly inventive, and surprisingly tragic. In testament to the freshness of the material, I can honestly say that this is the only serious novel that I have ever read in a single day. I simply could not put the book down. The novel is a piercing look at the life of Christopher Boone, an autistic teenager who stumbles upon his dead neighbor's dog, which eventually leads him down a startling path of self-discovery...

Faulkner's tale about racial tension and the wages of sin takes place in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County of Mississippi, the backdrop for most of his most successful novels. Like these others, it is a rich tale of the old South, both tragic and touching by nature. It weaves a tale of four characters, whose lives ultimately intersect for better or for worse. The heft of the novel and focus on several main figures allows Faulkner to employ all of his gifts of prose in giving his characters life, and in doing so, pens some of his most memorable figures. Through their misfortunes, we see a powerful lesson about how the past often consumes the wicked, while the future always holds hope for the virtuous...

Frank Herbert's groundbreaking science-fiction masterpiece presents itself as an enigma to me. I tend to be pretty opinionated on things, but with this novel, I find it hard to express my thoughts. Dune is undoubtedly grand in scope, almost impossibly so - evidenced by the fact that it is the initial offering in a 10+ book series. Its influence is evident in countless novels and films, including the Star Wars series. The story, set over 20,000 years in the future, centers around a royal family struggling against political and environmental obstacles, and details the origin of a young boy destined to change the world forever...

Widely considered one of the greatest American novels, Robert Penn Warren's epic is a fictionalized account of the rise and fall of Willie Stark, who is loosely based on 1930's Louisiana governor Huey Long. It is a multi-layered, complex work, rife with lush imagery and powerful human interaction. It also presents a formidable task for the casual reader: not only is it large and lacking in frequent chapter breaks, but the depth of the writing commands close and careful attention. Despite this, there is something about this novel that has been drawing readers to it for almost 60 years. In my opinion, it is the fact that Warren has a unique talent for exploring the human psyche, and his novel is so powerfully introspective that you cannot help but be moved by its force...

Anthony Burgess' masterpiece is a difficult yet powerful read, a stunning look at a frightening future which, in turn, poses strong and controversial questions about present philosophies of thought. The novel's protagonist, known only as Alex, breaks the mold of the classic hero-narrator style. His cunning wit is surpassed only by his ruthlessness. This story about the exploits of Alex and his gang has haunted readers for nearly 40 years, and it remains as fresh as ever due to its unique style and message, which is as relevant today as the day it was written...

Dashiell Hammett's classic novel is the quintessential detective story, a thrilling tale about murder, greed and deception. Written in 1929, it was a trailblazing novel whose influences on the mystery/crime genre are unavoidable. Popular first as a book, then later as an adapted film, it is a story which is hard not to enjoy. The Maltese Falcon focuses on the life of Sam Spade, a rogue detective with good looks, foolish bravado, and a recklessly adventurous spirit. When he picks up the trail of the Falcon, a mysterious relic of immeasurable value, he stumbles onto a trail bound to end in mayhem...

Disclaimer: In my previous Harry Potter reviews, I did not make secrecy a high priority, because I reviewed each of them years after their release. However, since this book just became available days ago, I will keep my review spoiler-free. However, this does not mean that it is detail-free. I can't tell you anything useful if I don't elaborate somewhat on the storyline. So my promise is to give enough details to be mildly informative, while strictly avoiding the revealing of anything critical. But if you're the kind of person (like myself) who prefers to go into a book completely blind, such that every word is a complete surprise, read no further. Now, with that being said...

Book Six of the massively popular Harry Potter series is a tour-de-force, representing a stunning achivement in depth as well as a great step forward for the series as a whole. Despite the fact that Half-Blood Prince is preceded by five outstanding novels, placing enormous pressure on the book and author J.K. Rowling to take the Potter world to new heights, Rowling turns out her most impressive, creative and powerful book yet. While reading this novel it is hard to ignore how far the series has come. Despite its simple and innocent beginnings, the story has evolved into something much darker, much more complex, and infinitely more exciting than any of us could have reasonably hoped...

The Invisible Man is one of H.G. Wells' four science-fiction masterpieces, written at the turn of the 20th century, near the beginning of the author's career. Ironically enough, Wells' early works (The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds) received far more critical and popular acclaim than any of his subsequent projects. It seems as though Wells was at the height of his creative genius in the few years before 1900, and The Invisible Man is one of his most indelible and exciting works from that time...

"The Sound and the Fury" is William Faulkner's most critically acclaimed, and arguably his best, novel. Set in the fictional and elaborately detailed Yoknapatawpha County of Mississippi, it is perhaps one of the most accurate and impassioned portrayals of the 1920's South...

I know several of you have been wondering: "When is Shaun going to read and review a book that he doesn't think is great?" Indeed, up to this point, all of my book reviews have carried ratings of 8/10 or above. Well, I'm about to break that streak, with what must surely be considered an unlikely choice.

For years I have heard the name Kurt Vonnegut and listened as people raved and showered praise upon him, even referring to him as "America's best author". Heck, Preston Meyers even refers to him as his idol in Can't Hardly Wait, and Preston's a pretty cool cat, so I figured there must be something to this Vonnegut fellow. Well, I finally got around to reading one of his books, the classic anti-war novel "Slaughterhouse Five". And to be perfectly honest, I was surprised not by its brilliance or profoundness, but by its mediocrity...

With the release of the fifth book in the Potter series, J.K. Rowling ups the ante from the critically-acclaimed "Goblet of Fire", both in length and depth. It is quite voluminous at 870 pages (certainly not for the faint of heart), but for the most part, the pages are utilized effectively. "Phoenix" represents a leap forward for the series, particularly in terms of character development. Rowling expounds upon the vast mythology laid down in the fourth book, and turns out a novel rich in danger, mystery, and most of all, relationships...

J.D. Salinger's only novel remains his most widely read work, yet it is both well-respected and despised. The novel's only major character and protagonist, disillusioned teenager Holden Caulfield, has become a part of the pop culture lexicon and will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable characters of 20th century literature. But the novel is essentially a collection of extended ramblings in which nothing happens to anyone or anything. So why has this novel been so critically acclaimed, and why is it a lightning rod for such passionate debate? ...

With the highly-anticipated fourth entry in her series about everyone's favorite boy wizard, J.K. Rowling has upped the ante considerably, producing a much more thorough and compelling novel than all of its predecessors. Undoubtedly it was a risky venture to write a "children's book" that spanned more than 750 pages - many younger readers and casual fans are likely to be turned off by the size alone. However, those who do brave the book's girth will find a highly entertaining and imaginative novel which opens exciting new doors for the Potter franchise...

Widely recognized as one of William Faulkner's best novels, "As I Lay Dying" is a piercing and moving look at a poor family coping with life and death. In this novel, as with many of his others, Faulkner writes about what he knows - the hard life of the deep South. He created a mythical part of Mississippi known as Yoknapotawpha County, and within this county is where the story of this novel takes place...

As far as books are concerned, "Animal Farm" is about as perfect as they come. Whether you're looking for an insightful look into political history, an exemplary work of satire, or just a good old-fashioned entertaining story, it's going to deliver on every level. George Orwell had a knack for manifesting his anger and fears in the form of great novels - with this one, he chooses the most unlikely of places to create one of the best and most appropriate allegories ever written - a small farm in England...

Brave New World is a marvelously imaginative look into Aldous Huxley's pessimistic view of the future. It belongs to a rare set of classic dystopias (along with "1984" and "We"), and with good reason - it is one of the most complete and disturbing illustrations of an oppressed society that can be found in all of literature. The book is saturated with a contempt for the ever-increasing grip of technology on society, and with the use of wit and sarcasm Huxley casts a piercing eye on the present by examining the future toward which we are heading. Like "1984", this novel has not aged a bit - it is as edgy and poignant as when it was written over 70 years ago...

George Orwell's masterpiece is a book of stunning force which presents a chilling vision of a not-too-distant future. Though the story literally takes place in the year 1984, even now, 20 years after its passing, his warnings are all too pertinent to our society. The book is well known for its political critiques, but what is often overlooked are the philosophical questions which Orwell attempts to address. But the most obvious feature of the novel is the sheer ferocity of his writing, which is likely to leave you speechless at times. There is no doubt that he is a man of strong convictions, and he has translated his fears, doubts, and concerns in a most captivating way...

The third book in the Harry Potter series is without a doubt the best thus far. The tone of the book is significantly darker than the first, and definitely has a more "grown-up" feel to it. Any adults who have lost their sense of youth and have avoided this series because they are "kids' books", take heed: such claims no longer hold any water...

I must admit that it is hard to objectively review these books on their own merit, since I saw both movies before reading them. I hate to see a movie before reading the book from which it is adapted - it colors my perceptions of the characters and leaves little to my own imagination. That is why I have reviewed these two books together, and will review the others separately...