House of Leaves

House of Leaves

By: Mark Danielewski

Copyright: 2000

Pantheon Books

5 Bookmarks out of 5

I learned about this book while working at my undergraduate alma mater one summer. I worked with a woman who had this book with her constantly. Her and another man I worked with would chat about the book together. Being a nosy person, especially when it comes to books, I asked what the book was about and if it was worth buying. The two of them immediately said yes it was worth reading and it was a crazy book to read. Much to my delight - and horror - I found out that House of Leaves is a book which is about a book which is about a movie. If that's not enough to entice you in, then maybe you should know that it centers around a house which is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.

Now, I'm not one for horror books or films. I rarely watch or read them because usually it gives me nightmares for a month afterwards. But this book is just sane enough to keep me going. If you're prone to nightmares, then maybe this book isn't for you. The house is aware of its own existence - growing and contracting at its own will and having the rooms be completely and utterly black inside. But - then again - the house is just the film part of the book. The book that is being written about the movie was written by a character named Zampano who dies and Johnny Truant ends up editing the book while informing the reader what is actually happening in his own life while the actual editors of the book who brought it to publication are commenting on Johnny's comments on Zampano's comments about the book which is about the movie which is about the house.

Sound confusing? There are points in time which it is utterly confusing to figure out what is going on. The best way to keep track of all it is by the different fonts used for different characters and the different colors of the words in the book. But this book doesn't just settle there. Danielewski wants the reader to emerge himself or herself into the book. The words grow closer and closer together to demonstrate to the reader the claustrophobia a certain character is feeling and the words spin in circles so that way you also feel just as confused as the character in the book. It's extremely post-modern but in a way that drags you along for the crazy ride.

What I found most disappointing about the book is that it reads like non-fiction at certain points in time and then reads like fiction at other parts. The non-fiction parts bored me and I found myself just wanting to skip over certain technical descriptions to figure out how the plot moves along. But the nice part about the non-fiction parts is that you, the reader, get to immerse yourself in this world and suspend disbelief for a short while. There are times when you wonder if Ash Tree Lane might actually exist and you begin to feel a shiver run up your spine as you wonder if the house being described could be any house - maybe even your own house. Maybe you will be the one to open a door in your own house and find a long, pitch black hallway.

Would I consider this a 'must-read'? It depends on who is doing the reading. This is not a casual novel you pick up and thumb through to pass the time. The book demands the reader to constantly be engaged in what is happening. And in the end, it's very possible that you may have more questions than answers about what actually happened in the book. But is it worth your time to read? Absolutely. The creepiness combined with the passion of the characters combined with the question-raising Johnny Truant makes this a memorable read and one I will certainly tackle again to see if any of my questions are answered by a second-go-round.

Jihad vs. McWorld

Jihad vs. McWorld: Terrorism's Challenge to Democracy
By: Benjamin Barber
Copyright: 1995
Ballantine Books

3 Bookmarks out of 5

So, it's been awhile since I've posted on here. Real life has once again taken over - I'm solidifying some things for a move I will be making, I took a wonderful vacation to New England, and some family issues took over my time for reading. I still was trucking away at this book though - no matter how slowly. I first heard about this book in college. Since I was a social science major, this book popped up a lot in certain readings for class. When walking through Barnes & Noble one day, I decided that it was time for me to pick it up and actually read the book in its entirety.

Unfortunately, I'm a little sad that I forced myself through this entire book. It took me two months to read because the writing was not meant for the lay person. If you're looking to digest the theory in this book, it would be better just to read a summary of the argument that Barber makes - which is essentially that neither McWorld nor Jihad is democratic and we're all in big trouble if either one wins out. If you're looking for an easy read on the current state of world affairs, this is not that book. However, if you're looking for a book with deep analysis of how the world works, then I would encourage you to read it.

The book is slightly dated - it was published in 1995 and the version I read was re-published in 2001 with a new introduction which reminds readers that the theory still holds true today. Even eleven years later, though, Barber's book still holds true. Replace cassette tapes with blu-ray DVDs and it's easy to see how it is applicable to today. It would be interesting to see an even more updated version which speaks to the current fad of social media and how consumers are willingly giving McWorld unlimited access to personal information.

I can also see how people could be offended by the title of this book. I went into it thinking that Barber would focus solely on fundamental Islam and how it has no place in the modern world. Barber instead focuses on extreme conservatism everywhere - from the Middle East to Germany and even the extreme Christian right in the United States of America. Barber seems to use the term 'jihad' as an over-arching theme although 'jihad' is almost always associated solely on Islam. Barber knows, though, that in America the term 'jihad' sells. It looks as if Barber was swept up in the McWorld that he is arguing against in an attempt to sell this book.

Overall the book is organized in easy to digest parts. If it was written in long-winded chapters, I doubt that I would have mustered the strength to finish this book. But the easy to find stopping places allows you to digest what you just read and take a break before you continue on. Some of the examples felt drawn out when I understood the point he was trying to make from the get-go. But over-all Barber does try to make his book easy to understand.

I guess in the end the book left me uninspired. I didn't feel like the way I looked at the world changed after reading - and I attribute that to the fact that I was already extremely familiar with the theory presented in the book before I even started reading it. It took me so long to read it because it was not written in an exciting way. The book is geared towards academics who are already interested in this subject and not necessarily the weekend reader. Pick it up if you're interested - steer clear if you're just looking for a book to keep you occupied while you ride the bus or train.

While Europe Slept

While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within
By: Bruce Bawer
Copyright: 2006
Doubleday

2 Bookmarks out of 5

I am currently on a mission to clear out as many books as possible from my extensive collection. I will never get rid of a book without reading it, so that's how I came to be reading this book. I got this book in college when my professor was cleaning out his cluttered office. I picked it up because the subject matter intrigued me - I am especially interested in religion and how it plays into the culture of a particular society. I expected this book to be written by an isolationist activist who had never been to Europe. I was surprised and intrigued to learn that this book was written by an ex-patriot who has been living in Europe for the past decade. What I was most disappointed in the fact that his experience on the subject seems to stop with first-hand anecdotal accounts.

While I am not against reading books of different political or personal persuasions from myself, when they pass themselves off as being academic works, I expect a certain level of professionalism from them. In this case, While Europe Slept lacked any sort of note or bibliographic reference when talking about supposed facts. If anyone wanted to check into any story or research report quoted in this book, the reader would have to do some major searching - if these facts are even real at all. Any person reading this book should take the facts with a huge grain of salt. That being said, Bawer does provide a good critical commentary of these supposed facts. However, as with any controversial topic, I could think of counter-points to many of his comments.

Furthermore, I found it curious that Bawer talked of immigrants being integrated into the larger society to see themselves as Dutchmen or Frenchmen. He sees this as a necessity to combat fundamentalist Islam from destroying Europe from within. However, Bawer spends extensive time throughout the book comparing Europe to America and being vastly offended when Europeans criticize America. If he wants Muslim immigrants to think of themselves as Europeans, shouldn't Bawer be doing the same thing? Even more so, Bawer seems to have been so far removed from America that he has a very idealistic view of race relations in his home country. While America is the land of the free, Americans have their own racial prejudices that they have yet to overcome.

What I think is particularly interesting is that Bawer seems to be alluding to the fact that fundamentalism and terrorism must be combated in Europe like Churchill took in fascist Germany head-on. What he fails to mention is that during World War II, England was fighting an entire country and war had not yet mutated to include terrorism. What is interesting about terrorism is that is has no country and can be grown anywhere at anytime - Bawer does not provide an adequate response with how to combat an enemy where there is no physical front line. (Of course, that's just my opinion. If Bawer provided an answer for this, I missed it.)

This book falls short on many points. There are three chapters that are extremely long and not at all user-friendly. Bawer takes some long detours from fundamental Islam to speak of European bashing of Americans. I wouldn't recommend this book unless it already falls into your ideological category or you enjoy reading opinion pieces. I wish I could say that I have a lot of good thoughts about this book - but ultimately I would pass on it and pursue this particular subject of fundamental Islam and the clashing of cultures in another academic book.

Nothing Like it in the World

Nothing Like it in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869
By: Stephen E. Ambrose
Copyright: 2000
A Touchstone Book

3 Bookmarks out of 5

This book came into my rather large book collection from my boyfriend. He had bought it because he had heard good things about Stephen Ambrose as an author. However, he was discouraged about the length of the book (382 pages) and didn't know if he was really interested in the subject matter. Knowing that I am a huge fan of trains, he asked me if I wanted it. Never turning down a book free of charge, I happily accepted it. And luckily for me, I had a Sunday off of work so I was able to read it in a relatively short amount of time.

This book really struck me as a book geared towards a general audience. It covered how the railroad was built - beginning with Lincoln's fascination with the railroad during his time as a senator and ending in 1869 with the meeting of the two railroads at Promontory Summit in Utah. This book covered how the railroad came about and how both the Union Pacific and Central Pacific went to great lengths to join the east and west of the United States. If you're looking for a book that covers vast detail and continues your education of the railroad, this is not that book. Ambrose writes for the layperson to understand, which makes the 382 pages less stressful to read. He follows the story by dividing his time between both railroads, which all but re-creates the tension of the race to see which railroad could build the furthest, the fastest.

However, what I was most disappointed with in this book was the fact that Ambrose really breezes over some critical aspects of the railroad. He fails to look into the virtual enslavement of the Chinese while working for the Central Pacific. If the Chinese were ever upset about something and attempted to leave or protest, they would be whipped or be kept from supplies so that they starved. Ambrose also fails to examine the railroad from the point of view from the various native tribes. Instead, Ambrose discusses this detail through the eyes of those working on the railroad. Unfortunately, this depiction is less than friendly and does not give the complete picture. The title certainly doesn't lie when it says 'the men' who built the railroad - women are only mentioned as the strong companions of the men who created this engineering feat.

Other than that, I felt like Ambrose was uninspired while writing this book. He failed to capture the emotion in many of the men working on the railroad. The only person in the entire book I felt an empathy with was Theodore Judah, who was the architect of the railroad and was eventually overshadowed by the Big Four. He died before he could see the completion of the railroad. I wish Ambrose had dug into the emotions of those involved more. I also wish that Ambrose had not repeated so many facts. While making your way through the book, the reader will notice little things that are repeated chapter after chapter. For some, this will be a nice reminder. For other readers, this will become an annoyance.

Overall, I was not disappointed in this book and reading it took me back to late-nineteenth century America. I could envision what the West looked like at that time when it was virtually untouched by human hands. I admired how these men built the entire railroad by hand. But, ultimately, I came away from the book with a lack of inspiration. Instead of feeling inspired by the spirit of American and ingenuity, I wanted more about what the players in this plot felt. I would pick it up if you need a basic understanding of the railroad, but pass on the book if you're looking for a book that deals with the tough question of what American expansion into the West really meant.

The Folk of the Fringe

The Folk of the Fringe
Orson Scott Card
Copyright: 1989
Tom Doherty Associates

3 Bookmarks out of 5

I originally picked up this book from Ukazoo - a used bookstore near my undergraduate alma mater. There are four locations nationally, and I encourage you to check them out if you live near one of them! Anyway, I became an Orson Scott Card fan sometime last year when I finally broke down and read the entirety of the Ender Saga. In fact, I reviewed the most recent book in that saga not too long ago - it's called Shadows in Flight. I wanted to read some more Card's works, but I wasn't interested in getting involved with a series. So The Folk of the Fringe seemed like a one-stop shop and the price wasn't bad either ($3.99? Pretty much what it would cost to buy it online when you include the shipping and handling). What I didn't know at the time is that this book is actually a collection five short stories that have intertwining characters.

The first story, "West," was by far my most favorite story. It details the story of a group of Mormons attempting to make it to Utah in a future America that has been bombed (presumably) by the Soviets. This story-line intrigued me and I wanted the entire book to be their story. I felt like Card spent too little time detailing their grueling trek to Utah - on foot, I might add. But then again, this story was one about characters. And while it felt like Card was bashing groups who were not Mormon, the characters were compelling and left me wanting more.

The next story is "Salvage." Taking place near the now-submerged Salt Lake City, it details the story of a boy from "West" in his quest to find a sunken Mormon treasure. Out of the five stories, this one was the most forgettable. Its purpose seems only to serve as an introduction of Deague Teaver as the character of "Pageant Wagon" and to detail how important the temple is to the Church of Latter Day Saints.

The third story is - in my humble opinion - the best of all three. It's entitled "The Fringe" and details the character of Carpenter - a teacher who has cerebral palsy. Carpenter figures out that the folk in this particular town are stealing crops and selling them on the black market for high prices. The students in his class who benefit from this black market scheme become very angry and attempt to get retribution for the perceived wrong on their families. Carpenter is an amazing character and one I appreciated very much. It's not every day that an author has the courage to have the main character of a story be disabled and even then only reveal it one detail at a time.

The fourth story is "Pageant Wagon" and it is a novella in itself. Deaver Teague from "Salvage" is the main character here and the story follows his quest to feel a part of a community by his experience with a traveling family of actors/actresses. This could have been published separately and Card fans would have been thrilled. But as it may, I felt that in this story Card once again shows his misogynistic traits in portraying women as a group that needs to be protected by the men and, then again, showing women as the sole temptation of men.

The last story is "America" and was probably my second favorite in this series of five stories. It follows a Mormon teenager in the jungles of Brazil, dealing with the temptation of the flesh. Card seems to rarely touch on the theme of sex in his stories - and I have yet to see Card come right out and portray sex as something pleasurable. Usually he describes it in a purely biological fashion. (But I should note that I'm just beginning my exploration of Card as an author). However, I found this story refreshing in its raw power to portray the lust-fulness of youth and the conflicting emotions a religious youth can feel over it.

Overall, though, this book seems directed towards Mormons. Most of the character interactions deal with those who are of the Church of Latter Day Saints. I don't think it's a mistake, either, that Card details Utah as the only place in post-bombing America that is safe and that it is ruled by Mormons. But, more than that, I felt like some stories could have been shorter and others I would have loved to see elaborated upon. The author's note at the end will thrill Card fans and I think that Card's amazing ability as an author is a rallying point for the LDS - which can be seen as a culture that differs greatly from mainstream society.

Midnight Magic

Midnight Magic
By: Avi
Copyright: 1999
Scholastic, Inc.

3 Bookmarks out of 5

I should point out to my readers that this book is a children's/young adult book. It would probably appeal mostly to children from 10 to 14 years old. But, Avi is one of my favorite authors from childhood and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to re-live my childhood because I've been reading some pretty heavy books recently, such as Gulag: A History and The History of God. I'm pretty sure that this book ended up in my household from my next door neighbor. She probably lent it over to our house because she enjoyed it. And since my neighbor is not much of a reader, I finally got around to listening to her recommendation ten years after the fact. If she recommends a book, it's generally worth my time to read it.

The best thing about this book in particular is the plot. This book is primarily a mystery and secondarily a historical novel. I usually try to avoid the mystery genre because the suspense usually causes me to skim through it very quickly and miss all the details of the story because I want to know the ending. I purposefully slowed myself down this time around and tried to genuinely enjoy the plot progression. I have to admit, I thought I had the plot figured out about halfway through - but Avi gives the reader a nice twist that even I couldn't figure out. Although, I suppose if you frequently read mysteries you may be better at catching the end before I did. By slowing down through this book, I was able to enjoy the historical facts that riddled the story. As a teacher by training, this would have been a great book to use in the classroom. It opens up history in a fun fashion - although it did contain one factual error. People in 1491 more than likely did know that the world was round, but Avi has his own characters believing otherwise.

One other fact about this book that would have been fun to discuss as a teacher with students would be all the witty sayings that Fabrizio and his master Magnus throw about through the book. Even I had to sit back and think about them for a moment or two, even though I consider myself to be a pretty quick-thinker. Avi could have slimed down with the amount of sayings, though. Frabizio seems to throw them about a lot and it makes the reader wonder how Frabizio learned all this. Does Fabrizio know, himself, how to read? If so, then why does Magnus seem to think of Frabizio as a naive boy? Some of the characterization didn't seem to make much sense.

Which leads me to the point that particularly bothered me about this book - the characters seemed so flat and boring. Being a fan of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, I know that Avi is capable of writing dynamic characters and characters that are full of life. Fabrizio is a servant boy whose only aspiration in life is to serve his master. While I enjoy the fact that Avi chose to keep Fabrizio a simple boy and not use a cliche of having servants rise up to be princes or something or other - Fabrizio just doesn't have a lot of depth to make the character believable. Not to mention that as an author of children's books, it would be nice to have a main character that aspires to be something.

Overall, this book contains a great plot that I think readers of all ages could enjoy. But the story falls apart with characters that seem too safe and too flat for the reader to fall in love with. I enjoyed the fact that Avi spent time explaining small details of life in late-fifteenth century Europe - such as castles and kings. But it would have been nice for Avi to touch on the blossoming of the Renaissance at this point in history as opposed to superstitious belief in magic. This would be a great story to read to young children around Halloween - as I did read in one review of Midnight Magic.

A History of God

A History of God: The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Karen Armstrong
Copyright: 1993
Gramercy Books

3 Bookmarks out of 5

This was another one of those books that ended up on my bookshelf because every year for Christmas my mom plays a little game when buying me presents called: 'Buy Every Book on the Bargain Shelf.' I'm not complaining - I love a good bargain book because I'm convinced that every book has some form of value and the joy of literacy should not be hogged by only those who can afford to read. Nevertheless, I finally got around to reading it in an effort to make sure my mind stays sharp. I was accepted into my grad program through University of Maryland in Library Science, and since I took a year off before grad school I want to make sure that my critical reading skills stay strong. This book was a good test of my patience and ability to understand minute differences in philosophy and theology. I went into this book expecting a history of God - what I came out with was a theological and philosophical understanding of how God has changed over time.

I should begin by saying that the reviews over the cover boast about how Armstrong has the ability to "simplify complex ideas" (New York Times Book Review) and how "she can take a long and complex subject and reduce it to its fundamentals" (Sunday Times - London). I expected a complex discussion of how to concept of God has changed throughout history. However, I found myself re-reading many passages of the book in order to grasp what was being explained. Normally I can read laying down without any interruption of understanding, but with this book I found myself needing to sit completely upright and in a completely silent place. This book is not intended for a reader who is beginning the study of theology. The long passages make finding a stopping point difficult and the long chapters make for an arduous struggle to understand the amount of information being written about.

The book could have been more understandable with more historical background of different time periods. Since the title boasts of a 'history' - I expected Armstrong to explain how events in history impacted the human understanding of God. In some places, Armstrong does this with amazing ability. However, in other parts she spends a long time explaining what different philosophers and thinkers came up with in regards to the theory of God and the reader can be lost in the semantic game that many early leaders of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam came up against. These painstaking details are what aids to the wealth of knowledge that is contained in the book and what becomes frustrating for the reader to comprehend.

Armstrong's Western bias comes in to play in the book. As a child of the West, it is hard for Armstrong to break her cultural heritage when examining religious history. In my opinion, Armstrong could have spent more time on the subject of Judaism and Islam after their initial conception and the mysticism phase. Once she hits the Age of Enlightenment in Europe, Armstrong spends nearly all her time explaining the development of God in a strictly Christian sense. I've read some other reviews and I would agree with the fact that Armstrong does seem a bit harsh on Christianity. It's a shame that the book was written before the rise of religious fundamentalism in world politics. Additional printings of this book would benefit from an afterword with Armstrong explaining how the concept of God is continuing to evolve.

All in all, I A History of God is a book that is bountiful in information. The reader should be warned that some background of each religion will make this read go by much easier than by choosing this as their first book of religious study. I found myself struggling to keep different names right when Armstrong discussed the chronology of different thinkers. The book loses points, in my opinion, from its lack of user-friendliness. While the concepts labeled under each chapter make sense, the editor of the book could have made use of page breaks for readers to take a breather while traveling through 4,000 years of history. Armstrong could have been more inclusive of other Godly religions - but the book only focuses on the Abrahamic faiths and maybe the title could have reflected more of that as well.