It has once again come time for me to tackle one of those classic door stops that I have come to love mostly through the influence of my mother. It is her love of reading the classics that first introduced me to the works of Jane Austen, and then George Eliot, and then Charles Dickens, and then...well, you get the idea. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray is one that I have somehow managed to miss all these years, so it is time to remedy that.
The Situation: It is early 19th century London, and Amelia Sedley has left school with her good friend Rebecca "Becky" Sharp. The two young women are to stay with Amelia's family until it is time for Becky to move on to her new job as a governess. Though the two girls are close, they could not be more different when it comes to attitude and temperament. While Amelia is sweet, good-natured, more than a little naive, and somewhat two-dimensional, Beck is manipulative, sharp-tongued, too smart for her own good, and always up to something, mostly in the interest in bettering her own situation, and if she can lowering everyone else's in the process, all the better. And while Amelia was born into a well-off family and has every prospect of happiness before her, it seems Becky's fate is to be a governess, unless she can somehow marry well. The story will follow the two girls and the different paths they take over the course of their adult lives.
The Problem: Amelia may be the sweetest creature on Earth, but her naivete and willingness to believe in the good of those close to her end up being the cause of much of her suffering. And as she remains devoted to a man who is not equally devoted to her, she ignores the attentions of someone much more worthy. Meanwhile, Becky is managing to forge her own way into society, though at the cost of nearly everyone she comes into contact with. She is able to win over men quite easily, but has less success with women. Moving from one deceit to the next, Becky climbs the social ladder, dragging her husband along with her. And as her status goes up, poor Amelia's goes down, and the two women are once again found to be opposites. With an always rotating cast of surrounding characters, and a few that remain more or less near the center of the action throughout the story, the two women navigate English society, as well as young adulthood, marriage, war, and motherhood, deciding along the way what kind of women they want to be.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel set in 19th century England, beginning as early as 1814. At the beginning, Amelia and Becky are young girls just leaving school, and by the end, they both have young boys that are approaching their teens. From the outset, the unreliable narrator frames the story as one that does not have a hero. And throughout the story, it becomes clear that not one of the characters is without their flaws, the sweet Amelia included. It would be incredibly easy to paint Becky as the book's primary villain, but even she has her (rare) moments when she decides to do what is best, as opposed to what is best only for her. Though for the most part, it appears Becky has an inability to think of anyone but herself. Even considering the interests of her own son, or her husband, appears to be beyond her ability. But while Becky's selfishness is much easier to identify, the novel does not dismiss Amelia's inability to see the flaws of those she remains devoted to, or her brother's self-importance and cowardice, or Captain Dobbin's vanity. No one is blameless. It seems Thackeray was interested in portraying humanity as he saw it, which is incredibly flawed.
My Verdict: The objection I hear the most to reading classics is that they are too long and boring. I get it. The language is weird; the narrators tend to ramble; and they are often full of historical information that readers today either do not care about, or cannot bring themselves to understand. When it comes to Vanity Fair (which does come close to the 700 page mark), if a reader can get past the language, and past the meandering narrator that seems to follow a million rabbit trails right when something important or meaningful is about to happen, then they will enjoy this book a great deal. Becky is certainly something else, but so are a lot of the characters in this book. There is always someone plotting, or making some sort of plan, or working on some scheme, Becky just happens to be the one who is the most cunning, and the most ruthless. Thackeray did not hold back on his assessment of humanity, pointing out the flaws of young and old, rich and poor, noble and common. This book is certainly not boring, but it does require a certain amount of patience.
Favorite Moment: When Amelia stands up for herself, effectively sending Becky away from her for a number of years.
Favorite Character: It is true that not one of the characters in this book is without some flaw that is hard to reconcile, but I found Captain William Dobbin to be one of the least frustrating of the lot. While I sympathized with Amelia and wanted her to have a happy ending almost above all of the others, her naivete was beyond annoying. So I choose Captain Dobbin, who can at least see people for what they are, most of the time.
Recommended Reading: Thackeray's writing is often compared to that of Henry Fielding, but I absolutely refuse to recommend Tom Jones to anyone. It is not the worst book, but it is incredibly long, and when recommending long classic books, I prefer to steer people more towards something like David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, or The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.
Another thanks is in order to Goodreads for today's find. At the beginning of every month, I browse the New Releases page on the site to see what the next few weeks will have to offer. This is how I found The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez, a science novel set in a time when interstellar travel has become a reality.
The Situation: Captain Nia Imani spends her days on board the shipping vessel she named the Debby, working for the Umbai Company as a trader. With her small crew on her old ship, she travels back and forth between resource planets and the Pelican Station, a station that was designed and created back when Earth was still inhabitable. Now that it is gone, humanity is scattered across various stations and resource planets, with still others opting for a life of travel as they live aboard trading ships, ultimately picking among the places they have seen for their retirement. It is on one of the resource planets where Nia has formed an unlikely connection that something strange happens, so strange that the people do not know what to do. So when the Debby returns, it is decided that Nia should be the one to handle it, changing the direction of her life forever.
The Problem: The presence of the Debby's newest passenger is disruptive for a few reasons. Though he is a small child of only about eight years old, his presence is off-putting. He does not speak; he only moves with small and precise movements; and he insists on playing his flute all of the time, filling the ship with a near-constant sound that is not exactly welcome. Even so, Nia enjoys his company, and becomes extremely protective of him to the point that she becomes concerned with little else when he is taken from her upon arrival at the Pelican Station. It is the promise of being reunited with him that causes her to take her next assignment - a fifteen year job on the fringes of space to allow the boy to grow up. It seems he may have an ability that many would be interested in, and while she may be dubious, Nia accepts the job as it means she will once again be close to him. Unfortunately, she was not given the whole truth as to what it would mean if the boy is as powerful as some believe.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel that is set in a not too distant future when Earth can no longer support life, and settling among the stars is the only option. Before Earth's demise, a genius mathematician and engineer named Fumiko Nakajima designed a series of stations, all named after the beloved birds of Earth that no longer exist. She has spent her life building her empire and legacy, while also regretting some of the decisions that allowed her to get where she is. Her genius has aided the Umbai Company in achieving the reach it has now, a reach that continues to grow as it acquires planets, prospering and growing those that are bought out willingly, while stripping and destroying those that refuse. Even after the earth has gone, it seems humanity has learned little and continues to consume resources at an alarming rate, exploiting many to serve the wealthy few. Greed and power remain a constant, even in a future when light speed travel may be a possibility.
My Verdict: This book is less than 400 pages, but has enough action and story that could easily go beyond 500. And while a lot happens in a small space, it does not feel as if anything is rushed. In fact, there is a lot of detail, a lot of character development, and the universe these people exist in is fully formed and easy to visualize. This is made even more impressive as the narrative switches between characters and locations at a regular rate, which in many books only makes the story confusing and frustrating, but here, it adds to the overall mystery and intrigue as where the story is headed. The introduction of each new location adds excitement as to what type of world or environment the reader will get to experience next, whether it will lead to danger, or prove to be a new safe ground for the heroes. Lovers of science fiction should appreciate this novel, not only for the story, but also for Jimenez's vision of what a future without Earth could look like.
Favorite Moment: Honestly, I enjoyed the very beginning of the book when the reader is introduced to Umbai-V and the people who live there, way before the story begins to follow Nia and her strange journey.
Favorite Character: Sartoris Moth serves as Fumiko's eyes and ears while part of the crew on the Debby, and while he may be a bit uppity and stiff, he is loyal, hard-working, and caring.
Recommended Reading: Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter's The Long Earth series also explores travel between worlds and universes as humanity finds itself with a sudden need to look for alternative planets to inhabit.
Today's selection is one of those books that was seemingly everywhere when it first came out. It was on every recommendation list, and so many readers were talking about it. So here I am, caving in to the pressure to read The Deep by Rivers Solomon, with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes. If anything, it promised to be interesting and though-provoking.
The Situation: In the depths of the ocean exists beings that were created out of a terrible event in history, but have emerged as a strange, strong, and beautiful new thing. The wajinru, descendants of pregnant slaves who were thrown overboard during the journey back to the new world, may have their own memories and history, but they also carry the memory and history of the humans, or "two-legs," that they came from. Instead of each of the wajinru being taught that history, an appointed historian holds them inside themselves, almost as living things, sharing them with the entire population only once a year at the Remembrance. For the last 20 years, that historian has been Yetu, and she has held the position since she was 14. But as the next Remembrance approaches, Yetu is not sure if she will survive the task she has been trusted with.
The Problem: Yetu is tired, worn, and hurting. The memories she must collect and carry on behalf of her people are wearing her down and tearing her apart. It is becoming harder and harder for her to not become lost in a new memory, even when it brings her into harm's way. Even though she knows the survival of her people depends on that history, because without it they would not know who they are or where they came from, Yetu is having a hard time holding onto her sense of duty, instead becoming resentful that she should be the one to carry the burden of these painful memories. It is in the middle of a Remembrance that Yetu cannot bear the thought of continuing in her task, so she leaves her people abruptly, and to extreme vulnerability. She does not know where she will go or what she will find, but she is determined to discover who she is apart from what she has been sacrificing for the wajinru.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a novella that I have placed under the science fiction label, but has more often been labeled as fantasy. It reimagines a future for the unborn children of slave women who were thrown overboard during their transatlantic journey. Instead of being doomed to a watery death, they are born knowing how to breathe underwater, allowing for the creation of a species that can exist in the depths of the ocean. The primary difference between the wajinru and human beings is that the former live underwater. However, the wajinru also handle memory differently than we do, opting to appoint a historian to hold the entire history of their people, while everyone else lives memory free, except for the once a year ceremony in which everyone shares the memories, only to give them back before continuing on with their lives. Here, the historian is Yetu, and while she has successfully held the job for 20 years, she is not sure she can go on, and makes a break for the surface, where a different lesson awaits her. The Deep is a story inspired by a song from the band clipping., and brought to life on the page by Solomon. It explores ideas of identity, memory, and responsibility, and asks the question of whether painful memories should be held onto, even if they helped shape us and make us who we are.
My Verdict: Although it is extremely short, there is a lot to unpack in this story. The wajinru have appointed one person to remember the entirety of their painful past, so that no one else has to. They acknowledge that the memories must be kept, otherwise they lose their identity, but they also recognize that those memories hurt. Is it selfish to not want to bear a painful but essential memory? Or is Yetu selfish for not wanting to be the one who has to bear the burden? (For me it was kind of like the ever-present question of whether every black person should watch and/or read Roots at least once in their life.) While the story certainly sparks discussion around these ideas, it is also an imaginative tale containing mermaid-like creatures born from the tragedy that was the slave trade. On the pages of this novella, and entirely new species has been created with its own customs, traditions, practices, and of course, history. Being as short as it is, The Deep is certainly worth checking out for readers of fantasy, science fiction, and also history.
Favorite Moment: When the first wajinru are attempting to locate more of their kind, and receive unlikely assistance from a giant whale.
Favorite Character: Oori is gruff and not at all friendly, but given what she has been through, it makes sense for her to be that way. She unwittingly teaches Yetu about herself and her role among the wajinru.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Children of Blood and Bone, as well as the second book in the series, Children of Virtue and Vengeance, by Tomi Adeyemi.
Stephen King's The Shining is a classic. Both the book and the movie have endured for decades, and for good reason. Originally, I had no plans to read Dr. Sleep, or even see the movie, even though I finally read The Shining a few years ago and loved it. But of course, things change, and now I am here to talk about the sequel to a beloved horror classic.
The Situation: Dan Torrance is all grown up, and his life is a mess. It would make sense for a man who experienced what he did as a child to be a little messed up, but from the looks of it, it would seem that Dan is actually trying to wreck himself and any future he could possibly have. After yet another night full of mistakes, and an even more regrettable morning, Dan finds himself in New Hampshire. With the help of new friends, and a lot of support, Dan begins to attend Alcoholics Anonymous, finds a job, a place to live, and even begins to hear from of his old friend Tony every once in awhile. It is through Tony that Dan gets connected to Abra, a young girl who can shine even more powerfully than he ever did. She will occasionally leave messages on the chalkboard in his room, most of them short and sweet, only to say hi or ask how he is doing. It is only when of them reads "redrum" through the reflection of his bathroom mirror that he begins to worry.
The Problem: What Abra can do is scary to those who do not understand it, specifically her parents. To others, it is a valuable life force that can aid in near immortality. When a group that calls itself the True Knot learn about Abra, they know they must have her. What keeps the, alive, known as 'steam,' has been running in short supply, but a child as powerful as Abra could keep them going for a good long while. With their leader, Rose the Hat, doing her best to track Abra down, the time has come for Dan to do for her what Dick Hallorann did for him back at the Overlook Hotel. Though over the years he has tried to turn down what he can do, mostly through alcohol, now it is back, and he has been able to use it at his job, earning him the nickname "Dr. Sleep." But Rose the Hat is strong, and she has friends. And Abra may be powerful, but she is still just a kid. To be rid of this particular kind of evil, Dan will have to confront what he has been running from, which is more than just old memories.
Genre, Themes, History: This is the sequel to King's 1977 classic The Shining, and it follows Dan Torrance into adulthood after years of alcoholism and aimlessness. The book also follows Abra Stone, a young girl with an extraordinary gift that has gained the attention of a life-sucking cult. This cult has more or less discovered the secret to eternal life, but unfortunately for them (and Abra), their supply of that secret is running dry. While they may be the primary villains of the book, there are also the nightmares, memories, and of course, actual ghosts that continue to haunt Dan. What happened years ago at the Overlook was terrifying enough. The ghosts (though that is not quite what they are) that followed him after were even worse. But the thing he cannot let go of - something from his blackout drunk days - may actually be his undoing. Much like with The Shining, alcoholism is front and center here, as is regret, power, and death.
My Verdict: As is often the case when a movie is made from a book, the book is so much better. I saw Dr. Sleep with Ewan McGregor, and it was good, but the book provides more answers, more details, a better overall story, and more fleshed out characters. It is no small thing to attempt a sequel to a long-standing classic, but King did it, and I was not disappointed. Many wondered what life was like for Dan and Wendy Torrance after the events of The Shining, and King answers that question with heartbreaking honesty, revealing that the years have not been kind to Dan, but that there is hope. And the introduction of Abra and the True Knot makes for a world that continues to be full of evil, but also growing powers that can stop it. Fans of King's work will love this one, as will fans of horror and suspense novels in general.
Favorite Moment: *spoiler alert* When it is discovered that one of the kids the True Knot has fed on was carrying the measles, a disease their bodies are not ready to fight.
Favorite Character: Everyone needs someone like Billy Freeman in their life. He is the guy that is willing to take a chance on someone because he has a "good feeling" about them, and always turns up when most needed.
Recommended Reading: King has written a lot of books, and in all honesty, I have read very few of them. So with that said, I recommend The Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler.
It has once again come time for me to tackle one of those classic door stops that I have come to love mostly through the influence of my mother. It is her love of reading the classics that first introduced me to the works of Jane Austen, and then George Eliot, and then Charles Dickens, and then...well, you get the idea. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray is one that I have somehow managed to miss all these years, so it is time to remedy that.
