Monday, June 11, 2007
A Student of Living Things
After reading "The Messenger of Magnolia Street," I had some difficulty getting into a new novel, which just happened to be "A Student of Living Things" by Susan Richards Shreve. I was attracted to this book by the cover, which shows a photograph of frog and snake specimens, and the title - A Student of Living Things. Just sounds good rolling off the tongue and can mean something deeper than simply being a biologist, which is the profession of the main character, Claire Frayn.
When I started reading, I noticed a staccato quality to the writing. It stood out for me because of its contrast to the rolling and mellifluous writing in "The Messenger of Magnolia Street." Once I got through the first chapter, I was drawn into the story. Briefly, it's about an intellectual Washington, D.C. family that suffers the loss of one of its members during a shooting and how each family member copes with the situation. Shreve does a good job of painting her characters with limited, but spot-on, description, which is sprinkled throughout the story. The character Bernard, who is on the perphery of the main action, is a good example. He is a tender-hearted guy who has lost his right leg below the knee and he gurgles in the back of his throat. Instantly, you can picture such a guy, filling in the specifics of your choice.
"A Student of Living Things" is a fine novel with a subtle understory of violence in Washington, D.C. after 9/11. It shows how going through death can bring one back to being a student of living things.
Here's a nice summary of the book from the blog Reading Frenzy.
When I started reading, I noticed a staccato quality to the writing. It stood out for me because of its contrast to the rolling and mellifluous writing in "The Messenger of Magnolia Street." Once I got through the first chapter, I was drawn into the story. Briefly, it's about an intellectual Washington, D.C. family that suffers the loss of one of its members during a shooting and how each family member copes with the situation. Shreve does a good job of painting her characters with limited, but spot-on, description, which is sprinkled throughout the story. The character Bernard, who is on the perphery of the main action, is a good example. He is a tender-hearted guy who has lost his right leg below the knee and he gurgles in the back of his throat. Instantly, you can picture such a guy, filling in the specifics of your choice.
"A Student of Living Things" is a fine novel with a subtle understory of violence in Washington, D.C. after 9/11. It shows how going through death can bring one back to being a student of living things.
Here's a nice summary of the book from the blog Reading Frenzy.
Labels: a student of living things, biology, characters, novel, reading frenzy, susan richards shreve, the messenger of magnolia street, writing
Monday, April 23, 2007
Q & A
I just read a book with the most interesting plot. It's been said that there are no original stories left in the world, and while this may be true at it's root, I still think there are many original ways to tell a story. Indian author Vikas Swarup does just that in his book "Q & A." The premise of the novel, which does not give anything away, is that an orphaned Indian boy, 18 years old, goes on a quiz show called Who Will Win a Billion? and he wins a billion rupees. The day after winning, he is arrested because the show's producers claim that he cheated. This is where the novel starts. The rest of the chapters are structured so that Ram Mohammed Thomas, the main character, tells his life story based on each of the questions he is asked in the show. Of course, he is trying to show how he knew the answer to each question and prove that he didn't cheat. This was a fabulous way to tell the story and kept me guessing as to what the question would be from the story he told in each chapter. I rarely could tell. At the end, there were three twists that I didn't see coming. Now that's a story!
Here's an interview with Vikas Swarup by Channel NewsAsia.
Here's an interview with Vikas Swarup by Channel NewsAsia.
Labels: answer, books, india, novel, originality, question, vikas swarup, writers
