Nevermore: Naipaul, Levison, Braithwaite, Tisdale, Kingsolver, Belksy, YA novels

 Reported by Jeanne

Nevermore opened with a review of Half a Life by V.S. Naipaul.  Willie Chandran is the son of a Brahmin who deliberately chose to marry outside of his caste—in fact, to a very lower caste woman—as a sign of political protest.  Willie finds life difficult as half-castes, and Willie leaves to try to create a new life in England.  In 1950s London, he struggles as a writer, finally marrying a woman of mixed African heritage and moving with her to her homeland.  Our reader thinks Naipaul is a writer of rare depth and has enjoyed reading several of his books.

Next up was Walking the Americas: 1800 Miles, Eight Countries, and One Incredible Journey from Mexico to Columbia by British explorer/travel writer Levison Wood, who decided to try a trek through a large part of Central America.  He experienced everything from large cities to dense jungle to migrant encampments.  Our reviewer was enthralled with the journey, saying the book was not only enlightening and informative, but “funny, tragic, sad, and amazing!”

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice usually brings to mind a fantasy story but the “magic” in this book refers to modern medicine.  Written by registered nurse Sallie Tisdale, the book takes a hard look at medicine and illness, pointing out that some of the “miracles” of modern medicine come with a high price to the patient.  The book examines several “specialty“ areas (burn units, neonatal units, etc.) and asks some thought–provoking questions.  Our reader enjoys books that explore medical issues, and she felt this was definitely of the best ones she read, even though it was published back in the 1980s.  She found the book to be touching and sensitive.

Barbara Kingsolver’s novel Unsheltered has not met with universal enjoyment in Nevermore.  This week’s reviewer was disappointed by what she felt was a lack of evolution from the characters.  They all seemed immature and never improved. 

On the other hand, My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkin Braithwaite met with a better reception.  Set in modern day Nigeria, the book features two sisters.  Korede is the elder, a practical responsible woman who works as a nurse and who is called upon to take care of younger sister Ayoola’s little indiscretions, such as her habit of killing her boyfriends.  The Nevermore member enjoyed it both for the look at Nigerian culture and the darkly comedic tone.

Yesterday’s News by Richard Belsky was described as a real page turner.  The narrator is Clare Carlson, a news executive who won a Pulitzer for her series of articles about missing schoolgirl Lucy Devlin.  The child was never found, and now fifteen years later Lucy’s mother wants Clare to follow up on a new clue.  There are secrets aplenty, and Belsky keeps the reader guessing.

Finally, several members have been dipping into YA literature.  The Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard was found to be an entertaining diversion, while S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders  remains a powerful book. 

Nevermore: Johnny Got His Gun, Hope Never Dies, Like Family, Music of Silence, A House for Mr. Biswas

Reported by Ambrea

This week, Nevermore started their meeting with a look at Dalton Trumbo’s novel Johnny Got His Gun.  Set during the horrors of World War I, Johnny Got His Gun tells the story of Joe Bonham, a young American soldier who one day awakens in the infirmary to find that he has lost his arms, legs, and most of his face, becoming a prisoner in his own body.  As he struggles to communicate with the outside world, his mind drifts between reality and fantasy as he remembers his old life and struggles with the reality of his new condition.  Johnny Got His Gun was a revisit for our Nevermore reader, who called Trumpo’s novel “frightening [but] so, so important.”  She noted this novel has gone out of print, been banned and challenged, but she said it’s a story that needs saying—it’s a novel that has impact and deserves to be read.  She highly recommended it as one of the most jarring—and best—books she’s read.

On a lighter note, Nevermore took up Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer.  In this humorous novel—the first ever published work of Obama/Biden fiction—Shaffer brings back former Vice President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama as unexpectedly successful detectives.  Our reader picked up Hope Never Dies, because she found the cover amusing, but she quickly discovered it was actually a very good, very funny novel.  She found the mystery suitably intriguing and the humor spot on; she said it was a quick, easy (and hilarious) read that served as a great high note amidst some more depressing fare.

Next, Nevermore shared Like Family:  Growing Up in Other People’s Houses by Paula McLain.  Paula and her two sisters were abandoned by their parents and became wards of the State very early in their lives, spending the next 14 years in foster homes across California.  Her memoir accurately captures the upheaval and loneliness and distress a life in foster homes can cause, as well as the daily struggles of trying to hold their remaining “family” together.  Our reader said Like Family was a very readable, very well-written memoir that paints a raw, honest picture of the foster care system.  She found McLain’s story to be heartbreaking, but fascinating and, ultimately, uplifting.  She highly recommended it, especially to fans of The Liar’s Club and The Glass Castle.

Sticking to the vein of memoirs, Nevermore picked up Andrea Bocelli’s The Music of Silence.  Bocelli is a world-famous tenor, a classical singer who made his name in opera; however, Bocelli’s path to stardom was far from easy.  Although he lost his eyesight by the age of twelve to glaucoma, he invested himself into his music and, by 1992, he finally reached international acclaim.  Our reader said The Music of Silence was an interesting book.  While it is labeled as a memoir, Bocelli often speaks in the third person, which she found a bit jarring.  Regardless, our reader enjoyed Bocelli’s memoir and rated it very highly as one of the better books she’s read on famous musical personalities.

Last, Nevermore explored A House for Mr. Biswas by Nobel Prize-winner V.S. Naipaul.  Mohun Biswas has spent his life trying to find autonomy, struggle to gain independence from one domineering group or another; however, rather than finding his own personal peace, he faces a lifetime of trials that ultimately shape him.  Our reader fell in love with Naipaul’s novel.  “[I] love the expression of language…[and I] really like the hero,” she told Nevermore.  She raved that Naipaul’s writing was wonderful; in fact, she considers him to be “one of the best writers I’ve ever read.”  Although A House for Mr. Biswas flirts with tragedy, she said it was a very good novel with humor and heart and beauty—and she highly recommended it to her fellow readers.