Nevermore: Becoming, Mrs. Lincoln, Dune, Reindeer Moon, IQ84

Reported by Ambrea 

This week, Nevermore checked out Becoming:  A Memoir by former First Lady Michelle Obama.  In her memoir, Obama chronicles her entire life—from her childhood in Chicago to her years as an executive to her life in the White House—with wit, humor, and honesty.  After being on hold for a while, our reader finally had the chance to read Becoming and she had very high praise for Michelle Obama’s memoir.  She said it was an interesting book, noting it was refreshing to read a memoir that didn’t focus on politics but on the experiences of the First Lady.  Intelligent, well written, and revelatory, Becoming received high marks from our reader and she highly recommended it to her fellow Nevermore members.

Next, Nevermore slipped back in time with another First Lady:  Mary Todd Lincoln.  In Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini, Elizabeth Hobs Keckley was born as a slave.  A gifted seamstress, she earned her freedom with the skill of her needle and, eventually, won the friendship of Lincoln herself.  Our reader said Chiaverini’s novel was “such a good [book] to read.”  She found it a fascinating examination of the society of Washington D.C. and the White House, as told through the lens of a former slave.  She highly recommended it to her fellow readers, saying it was a fascinating true-to-life story about the dressmaker who was a witness to history.

Shifting gears, Nevermore ventured further back into time with Reindeer Moon by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas.  Told from the perspective Yanan, a young hunter-gatherer who lived more than twenty thousand years ago, Reindeer Moon is an intriguing exploration of early human history on the Siberian plain.  Our reader enjoyed Thomas’ novel, noting it was “very neat” to read.  It was an insightful, imaginative, and very compelling.  She particularly liked that Yanan narrates her own story, crafting an intimate and memorable story.

Next, Nevermore explored a different planet with Frank Herbert’s classic science fiction novel, Dune.  Born on the desert planet of Arrakis, Paul Atreides is the heir apparent of House Atreides, one of the most powerful noble houses in the galactic empire, and set to become the ruler of the planet.  But beneath the sands of Arrakis, there lurks something sinister beneath the sands and in the House of Atreides.  Our reader considered Dune to be an “okay” book.  It had some interesting parts, but, “[as a sci-fi novel,] it’s what you expect it to be.”  She wasn’t particularly surprised by the plot and she wasn’t thrilled by the action-y bits, but she said it was a decent book with an interesting premise and characters.

Last, Nevermore checked out IQ84 by Haruki Murakami.  Set in Tokyo during the year 1984, this story follows a young woman named Aomame and an inspiring writer called Tengo, whose narratives begin to converge in the most astonishing way.  As the year progresses, their lives become tangled in profound and unexpected ways.  Our reader, who is a huge fan of Haruki Murakami, said IQ84 was the “neverending story.”  Although she enjoyed his novel, she noted it is very surreal and very strange.  She recommended it to fans of Murakami, but, be warned, “it’s very, very long.”

Hazards of Time Travel by Joyce Carol Oates

Reviewed by Kristin

Adriane Strohl is an idealistic seventeen year old who makes the mistake of voicing her thoughts in a near-future world where the government suppresses all individuality.  Selected as valedictorian of her graduating class, Adriane prepares her speech with a series of questions.  Shockingly, she is immediately arrested on account of Treason-Speech and Questioning of Authority.

Since Adriane is still young and therefore has the possibility of rehabilitation, she is not instantly “Deleted.”  Instead, she is “Exiled” to Zone Nine, a change in space and time that transports her back to Wainscotia, Wisconsin in 1960, where she is to attend college for four years and prepare herself to be a productive member of the modern society to which she hopes to be returned.

In Zone Nine, Adriane becomes Mary Ellen Enright.  Fearful that she is being observed, she keeps to herself and faithfully attends classes.  Mary Ellen wonders if there are other Exiles like herself there in Wainscotia but she dares not become close to anyone, as The Instructions demand.  She is not to go beyond her ten mile limit of the campus and she must never behave as anything but a normal co-ed.  And what is more normal than something strictly prohibited, but to fall in love?

Joyce Carol Oates has created a world in which powerful people hold onto their power by suppressing others with extreme consequences.  Fear and intimidation keep most of the citizens quietly subservient and punish all independent thought.  The scenarios are somehow plausible, although fortunately not where the world is in 2019.

A few discrepancies, perhaps intentionally included, kept me wondering whether Adriane/Mary Ellen had truly been transported back in time, whether or not she was actually being observed, and whether or not there was a chance that her punishment could be instantly vaporized/Deleted.  As most futuristic dystopian novels do, this one made twists and turns that I did not anticipate.  Some of the unexpected directions required a serious suspension of disbelief.  A co-worker happened to read the book at the same time that I did, and was not as satisfied with the story resolution.

This is the first Oates novel I have read but it probably won’t be the last.  Now if I can just fit some of her other titles into my Book Bingo sheet….

Maeve’s Times by Maeve Binchy

Reviewed by Jeanne

While she was known for her best-selling novels, Maeve Binchy was also a long time newspaper columnist for The Irish Times.  This book collects some of her best columns on a variety of topics, from various Royal weddings to the controversy over contraception.  What each piece has in common is Ms. Binchy’s sharp and incisive take on a situation, often funny, and always thoughtful. 

The book is divided by decades, starting in the 1960s and continuing through the 2000s.  No matter when the piece was written, the high standard of writing is always there.  Beautifully rendered character sketches that read like magnificent short stories are more plentiful in the early chapters—and really, each one could have been expanded to novel length, so rich are they—while as the decades go on the pieces are more personal observations and amusing stories.

Make that ”very amusing stories.”  One particular favorite comes in a remembrance of working with a brilliant food columnist when Maeve herself was a bit challenged in the kitchen.  Unable to find a suitable photo of a certain casserole, Maeve substituted a photo of what she thought was a pot of stew with ladles.  It most certainly was not. More than one sent me into fits of giggles that left me unable to explain to anyone what was so funny. And while I think anyone would enjoy her essays, women will most appreciate “Fit for a Queen” in which Maeve indulges in having a bra made by the same establishment that produces undergarments for Queen Elizabeth.

Other selections reflect on Margaret Thatcher,  Maeve’s beloved Ireland, and various members of the Royal family—usually in the context of what the public expects of them, not personal comments as such—and visiting foreign countries.  I was ready to pack my bags.

Most of all, the book painted a portrait of a vibrant, delightful, warm lady who enjoyed life and an avid people watcher (and listener, having claimed to have nearly fallen off a chair while trying to eavesdrop on a nearby couple).  I’m glad to have made her acquaintance, if only in print.

Nevermore: James Baldwin, Nabokov, Night Visitor, Rust & Stardust, and Ove

Reported by Ambrea

One of our Nevermore readers decided to jump back into the works of James Baldwin by reading both Giovanni’s Room and The Fire Next Time. In Giovanni’s Room, Baldwin tells the story of David, a young, bisexual American man, who is living in Paris and begins an affair with an Italian bartender named Giovanni. Our reader, who is an avid fan of James Baldwin, said she enjoyed reading Giovanni’s Room immensely. She thought it was “just a wonderful book” that offered an intimate and heart-wrenching look at the struggles of a person who was homosexual/bisexual. As always with Baldwin, his book was very well-written and poignant, and she highly recommended it to her fellow readers.

Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time is a semi-autobiographical novel about the emerging civil rights movement during the 1960s.  Described on the back cover as “a powerful evocation of James Baldwin’s early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice,” The Fire Next Time is poignant and empowering book that hits hard with its beautiful prose and uncompromising view of racism.  Our reader really enjoyed Baldwin’s novel, saying it was “such a good book.”  She said it’s a searing book that does a magnificent job illustrating the dynamics and tensions between Americans, both black and white, and the growth of the civil rights movement.

Next, Nevermore shared The Night Visitor by Lucy Atkins.  Professor Olivia Sweetman has worked hard to make her dreams come true.  Now with a grand career as a TV presenter and historian, three children, and a wonderful husband, her life is perfect—or merely seems so.  Olivia’s life is built on lies and Vivian Tester, a socially awkward, middle-aged housekeeper in Sussex, knows the truth.  Mixed with drama, suspense, hints of folklore and horror, Atkins’ novel presents an interesting story; however, our reader found it lacking when it came to the concluding chapters.  She speculates the author will follow up with a sequel to wrap up all those loose ends, which may redeem the ending of The Night Visitor.

Keeping in the vein of “creepy reads,” Nevermore explored Rust and Stardust by T. Greenwood.  In Camden, New Jersey, in 1948, Sally Horner was eleven years old and victim of Frank LaSalle, a middle aged man fresh out of prison.  Inspired by true events, Sally’s harrowing story is chronicled in both Greenwood’s latest novel—and Vladimer Nabokov’s most controversial and notable novels, Lolita.  Our reader said “it was such a sad story.”  While she liked that Greenwood takes an opposing perspective to Lolita—presenting Sally’s story, rather than Humbert Humbert—she found it disturbing and sad and creepy.

In an unexpected twist, one of our Nevermore readers revealed she had actually just finished reading Lolita.  Written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabakov, Lolita is the story of Humbert Humbert, who becomes obsessed with his twelve-year-old stepdaughter, Dolores Haze—whom he calls “Lolita” in private.  Our reader had read Lolita many years ago and thought she would try again; however, she found she still didn’t like Nabakov’s novel.  Although praised as a classic and named one of the greatest works of the twentieth century, she said she couldn’t stand Humbert Humbert.  “It’s a weird book,” she told her fellow readers.  “And [Humbert] is such a sleazy guy.  He’s awful.”  She did not recommend it.

Last, Nevermore looked at Fredrik Backman’s debut novel, A Man Called Ove.  Ove is, at best, a curmudgeon.  Cranky, gifted with staunch principles and adhering to strict routines, Ove is a man with a short fuse—but Ove has an unexpected story and friendship to give.  After meeting his new neighbors, who accidentally run over his mail box, Ove’s life will be changed forever.  Our reader said she “liked it very much.”  Well-written, poignant, readable and relatable, A Man Called Ove was a lovely, feel-good novel that was just what the doctor ordered.  She highly recommended it to her fellow readers, especially those looking for something sweet and wonderful.