Books 2009 -- #26-32

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 stars, actually.

I enjoyed this book and was compelled to read it until I was finished. For the most part, I enjoyed the conceit of the old woman reflecting on her life and recording the secrets she had kept for her grandson to discover. The characters (including the house at Riverton) were interesting, the plot was interesting. I was only a little disappointed that I had figured out part of the mystery from the early pages of the book.


The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my first Cather novel, and I really enjoyed it. Thea Kronborg is a complex character that, at turns, intrigued me, repelled me, and absolutely enthralled me. It is the story of a girl raised in a small Colorado town who recognizes that there is something great within her. It is also the story of the various men who love her throughout her life.

Thea does not at first know what her gift is, and spends a few years trying to discover it. She studies piano and is quite good, but then her piano teacher hears her sing and knows that she will ultimately become a great singer.

Cather paints scenery beautifully, and she does a wonderful job of describing the sometimes tortuous path of an artist finding her way. I'm sure I will read more of her work.


Case Histories: A Novel by Kate Atkinson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I found the intertwined plots interesting, I found the characters interesting. Mostly I was just wishing this book did not have the language and explicit sex that it did. (Not that it had SO much, just that it seemed really unnecessary.)




Olive Kitteridge: A Novel in Stories by Elizabeth Strout

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. I don't think I've read another book with this format -- short stories which all involve the character of Olive Kitteridge in some way. Many of the stories are all about Olive or her husband Henry. But some include her only as a peripheral character. Still, her presence is always felt in a big way.

Olive has a very strong personality. She can be off-putting at times for sure, but she can also be very kind. She is lonely, she is independent, she is loving, she is strong. She is flawed, and she is very human. Definitely recommended.


Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen by Clotilde Dusoulier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very readable cookbook (my favorite kind). Dusoulier includes many personal stories and interesting anecdotes, along with a lot of really good, completely doable recipes. I'm putting several of them on my recipe blog, because they are definitely going into the rotation.


Simple French Food by Richard Olney

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Let's just say that simple is relative! An interesting book, but not one that I feel the need to buy or copy down recipes from, as I do some cookbooks.




The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved loved this book, all 1200+ pages of it. This is the kind of book that reminds you of why you should read classics, that they are classics for a very good reason.

Dumas wrote such a complex book with The Count of Monte Cristo -- so many characters, so much intrigue, and none of them anything less than deliciously complex.

I don't know if I never saw the whole movie or if I just didn't remember it, but I only had a vague idea of the plot before starting the book. I was so taken with the story of Dantes, his unjust imprisonment, and his friendship with Faria. (That Faria! What a clever, clever man.) There was so much in just that section, it almost could have been a book on its own. I couldn't quite figure out what the rest of this large book would contain (even though I knew it had to do with revenge).

I was fascinated with the way this truly good man could become so terribly confused as a result of his trials. Of course, anyone would face a difficult struggle with being imprisoned for 14 years after having committed no crime. Anyone would be tempted with bitterness and hatred. But just when you think he has overcome all this through the education he receives from Faria and his loving example, he goes ahead with his pledge to avenge himself. And, further, he seems to think that this decade-long quest is sanctioned by God!

He does have his moments of doubt, but I don't think he ever really thinks he has done wrong, such is the depth (or height) of his pride. His egotism is really something to behold.

This book is such a study in character development -- there are so many complicated, human characters here, portrayed with real depth. We are able to see so clearly how no one is able to escape the consequences of his/her actions. And to top it all off, it's tremendously entertaining as well. Highly recommended.

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