Wedding Daze

Wedding Daze was a 99c rental on iTunes.  I rarely feel ripped off after watching a 99c movie, but this one was close.  Lousy, lousy, lousy.  Only upside is that it made workout time pass.

Five Skies, Ron Carlson

I was somewhat disappointed by Five Skies, as I sometimes am when a really excellent short story writer turns his hand to longer formats.  Carlson's story isn't constructed to have the same interest all the way through, so what would have made a very good novella becomes just a so-so novel. 

The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold

The Lovely Bones is one of those books that does better in audiobook format than I think it would do on paper.  The mystery aspect keeps the listener's attention and there are several clever & creative aspects from the beginning that draw you in (that the principal character is talking from after her death is the main one). 

Like other Sebold I have read, the structure doesn't hold up well, and the book turns sappy & predictable for the last half.

I Thought My Father Was God, edited by Paul Auster

I Thought My Father Was God was a relatively forgettable book.  I found the stories quite uneven and Auster's voice sometimes grated on my nerves.  I got the feeling that the pool of entries wasn't always deep enough - that he was searching for barely acceptable behavior based on the organization of the chapters.  I wonder if the audiobook format undermined the book, but since they are individual stories, I kind of doubt it.

Underworld, Don Delillo

Underworld was called the runner up to the best novel of the century by the New York Times.  I must say that I don't agree.  I recently read a quote (also in the Times) that sums up this book pretty well : "Books can be long, books can be boring, but they shouldn't be both". 

There were passages that were very well done, and at times I felt I was watching contemporary culture descriptions similar to those in the Rabbit series by Updike.  Overall however, a few good descriptions & insights to modern times doesn't make up for characters that are forgettable or flat, nor for a lack of storyline. 

I will give Delillo another try - I have Falling Man on my shelves, but this book wasn't convincing.

La Double vie de Véronique, Krzysztof Kieslowski

The haunting music, strange story line and mysterious atmosphere work to create strong emotions in La Double vie de Véronique by Kieslowski.  I saw Blue when I was a teenager and don't remember much, but our recent DVD cataloging exercise showed me how many films we have by this director, and many of them look really interesting, so I suspect we'll slowly work our way through them.

I give this movie a B. 

Transsiberian, Brad Anderson

Another 99c rental on iTunes, I found Transsiberian a moderately entertaining movie.  I suspect had I put more attention into it I wouldn't have cared much for it, but as I was doing other things while watching it, it worked fine.  Woody Harrelson seemed less arrogant and better able to stay in a small role than I'd ever seen him.  I found the actress good and I'd be interested to see more movies by Anderson.

A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

Like everyone, I know the story from countless movies and adaptations, but I had never read the original.  When Audible put this up for free I thought I'd try it, in part because I've found myself appreciating the classics more and more -- no matter what I thought of them in high school.  I didn't have a good memory of Dickens, but this story was better than almost all modern adaptations, and I found the writing (well, listening) very enjoyable.  Will put Dickens on that very long to-read-again-someday list...

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Schaffer

This was a great choice for an audiobook, and the multiple narrators saying who they were and who was writing to whom was really helpful, especially as I tend to dip in and out of audiobooks in 15 minute increments. 

The structure of using letters to tell this story was fun & the story itself held my interest.  Characters were uneven in the development and credibility, and I wonder if Juliette came across as more sympathetic in print than her reader in the book conveyed by her tone.  I didn't think the book was a masterpiece, but it was very enjoyable as a story & the audio format worked really well for once. 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Steig Larsson

To be honest, crime mystery bestsellers are not really my genre, so this review should be read in that context.  I also had just finished a real masterpiece (East of Eden, John Steinbeck) and Larsson's writing had a hard time standing up to that standard. 

The writing was the weak point of this story, although there are moments when the writing is unobtrusive and there is the occasional clever turn of phrase, the heavy and direct style sometimes became annoying.

The best point of this book was the characters -- clearly Larsson has given them a lot of thought, and humanity.  While all are a bit exaggerated, the main characters are developed individuals.  The central character is almost certainly a largely autobiographical character of the author, but he has a few flashes of insight into this person that keep things from getting too dull.  The small interactions & references to his daughter & first wife are an example of this. 

The story itself was pretty much a standard crime mystery, with a bit of corporate and personal greed/vendetta woven in for a second storyline.  I don't think the second storyline worked that well, in particular after the deroulement of the main story had ended.  The second story wasn't interesting enough or charged with enough drama to warrant an additional 100 pages, but the book was such a fast read that getting through it wasnt a problem. 

I'd give a B- and will probably go ahead and read the rest of the series -- but mainly because they're already on my bookshelf & my husband is reading them at the same time.  

Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi

I listened to this over about 2 weeks - found some of the description of the Tehran ambiance through the revolution until the author's immigration to be a very good point of view of understanding what that was like to live through, in particular for an educated woman.  Some of the sections of the book were a bit self-indulgent and stories that seemed to have no purpose.  The author comes off as very full of herself and her intellect in multiple sections, yet never communicated any real brilliance to me. 

As an audio recording it was well done - good narrator, decent pace (pace of the book in parts is quite slow however). 

It made me want to listen to other memoirs in audiobook - the format seems well adapted to this kind of material.  I wouldn't seek out more work by Nafisi, but she did give some reading ideas for the future.

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

I picked up this book thinking I was going to struggle through it -- I had not enjoyed reading Of Mice & Men & The Pearl in high school, and I doubted I'd like this too much. Was I ever wrong.

I found the writing style amazing, the story and characters sharp and clever and completely timeless, the pace quick and interesting. I'd easily put it as the best book I've read this year, and into my "best books ever" pile as well.

Truly a pleasure to read, and gave ...more I picked up this book thinking I was going to struggle through it -- I had not enjoyed reading Of Mice & Men & The Pearl in high school, and I doubted I'd like this too much. Was I ever wrong.

I found the writing style amazing, the story and characters sharp and clever and completely timeless, the pace quick and interesting. I'd easily put it as the best book I've read this year, and into my "best books ever" pile as well.

Truly a pleasure to read, and gave me more courage to go back to other classics & of course to read more Steinbeck too. 

 

Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder

I liked that this book gave a good overview of philosophy, and found the explanations of most of the philosophy easy to digest & simple, but the structure of the book was so gimmicky that for me it didn't work well, and in particular after 2/3 I just wanted it to be over. I finished it out of stubbornness - I rarely leave books unfinished, but this one tempted me to.

Rarely have I read a book that I didn't enjoy reading that I got so much out of. As a novel for me it doesn't work at...more I liked that this book gave a good overview of philosophy, and found the explanations of most of the philosophy easy to digest & simple, but the structure of the book was so gimmicky that for me it didn't work well, and in particular after 2/3 I just wanted it to be over. I finished it out of stubbornness - I rarely leave books unfinished, but this one tempted me to.

Rarely have I read a book that I didn't enjoy reading that I got so much out of. As a novel for me it doesn't work at all, as far as the writing style goes I wasn't very impressed (and found it quite uneven) but for just the philosophy angle & cleverness of a new approach, I'm more forgiving. 

Broken Open, Elizabeth Lesser

I listened to Broken Open over the past week or so.  I don't even remember buying it, but it was a good find for this time in my life.  I don't know if there was any particular part that stuck out for me, but the overall message that we have a lot to learn from the tough times in life was an important thing for me to hear right now.  I didn't care much for the author's tone and I thought her stories were weak and self-indulgent next to some of the stories of other people (or things she could have included) but I still got something out of the book.  I wouldn't recommend the book or the audiorecording unless it was to someone else going through challenging times, however. 

Kafka On the Shore, Huraki Murakami

I finished reading Kafka on the Shore today.  I'm sad it's over, I enjoyed reading this book a lot.  I like magical realism and when a tidy narrative takes twists and turns into the impossible.  The writing, characters & story were all great.  I really loved the parallel construction of the two stories alternating back and forth -- thought it really worked well, and I'm not always a big fan of these kinds of structures.

I suspect the book got such a favorable reception from me because it struck me as both deep and also very much a fantasy of escapism and the impossible - things that resonate with me a lot these days.  I'm also struck at having sandwiched the May 25th period with Wind Up Bird Chronicle and this late November period with Kafka on the Shore, bringing a decidedly Murakami flavor to a rather pedestrian life experience...

Grading it an A-, as I did feel there was something holding it back from being a masterpiece.  Murakami said in interviews you need to read it a few times to work out some riddles -- that will have to wait for me... 

Teotihuacan at Quai Branly

Today I went to see Teotihuacan at the Musée du Quai Branly (here's a link in English).  It was my first time visiting this art museum (focused on the far flung regions of the world) so I also went through part of the main collections (sticking with Americas since I'd already spent 2 hours on that). 

It was enjoyable - a part of history I don't know at all, so I learned a good deal.  I'm always astonished though, when I look at the development of the populations in the Americas at how far behind on most technology they were for so long (writing, sciences, etc).  The art too seems so primitive, even if some of it is lovely.

Renoir au XXe siecle - Grand Palais

Today I went to see Renoir au XXe siècle, at the Grand Palais.

I enjoyed it, but wasn't knocked out, which was pretty much what I suspected because he's never been one of my favorites. 

I did enjoy the focus on a specific part of his career (the end) and some of the artists he influenced being hung alongside him (Picasso, Matisse, Bonnard). 

The audioguide was well done for once, but I need to remember that leaving at 16h30 to go to an expo is not such a good time, as it was quite crowded with the last wave of guided tours... earlier must be better. 

Get Well Soon

Get Well Soon was a forgettable movie that would have been better off staying forgotten.  Plot was stupid, almost non-existent, not amusing, not funny, not well-acted.  Really nothing redeeming except helped me through an hour on the elliptical machine (and was only 99c on iTunes).

Le vent nous emportera (The Wind Will Carry Us)

In the process of organizing our DVDs I sometimes come across things that look like they'd be good, and Le vent nous emportera was one of them.  The movie didn't live up to the box, however.  Screaming with awards won & with a poetic, beautiful photo on the front we thought we were about to discover a new favorite director, but that was not to be. 

We both found the movie beautifully filmed, and it while the documentary-style filming & lack of score was interesting, the story, frankly, was not.  We liked the off-screen-ness of several of the surrounding characters, but E fell asleep several times watching it, and neither of us enjoyed it very much. 

Ce que le jour doit à la nuit, Yasmina Khadra

A family friend had loved Ce que le jour doit à la nuit, and recommended it to me and so I decided to go ahead and try it in French.  As is always the case when I read in French, it's frustrating to read so slowly and for it to require so much effort, so it is easy to get distracted, easy to put the book down and pick up something else, and not easy to finish.  I finally picked up the book again and pushed myself through it, and was glad I did.  When I had longer stretches of time to read it was very enjoyable, which is an important lesson in terms of future reading in French - it's hard for me to do it in small 20 minute slices since each time it's hard to fall back into it (unlike in English).

The book was nice & interesting.  Well written, good descriptions, and I really liked the lack of melodrama that accompanied the major plot twists.  Not yet out in English, by the way.

People Will Talk by Joseph Mankiewicz

My mom & I watched People Will Talk after going to dinner at L'Ourcine.  It was a good Cary Grant movie with a racy-for-the-epoch plot & was quite a good movie.  I give it a B.  I'll probably see it again, as my husband had left it in a pile of things he wanted us to see together (I thought it was the pile of stuff he'd already seen...)

Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro

Never Let Me Go was a very well structured story, and Ishiguro's signature controlled emotions and careful construction. The sci-fi futuristic aspect not my cup of tea, but the writing was beautiful.

The Time Traveller's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife was a very original story, fast moving, interesting concept. The book probably could have been successful with a 100 pages less (it got a bit repetitive) but I enjoyed it. Ending not as strong as the beginnning, but with a highly original concept thats not surprising.

Compulsion, Johnathan Kellerman

Compulsion, by Johnathan Kellerman is not my genre of books, but I needed something light and page-turning. It fit the bill, but I hesitate for the second star. Luckily it was a VERY quick read but really left me feeling empty afterwards. Makes me wonder why people read books like this when there are so many really good books out there...

 

Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout

I read Olive Kitteridge in the days before the hospital & just after the surgery.  Series of linked stories that I really liked.

Loved the linked stories in this book, they were far less gimmicky than I usually find that structure to be. The writing was subtle and insightful without being obtrusive or in-your-face intellectual. It's been a long time since I've read a story where you had so much abivalence for the main character - you don't exactly like her, but you do appreciate her - very well done.

Le Dôme - fish brasserie

After the theatre we went to a fish restaurant that was VERY good.  Le Dôme is in the Montparnasse area, and everything we ate was really top quality. 

I had mussels with a cream sauce (with a dash of curry & fleur d'oranger), E started with oysters. Then we both had a fabulous lobster salad.  Main dishes of lotte and sole meunière were excellent.  Desset of millefeuille which they are famous for was amazing, and we are fans of millefeuille at Boulangerie Monge (and we'd had it for brunch!) but this blew it away.  A few bites of caramel & chocolate Berthillion ice creams didn't hurt either....

Yum.  Instantly became a place I'll put into regular rotation, even if it's a bit spendy...

Abraham - Michel Jonasz

We went to see a French one man show, Abraham,  by singer Michel Jonasz. 

It was a sad, touching one act play, which was really very well played and the text was very good.  I wasnt crazy about the songs but I am never a big fan of musical theatre. 

La Bohème, Paris Opera

We went to see our first opera of the season, La Bohème (actually it was supposed to be the second, but the first was rescheduled due to a strike...).

I was not crazy about the music - probably not helped by the fact that the singer playing Mimi wasn't the greatest, and I found the orchestra too loud vs the vocals, but I actually think the music just isn't as good as the other operas I've been to. Being a novice to opera maybe that's unfair, but it was my gut feeling.

The sets were beautiful, and in particular act 2 was amazing - probably 80 people onstage.

After the opera, we went to eat dinner at Bofinger, a classic French brasserie, which was quite good.  A really nice evening!

Montparnasse 25

We went to Montparnasse 25 for dinner.  It was sad, because the Starwood management has just converted the hotel to a Sheraton & decided to close this Michelin-starred restaurant that we love.   The chef, Christian Moine & the waitstaff that my husband knows from years of dining there were all still in shock from the announcement (even though they've been under threat of the axe for 2 years).

Food was very good, as usual, and I imagine we'll make it back a few times in the next months, but it will probably be going downhill fast since the best of the serving & kitchen staff will go for greener pastures as soon an they are able.

Get a Life, Nadine Gordimer

I had never read anything by Nobel-prize winning Nadine Gordimer, but I found Get a Life at a used bookshop & picked it up.   Interesting character study, but the story seemed flat and poorly developed to me.  Grade : B-

Mona Lisa Smile

I watched Mona Lisa Smile as a  99c rental from iTunes on the train today.  As is often the case w 99c movies, I feel I got a good deal.  It was at least 3$ worth of entertainment.  I enjoyed seeing a chick flick that kept me occupied for 2 hours.   Grade : B

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

A and I went to see this (while E worked).   In 3D.  The 3D effects were, as is often the case, pretty uneven, but the story was entertaining for this genre of film - although less funny for adults than many kids movies are.  I'd grade it a B-.

The Healing of America - T.R. Reid

I've long looked for a good rapid overview of multiple health systems -- this book completely fits the bill, and hopefully will even make a big enough impact to make serious changes to the US healthcare system.  A quick and easy read, it was also interesting & written by a reporter who understood his subject but simplified things for easy access for anyone.

Time Will Darken It - William Maxwell

This book was loaned to me by my mom, who loved it and had post it flags & underlining all over it. Despite that being extremely annoying, the book was beautifully written, and really made me wonder why Maxwell is not better known. Reading more of his work is high on my priority list now.

Les Bouddas de Shandong, Musée Cernuchi

My sister & I went to the Cernuchi museum, a small Asian arts museum which is near my office.  There was a special exhibit on these buddhas, which were a fun cultural stop in the day.

Once Upon A Time in the West, Sergio Leone

My husband really wanted to watch Once Upon a Time in the West, by Sergio Leone last night.  He was in the mood for something very boyish, and he loves this film.  It wasn't my first choice, but I agreed because he was so enthusiastic about it.  I did appreciate seeing it again - Sergio Leone at the top of his Spaghetti Western game, for sure, plus that beautiful cinematography (and some mighty cute men).

Ile des sourciers, Anthony Horowitz

This book is kind of embarrasing to put on my 'read' list because it's young adult fiction, and not even very good young adult fiction.

But I read it because my stepson (9) recommended it and I figured if he could read it, I could read it in French.  I have largely stopped reading in French, but this went easily and even gives me the courage to try something adult in French... well, we'll see about that.

I thought the book was not so good - like a rip-off, not-very-interesting version of Harry Potter, but A told me that in fact this was written well before Harry Potter so in fact the rip-off is the other way (although HP is much more interesting).

Tchao Pantin

We watched Tchao Pantin, a 1983 French film about a young drug dealer & his neighborhood gas station attendant who is befriends him.  Great acting, interesting filming, but the story lacked spark.  One of those French character films.

Borsalino - dir. Jacques Deray

Last night we watched Borsalino, which is a 1970s gangster movie which was mildly amusing.  The clichés of mobsters were in full effect, but Alain Delon was his usual suave self.  The movie apparently was a sequel to a pretty good movie -- but as is often the case, the sequel didn't live up to the original.

For a Few Dollars More - Sergio Leone

We watched another Western last night.  Actually I slept for a good portion of it, but I still liked it.  It was the second Sergio Leone spaghetti western.  Excellent acting, great cinematography, score was awesome.  Story was not the best. 

The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery

I should know better --- I've rarely liked books that are 'reading group favorites' and that's where this one was shelved in 3 bookstores

I read it because it was the book selected by the Paris Goodreads book club, and I really need social contact. 

I didnt care much for the translation, and although I enjoyed the first 50 pages, I thought the story got worse and worse as it went on.

2 movies not worth the 99c rental in iTunes

Embarrassing -- both were intended for the gym, but weren't even worth my time as I have better things to watch even at the gym...

Material Girls with Hilary Duff & her sister.... stupid stupid stupid

Van Wilder with some young cute teenage bad actor... stupid too, and vulgar... but funny a few times

Dancer, by Colum McCann

Read this through most of the IVF proceedings.  Finished it the day of retrieval.

I liked it, it was an insteresting mix between biography and novel.  Characters were great, writing was really smooth.

I'm BACK!

I stopped updating here for several months, but have decided to come back to it effective now (and I'll fill in from beginning of October). 

I liked keeping track of things.

I might do the simple versions without links and pictures to keep time down.

Oncle Vania - by Tchechov

Goodbye Girl

The Magnificent Seven

Gran Torino

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold - John Le Carré

I've loved you so long - movie

White Tiger

Gods & Monsters

A whole new mind

La Horse

E had the idea that this short 1970 film, La Horse, would be a good family film for us to watch w A. I'm not sure a film about an errant grandson who gets his family wrapped up in a heroin deal (and his sister gang raped) is really family material, but the movie was interesting, and Jean Gabin was terrific. E was at least able to warn A (and me) of the violent scenes. Although I'm still having nightmares of the poor cattle hit by the car over and over to injure them. Don't think steak is on the menu for the upcoming days...

Jeff Koons at the Chateau de Versailles

I had the idea that seeing Jeff Koons at the Chateau de Versailles would be a fun thing to do w A, since it's hard to imagine art that's more accessible to an 8 year old than Koons (giant balloon sculptures and Disney characters). We didn't manage to get there in December before it was supposed to end, but it actually got extended and we booked tickets in the final days and went to see it Saturday night.

It's a shame to visit Versailles at night, because the best part of it is the gardens, and the magnificent over-the-top Gallerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors) is impressive during the day because it reflects the gardens over and over. It's also not so fun in the cold, since you don't feel like lingering in the garden if you do go out there (there was a Koons installation in the gardens that we froze to see, then were unimpressed by).

The Koons works were as expected - the NYTimes summed it nicely as an "American Invasion", but the contrast of modern and classic made it much more interesting (A described it as "Old and Original"). A enjoyed it (more than he would probably enjoy a classical art show). Still, hanging beach toys on fences or from the ceiling does not make things "art" to me, and I generally think he's trying too card to be clever (or commercial). As I've felt the last several times I've seen big names in contemporary art, I can wait a while before giving this genre another go...

A liked Puppy best of all, and I thought the Disney-esque flowers were clever in the overdone Versailles bedroom with the flowery wallpaper. The contrast of the lobster raft and the fuscia drawing room was original.

24 heures dans la vie d'une femme - theatre

We saw 24 heures dans la vie d'une femme tonight (English title must be 24 hours in the life of a woman) by Stefan Zweig. It was a surprise for me, E called me late in the day to propose going to a play. I usually try to read the plays before we see them so I can follow along effectively, but this wasn't possible. It was pretty hard to follow, as the text used a lot of passe simple and imparfait du subjonctif, neither of which are conjugasions used in everyday French. What's more, it's actually a short story converted into a one-act (hour and a half) play, with huge long monologues, so I had to be very carefully focused to capture everything.

The text was really amazing, the acting was good but not great. The theatre seats were benches with no back support and my back aches from sitting at close attention for so long. But it was a really nice surprise for the evening, and makes me want to move Stefan Zweig up on the reading list.

It was a movie fest yesterday - we stayed at the theatre and hit a second movie, this time Burn After Reading, which has just arrived in France. It was good, great actors, amusing story. Not one of the Coen brothers best, but not terrible, and certainly a fun couple of hours.

Two Lovers - movie

We went to see Two Lovers today. E has been keeping up with current releases he's wanted to catch (a good thing because I haven't been paying attention). As usual, he made a good choice. Two Lovers was well-acted and interesting, a "true" love story, not at all mushy, and not a Hollywood happy ending. My American girl would have loved a good chick flick ending, but this movie was more French feeling, more real, than that. Joaquin Phoenix was excellent and very convincing.