Greetings from the cold frontier. It appears February does not really want to cooperate with being friendly. Has your polar vortex disappeared yet? Ours is still ongoing and we look to have our second weekend coming up with well below 0F temps. I’ve been donning my winter space suit to walk the dog, which appears to be working until I have to use my hands and take off my big mitts for brief moments. That can be ouch-worthy. Best bet is to have the husband do the dog-walking on the weekends. As for our yellow Labrador Stella — aka the book assistant — she never fully admits it’s cold outside and duly wants her walks as previously scheduled. She must have some insulation about her. After all, Labs like her are built to retrieve in cold water.
In book news this week, it appears that author A.J. Finn — aka Dan Mallory — sure took a beating after a New Yorker article revealed that the author of the bestselling thriller “The Woman in the Window” has lied about a whole lot of things in his own life …. including that he had cancer, that his mother had died of cancer, and that his brother had taken his own life. All of which are apparently untrue. Yikes. Why does one try to elicit sympathy in such a way? It seems a bit ill. I guess Mallory has admitted his lies and apologized now, but the uproar sure has lit up social media and the like. I wonder if it will put a damper on the movie adaptation of his book due out in October 2019, starring Amy Adams and Gary Oldman. Egads you can’t be too happy if you’re putting up the money for the film. And now I’ll leave you with a few reviews of what I finished lately.
Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday (2018) 271 pages, paperback, from the library
Synopsis: The novel has three separate parts to it: The first is about a young American editor (Alice) who’s an inspiring novelist — and her relationship with a famous, much older writer named Ezra Blazer (based loosely on Philip Roth who the author once had a relationship with). The very different second part is narrated by Amar, an Iraqi-American post-doc who, on his way to visit his brother in Kurdistan in 2008, is detained by immigration officers and spends the weekend in a holding room in Heathrow having flashbacks of his family’s past. And the last part is an interview of the same Ezra Blazer that along the way indirectly confirms how the parts of the story correlate.
My Thoughts: This novel — hailed as one of the 10 Best Books of 2018 by the New York Times and various other publications — is quite a puzzle about how the three parts link together. I guess I didn’t really know that going in, so I wasn’t really on the lookout, hunting for subtle clues like I should have been in high school English class. So alas I blew it a bit … that indeed it’s a bit of an exercise or look at the creative process.
Instead I was pulled in by the first section, about this young mid-20s girl — Alice (as in Wonderland) — who’s working in publishing and seeing this famous older author (Ezra) who must be like late 60s or 70. Gosh all I could think about was the author’s one-time relationship with Philip Roth and whether this all was true. Though apparently the author has cautioned against reading this section as total autobiography … so much was invented she says … but still (!) It’s a bit endearing and funny their banter — these two writers of mixed ages who seem to fit well with their preoccupation with fiction, old tunes, baseball watching, and sex. A bit icky or weird though too with their ages and his health issues, and he being a mentor.
The second part of the novel is totally different about this Iraqi-American post-doc (Amar) stuck at Heathrow Airport having flash backs to days with his family in Iraq and the war — I didn’t really see how this fit, but I really felt for him. And the third part about an interview with the author Ezra was interesting too but once again I was a bit clueless to its link… though there are clues, some of which I questioned along the way.
Still it wasn’t till after reading about the novel that its main mystery was revealed to me and what the novel was seeking to do. In retrospect, in understanding it more, I liked it better and thought it was quite clever … about writing and how it can transport one across boundaries. That’s all I will say, if you like literary puzzles then go for it. As one reviewer at the New York Times said: “Asymmetry is not complicated, but it cannot be read complacently. Like it or not, it will make you a better reader, a more active noticer. It hones your senses.” It’s enough to make me want to watch for her next book.
Descent by Tim Johnston (2015) 384 pages, hardback, from the library
Synopsis: The story follows the fracturing of a family following the disappearance of the 18-year-old daughter during a Colorado vacation. Caitlin is about to enter college on a track scholarship when she fails to come back from an early morning run with her brother who is found injured. Over the course of the next two years, the parents and the brother each go through their own troubles as no sign of Caitlin is found.
My Thoughts: This is another missing person/abduction kind of story, whose genre I’m sort of tiring of. I think I picked this one up because of the hype and because the author has a new novel out called “The Current” to compare it with. I was also interested in its Rocky Mountain setting, where I once lived. I read the novel pretty quickly though it does jump around a bit among the characters and the italic parts (some of which it has throughout) are always a bit of a chore on the eyes.
I thought it was a decent thriller though a couple things bugged me along the way: for one, the brother and father stay in Colorado to apparently keep searching for their sister/daughter yet they never seem to do any searching or none is described. I understand the story comes after the initial months of searching, still I was freaked about keeping up the search. I would’ve torn that mountain apart, from top to bottom. Meanwhile the characters sort of whine, meander, get in trouble, and fall apart.
Another thing, there’s so much smoking in the book; everyone is smoking though the missing girl apparently was a great runner and was granted a college scholarship for track, yet all of her relatives are big smokers. Really? I guess it’s to show stress. But blah, one more mention of lighting a cigarette by so-so in the book and I would’ve tossed it across the room into the fire. There’s your cigarette.
Though I guess I liked the part about the town bully guy, Billy, doing some good toward the end of the story, which felt a bit redeeming. The novel has some things going for it that I liked — a suspense that builds around some definable family characters, but I also felt it had some things that hindered it. So for me it was half and half.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (2018), 240 pages, audiobook
Synopsis: You guessed it, the novel is about two sisters in Nigeria — the pretty, younger sister Ayoola is the one who has a habit of killing her boyfriends (the last three) and the older sister Korede (a nurse at the hospital) is the one who cleans up the mess and keeps it under wraps. But when a doctor, Korede is in love with, falls for her sister, she must reckon with what her sister has become and how far she’s willing to go to protect her. Uh-oh.
My Thoughts: Yes this novel has made the round on blogs already and I’m on the bandwagon about it being favorable as well. I thought it was clever and I liked its ending. The older sister narrator, Korede, has a sardonic world-weary voice that makes the telling of this “black widow” tale appealing. It’s hard to even explain — how something so awful and serious of a novel about a sister’s killings — can be construed as light and refreshing as well. Say what??? There’s various degrees and emotions in this story, from: deadpan humor to guilt and heartfelt truth-seeking and love. Korede is trying to save the day and come up with answers. She sure can clean a car transporting a body better than those guys did in “Pulp Fiction.” I know I’ll never look at bleach the same way again.
All the while the novel is told in short snappy chapters that keep things moving. By the end, you find out why these sisters are so bound together …. from their childhood. They really have each other’s backs. I was impressed by the sibling aspect of this novel, as well as the story’s wit and its turns, and its Nigerian setting.
What about you — have you read any of these novels — and if so, what did you think?
It’s so warm here, we’re ready for it to cool off a little bit.
The news about A. J. Finn is crazy – I don’t know what people are thinking when they do things like that.
I really want to read My Sister, the Serial Killer.
Hi Kathy: please send your warm weather here. It’s brutal today. The AJ Finn news is just mind-boggling really. I think you’d like the audio of My Sister, the Serial Killer — the narration seemed quite excellent.
The Polar Vortex only lasted a few days here in New York. It is fairly warm here now.
All these books seem worthwhile. Asymmetry looks Interesting. I love Philip Roth ‘s works. I also like books with unconventional structure. This I may give that one a try.
Hi Brian, good to hear your Vortex is gone. Interestingly Philip Roth is said to have read & admired Asymmetry which he got to before he passed away. It is a pretty interesting book — structure-wise. I felt for the Roth-like character Ezra who has terrible back/spine issues in it. He’s quite witty too.
Go Stella, but give Susan a moment with the gloves would you?
Great reviews. Thanks for explaining Asymmetry. I think I might like it. I am immune to age differences in sexual partners thanks to John Irving-:) The rest sounds interesting.
I had a similar reaction to Descent. Just a bit too something? about it.
Happy that you liked My Sister…
Cold here, frost even, and snow on the visible mountain tops but nothing like you are experiencing. I hope you don’t get blue waiting for spring.
Hi Judy: wild that you all have had considerable rain recently & cold temps. My folks are freezing there, ha (anything below 50). You’ll need the big gloves. Snow will be good for the mountains & reservoirs, right? I think you’d like Asymmetry — it’s not all what it appears. Must be a brainy author. Apparently Roth said it was quite an achievement, before he passed.
The polar vortex gave us temps in the 50s and 60s here in south Florida, so no complaints from me! I haven’t read any of those books, though have been considering Asymmetry. Still on the fence after reading your review, but might try My Sister, the Serial Killer. Why would AJ Finn lie about those things? It makes no sense to me. I borrowed that book from the library… only read 100 or 150 pages before it was due, but never bothered to check it out again to finish it. Hope it warms up for you soon.
Hi JoAnn: thanks, it seems you went south right at the right time. The audio of My Sister, the Serial Killer is quite good, but it’s a bit of a different book so not sure it’s for everybody. I’m still perplexed by the AJ Finn revelation too. His thriller made for a decent audio, but it was a bit crazy too.
Wow! I hadn’t heard the news about Mallory’s lies. In this day and age how could anyone think they wouldn’t eventually be found out?
I’m sorry Descent didn’t work for you. I read it several years ago, but remembered loving it and how it showed each member of the family dealing with the tragedy in a different way. Glad My Sister worked better. As for Asymmetry, I’ve read so many mixed reviews on it that I’ve been scared off. I was surprised when it ended up on so many best of lists, so perhaps I need to reconsider.
Stay warm!
Thanks Susie, not sure what you would think of Asymmetry … if you take it for face value it seems pretty run-of-the mill — the three parts. Nothing too exciting. But if you like piecing together clues than it gets a bit more. The Mallory lies are just crazy. I will put in the link to the New Yorker article that basically is totally mind-boggling on what he told people.
Asymmetry sounds good though I’m not sure I would like to be kept on my toes searching for clues in my reading. I do that in mysteries but expect literary fiction to be more or less straightforward. My Sister… seems to be everyone’s cup of tea. I will have to jump on that bandwagon to see for myself what all the fuss is about, but I bet I’ll love it; it’s my kind of humor. 🙂
Yeah Carmen: I admit I went into reading Asymmetry more for the story but ended up perplexed when it was really about the structure and how they linked. I guess I’m guilty of complacency 🙂 ….. I’d be curious if you liked My Sister; I think you probably would. It’s got a bit of the kitchen sink in it, though it’s short & snappy.
We are sitting cold today after several days way up in the seventies. Whew. Texas weather.
Good for reading, though.
Hi Deb, thanks for stopping by. Texas seems warm to me!
I hadn’t seen that article about the author of A Woman in the Window nor did I know it was going to be a movie. I did like the book but, why would someone make up such horrible things? Insane
Hi Diane: Yeah I’m not sure why someone would do that. Quite strange. Both duplicitous and manipulative it seems. I liked the book okay too.
It’s even cold here. Not a polar vortex by any means but 32 degrees in the morning and black ice on the road. Oh, and lots of rain coming tomorrow. We have had rain off and on for weeks. It’s so nice to have WATER.
I had not heard about A.J. Finn. Even though the stuff coming out is rather scandalous, I bet it just helps to increase ticket sales.
I added Descent to my list a long time ago but forgot about it. I do like a good abduction story but there are so many these days.
Also, my pup is only 6.5 lbs. She always wants to go for her walk no matter how cold or rainy but if we take her, we end up carrying her because you cannot walk when your entire body is taken over by shivers.
Hi Ti, it’s amazing how much rain So Cal. is getting & snow in the mountains … I hope it fills the reservoirs! Your pup will have to wait till it warms up some; beware of the black ice.
The AJ Finn news could increase his sales — especially if his next one is crazy-ish. You might like the Descent book … though I’m not sure if there’s enough action until the end.
No vortex here but we’re still digging out from 4 days of snow and more supposedly on the way later this week. I am sick and tired of it! I’ve done more shoveling in the last 3 days than in the last decade. Yuck.
I’ve read all these books and agree with your assessment on Woman and Asymemtry (I never quite understand the 3rd part of the book nor can I believe it made a Best of list), and My Sister. I loved Descent but reading your review I get why you didn’t. Somehow Johnston’s writing took me in enough that I didn’t ask any of the questions you did nor was I bothered by the details that stuck out to you. It fascinates me how that goes for every reader!
Hi Catherine: so crazy you’all in Seattle are getting quite a few snow days, wild! I get tired of shoveling snow from sidewalks too. Blah. Just checked our temp … a measly 1F. Still stuck in a vortex here. Grrrr.
Yeah I’m still curious about Johnston’s latest one The Current which I might get to soon, though I have quite a book stack right now. Asymmetry was definitely a different kind of read … I liked the first section the best …. about the sort of strange relationship … that had glimpses of humor in it.
I am curious about Descent, and also that book Asymmetry.
I am stunned about the A.J. Finn news. Why would an author need to do such a thing? It’s not as if his book was supposedly nonfiction, like the author (James Frey) who was called out by Oprah on his memoir, which was pure fiction.
Thanks for sharing your books and your week…and for visiting my blog.
Hi Laurel: I agree about the AJ Finn news. It is perplexing. Too bad as I thought his book was semi-entertaining. Thanks for stopping by!
My Sister, the Serial Killer sounds like fun! Which seems weird considering the subject. I hope she had a good reason for killing her boyfriends!
Hi Naomi: It’s sort of a different kind of book for sure. I don’t really think she has a good reason for the killings but the sister who covers up the crimes for her has a unique voice in narration. It’s worth a read; short & snappy too.