Book Review- Joyce Carol Oates' The Falls

Joyce Carol Oates is one of my favorite authors, but even great authors can write a clunker. It took me two weeks to trudge through The Falls and even with that, I probably wouldn't have read it so fast, if I had not been stuck home sick.

As always, Oates writes beautiful, lyrical passages. Technically, there is nothing wrong with this novel. It has well developed characters and a clear story arc. Technically, all of the components are there.

However, it's painfully dull. Painfully dull and exceedingly long. For a book that contains suicide and murder, it is slow going. I think the problem is that the book is confused. It's trying to be plot driven, when it's clearly character driven. It's really a character sketch of the main character Ariah Erskine, who tragically loses two husbands and as a young widow, is left to raise her three children. 

The book is far too big in scope and as a consequence, didn't allow me to connect with the characters. In particular, the last section of the book that dedicates a chapter to each of Ariah's grown children, showing how their upbringing was key to their development. The book has a running theme of "Nature Vs. Nurture". The problem being, the children were minor characters throughout much of the book and there was never an opportunity to connect with them. 

Ariah reminded me a bit too much of the negative aspects of my own mom, who was also a widow due to a tragic circumstance. I guess Oates nailed it here, but it didn't make me like or connect with Ariah. It made me mildly uncomfortable, mostly with how Ariah refused to talk about the father and the whole situation was veiled in mystery. If the story had been told through the children's point of view, it may have been easier to connect.

I hope that the next Oates novel I pick up is far more entertaining and affecting. 

Book Review- Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers

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In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell examines highly successful individuals and sets out to prove that their success is not a limited product of their intelligence, talent or ambitious, but very much due to their cultural background and opportunities obtained during their youth. Additionally, that people and their opportunities are very much a result of where and when (place and time) they are raised. 

I always cringe when people say that their success is entirely self-made and that "nobody ever gave them anything". Simply, because that is not true and they come across as bitter and angry. Gladwell does a solid job at proving that success or failure is a mix of things and one of the key factors is other people, including parents and teachers. How you perceive your life and opportunities are often a direct result of how you were raised. Success is often a multistep process and the foundation is built in childhood.

Gladwell doesn't make the case that only children of rich parents are successful, although it doesn't hurt. Success, in part, can come with being from a cultural background that values a hard work ethic. The ultimate key to being a highly successful individual, seems to be more than one factor falling into place at the same time. 

For example, he argues that someone like Bill Gates was successful not only due to his intelligence or parent's wealth, but that he was born in the right year and had unusual access to computers. He knew when opportunities came his way and took them.  All of these factors made him successful and they are not mutually exclusive.  

My favorite chapter was The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes, where Gladwell makes an argument for why certain cultural norms, specifically cultures that have a high power distance, lead to a higher incident of plane crashes. It was completely compelling and a bit scary! Luckily, Gladwell noted that the recognition of this has led to airlines making changes, resulting in safer flights.

I found Gladwell's book to be completely engaging, fascinating and entertaining. He has a knack for creating a compelling argument and taking the reader down unexpected paths. It's a quick read and would be great for a classroom or a book club, as it naturally lends itself to discussion and might be very polarizing. 

Book Review- Matthew Quick's The Silver Linings Playbook

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Confession, I was swayed to read the book based on all of the accolades and hype that the movie version has been receiving. I wanted to see the movie from the previews, but missed its initial weeks in theaters, so I thought that I had better read the book first. Books are nearly always better than the movie version. However, after reading Matthew Quick's novel version, I making a tentative guess that the screenplay is stronger than the novel. 

The book is good and I probably would have enjoyed it more, if I had not gone in with high expectations driven by the success of the movie adaptation. 

The Silver Linings Playbook, centers around the character of Patrick Peoples, a man in his mid-thirties, who has just been released from a mental institution and is living with his parents as he tries to piece his life back together. He obsesses over his ex-wife, as he can't remember several years of his life, including his break up or what landed him in the institution. He befriends his neighbor, Tiffany, a young widow who has been in a deep depression and has moved back in with her parents. 

The problem with the book is that it's a bit clunky, especially towards the middle of the book when a bunch of the story (including character motivations) is revealed through letters. The letters really bog down the pacing and don't do much to develop the character of Tiffany, who has a great backstory that's barely explored. Tiffany and Patricks friendship is developed more through Patrick telling what they did, rather than letting us see the moments and the scenes play out. 

The story is very Patrick-centric, but it is a tease, as it is filled with great minor characters who are unfortunately minimized. The book could have been longer and more fleshed out, especially with regard to Pat's parents. It ends on an rather abrupt note and I was left wanted more.

The brilliance in Quick's writing, is his ability to create multifaceted, sympathetic characters. He writes characters that are relatable. I've spent time with mentally unstable family members (ex's family) and I felt like Quick nailed it. I immediately remembered the walking on egg shells feeling and not knowing what would set the person off. Quick captured that awkward, uncomfortable dynamic perfectly. I also felt like he really got in the mindset of Pat, as someone who is unstable, but constantly trying to do his best and please his family. It's often heartbreaking. This book has many uncomfortable moments.

I'm excited to see the movie version, as I feel like this book was a great foundation for a potentially even better screenplay.