Titus Andronicus

Possible illustration of Titus Andronicus

Reviewed by Susanna Allred

Published:1588-1593?

It's about: Titus Andronicus, a Roman general, and Tamora, wife of the Roman emperor engage in a bloody, bitter feud. Their mutual enmity begins when Titus conquers Tamora's tribe of Goths, takes her family captive, and sacrifices one of her sons to avenge the deaths in battle of his own sons. Tamora feigns reconciliation with Titus and marries the Roman emperor, Saturninus. With the assistance of her Moorish lover, Aaron, she engineers gory, violent revenge against Titus' family. The ensuing cycle of violence far outstrips other Shakespearean bloodbaths in graphic intensity. Where Hamlet featured stabbings, accidental and duelling-related; poisoning, and off-stage drowning; Titus Andronicus proudly makes human sacrifice, dismemberment, maiming, cannibalism, rape, beheading, what can only be described as honor killing, and a final, uniquely vindictive execution central plot points.

I thought: The violence in Titus Andronicus is so sensational that this play has traditionally been the least critically-regarded of Shakespeare's. The critic Gerald Massey famously excoriated it as "a perfect slaughter-house...it reeks of blood, it smells of blood, we almost feel that we have handled blood." Other critics have defensively tried to claim that it isn't Shakespeare's at all, so graphically over-the-top is the violence. Current  consensus holds that Titus Andronicus is Shakespeare's, but an early, unrefined effort in the mode of Renaissance-era revenge plays.

The play's most intriguing dimension is its attempt to personify pure evil. While Tamora and Titus begin their violent rampage as bereaved parents, Aaron, Tamora's lover, gleefully lends his manipulative genius to her campaign with no other motive than his own sadism. In one particularly illustrative scene, Aaron overhears Tamora's sons Demetrius and Chiron fighting over the right to romantically pursue Titus' daughter, Lavinia. Aaron's ingenious solution to the conundrum is to encourage the young men to take turns raping Lavinia, then cut out her tongue and cut off her hands so that she can neither speak nor write the names of her attackers. Unlike most of Shakespeare's other villains, who are compelling in part because their motivations are innate to human experience (such as Claudius' ambition or Iago's jealousy), Aaron's evil is so unmoderated that it actually becomes rather enigmatic. When Aaron is asked if he is not sorry for his many evil deeds, he retorts "Ay, that I had not done a thousand more." At his execution, he exclaims

I am no baby, I, that with base prayers 
I should repent the evils I have done: 
Ten thousand worse than ever yet I did
Would I perform, if I might have my will;
If one good deed in all my life I did, 
I do repent it from my very soul. 

This actually has the odd effect of making Aaron seem rather modern as a character type. Like the serial killers, sadists, and psychopaths who haunt contemporary film, television, and literature, Aaron is compelling because he is alien. Murdering to avenge one's dead child is ghastly but comprehensible. But, like Hannibal Lecter or Joffrey Baratheon, Aaron engineers suffering simply because he is compelled to. He hungers for cruelty in a way that normal humans hunger for love.

Unfortunately, Shakespeare's foray into literary psychopathy goes flat when he uses Aaron's blackness to characterize him as evil. While associating darker skin color with evil certainly isn't Shakespeare's innovation, he uses a tired trope in a ham-handed and pointless way. When Aaron brags that his evil makes him "like a black dog" it feels more like a stupid pun than clever symbolism. I think this actually makes Titus Andronicus valuable as a metric for Shakespeare's development as a writer. Othello, a deservedly more popular play, also makes use of the association of dark skin with evil, but with a much more nuanced understanding of the way such stereotypes might pervert a good man to do evil. Othello's rival Iago plays on Othello's fear that his skin color makes him repulsive to Desdemona to manipulate him into murdering her in a jealous rage. Othello is a man hounded by a stereotype; Aaron might well be the stereotype hounding him.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf or Rubbish Bin? In-between. 

Reading Recommendations: Nick Schifrin studied American motivations for war in the Middle East through Titus Andronicus in this essay.

Warnings: Rape, murder, cannibalism, illegitimate births, mutilation, dismemberment, beheading, stabbing, human sacrifice.

Favorite excerpts:

Tis true; the raven doth not hatch a lark:
Yet have I heard,--O, could I find it now!--
The lion moved with pity did endure 
To have his princely paws pared all away:
Some say that ravens foster forlorn children,
The whilst their own birds famish in their nests:
O, be to me, though they hard heart say no, 
Nothing so kind, but something pitiful!

The Other Side of Normal by Jordan Smoller

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Reviewed by Christina
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Full Title: The Other Side of Normal: How Biology is Providing the Clues to Unlock the Secrets of Normal and Abnormal Behavior

Published: 2012

It's about:  "In this enthralling work of popular science, respected Harvard psychiatrist Jordan Smoller addresses one of humankind's most enduring and perplexing questions: What does it mean to be "normal?" In The Other Side of Normal, Smoller explores the biological component of normalcy, revealing the hidden side of our everyday behaviors--why we love what we love and fear what we fear. Other bestselling works of neurobiology and the mind have focused on mental illness and abnormal behaviors--like the Oliver Sacks classic, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat--but The Other Side of Normal is an eye-opening, thought-provoking, utterly fascinating and totally accessible exploration of the universals of human experience. It will change forever our understanding of who we are and what makes us that way." (goodreads)

Wow, what a blurb!  I had high expectations for this one.

I thought:  I didn't love it.  And that's a shame, because it's right up my alley: I love pop science, especially when it's in the psychology/psychiatry/neurology department.  And The Other Side of Normal is certainly smart and well-researched.  There's a lot of interesting information about the brain and human behavior here.  It reads a little like an update for those of us who took AP Psych back in the day but haven't stayed up to speed with current trends in the field.

So why was I falling asleep when I read it?  The style itself isn't dull; Smoller writes conversationally and adds appropriate humor, research summaries, and personal anecdotes.  But there are also parts in each chapter where he delves into more of the nitty-gritty:  molecular biology, epigenetics, anatomy.  This book has far more detail about the inner workings of the brain than any other of its type (that I've read) and I'm a little embarrassed that I couldn't always concentrate.  In my (and the author's) defense, I did read this during a busy period of my life.  I was very, very tired most of the time when I finally sat down to read, and a more alert reader might have had no problem.  Still, I can't help but think that in the general populace the audience is pretty small for illustrations like this one:

I did enjoy Jordan Smoller's punny, Dad humor-ish subtitles.  Here are some examples: "Facial Profiling," "The Gland That Rocks the Cradle," "Crocodile Fears," and "Mind Your Pleasing Cues."  Teehee!  I have a feeling that this is one of those books that I'm going to look back on more fondly than what I'm thinking and feeling about it right now.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf or Rubbish Bin?  In between.

Reading Recommendations:  Don't be tired.

Warnings: none

Favorite excerpts:  [About Big Five Personality tendencies in different states]
"North Dakotans seem to be the most outgoing, friendly bunch of traditionalists you'd ever want to know: they topped the list of all states in agreeableness and extraversion but came in last on openness.  On the other hand, Alaska scored at or near the bottom on all five traits, suggesting that the typical Alaskan is a calm but disagreeable and introverted slacker who doesn't like unconventional ideas.  If you're looking for open-minded, enthusiastic, friendly neighbors who are emotionally stable and conscientious, your best bet is to move to Utah."

(I'm amused by that paragraph because I have lived in both North Dakota and Utah.  By the way, I took the Big Five personality test and it told me that the highest concentration of personality traits similar to my own is found in North Carolina.  Guess where I live.)

What I'm reading next:  Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Review: The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love by Jill Conner Browne

The Sweet Potato Queens, via

Reviewed by Christina

Published: 1999

It's about:  "To know the Sweet Potato Queens is to love them, and if you haven't heard about them yet, you will.  Since the early 1980s, this group of belles gone bad has been the toast of Jackson, Mississippi, with their glorious annual appearance in the St. Patrick's Day parade.  In The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love, their royal ringleader, Jill Conner Browne, introduces the Queens to the world with this sly, hilarious manifesto about love, life, men, and the importance of being prepared.  ... From tales of the infamous Sweet Potato Queens' Promise to the joys of Chocolate Stuff and Fat Mama's Knock You Naked Margaritas, this irreverent, shamelessly funny book is the gen-u-wine article." (back cover)

I thought:  You know, sometimes I don't notice or I'm not terribly annoyed when a person is being a little sexist if they're also being really funny and I get that it's not serious.  I mean, if an actual person is standing right in front of me saying mildly offensive things, I'll usually give them the benefit of the doubt and laugh at their jokes in the name of social nicety (within reason).  Making everyone in the room feel uncomfortable over a small or imagined slight wouldn't really do anything for the progress of feminism, and besides!  I just don't have a confrontational personality.

But books (and movies, and celebrities) get no such special treatment from me.  I will probably always be annoyed by books that exploit gender stereotypes and paint men and women rigidly, even if the goal is hyperbolic amusement.  I understand that lighthearted sexism is supposed to be funny.  But I'm not laughing when I know I've still got 200 pages to go.  Two hundred pages is a lot of time to spend with somebody who doesn't share your sense of humor.  So I'm not sure why I ever picked up this book.  I do consider myself a fan of Southern humor and Southern writing and Southern story telling.  And The Sweet Potato Queens do fit in that category and do some things well.  I did laugh aloud several times:  I loved Ms. Browne's Possum Under the Bed story, I liked her phonetic spellings of certain Southern words and phrases (see Favorite Excerpt below), and I LOVED reading her descriptions of and recipes for a few beautifully fattening foods.  She has some genuinely wise words to impart (humorously, of course).  And the mentions of "off brand" evangelists made me chuckle, as did the legit, hilarious obituaries.  This book IS funny, and I'll bet if Jill Conner Browne were to read this review she'd just shrug because some Yankee Feminist doesn't "get" her.  I'm pretty sure my cranky criticisms would roll right off her back.  I would probably have enjoyed a non-love-themed book more.

I'm not going to tell anyone to avoid this book, and I'm not going to warn you that you'll be terribly offended if you pick it up.  But it is very silly, and overall I didn't really think it was worth my time.  If you want to read something Southern and humorous, pick up some Celia Rivenbark instead or Julia Reed's Queen of the Turtle Derby.  And if you want something Valentiney, go back in time and read our posts from 2012 (They Call Me Naughty Lola) and 2011 (Are Feminism and Romance Mutually Exclusive in Literature?).

Verdict: In Between.  On the lower end of the category.

Warnings: Raunchy humor, a few swears.  And, like I said, sexism.

Favorite excerpts:
"'He-e-e-ey!  Cuteshoestellyoumamahi!'
That is the gist of most conversations in the state of Texas.  In Mississippi, a lot of conversations go like this:
'He-e-e-ey!  KewtshewsyewthenkOleMissgonweeun?'
(If you were born north of the Mason-Dixon line, you probably can't imagine what's being said.  I suggest that you read each line aloud several times, sounding out the syllables phonetically until the words register.  This would be a good preparatory exercise if you ever plan to visit the South.)"

What I'm reading next:  Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

Guest Review: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

Family in Cartagena, Colombia, c. 1930, via

Reviewed by Arminda!
Combine a dash of determination with a twist of opinionated, a heaping scoop of energy and mix vigorously, while slowly adding to this combination equal parts writer, actor, swing dancer, chef and mom. Fold in laughter, happiness, originality and a great book, and your concoction will resemble Arminda, whose passions are varied, but her focus to accomplish much never wains. Through her food blog www.yumveg.com she strives to make whole food, plant-based eating accessible to everyone, and when she just feels like rambling she dumps those thoughts onto www.allarminda.com, where it's all Arminda, all the time. Twitter handles for each, respectively, are @yumveg and @allarminda.

Published: 1988

It's about: Two young people, Florentino and Fermina, fall desperately in love with one another through letters they exchange and furtive glances they make at one another across the park, and eventually decide to marry. Their plans are thwarted by Fermina's father, and while she moves on with her life and marries another, the anguished Florentino channels his heartbreak into a lifelong obsession with other women, hundreds of other women, yet reserves his heart for Fermina. After the death of Fermina's husband, some fifty-one years later, Florentino declares his love again.

I thought: This book, and author, come highly recommended, and Love in the Time of Cholera is the winner of the Nobel Prize. What greater endorsement can you possibly have than that? If the criteria for winning this most-revered literary prize is to have "produced 'in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction, (source Wikipedia)'" then let's just say I thought the direction was kind of creepy. Young lover, desperate from his broken heart, turns obsessive stalker, turns womanizer, turns pedophile, all the while claiming a virgin heart for his one true love? And this is okay with everyone?

I want to be clear that I thought the writing was lyrically beautiful, and the character development was remarkable. I have rarely felt so connected with the inner feelings of two characters as I did with Florentino and Fermina, and the beautiful imagery and lives painted by Mr. Marquez's exceptional command of the English language. But can we fairly separate the characters from their actions from their thoughts from the plot from its message? To attempt to do so would be no different than when someone says they love a song for its beat, but pay no attention to its lyrics. Yet this book is heralded as one of the greatest love stories of all time.

I'll leave Newsweek's review of "A love story of astonishing power," to Newsweek, because I have a hard time celebrating, honoring and revering the "ideal direction" for which this novel has received literature's highest honor. I can't get on that band wagon.

Verdict: In Between - I'm really torn over the separation of music and lyrics. The writing is scrumptiously beautiful, but I don't endorse the behavior of the main character.

Reading Recommendations:  This book is heralded by many many people as one of the greatest ever written. It's an Oprah's Book Club selection, among other ringing endorsements. I'd love to know your thoughts if you've read it.

Warnings:  Well, there's LOTS of sex, sexual references, and even an affair with a child.

What I'm reading next: The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

Audiobook Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

(a still from the book trailer)

Reviewed by Christina

Published: 2010

It's about:  Dawn of the Dreadfuls is a prequel, taking place five years before Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  It opens with a funeral, attended by the Bennets, in which the dearly departed unexpectedly rises from his coffin, heralding a rebirth of the undead in Hertfordshire.  Mr. Bennet dispenses with the zombie; he knows what to do because he fought for the Royal Army during "The Troubles" (England's very first zombie uprising) twenty or so years before.  The interrupted funeral prompts him to hire a young martial artist named Master Hawksworth to train the Bennet sisters in "the deadly arts."  Just as the girls start to show promise as zombie-slayers, a regiment comes to town and takes up residence at Netherfield Park.  Together the Bennets and the soldiers try to protect the locals and the land from the ever increasing numbers of grave-fresh "Dreadfuls" until finally they are besieged in a hideously gory climax.

I thought:  As you might remember, I very much enjoyed listening to P&P&Z back around Halloween.  So I was happy to stay in the zombified Regency universe a little longer but I was curious about what differences I'd notice in Dawn of the Dreadfuls.  As we all know, Jane Austen didn't write a prequel to Pride and Prejudice so this is pretty much fanfic.  And it's not even written by the same author who came up with the original mashup idea.

Can you tell my expectations were a little on the lower end for this one?  And rightly so.  I didn't love it.  The characters seemed a little stiff outside the real P&P story.  The story itself lagged quite a bit, and the slightly more descriptive zombie violence didn't do anything to ramp it up.  I could take or leave most of the new (non-Austen) characters.  Everything just seemed kind of shallow in Dawn of the Dreadfuls.  But maybe I'm being too hard on it.  It is just a zombie novel after all.

Still, I loved loved loved the reader, Katherine Kellgren, just as much as I did in P&P&Z.  She is SO FUNNY, you guys.  So funny.  This story would have completely fallen flat with a less talented reader.  Despite my blah attitude toward Steve Hockensmith, I maybe have to check out the last installment of the trilogy just to keep Ms. Kellgren in my life.

Verdict: In Between.  If you NEED Austen-era zombies in your life, Dawn of the Dreadfuls is pretty fun.  But in general I think you could probably skip this one and go straight to Grahame-Smith's original parody, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Warnings:  Oh, you know.  Brains and severed body parts and stuff.  Zombie gore.

What I'm listening to next:  Maybe Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After, but I haven't decided for sure yet.

Review: What I Did: A Novel by Christopher Wakling

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Reviewed by Christine-Chioma

Published: 2012

It's about: The book is told from six-year old Billy's perspective. One day he is at the park and he runs into the middle of the street after his father repeatedly warns against it. Billy's father spanks Billy to reprimand him. A stranger sees the spanking and it turns into a series of misunderstandings.

I thought: One of the reviews on the cover says the book is "much in the vein of Atonement", which is a book I started by couldn't finish because I was so upset. It's a fairly good comparison because awful things happen in both books due to miscommunication. I stuck with this book though and I am glad that I did. I think Walking wanted readers to be frustrated and he was very effective at that--I felt mentally exhausted after finishing the book.

The author is good at capturing the way children truly think and speak. He's especially good at conveying the literal way children interpret language and their ability to tell when people are genuine. I've worked with children and so it made me consider how I communicate with them and with adults.  Some of the reviews I read mentioned that some of the details of the book seemed unrealistic. However, I assumed that Billy want not supposed to be an average 6-year old child but one with undiagnosed autism. Some of Billy's characteristics and the way he answers questions are realistic for a child with Asperger's. In a way the point of view also reminded me of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf or Rubbish Bin? In-between. It's worth reading but it's not something I'd re-read.

Reading Recommendations: One of the reviews on the cover said it was "hilarious" and I would definitely disagree. There were some amusing parts, but it's not really the book to read if you're looking for something funny. The publisher has a reading guide that has some good questions besides the obvious about spanking and it makes me think I am right about Billy having Asperger's. The photograph of the author with his family comes from an article he published about corporal punishment and is also worth reading.

Warnings: Lots of swear words.

Favorite excerpts:

"I also have to warn you that nobody is bad or good here, or rather everyone is a bit bad and a bit good and the bad and good moluscules [sic] get mixed up against each other and produce terrible chemical reactions."

"It may sound stupid talking to somebody who never says anything back because what's the point of that, but I still say words to Lizzie even though she cannot speak yet because I am doing it on purpose! It's a project. I am going to be the first person Lizzie says a word to. I know I am, because I am the one mostly filling her up with the speaking ingredients."

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Review: The Summer Before the Storm by Gabriele Wills

Gabriele Wills 

Reviewed by Ingrid

Published: 2006

It's about: From the publisher's website:
"It’s the Age of Elegance in the summer playground of the affluent and powerful. Amid the pristine, island-dotted lakes and pine-scented forests of the Canadian wilderness, the young and carefree amuse themselves with glittering balls and friendly competitions. The summer of 1914 promises to be different when the ambitious and destitute son of a disowned heir joins his wealthy family at their cottage on Wyndwood Island. Through Jack’s introduction into the privileged life of the aristocratic Wyndhams and their illustrious social circle, he seeks opportunities and alliances to better himself, including in his schemes, his beautiful and audacious cousin, Victoria.

But their charmed lives begin to unravel with the onset of the Great War, in which many are destined to become part of the 'lost generation.'"

I thought: Lots and lots and lots of stuff happens in this book. Because the story moves so fast and there is so much drama all the time, I enjoyed reading for the story. However, the best part of the book were the delightful historical details; it's clear that this book was meticulously researched. I loved Will's descriptions of women's dresses and bathing costumes.

Unfortunately however, the characters felt very one-dimensional and artificial. Many suspiciously felt like 21st century characters who dressed and spoke like Edwardians, quite a few female characters were independant-minded and frustrated with the confining gender norms of their time. I was also disappointed with how much the author explained the characters' actions and motivations. Nothing was left for me to think about! This was disappointing. I like an author to trust me as a reader to understand underlying threads and work things through for myself.


Lastly, the book ends with an abrubt "to be continued in book 2..." which made me feel a bit cheated, although I suppose it did make me a little bit curious about book 2 of the series. Many threads were left hanging.

Verdict: I think I'll put this one (on the lower end of) in between. 

Warnings: Quite a lot of sex and swearing, which I admit felt a bit strange in a novel about the Edwardian era.

*I received a copy of this book to participate in Virtual Author Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Follow the tour for this book here.

Review: Burning Marguerite by Elizabeth Inness-Brown

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Burning Marguerite by Elizabeth Inness-Brown

Reviewed by Christine-Chioma

Published: 2003

It's about: The book begins with James Jack, a middle-aged man, finding the woman who raised him, "Tante" Marguerite, dead and laying in the middle of the woods. The book unravels the mystery of how she ended up there by telling the story of her life and how it intertwined with his.

I thought: During the majority of the book I enjoyed the backstory more than the mystery at the center of the novel until I realized they were the same thing. Innes-Brown does a good job of slowly unfolding the details of Marguerite Deo's life. She has a really good sense of place and capturing settings in this novel. The island Jame and Marguerite live on feels very real. The writing is lyrical and poetic without being over the top and fits the story quite well. There was a theme of fire and burning which was well-woven into the stories.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf or Rubbish Bin? In-between. I could take it or leave it. It's not a book that will stay with me forever, although I did enjoy reading it. It was beautifully written and I think some people would really love this book. It just wasn't my favorite, but I would read it again without hesitation. How's that for ambivalence? It's weird enough that you might want to check it out from the library before you commit to buying it.

Reading Recommendations: One of my book clubs picked this for our "Halloween" read and I think it was perfect. It definitely has some eerie elements to it and it's a quick read, but it's still literary.

Warnings: Violence, some sexual scenes at around the PG-13 level, some language.

Favorite excerpts:"When we reached the top that afternoon, what we saw confused us. Smoke rising from a red shanty, a truck, nose down in open water and sinking; people clustered and scurrying; the huge arc of water spraying. We didn't see what happened, what calamity had caused all this."

 "She introduced me to what I had missed as a child, extending my education into new areas of literature, art, philosophy, history. I found myself able to think more clearly, able to consider the past in a new light. Even able to see my parents as they really were, and able to forgive them at least for the things over which they had no control."

"The snow had long since stopped, the sky had cleared, and the winter darkness crackled with stars. The wind was calm for a change. The plowed road had that dry, frozen feel. Every sound was small and contained...the cedars along the lake road seemed to be holding themselves back, pulling into their own shadows, hiding from his headlight.

Review & Giveaway: Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin

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Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin

Reviewed by Christine-Chioma

The publisher, Crown, is sponsoring a giveaway of the book. Enter to win your own copy at the end of this review. There will be three winners (one per household).

Published: 2012

It's about: Gretchen Rubin previously embarked on a "happiness project" to improve her happiness levels in her every day life. This book is a sequel of sorts in which she tries another happiness project with the main focus and theme of home. Each month she focused on different aspects of home such as possessions  interior design, time, and neighborhoods.

I thought: As a single after graduating college sometimes nowhere really feels like "home" so this was a good read for me. I learned that having a sense of home is very important to happiness. Rubin's life and circumstances are very different from mine, but I was still able to glean truths from it. I  especially liked the interesting facts about various factors that contribute to a home environment that Rubin weaved into her personal experiences (for example, Rubin's parents never allowed teasing growing up and Rubin discovered in her research that people who tease believe they are conveying a spirit of playfulness whereas the person being teased finds it more mean-spirited). I appreciated the fact that the book was to the point--in her first book, Rubin already figured out how to have a happiness project so in this book she was able to jump in with the project immediately. I appreciated being able to see the things Rubin described through the various images and pictures in the book and I was glad there weren't reader comments like there were in the previous book.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf or Rubbish Bin? In-between. I really enjoyed the book myself, but I am generally an introspective person who likes pondering happiness.  For most people I would suggest either her first book or this one, but I don't necessarily see the need for both---unless you're a happiness fanatic.

Reading Recommendations: The intended audience is people who are already happy who need a happiness boost. It is not for people who are unhappy. As well, it is not a how-to guide. The book is more of a memoir with suggestions and tips.

Warnings: Nothing

Favorite excerpts: "An unhappy truth about happiness is that one of the best predictors of whether a person will be happy in the future is whether they have been happy in the past."

"To 'Be Gretchen' was the way to happiness, but there was also a sadness to this resolution--the sadness that comes from admitting my limitations, my indifferences, all the things that I wish I were that I will never be".


*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

To enter the giveaway for a free copy of this book, like "The Blue Bookcase" facebook page and/or become a follower then leave a comment on this post including your email address. We will leave the giveaway open until 12:00 am on Wednesday, November 14th.

Review: Cairo Modern by Naguib Mahfouz

Shepheard's Hotel, Cairo, 1935.  via.

 Reviewed by Christina

Published: In Arabic, 1945.  English translation by William M. Hutchins, 2008.

It's about: Ambitious nihilist Mahgub Abd al-Da'im will do anything to escape his peasant roots.  He happens to get lucky when he discovers that he can forge a deal with a corrupt government official who wants to maintain a secret affair with Ihsan, the gorgeous but impoverished girl Mahgub happens to love.  Set in the 1930's, Cairo Modern explores political and philosophical themes while spinning a tale of desperation and impending doom.

I thought:  First, a little background info about Mr. Mahfouz, who will probably be unfamiliar to many English-language readers.  In 1988 Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006) won the Nobel Prize in Literature.  He was raised in a strict Muslim household, but his works (over 30 novels, hundreds of short stories, and several plays and screenplays) have been banned and and un-banned in many Islamist countries, and he was the victim of an attempted assassination by a Muslim fundamentalist group in 1994.  He's a fascinating guy, and I recommend his wikipedia page.

Going in, I knew nothing about it this book or its author, and I enjoyed discovering the themes as I read.  Mr. Mahfouz has a nice way of blending philosophy, politics, and societal commentary into his characters' thoughts and actions.  He's a good writer with a clear, straightforward style hiding subtler depths.  The translation here is great, too.  I think I might have gotten more out of the story if this edition had a forward or introduction to give background information about the period in Cairo and Egypt's history; there were probably a lot of important points that went right over my head.

But overall, my impressions of Cairo Modern just aren't very favorable, mainly because I so detested the main character, Mahgub.  I know this was intentional- the guy is willfully amoral and selfish throughout- and I think he is the author's way of exploring nihilism as a grounding philosophy.  When he finally does get a comeuppance, it's depressing rather than satisfying because it effects certain innocent supporting characters.  In general, almost all of said supporting characters are either good or evil, and those just aren't my favorite type to read.  I realize and respect that Naguib Mahfouz is doing all of this on purpose.  I know he's exploring philosophical ideas through his story and characters.  It just isn't my favorite type of novel.  It's only 240 pages, and not difficult reading.  But it was long enough for me.

Verdict: In between.  It's a decent novel and I very much respect Naguib Mahfouz and his work.  But Cairo Modern is just not my cup of tea.

Reading Recommendations:  I don't know.  Prepare to not like Mahgub. 
This NYT article provides some helpful context that I wish I would have had before starting to read the novel, though I don't agree with everything it has to say about Mahgub.

Warnings: a couple of swears and some lustiness

What I'm reading next:  Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All by Paul Offitt

Review: How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

Caitlin Moran

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

Reviewed by Ingrid

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[A quick one this time!]

Published: 2012

It's about: This memoir is structured around typical female experiences (with chapter titles like, "I Start Bleeding!" "I Need a Bra!" "I am Fat!" "I am in Love!"), with (often very funny) stories from Moran's life sprinkled with feminist critique.

I thought: Moran's humor is a bit ... strong. She uses lots of capitalized words and exclamation marks. However, I think her chatty, enthusiastic, funny voice made her feminist critique easy to digest. It's like ... Pop Feminism. Is that a thing?

Verdict: In between. I loved the idea, but delivery was a bit much for me. I'd probably give it something like a 7 out of 10.

Warnings: Language, some sexual content.

Caitlin Moran, with her Glamour Women of the Year 2012
award for Best Writer

Favorite excerpts: "I distrust this female habit of reflexively flagging your own shortcomings. Not the breezy, airy witticism in the face of a compliment--'Lost weight? No. We're just in a larger room than usual, darling.' 'You think my children are well mannered? I have wired them with small electrodes, and every time they misbehave, I punch the BAD KID button in my pocket.' That's fine.
     No--I'm talking about the common attitudinal habit in women that we;re kind of...failing if we're not a bit neurotic. That we're somehow boorish, complacent, and unfeminine if we're content."

What I'm reading next: Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on love and life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed

Review: The Einstein Syndrome by Thomas Sowell

I couldn't come up with a better photo idea for this post than my very own late talker.

 Reviewed by Christina

Published: 2002

It's about:  Economist Thomas Sowell coined the term "Einstein Syndrome" to describe children who start speaking later than their peers, despite their being unusually analytically intelligent.  In this, his second book on the subject, he lays out the characteristics of such children and their families using research performed by himself and Stephen Camarata of Vanderbilt University.  (You can read a quick description of said characteristics on wikipedia if you're curious)

Mr. Sowell also describes multiple late-talking yet bright children and adults as case studies before giving a fair amount of advice to parents who believe their children may fit the Einstein Syndrome description.  He cautions against putting too much faith in the "dogma" of speech therapists and school professionals who will be quick to label most late talkers as autistic or developmentally delayed. 

I thought: My father-in-law gave this book to me because my own son, Jude, is a fairly late talker- at two and a half he is just beginning to communicate.  Naturally, his grandfather was interested in the idea that Jude might turn out to be highly gifted in math, science, and/or music like so many of the children and adults described in The Einstein Syndrome.  I, too, wanted to explore the possibility and so I was eager to read the book.

Now that I've learned all about Thomas Sowell's theories, I don't think Jude fits the Einstein Syndrome mold.  But still, it's a fascinating concept.  My favorite part was the chapter hypothesizing why these children talk late:  their unusual brains funnel resources to the sections of the brain devoted to analytical thought, causing those math/science/music abilities to appear earlier and language later.  The tendency appears to be hereditary- nearly all of the Einstein Syndrome children have close relatives who work in analytical fields and/or play musical instruments and/or were themselves late talkers.

But there were a few things that really bothered me about this book.  First of all, Mr. Sowell writes about the research as if it were vast, but the sample of Einstein Syndrome children he and his colleague have contacted is less than 300.  Almost all of these children seem to come from upper-middle class homes;  Among the markers for Einstein Syndrome, Sowell lists "highly educated" (Bachelor's degree +) parents, and relatives with analytical careers (scientists, pilots, physicians).  I think these are markers for an extremely skewed sample.  I kept getting the sense that Sowell came up with the idea for the Einstein Syndrome using his own son as an example, and then all his research revolved around finding other children to suit his ideas.  That's just not even real research.  It is gross confirmation bias masquerading as research.

It's easy for me to think these disapproving thoughts about Mr. Sowell's work because I just didn't like him.  He has an opinionated and forceful manner that comes through quite strongly in his writing.  He seems to think that ADD and ADHD actually do not exist.  He brushes Asperger Syndrome under the rug, too, despite the fact that several of the case studies in The Einstein Syndrome sound like they could be copy/pasted into a book about Asperger.  He writes glowingly about the situation in public schools in the 1960's and earlier, back in the good old days when children with learning disabilities didn't exist and students were just expected to pass or fail with no help from anyone.  I'd bet money that Thomas Sowell LOVES Ayn Rand.  He's an insufferable elitist who mocks virtually all public school teachers, speech therapists, and school psychologists, calling almost everyone without a Ph.D. or M.D. a self-interested and unethical "semi-professional" or "mediocrity."

And, given the fact that The Einstein Syndrome was published in 2002, Thomas Sowell's ideas are also based on outdated ideas about the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders and the highly typical language delay seen in children raised in multilingual homes (a phenomenon Sowell doesn't believe exists).  I'd be curious about an updated edition, and I'd like to hear how the Einstein Syndrome children in his sample are doing ten years years later.  I'd love to read the results of some real, rigorous research about the Einstein Syndrome.  But I'm not sure I could suffer through another book written by Thomas Sowell;  our personalities just do not mesh well.       

Verdict: I'll very grudgingly put it In-Between, since some parents who are concerned about a late-talking child might find useful and/or comforting info here.  But it has WAY too much unhelpful filler opinion material for my taste.   

Reading Recommendations: Keep your cynicism about you as you read.  No need to take Thomas Sowell's word as gospel.

Warnings: none.

What I'm reading next:  The Collection: Short Fiction from the Transgender Vanguard edited by Tom Léger and Riley Macleod

Review: Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

Via

Reviewed by Christine-Chioma (previously reviewed by Julie)

Published: 1996

It's about: During World War II, Athos Roussos, a Greek archaeologist, rescues a young Polish jew, Jakob Beer, after the massacre of Jakob's family. The novel explores the life, losses, and loves of both men. A young Canadian, Ben, whose parents survived the Holocaust, is drawn to Jakob and his life.

I thought: I had a hard time getting into the book, which is surprising because it had elements of things I really enjoy in literature: loss, historical fiction about World War II, memory, loneliness, and well-written prose. I think it's because I never really connected with Jakob's character. I was fascinated by the people surrounding him: Athos, Alex, Michaela, Nikos, Ben and Naomi. But I just could not muster up enough interest in Jakob--but maybe that was his role as the main narrator? At times I found the book to be too dense-- there were a few passages that went over my head by being too poetic. I found the last third of the book to be more fascinating that the first half. I did appreciate the deeper themes and questions that were addresses. The story stayed with me after I read it and helped me ponder more about the human condition.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf or Rubbish Bin? In-Between. It's definitely worth reading, but I wouldn't personally want to re-read it or own it because I did not love it. But I didn't hate it. It's just in-between.

Reading Recommendations: I'd suggest you try to read it all at once. I read it really slowly and maybe that's why some of the poeticism went over my head and felt too disconnected.

Warnings: It's pretty heavy but nothing too graphic

Favorite excerpts: "But Athos, whether one believes or not has nothing to do with being a Jew. Let me put it this way: the truth doesn't care what we think of it."

It's Hebrew tradition that the forefathers are referred to as "we," not "they." "When we were delivered from Egypt..." This encourages empathy and responsibility to the past, but more important, it collapses time. The Jew is forever leaving Egypt. A good way to teach ethics. If moral choices are eternal, individual actions take on immense significance no matter how small: not for this life only.

There were the few, like Athos who choose to do good at great personal risk; those who never confused objects and humans, who knew the difference between naming and the named. Because the rescuers couldn't lose sight, literally, of the human, again and again they give us the same explanation for their heroism: "What choice did I have?"

What I'm reading next: Something from my classics list. 

Audiobook Review: The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

Audiobook reviewed by Christina
(Read Lucia's review of the print version here.) 

Published: 2010

It's about:  Three American women deal with feeling powerless in the face of WWII.  Emma is a young newlywed whose doctor husband cannot disconnect from a patient's death.  Iris is the capable postmistress of a small Cape Cod town called Franklin.  Frankie is a war correspondent in London and, later, Europe.  Their three points of view highlight different experiences of war and tragedy.

I thought:  Not gonna beat around the bush:  I wasn't wild about this audiobook.  Of the three main characters, I was only interested in one of them: Frankie.  Emma's and Iris' lives revolved mostly around romance and waiting for news and holding down the fort.  I didn't feel that their perspectives added anything new to the Women in Wartime body of narratives.  Frankie's story rang true and raw and real to me; I wish she hadn't had to share the book.  And why is it named after Iris?  She is not the driving force- Frankie is.

The reader, Orlagh Cassidy, can't be blamed for my unenthusiastic attitude toward The Postmistress.  Her pacing and expression are excellent, and I like the tone and timbre of her voice.  She was pleasant to listen to, and she did a decent (if imperfect) job with the heavy load of French and German in the text.  I'd be happy to listening to more of her reading.

In comparison to other audiobooks I've listened to, this one is very slow, with an ill-defined plot arc.  More than half way through it still felt like Ms. Blake was laboriously setting things up.  I kept waiting and wondering how the characters related to one another and where the story was going.  There seemed to be a ton of romance (way more than I personally prefer in my fiction) and the deeper themes kept slipping through my fingers.  Part of this could just be my own tendency to forget or gloss over details when I'm listening as opposed to reading.  I think I would have appreciated the slow pace, the themes, the prose, if I had been reading.  But when I'm listening to a book, the story has to be particularly strong.  That just wasn't the case here.   

Verdict: I'll put the audiobook In-Between.  Lucia loved the print version, and I think I would have liked it better in that format.

Warnings: Sex, swears, war crimes.

What I'm listening to next:  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Review: Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy

Athens, Greece via

Reviewed by Connie

Published: 2011

It's about: Rebecca -- a beautiful, French artist, George -- a drunk American linguist born into privilege, and Henry -- a charming English archaeologist, have all come to Athens, Greece in search of something. Through a series of chance meetings, they find what they have been searching for in each other. Book One of this four-part book details their summer in Athens. The following three books demonstrate how each character is defined by that all-important summer.

I thought: This was a very uneven read, and as such, I cannot give a rave review of this book. The prose is at times very pretty, and the first book is a rather enjoyable read, if not entirely believable (after all, who says literature has to be believable?).

However, the list of this book's positive qualifications ends there. There are too many failings in this book for me to recommend it to anyone. Van Booy very much experiments with form, and I find these experimentations very unsuccessful. For example, in books 2 and 3, the narrative shifts from third person omniscient (which was used in the first book), and the reader "becomes" the character Henry and is addressed as "you." (i.e. "You walked onto the balcony, so depressed you wanted to hurl yourself off of it.") As Henry is undergoing an intense emotional experience in these books, I suppose Van Booy wanted to make the reader feel as if he or she is actually experiencing the same thing, but it didn't work for me. In fact, I found it so irksome, I found myself connecting even less with Henry's experience.

Then, in the epilogue, Van Booy attempts another play with form, and switches to the present tense. Again, a failed experiment. Sometimes playing with form can really pay off, but not in this book's case. Plus, I thought the prose frequently felt contrived. Van Booy forces a lot of strange metaphors that I suppose are meant to seem poetic and insightful but feel unnatural. Take this passage for example, in which Rebecca pins back her hair:

"She held bobby pins in her mouth, and then applied each one like a sentence she would never say. Her hair was dark red, as though perpetually ashamed."

Really? This was one of many eye roll inducing passages for me. And yet, there are other moments of very pretty prose, so each sentence was hit or miss.

Verdict: In-Between

Reading Recommendations: I downloaded this ebook during Harper-Collins' 99-cent ebook sale. I wouldn't pay any more for it than that.

Warnings: sexual content, drinking, a brief moment of mild gore

Favorite excerpts:
"You've learned... that everything you are afraid of will never happen. It's the events you cannot conceive of that happen."

"Athens has long been a place where lonely people go. A city doomed to forever impersonate itself, a city wrapped by cruel bands of road, where the thunder of traffic is a sound so constant it's like silence."

What I'm reading next: Sophie's Choice by William Styron

Review: The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox

via

 Reviewed by Christina

Full Title: The Meaning of Night: A Confession

Published: 2006

It's about:  It's a mystery-thriller set in Victorian England.  A down-on-his-luck scholar named Edward Glyver confesses the multiple betrayals that led him, ultimately, to murder at least one person.  

I thought: The cover of The Meaning of Night has a scintillating tagline: "A secret buried.  A love betrayed.  A destiny revealed."  Those three short sentences didn't inspire much hope in this reader.  Why should a book need a tagline, anyway?  Not a good sign.

And that tagline does this book a disservice.  The Meaning of Night is actually much smarter and better-crafted than its cover lets on.  It's written in a mock-autobiography format, complete with a forward by a fictional modern-day scholar who has kindly added footnotes throughout.  I know it's a little gimmicky, but I still like the fake-relic thing when I happen upon it in literature.  And Michael Cox does a great job with Edward's legit-sounding Victorian voice.  So that, initially, earned him a few points in my book.  He earned a bunch more points by showing a huge knowledge base of the time and period.  I love seedy Victorian London settings, and The Meaning of Night is full of exquisite historical details: explanations of current events, slang, and lifestyle tidbits.  Cox does slip into the territory of pedantry, though; there must be at least a hundred footnotes in this book that give nothing but the location of a pub or hotel.  Not every detail adds to the story.

The narrative opens with Edward killing an unsuspecting stranger.  I know this was meant to be an edgy hook, establishing our protagonist as an antihero, but it didn't work for me.  Painting Edward as a murderer right off the bat made him a pretty distasteful character.  I didn't particularly want him to succeed, and so my interest in his story waned.  Given that this is a fairly long book (nearly 700 pages) with a complex plot and mysteries within mysteries, I consider an unlikeable narrator to be a pretty major flaw.  Also, little amusing detail here: Edward's girl is a hooker with a heart of gold and her name is... wait for it... Bella.

Overall, The Meaning of Night is a decent novel, but it's not my favorite genre and it didn't capture my imagination the way it intended to.  It's certainly not a waste of time, but not a must-read either.

Verdict: In-Between

Reading Recommendations:  This one is kinda wintery.  Pick it up when you want something mildly shocking to carry you through the dull cold nights.

Warnings: Some violence and sex, slightly more descriptively told than you'd normally expect if it were truly penned in the mid-19th century.  It's pretty tame, though, by today's standards.

Favorite excerpts: “Non sum qualis eram.” (I am not what I was)   (Wouldn't that be a cool tattoo?)

“The boundaries of this world are forever shifting - from day to night, joy to sorrow, love to hate, and from life itself to death; and who can say at what moment we may suddenly cross over the border, from one state of existence to another, like heat applied to some flammable substance?” 

What I'm reading next:  Anarchy Evolution by Greg Graffin and Steve Olson

Review: Jackie After O by Tina Cassidy

Ms. Onassis meets with her boss at Viking, 1975 (via)

 Reviewed by Christina
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Published: 2012

It's about: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis had an eventful 1975.  This book describes the projects the ultrafamous former first lady undertook in that year, after she became a widow for the second time.  Released from her duties as wife and nearly finished being a full-time mother, she discovered a new sense of personal independence and explored roles as a writer, editor, and preservationist.

I thought:  Almost exactly five years ago, I read Tina Cassidy's Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born.  I adored that book.  It's on my mental list of favorite nonfictions ever, and I've given it to several friends as gifts.  So when Jackie After O was offered to The Blue Bookcase for review, I jumped at the chance to read it.  And, once again, I enjoyed and respected the author's clear style, organization, and research.  She presents her topics in this smart, smooth, journalistic way; that's exactly what I like to find in nonfiction.

But Jackie After O is not a new favorite.  I'm only mildly interested in the subject, and Tina Cassidy didn't win me over, despite all the new (to me) information she included.  I wouldn't call the book boring, but... yeah, I was a little bored sometimes as I read.  The chapter on preservation especially dragged.  Jackie Onassis was a fascinating, admirable person.  But I think I personally could have satisfied my rather limited curiosity by reading her wikipedia article. 

Verdict: In-between.  It's a good piece of nonfiction, but it just didn't particularly float my boat.

Reading Recommendations:  Obviously, read it if you're a big fan of Ms. Onassis!  Otherwise, check out Birth, by the same author, instead.

Warnings: A couple of quoted swears (mostly from Aristotle Onassis)

What I'm reading next:  Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler

Review: Total Memory Makeover by Marilu Henner

...Get it? (via)

Total Memory Makeover by Marilu Henner


Reviewed by Ingrid

Published: 2012

It's about: The back of this book trumpets: LIVE THE UNFORGETTABLE LIFE YOU WERE MEANT TO HAVE! LET YOUR MEMORIES BE YOUR GUIDE! Yep, it's a self-help book about how to improve your memory.

I thought: I was willing to deal with this hyperbolic silliness because I was fascinated by Marilu Henner when I heard her interviewed on the Diane Rehm show. Henner has Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, which means she can remember every single day of her life since she was a child.

Henner's premise in this book is that, if you make a more conscious effort to improve your memory by following the steps she provides, you will better recall past mistakes and successes and thus make better decisions in the future. I found that most of Henner's tips where not that helpful - not anything that you couldn't think up yourself if you were to try to think of ways to improve your memory. Keep a journal. Use all your senses to instigate remembering. Focus on one object from your past and let it guide you to more memories you have buried in your subconcious. Etc. etc.

I kept wondering throughout the book if Marilu Henner is really in a position to offer advice about how to improve your memory. She really doesn't know what it's like to have an imperfect memory! She claims that her memory is a combination of nature and nurture, but how can she really know that? (She can't.)

Ultimately Henner's book left me with so many more questions about memory and how it functions than it answered. Most people's memory is imperfect, including my own. How much does interpretation play into what and how we remember? At times I think that memory is way too subjective to be of much use. How are we supposed to know in the more ambiguous situations of our past whether we were interpreting our actions or the actions of others correctly? Or how can we possibly know that what we are remembering isn't in fact an interpretation of the past that will best serve us in the present?

When I was in Paris for the summer of 2009, a particularly difficult time in my life, I discovered Nietzsche. I remembered while reading this book that Nietzsche makes an argument quite opposite to Henner's which begins to answer some of these questions. Nietzsche argues that, because we have no will over it, thinking of the past can disturb and weaken us. In order to have active control of our lives we must constantly take part in a process "active forgetting," a process of molding our past according to our will in the present. Because the past never follows one clear narrative, it can constantly be reinterpreted to fit our present needs. This process of reinterpretation is not self deception. To be "creators" of our past does not mean that we make up facts to comfort ourselves; it means that we take up our past narrative in a new form. There is never a final, true narrative since we are constantly adding to our narrative through life experience.

Nietzsche explains that active forgetting enables us to cope with the hardships of life by suppressing suffering and bad experiences in favor of good ones. It also gives consciousness a paramount place in one's identity in how he/she relates to him/herself as a thinking, rational, exceptional being. Nietzsche claims that it is the "lower" functions of the body and willing that sustains mankind. For example, we actively suppress our bodily functions and instinctive powers and forget them in favor of deliberate actions and knowledge.

Nietzsche writes in On the Genealogy of Morals, "The man in whom this apparatus of repression is damaged and ceases to function properly may be compared (and more than merely compared) with a dyspeptic [see both meanings of the word]--he cannot 'have done' with anything."

Certainly Marilu Henner would disagree that too much remembering has made her gloomy and pessimistic (or constipated ...). But we must realize that Henner and Nietzsche have different ideals in mind when they make their arguments. Henner's ideal is to gather the largest possible pool of information from which we can draw from in the present - the more, the better. For Nietzsche, the act of favoring certain knowledge and discarding other knowledge works to perfect our will and experience in the world. And, of course, Henner is writing a self-help book and Nietzsche is writing philosophy. So there's that.

Marilu Henner didn't explore memory as much in depth as I hoped, but I don't think her book was completely worthless. I liked how she encouraged the reader to live consciously and deliberately in the present. This, she claims, will help us to better remember the present when it becomes the past. As to how to do that, though, she doesn't specify enough to satisfy me.

Verdict: In between. It's worth a skim but I don't think it will really change your life.

Reading Recommendations: If you want to explore memory more in depth, I recommend digging into some Nietszsche (On the Genealogy of Morals) and Proust (In Search of Lost Time.) Both write extensively about how remembering (and forgetting) can make our lives rich, meaningful, and purposeful.

Warnings: Cheesy humor. Too many pop culture references. Catch phrases.

Favorite excerpts: "Opening up your receptors now will not only allow you to recreate great past experiences; you will also develop new ones with greater detail. When you go through a first date or something equally exciting, you are in a heightened state of awareness, and as a result you will relive it in your mind several times--whether it was good or bad! You will be able to turn a lot of average days into something more special, because you will go into every experience with a more sharpened level of awareness, which will undoubtedly lead to better recall."

What I'm reading next: The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen

Review: Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That? by Henry Alford

Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That? A Modern Guide to Manners by Henry Alford

Reviewed by Ingrid 

Published: 2012

It's about: Despite the subtitle ("A Modern Guide to Manners,") this is not your traditional etiquette guide. A lot of reviewers on Goodreads were quite put off that this book wasn't the straightforward, how-to-have-good-manners guide they thought it would be. The summary provided by the publisher is a little bit less misleading - "A laugh-out-loud guide to modern manners." This is humor. Look, it has a toilet on the cover.

Henry Alford via

So, "guide." What does that mean anyway? I don't think a "guide" necessarily has to be purely informative. This book is mostly a series of short stories and example of good and bad manners that Alford has observed and etiquette experiments and consequently, mistakes he's made himself. It;s more like a journey.  Imagine yourself on a Disneyland ride through the world of manners with Henry Alford as your enthusiastic chaperone and narrator.

I thought: I like it. It was fun. In my opinion, Alford's wandering style and random thoughts and stories about the wonderful world of manners is far more exciting than an Emily Post-style guide. Alford's style of humor is, yes, a little too self-inflated at times, but mostly funny. I like learning about manners, I like laughing at people with horrific manners, and I like laughing, so I enjoyed this book. It wasn't earth shattering-ly entertaining or significant to me, but it was fun.

Verdict: In between. A good library check-out, but I don't know if I'd buy it.

Reading Recommendations: Henry Alford was interviewed on Radio West earlier this year. Listen to a bit to see if you like his sense of humor.


Warnings: Some swear words.

Favorite excerpts: "Most people prefer to be complimented on something they've done (painted a room, closed a deal, raised a child) rather than on something they are (beautiful, adventurous, smart, scrupulous). A compliment wants to be specific, but not so specific that it's hair-splitting and seems calculated. If you tell a friend you love her new haircut, she'll probably smile; but if you tell her instead that you love the way her hair now curls around her ear when she's standing in a strong wind, she may start. She will spend more time than she ought to thinking about this comment. Too many compliments (or too strong a compliment) is just as bad as no compliment; one rarely wants to verbally fellate. Maybe the analogy to employ here is flowers: Compliments should be a single sunflower set on a windowsill for her to walk up to and admire, not three dozen roses delivered by an exhausted-looking bike messenger in an angel costume."

What I'm reading next: Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez