Russian Journal

I put greater trust in people with whom I share a name, Andrea. I picked a primary care doctor only because her name was Andrea and she was fantastic. All the Andreas I've ever met have been amazing. So when I discovered the writer Andrea Lee several years ago, I automatically assumed she would be a great writer. Not only do we share the same first name, but my middle name is Lee, so the sisterhood was sealed. And, true to form, she is a great writer.
Russian Journal is her first book-- it's a non fiction description of her time in the Soviet Union in the late 70s. Growing up in the 80s, the Soviet Union was a place completely off limits-- images of dark, dismal landscapes, people waiting in endless lines for scratchy toilet paper and root vegetables, plus, of course the constant threat of Communism to our freedom loving souls. Ms. Lee carefully paints a picture not unlike that described above, but with even more depth. She does not hide her distaste for the shortfalls of the huge Communist country-- the poverty, miseducation of its citizens and destruction of an imperial history in favor of boxy low rent conformity. But she draws a careful line between the institution that created this and the people who are a part of it. She makes friends who readily criticize the Party as well as friends whose patriotism is unmatched. She uses a journalist's eye to evoke character descriptions of her friends and the total landscape they inhabit. She finds herself missing "luxuries" such as freely speaking and going wherever she would like. She misses the glitzy advertising in the U.S. that is missing from the U.S.S.R. She misses the "whole" movie (sex scenes are edited out of imported movies). But when she arrives back in Boston, she finds she has a much greater appreciation for the lives and struggles of her Russian friends and finds herself appreciating them all the more.
Ms. Lee's descriptions confirmed many of my notions about Soviet Russia-- the coveting of American blue jeans and music, the cold and cramped housing. But now I'll also think of Grigorii, the student assigned to spy on Ms. Lee and her husband, but who they grew close to nonetheless, and his quiet appreciation of the nightingale's song. Or of Ms. Lee's descriptions of the ice breaking up in the spring, and the crisp cool air with eventual lilacs.
This was a beautifully written book so I'm giving if 5/5 netflix stars.

Catch Up

I am way behind on my book entries. It's at the point where I've read so many since posting that it makes me cringe when I think about reviewing all of them! So I've decided to condense them, and write a little bit about each of them instead of my usual long post. It's the only way to get myself back on track!

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE- by c.s. lewis

Again- catching up on some childhood reading. This went much faster than I remembered it as a kid, but was just as enjoyable. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are sent to live with Professor Digory Kirke (yes, the same Digory from The Magician's Nephew), when Lucy stumbles upon an old wardrobe which, when hidden in, brings her to Narnia. Eventually, the other children accompany her, and the adventures with Aslan, the Witch, and the faun Tumnus begin.
Great read- second, third, or twentieth time around.
Netflix rating? 4.5/5 stars.

THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW- by c.s. lewis

At some point, I decided I needed to start at the beginning, and read all of the Chronicles of Narnia. I think I read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a kid, but never the other books, and since m. has the whole set, I could easily borrow them from her.
This book was actually written after the rest, but was meant as an explanation for how Narnia came to be. Digory and his friend Polly stumble across a secret tunnel, and accidentally end up in his crazy uncle's attic room. The uncle is a magician, and has found a way of making things disappear into another time, but is too afraid to go himself. He tricks Polly into touching a magic ring, and after she disappears, Digory goes to help her. Their adventures while in this other world show the creation of Narnia, along with Aslan and the witch.
How could I not like this? It's one of the great childhood books!
Netflix rating? 4.5/5 stars.

MY LIFE IN FRANCE- by julia child with alex prud'homme

Bookclub book as you already know from Andrea's review!
This book brings you through most of Julia Child's older life, beginning in her mid-thirties when she moves to France with her husband, Paul. She can't really cook well, but has learned to appreciate good food and drink through Paul, and is excited to move to the perfect place to learn- Paris! She takes classes at the Cordon Bleu, and realizes not only how much she loves cooking, but how much she has to learn! She puts the effort in, and we all know how well that paid off. Much of the book is focused on her writing The Art of French Cooking with new friends Simca and Louisette, and it's astounding to learn how thoroughly they tested every recipe.
I became more excited as I read, because I'd just received her book, The Art of French Cooking for Christmas. I found myself referring to the cookbook several times while reading the bookclub cook. It was great to learn so much about how it was written and illustrated.
Netflix rating? 5/5 stars.

THE FIG EATER- by jody shields

I really wanted to read this book- so much so, that I bought two copies without realizing it!
Taking place in late fall, 1910 Vienna, this story begins with a mysterious death of a young woman, Dora. She's found strangled in a park, with an undigested fig in her stomach. The Inspector, along with his assistant Franz, immediately start gathering physical evidence, and photographing the scene. They use typical investigative techniques for their time, which is interesting to learn about. He also uses an early form of psychological profiling to help him determine the guilty party. At the same time, his wife Erzebet is performing her own investigation using different techniques and search methods. This is where the fig comes into play, as figs are not imported from warm climates, and don't grow well in Vienna. Ersebet becomes convinced that discovering where the fig came from will solve the murder.
I liked this more than I thought I would, though the ending was still a bit of a let down.
Netflix rating? 4/5 stars.

THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE- by audrey niffinegger

This is a pretty long book, which is why it's been on my shelf for so long. I'm glad that I finally got about to reading it, because it was definitely a good one.
Henry De Tamble suffers from "chrono displacement disorder" which basically means he disappears unexpectedly and travels to another point in his life- past or future. He meets his wife Clare when they're both in their 20's, but due to his time traveling, she first met him when she was 6. She grew up knowing him at different ages, but it isn't until he's older that he meets her as a child. The book follows Henry and his trips through past, present and future, and shows how ultimately, his relationship with Clare is what defines him.
I wish that there had been more exploration of the characters towards the end of the book, but I understand why Niffinegger ended it the way she did. All in all, I loved it.
Netflix rating? 4.5/5 stars.

Lucky Girls

One of my favorite literary exchanges took place in this book, Lucky Girls by Nell Freudenberger. It's a small volume of short stories about young American women living mostly in foreign countries, or at least exploring their own foreign feelings.

In 'Outside the Eastern Gate' the narrator, a young woman currently living in the U.S., gets a call from her sister who asks, "Are you lying on the couch?" The narrator responds, "I just finished with that. Now I'm thinking about whether to make a sandwich." This simple phrase epitomizes the will and ultimate resolve, often while under personal duress, of all the characters in the book. One woman may have been assaulted while studying in Thailand, but maybe there was just a misunderstanding. One woman moved to India to be close to her married lover, and after his death, may move back to the U.S. But maybe not. And there are girls who are thinking about who to have sex with the first time. They may decide, or maybe not.
This book was lent to me by my friend Rashmi. We agree on many things-- politics, clothes, drinks after work (always yes). But we often have different taste in movies and books. I hated The Emperor's Children and she loved it. I loved Lolita and she hated it. But we agree on books about strong women who make their own decisions and don't apologize for them. We agree on Nell Freudenberger and we agree on Andrea Lee.
Lately I've been lying on the couch a lot. But I know if Rashmi calls, I can tell her that I'm done doing that, and that I'm deciding whether to make a sandwich, and perhaps to meet for drinks after work.
Netflix stars: 5/5.

The Pickup

Besides being a book on my shelf, The Pickup was authored by Nadine Gordimer, a friend of Paul Theroux, so after reading his his novellas, I thought I'd give this a shot. I read July's People a few years ago and found it both uncomfortable and probably accurate. Ms. Gordimer is a white African, and, like Doris Lessing or other female, white, African writers, carries a heavy mantle. She writes about race conflict, but in an intimate, yet removed, manner.
The Pickup details a relationship between Julie, a privelaged white South African woman, and her "pick-up" lover, Adbu, someone from a more 3rd world African country. At first I thought The Pickup was a comment on the current U.S. policy on "illegals" but came to realize that many countries have this conflict and that while I could see current U.S. debate in the characters, it was also very space specific. To mention that Julie is privelaged is like saying the earth is round; she chooses to live a bohemian lifestyle, maybe working, maybe not, in a small cottage in the city, away from her suburban upbringing and well-to-do father. She regularly meets a group of friends at the L.A. Cafe and these friends serve as her surrogate family. They all come and go, not answering to anyone. She meets Abdu when she gets in an accident and needs her car repaired. On impulse she invites him to coffee at her cafe and from there it goes. She seems sincere, but it's unclear what she sees in him-- is he a further act of revolt from her father? And what does he see in her besides a possible entree into "legal" society? They take their relationship farther than anyone imagines, and Julie can ask for general favors from her family: money to provide a needed well for his family (a liberal ideal of service) but cannot ask her father for specific help obtaining visas. Abdu can provide for her adventure and something different (she does not shy away from, nor complain about rustic conditions) but cannot provide the ultimate security for her: an accepting family.
Ms. Gordimer writes this book in the 3rd person passive voice, making it difficult to get to fully know or identify with the characters, which is maybe the point. She interjects editorial, pointing out that Julie's, and that of her friends and family, status would give allow her to emigrate country to country, never really being "illegal" but Abdu, by virtue of his race, religion and country of birth, can never be welcomed anywhere but there.
I liked this book but didn't love it. I had a hard time identifying with any of the characters although by the end I was able to sympathize with the decisions each made. I give this book 3/5 netflix stars.