AUTHOR: Joseph Epstein
PUBLISHED: 2011
GENRE: Non-Fiction
Psssst. Come here. I just have to share this. I just heard that the Duke of Windsor? The former King Edward VIII and the only sovereign to voluntarily give up the British throne? Well, sources tell me he was really a homosexual.
What's that? Why, yes, he did give up the throne to marry Wallis Simpson. But that's all right. You see, other sources tell me SHE was really a HE.
Welcome to the world of Gossip: An Untrivial Pursuit.
Tidbits like those above are scattered throughout this book, dating as far back as the royal courts of medieval Europe. All evidence would suggest, after all, that humans have been talking smack behind each other's back for as long as we could talk.* And our author? He's no different. Epstein, who seems like a fun enough guy, mentions quite often how much he loves gossip. But the fun kind, of course, he makes sure to specify, not the mean stuff. And for times when it approaches the mean stuff... well, that's when the I shouldn't really be telling you this, but I do have a reason, honest I do argument gets pressed into service.**
And when that argument doesn't work, Epstein jumps ship to the larger philosophical questions that take up most of the book. Is gossip part of human nature? is it good? Is it bad? Is it immoral? (Is it we that are the immoral ones?) Why do we do it? (Because, try as you might to deny it, we all do it. On that note, why do we all deny we do it? Or that we like it?) When does gossip stop being gossip and become rumor? Become lying?
It's a lot. And it's all very circular, which I suppose is in some ways fitting, given the circular nature of gossip. Which all leads to my question: what's the point of all this?
Epstein seems desperate to classify gossip somehow - it's as if he hopes that by explaining gossip, he can make one of his favorite pastimes acceptable. And that's the main flaw of the book: Epstein wants the reader to like him. He doesn't want the reader to think he's got a big mouth. So he throws out some science and some psychology and some sociology in the hopes of making it all a wholesome endeavor. But in doing so he undermines his assertion of good faith, and becomes an author who protests too much. If he were truly at peace with his favorite past time, he would have just quoted Miss Manners: "the question to ask oneself before indulging in gossip is not so much "is it true?" or "is there any useful reason for repeating it?"... but "is this likely to come around again and hit me in the face?". This is a far more honest approach to one's gossiping habits than anything Epstein can offer up.
LENGTH: 256 pages
MAINSTREAM OR NOT: No, despite the fact that we all do it.
SO, SHOULD I READ IT OR NOT?: The gossip is amusing, but not amusing enough to make up for the actual content.
*I imagine the first bit of gossip going something like this:
"I hear Tut-Tut no catch mammoth! Haha!"
"Haha! But I hear Tut-Tut drag Took-Took cave mate back to Tut-Tut cave!"
"Haha - WAIT! I TOOK-TOOK!"
At which point poor friend of Took-Took who didn't know when to keep his mouth shut got brained with a club.
**Such as when he claims that Daniel Patrick Moynihan - the highly successful senator and ambassador from New York - was actually such a drunk he would routinely drink himself unconscious on the floor of his office. When people called looking for him, his aides would say, "Senator Moynihan is on the floor". Get it? 'Cause everyone assumed the aide meant on the Senator floor making laws, when they meant literally on the floor? Ah, chronic alcoholism, combined with implications of political incompetence - just a bit of fun gossip here!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Gone Girl
AUTHOR: Gillian Flynn
PUBLISHED: 2012
GENRE: Fiction
My husband and I were lucky enough to be invited on a lovely vacation to Virginia Beach this past week. The house - which was all of 50 feet from the beach - had a pool, 2 kitchens, and, best of all, a bookshelf*. It also had an owner that works either at a bookstore or in publishing, because a lot of the books were advance proof copies of only-recently released books, which is how I ended up reading a paperback copy of Gone Girl. Gone Girl, which just came out in hard cover in June. Gone Girl, which is due to go to about 37 people before me at the library. Gone Girl, which is at the top of the best-sellers list. And that's how I enjoyed the a beautiful trip to the beach and the must-read of the summer.
And let me tell you, that was some messed-up (beeeeep).
Actually, that's about all I can tell you.
Well, maybe a little more. Nick and Amy aren't the happiest of married couples; that much is obvious from the start. But then Amy goes missing. And that's right about when this book catapults past the standard "did the husband do it?" to something way more complicated - and way more interesting. And did I mention completely messed up?
And that's all I can tell you.
I know, it's not much to go on. To try and start to unravel this thing would to do you and the author a disservice. But let me tell you, it's worth getting on that library list. It's worth just buying the thing. It might even be worth incurring the wrath of a very book-conscious rental house owner.
LENGTH: 432 pages
MAINSTREAM OR NOT: It's the It book right now.
SO, SHOULD I READ IT OR NOT?: Um, yes.
*The bookshelf had a little note that read, "Dear guest, Welcome! Please feel free to read any of the 58 BOOKS here", which I thought was a very discrete way of saying, "we know what you're planning, you thieving bastards, and if you do, we'll have your security deposit faster than you can say public library".
PUBLISHED: 2012
GENRE: Fiction
My husband and I were lucky enough to be invited on a lovely vacation to Virginia Beach this past week. The house - which was all of 50 feet from the beach - had a pool, 2 kitchens, and, best of all, a bookshelf*. It also had an owner that works either at a bookstore or in publishing, because a lot of the books were advance proof copies of only-recently released books, which is how I ended up reading a paperback copy of Gone Girl. Gone Girl, which just came out in hard cover in June. Gone Girl, which is due to go to about 37 people before me at the library. Gone Girl, which is at the top of the best-sellers list. And that's how I enjoyed the a beautiful trip to the beach and the must-read of the summer.
And let me tell you, that was some messed-up (beeeeep).
Actually, that's about all I can tell you.
Well, maybe a little more. Nick and Amy aren't the happiest of married couples; that much is obvious from the start. But then Amy goes missing. And that's right about when this book catapults past the standard "did the husband do it?" to something way more complicated - and way more interesting. And did I mention completely messed up?
And that's all I can tell you.
I know, it's not much to go on. To try and start to unravel this thing would to do you and the author a disservice. But let me tell you, it's worth getting on that library list. It's worth just buying the thing. It might even be worth incurring the wrath of a very book-conscious rental house owner.
LENGTH: 432 pages
MAINSTREAM OR NOT: It's the It book right now.
SO, SHOULD I READ IT OR NOT?: Um, yes.
*The bookshelf had a little note that read, "Dear guest, Welcome! Please feel free to read any of the 58 BOOKS here", which I thought was a very discrete way of saying, "we know what you're planning, you thieving bastards, and if you do, we'll have your security deposit faster than you can say public library".
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The Hypnotist's Love Story
AUTHOR: Liane Moriarty
PUBLISHED: 2012
GENRE: Fiction
Two weeks after I read this book, I was at the library and saw it back on the shelf, which inspired the following thought:
Huh. I read that, didn't I.
Which, I imagine, was not the reaction the author was going for.
I had a vague recollection of not hating it, so I'd figured I'd write about it for you good people. When I sat down to do just that, the general plot line was in there, although the resolution was a little fuzzy. But I couldn't remember a single character's name. I had to look it up on Amazon. It turns out the only really clear memory I had was the one thing that could possibly link this book to Fifty Shades of Crap: Fifty Shades Crappier. Namely, that the major characters have an alarmingly cavalier attitude towards the irrational and potentially criminal actions of those close to them.
Ellen is a hypnotist. She helps people lose weight, quit smoking, that sort of thing. She's very zen and very sweet and just enough quirky to make her endearing. The only thing Ellen is missing is a man, a problem that is very quickly solved when she finds Patrick, a widower with a young son. And Patrick is perfect. He's a great dad and a great boyfriend! He gives her butterflies! Isn't all just going so swimmingly!
Except for the crazy stalker.
Saskia, as the crazy stalker was christened, likes to follow Patrick everywhere. Everywhere. She likes to pop up at the movies or at restaurants or on the beach, so long as Patrick, and now Ellen, are there. And maybe, if you're really lucky, she'll break into your house when you're not home and leave you homemade crumpets she made right there in your kitchen!
A normal person would be, at the least, worried about this. Ellen's just curious. See, Saskia is also Patrick's ex-girlfriend, so Ellen feels a kind of kinship with the crazy lady, since they're both working against the specter of Patrick's dead (but while living, perfect) wife, Colleen. So who cares if Saskia uses Ellen's oven while she was out! The crumpets were delicious, after all!* Obviously, it's more important for Ellen to try to understand this woman than get a restraining order. Ellen is far more concerned with Patrick leaving boxes in her hallway than Saskia's possibly poisoned crumpets.
As for Patrick, he rants and raves about that crazy woman but refuses to do anything about it because he feels bad that he broke up with her. And here's the thing: he should feel bad. The dude starts dating her right after his wife died, basically lets her raise his kid for a couple of years, and then one day, BAM, dumps her on her ass, you're lovely but this isn't working out, so don't let let the door hit you on the way out style. Perfect Patrick, it turns out, is kind of a douche bag. Boring Ellen is way too good for this guy. Shoot, Crazy Saskia is way too good for this guy. But, for some reason, they both love him.
The conclusion involves a late-night break-in that sort of cures Saskia of her obsession.** And once that's all taken care of? It's just loveliness for all! It all only reinforces our lesson from the last few weeks: stalkers don't need restraining orders. They certainly don't need good psychiatric care. All stalkers need is love, people. Through love, you can cure them! Just let them follow you around, break into your kitchen, and control your life (and, in Fifty Shades Ana's case, have crazy sado-masochistic sex with you). That will make things all better.
LENGTH: 416 pages
MAINSTREAM OR NOT: It's kind of a wacky take on chick lit, I guess.
SO, SHOULD I READ IT OR NOT?: The writing wasn't bad, and it moved fairly quickly, so I wouldn't say no.
*Oh, yes, she eats them. All of them. And yes, she knows where they came from. Did I mention she's pregnant at the time? Do you see my concern here?
**It also nearly kills and most definitely scars Patrick's poor kid for life, but no one seems too concerned about that.
PUBLISHED: 2012
GENRE: Fiction
Two weeks after I read this book, I was at the library and saw it back on the shelf, which inspired the following thought:
Huh. I read that, didn't I.
Which, I imagine, was not the reaction the author was going for.
I had a vague recollection of not hating it, so I'd figured I'd write about it for you good people. When I sat down to do just that, the general plot line was in there, although the resolution was a little fuzzy. But I couldn't remember a single character's name. I had to look it up on Amazon. It turns out the only really clear memory I had was the one thing that could possibly link this book to Fifty Shades of Crap: Fifty Shades Crappier. Namely, that the major characters have an alarmingly cavalier attitude towards the irrational and potentially criminal actions of those close to them.
Ellen is a hypnotist. She helps people lose weight, quit smoking, that sort of thing. She's very zen and very sweet and just enough quirky to make her endearing. The only thing Ellen is missing is a man, a problem that is very quickly solved when she finds Patrick, a widower with a young son. And Patrick is perfect. He's a great dad and a great boyfriend! He gives her butterflies! Isn't all just going so swimmingly!
Except for the crazy stalker.
Saskia, as the crazy stalker was christened, likes to follow Patrick everywhere. Everywhere. She likes to pop up at the movies or at restaurants or on the beach, so long as Patrick, and now Ellen, are there. And maybe, if you're really lucky, she'll break into your house when you're not home and leave you homemade crumpets she made right there in your kitchen!
A normal person would be, at the least, worried about this. Ellen's just curious. See, Saskia is also Patrick's ex-girlfriend, so Ellen feels a kind of kinship with the crazy lady, since they're both working against the specter of Patrick's dead (but while living, perfect) wife, Colleen. So who cares if Saskia uses Ellen's oven while she was out! The crumpets were delicious, after all!* Obviously, it's more important for Ellen to try to understand this woman than get a restraining order. Ellen is far more concerned with Patrick leaving boxes in her hallway than Saskia's possibly poisoned crumpets.
As for Patrick, he rants and raves about that crazy woman but refuses to do anything about it because he feels bad that he broke up with her. And here's the thing: he should feel bad. The dude starts dating her right after his wife died, basically lets her raise his kid for a couple of years, and then one day, BAM, dumps her on her ass, you're lovely but this isn't working out, so don't let let the door hit you on the way out style. Perfect Patrick, it turns out, is kind of a douche bag. Boring Ellen is way too good for this guy. Shoot, Crazy Saskia is way too good for this guy. But, for some reason, they both love him.
The conclusion involves a late-night break-in that sort of cures Saskia of her obsession.** And once that's all taken care of? It's just loveliness for all! It all only reinforces our lesson from the last few weeks: stalkers don't need restraining orders. They certainly don't need good psychiatric care. All stalkers need is love, people. Through love, you can cure them! Just let them follow you around, break into your kitchen, and control your life (and, in Fifty Shades Ana's case, have crazy sado-masochistic sex with you). That will make things all better.
LENGTH: 416 pages
MAINSTREAM OR NOT: It's kind of a wacky take on chick lit, I guess.
SO, SHOULD I READ IT OR NOT?: The writing wasn't bad, and it moved fairly quickly, so I wouldn't say no.
*Oh, yes, she eats them. All of them. And yes, she knows where they came from. Did I mention she's pregnant at the time? Do you see my concern here?
**It also nearly kills and most definitely scars Patrick's poor kid for life, but no one seems too concerned about that.
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