Twelve Sharp
"Driving out of D.C. into Northern Virginia is like NASCAR …racing bumper to bumper, six wide twenty miles deep. And attached to that is another identical race going six wide in the opposite direction…We hurtled forward , capitulated down the chute and peeled off….." (127).
This, in my opinion, is a pretty accurate description of what it is to experience a Janet Evanovich novel. You move quickly, with little time to breathe. While you are being swept away with one aspect of the novel, there is, simultaneously, another equally fast paced storyline running concurrent with the one you are.
You are captivated by the love story (ies). Even though Stephanie describes herself as less than remarkable, physically as well as professionally, she is pursued and occasionally caught by two of the sexiest characters ever created with the stroke of a pen. Each is sexy in his own distinct way, but both men are equally as compelling as completely moral (even if Ranger's morality is rather self –defined) and decent. I love the way she describes them; "Morelli is the sexy guy with the toaster" (the base of the food pyramid) and Ranger is the desert; "milk chocolate on the outside…a delicious, tempting forbidden pleasure." Both pursue her but for substantially different reasons. One has to believe, despite Stephanie's humility, there must be more to her than meets her eye.
"Sometimes you just can't tell what's on the inside from looking at the outside"(1). This appears to be a central theme which runs through all of the Stephanie Plum novels. Twelve Sharp is an exellent case in point. Just as Scrogs isn't who he seems to be (Ranger), many of the characters you meet in Trenton are not who they appear to be on the surface. Evanovich creates characters who not only leap off the page at you, but for whom you begin to care deeply for. Although Grandma Mazur may look like an old "bat", she is progressive and accepting, always looking for new ways to add excitement to her life, as well as her families. Lulu is an ex-hooker who is street savvy and a little crazy but, at the same time, is caring and loyal and always has Stephanie's back. Throughout this series, Evanovich adds new characters to each book and they always turn out to be far more than they initially seem. Each of them, in many ways, becomes family. They are sometimes outrageous to the point of being unbelievable, but then she endows them with such true human qualities and characteristics that they become three dimensional.
Family is important in the Plum novels. Although at times, Stephanie may dread the interaction with her family members, she is never too far from the Burg. She and Morelli both left it but they didn't go too far. She always returns home for food, which in these novels, stands as a metaphor for comfort, whether it's doughnuts or pot roast.
Stephanie Plum, I believe, is a third wave feminist. She is tough, resilient and does not rely only on her femininity to be successful. She does not wear "plumber butt" leather pants but does occasionally swipe on a little mascara and throw some gel in her hair. In most cases, she relies on her own abilities to do a job for which she is, at times, completely ill-prepared but only calls for help from Morelli or Ranger only when in dire straits. She does not depend on men but will allow them to assist when it makes sense to do so, even welcoming their help. She seems to welcome her femininity and even use it when absolutely necessary but does not depend on it to get through life.
Stephanie Plum is one of my favorite protagonists. She is flawed to the point that we can all relate to her. She is scared as often as she is brave. She is feminine without being helpless. Family is essential for support and comfort and she does not apologize for that or her weaknesses. Evanovich may not be welcomed into the canon of literature but she sure knows how to take you on a wild ride. I think it's a shame that she is relegated to the genre of "chick lit". I would argue that if the canon typically excludes work that is a mirror in front of humanity, showing the good as well as the bad while maintaining a sense of humor throughout, maybe it is just a bunch of "old white guys" who should loosen up a little.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Secret Life of Bees
The Secret Life of Bees
Wow. How else to you respond to a work such as this. Sue Monk Kidd has created a novel that is unforgettable. In the fine tradition of Harper Lee, Kidd has shed light on the darkest depths of humanity and taken us on a journey where we discover that the wonderful things in life can rise to the surface. Having been raised in the South, at about the same time as Lily, the issues raised by Kidd concerning racial injustice hit close to home for me. Kidd has surpassed most in her ability to illuminate the ugliness of prejudice and what it is to suffer that degradation as a human being. For those not raised in the racially charged 60's in that demographic, I would imagine it is difficult to believe that such bigotry did and still does exist. Having seen it first hand, I assure you it is as real and horrible as she makes it. Growing up surrounded by it, you never forget that there is an ugliness based in ignorance that can not be overcome with logic. To believe that one sect of society is better than another based solely on the color of ones skin is not only accepted there, but in some areas, remains the prevailing attitude. Rosaleen is a character of great strength and courage. Uneducated but proud, she is willing to face the devil of bigotry in order to exercise her right as a human being. Her determination to vote is something that so many take for granted, yet for her, it is a step toward freedom and self-rule. That may sound strange considering the civil war ended in 1865, but in South Carolina in 1964, few attitudes reflected that victory, especially in rural areas. Along with Rosaleen, in my opinion, Zach is the definition of heroism. He refuses to accept the restrictions placed on him by being black and faces every obstacle without ever losing sight of the goal. He intends to change the world rather than accept it in the broken state in which it exists. Even though they were faced with the same limitations placed on the black community, in many ways, the "Calendar Girls" and Daughters of Mary were able to rise above racism in creating their own world of "divine female power". Such ignorance could not harm them in any meaningful way. Through personal strength and strong faith, they created a world where love, not hatred, ruled their lives. Lily experienced what it was like to be "other" when she moved into the pink house. While watching the news reports on the violence caused by bigotry, she felt "self-conscious and ashamed". I remember experiencing feeling much like that myself as a child. I wanted to apologize for being white because so much pain was caused in the black community by white people. I do not intend to suggest that being Southern is synonymous with narrow-minded bigotry. There are just as many Southerners who grew up ashamed to be associated with that intolerance and fought against it. At times, I share Lily's opinion that the world be a better place in no one had pigment in their skin. If we were all the same, the pain and suffering caused by racism and the injustice it created would have never been able to flourish. The reality is that, if not skin color, it would be religion or socioeconomic status or gender or eye color etc… Sadly, in a society as diverse as ours, there will always be those who ignorantly judge others with a twisted measuring stick. The best of humanity is found in our ability to recognize the truth and rise above bigotry in any form. Only then can we succeed as a nation, or in Tiburon, South Carolina. As Kidd teaches us we must live with love and acceptance in our hearts, not only of others but ourselves as well. Only then will we find true peace.
Wow. How else to you respond to a work such as this. Sue Monk Kidd has created a novel that is unforgettable. In the fine tradition of Harper Lee, Kidd has shed light on the darkest depths of humanity and taken us on a journey where we discover that the wonderful things in life can rise to the surface. Having been raised in the South, at about the same time as Lily, the issues raised by Kidd concerning racial injustice hit close to home for me. Kidd has surpassed most in her ability to illuminate the ugliness of prejudice and what it is to suffer that degradation as a human being. For those not raised in the racially charged 60's in that demographic, I would imagine it is difficult to believe that such bigotry did and still does exist. Having seen it first hand, I assure you it is as real and horrible as she makes it. Growing up surrounded by it, you never forget that there is an ugliness based in ignorance that can not be overcome with logic. To believe that one sect of society is better than another based solely on the color of ones skin is not only accepted there, but in some areas, remains the prevailing attitude. Rosaleen is a character of great strength and courage. Uneducated but proud, she is willing to face the devil of bigotry in order to exercise her right as a human being. Her determination to vote is something that so many take for granted, yet for her, it is a step toward freedom and self-rule. That may sound strange considering the civil war ended in 1865, but in South Carolina in 1964, few attitudes reflected that victory, especially in rural areas. Along with Rosaleen, in my opinion, Zach is the definition of heroism. He refuses to accept the restrictions placed on him by being black and faces every obstacle without ever losing sight of the goal. He intends to change the world rather than accept it in the broken state in which it exists. Even though they were faced with the same limitations placed on the black community, in many ways, the "Calendar Girls" and Daughters of Mary were able to rise above racism in creating their own world of "divine female power". Such ignorance could not harm them in any meaningful way. Through personal strength and strong faith, they created a world where love, not hatred, ruled their lives. Lily experienced what it was like to be "other" when she moved into the pink house. While watching the news reports on the violence caused by bigotry, she felt "self-conscious and ashamed". I remember experiencing feeling much like that myself as a child. I wanted to apologize for being white because so much pain was caused in the black community by white people. I do not intend to suggest that being Southern is synonymous with narrow-minded bigotry. There are just as many Southerners who grew up ashamed to be associated with that intolerance and fought against it. At times, I share Lily's opinion that the world be a better place in no one had pigment in their skin. If we were all the same, the pain and suffering caused by racism and the injustice it created would have never been able to flourish. The reality is that, if not skin color, it would be religion or socioeconomic status or gender or eye color etc… Sadly, in a society as diverse as ours, there will always be those who ignorantly judge others with a twisted measuring stick. The best of humanity is found in our ability to recognize the truth and rise above bigotry in any form. Only then can we succeed as a nation, or in Tiburon, South Carolina. As Kidd teaches us we must live with love and acceptance in our hearts, not only of others but ourselves as well. Only then will we find true peace.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones
If this had not been an assignment for a class, I never would have made it past the rape and murder scene. I agree with Christine that it was extremely hard to get through. Because it was required to so, I continued on and am pleased that I did. Sebold handled this subject with as much dignity as she could muster in describing a horrific happening. I thought of the things that are done in movies and television and realize that it could have been much worse. I know that there has been a great deal of controversy surround Dakota Fanning's' role as Susie and can only imagine how horrible Hollywood made the scene. I will not see it, but as disturbing as it was, the book was a worthwhile read.
I finished this book on Monday and have had it in my head since I turned the last page. It is not only the violent way Susie died that haunts me, but the fact that Susie is right. Earth is a place where "there is too much blood" and horrible things happen. The Lovely Bones, for me, was reminiscent of a great novel by Dennis Lehane called Mystic River. While I believe that Lehane's novel is the better of the two, they both deal with the injustice and horror of violence against children and the effect of that it has on families and communities. Having children makes it impossible for me to imagine the grief that a family suffers after experiencing what the Salmons did. I will not allow myself to even go there since the mere idea of it, as a parent, is too terrifying to contemplate. As a parent, we are forced to realize that the danger that faces children is a constant threat to us all.
After struggling through the intense emotions that were played on surrounding the violent nature of the book, I was able to find much more than that in the pages of this novel. Sebold masterfully portrayed to her reader what it is like to be a child and brought to mind the difficulties inherent in growing up in her characters. We see the awkwardness in Ruth, experience bigotry through Ray and the struggle for independence and maturity through Lindsey. Buckley shows us how frustrating it is to find your place in the world and claim it as your own. In creating these characters, Sebold reminded me of what it was like to be young and have so little control over your surroundings. She was able to pull me into the novel on a level that is not easy to achieve as a writer, by reminding me that I too had felt these things and faced the same struggles. In essence, as children we have little to no control over our lives.
In many respects, Susie is the embodiment of all these elements. Her total lack of control is evident in every aspect of the story. As a teenager she longs for and strives for ways to gain control but has it violently stripped from her grasp before she is able to attain her goal. In her final moments she is completely without control and at the mercy of a madman. When we first meet her she tells us that she had contempt for the structured surrounding at school (1). We also learn that her quote in the yearbook deals with that very issue: "If they give you ruled paper, write the other way." She loves photography because with the use of it she can gain power over the people on the other side of the camera, even her parents (240). She is able to stop and preserve whatever moment in time she chooses (212) in an almost Godlike fashion. Even her fascination with the ships in the bottles illustrates her need for control. She relished in the fact that, when the masts were released, the world in the bottle depended solely on her (274).
After her death, her story is a struggle to release the control her murder has had on others. Even though we know, through Fanny, that the path to true peace lies in letting go, we take a journey with Susie to that discovery. Not only had she been trapped inside the earth (12) in death but in the "inbetween", she was still as "trapped" as the penguin "in the perfect world." Only when she was able to relinquish her quest for control was she able to "see things in a way that let me hold the world without me in it." (320) and find true peace in letting go and release her family to live the life of the living.
If this had not been an assignment for a class, I never would have made it past the rape and murder scene. I agree with Christine that it was extremely hard to get through. Because it was required to so, I continued on and am pleased that I did. Sebold handled this subject with as much dignity as she could muster in describing a horrific happening. I thought of the things that are done in movies and television and realize that it could have been much worse. I know that there has been a great deal of controversy surround Dakota Fanning's' role as Susie and can only imagine how horrible Hollywood made the scene. I will not see it, but as disturbing as it was, the book was a worthwhile read.
I finished this book on Monday and have had it in my head since I turned the last page. It is not only the violent way Susie died that haunts me, but the fact that Susie is right. Earth is a place where "there is too much blood" and horrible things happen. The Lovely Bones, for me, was reminiscent of a great novel by Dennis Lehane called Mystic River. While I believe that Lehane's novel is the better of the two, they both deal with the injustice and horror of violence against children and the effect of that it has on families and communities. Having children makes it impossible for me to imagine the grief that a family suffers after experiencing what the Salmons did. I will not allow myself to even go there since the mere idea of it, as a parent, is too terrifying to contemplate. As a parent, we are forced to realize that the danger that faces children is a constant threat to us all.
After struggling through the intense emotions that were played on surrounding the violent nature of the book, I was able to find much more than that in the pages of this novel. Sebold masterfully portrayed to her reader what it is like to be a child and brought to mind the difficulties inherent in growing up in her characters. We see the awkwardness in Ruth, experience bigotry through Ray and the struggle for independence and maturity through Lindsey. Buckley shows us how frustrating it is to find your place in the world and claim it as your own. In creating these characters, Sebold reminded me of what it was like to be young and have so little control over your surroundings. She was able to pull me into the novel on a level that is not easy to achieve as a writer, by reminding me that I too had felt these things and faced the same struggles. In essence, as children we have little to no control over our lives.
In many respects, Susie is the embodiment of all these elements. Her total lack of control is evident in every aspect of the story. As a teenager she longs for and strives for ways to gain control but has it violently stripped from her grasp before she is able to attain her goal. In her final moments she is completely without control and at the mercy of a madman. When we first meet her she tells us that she had contempt for the structured surrounding at school (1). We also learn that her quote in the yearbook deals with that very issue: "If they give you ruled paper, write the other way." She loves photography because with the use of it she can gain power over the people on the other side of the camera, even her parents (240). She is able to stop and preserve whatever moment in time she chooses (212) in an almost Godlike fashion. Even her fascination with the ships in the bottles illustrates her need for control. She relished in the fact that, when the masts were released, the world in the bottle depended solely on her (274).
After her death, her story is a struggle to release the control her murder has had on others. Even though we know, through Fanny, that the path to true peace lies in letting go, we take a journey with Susie to that discovery. Not only had she been trapped inside the earth (12) in death but in the "inbetween", she was still as "trapped" as the penguin "in the perfect world." Only when she was able to relinquish her quest for control was she able to "see things in a way that let me hold the world without me in it." (320) and find true peace in letting go and release her family to live the life of the living.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Jemima J
I won't say that I hated Jane Green's book but I will admit that I kept flipping to the back to see how many pages I had left to read! I found it very predictable and indicative of why "chick lit" hasn't gained the literary respect that I am sure some of it deserves. When researching the genre, Sex and the City was written about frequently as the television equivalent to "chick lit". Although I only watched it once, I could see the similarities in Jemima J.
The book seemed to thrive on stereotypes. Pretty women are shallow and self-centered, exhibited clearly by Jemima's roommates, Sophie and Lisa. Add stupidity to the list of attributes and they are complete. They profess undying love for men who are gorgeous but whom they have just met. They are intent on finding husbands based solely on looks and income, with love never actually entering into their exploits. They are attractive women but have no redeeming qualities.
Even Geraldine, Jemima's best friend, is a gold digger and not quite competent enough to perform her duties at the paper without J's help. Green does allow us to learn that despite being beautiful, she is eventually a good friend to Jemima but, by the time we start to trust her, the dye had been cast. She is kind but flawed and the problems stem from her better than average appearance.
The men, for the most part are also treated as one dimensional characters. They are all "blokes" who seek out women only because of their beauty, without ever looking any deeper than what's they see. Richard sees Jemima walking down the street and "thinks he is in love." The guys in the bar propose to Sophie and Lisa because they are sexy. Although there is a certain element of tongue and cheek in this approach, it does seem to be a prevalent theme throughout the novel. Brad invites a women whom he has never met to visit him and then, after two weeks wants her to be a permanent part of his life, while Jemima has never really allowed him to see who she really is. We find out later that he is the worst kind of loser and completely immersed in the superficial world by which he is surrounded. Even Ben, who in my opinion was the only likable character, doesn't really notice JJ until she is thin and then discovers, even before realizing it is his friend, that she is the perfect woman for him.
Jemima as well as Jenny are overweight, therefore we suffer through their misery, that according to Green, only overweight women can experience. Although Jemima herself had been patronized by her petty roommates while she was overweight, she immediately treats Jenny the same way. She judged Jenny, only because of her appearance and assumed that she struggled with the same problems that she herself had faced before becoming slim, without knowing anything about Jenny or what her life was like. She insisted that she knew where she was because she had been there while ignoring the fact that, despite her weight, they may not share any commonalities.
Everyone in this novel judged people by strictly how they look. Whether beautiful or overweight, people are who they are. How you look may make things easier or more difficult in certain circumstances but, for me, it is difficult to swallow that people are defined by their appearance. I find that attitude repulsive. It creates prejudice and misconceptions about "types" of people rather than judging everyone on their character, merits and achievements. I have struggled to overcome stereotypes about how I look, where I come from and my socioeconomic background. I am tall and thin and I model. I must be stupid, self-centered and anorexic. I am from the south which contributes to my lack of intelligence etc…. and found that once people come to know who you are, they will judge you based on that knowledge and the way you look has very little to do with it. Women who are thin can have insecurities, women who are not can be confident and self assured. Men who are gorgeous care about who the woman is rather than just how she looks! To promote, even in fiction, that the world is populated by people who fit into stereotypes so neatly is harmful to everyone.
The book seemed to thrive on stereotypes. Pretty women are shallow and self-centered, exhibited clearly by Jemima's roommates, Sophie and Lisa. Add stupidity to the list of attributes and they are complete. They profess undying love for men who are gorgeous but whom they have just met. They are intent on finding husbands based solely on looks and income, with love never actually entering into their exploits. They are attractive women but have no redeeming qualities.
Even Geraldine, Jemima's best friend, is a gold digger and not quite competent enough to perform her duties at the paper without J's help. Green does allow us to learn that despite being beautiful, she is eventually a good friend to Jemima but, by the time we start to trust her, the dye had been cast. She is kind but flawed and the problems stem from her better than average appearance.
The men, for the most part are also treated as one dimensional characters. They are all "blokes" who seek out women only because of their beauty, without ever looking any deeper than what's they see. Richard sees Jemima walking down the street and "thinks he is in love." The guys in the bar propose to Sophie and Lisa because they are sexy. Although there is a certain element of tongue and cheek in this approach, it does seem to be a prevalent theme throughout the novel. Brad invites a women whom he has never met to visit him and then, after two weeks wants her to be a permanent part of his life, while Jemima has never really allowed him to see who she really is. We find out later that he is the worst kind of loser and completely immersed in the superficial world by which he is surrounded. Even Ben, who in my opinion was the only likable character, doesn't really notice JJ until she is thin and then discovers, even before realizing it is his friend, that she is the perfect woman for him.
Jemima as well as Jenny are overweight, therefore we suffer through their misery, that according to Green, only overweight women can experience. Although Jemima herself had been patronized by her petty roommates while she was overweight, she immediately treats Jenny the same way. She judged Jenny, only because of her appearance and assumed that she struggled with the same problems that she herself had faced before becoming slim, without knowing anything about Jenny or what her life was like. She insisted that she knew where she was because she had been there while ignoring the fact that, despite her weight, they may not share any commonalities.
Everyone in this novel judged people by strictly how they look. Whether beautiful or overweight, people are who they are. How you look may make things easier or more difficult in certain circumstances but, for me, it is difficult to swallow that people are defined by their appearance. I find that attitude repulsive. It creates prejudice and misconceptions about "types" of people rather than judging everyone on their character, merits and achievements. I have struggled to overcome stereotypes about how I look, where I come from and my socioeconomic background. I am tall and thin and I model. I must be stupid, self-centered and anorexic. I am from the south which contributes to my lack of intelligence etc…. and found that once people come to know who you are, they will judge you based on that knowledge and the way you look has very little to do with it. Women who are thin can have insecurities, women who are not can be confident and self assured. Men who are gorgeous care about who the woman is rather than just how she looks! To promote, even in fiction, that the world is populated by people who fit into stereotypes so neatly is harmful to everyone.
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