What's it REALLY like to be a 13-year old Boy?

Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (294 pgs, Random House) answers that very question. I choose this book to read as a part of the NY Times Notable Challenge, and I'm certainly glad I did!

Black Swan Green is the name of the small village in Worcestershire where 13-year-old Jason Taylor lives. It's a sleepy little village minus the swans. The year is 1982, and Jason is trying to navigate his way through a maze of difficulties: bullies at school, trying to blend in, overcoming a stammer that could label him forever, parents at war with each other, an older sister that calls him "The Thing", a war in the Falklands, and gypsies that have taken up residence is the village. Can life really be so difficult at 13? You bet it can!
Eliot Bolivar is a poet that submits his writing to the local parish magazine. He is talented and writes eloquently. And he is actually Jason Taylor, our 13-year-old antagonist. But really, could a kid hold up his head in school if he admits to being a POET? I think not!

This book is chocked full of insight. It is exactly one year in the life of Jason Taylor. Mitchell's writing is so fantastic, you can actually see through the eyes of this boy. At first, it was a bit difficult to understand some of the British phrasing and terms, but that didn't stop any enjoyment I felt reading this book. When Jason was called on to read aloud in class, I actually could FEEL his fear in the pit of MY stomach. Trying to navigate through school without being seen, not popular enough to be part of the in-crowd, and not detested enough to be one of the lepers, Jason tries hard to fit in. And he has to fit in in a way that lets him live with himself.

One of my favorite passages in the book comes right at the end: "The world's a Headmaster who works on your faults. I don't mean in a mystical or a Jesus way. More how you'll keep tripping over a hidden step, over and over, till you finally understand: Watch out for that step! Everything that's wrong with us, if we're too selfish or too Yessir, Nosir, Three bags full sir or too anything, that's a hidden step. Either you suffer the consequences of not noticing your fault forever, or , one day, you DO notice it, and fix it. Joke is, once you get it into your brain about THAT hidden step and think, Hey, life isn't such a shithouse after all again, then BUMP! Down you go, a whole new flight of hidden steps. There are always more."

The entire book is filled with this type of writing and insight. The characters are all well-rounded, simple yet complex. This book will make you laugh and it will make you cry. And it will make you exceedingly glad that you never have to go through that horrible time in life again. I would recommend it whole-heartedly! 4.5/5

(this review was orinally published on my blog, Stephanie's Confessions of a Bookaholic)

Satire or Reality?? You Choose......

Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart (352 pgs) was named one of 100 New York Times Notable books of 2006. This is the main reason I chose to read it, for both the NY Times Notable Challenge and the Spring Reading Thing Challenge. It's not exactly the type of book I would normally pick up, although I do like a good satire. There is a lot of understated politics in this book, and to be honest, I don't know a lot about the breakup of the former Soviet Union. However, I really did enjoy this book.

The story revolves around the narrator, a man by the name of Misha Vainberg. Misha, or "Snack Daddy" as he was aptly nicknamed by his college friends, is grossly overweight, rather naive and has a lot of self-esteem issues. He is the son of Boris Vainberg, the 1238th richest man in Russia, Jewish, and a local mafioso. He gained most of his wealth and "fame" after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Boris raised Misha alone in St. Petersburg after his wife passed away. He sent Misha to the United States to be educated like an American at Accidental College in New York City. And Misha LOVED New York. He studied "multi-cultural affairs", ate lots of food, listened to rap music, and made many acquaintances - but very few friends. After graduating, Misha took an internship, and moved to a fabulous loft-apartment. It is then that he met Rouenna. Rouenna is a ghetto-girl from the Bronx who spends her days in a bikini, serving shots at a local bar. She takes an immediate liking to Misha, and sees him as a way to get out of the 'hood. Not only does she take Misha's virginity, she takes his heart.

But here is where Misha's happiness gets sidetracked. He gets called back to Russia by his father. While there, Boris kills an Oklahoma businessman. Misha finds himself stuck in St. Petersburg with no hope of getting another American Visa and going back to New York. When he father is assassinated, Misha decides to get out of Russia by any means possible. He develops a plan to buy a Belgium Passport and from there find a way back to the US. To do this, he travels to Absurdistan. But shortly after he arrives, a war breaks out over control of the Absurdi oil (hmmmm...doesn't this sound a little familiar?) Here is where all Misha's troubles seem to get exponentially worse.

This book is rather raw. There are some seriously vulgar sex scenes dealing mostly with Misha's size that were just a little TOO detailed. But there are also many extremely humorous parts, most notably Misha's circumcism at the age of 18. And I really, really liked Shteyngart's whole depiction of Absurdistan, the country. He creates two groups of warring people that are doing whatever it takes to make headlines on CNN. I have a feeling there is a lot of reality in his view's on this fictitious country. Especially as they are dealing with the US and "Golly Burton" (Halliburton). And while it takes awhile for Shteyngart to get to his point, he delivers a rather scathing attack on world politics as it applies to us today. He is a very clever author who subtlety makes his views known. And he really doesn't pull any punches. Although he describes a pretty bleak existence for Aburdistan, he does it with humor and an almost insider's view. I'm definitely going to have to read his first novel, "The Russian Debutante's Handbook". All in all I'm really glad I decided to choose this book. 4/5

Stephanie's Progress

Well....as far as progress goes, I picked up Suite Francais from the library yesterday....does that count?? My local library is hit or miss with good books. There will be 50 copies of Da Vinci Code or the latest Danielle Steele novel. But anything Classic or Literary Fiction, you just never know. I stopped in last Saturday...and ended up requesting 8 books through ILL (they've been calling all week saying I have a book or two in. My husband keeps looking at me funny every time he sees Alpha Park Library on the caller-id. " I thought you stopped by and picked up that book???" he says! And I smile and say "I did!") Suite Francaise I picked up yesterday. So it will be the first I read for this challenge. Just no time to start :( Hopefully this weekend! Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Later!

Stephanie's GRAND List of Books!

Hey! Thanks for having me along for this challenge!! I actually joined up last week, but have been busy caring for my 4-year with Strep....Yuk! Anyway, one day at work last year when they announced the 2006 list, I was bored (but don't tell my boss!! I was trying to look busy!). So I printed off the last 10 years lists, with the book summaries. Now, I have so many check-marked, I don't know what to do! So I picked out about 17 fiction and 6 non-fiction. Not sure I will be able to read them ALL, but I figure I might as well try!! Here goes nothing:


FICTION:

• Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart
• Alentejo Blue by Monica Ali
• Arthur and George by Julian Barnes
• Black Swan Green by David Mitchell
• Digging to America by Anne Tyler (I'm not sure about this one...I wasn't impressed with the other Anne Tyler book I read)
• The Dissident by Nell Freudenberger
• Eat the Document by Dana Spiotta
• Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• The Inhabited World by David Long
• The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
• The Keep by Jennifer Egan
• Lisey's Story by Stephen King
• One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
• Terrorist by John Updike
• The Uses of Enchantment by Heidi Julavits

NON-FICTION:

• Falling Through the Earth: A Memoir by Danielle Trussoni
• Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert
• Flaubert: A Biography by Frederick Brown
• Self-Made Man: One Woman's Journey into Manhood and Back Again by Norah Vincent
• State of Denial by Bob Woodward
• Sweet and Low: A Family Story by Rich Cohen

Seems like a pretty good mix. I love looking at all the lists to see what books all have in common....and what books are unique!!

Later!