Anthem by Ayn Rand
I tried my best, but there was so much of this book that I had problems with, and it was such a short book with so little plot it was very hard not to spoil it, so... spoiler ahoy in this review!
Anthem is a novel about a man named Equality 7-2521. Much in the style of other horrific Utopian novels he is one of many is a futuristic society, where everything is utterly controlled from education, to vocation, to sex, to death and (like Brave New World, 1984 and The Giver) the main character is seeking to throw off this yoke and go back to how things were before, though he hasn't realized it yet.
For the first ten chapters he speaks in the style of Gollum, of Lord of the Rings. When he speaks of himself he says "we" and "us" for the collective is what is important, while individualism in any form breaks divine law. Everything is done for the betterment of all, for the will of many is greater than the will of the individual. The many's needs are greater as well and therefore the individual must sacrifice himself for the many.
Equality 7-2521 is given a position as street sweeper and in his work finds two things that are his undoing: a beautiful woman, and an old underground sewer left over from the times before. He sneaks off there and writes his own private thoughts and does his own private research. But, the scientific discoveries he make are nothing next to the truth that he uncovers there.
Anthem is supposed to be a novel exemplifying Ayn Rand's philosophy about individualism and collectivism and the pros and cons thereof. I have to say some of what she believes I don't really agree with and actually reading the foreword (a fault of mine) kinda prejudiced me against her before I even got to the story.
In the foreword she says that anyone that does not acknowledge (as she does) the future that we are inevitably headed down are neither blind nor ignorant but rather weak and are maliciously choosing for us to face and experience such a future as she outlines in the book. If that is the case why write this book at all? Isn't this book meant to educate people on the matter? If they are already set in their ways and are already weak and spiteful how is a story further educating them on a manner that you say they are already fully aware of going to change anything at all? Furthermore, how can anyone support individualism and yet at the same time say, "but you have to agree with me and what I say, or else the betterment of mankind will suffer"? Isn't that exactly the premise of the book that you have written against collectivism? How can you use the ideals of collectivism to fight against it?
And, we haven't even gotten to the book itself yet. Normally I enjoy a well written Utopian novel about the evils of controlling thoughts and ideas and so forth for the betterment of all. I can see the evil in that. And, that includes the guilt tripping in your foreword, Miss Rand. But, this book just seemed a bit too much. Equality, as I'll call him for short, was throughout an incredibly self centered and proud character. I guess that goes along with the individualism theme but he seems to go over the top with it. There were several scenes where his pride, arrogance and blind self-centeredness got him into a great deal of trouble that a bit of logic and thinking things through might have kept him out of. Then again he was pretty naive about the world, and had to undergo a huge paradigm shift throughout the novel. This only made his pompousness at times all the more aggravating. And, the final line of the novel was just too much. At a moment when I should be in awe of philosophical wonder I found myself laughing at all the hyperbole and sheer arrogance of it.
Also, for a novel celebrating the individuality of man kind and how man must do things for himself and it be his choice alone, I thought it was very annoying when he treated "his woman" (Liberty 5-3000) as a being that had no choice. He chose where they would go and where they would stay, he chose her name and he chose what they were to do with the rest of their time on earth. She just kind of sat back and looked pretty, like so much window dressing.
Finally, the blurb in the first pages contained a huge spoiler in my edition of the book. Luckily I didn't read it until I was half way through and had already suspected what was spoiled, but still. Also, I was very surprised that the beginning of this novel was so like 1984. Especially since 1984 came out eleven years after this novel did. Yikes.
Anyway, I didn't enjoy this book at all just because it was all so unbelievable. Yes, I agree that socialism et al is bad (though perhaps not for the reasons outlined in the book, at least not entirely). I agree that people should have the freedom to choose whether to help their fellow man or not. But, using this novel as an argument for either of those two beliefs is laughable. My first one star.
Rated
by Bitsy at 08:17 AM
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M*A*S*H by Richard Hooker
I loved watching M*A*S*H reruns growing up, so when I found this book at a brown bag book sale I just had to pick it up. M*A*S*H by Richard Hooker is the book that the TV series was based off of. When my husband read the book he thought it was hilarious and highly recommended it. I dove in with high expectations that unfortunately ended up being too high.
The characters come across as far more serious in the novel. Their attempts at banter and fun and games came across as what they really were, mere attempts at sanity in the insanely harsh conditions they faced serving in Korea. As a whole, the novel seemed to have a much different tenor then the light hearted TV series does.
The other thing that was different (or perhaps my memories of the TV show were rose tinted) is there seemed to be a great deal more and much harsher misogyny. I remember the fighting with "Hot Lips" Houlihan, I did not recall anything concerning whore houses, brothels or the taking advantage thereof by married enlisted men and officers.
For the time it was written in the novel was fairly progressive concerning race. Though, I was amused to note that the author, in his rush to make his characters seem cool with the African American in their group by having him complain about people that went out of their way to seem cool with him, succeeded in doing quite the opposite and the meeting came across as very forced. I also was very uncomfortable with the Duke constantly referring to him as "the nigra" at the beginning of that chapter.
The TV show is probably one of the only medical series I can stomach because I have no tolerance for blood, gore or long drawn out surgeries with pictures of what is actually going on. I appreciate the fact that Hawk Eye and Trapper John were surgeons and that everything they did seemed to be done to a sheet and that was all I wanted to know. It was very hard for me to read the scenes in the novel that went in depth with what was going on behind those sheets. To the novel's credit my husband, who is a big fan of series like ER and Grey's Anatomy, had no such problems and, when I brought it up with him, he hadn't even remembered that such scenes were in the book at all.
My final complaint is, the book was just really hard to get into. I had to force myself to read each chapter throughout and only just finished it after five days. Which is ridiculous for me and a mere 200 some page novel. It did give me a chance to catch up on my other reviews though. All in all, because of all my complaints (in a nutshell, my squeamishness on various subjects) I have to give this novel a low two stars. If you can get past all of those things and still enjoy a novel about the beloved characters of M*A*S*H then by all means read it. If not, give this one a pass and go and rent the DVDs of the TV show off of Netflix instead.
Rated
by Bitsy at 06:35 AM
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by A. C. Doyle
The first time I read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes would have been in the summer between fifth and sixth grade. My parents had gotten me a boxed set of classics and this particular one was my favorite. I had always loved mysteries whether in the form of Clue or The Boxcar Children and these seemed so much more polished, not to mention were much harder to guess out how it was going to end to my eleven year old mind. I read them again in the seventh grade when I had to take a bus to school for the first time and the novel acted like the proverbial security blanket as I sat and read it every morning in the increasing cold temperatures in the strange environment.
Some time before I moved out I gave away 90% of my book collection (some 100+ books) so that when I left home it was only with a mere handful of ten or twelve. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was one of the books to go. I have since thunked my head on my desk many times wishing to have many of those books back. My parents repurchased The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for me in far more adult binding then the lovingly tattered paperback I had before and I sat and re-read these beloved stories to my husband. He tended to fall asleep during them, but I quite enjoyed the trip down memory lane.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a series of short stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle to be published in serial format in a magazine called The Strand. They are each complete unto themself, so if you missed one you could still go out and get the next one without much of a bother. The character Sherlock Holmes became much beloved in England over this and people even wrote into the magazine asking if he was a real man (to which the editor gave a suitably vague response). Sherlock Holmes solves mysteries through logic and observation, and oftentimes just had to hear about a case to piece together what happened, he is famous for his large magnifying glass, his tall lanky figure, and of course his pipe. His is still the figure people think of when they think of a detective even today.
The plots are sometimes weak, but often intricate and they leave you guessing until the final plot twist at the end as to who did what and how. Occasionally you can guess early just what is going on but you still want to read on because you find you care about what happens to Holmes and Watson and whatever other innocents become involved in the case and you need to see what happens next! If you love mysteries you need to give this classic an honest try. It's highly readable, and well worth a go. You won't be disappointed.
Rated
by Bitsy at 11:27 AM
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When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris
Another hilarious collection of essays by David Sedaris. This was another book that I read aloud to my husband. Again, a lot of this book had to be read in private though, and not around relatives. It's definitely adult reading and adult language!
The portraits he paints of every day people doing things that are absolutely crazy in a way that makes them seem mundane is his calling card and he does this to excellent effect in this new novel. Whether it's the woman that lives alone in an apartment building that acts like she runs the place (and really does), the crazy people he hitchhikes with in the early 70's, his parent's take on art, or the people he meets in his attempt to quit smoking in japan, it's all written with a humorous edge and a sarcastic wit that makes even the most outcast and odd palatable.
There were several parts where he seemed to go over the edge beyond funny into really being almost sad, pathetic, or even hateful. But, the rest of the book is so well written and his humor continues to be so endearing that you can't help forgiving it as you continue on.
When You Are Engulfed In Flames is an excellent, strange, but very well written series of comedic looks into David Sedaris' life and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to read some fun short true stories about NPR's funniest voice in comedy.
Rated by Bitsy at 12:12 PM
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The Last Man in the World by Abigail Reynolds
The Last Man in the World is an alternate universe story written about Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. You almost need to have read Pride and Prejudice for any of these "alternate endings" writen by Abigail Reynolds to make any sense.
In this one, right at the scene where Lizzie tells Darcy that he is the last man in the world she could be prevailed upon to marry, things take a split from the main plot. Darcy is so enamored with Lizzie, so convinced of his success and completely certain that Lizzie is totally in love with him that he compromises her and, before she could utter the damning phrase that is this novel's title, kisses her. And, right at that moment his cousin, Fitzwilliam, and two groomsmen find them in the cinch and Lizzie is forced to accept Darcy's proposal or face social ruin.
The premise seems to be a bit too archaic for the times. Just being caught kissing somebody, especially if it is against your will, shouldn't mean you have to marry the guy, even during the regency. The entire novel being based on it has the story start off on shaky legs. Things progress from there through an at times uplifting and at times depressing book. But, mostly the depressing.
Several people have complained that the entire book is a series of misunderstandings. Of course, Pride and Prejudice was also a series of misunderstandings. They also complained that a lot of the problems in the novel could have been solved through simple communication. The thing is, even though Lizzie and Darcy are now married (already at the end that Pride and Prejudice aimed for) they still have not overcome his pride or her prejudice. Throw in a thoroughly confused Georgiana and the novel is quite a tangle.
Even though there were good excuses for the mess in the book a lot of the problems came across as too fanfiction-y for me. They seemed to be in love and everything was all right and then suddenly they were back to square one for one reason or another and the constant going back and forth got tiring after the third and fourth time.
That being said, I did enjoy the book and I might even chance one more book by Abigail Reynolds. This book, as overly dramatic and at times petty as it was, still had well written (if not simple) dialog, interesting characters and premises, and did tug on the heart strings quite fiercely. I have to admit I did cry at one point in the book.
If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice sequels all ready and don't mind a bit of an immature romance novel thrown in to the works then see if you can't borrow a copy or better yet buy it off of kindle if you are lucky enough to have one. Don't pay full price for it though.
Rated
by Bitsy at 11:49 AM
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Love and Marriage by Bill Cosby
I had never read a book written by a comedian before, though I have read comedic writing (in the form of David Sedaris). That said I found this book to be very entertaining and laugh out loud funny. Love and Marriage is a humorous accounting of Bill Cosby's success and failures in love in the first half of the book, and in marriage in the second half.
A lot of people were disappointed in Love and Marriage because, unlike his book Fatherhood there was humor but no wit, no advice on what to do to survive the uncertain waters of love or marriage. Because Bill Cosby, like the rest of us, is just as clueless about what makes love and marriage work. He has a general idea, as do we all, but a lot of it remains a mystery as he himself admits. I didn't read Fatherhood but I also didn't feel like I could hold him not being in a position to dole out advice against him.
On the one hand it was comforting, here is a guy married for several decades with five kids and he doesn't have any advice to offer save to laugh about it and remember the good times when you can. On the other hand, here is a guy that was married for several decades with five kids and he doesn't have any advice to offer. A pretty discouraging thought for the rest of us!
As a woman the beginning of the book was a little uncomfortable as it was borderline misogynistic and very base. But, what are you to expect out of a young teenage boy? Ultimately I was able to work past it and saw at least some of the humor in the situations that arose.
All in all, this book was laugh out loud funny (especially if you mentally read it in the cadence and style of Cosby) and was a very enjoyable read. There were a lot of parts that I wanted to share with my husband, but unfortunately he had already read the book so it wasn't new for him. Definitely a strong recommendation for a married couple to read, even more so then reading it by one's self, though it's still good!
Rated
by Bitsy at 10:02 AM
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Down The Long Hills by Louis L'Amour
My second foray into westerns was Down The Long Hills by Louis L'Amour, and while I liked it better than the first novel I read by him a lot of my complaints about the first one transferred on into the second one.
Down The Long Hills is a story about two children being escorted across the west, one a three year old crossing with her parents, and the other a seven year old boy crossing with that family and many others on the way to where his pa had prepared a place for him out in Fort Bridger. The wagon train gets attacked by Indians and the children have to push on alone across Wyoming in fall with winter setting in against increasingly mounting odds with nothing but a sack of food, a knife and a horse.
One thing that was kind of fun about this book was the fact that I had been to several of the places they talked about. So the lack of in depth description wasn't so bad because I knew the country. I also knew first hand how poorly he described it because he really didn't come anywhere close.
It was also a lot of fun to read about this little boy braving Wyoming and crossing the entire state all by himself with a three year old to take care of on top of it. Today you would never have heard of such a thing. A child getting lost out in the desert would be a death knell and even with a huge search party might never be found. This story was about three men traveling together to find the children across a whole state and yet they seemed to have better odds.
That was the not fun thing about the story. It seemed almost too much to be believed. The things they faced got crazier and crazier (Indians, wild animals, outlaws, freezing cold, little food) and yet they still kept right on surviving relatively unscathed. It was more than could be believed. I was willing to follow along for the ride though, because who wants to read about a bunch of kids that go off to die a horrible death?
If you like westerns and want to read a story about kids that don't spend all of their time playing video games and whining about chores and instead show a level of competence and perseverance that most adults lack, than this story is definitely for you.
Rated by Bitsy at 07:36 AM
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