"Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" - Jules Verne

Published in 1870 in France

The tale of Captain Nemo's voyages under the sea in his submersible ship have delighted readers for over a century.  Proffessor Arronox is taken aboard the ship after being tossed from his own alongside his manservant Conseil and a Canadian Harpooner named Ned Land.  The three are captive as Nemo refuses to let them see shores again after being aboard the Nautilus.

I think Jules Verne must have wanted a way to tell people about fish.  Perhaps he was a junior ichthyologist because his descriptions of the flora and animals under the sea prove to be extremely detailed and occasionally extremely boring.  At times the plot of the story seems to disappear entirely for a few pages just so he can describe some more fishes, sharks, algae, phytoplankton, etc.

I understand that this book was a real page turner when it first debuted, unsurprising since submarines had not yet been inverted and yet, Verne was already describing a machine so amazing it could travel the seas without much notice.  And with all the trips the party makes it is still a fun book.  I just wish that Verne had described their jaunts a little more, and the fish a little less.

Quotes:
"I ask no more than to live a hundred years longer, that I may have more time to dwell the longer on your memory"

"there was unusual life and vigour: this was truly living light! In reality, it was an infinite agglomeration of coloured infusoria, of veritable globules of jelly, provided with a threadlike tentacle, and of which as many as twenty-five thousand have been counted in less than two cubic half-inches of water."

"Nature's creative power is far beyond man's instinct for destruction."

"whatever the motive which had forced him to seek Independence under the sea, it had left him still a man, that his heart still beat for the sufferings of humanity, and that his immense Charity was for oppressed races as well as individuals."

Rating: ** (just not for me I guess)

"The Princess Bride: S Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure" - William Goldman

Published in 1973, 1998 by Ballantine Books

What happens when a milkmaid/princess, farm boy, Prince, Count, Spaniard, Giant, Pirate, and Miracle Man collide? The Princess Bride.

This used to be my sick movie go to.  It didn't matter how old I was or what I was sick from, I figured that if the little boy in the movie could handle it while feeling down and out, so could I.  I now own a dvd copy, but I am fairly sure that was one of the most played VHS Tapes in our collection.

I realized recently that no matter how many times I have tried, I haven't read the book.  So it took me by complete surprise this time when I picked it up and made it past the first (somewhat infuriating chapter).  You know William Goldman will get on with the story at some point but first you have to sit through 30 pages of him being a bit of a douche.  He effectively is as bad as "Morgenstern" and I wanted to edit him out.

BUT NOT FOR LONG! Haha! fooled you! The story takes off and from this point onwards his little additions are entertaining and pretty awesome.

It is filled with fighting, fencing, true love, baddies, some goodies, a few of the most beautiful women in the world, some intriguing marriages, royalty, hills and mountains, pirates, escapes, and it is amazing.  I wouldn't risk giving it away, but it is well worth the read.

I especially loved that there was so much more detail about Fezzick and Inigo Montoya, it really made all the times I have watched the movie even better.

Quotes:
Actually I think this is just my favorite passage.

"Then let's look on the bright side: we're having an adventure, Fezzik, and most people live and die without being as lucky as we are."
The moved down one step.  Then another. Then two, then three, as they got the hang of it.
"Why do you think they locked the door behind us?" Fezzik asked as they moved.
"To add spice to our trip, I suspect," replied Inigo.  It was certainly one of his weaker answers, but the best he could come up with.

Rating: ****

"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" - Jamie Ford

Published in 2009 by Ballantine Books

At first, I wasn't really feeling this book.  But then about a quarter of the way through I got sucked in and couldn't put it down.

The story of a middle aged man in the mid-eighties who has just lost his wife to cancer and is recalling his first love.  Growing up Chinese during the second world war and having a Japanese friend would be hard enough, but young Henry Lee falls in love and everything about his day to day life seems to change.

Follows the internment of the Japanese and the following war years, while simultaneously creating a story in the eighties about how Henry's life turned out and his relationship with his son.

Very sweet, not wonderful or life-changing but a nice read overall

Quotes:
"It was a sigh of resigned disappointment.  A consolation prize, of coming in second and having nothing to show for it.  Of coming up empty; having wasted your time, because in the end, what you do, and who you are, doesn't matter one lousy bit.  Nothing does."

"Henry woke up feeling like a new man, even if he was only twelve"

Rating: **

"A Wolf at the Table" - Augusten Burroughs

Published in 2008 by Island Road, LLC

Whoa, I seem to read books of a theme around the same time so reading this right after Robison was a strange treat! While Burroughs is known for his comedic timing and sometimes uncomfortable short stories, this was completely different than any of his work.

"A Wolf..." is the story of his relationship with his father. A man so dark and twisted he makes Meredith Grey look like the poster child for normal home life. While the book would have been a riveting read no matter what, it was exceptionally eery to read about some of the same experiences in the books of the brothers told from completely different perspectives.

Robison was raised by parents during their happy period and their downward spiral into unhappiness where Burroughs writes of parents who were already in the throes of alcoholism, mental breaks, and cruel games.  As a child, he yearns to be close to his father even though every attempt at personal contact is met with repulsion.  It isn't until his father has terrorized his mother, killed his pets, and alienated him entirely, that a still young Augusten realizes that there is something missing in his father.  A vital piece of humanity that just isn't there.

Rating: ***

"Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Aspergers" - John Elder Robison

Published in 2008 (paperback) by Random House, Inc

The memoir of John Elder Robison proved much more interesting than I had originally anticipated.  I picked up this book as part of one of Barnes & Nobles buy two, get one free promotions and figured it looked like a nice distraction from my usual reading.  His is the story of growing up with undiagnosed asperger's and how he managed to make it through the rough patches thrown his way by society and his family.

John Elder Robison is the brother of well known author Augusten Burroughs, entertainingly, both of them use similar writing devices and seem to prefer a compilation of short stories instead of one long autobiography.  Through Robison's writing it is possible to see inside the workings of the mind of a person who has aspergers, and it is truly a revelation.

The stories he tells help to show his point that however "robotic we Aspergians might seem, we do have deep emotions."  He tells the reader about growing up in a home where his parents were in the process of breaking down both physically and emotionally, his quirky younger brother, trouble with names, working with KISS and other bands, and basically the process of growing up and realizing he didn't fit in even when he tried his hardest.

His writing is at times a little jarring, but for the most part it is beautifully written with both funny and moving stories.  Robison writes that both he and his brother got their storytelling abilities from their mother, and it is all too sad that she had a mental collapse before she could write her own memoirs.

Overall, a great read.  Both insightful and intriguing while maintaining a hint of excitement with every page turn.

Rating:
***

Losing Pace

As much ground I gained in the first three months of the year, April has been a bit of a bust so far on the reading front.  I started John Elder Robisons autobiography of his life growing up with undiagnosed aspergers, but have managed to misplace it somewhere in my chaotic post vacation apartment.

I will press on though, clean the apartment, find the book, keep reading.

"Atonement" - Ian McEwan

Published in 2001 by First Anchor Books

This book weighed heavily on my mind for the days that lead up to actually reading it.  I had seen the movie back in college and remember finding Kiera Knightly pretty but inept at actually conveying any real emotion, and the young girl who played Briony was intolerable and by the end I felt like I had missed the story because the characters were so distracting.

So the fact that I really truly overwhelmingly liked this book says something.  I am still not sure what that something is though.  But I am leaning in the very positive side right now.

Atonement is a novel in four parts; part one focuses on the events of a single night and how the choices a thirteen year old girl (Briony) makes can destroy the lives of others, part two focuses on the war effort in France (where Robbie, the one hurt the most by the young girls words is fighting overseas,) part three showcases the life of Briony as she has aged and can now see what she did in a different light, as well as a light dalliance on what has become of the other characters, and part four in based in London in 1999 when she finds out there isn't long for her to live.

By the end of the movie I was angry and felt that Briony was a waste of space, but the book was very different.  I felt sad for her, and for her inability to truly make amends with anyone.  Without giving away too much, this was an excellent book, definitely one of the best I have read recently.  And the twist is surprising and jolting even when you know it's coming.

Rating: ****