by David Mitchell (1999)

David Mitchell entered my life with one of my favorite novels ever, Cloud Atlas. I decided to visit his first novel, Ghostwritten a few weeks ago and found the beginnings of genius, but unlike Atlas, it’s a slow, sometimes confusing process to make it through this dense, story-hopping book that begins with a Tokyo subway attack and ends with the end of the world narrowly diverted. The stories in between are loosely connected, a style he has made his own and some are more compelling than others.

It’s hard to say exactly what it’s all “about” though there are clearly themes like individuals versus the masses, whether it be a corporation, a cult, or the government, human accountability, and ghosts of many kinds. Somehow though, in it’s ambition and global sweep, the novel is a bit dry and passionless. While it’s certainly worth a read with many memorable elements, he perfects the balance of mind and heart with his later works. (i.e. read Cloud Atlas if you haven’t yet).

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Posted on August 15, 2010

by Bret Easton Ellis (2005)

I can kind of understand why some Bret Easton Ellis fans told me not to bother with Lunar Park. It’s a love it or leave it (The Boston Globe said it may be the worst novel I’ve ever read) book that really depends on how much you’re willing to go with him on a journey, not fueled by sexy young things, drugs and privilege (well, OK there is a bit of that) but on a journey that most closely resembles Poltergeist meets faux self loathing. Yes, Ellis has pretty much created a straight up horror summer reading book with loads of meta meta meta.

The main character is Bret Easton Ellis, and while most of his life story and persona are true, the skyrocketing fame and parties of the real Ellis are well known, much of the biography of this “Bret Easton Ellis” is purely made up. (I was one of the clueless who looked up the book version of Bret Easton Ellis’ girlfriend, Jayne Dennis to see if she was real – she’s as real as Dorsia – which I also looked up). He is a world famous, controversial author now living the suburban life with his wife, her daughter, and his estranged son while reluctantly teaching at his alma mater and trying to carry on affairs with his students.

There’s cocaine, there’s alcohol, there’s clever cynicism.. even Jay McInerney shows up – but the book takes on something entirely new for Ellis when the McMansion he lives in starts to show signs of being possessed. Lights begin to flicker, footsteps burn themselves into the carpeting, a Furby like doll turns animals inside out, and a hairy creature crawls up the stairs. Patrick Bateman , the serial killer from American Psycho also makes an appearance – killing locals based on the novel and young neighborhood boys are (willfully?) disappearing. I’m not surprised that he says the book was an homage to Stephen King because it shares much more with those genre books than I think most fans were interested in.

It’s sometimes complicated, sometimes melodramatic, often cinematic (you can easily see many of the scenes played out in a movie) and definitely surreal but it’s mostly about the pain of bad father and son relationships. Well, that and violent ghosts.

Best to enter this one without expectations and a love for the horror book genre.

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Posted on July 18, 2010

by Dorothy Allison (1992)

A young girl grows up rough in the South with plenty of abuse, drinking, family, and lessons.. it sounds like the kind of book that writes itself and may prove predictable in it’s drama, but Dorothy Allison does something quietly magical with her debut darling, The Bastard Out of Carolina. She creates a living, breathing world that feels authentic in no small part to the autobiographical elements of the story. Both author Allison, and protagonist Bone have a very tough life but one that still has some hope, love of family, and incredible personal spirit.

I can listen to people tell tales of their family gossip for hours, and Bastard Out of Carolina kind of feels like that to an extreme. It received numerous honors when it was published and his lauded not only by critics but readers. It was made into an Anjelica Houston directed showtime movie starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jena Malone.

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Posted on June 27, 2010

by Jack Vance (2004)

Lurulu is really just a continuation of last week’s Jack Vance recommendation, Ports of Call (curious then, that the two are not released in one book like some many of his series). The Glicca crew is still roaming the Gaean Reach with their cargo ship, meeting unusual cultures on faraway planets. These are by no means highlights of the Jack Vance books, for that start with the first three books in Tales of the Dying Earth, followed by The Demon Princes, and tack on Showboat World for some silly fun. Still, his ideas and creations are more interesting than most science fiction even in a more rambling collection of stories like this.

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Posted on June 13, 2010

by Christian Lacroix (2007)

If Christian Lacroix wants to talk fashion, I am listening, or in the case of the exquisite and inspiring Christian Lacroix on Fashion, I am looking. I found this all color coffee table book for a surprisingly cheap 25 at a local shop and have been gazing at the contents ever since. Any fan of incredibly detailed clothing and sartorial history will find themselves equally transfixed.

Divided into themes like “colour” ( “The red that I love to use everywhere… comes from my mother.. She always dressed me in red, or at least a touch of red, which had a cheering effect”), “Checks, plaids and tartans” (“Eccentric yet conservative, checks and their Scottish cousin, tartan, re the essential embodiment of British dandy chic.”), “ceremony”, “graphics”, “patchwork”, “cobwebs”, “black”… the book features short, colorful descriptions and beautiful photographs of beautiful clothing.

From ivory garden party dresses from the 1900s, capes from the 1880s, the work of Mainbocher, Chanel, Gres, YSL, Heim, Vionnet, Worth, Dior, Rabanne, Ungaro, Balenciaga and of course, many from Lacroix himself – there is so much style here it will make your toes curl with excitement.

Click here for the rest of Christian Lacroix on Fashion

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Posted on May 31, 2010