Helen DeWitt

I have just finished "The Last Samurai" by Helen DeWitt. The character to the left is supposed to mean Samurai - quite nice even if I've been fooled by the internet.
DeWitt's book is simply incredible. There is so much in it that it probably needs to be read several times. But also there are so many references to people and books that one should probably have references at hand to get the most out of the book. I found a good web page with lots of links about various topics in the book. A valuable reading guide I should think. The link is given at the end of this entry. The book is like riding a roller coaster - highs and lows, but also because the shift from "dead languages" to music to art to more mundane things like playing cards keep you on your toes. I recommend the book and hope that I will be able to read it again soon - but this time with reference books and internet access to extract all the many allusions.

http://www.authortrek.com/helen_dewitt_page.html

Minnesota, Middle East, and New Jersey

Aurora, Minnesota is the home of Cork O'Connor created by William Kent Krueger - you can read about the place at the following website:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora,_Minnesota

There are 5 Cork books, but the last hasn't come out in paperback as yet so I haven't read it either (not in my local library either). They are entertaining, not great literature but they pull you along as you try to figure out "who done it".

The Middle East part of today's title is not a book, but a movie. I saw "Syriana" a few days ago. Quite a good movie, it almost had you rooting for the suicide bomber - not quite, but their desperation was palpable. Based on a book by Robert Baer ("See no evil"). George Clooney is interesting, he has done many a poor movie (but winners at the box office) but manages to do some really good stuff as well - "Syriana" qualifies (although I couldn't watch the torture session) as does "Brother, Where art thou". I'm looking forward to the Edward R. Murrow movie.

Finally the week ended in New Jersey with everyone's favorite Stephanie Plum. Janet Evanovich's "Eleven on top" (this one was in my local library) was an entertaining read, but not among the best of the Plum books, too few laughs and too many old gags. She should find some new characters instead of only using the old ones. On Evanovich's web page the hype is on for the next book "Twelve sharp". I found another critical voice - check it out.

http://www.mrsgiggles.com/books/soapbox/steph_plum.html

I probably should be ashamed of myself for putting this stuff into cyberspace.

Annie and my mother

About 12-13 years ago my mother sent me a book by Annie Proulx - "Postcards". I thought it was simply wonderful. But for Annie's books, one has had to wait. When "The Shipping News" came it took me by surprise, so different than the earlier book; but equally a great reading experience. Much variety, but always excellent writing (in my opinion), have characterized her books and short stories. But now there is the movie Brokeback Mountain, which I have just recently seen. It took my breath away. The heartbreaking scenery as a backdrop to a heartbreaking story, but a story where the important moments of being in love were authentically portrayed. It was a forbidden love between two men, but it could have been all the other love stories where all manner of star-crossed lovers were doomed to live a lifetime in longing. Thanks to Annie for writing it and thanks to my mom who is a reader who shares.

Long time no blogg

Too much to do, so the blogg suffers; but I have been reading. Just finished a real feast of words and language. Was in Rio and Budapest. Chico Buarque's book "Budapest" was full of tumbling prose and a real twist at the end. A piece of Brazilian culture that I hadn't been aware of (although I probably should have been). Famous for music - an icon in Brazil - lots of web pages but most in Portuguese.
The picture is not from Budapest or Rio - but to introduce one of the topics that Jared Diamond writes about in his "Collapse". Lots of interesting facts and interpretations in the book, which is meant to try to get people to understand that the interaction between societies and their environoment can have profound consequences. The picture is from Greenland. A group of Norwegians under Erik the Red (the guy that got kicked out of Norway, went to Iceland and then had to leave there as well - not a people person) settled there and the settlement lasted over 400 years, but eventually disappeared. Diamond makes a case for a combination of changing environment (in this case warmer first and then the climate got colder) and the fact that the Norwegians refused to adopt techniques they could have learned from the Inuits. A very interesting fact was that, according to excavations of garbage piles, the Greenland Norwegians ate very little fish (strange, strange).
Interspersed with these somewhat intellectual pursuits is the usual fare of dectective/thriller/crime. One book I found through a blogg - the author of "The Devil's Right Hand", J. D. Rhoades comments on politics and I appreciate these less than complementary writings about the present American president. (http://jdrhoades.blogspot.com/ ) .
I found a new series - out of the Minnesotan wilderness comes the protagonist Cork O'Connor in William Kent Krueger's books "Iron Lake" and "Boundary Waters". Both good reads for people like me that want to be pulled through a story. Also kind of fun because I could figure out who the bad guy was - many pages before it was revealed. Lucky for me there are several more (and true to form I have already ordered them). Finally another Minnesota book - I picked it up at one of my favorite places, The English Book Shop - "Sympathy between humans" by Jodi Compton. It is a sequel and I did read it, but I'm not sure I'm going to read the first book about Sarah Pribek. Among other things this author kills off some of the best characters, like Cicero. Hope it won't be as long to the next entry - lots of books out there.