Scribblings

Books I've Read Recently

I thought I would enjoy Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden more than I did. Don't get me wrong--it's a great book! I am amazed at how well Golden writes the voice of a female character. Not only that, the character speaks in a rhythm and style that makes me picture Japanese gardens and tea rooms in my mind. I was "hooked" in the beginning--a young girl is sold (with her sister) into a sort of slavery. Chiyo is a beautiful child and so she goes to a geisha house; her unfortunate sister is sold into prostitution. Life is hard for Chiyo and it's even worse because of a sadistic geisha named Matsumomo. I'm not sure why Matsumomo hated Chiyo so. Maybe it was insecurity? She was afraid of the child's beauty? After being disgraced, Chiyo meets "The Chairman" and he becomes her lifelong "crush"...I guess that's what you'd call it. Even though she has better friends than The Chairman, she pursues him and betrays the man who is kindest to her, the best friend she had. I didn't find it too believable but...so much of the book was fascinating and I didn't mind the parts that were boring or didn't make sense. A good read, but not for the beach.

If you are a Lost fan, you must get and read Unlocking The Mystery of Lost by Lynnette Porter & David Lavery. It has everything you could possibly want: character studies, episode synopses, theories, pictures--it'll help you get through the long summer doldrums without the series.

I read Wicked: The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire as part of a book ray. To find out more about book rays, go to Book Crossing and look under the FAQs. I had very mixed feelings about the book. I thought the basic idea was pretty cool--the witch (Elphaba) isn't really wicked, she's misunderstood. She's insecure and awkward because of her green skin and feels like a social outcast. My objection was that the story didn't stay with her. It shifted to other characters like Galinda and Boq, who didn't seem to be ultimately all that important, and there was a lot of confusing politics involved. I got the idea that the Wizard was more a Hitler type than a kindly bumbling grandfatherly type. It was okay. Some people will love it and others will not. Give it a try and see.

For another bookring, I read Couldn't Keep It to Myself: Wally Lamb and the Women of York Correctional Institution (Testimonies from our Imprisoned Sisters) by Wally Lamb and inmates at the York Correctional Institution. Wow! This was a heart-breaking, inspiring book made up of the stories of women who were in desperate circumstances growing up (many sexually abused) and overcame some of the ugliness to write some powerful stories about their lives. I was very moved by the book and I sure would recommend it to anyone!