Thursday, 21 April 2011

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (2009)

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Well some good bits first. It did help me understand more about car racing. And yes I liked the title as the theme for the story – we can get through the bad times etc. But the characters are flat and boarding on cliché – the kooky, brave loyal wife, the cute kid, the in-laws from hell , the silent strong hero struggling to do the best for his loved ones. In short, classic TV movie fodder.  The use as a dog as the central narrator does allow for some interesting takes on the events but it gradually beggars belief – he can bark twice as requested to urge speed but can’t work any other code out in his time with the family? Then its downhill for me as the plot unfolds. The wife suffers months/years of a mega serious illness but loving husband and in-laws from hell don't get her to the hospital ( so why no coven of friends fighting her corner?) But once in and the consequences known, wife and child go to live with in-laws from hell and so create the added complications of the plot. And he’s working in some vague back office job yet manages to raise the serious levels of sponsorship needed for professional racing almost in passing. I suspect that as a spoken book and a film with the right cast it might work as character depth could be injected but for me it’s the first abandoned book of the year.

Amazon_2_star: Disappointing - fine if nothing better to read but sell or swap ASAP.


Tuesday, 19 April 2011

On a quiet day

While the world watches a wedding, a fairy tale for little princesses, I sit and wait. The silent street with trees gnarled and spring green leaves. In each house a party, this one sedate and mocking, that one beer swigging and tearful.

bunting fluttering
reflected on each car
and one blade


Random Word: Watches a Wedding

Thursday, 14 April 2011

Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon (2006)

wonderboys
Story of a weekend that goes very badly wrong as Grady Tripp, a writer stuck with a book he can’t finish, and relationships he can’t stick to, manages to get drunk and high in all the wrong places, as wife, girlfriend, best friend, new rising writer, Jewish-Korean in-laws are caught up in ever shady dealings and shock revelations. And yes it’s now a film! The story unfolds from his point of view and memories with clearly delineated characters with their own voice from the mid 90’s. My only hmm moment with the plot is a drunk, pot smoking professor has a female student lodger from his own course and gets drunk with one of his male students, getting him laid. Were USA colleges that liberal back then? Leaving that aside, the story builds a fast and jaw dropping set of events with a wonderful light and shade of farcical humour and subtle loss.



Amazon_4_star: Good - read it again and loan it out or give to friends when shelves full.