Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy

In case you are wondering if I've fallen off the planet for the past month... No, I have not. I've been working my way through one thousand pages of Anna Karenina. I expected it to be difficult, but I found it much less dense than expected, very engaging, and maybe a new favorite. Apparently I had the "wrong" translation; I found the translation very accessible, but apparently the best one has purple flowers on the front cover.

The novel opens with an glimpse in the house of Stepan Oblonsky and his wife, Dolly, the morning after she has discovered that he was having an affair. These two characters serve to connect the other main couples: Oblonsky's sister, Anna Karenina, and Alexey Vronsky, who is not her husband; and Dolly's sister, Kitty Scherbatsky, and her suitor, Konstantin Levin. These four are the "main" characters, but the novel sweeps through a diverse cast of Russian nobility of the late 1800s.

The novel encompasses at least as many themes as characters, but both themes and characters kept me turning page after page, as Anna reacts to Vronsky as he seduces her; as Anna interacts with her husband as Vronsky seduces her; as Anna raises her son as Vronsky seduces her. They kept me turning pages as Kitty and Levin's relationship grows and blossoms. Passion and love, fidelity and honesty, personal and social responsibility, faith and religion all have their respective places in this novel, along with vast social commentaries on Russian noble and agricultural life at the time.

Two years ago, I wouldn't have made it through the entire novel, but I would have missed out. I highly recommend Anna Karenina to anyone who loves reading... in spite of my sub-par post to describe it.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon

Seven minutes after midnight, Christopher John Francis Boone found a dead dog outside of Mrs. Shears' house.  Someone had stabbed the animal with a garden fork.  Since Christopher's teacher had encouraged him to write a story, he decides to write a murder mystery about the death of the dog.  Christopher's book documents his own investigations into the dog’s death; he could never write about something that didn’t actually happen.  Despite his father’s command that he “stay out of other people’s business,” he sets out to detect who killed the dog—and ends up uncovering a host of family secrets in the process. 

Christopher has autism.  The entire novel is told in his voice, in a stream of consciousness style which gradually reveals the details of his life to the reader.  The book examines the challenges that Christopher faces because of his disability, the tensions in his family and relationships, and also the beauty of his world and his unique and brilliant perspective on life.  This is all captured in the framework of Christopher's murder mystery. 

Mark Haddon, who has worked with children on the autism spectrum, crafts the story masterfully, drawing the reader in immediately and keeping him or her captivated for every page.  Although stream of consciousness can often be a challenge for authors to write well, Haddon articulates the style perfectly.  Christopher's voice is believable and clear, and his experiences range from humorous to heartbreaking.  The book is not long, which is good, because once you start reading, you will not be able to put it down!
      

Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul, Tony Hendra

At the age of fourteen, Tony Hendra was caught having an affair with a married woman.  It was after this event that he decided he wanted to become a Benedictine monk.  Decades later, looking back on a successful career which includes stage appearances with Cambridge Footlights (from which Monty Python got its start), writing credits with National Lampoon, and films such as This Is Spinal Tap, the British comedian recounts his spiritual history and honors the life of the most influential friend in his life: Father Joe. 

From his first meeting with Father Joe in the Benedictine abbey, Hendra knew the priest would have a significant impact on his life.  Although Hendra eventually moved away from a monastic vocation--and even from the Catholic Church--his spiritual advisor remained a rock in his life, helping him through the challenges of marriage, divorce, miscarriage, and substance abuse, as well as sharing the joys of his family and his love of writing.  The comedian's memoir recounts his colorful life with the wit that is characteristic of his writing and pays tribute to the man he holds responsible for securing his salvation.

Candid and inspirational, Hendra’s spiritual narrative articulates the joys and pains which all people experience with profound and humorous eloquence.  It is a fun read that allows the reader see the world through the writer's eyes.         

The Assassin's Gallery, David L. Robbins

No moon shines over the dark waters of the Newburyport coast as a Persian assassin slithers ashore.  Her mission: to kill Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States.  Only Professor Mikhal Lammeck, expert in assassin psychology, has a chance of tracking the elusive Judith and eliminating her before she reaches her target. 

Lammeck has spent years teaching the theory of assassin psychology.  Now, called back into the field against his will, he finds that he is in way over his head.  As the distance between him and his quarry narrows, Lammeck finds himself entering the assassin's mind, and is awed at her ability.  No longer motivated by the desire to help his country, the professor find himself drawn forward by the allure and enigma of his brilliant adversary. 

Robbins' novel is not simply an action-packed thriller.  His revisionist history is filled to bursting with historical detail, set against the complex backdrop of the 1940s social climate.  Industry, war, racism, and sexism writhe in the background, complicating an already intriguing plot.  Robbins also devotes considerable energy to developing the character of his assassin, lest she be seen as a “faceless” enemy.  Along with Lammeck, the reader comes to understand the motivations and history of the assassin, the challenges she faces, the depth of her resolve, and the reason that she is determined to succeed in her objective, against all odds.  

More literary than most thrillers, The Assassin’s Gallery is a great read for anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction novel and a story of action-packed suspense.   

Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood

As far as Snowman knows, he is the last human left on the earth.  The blazing sun—hotter now that the atmosphere has thinned—burns his skin, even in the shade of the tree in which he lives.  His only companions are the human-like Children of Crake, a tribe of genetic experiments of whom Snowman was made guardian, before the known world came to an end. 

Unlike the Children of Crake, who survive by consuming raw vegetation, Snowman must forage for more nourishing food.  He braves a dangerous trail, crawling with vicious Pigoons, to find supplies in the ruins of a nearby city.  Haunted on his journey by the memories of the brilliant, cunning Crake, his enigmatic lover Oryx, and Jimmy, the unremarkable boy who Snowman used to be, Snowman relives the series of seemingly inconsequential events that led to the destruction of his world.  Slowly, the true cause of the apocalypse is revealed.  

Oryx and Crake has particularly strong resonances with modern American society in a framework which is more action-filled than some of Margaret Atwood's other works.  The book is both exciting and thought-provoking--forcing readers to speculate on the future of genetic engineering, cyber-stalking, global warming, and biochemical warfare.  As in most post-apocalyptic tales, Snowman’s story is intense and tragic.  It isn't a light read, but it is an engaging one.  This book is hard to put down! 

Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen

I seem to be making my way through Jane Austen's works this year!  I began this book with few expectations other than a typical Jane Austen read, but it turned out to be a little different.  Northanger Abbey is Jane Austin's satirical take on Ann Radcliffe-style Gothic novels.  I found the novel's romantic conflict halfhearted; instead Austen focused on building suspenseful imaginings in the mind of her protagonist, Catherine Morland.  At seventeen, Catherine is sensible but very naive, and learns the hard way that some acquaintances are superficial and deceitful while others are generous and genuine.  And she learns that frank realities are sometimes worse than dark, romantic imaginings.

An enjoyable read.  It could almost qualify as a coming of age novel of sorts, regency England style.  I would perhaps recommend this book for a younger reader who's not quite ready to tackle the dark and more complex themes of works like Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion.