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Books read so far this year - Part 2
Apr. 12th, 2010 02:23 pmThe Gift of Therapy, by Irvin D. Yalom, MD.
This book consists of short essays, advising beginning (and veteran) therapists on technique, approach, and other subjects in the field. Both Yalom's therapeutic style and writing voice feel warm, honest and engaging, meshing well with what I would ideally like to do as a therapist, myself. Moreover, the essays are short enough not to drain someone like me, who has trouble reading non-narrative nonfiction for a long period of time (the fact that he does utilize some narrative doesn't hurt, either.)
Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins
The sequel to The Hunger Games, which I'd read and adored earlier this year. It did suffer from a bit of 'second book in a trilogy' syndrome. The ending, especially, felt a bit rushed and glossed over, since the author knew we'd be returning to the scene later. That said, there were still some really powerful moments. One, in particular, stuck with me, where another author might have been content to write an inspirational, uplifting crowd sequence, and Collins, instead, went there, following through with the consequences and throwing a much darker tone on the event. Well worth reading, and a case where saying 'not as good as the prequel' isn't saying much.
Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters
Ok, let's start with the good stuff. Waters' writing is fucking gorgeous. She's clearly done her research and then some, and evokes the Victorian era masterfully, warts and all. That said, I still had some problems with this book, which is why I took so long to finish it. First of all, for the longest time, she had me convinced that this would be one of those 'feminist' novels, where the men are all scum and the women are all victims. That sort of narrative only makes me want to bang my head against the wall. The addition of a sympathetic male character, albeit fairly late in the game, alleviated my concerns somewhat, but didn't lift them entirely. True, Waters' women are hardly saints (something I did appreciate,) but her men felt more irredeemable and less nuanced, for the most part.
Moreover, it felt like Waters was a little too in love with making her protagonists suffer, a phenomenon I like to refer to as 'trauma porn.' There were some segments that felt like they had no purpose other than to show suffering - the prolonged description of one character's stay at a mental asylum comes to mind. To show a little would evoke emotion as well as painting the setting. To show a lot just feels like a gratuitous form of voyeurism.
Moreover, while I still felt a certain warmth for the protagonists having achieved a happy ending, I thought that forgiveness came too easily, after all the shit they'd put each other through. More interpersonal struggle in the denouement would not have been amiss, but I suppose Waters thought the book was already long enough.
It's hard to say if I recommend this book. From a historical geek perspective, it's golden; from a narrative and character perspective: rather frustrating. You decide.
This book consists of short essays, advising beginning (and veteran) therapists on technique, approach, and other subjects in the field. Both Yalom's therapeutic style and writing voice feel warm, honest and engaging, meshing well with what I would ideally like to do as a therapist, myself. Moreover, the essays are short enough not to drain someone like me, who has trouble reading non-narrative nonfiction for a long period of time (the fact that he does utilize some narrative doesn't hurt, either.)
Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins
The sequel to The Hunger Games, which I'd read and adored earlier this year. It did suffer from a bit of 'second book in a trilogy' syndrome. The ending, especially, felt a bit rushed and glossed over, since the author knew we'd be returning to the scene later. That said, there were still some really powerful moments. One, in particular, stuck with me, where another author might have been content to write an inspirational, uplifting crowd sequence, and Collins, instead, went there, following through with the consequences and throwing a much darker tone on the event. Well worth reading, and a case where saying 'not as good as the prequel' isn't saying much.
Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters
Ok, let's start with the good stuff. Waters' writing is fucking gorgeous. She's clearly done her research and then some, and evokes the Victorian era masterfully, warts and all. That said, I still had some problems with this book, which is why I took so long to finish it. First of all, for the longest time, she had me convinced that this would be one of those 'feminist' novels, where the men are all scum and the women are all victims. That sort of narrative only makes me want to bang my head against the wall. The addition of a sympathetic male character, albeit fairly late in the game, alleviated my concerns somewhat, but didn't lift them entirely. True, Waters' women are hardly saints (something I did appreciate,) but her men felt more irredeemable and less nuanced, for the most part.
Moreover, it felt like Waters was a little too in love with making her protagonists suffer, a phenomenon I like to refer to as 'trauma porn.' There were some segments that felt like they had no purpose other than to show suffering - the prolonged description of one character's stay at a mental asylum comes to mind. To show a little would evoke emotion as well as painting the setting. To show a lot just feels like a gratuitous form of voyeurism.
Moreover, while I still felt a certain warmth for the protagonists having achieved a happy ending, I thought that forgiveness came too easily, after all the shit they'd put each other through. More interpersonal struggle in the denouement would not have been amiss, but I suppose Waters thought the book was already long enough.
It's hard to say if I recommend this book. From a historical geek perspective, it's golden; from a narrative and character perspective: rather frustrating. You decide.
