Reading Challenge: Books #17, #18, and #19

I joked on a recent Twitter (or Plurk or Facebook status update) that I probably should not set reading goals in Olympic years.  While my goal of reading 12,345 pages this year was very much in jeopardy before the Olympics, it goes without saying that unless I go into some serious over-drive it ain't gonna happen.  That said, I was still surprised to see the page pace I was still on... so we'll see where it ends up!

If I being behind in reading wasn't enough, I see that I am also woefully behind in blog posts about the books that I have read.   So decided to do something a little different here and do a mini-post about the past three of them... if the adage "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all" is true, this shouldn't be any longer than one of my normal book posts - two of my three last books left me fairly underwhelmed - which seems to be a ongoing theme this year... and pretty darn frustrating... there's simply not enough time to be reading so-so books!   

The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus III
I picked up this book (in hardcover no less!) because I simply loved Dubus' debut (ha!) novel, The House of Sand and Fog.  That book (Sand and Fog) had me on the edge of my chair as it spiral-ed downward to stunning and tragic ending.  Days shifts its narrative over a handful of characters... stripper with a heart of gold, April, who is forced to take her young child, Franny, to work after her landlord/babysitter Jean falls ill... troubled AJ, one of the men's club regular customers, gets kicked out after he unintentionally touches one of the strippers... Lonnie, a strip club bouncer secretly in love with April... and Bassam, a middle Eastern man and one of April's private dance room customers who is both enthralled and disgusted by this American behavior (the novel takes place in the early days of September 2001... hmmm, wonder where that's going?!). 

While this book was extremely readable (I averaged over 55 pages a day), ultimately it was a pale re-tread of the same themes (people making very innocent, but very bad decisions) Dubus explored in Sand and Fog.  And at least in that novel, you could kind of sympathize with both parties.  I didn't find any of the characters particularly likable, which isn't necessarily a requirement for me to enjoy a book, but if they aren't going to likable at least make them compelling.  Also, the book lacked forward momentum... over 500 pages devoted to one night of "action" may be to blame... and a conclusion that I thought was more whimper than bang.   Ultimately, a big 'ole sophomore slump for Dubus in my opinion... and further proof that I should never put much stock in Stephen King's book recommendations.  King often writes about books for Entertainment Weekly and while I didn't know it at the time, he had given a glowing review of Days... King had also raved about Scott Smith's The Ruins, which was also a sophomore effort and also left me feeling I had wasted my time... so no more King recommendations for me... and also some serious reservations of future Dubus novels.

Reservation Road by Richard Yates
This book had been on my "to read" list for awhile now... but thanks to an upcoming film adaptation of it (more on that later), I figured it was time to get to it before the movie got around to influencing my mental image of the written work (mind you, not that I ever get around to seeing these book to movies in the theater).   Viewed as a modern classic of the underbelly of life in suburbia, this was the gem/saviour of this bunch of three books.  The novel is set in the 1950s with the newly married Frank and April Wheeler (and family) may appear to the be the Ozzie and Harriet to their neighbors, but inside their storybook home there is a lot more going on than meets the eye.  It is easy to see how this work is viewed (though I have read nothing specific to say it is/was) as the inspiration for the novels of Tom Perotta (Election, Little Children) and films like American Beauty... and while it is satiric of the burgeoning suburbia... it is far darker/edgier than any of those latter works... a quite cautionary tale of doing what's expected, instead of what would make you happy.  And, in this present day, it is also a fascinating look at life in the 50s - working without computers, gleeful drinking and smoking (even while pregnant!), etc.   

As I mentioned above, I suspect you will be hearing a lot more about this book in the coming months as the film version marks the much anticipated (??) Titanic on-screen re-union of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet (with American Beauty's - and Winslet's now hubby - Sam Mendes directing).  Fortunately, I had sorta kinda forgot about that while I was reading the book (apologies for putting those images in your head if I am inspiring you to give the book a go)... but the roles are quite meaty and its no surprise that this is tabbed for a late December, just in time for Oscar consideration, release.

Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed The World by David Maraniss
I'm guessing no explanation is needed for why I picked up this book (again, another hardcover purchase).. and I just about finished it prior to our trip to Beijing.  Pretty much any Olympic Games, is worthy of a book - there's always fascinating stories or participants - but the Olympics in Rome seemed to particularly rife with material.   Athlete-wise you had the legendary names of Rafer Johnson, Wilma Rudolph, and Cassius Clay (who was still years away from transforming into Muhammad Ali)... it was the first Olympics to be televised - though very archaically, with tapes being flown in nightly from Italy and first-timer Jim McKay, "hosting" the coverage from a studio in New York City.  The actions that would lead to the building of the Berlin Wall were underway, the American civil rights movement was still years away for black American athletes, the era of doping began with tragic consequences at the start of the Games, while the ear of an all-amateur competition was being chipped away. 

Pretty compelling stuff, huh?  I thought so too, but somehow (at least for me) Pulitzer Prize winner Maraniss somehow made it seem all pretty dry... more a reporting (this happened, then this, then this) style.... all very well-researched and informative, but again just not terribly engaging, particularly given the rich material.