Fiction

Dracula

/ justbookreading / 1 Comment

 

Dracula

Dracula

Dracula

By Bram Stoker

Bantam Books

ISBN: 0-553-21271-0

5 stars

I recently re-read Dracula and I have to say, it can still make my heart race even though I know what’s going to happen on the next page.

The novel is composed of journal entries from several characters: Jonathan Harker, Lucy Westerna, Mina Murray, Dr. John Seward, Quincey Morris, Arthur Holwood, and Professor Van Helsing.  Each entry brings a new voice and perspective to the story making it incredibly rich and, in many ways, even scarier because you know these individuals are expressing their true fears since the writing is done in private journals.

The story begins with Jonathan Harker, an English lawyer, on a trip to the Carpathian Mountains to conduct business for a Count Dracula.  He describes his odd journey and the strange responses of the people when they learn where he is going.  He also includes his description of the Count which gives the reader a clear look at Dracula.

Mina, Jonathan’s fiancée, is visiting her friend Lucy and writing happily to her Jonathan.  The entries are full of happiness and hope until Lucy falls gravely ill and the mood becomes tragically sad and somewhat disturbing as Lucy’s behavior and cause is explained.

Dr. Seward, a former suitor of Lucy’s, is at a loss to help her and calls on an old friend.  Professor Van Helsing arrives and sensing the problem begins a fruitless effort to save her.  When Lucy succumbs, Van Helsing knows what must be done but to protect the decency of the lady and emotions of family and friends, he mentions the next step, stake through the heart and beheading, only to Seward.  Seward, nursing his loss of Lucy in several ways, lashes out.  Finally, when neighbors begin to report children missing, Seward agrees to help Van Helsing along with Quincey, an American in love with Lucy as well, and her forlorn fiancé Arthur who feels it is his duty to help Lucy finally rest in peace.  The small band sets out to kill Lucy — again.

Mina at this time is nursing Jonathan back to health after he fell ill during his trip to Transylvania.  She finds and reads his diary against his wishes, in the hope of understanding what is ailing him.  She’s astounded by what she finds but is still determined to help not only Jonathan, but the now assembled group of vampire hunters, remove the scourge from the earth.

As the final battle becomes evident, the journal entries become more morose, creepy, and scary which is what makes this book so fascinating.  You feel as if you’re getting a peek into the characters’ minds.  You feel their terror and frustrations, and are entranced by the minutiae of their planning for the fight with what they consider to be the ultimate evil.

If you’re looking for something to read this October, the original still delivers.

The Mage’s Daughter

/ justbookreading / Leave a comment

 

The Mages Daughter

The Mage's Daughter

The Mage’s Daughter

By Lynn Kurland

The Berkeley Publishing Group

ISBN: 9780425219164

3.5 stars

Miach is attending his brother’s wedding when he realizes he can no longer magically sense the ailing Morgan, the woman he loves. After interrupting the marriage ceremony, much to the unhappiness of his brother, he leaves for the Kingdom of Lismor to find her.

Once there, he meets with Nicholas, the lord of Lismor, and is told he is too late — Morgan has already left for Gobhann, a place run by a cruel man named Weger who trained Morgan to be a mercenary. Gobhann is not subject to magic and Morgan hopes to find respite and recover from being poisoned inside the safety of its walls.

Miach follows her and gains passage into Gobhann by battling past the guards and showing his sword fighting talent — what little he has without the help of magic. He is admitted and endures Weger’s harsh training that made Morgan one of the most feared fighters in the Nine Kingdoms.

The relationship between Miach and Morgan is strained and he hopes once again to win her love and prove his worth to her by showing he is capable of great heroics without magic. While at Gobhann, Morgan slowly warms to him but is still weary of his intentions and won’t let herself fully trust him.

Unfortunately, Miach, the youngest Arch Mage of Neroch, is also trying to protect his kingdom from an unknown evil he cannot trace. His worry and great fear is that the evil is after Morgan but he cannot tell her. Morgan, the fierce and talented swords woman she is, would likely attempt to fight even in her weakened state. He fears this reality because he knows it will mean losing her forever.

The story is good fantasy with a lot of romance thrown in. The characters are intriguing and you do come to care for them by the end. The use of magic is novel but I do wish there was an explanation of the power and where it comes from. However, this is book two in the trilogy and I have not read book one which I’m guessing contained more background than is found in this book. I usually don’t like to read books out of order for this reason but I picked this one up without realizing it was part of a series. While there are enough clues and explanations to help the reader along, reading the first in the trilogy probably would have explained more about the main characters’ relationship and how they came to be in the predicament they find themselves in.

This book is a good quick read. If you happen to like magic, elves, and swordplay, it’s entertaining. After finishing the second in the series, I think I might seek out one and three, after all, I would like to see what happens between Morgan and Miach.

Revolutionary Road

/ justbookreading / 2 Comments

 

Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road

By Richard Yates

Vintage Books

ISBN: 978-0-375-70844-2

5 stars

“I love you when you’re nice.”  April Wheeler says this to her husband Frank and it becomes a defining moment for the couple.  This single line gives the reader an intimate look at these two characters and how they cling to each while trying to break free at the same time.

April and Frank are the perfect example of a happy young couple, or at least that’s the image they project to friends and neighbors.  They are young, beautiful, and living what can be thought of as a happy life in the suburbs of Connecticut.  Frank works a job he simply describes as boring and does his best not to talk about if at all possible.  In fact, he secretly finds irony in the knowledge that his father also worked for the same company, something he has only ever mentioned to his wife.

April spends her days searching for her true self and yearning for a different life.  She and Frank talk constantly of the draining existence that is the suburbs and how they will never live to their full potential and will die inside trying to live a dream that is not their own.  They want out and it’s April that finally concocts a plan to get them out — by moving to France.  They begin making plans and life takes on a new excitement for them.  They look forward to leaving behind the drudgery of their lives.  It’s only when circumstances change do their lives take on the stark reality of everyday life they attempt to avoid each and every day.

Yates writes in such a way that readers feel as if they are these people and what they are feeling and experiencing is so real that you want to recoil at the rawness of it all.  You feel the strain in the marriage, the love they do have for one another at certain times, and the embarrassment they feel.  There is also the sheer realization that what these two characters are facing are questions we all have about our own lives.  They are sad people, wonderful people, and very much real people.

You see the falling apart of two people and the life they have tried to cobble together in this book.  The hopes and dreams of two people shattered, yet, there is also an incredible hopefulness especially when they are planning their future but you know all of it is really just an exercise in escapism for these two people who are just so very unhappy and disappointed with how their lives have turned out.  You want to root for them but you know they are going to only remain disgusted with not only each other but everyone in their lives.

Revolutionary Road is a great book for the simple reason that Yates makes us April and Frank.  He pushes us to examine our needs, wants, and dreams and do it in such a way that makes you want to run away to France to make yourself over.  You hate him for making you feel so intensely, not only for these two characters, but for the very real way he is going to make you examine your life.

People of the Book

/ justbookreading / 1 Comment

 

People of the Book

People of the Book

People of the Book

By Geraldine Brooks

Viking

ISBN: 978-0-14-311500-7

4 stars

Dr. Hanna Heath, an Australian book conservator, arrives in Sarajevo days after the war ends to help preserve a long lost tome of the Jewish faith, the Haggadah. The book, which was believed lost, has turned up at the Sarajevo museum and needs to be restored. She is altogether surprised to have been called, honored at the request, and scared she will not be able to accomplish what she has been dispatched to do.

With security tight, she sets about her task only to create more mystery and intrigue than she ever has with her work. Several odd artifacts are found in the book including a butterfly wing, a long silver hair, blood, and indentations from long missing clips; each a mystery in their own right. In putting together a paper on her findings, she begins her research only to be baffled by more questions than answers. Seeking advice from her revered teacher and friend, she does not find the answers but only more questions. She does her best to fill in the blanks and in the process becomes one of the people of the book.

Told in between Hanna’s story are the tales of the people who helped to create, protect, and unknowingly, become part of the book and its history. Brooks introduces us to all the people who have touched the book in some way and the places it has traveled through history. She tells us the tales of the inscriptions, the brilliant illustrations, and the mystery surrounding the missing claps. She brings to life the history of not only the people but the book itself and its impact on the individuals it has touched and enlightened.

When Hanna is forced to doubt herself over the authenticity of the Haggadah before it goes on display at the Sarajevo museum, she takes on a new project and follows her work to the Australian outback. The work, which involves preserving native works that are part of her country’s history, allows her to hide from the world at large. Now part of the book’s history, Hanna is once again pulled into its realm, and in a final act to preserve it, becomes involved in a ploy to save it one final time.

The ending, which seems more fitting to a mystery caper than this book, is distracting and completely unbelievable after one has become acquainted with the characters involved. While Hanna’s story is certainly the glue that binds everything together, it is also the least interesting however; it provides a backdrop for the other stories and a time frame to place the other stories into.

Brooks weaves a wide-ranging tale that encompasses all the individuals that had a hand in creating and saving the book. Her story travels across time and religions and comes to life with her elegant descriptions. The book takes center stage of this intriguing tale and one can feel the soft parchment, smell the dust, and hear the creaking of the bindings barely holding the contents together. In the end, it becomes the most fascinating element of the story.

Rooftops of Tehran

/ justbookreading / 1 Comment

 

Rooftops of Tehran

Rooftops of Tehran

Rooftops of Tehran

By Mahbod Seraji

New American Library

ISBN: 978-0-451-22681-5

5 stars

In addition to this blog, I also do reviews for The Book Reporter website. Below is a short summary of my review of Rooftops of Tehran which can be found on their website in full here.

During the summer of 1973 in Tehran, Iran, Pasha and his best friend Ahmed spend their summer evenings sitting on the roof discussing life. Just 17 years old, the two are about to learn the harsh realities of love, friendship, and the sacrifices we are sometimes forced to make.

Rooftops of Tehran is one of those rare books that stays with you long after the last page has been turned. It reminds us of the good and bad in life, that joy has a painful side, and that love comes in many forms. Pasha’s love for his family and friends is so strong it is heartbreaking for him. His need to help and to fight only makes the reader fonder of him.

Marvelous characters inhabit the book. They are loving family members we all know — the mother who cares deeply for her child, the proud father who wants only the best for his son, the friend that is always by your side not asking why you’re fighting but standing next to you ready to land the next punch, and the love of your life which can be heartbreaking and exhilarating at the same moment.

Rooftops of Tehran is masterfully told. The author seamlessly drops the reader right in the middle of the story. The emotions are so strongly rendered you’ll feel as if you are these characters. He makes you laugh and cry at the same time remembering the joys of first love and pain of loss. It’s a fabulous read and one that will stay with you a long time.