Death with Interruptions

By José Saramago

     I picked up this novel by suggestion from my good friend and fellow blogger, Deputy Dawg. He was reading it a while ago and had told me about the premise of the book. I started this novel knowing only that it deals with some ideas about death and what would happen one day if everyone suddenly stopped dying.
    While the idea of the book was clear to me, the story was far from what can be anticipated. I’m not sure that after reading my review here a reader will be prepared for what this book offers, but I am ready to do my best to make it so. The book begins in an unknown Country; at the stroke of midnight death has been suspended. After a few days, people begin to take notice that no one has died. The infirm and weak persist in a vegetative state, unable to cross over into whatever lays beyond this life. From omniscient third person perspective, we eavesdrop into the dialogue among those affected by the absence of death. Insurance companies, hospice care facilities, hospitals, and morticians all struggle as their livelihood has been fundamentally changed. We see how society changes to deal with this new condition, and how their morals are challenged. For example: people residing in the present Country cannot die, is it permissible to take the infirm beyond the borders to allow them to die? While death is a topic most people see as an unfortunate consequence of life, putting the perspective on the living shows what a necessity it really is for normal life. Additional ideas are discussed in the novel, such as the idea that death could perhaps provide a 1 week warning to those whose life will soon end. How will people choose to use this extra time? Will they elect to make amends to those they have wronged, say goodbye to family members, or indulge as they have nothing to lose?
      The book really reminded me of a book that might be assigned for a college class. One which can facilitate a great deal of discussion, reflection, and change of perspective. This would also probably make for a good book for a book club. Before I continue, let me temper my praise of this book with the following: I enjoyed reading this book, but it was very different from any pleasure reading I would typically undertake. The dialogue takes quite a while to get used to. The writing style is unique, being narrated from the third person omniscient through a flow of consciousness type of style. The book reads a bit funny, which may be attributed to the fact it was translated from Portuguese. Punctuation also stood out to me in this book. Some typical elements, like capitalization and quotation marks, were omitted from the text. Perhaps related to the flow of consciousness style, commas were also ubiquitous, which sometimes made comprehension a bit more of a challenge. It is not structured to have a flowing story or the typical progression of a work of fiction (think dramatic structure). What it does well, however, is make the reader think about things. This book will certainly not change your life and it won’t give you a new perspective about mortality and life as we know it. But I don’t believe that was the author’s intention in the first place. If you like to think and keep an open mind, this book would be an interesting read for you. And I would recommend this book to readers out there who are engaged in a book club, as the collaborative discourse might provide further significance to this book which I was unable to gain reading it on my own.
     Rating: 4 out of 5 Bunsen Burners Up Next: TBA (I am currently reading the Hunger Games trilogy, but will not be reviewing them as they have already been reviewed by Kady. Where appropriate, I will include my thoughts about the books in the comments section of the previous reviews).

Catching Fire

by Suzanne Collins

      After loving the first book the Hunger Games, I needed to feed my new Hunger Games addiction and read the second book in this trilogy.  No surprise, it took a day and I was hooked.  Due to how much I enjoyed the first book, I was afraid that this book would not deliver.  Luckily, Collins proved me wrong.  The author made Katniss such a likable and courageous character in both these books.  While this book was vastly different in subject the characters and Collins simple, but exciting writing style kept my interest.


Unfortunately this review will be shorter than the others so I don't spoil anything (since it closely follows the first book).  Catching Fire continues where the first book left off.  Katniss finds herself as the (unintentional?) face of the a multi-district wide rebellion against the Capitol (and you know how if you read the first book).  Of course President Snow and the Capitol will not let her do this without consequences. Yet again, Katniss finds herself in unfortunate predicaments and frightening experiences.  Her courageous attitude, unbelievable intelligence, and impressive physical strengths are tested at every turn.

     Obviously from my review, I enjoyed reading this book.  I think Collins created a brilliant plot to follow the first book with.  While it picks up where the Hunger Games leaves off, it is a wonderful book by itself.  The author again impressed me with her writing and vivid descriptions.  Collins really knows how to fully involve a reader into her books because she leaves many chapters with a cliff-hangers that keep you up late into the night wanting to know more. I can't say I liked it as much as the first one, because it was a completely different piece of literature, but I was not disappointed.   I don't think it will be a surprise to say Mockingjay (the third book) is up next!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Up Next: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Third book in the Hunger Games trilogy)

11/22/63

By Stephen King
Diner owner Al has discovered a portal to the past, 1958 to be exact. After using the portal for a time to keep his diner running, he decides to change history and prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He has come to believe that this event is monumental and completely changes the course of history. Unfortunately, Al becomes terminally ill with lung cancer and must abandon his plan. He looks to Jake Epping, his only friend and high school teacher, to carry out his objective. After a quick visit to 1958 Maine, Jake begins his five year quest to change history.
Jake is guided by detailed notes provided by Al regarding the action of Lee Harvey Oswald and the knowledge that if he fails he can try again (as each venture into the past gives a complete reset). Just as Al warned him, the past is obdurate and will do whatever it can to resist change. Jake decides that his first objective will be to save the life of the family of one of his students. Jake was teaching adult education classes and was moved by an essay written by one of his students. The essay, while poorly written, was dramatic in its content. “Hoptoad” Harry details how his father killed his family and maimed him in a drunken rage. This emotional story sets the stage for King to display how difficult it is to change the past. We are left to wonder if changing such a simple event can be so difficult, what may happen when Jake tries to intervene with the public execution of a US President? What potential cascade of events and history may occur as a result? Jake deals with the typical problems of everyday life and love, and also with those problems associated with a time traveler from the future trying to change the stubborn past. The pages leading to the climax of the novel are fast paced and the book was very hard to put down at this point. And, as usual, I was very pleased with the conclusion to the novel.
I really enjoyed this story and all the events that occurred to Jake as he travelled from Maine to Texas. King did a wonderful job of immersing the reader in all the details of the late 50’s and early 60’s. As is typical with King’s writing, I felt that the bulk of the novel would stand alone just fine, even without the time travel and pursuit of Lee Harvey Oswald. His character development and the relationships that blossom were well established and convincing. In addition to being an interesting book, it also gave me a new perspective on Lee Harvey Oswald. While this book is obviously not meant to be a detailed history of Oswald, or a reliable biographical work, King brought up some important facts about Oswald’s life leading up to his assassination of John F. Kennedy. In the past, I found it fairly romantic to think that maybe there is more to the story than just a lone gunman. King brought up some information I had not previously heard of, namely Oswald’s probable involvement in the assassination attempt on Major General Edwin Walker. This changed my perspective of Oswald from a potentially innocent patsy, to an egomaniac looking to change the world and make a name for himself. What was also interesting about this book was the fact that King had initially attempted this novel in the 70’s. He ultimately decided that the combination of fresh wounds and difficulty writing the story (I guess the story was obdurate too: you’ll get that joke if you read the book) to abandon the work. Boy am I glad he got back to it after all these years. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good “edge of your seat” thriller, especially those with a romantic attachment to the 50’s and 60’s.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Bunsen Burners.
Up Next: Death with Interruptions by José Saramago.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

By Stephen King
This short novel by (my favorite author) Stephen King is about a young girl, named Trisha, who finds herself separated from her family deep in the woods. She loses her sense of direction, but manages to keep moving in an effort to rediscover the path or find some people to help. Little does she know that she is quickly moving herself outside the zone of the search party. This young girl grows up quickly as she is required to ration what little food she has, use what little survival skills she has, and do all she can to keep herself alive. Her only escape from the torture of being lost, cold, and hungry in the woods, is her Walkman that she uses to pick up Red Socks games. Readers follow her as her condition grows more desperate and we wonder if she will make it out alive.
This story is quite good and a great example of how the author has a unique talent for making something out of nothing. He does a fantastic job of getting into Trisha’s head and describing the physical pains and emotional strife she encounters. I have always found it incredible how King can make little action so very interesting. For the majority of the story, there are no other characters, little dialogue, and static setting. Yet somehow the story remains interesting. I thought King did a phenomenal job putting the reader into Trisha’s head, describing her ordeal and pain so well you really feel for her.
I really enjoyed this book and it was a fine representation of Stephen King’s unique talent. Due to the content, I can only rate this book so high. While it has merit for what it accomplishes, it is not the typical fast-paced or exciting page-turner that King usually delivers. That being said, I enjoyed the book but would never insist that someone should read it.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5 Bunsen Burners
Up Next: 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why
by Jay Asher

So after receiving my new Kindle Fire on Thursday and running through the setup, I immediately went to the Kindle book store and purchased my first ebook, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, after hearing several good reviews from teachers and hearing a book talk about it in my Young Adult Lit class last semester. But it wasn't just the good reviews that fueled my curiosity about Jay Asher's novel, it was the entire idea behind it: a young girl commits suicide but before doing so creates a series of cassette tapes that are to be passed to each person, 13 in all just in case you missed what the title was, that pushed her towards ending her life.

The story is told through two distinct narratives running concurrently. In the present you have Clay Jensen, your typical high school good guy wanna be valedictorian. He doesn't have any skeleton's in his closet, other then a secret crush. And in the past you have the voice of Hannah Baker, a pretty new girl who's life is surrounded by rumors. Now I use the words "present" and "past" and "voice" because... well in case you haven't guessed it from my introduction, Hannah is not actually alive during the story. She is creator of the tapes and consequently the suicide victim. So while Clay listens to the tapes and progresses through them, you not only hear his thoughts and follow him through his journey but you also hear the voice of Hannah playing on the tapes. Its actually quite genius and immensely well thought out and is probably the only way to tell this story.

Now I won't say anything else relating to the story because I dare not ruin it for anyone, so you'll have to be content with what I've given you, but I will say this: I literally could not put this book down. Mr Asher created a extremely likeable and relate-able character in Clay in order to tell his story and placed him in a very real small town setting. He also addresses several real issues that teens face each and every day: fear, ridicule, rumors, suicide and dealing with the death of someone important in your life, all the while being respectful to those dealing with these issues.

With that said 5 out of 5 dawg bones. Woof!

The Listeners

by Christopher Pike

The Listeners is the fourth book I have read by Christopher Pike. This book involves FBI agent David Conner, a rogue agent if there ever was one. His boss, Ned Calendar, has found a particular case that he feels David will be adept at. This is the final case that the two will be working, as David is quitting the FBI and Ned is retiring. We are given David’s background, including some stories which help to develop him as a phenomenal agent who has great instincts for the job, while at the same time casting him as an individual who doesn’t do things “by the book.” We are also presented with stories highlighting tragedies which have befallen him. His unconventional tactics and behavior in response to these tragedies also provide evidence for why he is leaving the FBI. Back to the case at hand: Ned wants David to investigate a group involved with channeling “The Big Mind.” Lead by Professor Spear, they have provoked FBI attention due to their knowledge of government secrets. David is sent to investigate because of his unconventional attitude, and his potential for relations with some of the young girls in the group.
While David begins to infiltrate the group, undercover as a magazine reporter, Ned conducts his own investigation into Dr. Spear’s past. They discover disturbing details about the death of Spear’s wife, and their time in Africa with the Dogon tribe. We are introduced to many players in the story, primarily members of Spear’s group. Critical to the story are twins Vera and Lucy. David becomes involved with Lucy, but has no idea what kind of power the twins are capable of capturing.
The story is decent, truly saved by the development of some interesting characters. I was definitely attached to the characters, and this is the primary reason why I enjoyed the book. Overall, I thought the story itself was somewhat weak. Definitely an interesting premise, however, by the end I was dissatisfied with the flow of the story and the ending. While the plot was strong, as well as the character development, the downfall of the novel was definitely the topic and execution. I like Pike’s style, but this was definitely not one of his best books.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Bunsen Burners
Up Next: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon