Japanese Literature Challenge 3

Button by Tanabata!

I've been waiting for Japanese Literature Challenge 3 since I finished reading for Japanese Literature Challenge 2 last year ... and it is finally here! Bellezza is our host and her challenge is as follows:

"... read one work of Japanese origin. It can be literature of course, but don’t feel confined to that. You may choose to read poetry, biographies, short stories or even manga. If you are willing to read one such piece, you’ve met the challenge. If you read more, all the better."

The challenge runs from July 30, 2009 through January 30, 2010.

For more details (including a list of prizes!) read Bellezza's post.

My interest in Japanese literature began a few years ago when I picked up a book by Haruki Murakami and found myself in a whole new world. I then sought out works by other Japanese authors. I've got quite a list of books I would like to read for this challenge and will be choosing from the following:

I am a Cat by Soseki Natsume
Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse
Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata
Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Ueda Akinari
Japanese Gothic Tales by Izumi Kyoka
Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakami
South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami
The Wind-up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami
Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino
Real World by Natsuo Kirino

The next few months should be a lot of fun!

BOOK REVIEW: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Title: Gilead
Author: Marilynne Robinson
Publisher: Picador
Year: 2004
Reason for reading: Battle of the Prizes challenge

First line: "I told you last night that I might be gone sometime, and you said, Where, and I said, To be with the Good Lord, and you said, Why, and I said, Because I'm old, and you said, I don't think you're old."

Gilead is an epistolary novel written by a Congregationalist minister to his young son. John Ames came to fatherhood rather late in life and regrets that he won't be able to watch his son grow to manhood. There are so many things he wants to tell the boy that can't be told to a six year old, and so he begins to write his letter in a journal.

"Your mother told you I'm writing your begats, and you seemed very pleased with the idea. Well, then. What should I record for you?"

As a minister who comes from a long line of minsters, John Ames is concerned with the human condition and the deeper things of the soul. There is much about the nature of love, friendship, faith and prayer in Gilead. Even the hard questions of Christianity are addressed as Jack, the son of John's lifelong friend, posits the philosophical query:

"Do you ever wonder why American Christianity seems to wait for the real thinking to be done elsewhere?"

John has kept pages and pages of sermons he has delivered over the years in which he "[tried] to say what was true." It is this pursuit of truth and personal integrity that seems to haunt John in his twilight years. The relationship between John and Jack has been strained for a very long time. These two men repeatedly attempt to understand each other and John feels deeply his failure, as both a minister and an elder, to comprehend and forgive the younger man. As John struggles to right this relationship, he reaffirms that redemption is neither simple nor easy.

The pace of the writing is very meditative and requires the reader to slow down and take up the tempo of an old man. While this was an effective device most of the time, I found my mind wandering far from the novel at other times. There are no chapter breaks, but there are "thought" breaks in which the author may pick up the same thread or shift to a new one. This format took a bit of getting used to, but once I adjusted it seemed appropriate for the teller of the story. The writing is spare and straightforward, which fits the setting and time -- a small prairie town of the 1950s populated by those who have seen much hardship.

"To me it seems rather Christlike to be unadorned as this place is, as little regarded."

Gilead is a beautifully written book that, at times, will take some work to read. I don't think that the religious tone of the book should disturb those who follow a faith other than Christianity or those who follow no faith at all. What the author truly addresses in her pages is the human condition of which we are all a part.


Gilead is my review of a Pulitzer Prize winner for The Battle of the Prizes reading challenge.

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Note to other reviewers: If you've written a review for this book, please let me know by posting the permanent URL for your review in the comments. I'll be happy to add a link to your review with my post.

Also reviewed by:
hopeinbrazil at Worthwhile Books
Rose City Reader

Friday Fill-Ins

Graphic courtesy of Tonya!

1. Missing a deadline is not the end of the world.

2. Sitting here, listening to the sound of rain falling, I am clearly dreaming since it rarely rains in Southern California.

3. Cheese tastes so good!

4. Sometimes, putting others first is hard to do but I'm always glad when I do.

5. Sunrise on the beach is breathtaking, really.

6. Well, maybe there is a Santa Claus.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner with my husband and watching Eureka on TV, tomorrow my plans include hanging around the house waiting for a furniture delivery and Sunday, I want to read my brains out!

BOOK REVIEW: The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

Title: The Uncommon Reader
Author: Alan Bennett
Publisher: Picador
Year: 2008
Reason for reading: Library Thing Early Reviewers

The Uncommon Reader is a satire that pokes fun at the British monarchy while celebrating literature. The book opens as the Queen chases her irascible corgis right up to a bookmobile parked outside the kitchen at Windsor. Entering to apologize for the ruckus, the Queen feels obligated to check out a book. Palace life changes as the Queen discovers reading and the variety of life presented between book covers. She loses interest in her day-to-day obligations and is even late to the opening of Parliament as she pursues her new interest. The Queen confuses those around her by no longer following standard conversational protocol and instead broaches more literary and thoughtful discussions. After a year of such "common" behavior, the Prime Minister takes action in order to restore the more comfortable and understandable status quo.

Bennett does a fantastic job making the reader identify with the Queen. Through the commonality of reading, the Queen takes on an unusual warmth and human depth. It is a pleasant scenario, but clearly outside of reality. That said, you will wonder how Bennett plans to bring us all back to reality without spoiling the fun ... and he will surprise with a perfect ending.

Rating: 4 out of 5


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Note to other reviewers: If you've written a review for this book, please let me know by posting the permanent URL for your review in the comments. I'll be happy to add a link to your review with my post.

Also reviewed by:
nymeth at things mean a lot

BOOK REVIEW: Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner

Title: Murder on the Eiffel Tower
Author: Claude Izner
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Year: 2008
Reason for reading: Library Thing Early Reviewers

First line: "Wearing a tight new corset that creaked with every step, Eugenie Patinot walked down Avenue des Peupliers."

Murder on the Eiffel Tower is a historical mystery set in Paris 1889 and is the first in a series featuring Parisian bookseller, Victor Legris. The Eiffel Tower has just opened during the World Exposition, and Legris finds himself in the midst of a series of mysterious deaths apparently caused by bee stings. The four victims do not appear to be connected and the deaths seem random, but Legris is intrigued by the oddness of the deaths and decides to investigate. As he looks more deeply into the matter, it becomes obvious that there is a serial killer on the loose and, unfortunately, Legris suspects his business partner and closest friend. The plot weaves in and out of the rather atmospheric setting as Legris pursues the murderer.

The historical backdrop of the 1889 World Exposition and 19th century period detail were, to me, the star attractions of the book. I was particularly fascinated by descriptions of 19th century French architecture. Legris was annoyingly dense as he repeatedly missed obvious clues that would identify the serial killer, and the other characters were rather poorly developed and not terribly memorable (except for Joseph!). The book was translated from the French and the writing seemed stilted at times. Perhaps the translation had something to do with my lack of enthusiasm.

Murder on the Eiffel Tower was, overall, a quick and enjoyable read that will appeal to those interested in the setting, but I did not find it compelling enough to pursue the series.

Rating: 3 out of 5


Edited: In my haste I forgot to mention that the author, Claude Izner, is really the pen name of two sisters who are booksellers in Paris.

Book Giveaway Winner

I would like to thank each of you that entered the book giveaway for The Road from La Cueva. I wish I had copies for each of you, but I only have one to give away. The winner of that copy is ...

... Tiina!

Author Guest Post: SHEILA ORTEGO

It is my pleasure to welcome author Sheila Ortego to Tip of the Iceberg. I recently read and reviewed her debut novel, The Road from La Cueva, and fell in love with it. Sheila was able to drop in for a visit to talk about her book, who has inspired her writing, her next big writing project, and what she does when she's not writing.

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Many, many thanks to Terri for welcoming me in! So here I go ... my name is Sheila Ortego, not Ortega with an ‘a’, but ending in an ‘o’. Which makes my life very complicated here in New Mexico where there are lots and lots of Ortegas. The reason my name is ‘funny’ is because I’m a Cajun from Louisiana, and more recently of French ancestry than Spanish. So the French-speaking Cajuns changed Ortega to Ortego (I’m not quite sure why they didn’t go all the way and change it to Ortegeaux) and that’s how it all started.

Most of my time is spent on my ‘day job’, working as the president of Santa Fe Community College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I’ve had that job for 3 ½ years now – but before that, I worked as an Executive Vice President, Assistant to the President, Dean, Director, Division Head – then all the way back to my start at the community college 26 years ago, as a secretary and part-time English instructor. As heady as the job of a community college president can be (and it is quite heady, as we work on exciting new projects such as a Sustainable Technology Center, a new Nursing and Allied Health Facility, and new/innovative programs to increase student success) I still feel my heartstrings pulling me to fiction.

I spent 15 years writing the novel The Road From La Cueva. I got the idea to write it when I was a young mother, very poor, in an unhappy marriage, living on a bad road in northern New Mexico. I basically used my own life as material – as you can see if you read the book, because it’s about a woman (Ana) who gets ‘stuck’ in her life—the same way her car gets stuck in the mire and mud of the road. She tries different things to get unstuck, with varying degrees of success. Eventually, Ana finally learns to relax and appreciate the reality and beauty of the road; she stops seeing it not so much as quicksand – but as something malleable and full of potential (as life itself is).

In my writing life, I have been inspired by the novels of African American women, especially. In fact, I did my doctoral studies on that very subject: the wonderful works of Toni Morrison (Beloved, Sula, The Bluest Eye); Alice Walker (The Color Purple, The Third Life of Grange Copeland); Zora Neale Hurston (Their Eyes Were Watching God) – and more! I’m a romantic at heart, so I love good drama and troubled characters and exotic locales. This may explain my penchant for movies like Out of Africa, The Age of Innocence, Like Water for Chocolate ... anything with a good love story and a beautiful setting!

My next big writing project is something I’ve been “noodling with” for a couple of months. I hope to get it done over the next year. It’s a story about lost love, a canoe trip to the boundary waters (Quetico area, Canadian wilderness), death, and love reborn. (Or so far, that’s the idea! Let’s see how it evolves.) I may call it "The Boundary Waters," as I’m trying to get at the idea of how boundaries between countries are like boundaries between people: narrow or broad, depending on your perspective; difficult to see and recognize; often seemingly impassable, but always with mysterious avenues for navigation if one tries hard enough.

I hope you’ll check out my blog. While you’re browsing, consider signing up to follow my blog or make comments about postings there. I also hope you’ll take the time to read reviews of my book at Amazon.com. My next big book signing event is going to be in Simi Valley, California – I’ll post some info on the blog about that when the time comes (May, 2010).

In the meantime, I hope you are having a wonderful summer. Happy reading!

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A big "thank you" to Sheila for taking time out of her busy schedule to prepare a guest post for us here today. And don't forget to check out her book, The Road from La Cueva!.

Friday Fill-In

Graphic courtesy of Tonya!

1. Steak and salad and a glass of wine make a quick and easy dinner. (OK, so I added an item!)

2. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is the book I'm reading right now.

3. July brings back memories of my wedding 28 years ago!

4. The skin melting heat was obvious.

5. They say if you tell your dreams ... well, I don't know what "they" say, but mine are pretty vivid.

6. I have a big purchase to make and need time to think it over.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sushi dinner and a movie, tomorrow my plans include celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary with my husband and Sunday, I want to take a long walk on the trail near my house!

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Don't forget to stop by tomorrow and read Sheila Ortego's guest post here at Tip of the Iceberg. And on Sunday I will be announcing the winner of Sheila's book The Road from La Cueva. Please stop by and say "hi" to Sheila!

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Total Sobfest

I stayed home with a sore throat yesterday and decided to watch this:



Just looking at this picture makes me want to start sobbing all over again.

Have you watched Masterpiece Theatre's Tess of the d'Urbervilles?

BOOK REVIEW: The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato

Title: The Glassblower of Murano
Author: Marina Fiorato
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Date: June 2009 (U.S. edition)
Reason for reading: LibraryThing Early Reviewers

First line: "As Corradino Manin looked on the lights of San Marco for the last time, Venice from the lagoon seemed to him a golden constellation in the dark blue velvet dusk."

A little romance, a little history, and a little mystery make The Glassblower of Murano a fast and enjoyable read. Told from both the 17th century perspective of Venetian master glassblower Corradino Manin and the perspective of his 21st century descendant Leonora, you'll get glimpses of a Venice that in some ways hasn't changed much.

The Romance
Leonora (Nora) flees her failed marriage in London to begin life anew as a glassblower in Venice. It is here that she meets a handsome Venetian man who looks like he has stepped out of a Renaissance painting. Nora herself resembles Botticelli's "Primavera." Of course. Alessandro, the lovely Venetian man, is quite busy and not able to spend much time with Nora so it is no surprise that there are misunderstandings when his beautiful Italian ex-girlfriend surfaces. Typical. This part of the story is not particularly original, but it works. I was more taken with the romance of Venice and the beautiful descriptions that made me want to get on a plane and star gaze into a dusky blue sky while I lounged on jewel colored silk cushions surrounded by the soft light of hurricane lamps and tea lights glowing through the Moorish mullions of the windows that face my veranda. And don't forget the glass of prosecco.

The History
The history is the history of Venice and glassblowing. I thought the author did a very nice job crafting a story around historical Venice and the craft of glassblowing. Glass making in Venice is more advanced than it is in other parts of the 17th century world and so Venetian glass is highly prized and its secrets carefully guarded. This historical monopoly along with the machinations of a corrupt and power hungry republic are the historical focus of the novel.

The Mystery
The mystery surrounds Corradino Manin, a master glassblower who holds the secret of making flat reflective glass. He has long been a city hero and his name graces various places in Venice. The current viability of one of the ancient glassblowing factories falls on his reputation, so it is troubling when information comes to light that he may have betrayed his own country to sell Venetian glass making secrets to the French. Leonora, along with the guidance of an old professor and help from Alessandro, pursues the truth of what happened. Was Corradino a traitor? Is he redeemed in the end?

Overall, I was more intrigued by the descriptions and history of Venice, and by the rather cloak and dagger mystery than I was by the romance. Fortunately, the romance was blended nicely with the rest of the novel leaving me with a very enjoyable read that I can recommend. A nice summer read.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Book Giveaway and Upcoming Author Guest Post: Sheila Ortego

The Book Giveaway

Do you remember how much I liked The Road from La Cueva by Sheila Ortego? What? You didn't read my review? Well, you have another chance! You also have a chance to win a copy of this beautifully written novel. I have one copy to give away and you could be the lucky winner. All you have to do is let me know, in the comments to this post, that you would like me to put your name into the drawing. Yup. That's it. I will also need your email address if you don't provide it on your blog.

Want your name entered a second time? Just mention this giveaway and the upcoming author guest post (see below) on your blog. Don't forget to let me know that you have done this.

Deadline to enter:
Please let me know if you would like to be entered by midnight Saturday, July 18th. I will draw a name from the entries next Sunday, July 19th.

Who is eligible?
This giveaway is open to all and I'm willing to ship the book to places other than North America.


What Others are Saying

Albuquerque: The Magazine
"As the president of Santa Fe Community College, Sheila Ortego, Ph.D., has encouraged an unending line of students to believe in the possibility of a better life through persistence and courage. In her new novel, The Road From La Cueva, Ortego tells the story of one woman who has to find it in herself to make that same journey. The book, she says, was years in the making, and came from inspiration in Ortego’s own life—which somehow makes the journey even more worthwhile."

January Magazine
"Sheila Ortego’s debut novel is interesting on several levels. Ortego holds a doctorate in American Studies from the University of New Mexico and she has taught Southwestern literature, women’s literature and women’s studies at several institutes of higher learning. She is currently the president of Santa Fe Community College, the first woman to hold that post. So, clearly, she is someone who has spent time exploring the intellectual side of making words that move hearts.

On the other hand, Ortego is a poet and she was recently invited to join the Live Poets Society in Santa Fe.

Both of these facets of Ortego’s life path are well represented in The Road from La Cueva..."

Those who like stories of self-discovery, those interested in women's studies, and those who appreciate gorgeous writing will especially enjoy this book. So what are you waiting for? Let me know you would like the opportunity to win this book!


Author Guest Post

Sheila Ortego will be guest posting here at Tip of the Iceberg next Saturday, July 18th. Please stop by and see what she has to share with us. I know I'm looking forward to hearing from this very talented woman!

Link:
Sheila Ortego's blog

BOOK REVIEW: Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce

Title: Tom's Midnight Garden
Author: Philippa Pearce
Publisher: Puffin Books
Year: 1958 (1976 edition)

First line: "If, standing alone on the back doorstep, Tom allowed himself to weep tears, they were tears of anger."

Philippa Pearce brings the past alive by turning it into the present in this magical time-shift fantasy about a young boy named Tom Long.

Tom is placed in quarantine for measles and is sent to live with his childless aunt and uncle for a few weeks. They live in an apartment which is part of an old converted house. A grandfather clock stands in the communal hallway of the large house and old Mrs. Bartholomew, the landlady, comes down from her top floor apartment to wind the clock each week. Tom is warned that it is better for children to remain unseen when Mrs. Bartholomew makes her weekly trek.

The clock mysteriously strikes thirteen one night, and sleepless Tom creeps through the dark to investigate. The darkness is too thick for him to examine the clock face for a thirteenth hour, so he opens the outside door to let moonlight wash into the hallway. He is surprised to find that it is daylight outside! With all of this light Tom can see that the hallway is transformed by Victorian furnishings and the small paved area outside the door has become a large and lush garden, a veritable Eden. No longer does the smell of hot asphalt permeate the air, but instead the perfume of flowers and green growing things circulates on the summer breeze. Tom steps into the garden ... and into the past.

Tom returns nightly to this magical garden where he has befriended a girl named Hatty. Time behaves very oddly with subsequent visits to the garden. Tom never knows if Hatty will be younger or older than when he saw her last and this creates questions. Which one of them is real and which one the ghost? Which one lives in the "real" world? Time has drawn them together, but Time has also placed a barrier between them. Or has it?

Tom's Midnight Garden is about loneliness and friendship and the magic of childhood. It is the story of the loss of Eden into a fuller understanding that goes beyond childish interests. In the final, and very touching, scene the mystery of Hatty and the garden is solved and we learn that time need not separate us. Generational barriers need not exist. "Then and Now.... Time No Longer."

Tom's Midnight Garden is a beautiful and satisfying story. As a child, I would have LOVED this book with its combination of mystery, beautiful eeriness, magical setting and ending that just leaves you feeling good. I don't know how I missed it then, but I'm glad to have finally read it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Also reviewed by:
nymeth at things mean a lot

Did I miss yours? Let me know and I'll add a link to your review!

It's Tuesday, Where Are You?

Today I'm on the Silk Road. I've just left one part of China and am now visiting a monastery in Tibet. My plan is to travel over 7,000 miles following the trail of the Silk Road. It is fascinating to follow this ancient trade route that not only allowed the exchange of goods, but also the exchange of ideas. (Shadow of the Silk Road A travelogue by Colin Thubron)

Join raidergirl3 at An Adventure in Reading and let her know where your reading is taking you this Tuesday.

My First Vlog!

Following the vlogs are links to websites and books mentioned. I thought I added captions to the vlogs, but they disappeared into the ether. Maybe next time!

TBR Vlog Pt. 1


TBR Vlog Pt. 2


Links to the websites I mentioned:

Dolce Bellezza (Bellezza) Hosts the Japanese Literature Challenge
In Spring it is the Dawn (Tanabata) "Reading Japan" titles
Stainless Steel Droppings (Carl V.) Host of the R.I.P. Challenge
Things Mean a Lot (Nymeth) John Green reviews
Musings of a Bookish Kitty (Literary Feline) Reviews of Walt Longmire mysteries by Craig Johnson

Books mentioned:

Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa
The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Paterson
Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakami
Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse
Japanese Gothic Tales by Izumi Kyoka
Snow Country by Yasunari Kowabata
Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Akinari Ueda
I Am a Cat by Soseki Natsume

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
The Ghost Writer by John Harwood
The Seance by John Harwood

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch by Neil Gaiman
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Silk by Alessandro Baricco
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist
The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson

Vlogging: A Saga

I decided to create a little vlog where I chat about some of the books on my TBR pile, and about books I've set aside for the Japanese Literature Challenge (hosted by Bellezza) coming up soon, and the R.I.P. challenge (hosted by Carl V.) that I hope will run again this Fall. I've been told this is easy to do. So ... what do you think I've been doing for the last 2 whole days??? Not so easy, at least the first time.

Recording the video was easy enough ... after I adjusted the lighting so you could see me, after I recorded the video 3 times since the first 2 times I didn't seem to have any audio, and then recorded the whole thing yet again since the phone rang, the trash truck arrived, and several people decided to bang on my front door during recording. I finally had a video that I was mostly happy with, though I will be working on things like not closing my eyes while talking, looking at the camera instead of the screen and not saying "um" or "ah." The things you learn from watching yourself on a recording!

The next step was to upload the video to YouTube. Problems? You bet! I learned that I must first "publish" my video so that the software can turn it into something with a file extension that YouTube accepts. Also, a 9 minute and 58 second 2GB video is just too big for YouTube (even though the upload page says it will accept 10 minute 2GB videos). The video looked like it was uploading (all night), but it was not. Lying computer. So, I decided that maybe I should split the video into two shorter bits. That entailed a learning curve with my software.

Anyway, here I sit waiting to see if YouTube will indeed accept my new, shorter uploads. Hope, hope, hope ...