NYT and Oprah Following Vineyard Bookgroup

New York Times

September 19, 2008

"On Friday’s edition of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Ms. Winfrey announced her latest book club pick: “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle,” the debut novel by David Wroblewski, below, which came out in June and was warmly received by critics. The story, influenced by both “Hamlet” and the works of Stephen King, is about a mute boy with a deep connection to the dogs bred at his family’s Wisconsin kennel. “I think this book is right up there with the greatest American novels ever written, I really do,” Ms. Winfrey said. The book was a popular summer read and was ranked ninth on the most recent New York Times best-seller list, where it has held a place for 13 weeks. “When you read it, you will understand why I had to choose it,” Ms. Winfrey said. The endorsement is likely to make the book even hotter, and throughout the day on Friday it was slowly moving up the top-selling book lists on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com."

What can I say? You saw(telle) it here first.

Homewrecker

Well I will admit that Housekeeping was a near perfect book and 20 years later Gilead was a quiet masterpiece. But Home is not so great. It's the same quiet sorts of people, 'religious folk' in the same small town Gilead. But there is nothing compelling or true about it as Gilead. The new minister character Reverend Broughton instead of seeming saintly seems just like an idiot. When he starts to apologize to his wastrel son Jack who got a woman pregnant and then left town 20 years ago, for his not baptising the baby he is just a martyr not a human being.
The language too is a bit sanctimonious, people don't drink water they drink "good cold water" (is there bad cold water?). I don't know, maybe from a Christian perspective you would hallelujah the Reverend and his daughter as they practically trip over themselves trying not to judge or blame Jack but to me they just look like suckers. Maybe Ms. Robinson should take another 20 year hiatus between novels. It worked the other time.

My Dog Tulip is a Bitch

Perhaps I was so traumatized by the reading of My Dog Tulip by J.R. Ackerley that I forgot to post about it. Anyway I think this is the antidote to all those cute dog books out there. Ole J.R. spares us nothing....from the joys of Tulip's impacted anal glands we pass on to a grueling chapter on her coming into heat and then just when I thought we could go no further.... finding her a mate and hearing about their sexual dysfunction. J.R. is like Dr. Phil right there guiding them at all times, he can't even let her do that alone! There is something a tad unnatural in J.R.'s love for Tulip

I began to suspect something nasty in the woodshed when I read this moving passage :

"There came a day, however, when we were walking in Wimbledon woods and she suddenly added my urine, which I had been obliged to void, to the other privileged objects of her social attention. How touched I was! How honored I felt! "Oh Tulip! Thank you," I said."

Tulip is apparently a very high strung possesive dog which while J.R. tut-tuts in company, in secret I believe he is overjoyed about. Someone loves him and looking at J.R. on the cover I believe she may be the best he can get. Needless to say: it is not a healthy relationship.

Travels With Alice

OK, so Calvin Trillin is like David Sedaris for oldsters. His persona in Travels With Alice is much the same character as the Sedaris formula playing always the innocent with the wrong end of the stick. Alice is his Hugh, superior and all knowing, and...deeply loved. It's one of those books you put down and wistfully wish someone would love you that much and immortalize you , I want to be Sedaris' Hugh, John Bayley's Iris or Trillin's Alice. Also it's one of those books when you wish you had enough money for the eternal vacation in the South of France that Trillin is always on. Send me there and I SWEAR my blog will be funny too. Please?