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Books
"Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer 1997 and
"The Perfect Storm" by Sebastian Junger 1997Two books that are kinda the same I guess. Nonfiction stories of men and women against nature and both books with sad endings. One is the story of a mountain and the other story is of the sea. Normally not the kind of books on my reading list but here are 2 books I very much enjoyed. (I don't know if I've mentioned it or not but I buy most all of my books now when I'm visiting Paris. It certainly is easier than carrying them across the Atlantic! I've found a good store near St. Michelle square named Gilbert Jeune which carries a good selection of used books if your willing to spend a little time pawing through the rubble. And for around 2 EU's per book it's not a bad price!).
"Into Thin Air" is Jon Krakaur's story (he lives in Seattle by the way) about his assent of Mt. Everest in May of 1996 and the subsequent tragic deaths of climbers from 4 different climbing teams (including 4 of the 5 members on his own team!) that were on the mountain that day. 9 men and women lost their lives in a freak storm that blew in without warning while they were still high on the peak. This book was his attempt to put those events into some kind of perspective and order. The preparation for and the climb itself are compelling and fascinating stories. Everest is no little mountain but the mother of all peaks (imagine stepping outside your airplane while cruising at 30,000 feet! That's how high it is at the top!). Why people want to make this climb I certainly don't know. This has been the theme of countless articles and stories and is a question that I certainly can't answer. But hello, I'm making my living playing music AND in Europe no less!! Who am I to talk about "can"t do"? In Krakaur's own words though it is utter foolishness but any person that fixes his sights for standing at the top of the world is beyond reason anyway. But on May 10 Krakauer did reach the summit but the following story is a terrifying account of bad judgement, colossal ego's, selfishness, outright criminal negligence and, in the end, just plain bad luck. I was enthralled. The Mountain takes her toll. You could really feel the cold, altitude sickness, desperation, determination and just plain 'grit' from his account. A good read and a way inside the head of someone who has done something very few people in the world can even comprehend.
"The Perfect Storm" is the true story of men against the sea. In this case 6 fishermen fishing for swordfish in the north Atlantic ocean and encountering the "perfect storm". In this case "perfect storm" means a once in a hundred year storm- a nor'easter'- with winds of 120 miles per hour and waves as tall as a 10 storey building. The air so full of blown water and foam that a man can drown just trying to breath! The author was not a member of the crew of the Andrea Gail but put together the story from family members, factual accounts of others who had been in similar situations, radio transcripts ect. It is a factual account of perhaps one of earth's most terrifying events. Not only is this the story of the ill-fated crew of the Andrea Gail but it is the story of the families and community of survivors that lived after. It is the story of the determined and dramatic efforts of the U.S. Coastguard to look for and rescue the fisherman and who indeed lost 2 of their own in this storm. The book is both breathtaking in it's vividness and mesmerizing in it's accounting.
It really is a "white knuckle" read and guaranteed to keep you burning the midnight oil. A good and educational story too for those of us who benefit from the efforts of those men and women who put food on our tables! An eye opener!! (I myself was in a force 9 storm in the Irish Sea just a couple of years ago. I was taking the ferry from Roscoff, Bretegne to Cork, Ireland for one of my tours there. It's a large and modern boat too but believe me, during this storm I was petrified. I knew that there was absolutely nothing I nor anyone could do to save the boat or any of us if some accident were to happen. That was the last time I took that ship ride by the way ! It's hard to even imagine the Force 12 storm that took this fishing crews lives)."Bob Dylan, Behind The Shades- Take Two" by Clinton Heylin ©2000. Published by Penguin Books 760pp w/some photo's
A biography yes indeed. I felt guilty as hell reading about his Bobness in such a manner. The guy loves his privacy and why the hell not? I guess he certainly gives enough of himself to the world through his songs and music to expect a little kindness from the world in return. On the other side though is the fact that the man who invented himself as Bob Dylan certainly wanted to be where he is and indeed pursued the spotlight with determination and relentless vigor. Where do we draw the line with needing to know every detail about our public figures, politicians, movie stars and the like? Certainly Heylins explorations and delvings into Dylans sex and love life I found to be unnecessary and mean spirited and often times downright brutel. Why should that information be public knowledge? As a biographer though I can understand his need to connect songs and lyrics with events and people. Who was the woman "Lay Lady Lay" was written about? ect.ect. Well Heylin leaves very little of that kind of information out in this comprehensive book that covers every period of Dylan's life, from his birth in 1941 through the recent "Time Out Of Mind" CD. I especially enjoyed the early stuff, his backround, family, the early years in Minnesota and then of course the first and difficult years in New York. Once the New York years began Heylin basically wrote a chapter about each year of Dylans life ( i.e. 1964: ON THE HEELS OF RIMBAUD, 1965: I ACCEPT CHAOS, 1965: 66 SEEMS LIKE A FREEZE OUT ect. ect.). Busy years they were indeed. The amount and quality of work that Dylan has amassed is phenomenal. Really I was awed by the sheer weight of information, dates, recording notes, people who played, dropped by, said and did what and to whom the author collected and presented. Whew....... In all fairness to the writer I felt that, for the most part, it was a balanced reportage. The sessions, events, gigs and major events, what was said ect.ect. all seem to have been corroborated and backed up by first hand witnesses. It's hard to be sure though and only Dylan himself knows how close Heylin reaches into the truth. It is my understanding that Clinton Heylin has never even met Dylan though and I've heard that for many years he even had some kind of fanzine based in England about Bob Dylan and his life. A obsessed nut perhaps? Probably Bob thinks so (get a life Clinton!) and it's why he's never granted Heylin an interview. For those of us that do respect and/or even love Bob Dylan's music, this book provides many insights and lots of information. Usefull? I'm not sure but hell- I'm a better songwriter today than I was yesterday because of having read the book. Not because I have had 700 page voyeuristic look into Dylans life but because all those great, great songs have an even larger life inside of me now. Yes, your just a man Mr. Dylan but a master songwriter to be sure and Masters have always been scrutinized and studied. The dirty linen is certainly not our business and shame on you Clinton Heylin. An other wise interesting and well written book. Keep on Rockin' Bob Dylan!
"Sophie’s Choice" by William Styron. ©1976.
I’m not exactly sure where to start in the review of this novel. Of course you know that Meryl Streep starred in a Hollywood picture by the same name. I saw the movie myself but don’t remember anything about it. I can’t believe though that the movie came anywhere close to doing justice to this magnificent book but maybe I’ve just forgotten. This is the 3rd book by Styron that I’ve read and now I would certainly make the claim that he is one of the finest authors that America has ever produced. Certainly a brave soul as in the books that I have read he has turned back the covers on some of the worlds darkest moments. The subjects of slavery (The Confessions of Nat Turner -1967 for which he won a deserved Pulitzer Prize), suicide and alienation (Lie Down In Darkness- 1951) and then in Sophie’s Choice the slaughter of 13 million Jews, Poles, Slaves, Russians and Gypsy’s by Nazi Germany and Austria. Mr Styron is himself not Jewish and even questions his own moral authority to write such a book but his is a courageous and unflinchingly look straight at man’s darkest moment. I can’t believe anyone interested in revealing the truth of what happened in Nazi Germany would regret the publication of this novel. The story is seen through the eyes of young Stingo, a 22 year old southern writer determined to write his first novel in the harsh reality of NYC having just escaped the confines of his beloved South in the late post war 40’s. It is there that he meets and befriends Sophie and her Jewish lover Nathan. Sophie is herself Polish but a survivor of Auschwitz and it is her story and secret that are artfully revealed over the course of this novels 684 pages. It is certainly not so simple as that one sentence synopsis. The characters are all richly detailed and this is a complicated story but still remains throughout utterly engrossing . Styron paints a sometimes humorous but mostly caustic picture of that decades ignorance and confusion regarding race, sex, morals, work ethic ect., ect. and of course the horrors of the just finished world war. This great novel takes an unflinching look straight into the maw of humankinds most degrading moment and cares not one whit for our comfort. It is a suspensefull and painfull read but a necessary one. It’s imaginative and emotional range are rarely found in modern literature I think. An important book and should be required school reading world wide in my opinion. I was profoundly moved by the book and you will be too . Read it !
"Faithfull" by Marianne Faithfull with David Dalton and "Is That It" by Bob Geldof with Paul Vallely.
Two books this time and both of them autobiographies ! Of course they are different lives and stories but I included them together as they are a bit similar in a very broad sense. Two singers and songwriters, both Europeans (English and Irish) and both of them pretty upfront and honest (seemingly !) about their stories. These books probably won’t win them many friends amongst their peers but obviously if your gonna write an autobiography your not too concerned about that politeness. I found myself fascinated by both books as I’m not really familiar with either of their respective music. Of course I knew hits from radio and gossips from the rock press but that was it. Both books are fun (mostly), well written and illuminating stories about the lives of 2 gifted and important musicians.If your interested in all the trash and dirt that makes up the lives of our rock "legends" then "Faithfull" is a good find for you. I found it more interesting to have an inside view of those early rock and roll years and from the eyes of an intelligent woman who was very much a part of it all.
Her harrowing stories of chemical addiction and it’s consequences are not so pleasant but certainly provide fascinating reading and a true insight into what gives her music these days such validity and vitality ! I want to meet her !!Speaking for me at least, I only remember one song from Geldofs band The Boomtown Rats and that was "I Don’t Like Mondays". The story of why an American (me) rarely heard from an Irish band that had like 12 Top Ten hits in Europe is included in "Is That It". Of course we all know about Sir Bob because of his Feed The World project and that story makes up a significant part of this 442 page book. He doesn’t really dwell too over long on his own story with the Rats but after reading the book it certainly made me want to go out and discover what the "cutting edge" of pop was about in England and Ireland in the late 70’s. As with Faithfulls book his story was quite fascinating and revealing. Certainly his efforts in pushing into the public spotlight Africas tremendous food problems are highly commendable! Good reading both books!
"The Magician’s Assistant" by Ann Patchett copyright 1997.
I can see from the last entry I made in this series that I have a lot of catching up to do. I normally read 4 to 6 books per month ! This novel I first saw in a bookstore back in Seattle on one of my visits there. It was displayed on a «highly recommended » table by the staff at the store. I did pick it up then and glance at the cover but for some reason I passed it by. It came back to me here in France though and I’m thankfull! Basically it’s a modern love story (whatever that means) that revolves around Parsifal the magician, his sudden death and Sabine his widow. Sabine is left to deal with both their families and friends, buisness and, of course, her own emotions. But it is not so simple as that believe me! The book is full of twists and turns, secrets discovered and revealed, magic(duh) and loss. It’s not at all a sad book but very life affirming and giving. Ms. Patchett sketches all of her charactors in clear and fully realized depth and even her dream sequences connect. I think I was a little bit bigger and better person when I finished this book and I guess that’s reason enough to readit. Check it out!
"Under The Frog" by Tibor Fischer.
I came upon this book quite by "accident" at a used book store in Paris. I paid 9 FF for it just thinking what the hell, something to read on the road. Being shortlisted for the 1993 Booker Prize which was displayed nicely on the cover certainly helped me choose. The story moves back and forth between December 1944 and October 23rd 1956 in the authors native land, Hungary. The hero is a basketball player (don't be afraid) on a minor league team that just travels around by train with other misfits in Soviet occupied Hungary. The serious subject is the history of his country in post-war central Europe and the times leading up to the student revolt that kicked the Russians out for a short time there. Mr. Tibor has a very sophisticated and sly wit that he uses unsparingly on himself, his country and the world.A great introduction to the history of Hungary during a very turbulent and tragic period. An honest glimpse of what Russia is really about now as much as then. I laughed and cried at the same time during the reading of this gem of a book. Bravo!
"Cities Of The Plains" by Cormac McCarthy.
Absolutely one of my favorite American authors these days. His command of the American language is unsurpassed and his insights into the joys and tragedies of human behavior are both hysterical and tearfully sad. This new book by Mr. McCarthy is the last book in a trilogy and perhaps the best although the previous book"All The Pretty Horses" was also outstanding. The story takes place mostly in the American southwest in the early part of the 19th century but also close to the Mexican border which figures importantly in the plot. It's the story (mostly) of a couple of cowboys (and their horses!), aware that they are the last of their kind but destined nevertheless to live their days as best and honestly as they can. Perhaps this sounds a little stupid when I write about it here but trust me when I say you won't be disappointed with this wonderful novel about the real American west. Not for the fans of John Wayne type westerns! (note: I highly recommend any of Cormac's books! Try to read them in English if you can as he writes with lots of slang and I'm not sure how well he can be translated.)
"The Chemical Wedding" by Lindsay Clarke.
Back on top
Another book of mine chosen quite by "accident". This fiction novel has the kind of story line that I usually enjoy in my readings. Basically the story moves back and forth between modern times and mid-19th century England and involves 6 peoples search for 'truths' (the Alchemists Stone) in an increasingly materialistic age. The book is quite insightful regarding the human condition and this obviously well educated author manages to make it all quite believable. Insanity, tragedy, mystery and philosophical argument combined with a compelling plot hooked me from the beginning and it was a hard book to put down. If there is any complaint it is that the book is perhaps a bit "highbrow" but hey, it's a novel and by it's very nature allowed to be so. At the end I felt like I had had an intimate look in to the lives of 6 highly inspired individuals and I was changed from the knowing of them. To quote a line from the book, "It was a confidence (and) I'm grateful for it".