BOOK REVIEW: Liar, Liar, Everyone's Pants Are On Fire

(Originally Published 2002, Mass Market Paperback 859 pages)

Though this Paul Brenner sequel picks up shortly after the conclusion of  "The General's Daughter," it isn't necessary to have read the bestseller in order to understand what is going on in "Up Country." It seems that Mr. DeMille took his personal experiences of revisiting Vietnam in January 1997 after his tour of duty in 1966-69 and then incorporated them into this fictional adventure with Paul Brenner. Revisiting and reliving the battle sites, including the famous the Tet Offensive, are truly intense passages. I was completely immersed in the emotional turmoil that Brenner experienced as he relived many episodes that felt to him like they only happened yesterday instead of thirty years prior. Mr. DeMille is in top form as an author in this area.

The military mystery of a 30-year-old murder, which is the reason Brenner is in Vietnam, is also very well done, but feels more of an afterthought as compared to being given a tour of 1997 Vietnam. There is some very intense moments, especially with a North Vietnam veteran named Colonel Mang, but yet again, such events are pretty sparse. Practically everyone in this thing is also a compulsive BS artist. The only person you'll trust is the two-faced Brenner because he's the narrator of the novel. My biggest disappointment was the relationship between Paul Brenner and the mysterious Susan Weber. The dialogue between them felt extremely hokey and the evolution of their relationship seemed highly implausible.

The reader will need to have a lot of patience if they were expecting a suspenseful mystery. You'll be wading through a few hundred pages at a time before anything exciting happens and you may be upset at how this sucker ends. "Up Country" wasn't what I was expecting, but worth reading because of the emotional and moral quandaries experienced by a man scarred by the Vietnam War. The big question you may want ask yourself is do you want to commit to reading over 850 pages for 200-300 pages of suspense?

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #393)

BOOK REVIEW: Feral Fanatics

(Originally Published 2010, Paperback Edition 262 pages)

Much like Ms. Milgrom, taxidermy is a profession in which I had mixed feelings. I find it both fascinating and repulsive. The level of detail and focus an individual must have to recreate a realistic animal is not only a highly technical skill but many taxidermists rise to the level of creating exceptional art. Surprisingly, the people who are committed to this unique discipline rarely make even a decent living nor do they receive, outside of other taxidermists, the respect their profession so richly deserves.

My knowledge in this area was nonexistent. The author opened up an extremely interesting world. Ms. Milgrom's investigation covers such areas as a third-generation taxidermy shop in New Jersey; a taxidermist competition/trade show; an interesting history of the movers-and-shakers in the field; the American Museum of Natural History; the comparison between American and European attitudes about it; an eccentric English taxidermist named Emily Mayer; the auction of the odd Mr. Potter's Museum of Curiosities; and finally the author gets her own hands dirty by recreating a grey squirrel which she submits into a national competition. The book is peppered with oodles of interesting trivia.

Ms. Milgrom does a fine job describing taxidermy and taxidermists in their various manifestations. Their mindsets and work ethics are very different than I had envisioned. Her wonderful writing is highly informative, introspective as well as sprinkled with occasional humor. If you even have a modicum of interest in taxidermy, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Ms. Milgrom's work.

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #392)

BOOK REVIEW: Lost In Translation

(Originally Published 1966, Paperback Edition 264 pages)

There were two reasons I decided to read Mr. Shepherd's book: I love the movie "A Christmas Story" which is loosely based upon "In God We Trust," and the book jacket described him a predecessor of Garrison Keillor. Wow. Like Keillor? Really? I wonder what the person who wrote the description on the book jacket was smoking? It must've been some primo stuff. Mr. Shepherd's work is clumsily pulled together by inserting a short 2-or-3-page sub-story before each major chapter. The sub-story involves an adult Ralphie, who lives in New York City, visiting a bar run by his old friend Flick in their hometown of Hohman, Indiana. The two of them begin reminiscing about their childhoods. Each chapter erratically jumps to different ages of Ralphie: he's a 8-year-old, then a 14-year-old, then a 12-year-old, then back to being an 8-year-old, yadda, yadda, yadda. Also, unlike the classic Bob Clark movie, the author's work does not revolve around Christmas. There's plenty of stuff between the cover of this thing that was never in the movie. For instance, one chapter involves a Fourth-of-July episode about fireworks and another is about fishing during the summer. The book was published in 1966, so many of the references will be obscure to young adult readers.

The late Mr. Shepherd was nowhere near the talent of Garrison Keillor. While Mr. Keillor's satirical works have a more reserved delivery, Mr. Shepherd writes ponderous sentences that sound like he upchucked a thesaurus. The author's idea of humor is to use very heavy-handed exaggerations which, for me, fell flat. Heck, I don't think I even cracked a smile during the whole ordeal. Unlike the funny uplifting movie or Mr. Keillor's work, Mr. Shepherd's underlying attitude about his hometown is one of cynicism. Clearly, based upon other Amazon reviewers' feedback, I'm in the minority, so maybe you'll like it. I, however, found the book to be depressing, not funny and almost killed my love of reading.

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #391)

BOOK REVIEW: To Hell And Back

(Originally Published 2013, Paperback Edition 692 pages)

Before you begin "NOS4A2," google "German film Nosferatu" to see what Mr. Hill's main character Charlie Manx looks like. This image in itself should scare the pants off you. Mr. Hill's modern-day reinvention of Lord Orlok is simply excellent. The main protagonist, Vicki McQueen, is a heroine who the reader can also believe would evolve from an innocent 8-year-old as portrayed into a troubled adult. When she stumbles into Charlie Manx's world, all hell breaks loose.

The book doesn't waste any time. It starts off creepy and holds the suspense throughout the story. A few of the passages will upset readers who are very religious. It is understandable that the pen name of Joe Hill was the author's effort to have some independence from his worldwide-famous dad, Stephen King, and wanting to make it in the publishing business on his own merits. Now with a third successful horror novel under his belt, Mr. Hill seems to have zero qualms about peppering "NOS4A2" with trivia from his dad's works. Avid Stephen King fans will likely chuckle over the few Kingish references. There's even a plug to something in Stephen King's new work "Dr. Sleep" that had not been published yet.

Mr. Hill's story is, in ways, your standard horror book. You have your flawed protagonists, nasty antagonists and a sprinkling of half-wits. Charlie Manx is one truly scary villain and his disturbing sidekick, Bing Partridge, would never be any parent's ideal of a perfect son. Being a parent, I also found his usage of children as victims of Charlie Manx's needs was especially unsettling. "NOS4A2" is exciting, unnerving and highly entertaining stuff. Of Mr. Hill's three novels, "Heart-Shaped Box," "Horns," and this one, I found "NOS4A2" to be the most compelling. 

 (Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #390)

BOOK REVIEW: Jaundice VS Juandice

 

 (Originally Published 1852, Mass Market Paperback 818 pages)

Based upon "Bleak House," it's safe to say that Mr. Dickens was not a big fan of the legal system and lawyers. Published in a monthly-series format between 1852 and 1853, "Bleak House" portrays London in all its sootiness. Mr. Dickens personal experiences of living as a boy while working his backside off in the city, barely eating and isolated clearly affected his literary work. His descriptions of soot-coated London and the slums are highly effective and upsetting. Mr. Dickens writes about a world where England had a distinct class system, abject poverty, debtor's prisons, a high mortality rate due to diseases and starvation, massive amounts of uneducated working class, a rigid upper-class moral code, and apparently, one heckuva parasitic legal system.

I was hesitant in reading "Bleak House" because of its title. I had imagined the 800plus-page book to be chock-full of misery and depression; the kind of stuff that gives critics and book snobs all sorts of orgasms. Granted, the story does have its fair share of such events, but Mr. Dickens also includes humor, mystery, adventure and romance. This is the third, large, Charles Dickens book I've read. The other two, the "Pickwick Papers" (1836-37) and "Oliver Twist" (1837,) were also highly entertaining. However, I found all three works took some getting used to in relating to Victorian sensibilities as compared to today's mores. What the folks in "Bleak House" sometimes consider huge crises in their time, wouldn't be a big deal today. Also, brevity isn't Dickens' strong suit. The author frequently rambles on and on and on... and, I swear to God, the guy had some form of Tourette's-metaphor Syndrome. In the 1800s, this overly-flamboyant writing style was all the rage. Today, however, an editor would likely have a field day marking up Dickens' stuff.

"Bleak House" is entertaining, but only if you can force yourself to relate to his times. The characters are given ample time to reflect their thoughts, but still are close to one-dimensional. The good characters are always good and the nasty people remain nasty. My word, the main protagonist, Esther Summerson, could give Mother Theresa a run for her money in the sainthood department. Others such as Harold Skimpole, are purely satirical figures because no person in real life would tolerate such a narcissistic leach without eventually hitting him on the side of the head with a shovel. Also, the lives of the various characters continually intersected so frequently that I began to think maybe London had a total population of 12.

I know, I know, to say anything critical of Charles Dickens' work is considered almost as bad as piddling on a Christmas Nativity scene, but his books aren't for everyone. Look, I enjoyed "Bleak House" despite the "flaws" that I mentioned above. It's entertaining and I'll certainly read more of Mr. Dickens' tomes. But be prepared for a looooong read.

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #389)

BOOK REVIEW: The Candidates Behind The Cacophony

(Originally Published 2013, Hardcover Edition 482 pages)

Clearly, "Double Down" is not meant to be the ultimate book of what occurred during the 2012 campaign. The most glaring example is the reporters, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, completely ignore Ron Paul's quixotic quest. Heck, the libertarian is mentioned even less times than Sarah Palin. And "Mama Grizzly" wasn't even running in the darned thing. That ought to cause many of Ron Paul's more zealous supporters to blow a blood vessel or two. The reporters focused mostly on the background drama that unfolded in the Obama and Romney camps. While their previous work "Game Change" seemed to center more on the historic primary battle between Democrat Senators Obama and Clinton, "Double Down" leans in the direction of Mr. Romney's travails. This makes sense. As the incumbent, President Obama was focused on the general election. There's not much really there. But Mr. Romney? I felt bad for the guy. He had to contend with such loose-cannon lightweights as Representative Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, Texas Governor Rick Perry and blowhard Donald Trump. In addition, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has a whole chapter devoted to him potentially being a fly in the ointment of Romney's aspirations. Also, odious Newt Gingrich's antics are given quite a bit of attention. Oh, and let's not forget a Republican party in the middle of a civil war about the direction to take the GOP. Yeah, good luck with that, Mitt.

What "Double Down" does very well is humanize the individuals and clearly shows the compromises they must make in an effort to sit in the White House. President Obama and Mr. Romney are decent men, but holy ham hocks, presidential campaigns bring out the worst in people. The book's overall tone is gossipy. There are countless examples of staffs manipulating potential voters through negative ads, sabotaging the opponent's rallies, political back-scratching and power-plays, constantly obsessing about campaign contributions, and the shallow nature of debates. Also, no matter how well prepared a campaign staff and the candidate may be, "Double Down" shows that things are going to mess with your plans. Some were self-inflicted and others were completely out of their control.

The most depressing thing about "Double Down" is that going negative against your opponent works very well and many citizens are easily swayed by superficial appearances. Every four years, it's the same thing. Voters and candidates of both persuasions get all hyped-up and starting believing that if the other person wins then it will usher in the End of Days. It takes a special kind of wingnut to put themselves through our presidential-campaign process. If they win, they're considered brilliant or cheaters. If they lose, everybody throws their two cents in on how you messed up. The book successfully shows the ups and downs of running through this media-saturated gauntlet. "Double Down" is an extremely fun, informative read, but the thing made me question (once again) our nation's sanity.

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #388)

BOOK REVIEW: And Now For Something Completely Different...

(Originally Published 2012, Paperback Edition 366 pages)

I was not familiar with Ms. Lawson or her blog until the book popped up on the New York Times Bestseller List. Sweet mother of mercy! The cute cover with the mouse on it belies a very warped mind. It took a few chapters to get used to her rambling writing style. I found the beginning of the book somewhat tiresome until the fourth chapter about Stanley the talking squirrel. From that point, I was hooked and not disappointed. She wasn't kidding in her introduction when she said some of the stuff would offend readers.

Her material is not only profanity-laced but covers a wide variety of misadventures. Beyond the talking squirrel, they include such things as her taxidermist dad and Czech-immigrant grandparents, dropping acid, meeting her future in-laws, working in Human Resources, socially awkward get-togethers, arguments with her husband Victor, undergoing acupuncture, her miscarriages, losing weight, and the unexpected death of a beloved pet. Surprisingly, she effectively mines this material for humor. All these episodes occur in Texas. Ms. Lawson's chapter about battling with vultures as well as scorpions made me glad I live in Maine. There's even an explanation of the mouse wearing a cape on the book cover.

Ms. Lawson's is an extremely funny, odd bird. The lady displays a level of paranoia that, if true, is breathtaking in its excess. She also seems unable to stay focused on any one topic without veering off on some tangent. This also makes for very funny episodes, but only for people who are not offended by profanity or off-color humor. I wonder what color the sky is in her world? It was well worth reading. 

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #387)

BOOK REVIEW: A Matter Of Degrees

(Originally Published 2012, Paperback Edition 387 pages)

What is enjoyable about reading Mr. Dionne's book is his even-tempered delivery. You will find no snarky sarcastic sentences written by the author. Yes, Mr. Dionne is a progressive, but backs his work with an accurate portrayal of how our country was born. He laments the current manifestation of radical individualism that is called the Tea Party. He clearly shows how our nation has always struggled to find a balance between individual freedoms and mutual obligations. The book persuasively explains that the Tea Party's extreme form of individualism is taken from the short, 30-year, Gilded-Age era and is not reflective of the Framers' true intent.

"Our Divided Political Heart" is not the kind of work which is effective if you read only a few pages per session. Mr. Dionne's trains of thought about such topics as populism, the politics of history, the various manifestations of liberalism and conservatism, and the impossibility of nailing down the Constitution's original intent is not casual reading. It was nice to read Mr. Dionne stressing that the Constitution was created by intelligent but flawed men and it is a political document that was formed through compromise and some obfuscation. What was especially reassuring about the book is the author relies heavily on the esteemed, Colonial historian Gordon Wood. (Mr. Wood's Pulitzer Prize-winning work "The Radicalism of the American Revolution" is extremely worth your while.)

Mr. Dionne is a very good writer, but the work has a slightly academic tone to it. Hopefully, this will not detract you from reading it. The book is highly informative, well-reasoned and ultimately a hopeful one. 

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #386)

BOOK REVIEW: A Victim Of Circumstances

(Originally Published 2009, Paperback Edition 391 pages)

It was impossible for me to visualize anyone else but the actors who portrayed the characters in "The Hunger Games" movie. However, this did not detract from Ms. Collins's second book of the popular trilogy. The story is written in a manner that it's unlikely you'll need to look up the meaning of any of the words. However, the complexity and suspense of the story is first rate. "Catching Fire" is not a stand-alone work and reading the first book, "The Hunger Games" (or seeing the movie,) is necessary to truly understand what has transpired before the "Catching Fire" story begins.

The book is written in the first-person narrative through the eyes of Katniss. Once again, like "The Hunger Games," the reader has no understanding of what is going on beyond the protagonist's perspective. This format works very well in developing the tension, suspense and mystery throughout the story. The author also convincingly shows the mental trauma of being a survivor of the Hunger Games. The main antagonist, President Snow, is given more attention than in the first book and his odious nature adds a great deal to the suspense. New characters are also introduced that are very difficult to ascertain if they are on Katniss's side or not? Ms. Collins does an excellent job of tightening the multiple nooses around the heroine's neck and had me wondering how in the heck Katniss and her allies would get out of this complex mess?

"Catching Fire" is an Orwellian book for teenager readers, but still highly entertaining for adults. The work is not meant as high-brow material meant to be discussed with the champagne crowd. A fun, edge-of-your-seat story that is as good if not better than the original. Please note that "Catching Fire" leaves off as a cliffhanger and intentionally was written for people to read the last book "Mockingjay" to find any kind of resolution to the story. 

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #385)

BOOK REVIEW: It's A Bird! It's A Plane! It's The Other Guys!

(Originally Published 2012, Paperback Edition 432 pages)

God knows, creative people are not usually the easiest creatures to work with and the passion that comic readers invest in these things is way beyond what I consider healthy. Sending out death threats to writers or artists because they killed a comic-book character isn't exactly someone working with a full storyboard in their head. Mr. Howe's "Marvel Comics: The Untold Story" is a clear-eyed view of the birth and evolution of the mighty comic publisher. A large portion of the book focuses more on the dynamics between management and the creators. The author thankfully avoids immersing "Marvel Comics" into the different cartoon characters' adventures. Sadly, all the illustrators who were the visual and sometimes creative brainchilds of the now iconic superheroes such as Spiderman, Captain America, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Wolverine and X-Men were looked upon as peons by the original owner Martin Goodman and the other executives who followed in his footsteps. The author does an excellent job of separating fact and fiction about the myths that have arisen around Stan Lee and illustrator-extraordinaire Jack Kirby.

The book certainly removed any romantic impressions I had about working in such a demanding and temperamental field. It was disheartening to see how a scrappy little company churned out these wonderful creations and eventually morphed into a corporate nightmare under the tutelage of odious, corporate raiders Ron Perelman and then Carl Icahn. At some points, you'll shake your head in disbelief at the gang-that-couldn't-shoot-straight executives' actions. I imagine "Marvel Comics" is a work that will interest people who read comics or have an interest in how the industry works. It would be nice to see a book written about the other publishing Goliath, DC Comics. Mr. Howe has written an extremely engaging book. 

 (Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #384)

BOOK REVIEW: One Heck Of A Night On The Town

(Originally Published 1998, Mass Market Paperback 432 pages)

This is the second book I've ever read by Mr. Koontz. "Fear Nothing" brings a unique approach by having the 28-year-old protagonist, Christopher Snow, handicapped with a genetic defect called xeroderma pigmentosum which causes him to be highly susceptible to harmful ultraviolet light. If he doesn't take strict precautions against exposure to light, good ole Chris Snow will quickly be blind and very likely on a one-way ticket to a dirt nap. He and his dog, Orson, roam the small California town of Moonlight Bay while most other residences are sleeping. The death of his last surviving parent sets off an unexpected chain reaction of events that has Chris Snow stumbling upon one mystery after another. The work was published in 1998 and this shows up in such minor ways such as there being pay phones in town. It does not detract from the story, but occasionally gives it a unintentional nostalgic feel.

Because it is written in the first-person narrative of Snow, we are as lost as he is as to what the heck is going on? Snow also has no special abilities, but he does have a heedless curiosity that gets him into trouble and would kill your typical cat. Mr. Koontz does a wonderful job of creating plenty of tense, scary situations. I was about two-thirds of the way through the book before things started to become more clear. The description on the back cover is very vague about the premise of the book which caused me to take a leap of faith as to it being an entertaining work. On the whole, the author succeeded. I liked Mr. Koontz descriptive little embellishments which were sprinkled throughout the story. The last thirty pages or so, however, were a little too formulaic for my tastes because the rest of the work had been so suspenseful and mysterious. It was an enjoyable, light read. Only as I was about to write this review did I discover that "Fear Nothing" is the first installment in a trilogy. The second book is entitled "Seize the Night" (published 1998.) Apparently, the last installment is still banging around in Mr. Koontz's head. Oh well, I'm still going to read the second book. 

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #383)

BOOK REVIEW: Raising The Ire Of The Irish

(Originally Published 1996, Paperback Edition 363 pages)

Eighty pages into 'Angela's Ashes,' it was brought to my attention that the book had stirred up quite the ire of the people who live in Limerick, Ireland. All memoirs have an element of intentional or unintentional fiction. Our memories are notoriously unreliable in remembering how actual events unfolded especially the further you go back into your own history. However, based upon the reactions of Limerick citizens, they are adamant that most of the late Mr. McCourt's work is pure BS. The author was just as adamant that it was all true. The hell if I know who to believe.

What I can say is the thing sure sounds authentic when compared to my wife's and my background growing up Catholic during the 1960s and 70s in Maine. I, however, have been an agnostic for about thirty years now. College and critical thinking have a way of doing that to many Catholics. Ireland is well known for being deeply religious especially during the 1930s and 40s when the memoir takes place. A lot of the cockamamie Catholic superstitions and peer pressures are on full display in the book: Unbaptized babies don't go heaven but some odd place called Limbo: you can't eat meat on Fridays or you go to hell; you can't masturbate or you also go to hell; all Protestants have a one-way ticket to Satan Central, blah blah, blah... the list of religious infractions is nearly endless. Add to that regional prejudices, abject poverty, oodles of uneducated adults, a high infant-mortality rate, an educational system that meted out corporal punishment to kids for the silliest of excuses, and lastly, a major-league-alcoholic father and, mercy me, you won't be mistaking 1930s-40s Limerick, Ireland for Shangri-la.

There are also many funny adventures accompanied by the mandatory Catholic guilt trip. I enjoyed Mr. McCourt's memoir despite the controversy surrounding it. Even if many of these escapades were simply pulled out of the author's backside, the very well-written work certainly conveys the times and nature of poverty and religious mindset during the early part of the 20th Century. 'Angela's Ashes' deserved the Pulitzer Prize. 

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #382)

BOOK REVIEW: Not So Mad Men

(Originally Published 2013, Paperback Edition 306 pages)

On occasion, I'll start a book which lingers in my thoughts after I've stopped reading it and my eagerness to finish the story becomes almost like an addiction. "Truth in Advertising" was that kind of book for me. It starts out loaded with funny rapid-fire one-liners in a very believable depiction of a large advertising agency. The humor isn't the weird kind of silliness you'd find in a Christopher Moore or Carl Hiaasen work, but more in the lines of Jonathan Tropper's novels. It is written in the first-person narrative of the protagonist Finbar Dolan.

Finbar is a creative writer for a large ad agency in New York City. He is also nearing 40 years of age and seems ambivalent about his work. Finbar's relationship with his two brothers and one sister is about as warm as the one you have with a customer service rep at the Department of Motor Vehicles. His deadpan sarcastic delivery is almost always on display and had me frequently laughing throughout the book. I found all the people to be interesting, especially his closest friend/co-worker Ian, despite them be less defined characters than Finbar. If Mr. Kenney's book had continued on this trajectory for the remainder of the novel, I'd been a satisfied customer. However, halfway through the book, Mr. Kenney's work unexpectedly but seamlessly morphs into a story about coming to terms with a traumatic childhood. There were aspects of his book that hit emotionally close to home for me and made me wonder about my relationship with my own older brother.

I had a constant smile while reading most of this thing. It's funny, sarcastic, tender, gut-wrenching and thought-provoking. Instead of wrapping the story up in a neat tidy bow, like life, many events don't pan out like you'd expect. In the end, I closed the book feeling good about Finbar's possibilities. That's good enough for me. 

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #381)

BOOK REVIEW: A Dull Shine

(Originally Published 2013, Hardcover Edition 531 pages)

It's understandable that Mr. King had a great deal of trepidation about writing a sequel to one of his most popular books. 'The Shining' was a claustrophobic horror book which kept the readers on the edge of their seat the further they got into the story. Because of the author's two previous works (Carrie, Salem's Lot,) it wasn't a sure thing that the Torrance family was going to survive the Overlook Hotel. It was easy for the reader to place themselves in the family's situation and freak out to the point of puckering their sphincter muscle to a 10.0 on the ole rump scale. I didn't envy Mr. King trying to top, let alone meet, the quality of 'The Shining.'

'Doctor Sleep' started off great. Burdened with not only having the shine but also dealing with the mental trauma of surviving the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance very believably falls into alcoholism. I was rooting for the guy being able to eventually get his act together and having a decent life. Mr. King has proved, time and again, that his protagonist(s) may not necessarily get a happy ending. Midway through the book, it evolved from a heart-wrenching Dan Torrance odyssey into something almost mundane. The 13-year-old heroine,  Abra, has such a powerful shine that the True Knot antagonists, who have abducted, tortured and murdered young children for hundreds of years, don't ever seem very threatening. Sure, the True Knot gypsies would be terrifying to your average everyday Joe, but Abra is like the kid, Charlie, from Mr. King's novel 'Firestarter.' She packs such a serious punch, you start feeling bad for the evil True Knot lot.

If you are inclined to pick up 'Doctor Sleep,' I strongly suggest you first read 'The Shining' or you will miss out on a lot of important back story. The novel is okay, but nowhere near as suspenseful as its predecessor. 

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #380)

BOOK REVIEW: Pulling Back The Reporter's Curtain

(Originally Published 1973, Paperback Edition 374 pages)

Well, that certainly sucked the romance out of covering the candidates running for president. However, when Mr. Crouse's book caused me to laugh on the second page with his dark observation, I knew this classic work was going to be good and it definitely was. The 1972 campaign between President Nixon and Senator McGovern seems eons away from today's 24-hour news cycles. Mr. Crouse's work was published in 1973. It was a time of chain smoking, hardcore drinking, long-haired reporters who used manual typewriters, wrote for morning AND evening newspapers, cell phones didn't exist, they had HUGE budgets and staff, needed to take into consideration The Fairness Doctrine, and sexist attitudes were very much the norm. Other aspects of news gathering are still with us today such as the pack mentality of journalist who are cocooned with other reporters in covering candidates for long months.

Mr. Crouse covers such areas as the boredom and frustration of being part of the White House press corps under the Nixon Adminsitration, the chaos of Senator McGovern's campaign, and the different business cultures working as a reporter for either newspapers, magazines or television. Many of the high-profile reporters were and still are today an egotistical lot inclined towards jealousy of other reporters receiving preferential treatment or fame. Though Mr. Crouse describes the McGovern campaign as essentially a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off, he shows a clear dislike of Nixon's staff especially the press secretary Ron Ziegler. Our nation had a choice between a candidate who likely would've been in over his head as president or a president who had the morals of... well... Richard Nixon.

The reporters highlighted were well known in the seventies. While many have faded into obscurity, others such as Theodore White, David Broder, Robert Novack, and Hunter S. Thompson went on to larger fame. Mr. Crouse's no-holds-barred description of being a reporter is well worth reading 'The Boys on the Bus.' In a few short years, the news-gathering industry was going to be revolutionized by Ted Turner's CNN of 24-hour shallow coverage and inane punditry. It is a highly entertaining work and had the unintentional benefit of allowing me to play "He's Dead. She's Dead. He's Dead. He's Dead..." 

 

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #379)

Heeeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!

It'd be cool if a town that buried a time capsule inserted a spring-loaded corpse which sat up when the cover was removed in a 100 years.

BOOK REVIEW: Overvaluing The Extrovert Buzz

 

(Originally Published 2012, Paperback Edition 273 pages)

Without question, the United States chugs along on the Extrovert Ideal: gregarious, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight. Ms. Cain's book is not an attempt to sully extroverts, but to show that introverts bring other valuable characteristics to the table that extroverts lack and should heed. She analyzes our shift from a Culture of Character (Introvert) to a Culture of Personality (Extrovert) which began with the success and influence of Dale Carnegie. Then the self-described-introvert author journeys to other notable domains to better understand the extrovert mindset. These areas include attending a Tony Robbins's retreat, the Harvard Business School, and evangelical minister Rick Warren's campus.

On the flip side, Ms. Cain also visits Cupertino, California which is home to an inordinate amount of academically-minded, introverted Asian-Americans; interviews an introvert professor whose lectures and classes are widely popular on campus; and attends a workshop for introverts to overcome their fear of public speaking or, heck, actually adding their two cents to any group discussion. The author makes many cogent points about how the 2008 financial meltdown could possibly have been avoided if the gung-ho extroverts running the show had listened to the introvert's opinions which are personified in Warren Buffett. She also points out that the school environment of group participation as well as brainstorming business meetings do not work well for our ilk. Even our conflicts with countries such as China can be partly attributed to the extrovert/introvert dynamic. I don't know if the author was aware, but many of the introvert characteristics she covers are also attributable to high-functioning autists.

The book is an easy, enjoyable, informative work. The next-to-last chapter "On Cobblers and Generals," however, I found annoying because it gives recommendations which felt very much like one of those gooey self-help books that women love to eat up like they're hot fudge sundaes. In addition to recently reading the excellent 'The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion' by Jonathan Haidt, 'Quiet' gave me a better perspective of the human condition and how conflicts arise. The book hopefully will help me become a better husband, parent and citizen. If you are like me, an introvert, the author's work will be a great comfort. For extroverts, it likely will be an eyeopener.

P.S. THAT is one seriously butt-ugly cover design.

  

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #378)

Giving Till It Hurts

I donated 150 books to Gorham's Baxter Library. Naturally, they look brand new for now, but that will change. Oooooooooh, yes. That will change. Gorham citizens will start putting their grubby hands on my babies and start bending pages, ruining the spine and... and... and putting stains on the covers. Will they CARE? Noooooooooo. Those fuckers. Wait. Wait. Some guy just pulled one of my books off the library shelf... HEY, BE CAREFUL WITH THAT BOOK! YOU DON'T HOLD IT LIKE THAT!! JESUS CHRIST! IF YOU BEND THE SPINE... MOTHERFUCKER!!! COME HERE!!!! YEAH! YOU! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! RIGHT! FUCKING! NOW!!SONOFABITCH!!!DON'TYOUFUCKING WALKAWAYFROMME!!!! THAT'SRIGHTMOTHERFUCKER!!!RUN!!!RUN!!!BUTYOUCAN'THIDE!!!

 I gotta go...

BOOK REVIEW: The Wonder Weed

(Originally Published 2012, Paperback Edition 403 pages)

Before I write this brief review, it would be good for the reader to know that I'm a 53-year-old father of two teenagers and has been happily married for over 30 years. I've tried marijuana four times in my life: a few tokes off a joint in my late teens; two incidences when I unknowingly ate pot-laced pastries during my college years; and once getting seriously baked from unintentionally inhaling second-hand smoke at an Aerosmith concert in the early 1980s. At the last example, I wound up eating an entire bucket of Dunkin' Donut munchkins in my dorm room. I maybe will have a beer or two per year and do not take nor have ever taken illicit drugs beyond the examples above. In other words, no one will mistake me for Charlie Sheen.

With that said, after reading numerous respectable pieces about marijuana, I was at a loss as to why our federal government was freaking out about weed? A mountain of scientific reports over the past hundred years or so have repeatedly shown that it isn't a gateway drug, addictive, NO ONE has ever O.D. on the stuff, it has numerous medicinal benefits, and cannabis has many uses such as petroleum, food, clothing and paper. Mr. Lee's 'Smoke Signals' presents a very thorough history of hippie lettuce. Our laws demonizing it began because of racism towards Mexicans and blacks as well as religious zealotry then snowballed into a federal bureaucratic cash cow and political tool. The author repeatedly shows through heavily annotated examples that marijuana's reputation was and is tarnished due to moral and ideological attitudes. There is plenty of interesting trivia between these pages such as Sears & Roebuck used to sell it. Mr. Lee's work also covers the key individuals who have been waging the battles to either make cannabis legal or maintain its status as an illicit drug even more dangerous than cocaine* or heroin* (*Oh pleeeeease, give me a friggin' break.) He also compares the United States government's attitude and actions to other more sensible-minded countries.

'Smoke Signals' is a highly informative, entertaining and correct history of marijuana. The only thing that irked me about his work is that Mr. Lee's allegiances are pretty darned obvious after only reading the first few pages. By the end of the book, I could practically see his spittle splattered all over the text because of his anger at the federal government's actions having caused hundreds of thousands of people a great deal of unnecessary harm. I sure can't blame him. After reading this excellent work, you may need some cannabis to calm you down. 

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #377)

BOOK REVIEW: Bullies' Bloody Uber-Comeuppance

(Originally Published 1974, Mass Market Paperback 290)

The difficulty in writing a review of such a well-known work such as Mr. King's 'Carrie' is separating the short novel from the famous 1976 movie. If you have never seen the movie starring Sissy Spacek, I strongly suggest you read the book first. 'Carrie' the novel presents a much more full-bodied representation of the characters. Hollywood, with a few exceptions, has a nasty tendency to fart around with literary works and dilute much of what makes a novel good. If you've seen the movie, you'll immediately realize this on page 4 by Mr. King's description of Carrie as compared to Sissy Spacek (or the 2013 remake starring Chloe Grace Moretz.) The book fleshes out Carrie's father Ralph, the mother Margaret White, and also the other main characters Sue Snell, Tommy Ross, Chris Hargensen, the phys. ed. teacher Mrs. Desjardin, the principal Mr. Grayle, the vice-principal Mr. Morton and especially Billy Nolan who plays a larger role in the book.

I agree with the author that his first work was a "raw," but it's sure in the heck better than anything I could ever write. Oddly enough, over the last 34 years, I've read around 35 of Mr. King's novels starting with 'The Shining' and ''Salem's Lot,' but never got around to 'Carrie' until now. The book was published in 1974, but transpires in May of 1979 in a little southern Maine town. 'Carrie' is a fast read. I wish I had never seen the movie back in the 1980s because it did remove a lot of the suspense of the book. However, it's still a very good work and better than the first movie adaption. It covers some nasty aspects of the human condition: bullying, peer pressure, and religious zealotry. Oh, and the cover design of a skeleton carnation on the Anchor Books Mass Market Paperback is excellent. In this case, judge the book by its cover.

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #376)

Alarming

The problem with waking up early then taking a nap in the afternoon is it gives your alarm clock two chances to provoke a major heart attack.

Going With The Flow

The store's restroom lights flickered on. Not only did the room have motion sensors, I also found out I don't move while pissing into a urinal.

Sleep Tight

Kids don't seem reassured when I tell them not to worry because all the monsters have been killed by the ax-murdering clown under their bed.

BOOK REVIEW: Mano-A-Mano So So

(Originally Published 2012, Paperback Edition 292 pages)

Having read many of Mr. Stein's funny but pretty useless columns in TIME magazine, I was curious if I could tolerant a book's worth of his humor. His writing style is mostly aimed at self-deprecation and the metaphors usually allude to pop-culture references. Though the focus of the book is him trying to become more "manly" for his son's sake, I wondered throughout the thing if it was just a contrived excuse to set himself up in uncommon situations. No matter. Mr. Stein did a wonderful job covering his experiences as camping with a Boy Scouts' troop; spending a few days being sort of a Los Angeles firefighter; practicing baseball with a former-pro-Dodger; spends a Sunday hanging with some ex-pro-football players watching games; learns to drink whiskey; day trades; drives a Lamborghini; babysits a dog for a few weeks; helps his father-in-law repair an old house; goes turkey hunting in Vermont; spends some days at both a marine and army boot camps as well as the climax of the story is Mr. Stein spending five minutes sparring with mixed-martial-arts UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture.

It's certainly a random lot of "manly" venues. Though it does have its moments of serious introspection and the book is somewhat educational (I'm now ready for a Jeopardy category entitled 'Horny Turkeys",) the work is ultimately just a light read of a nerdy, sarcastic guy's misadventures. The authors, Mr. Stein, Jon Ronson and A.J. Jacobs must have been separated at birth. All three guys are the first to come to mind when I need a light, hilarious pick-me-up. Heck, even the author's acknowledgements at the end of the work made me smile. I do hope Mr. Stein writes another one.

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #375)

BOOK REVIEW: Pursuing The Impossible

(Originally Published 2010, Updated Paperback Edition 288 pages)

There's so much great stuff between the pages of Ms. Ravitch's book, there's no way this short review will do it justice. Look, most everybody wants their kids or the nation's schools to do a better job, but 20th-century history repeatedly shows it's easier said than done. Expecting some unified national standards for education or being able to gauge progress by highly error-prone test assessments is as realistic as believing the government can pass a law decreeing that it will always rain M&Ms. American education has nearly always been perceived in crisis THROUGHOUT the 20th century. Ms. Ravitch clearly and correctly shows that the current attempts to transform students into commodities, products and consumers as well as turning schooling into a marketplace is unrealistic and has done and will continue to do immense social harm with crappy results.

As a parent of two sons, who are now teenagers and in the public school system in a small Maine community of approximately 16,000, we've seen the dedication of teachers and administrators in helping our sons prepare for adulthood. Naturally, there were a few rotten apples in the bunch, but they are the exception not the rule. Show me a large bureaucracy that doesn't have it fair share of excellent, average, and poor employees and I'll show you a person lying out his backside. Speaking as a 53-year-old man, I've also seen and read oodles of examples in the "hallowed" business environments where they carry a portion of deadwood employees no matter how hard they try to eliminate them. Believing businesspeople or legislators know the right approach to improving education through market means is the kind of stuff that should relegate the advocate into a corner and forced to wear a dunce cap. Our own current rockhead governor has been on a free-market crusade painting unions and administrators as self-serving individuals who don't care about the kids and are in the way of "reform."  The governor and his well-intentioned ilk are looking at schooling in a profoundly anti-intellectual definition of education. The No-Child-Left-Behind's (NCLB) technocratic approach based on only two subjects, reading and math, and impossible goal of every student being proficient in these two areas by 2014 is doing much harm and ZERO improvement in education scores.

Ms. Ravitch impartial assessment of a wide variety of school systems who implement voucher programs, charter schools, smaller schools, centralized control, decentralized control, privately-managed schools etc., clearly shows many of them cause a lot of chaos and no discernible or worse results. Heck, it shouldn't even be a surprise that many of the large urban schools with huge improvements in their test results were illegally cooking the books because of loony NCLB goals. The author explains the major fallibility of test assessments, different ways to game the scoring system, political puffery that are outright lies, narrowing curriculum for focus on testing, NAEP audits, value-added assessments,  poverty, racism, venture philanthropists, the largesse of private foundations, the necessity of unions in academia, the movie 'Waiting for Superman,' and the good ole days of education that never existed.

As Ms. Ravitch convincingly explains, treating teachers as mere workers to order around instead of the professionals they are is just plain dumb. Trust, not coersion is a necessary precondition for school reform. The epilogue to the paperback edition adds frosting to the cake of her well-researched and well-written argument. For God's sake, read the thing. It's fantastic.

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #374)

BOOK REVIEW: Dixie Bashin'

(Originally Published 2012, Paperback Edition 271 pages)

Geeeesh, just the book's title will make many people's blood boil. Heck, I'd imagine some readers will have purchased it BECAUSE it upset them. Being a Mainer and living in New England all my life, carrying around a book with its cover being the ole stars-'n-bars isn't exactly thought of as being neighborly around these parts. No matter. It was worth enduring the pedestrians' double takes.

The book is purely a fun, very sarcastic, hypothetical exercise in why us Northerners should embrace giving the South the ole heave ho. The author stresses that he isn't Dixie bashing but it sure felt like it. Granted, he loads his argument with many stats and observations that are very consistent with other books, such as 'Away Down South: A History of Southern Identity' by James C. Cobb and 'Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War' by Tony Horwitz; both books I strongly recommend. Naturally, the book has its fair share of wingnuts such as Pastor Ernie Bishop and Ken Ham's loony Creation Museum. He covers the major topics that do make my head hurt when I think about Southern "sensibilities": religion, environmental attitudes, poverty, education, politics, race, business practices, their mindless addiction to war and the weirdest phenomenon of all the near-religious adoration of college football.

What makes Mr. Thompson's work laugh-out-loud funny is his intelligent but sophomoric presentation. However, he likes writing long, overloaded sentences as if he's channeling a Dennis Miller rant. It took a little getting used to his style. Except for the chapter about college football, which made my eyes glaze over, it is a very entertaining, yet, fruitless argument. 

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #373)

BOOK REVIEW: The 4,000-Year Acquaintance

(Originally Published 2012, Paperback Edition 236 pages)

Mr. Wasik's and Ms. Murphy's book is of two minds. Parts of the work delve into the meats and potatoes of the deadly virus and other parts are light, silly ruminations about how rabies has MAYBE influenced cultures. Some of the authors' beliefs sound plausible but are pure conjecture such as the development of the myths about vampires, werewolves and zombies. These ruminations tried my patience. 

However, their explanations on how the virus affects humans and animals as well as the major culprits who cause the spread of rabies are very interesting. The first part of the book explains what "doctors or healers" believed was happening to a victim in the advanced stages of rabies. Until the great Louis Pasteur came along and set scientists and doctors down the correct path, it was all just people pulling wacky religious beliefs or cultural mumbo-jumbo out their backsides. They even correctly explain the nutty public reactions to AIDS in the early nineteen-eighties. Oodles of us humans don't help reenforce the credence that we're an intelligent species.

'Rabid' does much better when it focuses more on reality. For example, the accidental introduction of the virus onto the rabies-free island of Bali and how the government's incompetent handling of the situation made a bad situation worse was very informative. Also, the authors' scientific explanation of the current research and the difficulty of breaching the blood-brain barrier shows that rabies isn't likely to ever be eradicated. Ultimately, the book was informative, but it had a little too much fluff for my tastes.

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #372)

A Lord's Prayer

Please, please, oh pleeeeeease, Lord, don't let me become this senile.

Say What?

What did ya call me? Say it again. I dare ya.

BOOK REVIEW: Having A Devil Of A Time

(Originally Published 1991, Mass Market Paperback 600 pages)

If you are a guy who grew up in a small rural town during the 1960s and 70s then there will likely be a lot about Mr. Simmons's book that will transport you back in time. The protagonists are 5th-and-6th-grade boys living in the dinky corn farm town of Elm Haven, Illinois. It's a time where residents had party-phone lines, drunk drivers were a standard sight, Catholic masses were said in Latin and library's had microfiche machines. The town was pretty poor but still had a class system.

Mr. Simmons's stories are very well written and usually quite long winded. However, the extra details in 'Summer of Night' enhances the believability of his creation. The young boys act like young boys through most of work. Some of the other reviewers seem to be quite impatient with these embellishments. The story jumps back and forth between the young boys summer escapades that most guys can relate to their own rural lives and a slow building of suspense. Half way through the novel, an unsettling event occurs which blew to smithereens my assumptions of who would eventually live and who would die. It kept me interested and on the edge of my seat for the remainder of the story.

The ending does go off the rails in believing young kids would do and act the way they did, but hey, it is meant as a surreal horror story. There are plenty of scary, suspenseful moments in 'Summer of Night' and is a very enjoyable summer read. As the author Stephen King wrote, "(it's an) American nightmare with scares, suspense, and sweet, surprising nostalgia." It worked for me. I'm glad I read it. 

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #371)

BOOK REVIEW: Harried Harry's Hairy Happenings

(Originally Published 2001, Mass Market Paperback 401 pages)

It isn't necessary to read the first installment 'Storm Front' before picking up 'Fool Moon.' The second installment has lots of action, mystery and humor that makes it a fun book independent of the first one. However, Mr. Butcher took more time in 'Storm Front' explaining some of the central characters that helped make 'Fool Moon' a more enjoyable read for me. Besides Harry Dresden, Chicago Special Investigator Karrin Murphy, crime lord Gentleman Johnny Marcone, and sarcastic, randy spirit guide Bob, who lives in a skull, are back. Many of the characters are better understood from reading 'Storm Front' because Dresden used his soulgaze to look into their souls. Interestingly, the person he linked with during the soulgaze also gets to see what's in Harry's soul and, apparently, it scares the living daylights out of most of them. It still remains a mystery to the reader as well as Dresden what the people see?

This time around, instead of dealing with a power-crazy sorcerer, Dresden's antagonists are a variety of werewolves. The author has created four different ways in which people can be transformed into the big hairy killing machines. The worst manifestation is something called a Loup-garou. When it eventually appears, you see why it makes all the other werewolf varieties seem like Scooby-Doo. The author clearly wants The Dresden Files to be read as a series because, by the end of the book, Mr. Butcher leaves some mysteries about Harry's past unanswered. 'Fool Moon' has a very high body count with plenty violence and gore.

I find Harry Dresden to be a very appealing character. It's difficult not to root for a guy who was orphaned at a young age, has a dry sense of humor and his numerous guilt trips make me wonder if he's friggin' Catholic. I certainly intend on reading the other installments when I'm in the mood for a light entertaining book. 

  
(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #370)

BOOK REVIEW: Home Is Where The History Is

(Originally Published 2010, Paperback Edition 532 pages)

My expectations were that Mr. Bryson's book would cover different household items and traditions, but I was clearly mistaken. Each room that he investigates in his home is more a launching pad to cover topics that only remotely apply to the rooms. Darwin's theory of evolution, penile pricking rings, Otzi the Iceman, and rodents' qualities are but a few examples of odd tangents. Mercy, the man is all over the place in this thing but no matter. The information was still interesting. There are nineteen chapters covering from the building of his home in 1851, to the kitchen, the study, the dining room, the stairs, the cellar, the garden, the bedroom, the garden, and so on and so on until the author finishes up in the attic.

Mr. Bryson's playful curiosity about the world around him is infectious. Some topics, such as the bathroom and the difficulties of waste management prior to water treatment facilities made me queasy. I'll never complain about cleaning our toilets ever again. That's for sure. Ultimately, the book is chock full of many home qualities that we never or rarely wonder how they came into being. He also focuses a great deal of time on the oodles of lunatic Victorian mores that make me darned happy to be living in our more enlightened age. Heck, the whole book makes me happy that we have electricity, indoor plumbing, advanced medicine, mattresses, bathing and less draconian social services for the destitute.

'At Home' is not as entertaining as Mr. Bryson's 'A Walk in the Woods' but more informative. It is light reading, full of fun facts and an occasional dry sarcastic remark which always made me chuckle. If you're interested in something other than a murder mystery, science fiction, romance or whatnot then the author's easy-to-read book is a nice way to kill a few hours.

(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #369)