The books listed below are those I read for last week’s Read-a-Thon. I planned not to write a review for each, because I don’t really have time to play catch-up on 8 book reviews, particularly with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) starting in two days. I did want to get some thoughts and a “rating” down for all of them, though.
1. Teleny, or The Reverse of the Medal by Anonymous (Oscar Wilde) 5 out of 5
2. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck 5 out of 5
—While I did not enjoy this one quite as much as The Pearl, it is still incredible. The Red Pony is actually a tightly woven collection of four short stories about the same young boy and his family. Steinbeck is one of America’s greatest storytellers, and I’m reminded anew of just how brilliant he is every time I pick up and read something by him. The way he recreates rural and poverty-stricken American life goes beyond genuine accuracy – it is perfection. The emotions he evokes, the nationalism (not patriotism) he inspires, and the history he harkens back to — I am never disappointed. The story of Jody, his parents, and their farm hand is the story of every American boy and his wide-eyed American dreams.
3. The Diaries of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain 4 out of 5
—Absolutely hilarious. I almost don’t know what else to say about this book. It is simple but imaginative. Hilarious but poignant. The book is a reimagining of the Creation, through the diaries of Adam and Eve. The reader first sees the world’s creation and the discovery of all life and things, including Eve, through Adam’s eyes. The diary entries are typically “male” – not much concern for anything but hunting and gratification (“What is this annoying thing that talks, talks, talks, and gets wet in the eyes when I ignore it?”). Then, the reader sees the same events and things through Eve’s eyes, which is wholly “feminine” – the pretty lights in the sky that one could reach if they only just climbed a bit higher in their tree, the moon that someone steals each morning and brings back each night, the animal friends and the new babies to love and nurture (which Adam believes must be another species – perhaps bear? Perhaps kangaroo?). Not my favorite Twain, as it is a bit simple, but it is still classic Twain – witty, cynical, holier-than-thou.
4. The Cat Inside by William S. Burroughs 3 out of 5
—For those not familiar with William S. Burroughs – he was the “godfather” to the American Beat generation. He did a lot of drugs, had sex with a lot of boys, and shot his wife when trying to aim at an apple on her head. He was a strange, twisted, brilliant man who had a bizarre love for cats. He worshipped them in a way near to the adoration given cats by the ancient Egyptians. Burroughs believed cats were the ultimate species and he allowed them to run rampant on his ranch, feeding them, playing with them, forcing friends to care for them when he had to be away. This book is a sort of collection of diary entries about his life with cats. It certainly tells of Burroughs and there are many “Burroughs-esque” elements to it but, overall, it’s probably one which could be skipped. Unless, maybe, you’re a bizarre cat lover.
5. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 3.5 out of 5
—The final book in The Hunger Games trilogy, and definitely my least favorite. I enjoyed certain aspects of the book – such as the inside-look at District 13 and how it is managed, not to mention the way it must readjust to the influx of new residents, as people from the other Districts flee their homes. I also appreciated that this book took place in the “real world,” outside the games – and was not just all about the champions (although, largely, it was). I was disappointed in the ending, though – it felt haphazardly constructed and unfulfilling. Too much time was spent inside District 13, doing not much at all (even the group’s attempts at rescuing the captured champions in the Capitol is left to the imagination) – too much politics, too much angst, and too quickly resolved sub-plots. The finale was predictable (though a bit welcome) and the fate of one of Katniss’s love-interests (and that relationship) was sadly, sadly deconstructed, as if Collins just got sick of having Katniss so indecisive so made up her mind for her. It was an okay book, but not a great conclusion to an otherwise interesting series.
6, 7, & 8 The Oresteia (Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides) by Aeschylus 4 out of 5
—I definitely enjoyed this trilogy more than I expected to, especially since I was reading it in the late, late hours of the read-a-thon (somewhere around hour 18). It is hard to rate these as separate plays, since the trio really only works together in total – but they are separate plays and were written and performed separately at times, until the collection was completed. All-in-all, I found Agamemnon to be the strongest of the set, but each of the three were interesting. The Eumenides, in particular, with its examination of morality and judgment, a new judicial system and the struggle between old and new gods (old and new belief systems, moral structures, punishment processes, etc) was fascinating to read, particularly as precursor to modern-day judicial systems (the presence of the first ‘jury of peers’ is here). Aeschylus and The Oresteia are definitely worth the read.
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I will be writing my very first novel (at least 50,000 words) and would truly appreciate your sponsorship. All donations go to The Office of Letters and Light – a great charity working for a great cause! If you can spare even $5 (or more) – please Sponsor Me and help me stay energized to write my book and WIN NaNoWriMo!
is an intense, harrowing account of one family’s struggle to survive, after being dislocated from their Oklahoma ranch and forced to move to California – land of prosperity for work. The Joad family and their local (former) preacher, Jim Casey get caught up in the web of agricultural monopolies & Hoovervilles. They bounce from farm to farm, job to job, and camp to camp, as they search for enough work just to feed themselves. The story ends on a note of acceptance and understanding, but without promise or hope. The reality of the Great Depression and the dust bowl devastated “Oakies” seems to settle over the entire novel, the entire country, without so much as a glimmer of better days to come – though the Joads are sure to keep on.
, for instance, but nowhere else is the land such an active character, such an antagonist to the Joads success – and to the success of all the “Reds.” Still, these folks love the land, and will continue to work for just a small space of their own; so we too love the land. Finally, Steinbeck is clearly speaking out in preference of the Union. Casey and Tom Joad – likely the novel’s two most conscientious and laudable protagonists – both, in the end, come to the conclusion to “organize.” They believe it is the only way to get ahead, to get out of the slums and to earn a living for the people and their families. At a time when Unions were being demonized by big and small corporations alike, Steinbeck was courageous –and right- in his championing of them.
and Twain’s 
have I felt an author has so completely and implicitly captured the American spirit. The only faults to find in this novel were that too much, though not much really, was left unresolved. Why doesn’t this reduced my overall score for the novel? Because Steinbeck knew the problem itself was unresolved – yes, characters in this novel wandered off and were never heard from again; so it was with the migrant laborers, split from their families to find work, with promises to strike it big and return with wealth and advantages. The language and dialogue were masterfully wrought, and the novel’s structure is something unique and wonderful. The interspersed chapters of detached observation give the readers a clearer understanding of what is really happening, and the realization that, left with only the Joad family’s journey, we too would continue to be hopeful when there was no reason left to be positive. It is no wonder that 
by Madeleine L’Engle
by John Steinbeck
by Lois Lowry
by Thomas Hardy
by Dave Pelzer
by T.C. Boyle
) up to this point and, while I knew Steinbeck to be a brilliant and beautiful writer, particularly adept social commentary and the didactic, I couldn’t see either of those short works being successful as a longer novel. The reason for this, of course, is obvious – the novellas are perfect as they are. Steinbeck chooses every word carefully, so that none of his work is longer or shorter than it needs to be. East of Eden proves it, in that it holds ones attention just as raptly as a shorter work, and it’s proves continues to move the reader from page to page, right until the very last words. The characters are well-developed, the plot and sub-plots interweave seamlessly, the setting is beautifully displayed and expresses its importance to the work as a whole (imagining this novel to take place anywhere else is almost impossible). I can’t say enough about 
by Dave Pelzer 4.0/5.0
by John Walsh 4.0/5.0 
by William Golding 4.5/5.0
by J.D. Salinger 5.0/5.0
by Agatha Christie 4.5/5.0
by Herman Melville 4.0/5.0
by J.K. Rowling 5.0/5.0