The Book of Lost Things

Over the last few weeks, my mother has been telling me over and over to read this book, The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. After checking for it in a few different stores, I finally ordered it from my local bookstore downtown. It was definitely worth the trouble and wait.

The Book of Lost Things is a modern fairy tale, that features fairy tales of old set in a new light. It all takes place in England, during the beginning of World War II. The story starts with David, and the death of his mother. His father remarries and has another child, and the family relocated. David is full of anger and resentment towards his step-mother and his new half-brother. Shortly after the move, David starts experiencing "attacks" and as a result he becomes able to hear the thoughts of books. This is where the Crooked Man enters his life, as well. One night David find himself in a sunken garden next to the house, where a German airplane crashes. David hides in the sunken garden, only to find himself transported to a fairy tale land. He meets a bevvy of characters, including the Woodsman and Roland the Knight, who join David on his quest to return home. The Crooked Man tries to thwart them at every turn, however, as does a series of nefarious beasts and characters.

Many of the fairy tales used in The Book of Lost Things are familiar, where others were brand new to me. Most have been twisted in such a way as to appear more relevant to David's plight. At the end of the edition that I purchased (paper back), there is notes by Connolly about the stories used and why they were important, as well as reprints of the original stories.

I give this book a 5 out of 5, and I think it has definitely found its place among my Top 10 Favorite Books.

Atonement

After much longer time than I anticipated, I have finished my 4th book 0f 2009. I feel like this book has been a labor for me to finish, but in actuality, it wasn't a book that I was unhappy to read. I think the problem is that edition I purchased used a small font, and had small header/footer space, and compared to The Reader, it was rich in detail and nuance. All this lead to a read that seemed long and intense, but never boring.

I had watched the film version of Atonement a year ago, and was immediately struck by the story and the twist ending (which I won't ruin in case someone is not familiar with the story). I knew it was based on a book, but had not read it. My mother told me that the book and movie are identical, which is important for me. I hate books and movies that are two separate entities... When I read Atonement this month I was pleasantly surprised. They are exactly the same, and the movie images do not compete or challenge the ones drawn up by my mind's eye.

The beautiful thing about this book is that you completely understand the main characters involved, and while you may hate their choices and know how it will all fall apart, you still know that it had to be done. I loved the characters of Cecilia and Robbie, and the telling of their romance in particular. The descriptions where great, even if they were a bit overwhelming when I read at a late hour or with noise in the background.

Overall, though, I was very happy that I finally read this book. I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

The Reader

I started 2009 thinking that I would spend the first part of it re-reading books that meant something to me. I re-read book 2, The Time Traveler's Wife, with this in mind. After, something happens that always does when I re-read that book; I had to find something totally different to follow it. Nothing I had read already would suffice, I had to start fresh. So, I picked up The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink. It was exactly what I needed.

The story reads like a memoir, but isn't. It follows the life of Michael Berg, and his romance with Hanna, which starts when Michael is 15 and Hanna is more than twice his age. Their romance is short-lived and tumultuous. They separate, for reasons unknown to Michael, only to meet later when Hanna is being tried for war crimes, although that is not her worst secret. All takes place after WWII, in Germany.

Overall, I liked the story very much. You feel for Hanna, which is unusual in books about people who were involved in WWII. She is not painted as a monster, in Michael's eyes, but she is in other's. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down, and finished the book quickly. At first I attributed that to the largish type and low page count (218), but in all actuality it was the story that kept me riveted and would not let go. The book has been made into a movie, starring Kate Winslett, released the 9th of January.

I give this book a 4.5 out of 5.