I'm about 2/3 the way through The Year of the Flood, and I'm enjoying it, pretty much. I get annoyed at times by all the new words I'm forced to learn, mostly the names of gene spliced animals like rackunk (combination of raccoon and skunk). I guess that's a problem with all science fiction--a long list of new terms. But the basic story seems pretty traditional--man's inhumanity to man and their bad decisions with respect to nature.
Told mostly in flashback, the main characters describe how they got to the point where they are in the present time of the story, that is, the year of the flood. The flood is called "waterless" because it is a flood of microbes, I think. But they haven't really detailed that yet. I guess I'll find out eventually what has happened to the earth to make most of the people disappear.
Atwood is a great writer and she manages to get me involved in the lives of all these not-too-distant future women and men. I can barely remember the novel to which this is a sequel, Oryx and Crake, so I may have to go back to it eventually so I can connect it with this book.
I'll report my findings in the next post.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
From a Troubled History to an Uncertain Future
I spent the week reading and skimming Making Waves, an anthology of mostly non-fiction writing by and about Asian American women, edited by the Asian Women United of California (hence its inclusion in the "A" books). It was published in 1989, and for that reason it's a bit dated, but there were many interesting articles, some poems and a few stories to keep me reading or at least perusing the book over the course of the week.
I got out of it as much as I wanted, I think, though I didn't read most of the more scholarly articles as they were a bit too dry for bus reading. If I were trying to gain information to write a paper for a course, this book would be just the thing. I believe that was my original intention when I bought it years ago, but I'm no longer moved to write about the subject. I may keep it, though, in case I need to learn something in the future about Asian American women, as it is quite thorough in its coverage of their somewhat troubled history and (then) current situtation in the U.S.
So, having finished Making Waves, I'm turning once again to fiction, this time a novel by Maragaret Atwood (the famous speculative fiction writer who is one of my favorites) entitled The Year of the Flood. This book continues the saga begun in Oryx and Crake, which I read back in 2004. The story takes place in a future world that has been all but destroyed by humankind's neglect of the environment. It should be interesting, and moreover, will complete my sojourn through the "A" books in my collection.
Stay tuned . . .
I got out of it as much as I wanted, I think, though I didn't read most of the more scholarly articles as they were a bit too dry for bus reading. If I were trying to gain information to write a paper for a course, this book would be just the thing. I believe that was my original intention when I bought it years ago, but I'm no longer moved to write about the subject. I may keep it, though, in case I need to learn something in the future about Asian American women, as it is quite thorough in its coverage of their somewhat troubled history and (then) current situtation in the U.S.
So, having finished Making Waves, I'm turning once again to fiction, this time a novel by Maragaret Atwood (the famous speculative fiction writer who is one of my favorites) entitled The Year of the Flood. This book continues the saga begun in Oryx and Crake, which I read back in 2004. The story takes place in a future world that has been all but destroyed by humankind's neglect of the environment. It should be interesting, and moreover, will complete my sojourn through the "A" books in my collection.
Stay tuned . . .
Saturday, April 13, 2013
From Welsh to Asians
Well, after having read most of A Hiding Place, and not having discovered the reason for the title yet, I'm putting it aside. It's just too depressing. So far nothing has gotten better and everything has gotten worse, even to the present time of the story, towards the end, when the girls have a reunion at their old house.
So it's on the the Asian American Women's collection of fiction and non-fiction, which should prove interesting and hopefully less depressing than the last book.
I'll let you know how I fare.
So it's on the the Asian American Women's collection of fiction and non-fiction, which should prove interesting and hopefully less depressing than the last book.
I'll let you know how I fare.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Ordinary Maltese
I don't have much more to say about Telling the Truth About History. The authors spent the final chapters detailing what they believe to be a better approach to teaching and studying history. I didn't retain much of that, but it did get me thinking about why people enjoy reading about history.
Since this book was published in 1996, there has been a trend in publishing historical accounts that are more like fiction than scholarship. Since they are meant for the general public, this is appropriate, I think. I've enjoyed reading quite a few of those popular histories, despite their sometimes lack of documentation.
People do like to learn about the past, and I think the authors of Telling the Truth are right in saying that we want to know about past lives in order to give meaning to our own present existence. The authors also warn, though, that accounts of what happened in the past can be used to manipulate perceptions of people in power and their decisions. For instance, the westward migration of European immigrants in 19th century America can be characterized as heroic or as horrific, depending on how the stories are told, and who tells them.
It has been said that the victors of conflicts are the ones who write the histories, but that doesn't mean that stories about the events of the past are erased. As long as some people remember and pass along what that time was like for them, then the complexity of the past can be preserved and perhaps brought to light at some future time.
I guess that's one reason I like genealogy research. What I can find out about my forebears is interesting because they are related to me, however distantly, but also because they are ordinary people and what they thought about or did is a small piece of the fabric of the past and gives meaning to it, even if only in that small way. Imagining what it was like for them to live in 1864 or 1910 or 1795 allows me to see the past as connected to the present and their lives as connected to mine. How were they affected by the Civil War or the Industrial Revolution or the coming of the railroad? Those are answers I may never get, but knowing the people a little allows me to at least imagine their responses.
I've now moved on to the next "A" book, this time a novel by Trezza Azzopardi, a Welsh writer or Maltese descent, entitled The Hiding Place. It is about a Maltese family who live in Cardiff, Wales. There are five daughters, one of whom is the main character in the story. So far I find it interesting and well written, but a bit depressing because the people are so dysfunctional, especially the father who has a gambling problem that causes financial ruin for his family. I am enjoying it, however.
The book is Ms. Azzopardi's first novel, published in 2001; it was shortlisted for the Booker prize. I found a little bit of information about the name Azzopardi in an article which also tells a bit about the history of Malta; I also found an article about the migration of the Maltese people to Britain here.
Well, there are only three "A" books left unread. But once I'm done with this letter, instead of going on to "B" books, I plan to mix things up by picking the next letter from a hat!
Until next time.
Since this book was published in 1996, there has been a trend in publishing historical accounts that are more like fiction than scholarship. Since they are meant for the general public, this is appropriate, I think. I've enjoyed reading quite a few of those popular histories, despite their sometimes lack of documentation.
People do like to learn about the past, and I think the authors of Telling the Truth are right in saying that we want to know about past lives in order to give meaning to our own present existence. The authors also warn, though, that accounts of what happened in the past can be used to manipulate perceptions of people in power and their decisions. For instance, the westward migration of European immigrants in 19th century America can be characterized as heroic or as horrific, depending on how the stories are told, and who tells them.
It has been said that the victors of conflicts are the ones who write the histories, but that doesn't mean that stories about the events of the past are erased. As long as some people remember and pass along what that time was like for them, then the complexity of the past can be preserved and perhaps brought to light at some future time.
I guess that's one reason I like genealogy research. What I can find out about my forebears is interesting because they are related to me, however distantly, but also because they are ordinary people and what they thought about or did is a small piece of the fabric of the past and gives meaning to it, even if only in that small way. Imagining what it was like for them to live in 1864 or 1910 or 1795 allows me to see the past as connected to the present and their lives as connected to mine. How were they affected by the Civil War or the Industrial Revolution or the coming of the railroad? Those are answers I may never get, but knowing the people a little allows me to at least imagine their responses.
I've now moved on to the next "A" book, this time a novel by Trezza Azzopardi, a Welsh writer or Maltese descent, entitled The Hiding Place. It is about a Maltese family who live in Cardiff, Wales. There are five daughters, one of whom is the main character in the story. So far I find it interesting and well written, but a bit depressing because the people are so dysfunctional, especially the father who has a gambling problem that causes financial ruin for his family. I am enjoying it, however.
The book is Ms. Azzopardi's first novel, published in 2001; it was shortlisted for the Booker prize. I found a little bit of information about the name Azzopardi in an article which also tells a bit about the history of Malta; I also found an article about the migration of the Maltese people to Britain here.
Well, there are only three "A" books left unread. But once I'm done with this letter, instead of going on to "B" books, I plan to mix things up by picking the next letter from a hat!
Until next time.
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