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"Everything is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer

3/27/2013

Title: Everything is Illuminated
Author: Jonathan Safran Foer
Genre: General Fiction
Date Published: 2002
# pages: 276
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Recommended?: Yes

Jonathan Safran Foer’s debut novel, Everything is Illuminated, is a remarkable feat of fiction that transcends its own genre. The novel is comprised of intricately woven narratives that show the inextricable connections between time, place, culture, and humanity. The protagonist, who shares the author’s name, embarks on a journey to find the woman he believes saved his grandfather from the Nazis. With Alex, an ambitious Ukrainian teenager striving for the American dream, and Alex’s grandfather, a cantankerous man with a hidden past, acting as translators and guides, Jonathan realizes that he is not the only one looking to the past in order to better understand the present and to guide the future.

While the themes of the novel – growing up, facing reality, grappling with love and loss, discovering family history, trying to explain inexplicable tragedy, and forming an individual and collective identity – are all clichés, Foer artfully portrays the tragically beautiful universal truths and uncovers the raw, relevant emotion in these familiar plotlines. Through the intersecting narratives, Everything is Illuminated conveys the universal bond of humanity and the struggle to reconcile reality when that bond is violated and betrayed. Simultaneously using macroscopic and microscopic lenses, Foer expresses the complex emotional existence that connects people of all ages, cultures, and religions. The juxtaposition of the protagonist’s exploration of his family’s past and Alex’s grandfather’s inability to escape his own past highlights the equal liberty and burden in acquiring knowledge, as both characters realize the duplicitous nature of history and memory.

The work itself is fiction, but it is rooted in the illuminating truths of profound sorrow, joy, and introspection. The novel’s liminality is paradoxically jarring and comforting, foreign and familiar. When the plot becomes uncomfortably serious, Alex’s broken English provides humorous malapropisms that offer necessary comic relief, while at the same time it makes the reader explore the possibilities and powers of language. When the journey seems physically and emotionally impossible for the characters, there is a reassuring discovery that motivates them to push forward. When the darkest cavities of human cruelty and frailty are exposed, there is still the wavering glow of hope to remind the characters and the reader that it is in moments of seemingly unbearable hardship and self-discovery that everything is illuminated.

Review by Lauren Bly, A&S '15

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"Bright's Passage" by Josh Ritter

3/27/2013

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Title: Bright's Passage
Author: Josh Ritter
Genre: General Fiction
#Pages: 193
Date Published: 2011
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Recommended?: Yes

In his seventh studio album, The Beast in Its Tracks, released on March 5th, it is indisputable that Josh Ritter has a knack for songwriting. However, in his debut novel, Bright’s Passage, it is questionable whether this prowess translates to prose.

The protagonist in Bright’s Passage, Henry Bright, is a deceivingly average young man. After growing up on a small farm in West Virginia, he has the good fortune of surviving World War I, where he had been stationed in the French trenches. What proves unique about Henry Bright, however, is not his good luck or his own actions, but what guides them—an angel, called the Voice. Yet, while the Voice helps Bright survive the war, his advice is not always sound. He instructs and misguides Bright in his struggles during the aftermath of the war, advising him to marry Rachel, a neighbor and his first cousin—a fact that neither the Voice nor Henry find to be an issue. Following that advice, Bright rescues Rachel from her evil father, marries her, and starts a family. However, just when it seems that their lives might work out, Rachel dies in childbirth, leaving Bright alone with an infant son. Shortly after, the Voice speaks again, this time informing him that his son is the Future King of Heaven, born to replace Jesus. Upon the Voice’s prompting, Bright buries his wife, sets his house on fire (which subsequently sets the entire forest aflame), and leaves in search of a new home for his son and himself. However, Rachel’s evil father and his two sons are in close pursuit, looking to steal Bright’s son from him. The story continues with a full-fledged chase and with the ultimate good winning out in the end.

Cliché? Yes. However, Bright’s Passage remains a heartwarming story of a father’s love for his son. Regardless of this, the relatively poor character development distracts from the story’s lyrical and well-written passages. I found the characters one-dimensional. The good characters: entirely good with no serious faults; and the bad characters: purely evil. As a fairytale this would not be a shortcoming. In a novel with an otherwise realistic setting, though, it is difficult to imagine people so distinctly black and white. Consequently, the credibility of the narrative is somewhat compromised. Furthermore, I found that there were too many blatant religious allusions that would have been far more impactful had they been understated. This novel would have done well as a religious allegory; however, I don’t think Josh Ritter intended it to be read that way.

On the other hand, this novel was extremely well researched. The chapters that recall Bright’s time in WWI were historically accurate and strongly added to the novel’s credibility. My largest problem with the piece was the repetition of certain colloquialisms used over and over again. After a while they became rather distracting. For example, in a 195-page novel, how often can someone really “bite his knuckle” in worry or pain or panic?

All things considered, at certain moments Bright’s Passage echoes Josh Ritter’s expertise for storytelling that is seen so clearly in his songwriting. Yet, over the course of the novel it is apparent that Ritter is far more comfortable with the process of lyric writing than prose writing. As a result, I left Bright’s Passage disappointed. What I expected was an extension of his songs—a ballad in prose form. That wasn’t what I found and perhaps because of this expectation my disappointment in the novel was partly my own fault. If anyone has ever listened to Bob Dylan’s music and then read his book, Tarantula, they would have a similar reaction to the one I had to Bright’s Passage. However, unlike Tarantula, Bright’s Passage has a linear plot line and the makings of a great novel, if only it had been tweaked or the author had had a bit more experience. All in all, I would recommend it, even if only to be read as an inside look at a successful artist’s thought process. I think that it is a good start in Ritter’s literary career, and if he can take what he has learned from writing this novel and harness some of his profound story-telling expertise that is so evident in his songwriting, his second novel will be a greater literary success.

Review by Christine Degenaars, CSOM '15

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"Mergers and Acquisitions" by Dana Vachon

3/25/2013

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Title: Mergers and Acquisitions
Author: Dana Vachon
Genre(s): Fiction
# pages: 240
Date published: 2008
Rating: 2.5 out of 5stars
Would you recommend it? Yes

Mergers and Acquisitions follows the life of Tommy Quinn, a young man who has just graduated from Georgetown and is setting out on a career in banking in New York City. He is hired in the Mergers and Acquisitions department at J. S. Spenser, a ritzy firm where the bonuses are big, the talk is cheap, and everyone’s priorities are completely out of line. With his lack of ambition, sub-par GPA, and inability to add or subtract, Tommy has absolutely no business being in banking; yet connections and social circles get him the job, the girlfriend, and the experiences – which are not what he thought they would be. Written before the collapse of the financial industry, this novel is a flashback to what the realities of banking were pre-2008. In addition to all-nighters spent pulling together projects at the last minute, a banker’s “responsibilities” often included drugs, parties, and entertaining clients. The world is dark, funny, and constantly moving. The characters are relatable in that they reminded me of people I know – individuals who are both entitled and completely qualified.

This was definitely an easy read; it was quick (it only took two days between class readings) and easy to understand. What I really appreciated was that it was similar to chick-lit, but instead of taking the perspective of a young, love-stricken female, it was written by a man from a man’s perspective (think Holden Caulfield all grown up), which enables Mergers to reach a wider audience. Despite the escape it provided me from the reality of midterms, it wasn’t anywhere near the best light book I’ve read. It was similar to Less Than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis, but not quite as captivating. If you’re looking for something different, and something quick, Mergers and Acquisitions is a good read. However, if you are looking for something with a lot of substance or complex characters, this is not the book for you.

Review by Molly Saint, A&S '15

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"The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain

3/25/2013

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Title: The Paris Wife
Author: Paula McLain
Genre: Historical Ficiton
#Pages: 314
Date Published: 2011
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Recommended?: Yes

The Paris Wife is brilliant, beautiful, and heart wrenching. Set in 1920s Paris, a time of transition and innovation, this novel tells the true story of Ernest Hemmingway’s first wife, Hadley Richardson. Hadley is a practical women – honest and all things good. She brings out the best in Ernest and loves him to a fault. Their marriage is one with many obstacles, such as Ernest’s severe mood swings, his fierce commitment to his career, and even infidelity. Sometimes I wished she would finally snap and let Ernest have it. I wanted her to scream at him, to make him truly understand how much he hurt her. But no, that is not Hadley’s way. She is ever the perfect wife.

Despite its beautiful descriptions of Paris and the incredible era of the ’20s, this book is a love story above all else. In fact, Paula McLain stated her whole idea for this book started when she read A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemmingway’s memoir of his and Hadley’s days in Paris. In the final pages, he writes of Hadley, “I wished I had died before I ever loved anyone but her.”

Surrounded by greats like Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hadley and Ernest live exciting lives. The novel is so full to the brim of famous names from the “Lost Generation” that I found myself often pulling out my computer to research the many secondary characters that make cameo appearances. It was as though I was transported back in time, and I wanted to learn more about these fascinating people. Paula McLain’s commitment to staying true to the facts is admirable. I became enraptured by the story of the Hemmingways and sought out more information about them. I was surprised to learn how much of The Paris Wife is factually accurate.

The Paris Wife goes deeper than simply telling the story of the often forgotten first Hemmingway wife. It delves into the universal struggles of marriage and love. Despite their fame and the fact that this story takes place ninety years ago, Hadley and Ernest go through many of the struggles couples go through today. This brings the novel down to earth and renders it relatable to a modern audience. When reading this novel, I could feel Hadley’s love, strength, and heartache. Paula McLain breathes life into her, finally giving her a voice and a presence that will live on, allowing her to move out of the shadow of Ernest Hemmingway and be given her own identity. I came to love her and her story will stay with me for a long time to come.

Review by Brittany Duncan,

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"Save Me the Waltz" by Zelda Fitzgerald

3/25/2013

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Title: Save Me the Waltz
Author: Zelda Fitzgerald
#Pages: 225
Genre: General Fiction
Date Published: 1932; Republished 2001
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Recommended?: Yes

Earnest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Elliot—these are the authors that occur in one’s mind when thinking of the “Lost Generation”. They were men, writers, disillusioned with a world destroyed by war. Yet, there was more to this time period and the literature produced during it. There were women; there was Gertrude Stein and Hadley Hemingway. There was Zelda Fitzgerald.

In her only novel, Save Me the Waltz, Zelda Fitzgerald describes the familiar dissolution of the American dream felt by many of the authors of 1920s. However, unlike other writers of the period, she describes these themes through a woman’s perspective. Save Me the Waltz is the semi-autobiographical account of a young woman from the South, Alabama Beggs, specifically detailing her marriage and her life with the artist David Knight. At first, she is enthralled with the late-night parties and the ritz and glamour that come along with her marriage to David. However, she soon sees the emptiness of such a life and turns away from her husband and into herself. In Paris, she recognizes her dream to become a great ballerina and begins to take lessons in a nearby dance studio. After months of practice and weeks of neglecting both her family and her customary lifestyle, she becomes exceptionally close to fulfilling her dream. She moves to Italy and performs in a ballet. However, soon after, her dream is shattered by an infection, which leaves her incapable of dancing again. Upon recovery, she returns to America with her husband and daughter to attend her father’s funeral. The novel ends with her and her husband resigned to complacency, seemingly content in mutual disillusionment.

For anyone who is interested in the Lost Generation, Save Me the Waltz is a necessary addition to his or her library. It brings full circle the thoughts and attitudes of many of the writers of that time – illuminating a woman’s perspective from an era that is described largely and almost singularly by men. With events taken from her personal life, the novel gives a different point of view on the workings of Zelda and F. Scott’s relationship, a marriage that has long incited the interest of readers. Drawing on many of the same themes as Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night and written at relatively the same time, Save Me the Waltz parallels many of the plot points of what has become, arguably, Fitzgerald’s most famous work. Consequently, Save Me the Waltz is an interesting juxtaposition to that novel and good companion for those reading it. Zelda Fitzgerald’s writing style, with a devoted attention to minute details, makes Save Me the Waltz a thoroughly engrossing read and one that can very successfully stand on its own as a great and unjustifiably overlooked piece of literature.

Review by Christine Degenaars, CSOM '15

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"Everything is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer

"Bright's Passage" by Josh Ritter

"Mergers and Acquisitions" by Dana Vachon

"The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain

"Save Me the Waltz" by Zelda Fitzgerald

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