Book Series - An Interlude (Part 2 of 2); "The Whisperers" by John Connolly - D

I know, I know.  That title is a mouthful.

This is part 2 of my thought-provoking series on book series.  I know that the last entry was quite the mind-bender.  We delve deep here on Mark's Book Blog.  We really do.

So, about two years ago my biological mother calls me and asks, "What happened to John Connolly?"  No freaking idea what she was talking about.  I'd never heard of John Connolly.  Apparently, she had read numerous John Connolly novels, and the latest one was not to her liking.  After a few web searches and a few more cryptic clues from my biological mother, I said, "Nothing has happened to John Connolly.  Now, the fact that you're reading John Connolly and expecting a Michael Connolly novel.  That's a problem."

I've read a couple Michael Connolly novels.  Connolly has written the Harry Bosch series.  I think I read "The Lincoln Lawyer," which is not a Harry Bosch novel.  But I digress.  Where was I?

Oh yeah.  Well, I look up this John Connolly.  He's got a series of his own, the Charlie Parker series.  At this point, I think Connolly was 4-5 books in to the series.  I researched John Connolly (I'm going to refer to him as "JC" for the rest of this post), and it sounded like his books wouldn't suck.  Sounded a little like Michael Connolly who had gone on a Stephen King bender.

As discussed in Part I, I had to start with Book 1, "Every Dead Thing."  I liked this Charlie Parker character as well as his nefarious friends, Louis and Angel.  I read Book 2, "Dark Hollow."  OK, OK, I'm not going to give you a play by play here, I've read them all. Starting with Book 1.  And I just completed the latest, "The Whisperers."

I saw an interview with Daniel Silva the other day on the Today Show while I was getting my car serviced (Bear with me here.  I hate the Today Show.  But I wasn't the first one at the dealership, and I was therefore unable to switch over to Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN2.  And, I know I'm jumping around, but again, bear with me.)  I've read a couple of Daniel Silva novels.  He has written the Gabriel Allon series.  Allon is a former Israeli spy turned art restorer.  (I hear that's the preferred retirement job for old spooks--art restoration.  I can think of 1,000 retirement job for old spies, but I never would have come upon "art restorer.")

Anyway, Silva said that publishers pretty much demand a novel a year, and that he's had novels come out the same week each of the last several years.

That's the problem with The Whisperers.  JC's publishers require a novel a year, and JC is running out of stories to tell.  There's not much plot in The Whisperers.  More disappointing, however, is that there's not much Louis or Angel, and not enough Charlie Parker.

As I've tried to communicate on this blog in prior entries, I'm primarily a character guy.  I want to see compelling characters described skillfully.  There has to be enough story to help the characters along, but if I'm not interested in your protagonist, you've lost me.

JC's earlier novels in the Charlie Parker series had more than enough plot.  Now, it seems like he's in the four corners offense just delaying some major character development or series conclusion.

I used to like James Rollins' Sigma novels, too.  Same problem.  I've sworn them off.  Too much "been there, read that" in his latest two, "Doomsday Key" and "The Last Oracle."  Even his latest non-Sigma novel, "Altar of Eden," was too formulaic.

And there's always the possibility that, instead of the authors becoming lazy and formulaic, they were ALWAYS lazy and formulaic, but I was too lazy and oblivious to notice.  My head is spinning.

I know that this post was "all over," but whatever.  That's right, I'm whatevering you, if you're out there.

Live long, read and prosper.  We'll leave the lights on for you.

Book Series - An Interlude (1 of 2)

The Kid:  You read that wrong. She doesn't marry Humperdinck, she marries Westley. I'm just sure of it. After all that Westley did for her, if she does not marry him, it wouldn't be fair.

Grandfather:  Well, who says life is fair? Where is that written? Life isn't always fair.

The Kid:  I'm telling you you're messing up the story, now get it right!

Grandfather:  Do you want me to go on with this?

Ok, so I don’t know whether this Princess Bride quote is a worthy contributor to the subject of this post, but whatever.  That’s right; I just “whatevered” you.

I have almost finished my current read, a novel called The Whisperers which is the ninth novel in the “Charlie Parker” series by John Connolly.  More on that particular series in my next post, but reading Book 9 got me thinking about series in general.

A good friend of mine once called herself “geeky” because she insists on starting with Book 1 of a series.  If she’s geeky for that, I too am guilty.

Look, there are certain series that you can read out of turn—Lee Child’s Jack Reaper series, for instance.  If you start with Book 5, you might not be as familiar with Jack Reaper or you may have to read over a reference to an occurrence in a previous book, but you’re still going to be in a position to enjoy the plot.

On the other hand, you’re not going to start with The Two Towers.  If you do, you’re a moron.  You have to read The Lord of the Rings trilogy in sequence or not read it at all.  Same with Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series.  How about Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series?  If you continue to suffer through that one, you have my undying admiration.  The series outlasted even Robert Jordan!

Notwithstanding the fact that you “can” read series like the Jack Reaper series out of sequence, I cannot do so.  I’d feel I was missing something even if I wasn’t.  So, I need to start with Book 1.

I have read “The Killing Floor,” the first Jack Reacher novel.  I’ve also read “Lions of Lucerne,” the first Scot Harvath novel by Brad Thor.  Both were fine.  Neither wowed me.  I enjoyed each for what they were—fun rides.  For me, the commitment starts with Book 2.  I’d better be prepared to read ‘em all if I go on to Book 2.  And that hasn’t happened with either series.  That’s mainly a personal failing in that I’m just not in a place in my life where I can make such a time commitment.

And how about the series that shouldn’t be?  You know the ones.  Did “Dune” really need multiple sequels?  How about “Ender’s Game”?

Anyway, this post arose from my curiosity about others’ views on series.  Not that I expect any feedback.  Not that anybody is still reading.  I know you’re not.

If you are out there (hellooooooooo), post your favorite series.  Your guilty pleasure.  Even if they are romance novels (I'm not reading those, but whatever.  Yeah, I whatevered you again).

Live long, read and prosper.  We’ll leave the lights on for you.

My New Thing (I Think)

"For instance, I travel with my own wine...You never know what quality you could encounter at a soiree."

"Very classy."

"I'm into class...It's my new thing."

You undoubtedly recognize the above exchange from the classic 1987 film, Can't Buy Me Love, starring Patrick Dempsey and the immortal Amanda Peterson.   Patrick Dempsey eventually went on to star in Grey's Anatomy.  Amanda Peterson's fame skyrocketed following Can't Buy Me Love.

(Quick but important digression.  The Can't Buy Me Love exchange related above involved two ancillary characters from the film.  The line "Very classy" was uttered by Ami Dolenz, daughter of Mickey Dolenz, famous for being one of the Monkeys.  I couldn't use "immortal" again in this post, but if I could, "immortal" would have preceded "Mickey Dolenz."  Anyway, I always found it ironic that a Monkeys' daughter was in a movie named after a Beatles song.)

Anyway, I'm considering a new thing myself.

Inspired by a good friend and fellow book lover, I am planning to read (or re-read, as the case may be) some classic novels.  I intend to intersperse some classic novels as every third or fourth book I read.

As always, I'm looking for recommendations.  So far, Middlemarch by George Elliot and Jane Eyre by Charlotte "Don't Call Me Emily" Bronte have been recommended to me.  I'm not a big Dickens guy, and I wonder if Moby Dick is any less boring or The Grapes of Wrath any less depressing than either was back in high school or college.

Live long, read and prosper.  We'll leave the lights on for you.

"Await Your Reply" by Dan Chaon - B

Let’s start this post with a  short digression or two.

Digression No. 1:

George: “A solid ‘B’?”

Jerry: “Yeah. A solid ‘B.’ Not a pretentious ‘A.’ Not a ‘B+’ which is little more than a ‘B’ trying to masquerade as an almost ‘A.’ A solid ‘B.’ It’s not so bad.”

Digression No. 2:

(A baseball digression)

“It’s the ‘Hall of Fame.’  It’s not the ‘Hall of Very Good.’  It’s not the ‘Hall of He Played a Long Time.’  It’s the freaking ‘Hall of Fame.’”

What’s the relevance of the digressions?  I really enjoyed "Await Your Reply" by Dan Chaon.  The novel was a recommendation from a cousin whose opinion I value.  It’s one of those books that I put on “my list” and, when thinking about what to read next, said, “Hmm.  I think I’ll try this.”  (Ok, truthfully, I put four books on hold at the library—as always, with apologies to the author and publisher.  I subsequently said, “Nah, I’m not going to read ‘Await Your Reply’” and canceled the hold.  BUT, I must have canceled it too late because it was there when I picked up the other books.  So, I figured that it was fate that I read it.  And I did.)

The novel is taut and suspenseful and essentially tells three different stories about three different sets of characters.  Without spoiling anything, I’d say that the stories intersect in some ways.

I have blogged previously on what I call “highlighter novels.”  “Await Your Reply” is more of a “college term paper novel.”  The three storylines share numerous themes seen from different perspectives.  I could have written a college term paper on any one of a number of these—discussing the themes themselves and the relevance of each theme to each character and/or storyline.

Back to my earlier digression.  “Await Your Reply” is very good.  If you have read other novels by Dan Chaon (I had not), I do not see how “Await Your Reply” could possibly disappoint you.  It’s an excellent read, just a "Hall of Very Gooder" as opposed to a Hall of Famer.

Live long, read and prosper.  We’ll leave the lights on for you.

The Passage by Justin Cronin - A-

“The Passage” by Justin Cronin is a fun ride, a very fun ride.  This isn’t highbrow “literature,” folks, but this is a well-written novel, fairly taut for 750 pages with very good character development.

As I’ve said on this blog many times before, I’m a huge Stephen King fan.  Not Annie Wilkes huge, but huge.  I haven’t read EVERYTHING King has written, and usually I read everything new and one “golden oldie” I haven’t read each year.  Without question, far and away, my favorite Stephen King novel is “The Stand.”

“The Passage” is a post-apocalyptic novel in the tradition of “The Stand” and of “Swan Song” by Robert McCammon, another excellent novel.  “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy is a little different.  “The Stand,” “Swan Song” and “The Passage” are all post-apocalyptic good vs. evil novels, while “The Road” is more of a tome of survival in a post-apocalyptic world.  “The Road,” is, of course, more highbrow than any of the other three novels, but I recommend all four of them very highly.  I do not, however, recommend that anyone read them in seriatim because there are similarities particularly among “The Stand,” “Swan Song” and “The Passage” which will make it difficult for any reader to evaluate any of them on a standalone basis.

Without giving anything away, “The Passage” deals with a black ops government experiment gone bad and then fast-forwards about a century in the future.  (“The Stand” uses a modern plague as a jumping-off point while “Swan Song” details the aftermath of a nuclear war).  The government was attempting to produce super strong soldiers who could quickly recover from injuries, but the initial batches of the “virus” didn’t achieve all of the desired results for a variety of reasons.  After a significant security breach, the test subjects escape and spread the virus to trigger the apocalyptic event.  Not all are infected, and the rest of the novel centers on a group of descendants of initial survivors who have led their entire lives in a segregated community.  Think of a generation of a small group of people who have lived their entire lives cut off from the rest of the world who understand some of the dangers of their world but know nothing—in fact, have no frame of reference to understand—the world beyond their community.

Some readers have been frustrated because they invested in certain characters only to see those characters drop off the radar following the fast-forward.  Clearly, you will have to reinvest in a new group of characters, but in retrospect, the investment pays off.  Especially since “The Passage” is intended to be the first book in a trilogy.

“The Passage” is an ideal fun summer read.  Fans of Stephen King will find Cronin’s writing style familiar.  “The Passage” is like “comfort food” for the reading palate.

Live long, read and prosper.  We’ll leave the lights on for you.

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes - A

Wow. That was a good read.

I have at home the novel,Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson. Tree of Smoke won the 2007 National Book Award. I never read the novel. Why? I don't know. Why do I ever buy books that I don't read? I'm sure that I had every intention of reading it. Anyway, I'm trying to move Tree of Smoke into my rotation so I can do a post comparing and contrasting it from Matterhorn.  Discuss.

This novel is extraordinarily well done. Every character serves a purpose.  While most of the story follows the main character, Lieutenant Waino Mellas, all of his Bravo Company comrades play significant roles.  I believe that authors who write war novels must have remarkable storytelling skills. Why? First, to do a war novel "right" (and Matterhorn was definitely done right), an author must address textual issues that do not confront authors of all novels.

1. We're talking dozens of characters. And, as in Matterhorn, all of the characters must have substance.

2. The characters cannot be mere stereotypes-either individually or collectively.  Yet, at the same time, they must realistically capture the war and the time period.

3. Narrating battle scenes must be precise in order for readers to follow.

Taken at its core, Matterhorn is the story of what happens to Lieutenant Mellas after arriving in Vietnam as an anxious Marine dreaming of glory.  That's just the jumping off point, however. War and the jungles of Vietnam are not sugar coated. Neither are the inter-company race relations. Bravo Company's missions inevitably result in casualties and deaths (big spoiler, huh?)-some more senseless than others.

As I've said on this blog before, though, it all begins and ends with the characters. And there are some classic characters in Matterhorn apart from Mellas.

Matterhorn is a rich, outstanding, well-written novel. It is also an emotional read. The first "A" I have read in a while.

Live long, read and prosper. We'll leave the lights on for you.