Book # 140 - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

I'm not really sure what I expected from The Kite Runner... for some reason I imagined that it would be a dense tougher read and was surprised when it turned out to be written at a sixth grade level. I guess since it was a massive best seller that I should have known. I chose to read it now because it is Banned Book Week and once again The Kite Runner made the list of the top ten most challenged books in America. I'm guessing that it gets assigned in high schools now and some people object to it because it has a few shocking violent scenes and a handful of four letter words... but it does seem like the type of book that is written specifically for high school study.

The book is broken into three main parts. The first is about Amir and his best friend Hassan. They live in Afghanistan where Amir's family is wealthy and Hassan's family lives with them as their servants. They're having a pretty good life even though Amir always feels like he can never please his father until one day Hassan is violently attacked and Amir is too afraid to help and runs away. He feels so guilty he can't stand having Hassan around anymore and sets it up so that Hassan's family has to leave. Soon afterwards the Russians invade and Amir and his father flee the country. The middle section is about Amir and his father's life in San Francisco and how they adjust to American life and how Amir still feels guilt and tries to earn the approval of his father. In the final section Amir is in his late thirties and is called back to Afghanistan where he finds out some family secrets and must help Hassan's son and atone for his past cowardice.

I enjoyed it and thought the story was moving and full of emotion. Maybe part of my enjoyment of it was due to it being completely different from Bleak House... it had a tight focus on a few characters that it deeply examined, the story moved along, and I actually wanted to know how it ended.  Along the way it mentions Wuthering Heights and Les Miserables.  I'm starting to notice that when specific books are mentioned (even in a casual way) they give hints at the theme of the book or foreshadow something. I'll give it an A-.

Book # 100- Watership Down by Richard Adams

Somehow I was under the false impression that Watership Down was about rabbits trying not to drown while on a ship. I guess I was wrong. Instead it is about of rabbits that break away from their warren when one of the rabbits have a psychic vision about an impending disaster. So a group leaves and they have some adventures while trying to find a new place to live. They find a nice place and then realize that they forgot to bring any female rabbits with them. So then they get into a conflict with another warren that basically is run by a dictator rabbit when they ask them if any of their females wish to leave.

Overall it is kind of a weird book. You'd imagine that it is a kids book but it really isn't. And then sometimes the rabbits act dumb like rabbits but then they're able to make a plan to escape using a boat and floating down the river. And then there's the issue that one of the rabbits is psychic and can see the future. And the rabbits are also sorta sexist. Which is funny when you consider that apparently rabbits do not live in a male dominated society. Plus somehow they're able to team up with a bird and communicate with him in a different language that apparently all animals know.

Still, it was entertaining even if it went on a bit too long and had way too many different rabbit characters. It also included quotes from The Wind in the Willows and The Brothers Karamazov. I'll give it an A-.

Book # 72- Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Was this a chore to get through or what... I was looking forward to Bleak House since I've enjoyed other books by Charles Dickens but I'll have to say that I was a bit disappointed. There are just so many characters and so many little things going on that it is difficult to care too much about any of it.

The main character is Esther, an orphan, that is taken in by John Jarndyce at the same time as he is taking in two cousins, Richard and Ada. Jarndyce and the cousins are possible heirs to a large fortune that has been held up for many years in court due to various disputes. So seemingly the main plot questions are who are Esther's parents and will the court case ever be decided. Both are answered in the end but there isn't much suspense about either.

First off it becomes obvious right away who her parents are... and in the end it doesn't really matter. Esther really only has mild interest in it herself and the results don't have any impact on her life. And there are just so many characters... it gets hard to keep them straight and to care about any of their stories. And for a protagonist, Esther is really passive and doesn't do anything to move the story along. She literally does nothing to try and end up with the man she loves. I'd also complain that for such a major character, Ada has pretty much no personality at all. Plus we don't get any back story on Richard and Ada... where did they come from? What were they doing before Jarndyce took them in? So many unanswered questions for such a long long book with so many unrelated stories. Like why did Lady Dedlock's sister act the way that she did? And what happened between Esther's parents to break them apart? And why was John Jarndyce always so darn nice? He seemed like he was trying to atone for something that is never revealed. I feel like a B is being generous...

I also forgot to mention Mr. Skimpole... I just wanted to strangle him. He is such an infuriating character.

Also giving it the clear lead in mentions in other books, Don Quixote is once again mentioned! It has now been name checked in five of the main list books and twice in others.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

 I had heard about Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell some time ago but avoided it because of its length. After watching the first episode of the BBC miniseries I decided to give it a try anyway. And it was well worth the time put into it. Now first off I'll just say that I think it is an either love or hate it type book. I loved it but I could see why it some people might not enjoy it. The plot kind of just meanders and takes a lot of detours and there isn't a genuine conflict until the last couple hundred pages. Oh yeah... did I mention that it is over 1000 pages?

The book takes place in the early 1800's in an alternate history England in which magic used to be widely practiced until a few hundred years ago. The current "magicians" don't actually practice magic and just study its history... that is until they find a practicing magician with a vast library of magic books, Mr Norrell. He wants to help England in the war against Napoleon and make magic respectable. After a few years another magician, Jonathan Strange, comes along and becomes Norrell's student but quickly surpasses him in both magical performance and standing in society. A rivalry grows between the two as they have different goals for bringing magic back to England and they have contrasting personalities.

I found the book charming and I liked all the little details about magical history Clarke puts in the many footnotes throughout. It isn't the type of book that you want to read quickly... I enjoyed just reading a chapter or two each day and slowly learning about this world. The ending was satisfying but it still left me with a ton of questions... I need there to be a sequel to this now! I'll give it an A.

It also mentions Emma.