Reading - capsule reviews
Been meaning to post some reflections on recent reading:
Highest Tide, by Jim Lynch
SarahP sent me this literary coming-of-age novel because there's a giant squid in it. The squid in question is found on the mudflats of Puget Sound by Miles O'Malley, a 13-year-old undersized, hyperintelligent naturalist with a fixation on Rachel Carson. When he finds more anomalous sea creatures in the water, he attracts the unwanted attention both of local media and a religious cult, giving rise to situations that are no more or less difficult for him to deal with than his parents' crumbling marriage, the declining health of his elderly best friend, and his crush on the town's local rock star.
The book's strength is Miles's voice, which expresses the worldview of a character who manages to be naive, cynical, and earnest, often at the exact same time.
This is one of them literary mainstream-y novels, but I found it pushed some of my SF buttons as well. Miles, small for his age and very brainy, is alienated enough to serve as a protagonist in any number of SF books, and the biological mysteries he encounters drive much of the plot.
My only real complaint is there wasn't enough squid.
***
Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blogs, and Some Other Things ..., by the editors of McSweeney's
I had my eye on this YA anthology for a long time, but at $22 at the bookstores, I figured I could wait. I ended up nabbing it for $5 when McSweeney's had their sale some weeks back, and, wow, was I disappointed. Too many of the stories just plain bored me, were trying too hard to be wacky, and simply failed to move me in any way. Some exceptions: Nick Hornby's story (which, I admit, I didn't actually read, but rather heard him perform on This American Life), about a kid who grows up in the world's smallest country and eventually gets called up to play for the national soccer team when there's no one else available; "Monster" by Kelly Link, a funny and genuinely creepy tale of summer camp; and "Sun Bird" by Neil Gaiman, about an epicurean society that has run out of novel things to eat, almost.
***
The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen, by M.T. Anderson
This is the second volume in M.T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales Series, and though it's not as audacious in concept as last year's Whales on Stilts! (the villains of which are whales, and the whales are on stilts), I found it an even more satisfying read. The series stars Kate Mulligan, star of her own "Horror Hollow" novels, Jasper Dash, star of the "Boy Technonaut" series, and regular Lily Gefelty, star of no series. There are plenty of plot twists and hijinks to keep the book moving, but the story is mostly driven by Anderson's absurd humor. But it's not all just wackiness. Anderson explores the significance of being a fictional character from books nobody's read in decades, and in between the jokes, there are moments of lovely prose and poignance, such as when Jasper Dash confronts people who don't share his appreciation of rationality and optimism:
I dunno. I just love that line.
Anderson is an inventive and versatile writer. His YA books Feed and Burger Wuss showed a sophistication that I feared he might sacrifice as he turned his attention to books for younger audiences. But with The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen, he's found a way to thread thoughtful moments through the funny stuff.
And the funny stuff really is quite funny.
Highest Tide, by Jim Lynch
SarahP sent me this literary coming-of-age novel because there's a giant squid in it. The squid in question is found on the mudflats of Puget Sound by Miles O'Malley, a 13-year-old undersized, hyperintelligent naturalist with a fixation on Rachel Carson. When he finds more anomalous sea creatures in the water, he attracts the unwanted attention both of local media and a religious cult, giving rise to situations that are no more or less difficult for him to deal with than his parents' crumbling marriage, the declining health of his elderly best friend, and his crush on the town's local rock star.
The book's strength is Miles's voice, which expresses the worldview of a character who manages to be naive, cynical, and earnest, often at the exact same time.
This is one of them literary mainstream-y novels, but I found it pushed some of my SF buttons as well. Miles, small for his age and very brainy, is alienated enough to serve as a protagonist in any number of SF books, and the biological mysteries he encounters drive much of the plot.
My only real complaint is there wasn't enough squid.
***
Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blogs, and Some Other Things ..., by the editors of McSweeney's
I had my eye on this YA anthology for a long time, but at $22 at the bookstores, I figured I could wait. I ended up nabbing it for $5 when McSweeney's had their sale some weeks back, and, wow, was I disappointed. Too many of the stories just plain bored me, were trying too hard to be wacky, and simply failed to move me in any way. Some exceptions: Nick Hornby's story (which, I admit, I didn't actually read, but rather heard him perform on This American Life), about a kid who grows up in the world's smallest country and eventually gets called up to play for the national soccer team when there's no one else available; "Monster" by Kelly Link, a funny and genuinely creepy tale of summer camp; and "Sun Bird" by Neil Gaiman, about an epicurean society that has run out of novel things to eat, almost.
***
The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen, by M.T. Anderson
This is the second volume in M.T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales Series, and though it's not as audacious in concept as last year's Whales on Stilts! (the villains of which are whales, and the whales are on stilts), I found it an even more satisfying read. The series stars Kate Mulligan, star of her own "Horror Hollow" novels, Jasper Dash, star of the "Boy Technonaut" series, and regular Lily Gefelty, star of no series. There are plenty of plot twists and hijinks to keep the book moving, but the story is mostly driven by Anderson's absurd humor. But it's not all just wackiness. Anderson explores the significance of being a fictional character from books nobody's read in decades, and in between the jokes, there are moments of lovely prose and poignance, such as when Jasper Dash confronts people who don't share his appreciation of rationality and optimism:
Weightlessness, after all, is not just anti-gravity; it is learning to long for the sky more than the safety of the dirt.
I dunno. I just love that line.
Anderson is an inventive and versatile writer. His YA books Feed and Burger Wuss showed a sophistication that I feared he might sacrifice as he turned his attention to books for younger audiences. But with The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen, he's found a way to thread thoughtful moments through the funny stuff.
And the funny stuff really is quite funny.
3 Comments:
Just wait until you see Octavian -- it may be the best thing Anderson's ever written; definitely the most sophisticated.
By Gwenda, at Tue Aug 01, 03:53:00 AM MST
I hadn't heard about this one, but it looks really cool. As much as I love Anderson's funny, he does the dark really well.
By Greg van Eekhout, at Tue Aug 01, 09:55:00 AM MST
"Weightlessness, after all, is not just anti-gravity; it is learning to long for the sky more than the safety of the dirt."
That quote reminds me of Douglas Adams' rule of unassisted human flight which states,
"The secret is to throw yourself at the ground ... and miss."
Cool stuff, bro
By Michael van Eekhout, at Tue Aug 01, 12:19:00 PM MST
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