Mailbox Monday: Seattle Skedaddle Edition

So, I've just flown in from Seattle, and boy are my arms tired.  Well, all of me is tired, but what a lovely few days I had up north!  The university business that took me up there was both pleasant and productive.  The weather wasn't quite as dreadful as I feared it would be.  I spent the most wonderful time visiting with good friends who were so kind to me!  I saw an entertaining musical which may some day be on Broadway.  I shopped til I dropped.  And I ate my way through the entire Pike Place Market.  In fact, I brought back lots of yummy stuff to San Francisco.  So, in honor of all of the above, today's mailbox is--yes--a ferry boat!

There's some literary stuff on the horizon this week.  I was hoping to attend a staged reading of Cory Doctorow's Little Brother, but I think I need to sleep.  There will be a fully-staged production playing San Francisco in January, and I will make sure to see it.  Also under the literary/theatrical overlap is the fact that I need to go see Kevin Spacey perform Richard III this week.  And finally, I should be fairly busy this weekend at the Northern California Independent Booksellers' Association trade show.  Hopefully I'll have a few interesting stories and/or galleys to share next week.

And speaking of sharing stories, sorry I dropped the blogging ball in Seattle.  I left the laptop at home.  More Litquake posts and video to come...

1Q84
by Haruki Murakami
Release date: October 25, 2011
Source: Finished hardback from publisher

My friend Nicole, who knows well my literary proclivities, has been urging me to read Murakami for years--in the strongest possible terms.  And for the past year or two, I've been dabbling with the Murakami and loving his work!  Assuming I finish this epic, nearly 1,000-page novel, I'll have entered the big leagues.

Why Read Moby Dick?
by Nathaniel Philbrick
Release date: October 20, 2011
Source: Electronic galley from publisher

I read Moby Dick for the first time within the past ten years.  I loved it!  I can think of many reasons why this great American novel should be read.  I'm looking forward to hearing Philbricks' undoubtedly excellent argument.

The Free World
by David Bezmozgis
Release date: March 29, 2011
Source: Audible.com sale

I've been wanting to read this novel, shortlisted for Canada's Giller Prize for a while. 

The Lost Throne
by Chris Kuzneski
Release date: July 23, 2009
Source: Audible.com sale

It's been far too long since I've read my old friend Chris Kuzneski.  Of all his recent Payne and Jones thrillers, the plot description of this one has grabbed me the most.  And the price was right...

Countdown: A Newsflesh Novella
by Mira Grant
Release date: August 1, 2011
Source: Audible.com sale

Ever since I heard Mira Grant read from this zombie series, I've been more intrigued than I expected/wanted to be.  This brief prequel was a nice way to get a taste without plunging into yet another Zombie apocalypse.  It was the perfect length for a flight between Seattle and San Francisco, and I have to admit it was entertaining.

Amsterdam
by Ian McEwan
Release date: November 28, 1999
Source: Audible.com sale

This is a polarizing literary novel that I am long over-due reading.  I am really looking forward to it!

Goodbye, Columbus
by Philip Roth
Release date: September 12, 1966
Source: Library

Hold on to your hats, because this may be my most shocking admission ever:  I have never read a Philip Roth novel.  There is no excuse.  It was certainly not intentional.  There are plenty of them on my shelves.  I don't know what to say.  I guess if I can read Moby Dick in my 30's and love it, there's still time to keep exploring and discovering classic literature.



Books finished this past week:

When She Woke - Hillary Jordan
Countdown - Mira Grant
Replay - Ken Grimwood - Talk about "replay," I first read this novel nearly 20 years ago.  I remember absolutely loving it!  I hardly ever re-read books.  Who has time?  But sometimes when I see a cheap audio book, I can't resist revisiting an old favorite in a new way.  I was listening to this one as I strolled the streets of Seattle.  Invariably, when I have such fond memories of a book from long ago, usually there is a degree of let-down upon revisiting.  I'm happy to report that was not the case here.  I still really loved this novel!  It's nothing fancy, just great story-telling, but I was captivated all over again.  I'm really glad I took the time to revisit.


Currently reading:

1Q84 - Haruki Murakami


So, what have you been reading?  What books have you acquired this week?  Please let us know in the comments!

Is it possible to write a likeable book about an unlikeable character?

Solar
by Ian McEwan

I think the answer to the question above is, "Yes." Others will disagree. For this reason, I expect Ian McEwan's latest, Solar, to be a polarizing novel. On the one hand, you've got Mr. McEwan's considerable literary talent. On the other hand, you've got an unlikable protagonist, a whole lot of physics, and a comic novel. And if there's anything more subjective than humor, I don't know what it is.

Solar is a satirical look at the life of Nobel Laureate in Physics, Michael Beard. As the novel opens, 50-something Michael is married to 30-something Patrice. This, his fifth marriage, is on the rocks and his brightest, most promising days are long behind him. While the reader will want to find redeeming qualities in Michael, his character follows a trajectory from ridiculous to reprehensible to repugnant. "He was sufficient, self-absorbed, his mind a cluster of appetites and dreamy thoughts. Like many clever men who prize objectivity, he was a solipsist at heart, and in his heart was a nugget of ice..."

McEwan is smart in the way he relays the story. It's told episodically, opening in 2000, then jumping ahead to 2005, and finally to 2009. This draws the reader in. What has happened since we've seen Michael last? What are the repercussions of his behavior? Has he learned any lessons? Is he a better person? I would begin each section full of these questions and eager for answers.

So, can you write a likeable book about an unlikeable character? I found myself reflecting on John Kenney Toole's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Confederacy of Dunces and its unlikely hero, Ignatius J. Reilly. Michael Beard, while less of a complete buffoon, is not cut from entirely different cloth. Readers who can laugh at his foibles and maintain at least some empathy will enjoy this novel the most.

The other thing I mentioned above is physics. It's Michael's career, and McEwan doesn't shy away from what will be challenging territory for some readers. Think of it as a foreign language. When I read The Yiddish Policeman's Union, I found myself wondering how readers with no grasp of Yiddish would handle the book. As it turns out, they handled it just fine. I am fortunate to have a reasonable working vocabulary in both Yiddish and physics; consequently my enjoyment of these novels was merely enhanced. Like Chabon, McEwan isn't talking down to his readers. There is no unnecessary exposition. McEwan has given his unlikeable character some very admirable skills and placed him in a position to do good on a grand scale. Can that redeem him?

Solar is social commentary. And it is a novel of ideas. It's the type of comedy that feels slightly mean and not always that funny. Throughout the novel, Michael Beard has set a lot in motion. The ending of the novel was what it had to be. Some readers won't appreciate this work. Others will hate how it ends. Ultimately, for me, the joy of reading McEwan's prose, of following his flawed character, and of seeing where the story would take me made this odyssey a pleasure.