Quit Listening: Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson, downloaded from Overdrive.com.
Boring. All the narrators are literary authors and crappy narrators. Maybe the stories are better when read.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Read for Book Group: "Finn" by Jon Clinch
Read for Book Group: Finn by Jon Clinch, 2007, 9781400065912.
Novel about Twain's Pap Finn, father of Huckleberry. This received all sorts of positive reviews and Best of the Year listings but I likely would have quit early if it was not a book club item. The novel did not get all that interesting until about halfway in.
I do not remember much about Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer. But, I do remember Pap Finn as being a very scary fella. I should re-read those books. Pap is a drunkard who never got along in school or with his family and after taking up with a black woman, Mary, was disowned by his virulently racist father whom everyone calls the Judge. Of course Pap is a racist too and although he wants to be welcomed back into his father's fold he is unable to leave Mary or knuckle under to the Judge. He's unable to change at all and does not want to (as I was reminded by a Crider post), he just wants money to buy more whiskey.
Finn knocks up the girl, a former slave girl, and has Huckleberry. For a time Finn seems content with both woman and boy. He refuses to send the kid to school and makes his living off the river, mainly by fishing. After Finn beats and stabs a man who comments on Huck's black heritage the Judge sends him to prison for twelve months. Mary takes on debt to survive and Finn just gets madder and madder after his release over the debts (especially to blacks), questions of her fidelity, and the fact he could not keep her under his thumb. He drinks more and more, beats Mary about, and gives them no money for food.
Mary and Huck eventually split town and end up down and across the river at the Widow Douglas' place. Mary returns from Missouri - a slave state - to avoid being "claimed" as property and ends up with Finn. Finn strangles her, skins her - to remove the black skin he cursed himself with - and throws her in the river.
For the tally: Finn assists in the kidnapping, rape and murder of a black boy. Beats up a child. Steals numerous skiffs. Strangles a hired hand of his father. Rapes Mary and keeps her as prisoner. Kidnaps his son from the widow and keeps him prisoner. Drinks whiskey all the time. Neglects to properly treat a gunshot victim who bleeds to death.
Novel about Twain's Pap Finn, father of Huckleberry. This received all sorts of positive reviews and Best of the Year listings but I likely would have quit early if it was not a book club item. The novel did not get all that interesting until about halfway in.
I do not remember much about Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer. But, I do remember Pap Finn as being a very scary fella. I should re-read those books. Pap is a drunkard who never got along in school or with his family and after taking up with a black woman, Mary, was disowned by his virulently racist father whom everyone calls the Judge. Of course Pap is a racist too and although he wants to be welcomed back into his father's fold he is unable to leave Mary or knuckle under to the Judge. He's unable to change at all and does not want to (as I was reminded by a Crider post), he just wants money to buy more whiskey.
Finn knocks up the girl, a former slave girl, and has Huckleberry. For a time Finn seems content with both woman and boy. He refuses to send the kid to school and makes his living off the river, mainly by fishing. After Finn beats and stabs a man who comments on Huck's black heritage the Judge sends him to prison for twelve months. Mary takes on debt to survive and Finn just gets madder and madder after his release over the debts (especially to blacks), questions of her fidelity, and the fact he could not keep her under his thumb. He drinks more and more, beats Mary about, and gives them no money for food.
Mary and Huck eventually split town and end up down and across the river at the Widow Douglas' place. Mary returns from Missouri - a slave state - to avoid being "claimed" as property and ends up with Finn. Finn strangles her, skins her - to remove the black skin he cursed himself with - and throws her in the river.
For the tally: Finn assists in the kidnapping, rape and murder of a black boy. Beats up a child. Steals numerous skiffs. Strangles a hired hand of his father. Rapes Mary and keeps her as prisoner. Kidnaps his son from the widow and keeps him prisoner. Drinks whiskey all the time. Neglects to properly treat a gunshot victim who bleeds to death.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Listened to: "Little Steps" by Louis Sachar
Listened to: Little Steps by Louis Sachar, downloaded from overdrive.com
A sort-of continuation of Sachar's Holes. Armpit and X-Ray are back in Austin after Camp Green Lake from Holes was shut down. It's summertime and 17 year old Armpit is taking classes to catch up in school. He is also working a landscaping job - digging holes.
Armpit's neighbor is 12 year old Jenny who has cerebral palsy. Armpit and Jenny get to be close friends. Armpit is also still friends with X-Ray who still talks too much. X-Ray convinces Armpit to finance a ticket scalping scheme for a pop star's concert. They make their money back and turn a profit but X-Ray gets greedy. Armpit meets the pop star, travels to San Francisco to visit her, and the pop star's step-father/manager tries to kill the pop star.
Pretty good over all but the teen love angle between Armpit and the pop star was way too sugary and lovey-dovey. There were several laugh out loud moments in the novel. The narrator did well.
A sort-of continuation of Sachar's Holes. Armpit and X-Ray are back in Austin after Camp Green Lake from Holes was shut down. It's summertime and 17 year old Armpit is taking classes to catch up in school. He is also working a landscaping job - digging holes.
Armpit's neighbor is 12 year old Jenny who has cerebral palsy. Armpit and Jenny get to be close friends. Armpit is also still friends with X-Ray who still talks too much. X-Ray convinces Armpit to finance a ticket scalping scheme for a pop star's concert. They make their money back and turn a profit but X-Ray gets greedy. Armpit meets the pop star, travels to San Francisco to visit her, and the pop star's step-father/manager tries to kill the pop star.
Pretty good over all but the teen love angle between Armpit and the pop star was way too sugary and lovey-dovey. There were several laugh out loud moments in the novel. The narrator did well.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Read: "Contract Killer" by William Hoffman and Lake Headley
Read: Contract Killer: the explosive story of the Mafia's most notorious hit man Donald "Tony the Greek" Frankos by William Hoffman and Lake Headley 1992, 1560250453.
What a fucking scumbag. A filthy, rotten, inhuman piece-of-shit. I found this book after reading theKonigsberg book and searching the catalog. Frankos knew Konigsberg in prison and Konigsberg is mentioned a few times in the book. It’s interesting how many names pop-up in different memoirs and articles and are all interconnected through prison association and outside crime.
First off, Frankos is garbage and likely a fat liar – contrary to his firm assertions of truthfulness. Frankos has spent most of his life in prison; what convict isn’t an inveterate liar? He has admitted to murdering countless people, dealing drugs, violently extorting money from regular people, loan sharking and other crimes. Then he has the audacity to complain that the government isn’t giving him a fair deal in the Witness Protection Plan when he became an informant. Frankos is one of those guys who can be a good friend and a good story teller to listen to but he’ll be perfectly happy to kill you for five thousand dollars and dismember your body.
In the Introduction the co-authors detail how they were introduced to Frankos and spent a lot of effort verifying his tales. So, I have to assume most of what is said is true. True enough that I never want to be in the same room with the guy.
What a fucking scumbag. A filthy, rotten, inhuman piece-of-shit. I found this book after reading the
First off, Frankos is garbage and likely a fat liar – contrary to his firm assertions of truthfulness. Frankos has spent most of his life in prison; what convict isn’t an inveterate liar? He has admitted to murdering countless people, dealing drugs, violently extorting money from regular people, loan sharking and other crimes. Then he has the audacity to complain that the government isn’t giving him a fair deal in the Witness Protection Plan when he became an informant. Frankos is one of those guys who can be a good friend and a good story teller to listen to but he’ll be perfectly happy to kill you for five thousand dollars and dismember your body.
In the Introduction the co-authors detail how they were introduced to Frankos and spent a lot of effort verifying his tales. So, I have to assume most of what is said is true. True enough that I never want to be in the same room with the guy.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Never Going to Get to: "Badger Bars & Tavern Tales" by Bill Moen and Doug Davis
Never Going to Get to: Badger Bars & Tavern Tales: an illustrated history of Wisconsin saloons by Bill Moen and Doug Davis, 2003, 1930596200.
Neat idea and the authors did not skip the unsavory aspects of boozing history. Meaning they talk about whores (lots of them), drunken brawls, and some hilarious but obscene postcards and coasters from different bars. Maybe I should try and read this.
There are some slightly racy photos. A stripper with pasties on page 87, burlesque dancers on page 41, Silver Boots Mona (famous whore in Superior) in bed with a sheet covering her rack. The book is online anyway. Lots of illustrations and stories.
Neat idea and the authors did not skip the unsavory aspects of boozing history. Meaning they talk about whores (lots of them), drunken brawls, and some hilarious but obscene postcards and coasters from different bars. Maybe I should try and read this.
There are some slightly racy photos. A stripper with pasties on page 87, burlesque dancers on page 41, Silver Boots Mona (famous whore in Superior) in bed with a sheet covering her rack. The book is online anyway. Lots of illustrations and stories.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Did not completely read: "Whiskey" by Michael Jackson
Did not completely read: Whiskey by Michael Jackson, 2005, 9780789497109.
Good book with great DK illustrations but I do not have enough interest. Lots of info about brewing and individual distilleries. I read a couple of the pieces on distilleries but gave up after a while.
Good book with great DK illustrations but I do not have enough interest. Lots of info about brewing and individual distilleries. I read a couple of the pieces on distilleries but gave up after a while.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Read: "Uncommon Reader" by Alan Bennett
Read: "Uncommon Reader" by Alan Bennett, 2007, 9780374280963.
Decent but slow in the middle. The Queen follows her Corgi’s off the Palace grounds to a bookmobile. She goes aboard to apologize for all the barking and feels obligated to check out a book. She does not enjoy the novel but finishes it out of duty and next week, to end a meeting with her private secretary, she returns the book herself and gets a much better book. I book she enjoys enough to stay in bed and finish.
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