Aliens In the Prime of Their Lives (Brad Watson)

I love a good collection of short stories, which is why I couldn't say no to picking up Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives for $1 plus tax at a dollar store when I was down in the States a few days ago. I sat down and read it Friday evening.

Brad Watson's collection opens with "Vacuum," the story of two little boys who are afraid that their mother will really do what she's threatened to:"walk out the door and never come back." In a quest to make their mother happier, they seek the help of a maid and a doctor, but wind up insulting the maid and leading the doctor to get the wrong impression about the kind of help their mother requires. I found myself both cringing and laughing as I read "Vacuum."

"Terrible Argument," the fifth story in Watson's collection, portrays the strained relationship between a husband and wife, as well as the effect their arguing has on the family dog. Tension escalates when a gun is brought into the house. The ending made me sad because the emotional tragedies in this story were the result of clashing personalities and a lack of restraint.

The final story--there are twelve in all--is the collection's namesake, "Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives." In the 1960s two young people, upon realizing a baby in on the way, elope and set up house in a cramped apartment. A mysterious couple appears, asking to take a role in the child's life. The catch? They seem to be aliens. Whether they are or aren't is difficult to tell. Regardless, this story tugged at my heart with its doomed romance.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (James Joyce)

I expected more from this book than what I received. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is one of James Joyce's most talked about works and yet I found myself disappointed when I closed its rear cover. It's not that I dislike the characters or dislike the plot; both were satisfactory. I enjoyed the character of Stephen and frequently found myself sympathizing with the awkward situations he encountered. If the whole book had revolved around Stephen as a young boy at the school he attended, I think I would have been quite pleased. Unfortunately, I was bored. I found myself fighting the urge to skim after I passed the halfway mark. 

I don't dislike Joyce's writing in general. I read Dubliners last year and sampled parts of Ulysses in my British Literature class (seeing that Joyce was Irish, I'm not entirely comfortable with him being labelled a British writer) and I liked those works. 

Perhaps my main issue with the book was the rapidly changing settings and age of the protagonist--the narrative order. Joyce jumps backwards and forwards in time often and without warning. One moment the reader sees the protagonist as a schoolboy, the next he is remembering a moment of earlier childhood and then before the reader knows it he is much older and nearly a full-grown man. I suppose this style of narrative is an acquired taste. 

Khrushchev's Russia (Edward Crankshaw)

I love the look of the old Penguin books. For a cheap paperback printed over fifty years ago, my copy of Krushechev's Russia, is in very good condition. The pages are yellowed and the spine has some wear on either end, but other than that, the book is undamaged. If I recall correctly, I didn't pay a thing for it. About two years ago I pulled a dozen or so of these penguin books from a recycling dumpster. It seemed a shame to let them be destroyed. After collecting dust on my shelf for a very long time, I finally picked this one up.

It's a short, non-fiction read spanning only 176 pages. Published in 1959, the book provides a picture of the Soviet Union after the death of Stalin. Crankshaw chooses to focus, not of foreign policy or international affairs as many of the writers did and still do when discussing Russia, but rather he focuses on the internal state and changes within Russian society, government and industry. The picture provided is very small and perhaps an inaccurate one at times. Crankshaw makes interpretations and predictions at a time when it was assumed that Khrushchev would remain in power in the Soviet Union for a long time to come.

One of the more interesting aspects of the book is Crankshaw's interlude about literature and writing near the end. Crankshaw describes the previous Russian literature under Stalin as being a literature in which, "the only possible hero was the young man with a steam shovel who thought solely in terms of fulfilling his norm, of then exceeding it; the only possible heroine was the young woman who was prepared to turn her back on the man she loved, if the man she loved showed the slightest sign of putting his private concerns, including her, before his allotted task (p.101-2). Subtly, Crankshaw implies that what happened under Khrushchev was a loosening of the reigns which had formerly forced Russian authors to write nothing that did not reinforce the dominant ideologies and rhetoric of Soviet Russia. I admire this line: "An author," Crankshaw says, "is not a piece of machinery registering events" (p.105).

Crankshaw spends a number of pages praising the loosening of government restraints over literature, but reminds the reader to make no mistake; while there may be a thaw, there are still constraints in Soviet literature. To prove this point, he recounts a garden party in Moscow where a selection of  Soviet writers were invited. They listened to a speech given by Khrushchev. A few indirect threats were uttered within the speech and apparently one author fainted.

Regardless of what Soviet Russia was and wasn't under Khrushchev, it is apparent that the system developed under the tight hand of Stalin was relaxed and altered in many ways. Innovations and reallocation of funds allowed the standard of living in the country to begin to increase.

Krushchev's Russia is a unique piece of historical writing which is well worth the read, but perhaps it is best consumed accompanied by other, more modern writings on the same time period and subject so that the reader is provided with as balanced a view as possible.

Three Faces of Marxism (Leonhard)

Three Faces of Marxism, is a medium sized book of about 400 pages plus notes. Unfortunately, I didn't read it as carefully as I had wanted to. Last night I found myself studying for an exam and realizing that I would have to return this book to my university library since I wouldn't be on campus for the due-date. I skimmed the last seventy pages rather hurriedly before turning out the light last night.

Overall, I was satisfied with the content. I picked it up hoping to learn to distinguish between various forms of Marxism. With all the -isms it's sometimes hard to know and learn what is what. The book begins with a brief overview of what Marx and Engels believed, progresses to some basic information about the Russian revolution, carries on to Leninism, followed by Stalin and then Khrushchev. From there, the author proceeds to China where the reader is provided with a basic overview of how the Communist government came to power there and what Mao's policies were. Finally, the book deals with the third face of Marxism (the first being Russian and the second being Chinese), Humanist-Marxism.

Of all the various kinds of Marxisms described, I suppose I would most agree with Humanist Marxism, but I wouldn't put myself entirely in that camp as I really have very little knowledge of Humanist Marxism as a whole. The book is brief and that's the part that I began to skim. I do know that many of the country-specific Marxisms described in this book are not my cup of tea. It's no wonder that so many people are opposed to anything resembling or associated with Marxism, Socialism or Communism. The examples provided on the international stage are far from complimentary.

Unfortunately, this book appears to be out of print.

Paris (Edward Rutherfurd)

I can't remember the last time I read through an eight hundred page book so quickly. I began reading yesterday morning and finished Paris a few moments ago. Edward Rutherfurd spans over centuries in this book, touching on the lives of many characters. He manages to weave them together as he gradually shows readers bloodlines, friendships and marriages. Although Rutherfurd frequently skips ahead and back in time, he does so skillfully, without damaging the flow of the narrative. 

One of my favourite characters is Thomas, who we first encounter as a young man working on the Statue of Liberty. Later, he assists in building the Eiffel tower. In old age, Thomas is still alive to assist in defending Paris from the Germans, and preventing Hitler from going to the top of the Eiffel tower. I would dare to say he is my favourite character of the whole book. I loved him more than the dozens of others I encountered. Perhaps it is because of his good intentions towards others, his willingness to work hard, and his inability to give up. 

I also enjoyed the story of Marie and her brother Marc. Marc is an artist, and also an aristocrat, who fathers an illegitimate child and refuses to take responsibility for the child or the welfare of the mother who has been disowned by her family. (Incidentally, the child has an interesting story of her own). Marc's sister Marie begins as a young woman looking for love. Unknown to her, she has three prospective suitors. Because of religion and nationality, she never has the chance to marry the man she wishes to, but decades later she encounters her would-be lover for a second time. 

Under ordinary circumstances, I would believe that I have given away too much of the plot and spoiled Paris for future readers, but in this case I have not. I have only brushed the surface of this massive read. It is a complex and vast read. I would recommend, if you plan to venture into this book, saving it for a time when the demands of life will not interrupt. Although it is a work of fiction, I now feel as though I know a little bit more about Paris.  

A Distinguished Provincial At Paris (Honoré De Balzac)

Printed in 1900, I picked up this copy of A Distinguished Provincial At Paris, from a used bookstore for $7. It's volume 9 of a 25 volume set. The novel tells the story of Lucien who has run away to Paris with his lover. Quickly, he and his love interest, Mme. de Bargeton, become disenchanted with each other and separate. Lucien, a poet, sets out to gain fame and fortune through his writing. He tries in vain to sell a novel and some poetry, but eventually finds himself writing for newspapers and trading his honesty for francs and fine clothes to keep himself and his new mistress, Coralie, in style. 

The most interesting aspect of the book is perhaps the damning critique of journalism's ability to manipulate public opinion and to serve the interests of both writers and those with power rather than the public. More than once journalists speak of their ability to damn a good play and send the public flocking to see a bad play. Lucien himself ruins the prospects of a book which he admits is good in order to punish the publisher. The description of the journalism industry in Balzac's book seems to foreshadow our modern day rag sheets and super market tabloids. 

How The Scots Invented the Modern World (Arthur Herman)

How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created our World & Everything in It showed up in a Goodreads recommendations list. I put a hold on it through my local library system and a few days ago it arrived. Usually, I don't read broad works of history. I tend to choose works focused on individual persons or events because I find those most interesting. I wasn't sure how I would like reading a broad book on Scottish history.

The title of the books is what drew me to it. I was curious to find out why the author would argue that Scotland "invented" the modern world. While, after reading, I'm not entirely convinced of the author's argument, I do see how influential the people of Scotland were, especially through immigration, in shaping certain aspects of North America.

My knowledge of Scottish history was and still is minimal, but at least I can now say I know some of the bare-bone basics, such as how it came about that Scotland is part of the UK. I also discovered, through a collection of sections focused on individuals, how many prominent figures were Scottish. Imagine my surprise when I realized Adam Smith was Scottish and not English!

I think Arthur Herman's book may lead me to reading more on the history of Scotland and history in general.