Friday, July 20, 2018

On Chesil Beach: Ian McEwan


“It is 1962, and Florence and Edward are celebrating their wedding in a hotel on the Dorset coast.  Yet as they dine, the expectation of their marital duties become overwhelming.  Unbeknownst to them both, the decisions they make this night will resonate throughout their lives.  With exquisite prose, Ian McEwan creates in On Chesil Beach a story of lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.”
 
As a fan and student of British Literature, I particularly appreciate Ian McEwan’s works.  I believe this is the third book of his that I’ve read (the others being Atonement and The Children Act) and it was right on par with my expectations for his ability to cram extremely deep emotion and complex characters into a relatively short amount of writing.  I will admit that I was initially attracted to this book because of its film adaptation; not necessarily because I was desperate to see it in theaters, but more because I wanted to see what made this book so special that it would be transformed for the screen (like Atonement was (which I loved, despite the intense bout of sobbing and heartbreak) and The Children Act will be (which, I didn’t realize until after I’d finished reading it, was also being made into a film)).  Given this lens of knowledge, I was left wondering just how it was going to be made into a successful film which accurately and effectively developed the characters, who, in the book, are created much through flashbacks and internal monologues and musings.  How was this going to be conveyed and still stay true to McEwan’s artful storytelling?  As I have yet to see the movie, I suppose all of these questions will just have to wait for answers.
 
The book, itself, is relatively short.  I should have learned from The Children Act that, despite the number of pages, I am always left moved and contemplative after finishing anything by this author.  One thing about McEwan’s style that has always left me in awe is his ability to play with time.  Rarely can an author transcend time and place as easily as he can draw out a single day or night to make it feel as if a lifetime has passed (and not lose pacing or reader’s interest). We get to know so much about the characters and their lives in such a short span of time that it is truly masterful to behold.  It didn’t feel like the length of the story technically took place in a matter of a couple of hours; it felt as if I watched the characters grow up in their respective households, deal with their respective upbringings and develop their own quirks, then I witnessed the development of their relationship, all culminating in that disastrous wedding night.  The more I learned about the characters via their internal musings, the more I understood their behavior and reactions.  Surprisingly, I also learned a great deal about societal expectations and mores in 1960s England.  Somewhat stereotypically, Florence and Edward were reserved and extremely uncomfortable during their first physical encounter as man and wife – I say stereotypical because one conventional understanding is that the British are remarkably reserved and uneasy showing a great deal of exuberance or affection.  This feels so foreign to a modern American audience, and yet, McEwan managed to make me understand why this was – the society in which the young lovers grew up and how they each developed their own attitudes.  If only they could really express themselves!  I was endlessly frustrated by their inability to communicate.  Each of them said the right things in their own heads, but didn’t seem capable of voicing those ideas.  This kept me reading and waiting to see how it would all turn out.  There were moments of such intensity that I even found myself holding my breath!  I found this story to be commentary on the expectations of outward propriety and staid attitudes expected of the English during this decade.  Even more so, I believe it was intended to expose just how catastrophic those mores can be to individuals and couples who are supposed to be in an open, communicative, and trusting relationship.  There’s something to be said for gritting one’s teeth and bearing it, but what happens when such a lack of expression and communication threatens to absolutely destroy a relationship before it can even really begin in earnest?
 
This book provided a very intimate look into the characters’ lives, histories, and societies without feeling poorly-paced or uninteresting.  It was social commentary along the same vein of Austen (if darker and more serious and explicit); exposing the shortcomings of societal norms as they influence, shape, and (potentially) destroy those who practice them.  This would be a great book to teach in a modern British literature course if one wants to analyze the interplay between society and literature.
 
This book will be well-liked by anyone who is a fan of McEwan’s often-tragic stories and powerful style.  He presents such rich analyses of society and human nature; it’s impossible to not be drawn into his vivid stories.  This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it’s short enough to give it a go even then.  Though I was left frustrated by the characters, this is a book that begs for examination and creates the perfect mentality for self-reflection (and reflection upon one’s personal relationships).  How much do we harm our loved ones (and even ourselves) by leaving the most important and difficult to say things unsaid?

Some Like It Wild (Kincaid Highland: Book Two): Teresa Medeiros


It was to be her greatest masquerade…

 

“Pamela Darby needs a man – preferable a Highland brute with more brawn than brains.  Determined to save her sister from selling her virtue, the resourceful beauty requires a strapping specimen to pose as a duke’s long-lost heir.  Pamela plans to collect the generous reward, then send him on his way.  Lucky for the brazen beauty, the seductive, silver-eyed highwayman who just held up their carriage could be her man…

 

“Connor Kincaid has given up on his dream of restoring his clan’s honor.  And now this plucky Englishwoman is asking him to take part in a risky charade that could land them both on the gallows.  Never a man to resist a challenge or the allure of a beautiful woman, Connor strikes the devil’s bargain that could seal both their fates.  The highwayman and the hellion journey to London as both enemies and allies – a woman who has everything to gain and a man who has nothing to lose…but his heart.”

 

Another little gem by Medeiros.  I finished the first in this series the other day and immediately began devouring this installment.  It was a great follow-up to Some Like It Wicked.  We hear so much about Connor in his sister, Catriona’s, story, so it was nice to see what he’d been up to over the years.  This one kept the same lightheartedness and sense of humor that the first book did.  It doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet it deals with some very serious topics.  I think this is a particularly difficult balance that not many authors can achieve.  Some books by Lisa Kleypas, for example, lean more toward serious than lighthearted.  Sure, they have lighthearted moments, but they don’t have the same way of remaining fairly lighthearted throughout.  This is not to say that one shouldn’t take Medeiros seriously – her writing is witty, well-crafted, and extremely well-planned – but she’s a much quicker, relaxed read than other authors.  I can see why the first book in this series was marked as a “perfect beach read!”  It’s easy to fall into her worlds and get absorbed in the characters.  She adds just enough historical accuracies to make the British history nerd in me very happy. Simply stated, the books in this series made me smile.

 

I wasn’t sure how I would like Pamela in the very beginning of the book.  She seemed rather self-deprecating and I don’t normally care for a female lead that is too over the top in this regard.  She ended up rather likable.  I thought she was witty, brave, and intelligent.  She was a good foil for Connor because she had more than enough spunk to stand up to his gruff and often sarcastic ways.  Her relationship with her mother and sister was complicated and really added to her character.  I did find Sophie pretty annoying at times, but I think that’s just because she’s so young and naïve.  She can’t yet see past pretty things and the facades people use.  I can definitely see the potential for Sophie to have her own book, especially after her interactions with a certain secondary male character.

 

Connor was complicated and fun.  His backstory was tragic, but he still retained some sense of humor.  For a thief, I feel like he had a lot more honor than he let on.  His drive was admirable and his charm was irresistible.  I found aspects of his character to be rather moving, especially when we learn more about how his parents died.  He was rough around the edges, but was surprisingly refined in some situations.

 

There was a very memorable secondary character in this book: 

He had a surprising amount of complexity for a secondary character, perhaps because Medeiros chose to give us glimpses into his mind.  He would make an excellent male lead as he moves on and tries to find his own place in the world.

 

There is a tremendous plot twist I never saw coming and I applaud Medeiros for this.  It’s not easy to trick me and I was definitely caught off-guard by one tremendous revelation.  The book was rich with eloquent descriptions, beautiful writing, and steamy tension and romance.  It was exciting enough where I didn’t want to stop reading, and yet I still enjoyed it as a relaxing read.  I certainly do recommend it – especially if you’ve read the first in this series.  It’s a fun, entertaining book and I enjoyed it a great deal.

Monday, July 9, 2018

Some Like It Wicked (Kincaid Highland: Book One): Teresa Medeiros


"Some like it dangerous...

"Highland beauty Catriona Kincaid cares nothing for propriety--or even her own safety--when she storms the grounds of Newgate Prison.  Determined to return to Scotland and restore her clan's honor, she seeks the help of Sir Simon Wescott, a disgraced nobleman and notorious rogue.  She is prepared to offer him both wealth and freedom, but she never dreams the wicked rake will be bold enough to demand a far more sensual prize.

"Some like it seductive...

"Simon is shocked to discover the tomboy he met long ago has blossomed into a headstrong temptress.  Although he's sworn off his dreams of becoming a hero, he can't resist playing knight errant to Catriona's damsel in distress.  Both adventure and peril await them at her Highland home, where they will risk their lives to vanquish her enemies...and risk their hearts to discover a passion beyond their wildest dreams."

Medeiros is another author I've "rediscovered."  My archives are filled with reviews of her books and this book reminds me why.  I reread her very first book earlier this year and I was left feeling a bit "meh" about it.  Not this one.  I finished it in about a day or two.  It was a captivating, well-paced, fun read with lively characters and a great plot.  I particularly loved how we were introduced to Simon and Catriona years before she would "storm the grounds of Newgate Prison" looking to bribe him into helping her regain her clan's honor and rights.  It lent a nice note to their backstory and, especially, with how Catriona came to choose him as her accomplice.  I appreciated the development of Simon's character.  Where he was when we see him in Newgate to where he is near the end of the story really is like a totally different man.  What's even more impressive is that this was accomplished in such a believable way.  It was gradual and halting; Simon resisted becoming the hero that he knew Catriona believed him to be.  He wasn't a knight in shining armor and he hated being lauded for anything perceived to be heroism.  That was, until he found something really worth fighting for.  Catriona was spunky and passionate, if more than a little naive.  This made her character feel younger than she really was.  Rather than find this annoying, I (more often than not) found it endearing.  She tries to hard to fight for what she believes in and she's willing to sacrifice everything for it.  Though some of what she did was cringe-worthy, I still found her a strong female lead.

The overarching plot was historically important and really made it feel like the story was so much bigger than what was contained within the pages -- so much bigger than just the love story between Simon and Catriona.  I always appreciate it when authors have a way of generating a world instead of just a snippet; it really makes everything come to life, in my opinion.

As far as criticism goes, my only "complaint" was that the villain didn't feel as strong or as sinister as I thought he should have been.  To be sure, the makings were all there and he had the backstory for it, it just somehow didn't quite come to fruition.  It felt like the bigger enemy was the English overtaking Scottish lands -- more nebulous than an individual villain.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and I'm already halfway through the second in the series!  Medeiros crafts excellent characters, enthralling stories, and wonderful romance.  She has such a sense of humor about her that I find it impossible not to enjoy myself.

Then Came You (Gamblers of Craven's: Book One): Lisa Kleypas *UPDATED*


Ah...rereading my original review of this book (back from when I was eighteen...) really makes me cringe.  Should you be so inclined, you can find it HERE, thought I certainly don't recommend (or commend) the review.  It's rather short and somewhat painful.  Though I liked it and my younger self was able to discern some of the nuances in the plot, I think it's certainly lacking in much critical thinking.

First of all, I actually finished reading this book in June, so my obsessive-self is a bit peeved that I'm only now getting around to reviewing it.  I hate it when my monthly book count is thrown off!  I've been on my rereading kick lately and, this being one of the earlier books written by Kleypas (and available in my somewhat-lacking local library), I thought I'd give this one another go.  One thing I will say is that these characters certainly are memorable.  They made an impact on me almost a decade ago and, remarkably, they've stuck with me through the years.  I was almost instantly reminded of their nuances and quirks.  The tension -- oh the tension! -- is perhaps the real star of this book.  Very few books achieve the depth of tension that Kleypas crafted between Alex and Lily.  This personalities, lifestyles -- just about everything -- clash and brings them into constant conflict.  Their rows are powerful; almost as powerful as the invisible forces inexorably driving them together.  I really appreciate the well-disguised nature of Lily's driving force.  It made her more real and caused me to sympathize for her when I would have otherwise found her grating or far too over the top to be believable.  Alex was harsh and unforgiving, but his backstory was quite well-crafted as well, though I didn't care all that much for the ease with which he healed once Lily, er, kept him occupied enough where he couldn't distract himself from his tragic history.  I very much liked the relationship he had with his younger brother as it made him much more human (both to me, a reader, and Lily).  There is one secondary character who made an excellent impact.  Craven's dialect was artfully crafted and his personality was captivating.  His relationship with Lily was complex and, at times, it added a bit of levity to some situations.  If I remember correctly, he gets his own book in this series, though I could be mistaken.  If so, I can easily see him cast in the role of romantic hero, despite his extremely rough backstory and harsh outlook on life.

Overall, bits of the story did drag a bit.  Recovery happened whenever Alex and Lily would clash in one of their glorious battles.  This book is filled with interesting twists, feisty characters, and passion. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Kleypas.  Now that I'm reading more of her works again, I can say that I seem to prefer her older works over her newer ones -- just a thought.  Happy reading!

Note:  The name of the series in this post is slightly different than the original, which reads "Gamblers Series."  I've gotten this new title from the "book bible" (AKA FantasticFiction.com), an excellent site I reference when trying to organize books in a series and choose which one I should read next.