lyzadanger posted a photo:

Taken in Berlin in 2000.

My sneakers were very scuffed by this point in my travels. I was turning into a hobo.

Tags: berlin, europe, germany

lyzadanger posted a photo:

I like that you can see all four of the guys, technically, in this photo: Dave Hood, David (Mr. Pencil) Hoenig, Mike Poage and Tom Maciukenas.

Tags: scotland, Travel

Brooks' Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "March", had gravitas and intrigue. "People of the Book" has the latter, but lacks the former, despite what I imagine to be best effort on Brooks' part. Whereas "March" feels almost of a different era, "People of the Book" feels starkly modern, even though a hefty chunk of the action takes place centuries ago.

It's sort of what you'd expect when a serious novelist goes from centering on a character to centering on a plot. And it does have plot. Plot that feels at times like a mass-market detective novel, but with glimpses of the subtlety Brooks is capable of.

The story jumps back and forth, occasionally with a loud clunking sound, spanning between the quasi-present (1996) --the sterilized but somewhat compelling modern protagonist (beleaguered by her completely unbelievable mother, but that's another story)--and various snippets in the past, meant to illustrate the progression of history for the story's core element--an illuminated haggadah from the late 15th century.

I couldn't seem to get enveloped by this book--it was all story to me, no emotional swell. Perhaps I was just looking forward to it too much, to spoiled by "March."

***1/2 (of *****)

lyzadanger's review: "What started as an uplifting and stirring north plains epic--I loved the highly-educated characters and the sweetness of the family of boys--kind of devolved into an insipid "Little House on the Prairie"-ness in tone that never redeemed itself before the slapdash, jolting ending. Plus marks for the interesting scenes of one-room-schoolhouse madness and the descriptions of the people (mishmash) and beauty (bleak/flat) of the prairie. But certain elements of the plot were dead obvious for later twists. Lies leaking from characters were thinly veiled. Repetition of country themes became tiring. I really think I could like Doig. His style is very much like "what I read." Something about this book rubbed me slightly the wrong way. Perhaps it was too saccharine, too insipid. The alter-character of the protagonist was weak and never fleshed out. Something. I'll try another of his novels and see if it fares better. "
Harvest Books (2007), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 352 pages
tags: fiction, 2008readinglist, montana, american west, united states, 20th century, early 20th century, historical fiction, dryland, farming, education, read, readin2008

lyzadanger posted a photo: