Etiquette and Espionage

Steampunk as a genre has been growing in popularity in recent years, as well as the supernatural character types of werewolves and vampires. Gail Carriger's novels fit neatly into both of these categories, but in her books the vampires certainly do not sparkle, unless it is of course in their mode of dress.

Set in Victorian England, the debut novel of the Finishing School series, Etiquette and Espionage, is a new foray into young adult books for Ms. Carriger. It is set in the same world as her previous series, the Parasol Protectorate (first novel: Soulless) and focuses on Sophronia, a young troublemaking girl sent away to finishing school by her exasperated mother. What her mother does not know is that the school teaches etiquette and fine dress as well as espionage and assassination.

As always, Carriger has a unique talent for combining the serious and absurd. In her world, learning the proper way to pretend to faint while fluttering one's eyelashes in the correct manner for the class of gentleman you are trying to attract is just as important as methods of poisoning and information gathering. The exotic setting, atop a dirigible floating over a moor, sets the tone nicely for a tale of mystery and intrigue. Sophronia, not confined by the rigid gender roles of her time, learns to appreciate the feminine arts as well as the masculine ones. The book explores traditional themes such as friendship but also allows curious, spunky Sophronia get into quite a bit of trouble. I will definitely be looking forward to the next novels in the Finishing School series.

Literary World Mourns Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe, famed Nigerian novelist, passed away Thursday, March 21.  His masterpiece, Things Fall Apart, chronicling the destruction of a Nigerian village by colonial influence, has been translated into 45 languages and has sold over 10 million copies.

My focus during college was on post-colonial literature, of which Achebe is considered one of the masters.  I have fond memories of reading Achebe's work on two occasions during my undergraduate years and referring to it again in a comparison with Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness to finish out my graduate work.  Each time I read Things Fall Apart, I find something new that strikes me in a different way.  The story centers on Okonkwo, one of the fiercest leaders and warriors of a Nigerian village, who finds himself being the only one in the tribe trying to fight the new British colonialists.  His struggle is heart-wrenching and a poignant study on the effects of colonialism on the African world.

Achebe's influence on the literary world has been on display since his passing.  Every major newspaper and news network has picked up the story and, I hope, a new set of people will decide to pick up Achebe's work.  You can check out the New York Times article here and the NPR article here.

This quote from the New York Times article shows the importance of Achebe's work:

In many respects “Things Fall Apart” is the “To Kill A Mockingbird” of African literature: accessible but stinging, its layers peeling over the course of multiple readings.

Describing Literary Fiction

I have always been at a loss in how to describe the type of books I read, known as literary fiction.  It isn't really a genre, like romance, science fiction, western, and fantasy.  I usually resort to telling people that literary fiction does not focus as much on the "action" going on, but more on the emotional aspect.  Most of the titles falling under the term are not easy to describe in a short blurb because of the different layers of meaning within the story.


A friend sent me this blog post which encapsulates everything I would say about what makes literary fiction literary.  I love the discussion on how plot within literary fiction is often buried, to a certain degree, underneath the emotional lives and motivations of the characters.  He uses Gilead by Marilynne Robinson as a perfect example of a literary title that is so difficult to describe in one sentence.  I would put some recent titles like The Six Granddaughters of Cecil Slaughter, The Story of a Marriage, and Alone in the Classroom as good examples, too.  There isn't much "action", per se, but the reader connects with the characters on an emotional level.

In my mind, literary fiction does not have to be the long, wordy, description filled works that many think of when they hear the term.  I would consider Tove Jansson's works, such as Fair Play, to be a work of literary fiction, despite it being a short work.  The same goes for short stories, like works by Alice Munro.

What works do you consider to be literary fiction?

The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards

Kristopher Jansma is truly a new author to keep an eye on.  I recently finished his debut, The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards, due out soon, and was stunned.  There has been a lot of hype about this title which usually makes me nervous.  It lives up to the hype and then some.  This is, by far, one of the best debut titles I have read in a long time.  

The story centers on an unnamed narrator who desperately wants to become a successful writer. His relationships with friend/rival Julian McGann and McGann's friend Evelyn are the real focus of the story. Even though the three of them have no good reason to be together, it works...at times. The three of them have a terrible falling out and find themselves alone for the first time, realizing exactly how much they rely on the others.  Our narrator travels the globe, making up lies about himself, in a bizarre effort to include truth in his own writing. But these three misfits still identify themselves through their relationships with each other.

The untrustworthy narrator lends a different element to this novel.  You may find yourself sympathizing with him at times, but more often than not you will wonder how exactly he plans to get anything out of his life.  This debut is very well done and I look forward to Jansma's next effort.

Some Kind of Fairy Tale

I tend to shy away from stories described as Fantasy.  It's just not my cup of tea, though I have tried a few times.  But I thoroughly enjoyed Graham Joyce's 2011 release, The Silent Land.  That story was about a couple who survive an avalanche during a ski trip, only to find that they are the only people remaining at the ski lodge.  It combined some fantasy elements with a believable and well delivered plot.  So when I finally got the opportunity to read Joyce's latest novel, Some Kind of Fairy Tale, I jumped on the chance.

Tara Martin, a typical small town teen, disappears in the woods near her parent's home.  The intense search yields nothing and the authorities immediately target her boyfriend due to the fact that the two of them had some recent arguments.  Her parents and brother, Peter, eventually move on when it becomes clear she will never return.

Fast forward twenty years.  Tara arrives at her parents doorstep on Christmas and an emotional reunion begins  But there are plenty of questions to be asked.  Where has she been for twenty years?  Why does Tara think only six months have passed?  Why does she still look so young?  Tara's explanation for her disappearance is unbelievable, but it appears that she is not making it up.  She fully believes she has been living in a parallel world with a man she met in the woods that day twenty years ago.

This was a very enjoyable read from beginning to end.  The story is alternately told in the present and the past.  We see vignettes of how everyone dealt with Tara's disappearance and subsequent reappearance.  While there are fantasy elements throughout, the story focuses on the relationship between Tara and her family then and now.

Love Song of Jonny Valentine

When discussing the phenomenon of Youtube-era pop stars such as Justin Bieber, the topics that usually come up are the quality of his music (or lack thereof) and his effect on young fans. Topics never discussed are what such sudden fame and riches does to the star and the effect of the limelight on the young mind. In his new book The Love Song of Jonny Valentine, Teddy Wayne explores the thoughts and feelings of a boy catapulted to stardom.

Jonny Valentine, an eleven-year-old boy with a golden voice, is discovered on YouTube by a record label and almost immediately signed to a contract. What follows is a grueling whirlwind of recording albums, touring, and public appearances, all while conforming to his expected image.  The book is a thinly veiled criticism of the record labels that create neatly packaged pop stars and the music industry in general.

Wayne deconstructs the modern invention of the pop star by exploring the nature of fame and the reasons that fans obsess over their idols - not for the star or their music, but for the image they have built up in their heads of the star, as well as the way he makes them feel. This novel deftly reminds us that there is a person behind the glam and glitter and that there is a loss of innocence when children are thrust into the public eye. Wayne's portrayal of an eleven-year-old boy with such a hyper-awareness of his own image that he worries constantly about belly "chub" is disquieting because it has the ring of truth.

I enjoyed this book for its portrayal of the music industry and the pop music machine, although it had its flaws. The narrator, Jonny, was problematic, since his inner voice wavered between child and adult, especially when he parroted back information about internet presales and "secondary markets." In the end, it was enlightening to finally get a glimpse of the person behind the pop star and watch Jonny grow and discover the world, but the loss of his childhood and innocence was a haunting reminder of the costs of fame.

The Lies of Locke Lamora

Desperately searching for a book to compare to the smash hit series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin? Try a book the author himself recommends.

 The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch is a tale about an enterprising young man, a thief by trade, who is extraordinarily gifted at his work. His only problem is that he steals too much. In the carefully balanced city of Camorr, thieves are in the pay of the ruler of the city. They may steal from commoners and the middle class, but absolutely may not steal from the upper nobility.

Enter Locke Lamora, our protagonist, leader of the legendary thieving gang the Gentlemen Bastards. For him, only the most ambitious heists will do. When he sets his sights on the fortune of one of the nobility of Camorr, trouble is sure to (and does) follow.

The author expertly explores heavy themes of the nature of morality, revenge, and friendship while never losing sight of the humor in everyday life. I felt that the characters and situations were realistic - there was never any sense that the author was protecting his characters from harm or sugar-coating situations. With Lynch's flowing, descriptive prose, you can practically taste the roasted capon and touch the colorful silks worn by the rich. The Lies of Locke Lamora is set in a lush, harsh alien world that is eerily similar to our own. The author weaves a engrossing tale of thievery and corruption with a main character you'll fall in love with - just don't leave him alone with your valuables!

Ways of Going Home

Alejandro Zambra's short novel, Ways of Going Home, is unlike anything I have read.  It will take the reader a bit of time to get used to the writing style of this debut, but it is very much worth the effort. 

We begin with an earthquake in Chile and an unnamed nine year old boy meeting, Claudia, a twelve year old girl during the aftermath. They strike up a friendship and she asks for a favor from the boy.  He's not quite sure what to make of the bizarre request 

The second portion is about the "writer" of that tale and how he is trying to fix things with his ex-wife, partly through the story he's writing.  He tries to find ways of writing his tale of an unnamed protagonist and Claudia, but isn't sure how much of his own life to include in the story.

The best way I can describe this work is that it uses the movie within a movie style (Adaptation, anyone?), but instead we have a book within a book.  The reader switches from character to author and past to present several times throughout this novel.  The payoff is well worth it.