Stoner by John Williams

My brother and I don't always agree on movies and books.  While I love him dearly, he's drawn to movies like The Piano which I suffered through years ago and tried hard to like but couldn't. Maybe he's just more intellectual than I am, so when we recommend books to one another, we are sometimes disappointed that the other sibling doesn't love it like we do. However, this time I loved his recommendation. But it's going to be very hard to say why.

Stoner (this has nothing to do with being stoned, BTW) is simply the story of a man's life from beginning to end. He's raised on a farm in Missouri in the late 1800's and early 1900's, goes to college, and becomes an English professor. He is likable enough but certainly not charming and lovable. No matter how he is disappointed or beaten in his life, he plods on through and takes what life gives him. The people in his life do not always treat him well, and he, in turn, mistreats many of them. So far, the book sounds pretty awful, doesn't it? Well, once you make it through the first quarter of the book, I predict you will be captivated. There is something about the writing - it is exquisite. You will be completely transported to the University of Missouri and sit with him in his office, his home, his campus.

I wouldn't recommend this book to many of my friends who insist on powerful plot-driven books. However, BT, I think you would definitely like this, and since you are practically the only person who will read this, I'll leave this note for you. My only suggestions are to give it a chance by reading 50 pages or so before you give up, and do NOT read the Introduction before you read the book. I think it's silly to have an introduction that gives away the entire plot. I started to realize what it was doing and quickly moved on to the book itself. I'll read the Intro now that I've finished the book.

So now I need to write my brother and thank him. - June

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

I think this is the last book I'll read by Jojo Moyes. I've only read two, but that's enough. I picked up this one because after reading Deep Down Dark, I wanted something light. This one is just too light. However, it starts out with a lot of promise that was the only reason I finished - I kept waiting for it to get good again. The novel is divided into two parts, and the first part is great. We meet Sophie, a Frenchwoman who is running a hotel in a small town in France while her husband is fighting in WWI. Her husband is an artist, and he paints a picture of her that hangs in the hotel. Her town is controlled by the Germans, and it is her relationship with them that causes trouble for her and her family. All of this is fascinating stuff. But then we switch to the current time and meet a whole new cast of characters who aren't quite as interesting. The painting is at the center of this part of the novel as the true owner is determined after lots of courtroom drama.

I liked the plot and liked the story but the writing just got in the way. For example, the book would include a letter written by Sophie - and she would write it with dialogue including quotation marks. This was done in several places in the book. People generally don't quote conversations in this way when writing a letter or a diary entry. Am I wrong? It just seemed weird and contrived. And the love story is so very predictable. You know where it's going from the first moment. So I'm done, Jojo. Sorry. - June

Deep Down Dark by Hector Tobar

We all remember the frightening story of the Chilean miners who were trapped for over two months. Well, this is their story. Hector Tobar was selected by the miners to write this book, and he had access to all of them find out what had happened. The book starts with individuals preparing for work that day and ends with their release and a follow-up afterwards. It's all fascinating. And certainly eye-opening. We saw the media reports but there is so much more to it all. The author lets us know some of the individuals and how they relate to each other as their time together underground continues. It isn't all pretty, that's for sure.

This book triggered a lot of good conversation in my book group. I'd recommend it for any discussion on how groups interact and leaders emerge. - June