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I just finished Tim O'Brien's In The Lake of the Woods.
Wow. I hardly know what to say.
It's 1986 and John and Kathy Wade are at a remote cabin on the shore of the vast Lake of the Woods, at Angle Inlet - a small peninsula that is part of Minnesota but which can only be reached from the United States by boat or by driving 50 miles through Canadian territory. John was the Lieutenant Governor, and has just lost the Democratic primary for a Senate race - he had been the favorite but after his presence at the My Lai massacre was disclosed he went down in flames.
Then the boat and Kathy disappear.
The story unfolds in several different narratives. September, at the lake. Backstory - John and Kathy's marriage, his political career, his childhood, what happened at My Lai. Several chapters, all titled Evidence - interview excerpts from acquaintances of John and Kathy, quotations on the nature of deception, the like. And several other chapters are all titled Hypothesis - they follow multiple possibilities as to what happened to Kathy.
And what did happen?
Spoiler
We don't find out. Maybe she simply disappeared. Or maybe John killed her. Both eventualities fit perfectly with the facts as laid out. There's nothing to figure out. Either might have occurred. We don't know. The author doesn't know. As for John? He disappears, too.
I can't say that this is uplifting in any way. It's a sad and disturbing tale, almost entirely bereft of any hope. But it is a brilliant example of writing and fiction. I'm astonished at the literary achievement.
Highly recommended.
*******************************************
Side note:
I started reading this book last week, while waiting as my youngest son toured the University of Minnesota. Shortly into the book, we learn that Kathy is the Dean of Admissions at the U - which I found out as I waited, there at the U.
Weird, huh?
Well, get this. Two years ago I just happened to be reading O'Brien's The Things They Carried ... while my older son had his interview at Macalester College. That collection is a blend of fiction and memoir. Anyway, as I read one of the stories it refers to the summer of 1968... and how O'Brien had just graduated from Macalester.
I'd had no idea he'd attended Mac. And it was sheer coincidence that I grabbed another of his books to read while my other son toured the U.
I've mentioned this series before by Gemma Jackson after I read the first book of her trilogy.
It begins with Through Streets Broad and Narrow.
I just finished the final book in the series.
I'll just say that if you love books by Maeve Binchy you will love Gemma Jackson's books.
I simply cannot express how wonderful this series is. I absolutely adore this writer and her work.
Well since ups ground service lost my review book somewhere btwn here and ny . I have gone to the library and picked up two new books . The first one is "all is not forgotten by Wendy Walker and The guest room by chris bohjalian . Love his books by the way and he is on my list of fave authors . So for now I will be reading these and hopefully the publisher will get my other book out to me soon . Happy reading and reviewing all .
My first dip into Fantasy in a long while. Have read good reviews for this book, and it's associated chronicles. Should keep me occupied during the cold Autumn nights now
Well since ups ground service lost my review book somewhere btwn here and ny . I have gone to the library and picked up two new books . The first one is "all is not forgotten by Wendy Walker and The guest room by chris bohjalian . Love his books by the way and he is on my list of fave authors . So for now I will be reading these and hopefully the publisher will get my other book out to me soon . Happy reading and reviewing all .
Oh, Phonelady - I'm not so sure about The Guest Room for you. Lots of sex, violence, disturbing situations.... I finished it, but barely. Definitely NOT a favorite Bojalian of mine.
Oh, Phonelady - I'm not so sure about The Guest Room for you. Lots of sex, violence, disturbing situations.... I finished it, but barely. Definitely NOT a favorite Bojalian of mine.
Oh okay thanks for the warning but I will review it as such maybe soft corn pore type of thing ? is that what you are saying and if so and I don't finish it then that is how it will read in my review ...
I just started REAMDE by Neal Stephenson. I find it quite absorbing and have zoomed through 53 pages in one brief sitting. My last post on this thread described my attempt to read The Stand by Stephen King, an attempt which failed, I'm afraid. I read about 225 pages before abandoning it for other things. I know many people think he's the best novelist who ever existed, but I have tried to read many of his novels, and so far I have found all but one very boring, verbose, and redundant, loaded with a lot of unnecessary filler and cliched characters that contribute nothing to the plot line. Perhaps I possess some internal character defect that makes me unable to recognize great literature when I encounter it
Oh okay thanks for the warning but I will review it as such maybe soft corn pore type of thing ? is that what you are saying and if so and I don't finish it then that is how it will read in my review ...
Not soft porn/erotica - more of a sordid tale of guy next door getting involved with some prostitutes who turn out to be very young women/girls who were really victims of sexual exploitation or human trafficking. It was just one of those books where I felt like a horrible situation is used for literary entertainment and in the end the tragedy of human trafficking just became an exploited plot line. Bleck.
Not soft porn/erotica - more of a sordid tale of guy next door getting involved with some prostitutes who turn out to be very young women/girls who were really victims of sexual exploitation or human trafficking. It was just one of those books where I felt like a horrible situation is used for literary entertainment and in the end the tragedy of human trafficking just became an exploited plot line. Bleck.
Oh I see and yes I'm getting the same feeling from this book and honestly I'm surprised at chris b because he has a young daughter at home and I wonder how he would feel if she cames across this book and started to read it ? I'm not really liking it either I'm about reading to pass on it
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I'm starting book 63 of my 65 pledge. Yippee!
