CV Rick's Reviews

A Constant Chore

I'd been hearing about the wonderful writing of John Le Carre for quite some time, so I picked up The Constant Gardener for a fun read . . . and it was anything but.  And while I don't know if this is typical of the LeCarre spy novels, I certainly hope not.

The plot is basically a single man versus international conspiracy.  It's a plot that would normally catch my attention early and have my sympathy from the start. Further, it's a commentary on the abuses of power wrought by corporations (in this case, Pharmaceutical) that are more powerful than governments.  Again, a device that immediately evokes common interests with me, an unabashed liberal.  Unfortunately that's where the book and I part ways.

Justin, the minor diplomat in Nairobi is thrown into an unfortunate series of discoveries when questioning the circumstances of his wife's rape and murder.  Tessa differed from Justin in that she was engaged in pursuing change in the world as a human rights activist, while he was content to follow orders, but say and believe the right things sans effort.  This, I believe is the theme of the work, that culpability lies mostly with inaction and that movements can overcome abuses of power.  Good theme, but . . .

The execution was poor.  Pages and pages devoted to characterization fell short when actions didn't meet the set-up.  As well, Justin's investigation took him around the world to look at a paper trail, not the most interesting tools of the thriller game.  But we, as well as the character, examined the words and trail meticulously to the point where it became a joke how quickly the volume would put me to sleep.  Justin is such a luddite that we, as the reader, are forced to learn about computers, emails, and the myriad electronic communication pathways along with the protagonist . . . LeCarre would have been well-suited to find a heartless editor, because the plot that does exist is not much more substantial than what a novella would handle nicely.  Bureaucracy can be handled in a paragraph where the author wants the reader as frustrated as his bureaucrat protagonist, an interesting irony done uninterestingly.

This isn't to say that LeCarre is a poor writer – his sentence construction is strong and his mastery of the craft evident.  I'm going to try another of his novels just because I believe this was an aberration caused by an author with an axe to grind and no right way to do it.

Another problem was that he telegraphed the plot.  The only one stupid enough not to see who was behind the murder and conspiracy was Justin himself.  While this can work, showing the reader what the protagonist can't see (see Fight Club), in this case it's just painful to have to slough through the machinations of bumbling intrigue with a dull and plodding man. 

In summary, I didn't care about characters and I lost interest in the plot and the theme seemed contrived.  I can't recommend it.

- CV Rick

Flesh and Gold

This review is of the audiobook edition of Flesh and Gold by Phyllis Gotlieb and that might color this review for me considerably.  Between the reader, Kate Harper, and the material, I just couldn't get into it.  I'd rewind and rewind and try to get my attention to stay on the book, but the monotone reading and the lengthy character and setting descriptions were too much to handle.  My impression is that there is no plot, but of course there is.

The main characters seem to be Nohl and Ferrier from the beginning, but that's not really true, since the novel revolves around an amphibian alien named Kobai who is always at the center of whatever action might be happening.  Then there is the judge, a Khagodi (creature essentially the size and weight of a large truck) who takes an odd but unfortunate special interest in Kobai's actions. This all brings the main characters, the judge and Kobai in conflict with the mob, called Zamos.

It's kind of a space opera in that while it's science fiction, nothing scientific is explained so it's a story that could have just as easily been a fantasy in a magic land.  It's kind of a detective story, a "what if Raymond Chandler had been really into lengthy descriptions and poetic allusions."  It's kind of an adventure, if adventures spend most of their time in contemplation and avoid any semblance of car chase.

I'm not going to give this either low marks or high marks because it might be good, I just couldn't get into it, it didn't hold my interest.  Like I said at the beginning, it could've been the reader or it could've been the material, but regardless I won't revisit this series.

- CV Rick

Fight Club

This wasn't a perfect book, but it was a perfect premise.  Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk is one of those gems of literature which make good on a fantastic theme and becomes remarkably popular without sacrificing to any cookie cutter formula. 

The thing that either works for the reader, or doesn't work for the reader is the voice.  Palahniuk's narrator is the voice of frustration, a man who so despises what he has to do for a living because it benefits no one and he sees society as a rotting wasteland inhabited by pointless people leading pointless lives all working to destroy each other, build nothing and make Gods out of the wealthy.  His satire is to show that the things we really crave - empowerment, validation, strength, soul - are being cast aside in favor of placebos like material goods, support groups, drugs, and entertainment.  His argument that the power structure is upside down is dramatically symbolized by the Fight Club, where the most powerful are those with nothing left to lose.

He explores sanity and leaves the question unanswered  - is mental illness really a problem or just a coping mechanism?  Maybe the whole country is mentally ill and those who aren't are willing to make a stand, support anarchism, and subsequently are viewed as abnormal.  Would the hunter of ancient times be in Fight Club?  What have we become?

There are problems with some details, like the manufacturing process of soap and the technical details of explosives . . . but it works, I can get past all that for a great voice and a strong message.  This book had both.

- CV Rick