"...Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion." ~Madonna

Friday, September 30, 2011

BOOK REVIEW: State of Wonder

STATE OF WONDER is my fourth book by Ann Patchett and I can tell you that this is not an author who writes from a formula. Her books are creative with a touch of magic.

We meet Dr. Marina Singh in her office as she receives word that her research partner at the pharmaceutical company has died. Dr. Anders Eckman’s death had occurred somewhere in the Amazon basin of Brazil.

Marina is sent to find out what happened to Anders, and, more importantly to the company, to find out what is happening with the valuable new drug that is being developed. She will be meeting with Dr. Annick Swenson, who has been in the jungle for years working on this very secretive drug.

To complicate matters, Dr. Swenson had been a mentor of Marina’s back in medical school when Marina had made a life changing mistake. Dr. Swenson, now in her seventies, had proven to be extremely passionate about her work in the past and she is still ruthless and uncompromising with her co-workers.

The book is mainly the story of Marina and her odyssey from Minnesota to the jungles of Brazil. Along the way she has to come to face her own past as well as poison arrows, devouring snakes, a neighboring tribe of cannibals, and Dr. Swenson’s part in her life.

The story is well told. Patchett describes the atmospheres of the small town in Brazil and the jungle very well. I could feel the heat, the poverty of the natives, the dangers of the snakes and insects. I also feel that she probably nailed it about how far the pharmaceutical world will go to protect their investments.

What I did not feel was a connection to most of the people. As I have often said, I like to see characters that are well developed. Outside of Marina, Dr. Swanson, and Easter, the small native boy, I never learned more about some of the important side characters. This may have been deliberate on the part of the author in order for the ending to work, but I felt a little cheated.

I will read more Ann Patchett in the future. I like the fact that she is original and always a bit surprising and, although I enjoyed STATE OF WONDER, it is not as good as her Bel Canto, one that I highly recommend.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

BOOK REVIEW: Deliver Us From Evil

David Baldacci can usually be found on the New York Times bestseller list, but he has become so prolific that some of his books have lost their edge. DELIVER US FROM EVIL, last year’s bestseller, has come out in paperback and it is a thriller in true Baldacci style.

Reggie Campion is an agent with a secret vigilante group. This is a group that tracks and kills Nazi fugitives who have been living comfortably since the war. Reggie is very good at what she does.
The mysterious Shaw is also a member of a secret group that hunts down the bad guys, the ones who are a danger to the world today. Shaw is also extremely good at his job.

Although they do not know it, they are both involved with a man named Evan Waller. Reggie wants to find him to make him pay for his war crimes; Shaw wants to stop him from providing materials to terrorist groups who would have the ability to cause the deaths of millions of people.

The three of them arrive in Provence; Waller to meet with his contact and sell his low-enriched uranium, Shaw to stop Waller from making the sale and to capture him, Reggie to kill Waller.

A warning to the faint of heart: Waller is a very evil man and some of the scenes with him are very violent. He watches old movies of the mass destruction of villages that he orchestrated. The men who betray him are tortured in very creative ways.

Reggie is not as cruel, but she does have a secret agenda of her own and is willing to go to extremes to carry her plans to the end. She wants her victims to know why she is killing them.

Shaw, as the anti-hero, plays a little more by the book, but is still ruthless when he has a job to do. Being a part of a branch of our government, he also has unlimited resources.

The three of them make for a suspense story worthy of Hitchcock at his best. It is full of remarkable characters, death defying action, plot twists, and a final scene that will cause you to hold your breath for several pages---all of the things that I want a Baldacci book to do.

The book stands on its own, but Shaw’s previous relationship with one of the minor characters plays a part in the plot. Shaw was first introduced by Baldacci in The Whole Truth, which you may want to read as a companion book. Just don’t blame me if they get you hooked on David Baldacci.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

THEATER: Cirque du Soleil: Quidam

What can be said about Cirque du Soleil that has not already been said? They are really shows that make you aware that you have been holding your breath as the performers execute amazing feats on the ground and in the air. Cirque du Soleil: Quidam at the Bryce Jordan Center is a great example of the art of the European circus, no animals, but human bodies doing what looks like the impossible.

The music, the costumes, and the stage itself add to the magic. From the moment that the figure without a head and carrying a large umbrella enters, it is apparent that something different is going to happen.
The story is very loosely that of a lonely, young girl who is taken into a world of imagination, hope, and fun. In that world she finds high-flying acrobats, impossible physical feats, beautiful balancing acts of strength, clowns, and a touch of the burlesque.

I found that I had stopped breathing during several of the aerial acts. My comfort level with heights is nonexistent and so I am very impressed with people who can perform gymnastic tricks overhead. One of the first acts was titled “Aerial Hoops” and it was truly “ballet in the sky”. The costumes and the grace of the three people were beautiful.

The other extreme was a vaudevillian act involving a lot of audience participation. Four members of the audience were “directed” through the filming of a silent movie. As they were asked to act out parts that became more and more outrageous, they became more and more comfortable and the results were very funny. This act must change with each show and must be fun for all involved.

Cirque du Soleil is a mind boggling event. What really is impressive is that most of the acts take place on a revolving stage. I can not imagine trying to do a balancing or juggling act--let alone jump rope-- on a stage that is not still.

If you missed this one, hope that Brice Jordon does it again. By the way, there was not a bad seat in the house. It is directed for the entire audience.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

BOOK REVIEW: Sister: A Novel

It is rare to find a good crime novel written with great style and intelligence. There have been some, but as I said they are rare. Rosamund Lupton’s SISTER: A NOVEL is an example of how it should be done.

Bee is living in New York when her mother calls to tell her that Tess is missing. Bee arrives in London expecting to scold her younger sister about the importance of telling someone her plans before taking off.
Tess has always been the free spirit of the two, and the more practical Bee feels that she knows and understands her sister extremely well. Thinking that there are no secrets between them, Bee learns that among other things, Tess has hidden the fact that she was pregnant to one of her married professors.
When the police find Tess’s body in an abandoned public restroom and dismiss it as a suicide, Bee knows that they are wrong. This starts her hunt for who would want to kill Tess and why.

The plot has many unexpected turns and brilliantly leads the reader from suspect to suspect. In the process the reader is treated to side characters with great depth, a study of the relationships that are formed---especially between sisters, and a moral issue that may hit each of us.

I enjoy reading “who done it”s and love to figure out what is happening along the way. I was often way off base with this one.

This book is so much more than a typical murder mystery. I felt that two things made it stand ahead of the pack:
1. The characterizations are developed by Lupton extremely well. Not only do we see growth in the main characters, but people that we meet along the way become real.
2. Lupton’s use of the English language is beautiful. She can turn a phase without it ever sounding artificial. This alone would have made me a fan.

SISTER: A NOVEL is a first novel and I am eagerly awaiting to see what Rosamund Lupton does next.

THEATER: Leading Ladies

State College Community Theater is finishing an excellent summer season with Ken Ludwig’s LEADING LADIES and they are following that old theater rule of “always leave them laughing”. The play is full of silliness, mistaken identity, cross dressing, and lots of confusion leading up to the required happy ending. It even includes a four minute performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. What more could an audience want?

The scenes between Eric J. Lindquist and Rob Arnold are especially well done. As Leo and Jack, they are funny; as Maxine and Stephanie, they are hilarious. It should come as a surprise that the other characters on stage would actually believe that these two guys were women. To be honest, I even found Rob to be very sexy in black velvet.

I wish that Nazli Sarpkaya’s biography had included her past theater credits. As Meg, she has the opportunity to show her range of acting skills while keeping in mind that she was doing comedy. I especially liked her scene with the red cocktail dress. She uses it almost as a prop--very well done.
Tom McClary is no stranger to local theater and this show gives him a chance to be silly. I always appreciate an actor whose lines are crisp and clear.

Michelle V. Siwert, on the other hand, is new to the Boal Barn audiences. She is fresh and energetic, though she may do the worst Marlon Brando voice I have ever heard. (It did get a big laugh).
Eric Kress, Gail Alberini, and Jason Poorman rounded out the cast well. They each had a shining moment in Twelfth Night.

Director Mike Knarr is to be congratulated for the fun bits of business in the play and good use of the arena stage. Costumes were designed by Amy Silverman and she did her usual fantastic job. Opening night needed more dressers at various entrances; too many little details were incomplete (bows, zippers, etc.).

If Ken Ludwig is an unknown playwrite to you, go see LEADING LADIES. You will see why he is considered the contemporary master of complete silly.

LEADING LADIES will be at Boal Barn until September the 17th.

I need to add some personal thank you’s at the end of this excellent summer season:  Amber Daughtry and David Price, the producers for the season, you made my Barn experience a joy.  Drew, Meadow Lane Photography, as always, added so many great pictures. I hope that I get to review a book by you some day.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

BOOK REVIEW: Redeeming the Rogue

Local authors are always of interest, so I was happy to meet C. J. Chase at her book signing at Way’s Fruit Farm.  REDEEMING THE ROGUE is her debut novel and shows great promise.

The year is 1815; Mattie Fraser has arrived in London from America to find her brother. The British had burned her home city of Washington and pressed her brother into their navy. Now alone in the world, Mattie has to know if her brother is alive or dead.

Kit DeChambelle is a military officer who becomes involved in her search for reasons of his own. Kit has been working as an undercover agent for the British and it was his brother who was the captain of the ship that had taken her brother…. A ship that may have a dangerous secret of its own.

Although REDEEMING THE ROGUE is published under the banner of LoveInspired, a series known for its Christian romance novels, this book is more adventure than anything else. C.J. said that she had to be reminded to add the romantic elements.

This is an impressive first novel. The time and location have been captured well, conversation is believable, and side characters have dimension. There are enough bad guys to keep you guessing who is trying to kill Mattie and enough good guys to know that she will probably be victorious.

C. J. Chase is a graduate of Bald Eagle High School; in fact the book is dedicated to Betty Kantner, her ninth grade English teacher. After reading C. J.’s first novel, I would not be surprised to find her break into main stream literature.