Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Trust Me. I’m a good man. “Do not trust Ben.” Or anyone by that name.

It would be all too easy to associate this novel with a movie that came out back in 2000, but I’m not going to do that. I’m pretty sure the review itself will reveal what movie I’m speaking of and if you’re unaware of it, then it’s your loss. In fact, this movie and this book really aren’t all that similar yet they share a common thread. I may have jumped the gun assuming the two would end up the same way, and for that I apologize.

Mr. Watson has written a riveting and engaging mystery/thriller novel that really stumped me from the get go. At first I was unsure if this was this really something I could get into; would the story and the characters be enough to get me to finish this book at the rate at which I have been reading (not that that really matters). In the end, it was, it was more than enough. This story is pretty f’ing badass.

I had to do a little research on Mr. Watson after finishing the book to see where he came up with the idea to write such a beautiful and telling story. Apparently, he is a British audiologist who was and maybe still is working with deaf children. He, like me, has in his time, started writing many, many different stories until “Before I Go To Sleep” fell into place and found the right publisher. Needless to say, it has sold well and has already been “optioned” for a film to be directed by Ridley Scott. Oddly enough, the book has little to do with his work in audiology, instead it centers around memory, memory loss and the individual identity.

I’m not going to pretend like I foresaw how the book would end, but it is pretty obvious and I think I realized it about halfway through. Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil anything for you. The book is about a woman named Christine Lucas who after an accident has no memory. She wakes up every morning not knowing where she is, or who the man beside her in bed is. She wakes up thinking that she is in her twenties when in fact she is in her forties, her memories erased.

“I am an adult, but a damaged one,” is how Christine describes herself in her warped world of waking up to the unknown each day. She believes that “today is all I have,” once the man she wakes up with explains they are married to one another and that she suffers from amnesia. This all changes when she meets Dr. Nash, who encourages her to write a journal, which she can read to help her remember what has happened the days or weeks prior.

The book flows wonderfully and after getting through the first half, really keeps you on the edge of your seat. By keeping and writing in her journal, which Christine only remembers about each day when Dr. Nash calls to tell her where it is and what it is, she slowly puts the puzzle pieces together. Hell, it almost has me convinced that I should be keeping a journal, that said though, I treat this blog as a journal (minus the one year gap when it was dormant).

Without a doubt this book made me think about a lot things. I asked myself what life would be life if you had amnesia to the more mundane of what would I do if I got so drunk one night and woke up next to someone I didn’t know. I have no answers for either of these questions and with any luck, I’ll never know what either feels like. I’m kind of at a point in my life right now where I wish I could forget about the past three years of my life, I know that’s a harsh thing to say, but with what I’ve been dealing with these past couple of months, Lucas’ problem doesn’t seem like such a bad thing (even though I know, in my dark heart, that it is and I would never want to forget the years that have passed me by).

Read this one before it becomes a movie, it’s worth it.

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

I can’t tell you why, but I have pinning for a book or movie set in the wild west. I think it may have to do with my fantasy of being an outlaw gunslinger. You know the type that shows up in the middle of a dirt road in a ramshackle town, tumbleweeds crawling past in slow motion, women, children and men alike cowering behind barrels, shop windows and three story brothels, to square off with the man that stole a quarter from me in a game of poker (which I can’t play for shit).

“The Sisters Brothers” was more or less exactly what I was looking for. I was actually hoping for a bit more from it but that’s neither here nor there. Eli and Charlie Sisters are, obviously, brothers and are apparently infamous on the west coast for their devious, malicious and inscrutable ability to kill. Their back story isn’t really developed, so I can’t exactly say why they are “infamous” but that’s how they are portrayed. I really wish there had been a bit more back story there but you can’t always get what you want.

Charlie is a hot-head with a temper and drinking problem, while Eli is more the reserved, calm and collected type although when his temper gets the better of him “everything goes black and narrow.” Personally, I would more than likely fall into the Eli type when it comes to personality but for some reason, I found myself drawn to Charlie’s character. Where Eli would not sleep with a whore but would still leave her a handsome amount of money, Charlie would sleep with her and then leave her with nothing. Now… I’m not saying that’s anything that I would do, but right now I’m feeling brutish, but I liked the way deWitt characterized Charlie more so than Eli. Eli = a bit of a pussy with a gun and morals, while Charlie = a bit of an asshole with a gun and a bottle of brandy.

The story centers around the brothers’ trip from Oregon City to California where they are to find and kill a man for the Commodore, their employer and a tycoon with quite a bit of wealth. Their trip to California is long and is interspersed with side stories about the people they run into along the way and the fights they pick. While the writing style was pretty amazing, written to make the reader truly feel as though he was in the old West, the story kind of dragged for me until they finally started to pursue the man they were after. A hunt which eventually begins when they arrive in San Francisco. A San Francisco aptly described as a place where “the tradition of thrift and sensible spending has vanished…” and “a town peopled in morons exclusively.” Not too much unlike the San Francisco I live in today, minus the “morons” bit.

Eli Sisters is the narrator throughout the novel and his melancholic tone demonstrates his tiredness of the life which he has chosen. You can feel from his narrative that this adventure has changed his tune and that after this mission, he will do his best to change his life for the better. Charlie, on the other hand, doesn’t want that and can’t foresee himself from not causing havoc and smearing blood wherever he can.

One of the more entertaining or funny bits of the book is the moment when Eli discovers the beauty of using a toothbrush for the first time. He has to undergo some surgery on his mouth and the dentist he visits leaves him with a toothbrush and “brushing powder.” It’s kind of an ongoing thing throughout the novel in that he eventually convinces his ass of a brother to give the toothbrush a go and he thoroughly enjoys it. At another point in the story he also has a conversation with a woman, who he instantly falls for, surrounding the use of the brush.

Artwork by Sean Szeles

Overall, the story seemed like it was a bit rushed to me, I think it could have been much longer and delved more into Charlie and Eli’s past. But, like I said, I did enjoy it and did fill the void of my desire for a western novel.

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

When I walked into Books, Inc. at Opera Plaza I had not intended on buying this book. Rather, I had every intention of purchasing Mary Doria Russell’s latest “Doc”. Unfortunately for me, and for Ms. Russell (Mary and not Karen, I will admit that until now, I had not noticed the irony in that both author’s are named Russell), after reading the leaf of the book I was rather unimpressed and did not feel compelled enough to shell out near thirty dollars for a book that I was mildly skeptical of (I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually).

As I was talking to the clerks at the register they were suggesting some other non-hardcover fiction books for me and Swamplandia! happened to be the one recommended and chosen. The clerk who suggested this book was going to give me a long schpeel about Swamplandia! until I cut her off and just decided to buy it. I wasn’t in the mood to listen to someone tell me about it, I’d rather just read it and figure it for myself.

Well, in retrospect, maybe I should have let her tell me a little more about it and saved me the time reading it. I will not say I regret reading it but… it certainly is not the best piece of fiction I have read (not that I was expecting it to be, although I am a little surprised it’s on the NYT Best Sellers List).

The writing itself is pretty impressive and I’m guessing that’s why it’s getting the praise that it is. The story on the other hand, is a little lacking. It didn’t take me long to read but I was not overly excited to turn the page as I sometimes am. Russell’s book is, for the most part, about several children who had the fortune or misfortune (depending on how you look at it) of growing up on and in an alligator theme park in the swamp (bet that one was hard to figure out). For the first third of the book, the three Bigtree (as is their not so fitting last name) children, Osceola, Ava and Kiwi each have their own story although they are of course intertwined.

About halfway through the book the narrative branches off and decides to follow just two of the characters, Ava the youngest child and Kiwi the oldest child, boring mistake. There’s a mystical story, one filled with ghosts, a potential pedophile and general naivete on the part of a young child (understandable). Then there’s the downtrodden story of a young man, thrust in civility and facing the harsh reality that he has grown up in the swamp and has no real connection to mainland life. The metaphors are rife and over abundant (“nights… were dark and star-leperd,”, “icicle overbites,” and then all the talk of “love” and “hell”), it’s clear Ms. Russell was trying hard to establish that.

The characters are quite likable yet there’s an uncomfortable disconnect. When the story branches out, instead of getting a cohesive story, you end up with what could in fact be two completely separate books. I want to tell you that enjoyed one of these sides of the story more than the other, but I really didn’t. On the whole, each felt kind of drab and left me wanting more.

If you haven’t already figured it out, I was not particularly fond of this novel and am looking forward to reading something more enjoyable next, which really shouldn’t be all that hard. Most of my reading of this book took place on my stoop on several very cold nights after very long days at work, sipping a beer or two, which was unfortunately the best part about reading this book. I guess the alligator on the cover of the book was more convincing than the story itself.

artwork by: Brendan Miller

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

It’s hard not to intro with this, considering the book more or less does… sets the vibe, what can I say. Hit “Play” already!!

It’s 2am on a Sunday morning and I’ve just finished reading this incredible book. I started it on Friday… it was that good. I took only two breaks from reading this book (and each time it was hard to put it down and walk out the door). I left once to go see The Coup perform, where I saw something that I will most likely never ever see again in my life, Pam the Funkstress aka The Party Slapper using her boobs to spin records and the second break, a trip with an old friend to the San Francisco Street Food Festival. Both good breaks, but knowing that this book was sitting on my coffee table at home while I was out and about was no laughing matter.

Since my last posted book review in early September of last year, my life has changed. “Changed,” is putting it a bit lightly I suppose. It has been a roller coaster. I started a new job, made new friends, lost most of my friends to migration to far off cities (yes, Los Angeles, New York and Palo Alto are far off places), experienced life altering moments, became a more humble yet more generous, giving and confident man, became more ambitious, found a new best friend (2 if puppies count) and most importantly fell in love with the most incredible, beautiful, brilliant, caring and respectable woman I could ever imagine or dream of. Unfortunately though, things are in constant motion and right now I feel more lonely than I ever have. That best friend and love have disappeared from my life (sadly) and here I am, immersing myself into a world of books once again. Maybe you’re wondering why I’m telling you all of this, maybe not, but I think it stems from the fact that this book hit home a bit with me, for many reasons but two of those were the ideas of feeling “alone” and that knowledge of knowing when you’ve found someone that you love and want to share your life with. Mr. Cline has no idea how connected I feel to his protagonist, Wade Watts.

Wade Watts enters the OASIS to escape reality; I open up a book to do the same. The OASIS, a virtual world a la “Second Life” only far more advanced and unlike anything out there today, is a world where anyone can be whoever he/she chooses. By putting on some sort of crazy gloves and a ridiculously advanced virtual reality visor a user enters himself into a world of wizards, aliens and whatever else a 12 year old can imagine. But in the future that Watts lives in, the OASIS is more reality than the world outside. Having an escape mechanism isn’t the only similarity that I share with Watts, you see he’s also got “a serious cute-geeky-girls-playing-ukuleles fetish…” while I wouldn’t call what I’ve got a fetish by any means I certainly can appreciate this (it’s hard not to fall in love with Sophie Madeline). Wade is a loner, an outsider looking in, an unfortunate feeling that I share with him at this moment. He too found love, saw it escape from his grasp only to have it be rekindled (I dream…). We differ a lot too though, I don’t play video games, I have a great, loving relationship with my family and I actually do have some friends in real life.

Playing video games, inside or out of the OASIS, was Wade’s nerdy way of getting away from it all, “all I had to do was tap the Player One button, and my worries would instantly slip away…” If only life were that way for all of us. But, when the founder of the OASIS dies, James Halliday, Wade and his online avatar/persona Parzival are thrust into the biggest video game easter egg hunt ever, one that would result in making the finder of the egg the inheritor of Halliday’s massive fortune.

Oh, but that’s only the beginning. Lucky for you, me and everyone else who picks up this book we are inundated from the very beginning with fond memories of 80′s pop culture, this really is the crux of the novel and is what will surely draw people into it (it had that affect on me). From John Hughes films, sci-fi favorites (think Star Wars, Star Trek and beyond), comic books, video games, tv sitcoms to cartoons. You see, the creator of the OASIS was infatuated with this era, and therefore the hunt for the three keys, which would lead one to the easter egg, involved extensive knowledge of everything 80′s.

Of course, once the hunt began, every man, woman and child scrambles. Each spending all day everyday locked up in the virtual world studying the 80′s backwards and forwards trying to find clues, which would reveal the location of that first key. Of course, with big money at stake, there’s always some evil out there lurking, working as hard and devilishly as possible to win that prize and in this case it’s the IOI, whose plan, once they win the money is to take over the OASIS and monetize it, dirty bastards. The race for the egg turns life and death, inside and outside of the OASIS.

Honestly, this book is a nerds/geeks wet dream. The references made in the book make it that much more fun for anyone that is familiar with the 80′s (the only ones I struggled with were the Japanese references and the movie Ladyhawke, embarrassing, I know). There are so many valuable lessons throughout the book that to try and share them here would be a most difficult challenge (though probably not as hard as defeating Pac Man’s 255 levels with a perfect score of 3,333,360 points). I will leave you with this though, at the end of the novel one character says to another that “…reality is real… Don’t hide in here forever.” Perhaps something I should take to heart.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Better cover? I think yes.

I’m going to start by giving you my bottom line: I don’t understand the hype. I’ve read my fair share of murder/love stories and honestly this one was no different from the others. Sure, there were some new twists to this “genre,” the financial angle, but I’ve read better and more enjoyable. As far as I can tell, the whole reason behind the hype and the only reason that this book resonates with women readers is that one of the protagonists is a tough woman who doesn’t take sh*t from anyone and abhors any sort of violence, physical or emotional, afflicted on women. I get that, but, this isn’t the first time we’ve ever seen a heroine like her.

I’m going to do my best to avoid spoiling this book for anyone who hasn’t read it so bear with me. While the book is, for the most part, about the life and times of a one Lisbeth Salander, the heroine aka the girl with dragon tattoo, it is also about a journalist named Mikael Blomkvist who it just so happens is the hero in the story. There are several different story lines told in the book but the most relevant and interesting would be that of the case which Mr. Blomkvist is put upon by a Henrik Vanger, an industrialist. Mr. Vanger has asked Mr. Blomkvist, who has just been found guilty of libel, to investigate the 40 year-old disappearance his great-niece Harriet.

One way or another, a separate story line, the heroine of the story gets roped into helping Blomkvist with the mysterious disappearance. With her introduction to this story line the story quickly picks up and the progression of the case quickly spirals into a much larger web than had been perceived. Lisbeth’s involvement in the case however creates waves and therefore some turmoil for Blomkvist and several other characters. This is as a good place as any to stop with the summary, anymore information runs the risk of ruining the book. That’s not the end of my review though.

I’ve chosen two distinct issues, there are more, of this book to berate a little bit and undermine the phenomenon that this book has become. The first of these “issues” is that Lisbeth falls in love, with a man, in this book. You see, this is the part that I’m afraid too many women didn’t really take notice of. How could Stieg Larsson create a character that has, for her entire life, had difficulty with men and avoided all sorts of interpersonal attachment, fall in love. I won’t tell you who she falls for but, he is a major character and the relationship Larsson created just feels like a farce. Lisbeth is a character that has kept private her entire adult life, no friends and her employer of some time knows nothing about, and yet somehow in a short span this one man’s charm works on her of all people. It just doesn’t add up.

The second “issue” is something which I am always looking for, strong character development. Or, in this case, lack thereof. While I feel as though Salander was characterized pretty well, the character of Blomkvist was not. The hero’s relationships outside of those with Salander and the investigation he has taken on are minimal. What of his daughter? What of his relationship with Berger (a character whom he works with)? What of his background? I think some who have read the book would argue this point with me but, frankly, I don’t care. I thought Larsson did a weak job on this and spent way too much time at the end of the novel boring us with drivel about Blomkvist’s revenge against the man whose libel suit he lost at the beginning of the novel instead of helping us to better understand the man.

So, what now? Obviously I’m aware that this is a series, a wildly popular series, and I need to decide whether or not I will continue on with it. Although I did not necessarily enjoy the book, odds are that I will go ahead and read Larsson’s second novel. Why? Well, for one, although there were certainly parts of this book that were boring as all hell, certain elements that I really disliked, it was still a pretty quick and easy read. Would I rather read a Harlan Coban book, probably, but for the time being and because I see Stieg Larsson’s book as being good fodder for my reviews, you will most likely see a review for The Girl Who Played With Fire shortly.

Infected by Scott Sigler

Now, what we have here is a book that falls nicely into the horror/thriller genre of books. A genre which I usually don’t find myself reading all that often. So, to that affect I must say it was a nice change of pace. Mr. Sigler himself was kind enough to comment on a recent post of mine in which I discussed a signing of his and odds are that, had he not done so, I would not have read this book.

It’s in my nature to compare books I read to others I’ve read. Like I said, this novel falls into a new genre for me and it wasn’t easy for me to think of something to compare it to. In the end though, I think it would be fair to say that there could possibly be some similarities between this work and Scott Smith’s The Ruins. A book which I liked and was unfortunately made into a god awful movie. Suffice it to say, despite the fleeting similarities, Infected is in a class of it’s own when it comes to my personal library.

Let me ask you a question. If you woke up one morning and found several unusual, itchy, rash type spots on your skin, what would you do? Would you a.) regret sleeping with that woman/man you took home the other night b.) do a google search and try and diagnosis yourself c.) ignore it or d.) take a knife and cut the spots out? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out what the characters in this particular book do in that situation but I’ll tell you this much, it ain’t pretty.

When Perry Dawsey finds himself in a predicament, he does his best to ignore it. You see, he has a history of lashing out and he really can’t afford to let his anger get the best of him. But, when you’re infected with a bizarre rash and begin hearing voices, there’s really only so much you can do or handle before you start to lose your mind. What Perry doesn’t know, unfortunately, is that the infection he has is a parasite, and the other victims of said parasite have had the tendency to go on homicidal rampages before killing themselves. You see, this presents a problem for our dear Mr. Dawsey.

While Mr. Dawsey is suffering through his viral attack, unbeknown to him, the government is doing their best to track down a living specimen of the infection. Well, all I’ll tell you about that is that the parasites taking over Perry’s body are none to happy about being pursued by the feds, yes, they know.

While Sigler’s book was a nice break for me in terms of genre jumping I have yet to decide whether or not I will continue on with this series. Yes, it is a series. I certainly enjoyed the storyline and his writing but when it comes down to it, I’m just not so sure I’m sold on books like this. The character development for the most part is there, although there seems to be a little bit lacking when it comes to those characters not named Perry Dawsey. Then again, the story is about Perry and his new little friends, so there really isn’t much of a need for a whole of lot of blabber about everyone else in the story.

If you’re pursuing a bio-thriller/horror story, this is certainly a book that will satiate you. If you’re not interested in gore, self mutilation and or killing sprees, then keep your distance.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

The story behind Ned Vinzzini’s It’s Kind of a Funny Story is one that we have heard before. A young man pushes himself to the brink of self destruction attempting to achieve what he’s been told is the end all be all, a successful career, a life full of money and fame. Although it may sound like a common story, especially these days given the pressure placed on youngsters, Vizzini has done us all a favor and spun it a new and different way.

When dealing with difficult topics such as teen depression and suicide there is a fine line of what can be said and done when it comes to writing a book about the topic. Whether it is fiction or non-fiction it really doesn’t make a difference. When the title character, Craig, in Vizzini’s book is faced with these problems he does what is most likely the hardest thing to do when troubled by his impending doom, he check’s himself in at the hospital.

When Craig walks into the hospital he has no idea that he will end up in a psych ward full of very interesting characters. But, his actions on the ward serve as a catalyst for himself and many on the ward as he helps them open up their eyes. After only five days there he manages to fall for a girl and inspire those around him. Eventually, he does of course realize what he must do to change his own life but I’ll leave how he does that for you to find out on your own.

One of the most enjoyable things about this novel is Vizzini’s ability to infuse humor into a humorless subject. He does it deftly and well, all the way not taking anything away from the seriousness of the situation, a very difficult task indeed. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Vizzini himself spent time on a psych ward at one point in his life and his personal experiences there are most probably portrayed in one way or another.

My only criticism would have to be that of Craig’s insatiable sexual appetite. It’s a bit overplayed and at times almost makes him a less likable character. But, if that’s the only problem I had with this book, then it can easily be over looked.

The importance of this book really can’t be undermined. In all reality there is a good chance that this book could help people, teenagers that are struggling with finding their voice and parents that may be pushing their children a bit too hard. While all the humor in the story make the book enjoyable and the outcome is indeed a happy one, there’s a sublime feeling in my gut when I think about it now. I should mention that that is not necessarily a bad thing but it just makes you think.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

The first time I heard about this book was when I was doing research for my 7/19 SF book events post. On a whim, I decided to include in the post that Mr. Cronin would be signing copies of his book here in the bay area. Honestly, I was incredibly close to leaving him out. Why? Well, from what I could tell from my brief research of his book I anticipated this novel to be among one of the many silly vampire books that are being published these days. I know, I shouldn’t judge, but these days with all the vampire drivel being published it’s awfully hard not to.

As it turns out I was at a local new & used bookshop, Bibliohead, in Hayes Valley the other day on my way to pick up a cup of coffee at Blue Bottle (quite possibly the best coffee in the world) and there The Passage was. It was shiny and looking so ready to be grabbed by me that I couldn’t resist, it also didn’t hurt that it was miraculously used. It was still a bit pricey but finding it for $10 less than it would be elsewhere sure as hell swayed my decision. On a side note, I also managed to pick up a used copy of Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Licks. A lucky day for me, I know.

At the time of purchase I was reading a truly awful book, which I previously reviewed but prefer not to ever mention again, and was grateful to find such a gem of a used book. Alright, I suppose that’s enough back story and it’s time for me to get to the meat.

The story begins in the not so distant future, 2018, at time where the United States or what is left of it is engrossed in a war on terrorism and is looking for an advantage. The military goes to science to catch that edge and in an attempt to develop a super soldier develops further terror rather than a solution. These super soldiers or “virals” as they will be called will not help the ailing country, instead they will facilitate it’s destruction.

Fast forward to the more distant future. An outpost or colony of citizens who have devised a way to protect themselves from the “virals” remains intact. By eliminating the dark of night with the use of lights and establishing means of protecting themselves from the “virals” they have survived with no help from the outside, if there is an outside. When the power source for their lights begins to falter they must rely on the aide of a girl who can apparently speak with the “virals” and the most gung-ho of the survivors left. I’ll stop there so as to not spoil anything for you, I will though continue to give you my thoughts on the book.

One of the things that struck me most about this book was how well it all came together. Despite the fact that it jumps around to several periods in time it still completely and utterly captivated me and held my attention. I actually like to compare the story to Ken Follet’s Pillars of the Earth. I know, they are incredibly different stories. But they are similar in the way that they are epic tales that, as a reader, you cannot put down. The character development is astonishing and Cronin’s style of writing does everything to draw you in. Despite it being a beast of a book, it is a quick and easy to read.

Another astonishing thing about this book are the “virals” themselves. They are indeed vampires in the somewhat traditional sense but they are, oh, so much more. Rather than provide you my own description I’ll let the author do that for me. Here’s a clip from an interview Cronin did with io9:

There was one rather unsettling thing about this book, but it more or less, comes with the territory. There are without a doubt religious undertones infused throughout. It would appear that some of the allusions and references made are direct from the bible. But as with other books, Russell’s The Sparrow for example, these things are easily overshadowed by an incredibly riveting story.

I already know that a movie is in the works, or that the rights were bought and that this is the first in a three book series. I’ve heard some criticism that the book ended too prematurely and left something to be desired but I’d have to disagree. To put it bluntly, I cannot wait for the second book to come out.

Go, Mutants! by Larry Doyle

This book first came up on my radar while I was researching my events post and I saw that Doyle was going to be at one of my favorite local bookshops, The Booksmith. The premise sounded interesting enough and although I noted that I had not read his previous book I Love You, Beth Cooper I decided to give this one a shot. I think I’ve already mentioned that was a mistake.

Where to begin? The story was bad and was somewhat confusing. The writing was nothing spectacular and frankly, I thought the characters were dumb. The progression from beginning to end bored me and when I finished with the book, more than anything, I was relieved. All of those add up to a pretty crappy book in my mind. I guess what can be taken away from this though is that, what it appears Mr. Doyle was trying to accomplish, which was writing a b-movie style book, was indeed accomplished but it utterly failed.

In short, here’s the story: J!m, the title character, is a troubled, alien, adolescent whose father, who was from another planet, was accused of trying to destroy the world when he first appeared in a shiny spacecraft. As if his blue, oily skin isn’t enough of a problem for the troubled teen he is constantly struggling to find his place in the universe. His goals are simple, to graduate highschool and begin a career in making B-movies. Of course, disaster strikes when he goes through puberty over night and his whole life, and that of the alien/mutant race on Earth, is thrown into turmoil.

I despise sitting here and writing only to tell you the negative things about a book, but honestly I’m struggling to find anything positive to say. I want to say that there must be someone out there that this book could be for, but I’m struggling to find or think of who that person may be. While I’ve heard that this book is an allusion to Rebel Without A Cause I cannot personally say. Unfortunately I’ve never seen the movie. But, as far as I’m concerned that in no way should preclude me from enjoying it. Maybe, just maybe it’s a generational thing but that’s a stretch at best.

The Informers by Juan Gabriel Vasquez

At the bookstore the other day (Books, Inc., Opera Plaza) I was perusing a table full of paperbacks and stumbled across Vasquez’s Informers. I read the blurb on the back, read a few lines from various pages and decided that it would be coming home with me. One of my main motivations for physically taking it home with me is the fact that Vasquez is a Colombian, a Colombian who now lives in Spain but a Colombian still the same. Prior to my recent trip to Colombia I had contemplated bringing some contemporary Colombian works with me but in the end decided that Márquez, Restrepo and Gamboa weren’t quite what I was looking for. Naturally I’d come across this book once I was back in San Francisco and not before my trip.

This book’s only problem, despite reading the blurb, etc., was that it was not what I was expecting. For whatever reason, I had anticipated a fast paced, mystery/thriller type of novel. Instead what I got was a well written piece of contemporary literature. Now, I’m not saying that “face paced, mystery/thriller” novels are not literature but, typically they are not as well written and evocative as this book is.

While at certain points I was a bit confused and not entirely clear as to what was going on in the book everything was clearly and neatly put together and revealed bit by bit. The story itself is about a man, the book he’s written and his relationship with his father. The book, which the main character has written, is about a subject that is not often discussed, German refugees living in Colombia during WWII. During that time, as you may be aware, the United States issued “blacklists” which were intended to isolate for internment sympathizers of the Axis. The basis for the lists were often controversial and based on much suspicious and dubious information. These lists were distributed to alliant countries who were then requested to intern those people on the list. Colombia was one of those countries.

To try and amply summarize or give you some idea what this book was really about would be akin to copying and pasting the whole novel here. Clearly, I’m not going to do that. The book covers a lot of ground, from the time an immigrant friend, Sara Guterman, came to Colombia in the 1930′s to the main characters current day which is the 90′s. While the main theme of the novel revolves around betrayal, there are many other found mixed in, including a troubled father-son relationship, love and cowardice. Each of which is inevitably connected to the other.

I really have no trouble telling you that I did not love this book or really find it all that entertaining. But, at the same time, I can tell you that the way it was written was truly compelling. The reader can’t help but come away with a strong understanding of the sentiments of Colombians during WWII as well as those of the modern day (well, late 20th century) citizens of that country. Having just visited Colombia it was pretty interesting to read and gain some insight into some of the various places I visited, particularly those of Bogota where much of the book is based.

Whether or not you choose to, at some point, pick up and read Vasquez novel you should know that he is no Marquez. But, he very well may be the next.