Author Mark Munger (Cloquet River Press)

Last Night at Twisted River by John Irving (Random House; 2009, ISBN 978-1-4000-6384-0)

Cruising in the Caribbean is made for reading. Reading fiction. So, when my wife and I boarded the MS Noordam recently out of Ft. Lauderdale and headed for a much-needed vacation in the sun, I took a stack of books with me to read. One of them was John Irving’s latest novel, Last Night in Twisted River. I was about 2/3 of the way through the book before the Noordam left its moorings. I finished the book a day or so into the voyage. Here’s what I think.

Irving, like other male authors of a certain age (my age or older) has fallen into the trap of reliving his sexual awakening over and over and over again in his fiction. I’m no prude. My first novel, The Legacy, and some of my other writing, includes very explicit scenes of love making. But Irving, along with older male novelists like Jim Harrison, seems to possess, as he ages, a great inner need to recount what its like to experience that first erection, that first touch of a breast. Not once. Not twice. But over and over again. This driving urge, which was the main premise behind Irving’s disaster of a novel, Until I Find You, is omnipresent in his latest work once again.

I’m a great fan of Catcher in the Rye, the quintessential coming-of-age story. I wouldn’t mind it so much if Twisted River recounted the protagonist’s (Danny Angel’s) first, second or even third encounter with love making as an adjunct to a plausible criminal chase story. But the book falls flat not only because of Irving’s infatuating need to continue the sexual retrospections beyond mere repetition; the main gist of the story, that Danny and his father are being pursued by a crazed cop bent on revenge, simply falls flat on its face as a plot device.

Much optimism emerged as I read the first quarter of the book. Irving is a master story teller when he works within a historical context as he does in painting life in a New England logging town in the book’s opening scenes. My optimism dissipated to tedium as the accidental murder-escape scenario emerged to overtake the beginning chapters of this novel. Not as bad as Until I Find You (which I threw away before finishing) this book simply doesn’t measure up to Owen Meany. 2 and 1/2 stars out of 5.

Karelia; A Finnish-American Couple in Stalin’s Russia, 1934-1941 by Lawrence and Sylvia Hokkanen with Anita Middleton (North Star Press; 1991, ISBN0-87839-065-0)

As an informal student of Finnish history, I have enjoyed writing about the Finn’s immigration to the United States during the early 1900’s in a fictional context. My novel, Suomalaiset: People of the Marsh is one of my best selling books and remains popular with Finnish-American and Finnish-Canadian readers. I chanced upon this nice little memoir in researching “Karelian Fever”, a term used to denote the Depression-era emigration of Finns from the U.S. and Canada back to Finnish Karelia, which, at the time, was a region within the U.S.S.R. This book, rather than attempt to explain the myriad of reasons over 10,000 people of Finnish descent returned to a place none of them had left (virtually all of the folks who left North America for Karelia had come not from Karelia, but from Finland itself) simply chronicles one married couple’s reasons for taking a chance on Stalin’s empire. Well-written and informative, this book is a quick and easy read and is an essential bit of history told by folks who lived it.  Maps and some additional historical pictures, charts, and diagrams supplied by the authors or the publisher would have made this book even better. 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5.

Old Friend from Far Away by Natalie Goldberg (Free Press; 2007, ISBN 978-1-4165-3503-4)

I picked up this “how to” manual regarding the writing of memoir at a recent fund raiser for the Lake Superior Writers, of which I once served on the board of directors. It was in the silent auction as part of a basket of “essentials” needed for writing a memoir. The book is really a text, to be used either in a classroom setting, a workshop, or by the reader individually to work on the structure and fiber of his or her life story. I read the thing on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean and wasn’t really in the mood for homework. However, that disclosure having been made (and with the added declaration that I didn’t do any of the exercises set out by the author in the book), there is enough here for even the casual reader to enjoy in terms of getting the juices flowing in anticipation of working on one’s life story.

I especially enjoyed Goldberg’s sense of humor, her use of anecdotes from her life and the lives of other writers, to add color and dimension to what is, in essence, a workshop manual of how to write your life. 3 stars out of 5.

The Collected Short Stories by Jean Rhys (Norton; 1987, ISBN978-0-393-30625-5)

I discovered Jean Rhys’ writing thanks to Poets and Writers magazine. Someone wrote an article about reading her work. I had never heard of her and became interested in her writing because of her engaging biography (in the larger sense; see below for a review of a biography about her life, The Blue Hour). The article compelled me to read all of her novels, including her masterpiece, Wide Sargasso Sea, all of which I found intriguing and well-conceived.

This collection of thirty-six stories, from postcard tales of a page in length, to longer works, shows Rhys’ progress as a writer and explores, in written terms, the factual elements of her life as embedded in her fiction. There are, as in any complete compendium of an author’s shorter prose, some real gems and some real stinkers in the group. But even the less appealing stories serve a purpose: they chronicle Jean’s struggles with alcoholism, mental illness, and gender bias in post-Victorian England.

For me, the closer Rhys drifts to her early days on the Caribbean island of Dominica, the truer the writing. All in all, this grouping adds to our appreciation and knowledge of Rhys’ strange and bewitching ability as a fiction writer. 4 stars out of 5.

A Short History of the West Indies by J.H. Perry, Philip Sherlock and Anthony Maingot (MacMillan; 1987 (4th Edition), ISBN 978-0-333-40954-1)

When I’m out and about, whether it’s inside the U.S. or outside my native country, I like to buy books that reflect the culture and history of wherever it is that I am traveling. Thus, on my recent vacation to the Caribbean, I picked up a copy of A Short History to familiarize myself with the history of islands I was visiting on this trip (St. Thomas, Martinique, St. Martin, St. Lucia, the Bahamas, and Barbados) as well as learn about islands I’ve been on before (Aruba, Curacao, St. Croix, Puerto Rico and others). Because the Caribbean islands were initially settled (in terms of European displacement of the indigenous Caribs, Tainos, and Arawak peoples who actually owned the place) by English, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Danish interlopers, the history of the area is far more complex, than say, the history of Minnesota.

There have been comings and goings of various European stakeholders in the Caribbean for over five hundred years. Add to this, the forced migration of millions of African slaves to the islands to work the sugar plantations, as well as a smaller, but equally important influx of East Indian indentured servants to some of the islands (Trinidad, for one), and you have an historic cauldron of ethnicity, language, and culture that is unique and complex. The authors seek to nobly guide the interested spectator and visitor to the region through the web of immigration, conquest, intrigue, politics, and economics which has led to the formation of independent nation states no larger than the size of a postage stamp (Barbados), or the inclusion of distant and far away exotics (Martinique) in the daily fabric of foreign government (France).

The book is a bit too ambitious in scope and inexplicably leaves out any reference to the history of the Bahamas, one of the closest island nations geographically to the U.S., which is puzzling, to say the least. Still, the book is a good solid base from which a reader can dive in and explore the history of this region in more detail. 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5.

The Dream by Harry Bernstein (2009; Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-50389-3)

The second in a series of three memoirs by Jewish American author (and near centenarian) , Harry Bernstein,  The Dream takes readers from England to Chicago and New York to relive the tenuous lives led by Harry, his siblings, and his mother. Noticeably absent for the majority of the story is Harry’s father; a brutal, violent, alcoholic lout who rarely worked and, when he did, gave little of his precious wage to his wife to feed and clothe the children. Chock full of depression era hard luck stories and vignettes, the overall tenor of the book seems mildly duplicitous of Bernstein’s first installment in his life story, The Invisible Wall and, until the romance between Harry and his eventual wife, Ruby, begins to smolder, the book feels a bit forced, as if Bernstein is attempting to outdo himself (or perhaps Frank McCourt) with the revelation of more and more depravity and abuse within his family. Still, the advent of his paternal grandfather and grandmother, along with assorted uncles, aunts, and cousins in the plot bolsters the read and makes the journey back into Harry’s life memorable, if not enjoyable.

By far, the most compelling portions of the memoir concern his relationship with Ruby, both before their wedding, and after.

A notable piece of non-fiction. The style, pace, and intrigue of what happened after Ruby and Harry begin their life together compels me to find a copy of the last installment, The Golden Willow, and read it as well. 4 stars out of 5.

Sea Glass by Anita Shreve (Little Brown;  2002. ISBN 0-965-39543-x)

I picked up my trade paperback copy of Sea Glass a week ago when I was selling books at the Unitarian Church in Duluth as part of the Treasures of the Earth Craft Show. The crowd was consistent but still left me time to read in between customers and the host church was having a used book and CD sale (I also picked up 5 Tom Petty CDs for two bucks each; one heck of a buy!). I’m a fan of Shreve’s literary style and so, I laid out my fifty cents and the book was mine.

Sea Glass is a love story with little love. There’s an angst, an unfulfilled longing, that betrays the story of Honora and Sexton as they meet, wed, and live a tenuous life together on the cusp of the Great Depression. Shreve, as always, draws memorable landscapes but in this book, her characters do not achieve the vividness and reality of her earlier efforts, such as The Pilot’s Wife and The Weight of Water. I think this is especially fatal to Sexton, who comes off as a bit of a stereotypical cardboard cad from an old Fitzgerald story. I liked Honora, Vivian (more of her story needed to be told), and Alphonse. The other male protagonist, McDermott, also falls flat. It’s as if Shreve lost her strength to portray adult male characters and relied upon nuance and stereotype to carry them through the story.

A bit of a disappointment but a heck of a buy for fifty cents. 3 stars out of 5.

No Man Knows My History by Fawn M. Brodie (Vintage: 1995, ISBN 978-0-679-73054-5)

Cited by many as the greatest study of the origins of Mormonism’s founding prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr., No Man Knows My History remains, sixty-five years after its first publication in 1945, a classic. Brodie, despite criticisms leveled at her exhaustive study of Smith’s life from Mormon hierarchy and “true believers”, is careful in this well documented study to allow the records of Smith and his immediate contemporaries, together with the words and actions of the Mormon hierarchy that followed his martyrdom, to tell the tale.

In addition, as more scientific, historic, and archaeological data unfolded following the book’s initial release  (all of which makes the likelihood of any verifiable link between Smith’s created ancient America and historic reality virtually impossible) Brodie updated her work to remain current. Such things as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the release of long-hidden Mormon original source records (most of which do not paint the religion’s founding fathers in a kind light) are incorporated in this newer version of the biography. Ever wonder where the HBO smash hit, “Big Love” came from? Read Brodie’s book to gain some understanding of what it means to believe in Joseph Smith’s Celestial Kingdom. A must read for anyone interested in the Mormons. 5 stars out of 5.

North River by Pete Hamill (Audio book: Unabridged. 2007. Recorded Books. ISBN: 978-1-4281-5652-4)

Having never read or listened to any Pete Hamill books, and being without a book to dig into on my drive back from a recent ski trip to Montana, my sister Annie offered up a host of audio books for me to select from. Without any predisposition to Hamill’s work, and with no knowledge of the subject matter of North River, I selected it because the cover art seemed interesting. Pretty lame word; interesting. But, thankfully for my long ride, the book’s content soared beyond such a tepid adjective.

Set in Depression era New York City along the banks of the North River (the northernmost branch of the Hudson within the city), the story chronicles the struggles of Dr. James “Jim” Delaney, the son of a Tammany Hall operative, “Big Jim” Delaney after the disappearance of Molly, the doctor’s wife, and sudden leave-taking by his twenty year old daughter, Grace. The characterization of the good doctor is exquisite. Hamill is a master of having the characters and the exquisitely drawn settings propel the story forward. There is action. There is tension. There is danger. But above all, there is great writing in the manner of George Elliot or Henry James but with a bit more pace.

The narrator, Henry Strozier, has the male voices down cold. But he struggles to give life to the voice of Rose, a young Sicilian woman who comes into the Delaney household to care for Carlos (Grace’s child) when Grace traipses after her Mexican husband (who is seeking his fame as a revolutionary in the Spanish Civil War). Strozier also struggles to hit the mark when portraying the characters of Grace and the doctor’s nurse. But these are but minor aggravations in this fine, fine depiction of internal and external struggle set against the grit and grime of 1930s New York City.

A great book to listen to and I’d guess an even better book to read. 4 and 1/2 stars out of 5.

Innocent by Scott Turow (Audio book: Unabridged. Hachette> ISBN 978-1-60024-921-1)

I use the movie version of Presumed Innocent, the predecessor to Turow’s latest legal tome, as a prompt in my criminal law class at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. I love Harrison Ford’s characterization of Rusty Sabich in that movie. I love the late Raul Julia’s performance as Sandy Stern, the eloquent but pragmatic attorney called upon to defend prosecutor Sabich who’s accused of murdering a female prosecutor he once had a torrid affair with. I read Presumed Innocent prior to seeing the movie and recognized in Turow’s prose a depth of character and psychology that the other master of legal fiction (John Grisham) doesn’t infuse in his writing (with the possible exception of A Painted House). It was with much anticipation that, on a recent ski trip from Minnesota to Montana, my wife and I listened to Innocent.

Right from the start, there’s a plot implausibility that bugged me. I’m a judge. I know how the real world works in terms of becoming a trial court judge and then advancing on to the appellate courts. As the story unfolds, Rusty Sabich’s wife Barbara is dead and Rusty, now a court of appeals judge in the midst of a campaign for the state supreme court, is the prime suspect. For reasons set forth in the plot, Sabich prevails in his election but, due to the small matter of being indicted for his wife’s murder, he is not sworn into the high court. He is on paid leave pending the outcome of the case against him. It’s this implausible plot line that troubled me throughout a very well written, character driven bit of fiction. Here’s my problem with the storyline: Though Sabich skated on the charges against him (the case being dismissed by the judge) in his first murder trial, it was clear that he was unfaithful to Barbara from the details introduced as evidence in that trial. Torrid details of his affair with his colleague were made public. Sabich was, after all, a prosecutor accused of murdering his paramour who escaped conviction either because A. He wasn’t guilty; or B. The prosecutor hid evidence resulting in the dismissal; or C. Sabich was one lucky son-of-a-bitch who had the best lawyer in town. At any rate, it’s unlikely that a prosecutor (let alone a private attorney) who went through such a high profile attack on his personal and professional integrity could ever stand for judicial election, not once, but twice, to the highest courts in the state.I know, I know. Turow hales from Chicago and they do things a bit different there. Still, there’s a smell of implausibility to the tale even if it’s set in the Windy City.

Having poked holes in the plot, I must admit that Turow is a great writer. His narrative, his dialogue, and his descriptions of place and character are spot on. Despite the implausibility of the scenario setting up Sabich’s fall from grace (because he’d already fallen too far) Innocent made the ride from Duluth to White Sulphur Springs, Montana enjoyable. The narrators, both male and female, were excellent. The mixture of first person and third person narratives was also well done and added complexity and veracity to the tale. The plot issue isn’t as major as it sounds and overall, Scott Turow’s talent as a writer of legal fiction made the miles fly by. 4 stars out of 5.