Many people who have thoroughly enjoyed a movie based on a book eventually want to read the book; the same can be said when one has enjoyed a book that has been turned into a movie: it becomes a must see. Some adaptations outshine the books that they are based on, while others don't do the book justice. Some, like the adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, leave portions of the book off film while still capturing the essence, the spirit and plot of the book, thus leaving the viewer/reader satisfied.
Shortly after viewing the movie adaptation of Kramer vs. Kramer, by Avery Corman, I vowed to read the book. While the movie came out in 1979, it has taken me until recently to read it.
The book and movie follows what happens when Joanna Kramer walks out on her marriage, leaving her soon-to-be ex-husband, Ted, to raise their son Billy. Ted, a workaholic, suddenly has to adjust to caring for his son while still pulling in a paycheck, something many women have had to do. The book (and movie) follow father and son's growing bond over the next two years...until Joanna decides she wants her son back. The custody hearing is emotionally trying for both parents, and results in Joanna gaining custody of Billy. Yet, as Ted and Billy wait for Joanna to pick Billy up, we learn - along with father and son - that Joanna has decided to let Ted remain the custodial parent.
The movie, starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep as Ted and Joanna Krammer, tugged heavily at the heart-strings, showing two flawed but likable people coming to terms with their new - and newer - realities.
In this case, the movie surpassed the book. The book began with Ted and Joanna meeting, dating, and finally marrying. While it gave good background on the couple, this section could have been shortened considerably. It slowed the book down, especially since the title lets the reader know that there is a divorce on the horizon.
The book also seemed to deal a lot on some of Ted's dating after the divorce. This, too, slowed the book and could have been condensed.
For the most part, though, the book is worth reading. However, it would be more satisfying to read the book first, and then watch the movie, rather than movie-then-book, as the book doesn't quite hold up to the movie.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Kitchen Boy, by Sanford Phippen
Most of us have stories to tell. One can't live for years without having something - or, rather, many somethings - happen that make up the layers of a life. Many of these lives could make extremely interesting books; many do make for interesting reading.
Kitchen Boy, by Sanford Phippen, brings us to a simpler time. Phippen grew up on the Eastern Coast of Maine, an interesting section of New England. Kitchen Boy deals with his "crucial years from ages 16 - 22" when he worked at Frenchman's Bay Manor, "a small summer resort hotel" where he worked as kitchen help during the summer months. In the Prologue, Phippen describes the Manor "was my raft down the Mississippi, my Pency Prep, the wedding of which I became a member, and, perhaps, even my Pequod." While much of the book is, indeed, interesting, giving the reader a look into a job that helped shape a young man, I'm not sure that it is quite as gripping as he might indicate. Throughout the book, I almost had the feeling that had someone other than F. Scott Fitzgerald had been assigned the writing of The Great Gatsby, moving it to Maine's east coast with a touch of Jay Gatsby in numerous people, it might have read as a second cousin to Kitchen Boy. Indeed, parts of the book felt almost Gatsby-ish...and then, moved on.
While I was intrigued Phippen's story, and found many of his adventures humorous, tender, or great character-studies, I almost expected some flash of light, something that would profoundly change his life. Many memoirs - and fiction, for that matter - climb an emotional mountain until the life-changing moment or moments happen. Kitchen Boy came across as more a body of water, tranquil most of the time, a few rough patches, the undercurrents of interpersonal relationships, but without any hurricanes whipping up the waters.
In the end, while it was an interesting, nice memoir, one that I'll probably read again, it still didn't have the excitement of many other memoirs. Would I recommend reading it? Yes. But don't look for any huge, earth-shattering excitement. But then, life isn't always earth-shattering, and many times, it's the people we meet and work with in our earlier years that shape our lives the most, often without our realizing it. That is where Kitchen Boy takes us.
Kitchen Boy, by Sanford Phippen, brings us to a simpler time. Phippen grew up on the Eastern Coast of Maine, an interesting section of New England. Kitchen Boy deals with his "crucial years from ages 16 - 22" when he worked at Frenchman's Bay Manor, "a small summer resort hotel" where he worked as kitchen help during the summer months. In the Prologue, Phippen describes the Manor "was my raft down the Mississippi, my Pency Prep, the wedding of which I became a member, and, perhaps, even my Pequod." While much of the book is, indeed, interesting, giving the reader a look into a job that helped shape a young man, I'm not sure that it is quite as gripping as he might indicate. Throughout the book, I almost had the feeling that had someone other than F. Scott Fitzgerald had been assigned the writing of The Great Gatsby, moving it to Maine's east coast with a touch of Jay Gatsby in numerous people, it might have read as a second cousin to Kitchen Boy. Indeed, parts of the book felt almost Gatsby-ish...and then, moved on.
While I was intrigued Phippen's story, and found many of his adventures humorous, tender, or great character-studies, I almost expected some flash of light, something that would profoundly change his life. Many memoirs - and fiction, for that matter - climb an emotional mountain until the life-changing moment or moments happen. Kitchen Boy came across as more a body of water, tranquil most of the time, a few rough patches, the undercurrents of interpersonal relationships, but without any hurricanes whipping up the waters.
In the end, while it was an interesting, nice memoir, one that I'll probably read again, it still didn't have the excitement of many other memoirs. Would I recommend reading it? Yes. But don't look for any huge, earth-shattering excitement. But then, life isn't always earth-shattering, and many times, it's the people we meet and work with in our earlier years that shape our lives the most, often without our realizing it. That is where Kitchen Boy takes us.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Critical Mass, by Sara Paretsky
I love a good mystery. There, I said it. Give me a mystery with believable characters, believable plot that winds its way through the story rather than taking a short-cut from point A to point B, add crisp dialogue and clean writing, and there's a good chance I'll read straight through to the last line. Add a strong female character, and I'm hooked enough to want more. For these reasons, I love Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski mysteries.
If, like me, you've read through from the first novel (Indemnity Only) through to the latest offerings, you know that Ms. Paretsky has not kept Vic as a static person: Vic ages, has relationships that last through several books, updates her cars as needed, as happens in real life. She also works for herself as a Private Investigator; the mysteries deal with these.
Critical Mass deals with Vic's friend and mentor Lottie Hershel's past.
When Lottie calls to say a childhood playmate's daughter is in trouble, V.I. springs into action. Lottie and Kitty escaped the Holocaust together as children; however, the two have drifted apart. When Kitty's daughter calls Lottie, fearing for her life, she trusts that Lottie will try to save her; the doctor responds by sending Vic. The trail leads Vic to a remote area, and nearly costs her her life as she deals with drug dealers, crooked cops, and people paranoid over industrial theft.
Interspersed are flashbacks to Lottie and Kitty's past, first in Nazi Germany, then to the U.S., giving the reader probably one of the best glimpses to Lottie's past of any of the V.I. Warshawski books.
When Vic finds Judy - Kitty's daughter - she realizes that what looks like paranoia may be caused by someone trying to kill Judy - someone who does kill Kitty. The group responsible for Kitty's death is also trying to find Judy's son Martin, a science whiz who is trying desperately trying to uncover his family's past.
This is not the first V.I. Warshawski book to bring up Lottie's escape from Nazi Germany; Total Recall also touched on this back-story. However, Critical Mass dives deeper into the past while tackling a current problem. While it becomes obvious that answers won't fall into place until Kitty's grandson, Martin, is found, Vic isn't able to find him until the last few chapters.
While Vic still lives in Chicago, much of the action takes place away from the city; in fact, the book opens away from the city, with Vic looking through a drug den in the middle of nowhere, which felt a little disconcerting. Considering the story-line, though, it fit in perfectly.
In the end, though, Critical Mass is a thoroughly good read. For those who have followed and enjoyed Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski, this is a must read. For anyone who has yet to dive into the series, this is a good book to try.
If, like me, you've read through from the first novel (Indemnity Only) through to the latest offerings, you know that Ms. Paretsky has not kept Vic as a static person: Vic ages, has relationships that last through several books, updates her cars as needed, as happens in real life. She also works for herself as a Private Investigator; the mysteries deal with these.
Critical Mass deals with Vic's friend and mentor Lottie Hershel's past.
When Lottie calls to say a childhood playmate's daughter is in trouble, V.I. springs into action. Lottie and Kitty escaped the Holocaust together as children; however, the two have drifted apart. When Kitty's daughter calls Lottie, fearing for her life, she trusts that Lottie will try to save her; the doctor responds by sending Vic. The trail leads Vic to a remote area, and nearly costs her her life as she deals with drug dealers, crooked cops, and people paranoid over industrial theft.
Interspersed are flashbacks to Lottie and Kitty's past, first in Nazi Germany, then to the U.S., giving the reader probably one of the best glimpses to Lottie's past of any of the V.I. Warshawski books.
When Vic finds Judy - Kitty's daughter - she realizes that what looks like paranoia may be caused by someone trying to kill Judy - someone who does kill Kitty. The group responsible for Kitty's death is also trying to find Judy's son Martin, a science whiz who is trying desperately trying to uncover his family's past.
This is not the first V.I. Warshawski book to bring up Lottie's escape from Nazi Germany; Total Recall also touched on this back-story. However, Critical Mass dives deeper into the past while tackling a current problem. While it becomes obvious that answers won't fall into place until Kitty's grandson, Martin, is found, Vic isn't able to find him until the last few chapters.
While Vic still lives in Chicago, much of the action takes place away from the city; in fact, the book opens away from the city, with Vic looking through a drug den in the middle of nowhere, which felt a little disconcerting. Considering the story-line, though, it fit in perfectly.
In the end, though, Critical Mass is a thoroughly good read. For those who have followed and enjoyed Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski, this is a must read. For anyone who has yet to dive into the series, this is a good book to try.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Before And After Zachariah, by Fern Kupfer
Before and After Zachariah by Fern KupferMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
When Fern and Joseph Kupfer decided to have a second child, they had no idea how that decision would affect their lives, as well as that of their daughter, Gaby. In Before And After Zachariah, Fern describes Zachariah's failure to accomplish even the simplest tasks: walking, sitting, crawling, even holding his head up.
As an infant, Zachariah was breath-takingly beautiful: long lashes, blond hair. The book's cover shows a sleeping baby (Zach) with his parents and older sister. However, it soon because obvious that he was severely developmentally delayed. At one point, Joe was visiting his mother, who was dying of cancer, when Fern called after a visit to a hospital with Zach; the doctors where baffled by what was causing Zach's problems. Fern was an emotional wreck over the lack of a diagnosis. Fern describes the phone call with Joe as the worse case scenario, likening it to an over-turned boat: who do you save, your mother or your wife?
The couple go from doctor to doctor, parent-meetings, groups meant to help developmentally delayed children, any place that offers a shred of hope, to no avail. In the end, they place Zach in an attempt to save their own lives as well as Gaby's.
I had originally read Before And After Zachariah years ago, then recently reread it. The newer copy of the book has two epilogues. The first was written several years after the book first came out, then a second one in 1998. The epilogues tie up the loose ends, telling what eventually happened to Zachariah, to her marriage to Joseph, to Gaby, and how Zachariah's live affected all off them, as well as their extended family and friends.
Before And After Zachariah is a good read, and a book that should be read. For the reader who has never had experience with a child or sibling with developmental delays, this will give insight to one family's struggles, while those readers with this experience will find themselves nodding, thinking yes, yes, that's it exactly! If you're wondering what non-fiction book to check out, this one gets my vote.
View all my reviews
Monday, January 26, 2015
The Lost Wife, by Alyson Richman
"I know you from somewhere," Josef says to the woman he has just been introduced to at his grandson's wedding. Both Josef and Lenka - the bride's grandmother - are the young couple's last grandparent.
"You must be mistaken," Lenka replies, not wanting to appear rude, but wanting to concentrate on her granddaughter's wedding. However, the exchange continues for several minutes, letting the reader know that something almost magical is up, until the older couple finally realizes the truth: "'Lenka,it's me,' he said. 'Josef. Your husband.'"
So begins Alyson Richman's The Lost Wife. While the first two chapters, as well as the final chapters and epilogue are set in modern New York, the majority of the book is set in Europe during World War II. The novel introduces us to the young Lenka and Josef, both of whom live with their families. Josef is the older brother of one of Lenka's schoolmates. Against the backdrop of war and the Nazi march across Europe, Lenka and Josef fall in love, even as both families worry about whether to leave their homes. (Both families are Jewish, so staying a step or two ahead of the Nazis is a real concern.)
At one point, Josef's family is able to secure passage out of the country. He proposes to Lenka, with the understanding that since they will then be married, she will be able to accompany his family. Lenka is under the impression that her birth family may also be included in this escape. After the hurried wedding and very brief honeymoon, Lenka discovers that her family can't come right away with her new husband's family, and she opts to stay, with the understanding that she will meet up with Josef and his family once they are safely settled. However, the boat that Josef's family is on sinks; the reports state that the entire family are among the missing and presumed dead.
Shortly afterwards, Lenka and her family are rounded up with other local Jews and sent to concentration camps. While most of her family perishes, Lenka manages to survive the torments of the camps, even after ending up at Auschwitz.
When the prisoners at Auschwitz are liberated, Lenka is still alive. One of the American soldiers, Carl, takes her under his wing, falling in love with her. Lenka, who still believes that she is widowed, eventually marries Carl, who brings her to the United States. While she feels affection and gratitude towards Carl, it is not the same passionate love she had with Josef.
Meanwhile, Josef has made it to the United States, having survived the boat wreck that killed the rest of his family. He, too, remarries, believing that Lenka has died in the camps.
The last few chapters fast forward from the horrors of WWII to the present, where both Lenka and Josef are waiting for their grandchildren to marry, unaware of the surprise awaiting them at the wedding.
The backdrop of this book has the potential to depress the reader, and in many ways, it is heart wrenching when one realizes that while this is a novel, the reality of The Lost Wife was played out in millions of lives. In fact, many entire families were snuffed out in the concentration camps of WWII. But the story of these two people who loved each other and who thought for the majority of their lives that the other was dead, only to discover each other during the wedding of their grandchildren, is a beautiful story that will take the reader along time and again.
"You must be mistaken," Lenka replies, not wanting to appear rude, but wanting to concentrate on her granddaughter's wedding. However, the exchange continues for several minutes, letting the reader know that something almost magical is up, until the older couple finally realizes the truth: "'Lenka,it's me,' he said. 'Josef. Your husband.'"
So begins Alyson Richman's The Lost Wife. While the first two chapters, as well as the final chapters and epilogue are set in modern New York, the majority of the book is set in Europe during World War II. The novel introduces us to the young Lenka and Josef, both of whom live with their families. Josef is the older brother of one of Lenka's schoolmates. Against the backdrop of war and the Nazi march across Europe, Lenka and Josef fall in love, even as both families worry about whether to leave their homes. (Both families are Jewish, so staying a step or two ahead of the Nazis is a real concern.)
At one point, Josef's family is able to secure passage out of the country. He proposes to Lenka, with the understanding that since they will then be married, she will be able to accompany his family. Lenka is under the impression that her birth family may also be included in this escape. After the hurried wedding and very brief honeymoon, Lenka discovers that her family can't come right away with her new husband's family, and she opts to stay, with the understanding that she will meet up with Josef and his family once they are safely settled. However, the boat that Josef's family is on sinks; the reports state that the entire family are among the missing and presumed dead.
Shortly afterwards, Lenka and her family are rounded up with other local Jews and sent to concentration camps. While most of her family perishes, Lenka manages to survive the torments of the camps, even after ending up at Auschwitz.
When the prisoners at Auschwitz are liberated, Lenka is still alive. One of the American soldiers, Carl, takes her under his wing, falling in love with her. Lenka, who still believes that she is widowed, eventually marries Carl, who brings her to the United States. While she feels affection and gratitude towards Carl, it is not the same passionate love she had with Josef.
Meanwhile, Josef has made it to the United States, having survived the boat wreck that killed the rest of his family. He, too, remarries, believing that Lenka has died in the camps.
The last few chapters fast forward from the horrors of WWII to the present, where both Lenka and Josef are waiting for their grandchildren to marry, unaware of the surprise awaiting them at the wedding.
The backdrop of this book has the potential to depress the reader, and in many ways, it is heart wrenching when one realizes that while this is a novel, the reality of The Lost Wife was played out in millions of lives. In fact, many entire families were snuffed out in the concentration camps of WWII. But the story of these two people who loved each other and who thought for the majority of their lives that the other was dead, only to discover each other during the wedding of their grandchildren, is a beautiful story that will take the reader along time and again.
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