A Word About Awards

HOUSEKEEPING by Marilynne Robinson Award: PEN/Hemingway Winner 1982 Nominations: National Book Finalist 1983, NY Times Finalist 1981, PEN/Faulkner Finalist 1982, Pulitzer Finalist 1982 Date Read: July 28, 2019 This novel has been on my radar for quite some time and I eagerly dove into it. Flash forward to now and I am heartbroken I finished. Housekeeping is absolutely exquisite and my limited vocabulary will never convey how deeply I love this novel. Robinson has delved into the very core of family, loss, abandonment and a way of being and relating to one another that society labels bizarre and must, therefore, compel to conform. Ruthie and her sister Lucille seem to get passed around from neighbors, to their grandmother, to their grandmother's friends, to their great-aunts and aunt like figures standing still and this shadows of people swirl before them. When I wanted the girls to continue to cling to each other, they cleave apart choosing vastly different real

MORTE D'URBAN by J.F. Powers Award: National Book 1963 Date Read: July 28, 2019 Morte D'Urban is a comic novel that follows the blunderings of Father Urban, a charismatic, yet isolated priest who holds no one particularly close. He joined the church young, enraptured by his mentors' lifestyle, rather than an outsized devotion to God. The Church delivered on all those things Urban held dear - fine dining, opportunities to meet influential people and ego massaging as others' sought out his oratory abilities. The rug is pulled out from under him as his elder reassigned Urban to a remote and dilapidated foundation in rural Minnesota. Within hours of his arrival, Urban is put to manual labor to convert the foundation into a retreat for the faithful.  Urban's own faith is never made very clear except, perhaps, his faith in himself. He clearly holds himself in high regard. In one of his first sermons in Duesterhaus, he encourages the congregation to not take t

BLONDE by Joyce Carol Oates Nominations: Dublin Longlist 2002, National Book Finalist 2000, Pulitzer Finalist 2001 Date Read: July 22, 2019 Blonde could so very easily be the actual narrative of Marilyn's life. For all her seeking, Marilyn was never to find the love and fulfillment she desperately sought. From the very beginnings of her life, she was subjected to the wills of others and was never to find her own voice or the ownership of her own fate. Marilyn quickly becomes the property of men - from her marriage to Bucky, to the studio heads owning her name to her signature look and subsequent marriages. She sought comfort and reassurance from everyone she met but they all wanted her to shut up and look pretty/act sexy. She ceaselessly searched for her father, any father figure would do! I suspect, however, had she ever found her father, she would have been sorely disappointed that the discovery didn't offer the solace and approval she craved. Men profited from h

HUMBOLDT'S GIFT by Saul Bellow Award: Nobel Prize Winner, Pulitzer Winner 1976 Nomination: National Book Finalist 1976, NY Times Finalist 1975 Dates Read: September 14, 2008 & July 20, 2019 Humboldt was a cantankerous, jealous and mentally ill man, but idealized nonetheless for his art by Charlie Citrine, who at a young age, traveled to New York to pursue Humboldt and learn from him. And learn he did. Humboldt acted as a maniacal mentor, and what initially began as blind admiration, grew into love and all that comes with love - jealousy, competitiveness, intimacy. Humboldt was well-read and even better opinionated and helped to complete Charlie's education. Whether Charlie ever credited Humboldt with his success was never stated, but I believe he understood the influence Humboldt had on his own art. Yet for all the wrongs that Humboldt commits, Charlie ceaselessly extends forgiveness, understanding, and often, amusement. Charlie himself is a questionable char

THE ELECTED MEMBER by Bernice Rubens Award: Booker 1970 Date Read: July 10, 2019 The Elected Member chronicles a pivotal time in the Zweck family, devout Jews who love each other deeply but have almost irretrievably  messed up their relationships. Norman, in particular, is the center of this tale as his drug addiction results in paranoia and hallucinations. Norman's siblings are equally challenged. Bella is unmarried, living at home and beholden to her father and brother, frozen in time and space and still wearing her childhood ankle socks. Esther, at one time the golden daughter, is estranged for her choice and manner of marriage. As Norman is sent to a psychiatric hospital again, events from the past come rushing into the present and the Zweck family is forced to confront themselves and their role in the family's deterioration. While Rabbi Zweck, the pater familias, would prefer Norman get well and everything return to exactly as it was, clearly this is impossible.

THE LIFE & TIMES OF MICHAEL K by J.M. Coetzee Awards: Booker Winner 1983, Nobel Prize Winner 1983 Nominations: NY Times Finalist 1984 Date Read: July 2, 2019 Michael is a gardener. Born with a mild cleft-palate and presumed to be slow, he was raised by his single mother in a special needs environment, during a time of war and upheaval in South Africa.  His entire purpose in life is to care for his mother and upon her death, his life is set adrift. Michael wanders aimlessly, wanting nothing and striving for nothing. While everyone around him wants something from him, he is wholly unable to bend himself to their will. In his wanderings, Michael is captured by guards and set to a work crew. He meets an unnamed prisoner who reminds him, "There's nothing special about you. There's nothing special about any of us." Truer words were never spoken. I believe one of the worst illusions we have as human beings is that our lives are more important or ourselves more

HOUSE MADE OF DAWN by N. Scott Momaday Award: Pulitzer 1969 Dates Read: December 11, 2011 & June 27, 2019 "Where language touches the earth there is the holy." - N. Scott Momaday House Made Of Dawn is so very beautifully written and the attention paid to nature made me feel as if I was experiencing the same landscapes right before me. The entire novel reads like a song of appreciation to nature and sacred ritual, all while conveying an underlying tension and alienation from the harshness of white expectation. The characters, however, read to me almost as a dream and do not stand out for me vividly. Abel's life is nothing short of a tragedy brought about by poverty and alienation. Abel doesn't quite fit in on the reservation nor among the white culture that doesn't understand or honor Native American traditions. What I am left with is a fascination with Momaday's ability not just to describe the importance of oral traditions but how important

SABBATH'S THEATER by Philip Roth Award: National Book 1995 Nomination: Pulitzer Finalist 1996 Date Read: June 24, 2019 Here I go with another Philip Roth novel, having read American Pastoral and Nemesis. I already know this novel will be dense and uncomfortable but was unprepared for how perverse it would be as well. I’m somewhat shocked that this won the National Book Award.  Sabbath is a disturbed man, having lost his lover and been left by his wife. He is traveling through his memories, looking for something to hold him together. Having read some critiques, I understand Roth intended for this to be received as a comic novel, yet it missed the mark here. Rather than comedy, I was repulsed by Sabbath, his proclivities and his vanity. Some of the scenes here are difficult to swallow (yes, I’m fully aware of the artfulness of that word). One example: Readers are to believe that Sabbath picks up a hitchhiker (Christa) who just happens to be a lesbian stripper lookin

THE MARCH by E.L. Doctorow Awards: National Book Critics Circle 2005, PEN/Faulkner 2006 Nominations: Dublin Longlist 2007, LA Times Finalist 2005, National Book Finalist 2005, Pulitzer Finalist 2006 Date Read: June 4, 2019 The March follows the Union Army during the Civil War, as they march through the south, gaining displaced slaves, prisoners of war, and service members as they go. As time progresses, the march almost becomes an organism unto itself, ever growing and ever moving forward, self-healing and marching toward an uncertain end. As with all human constructs, the march is comprised of noble acts and the worst humanity has to offer. Through Doctorow's brilliant storytelling and ability to construct vivid realities nearly a century after they occur, we are reminded of the waste that is war - waste of property, waste of life and waste of spirit. War has a tendency to place people's morals on pause and the most egregious behavior becomes accepted, if not just

THE YEARLING by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Award: Pulitzer 1939 Date Read: July 18, 2011 & May 30, 2019 The Yearling is a coming-of-age tale about a boy, Jody, and his beloved fawn, Flag. Through his sheer devotion and love for his pet, Jody learns some harsh life lessons and has to confront the responsibility expected of him as he approaches manhood.  Jody and his father have a close relationship and his father tries to shield Jody from the harsh realities of life for as long as possible. His mother is not as soft or forgiving. Pa Baxter understands Jody's need to wander off and wallow in nature, as well as his lasting desire for a pet of his own. After much yearning, Jody finally is able to convince his parents that he should raise the fawn, Pa Baxter having killed its mother to save his own life from snakebite. Jody finds comfort and pride in his fawn. The relationship between boy and animal sees him through some harrowing times - the uncertainty of his father'

THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by Julian Barnes Award: Booker 2011 Nomination: Carnegie Longlist 2012 Date Read: April 4, 2012 & May 26, 2019 The Sense Of An Ending is a quiet and haunting novel that explores how actions of the past can have everlasting consequences. Narrated by Tony Webster, the ghosts of the past are resurrected when Tony receives a letter from an attorney, offering documents from his deceased friend, Adrian, who had taken his life just after finishing college.  From the beginning when they meet in high school, Tony and his group of friends are aware Adrian is different, smarter, perhaps more sensitive. They treat him with a deference and respect they do not afford each other. After Tony's lukewarm and largely non-sexual relationship in college with Veronica, Adrian reaches out to inform Tony that he is now dating her. What seems too short a time later, Adrian takes his own life, mirroring an event in high school when a schoolmate took his own life after i

HOLD AUTUMN IN YOUR HAND by George Sessions Perry Award: National Book 1941 Date Read: May 23, 2019 From the moment I began reading, this novel reminded me of The Grapes Of Wrath, with that endless desperation to put food on the table for your family. This poor family doesn't seem to be really living but simply existing, at least until they get to Ruston's property by the river. Hold Autumn In Your Hand depicts a life of struggle and poverty and the creative ways employed to stave off hunger and want. For as poor as the Tucker family is, they support each other and work as a team (well, excluding Granny) and Sam is relentless in his efforts to provide for his family - hunting, fishing, honey gathering. He is a man of endless resource, even able to sew a coat for his daughter out of an old blanket. The title of this novel refers to the Tucker family's efforts to escape the vitamin deprivation of the spring by canning a garden. Time and again, those efforts are t

THE LATE GEORGE APLEY by John Marquand Award: Pulitzer 1938 Dates Read: February 2, 2011 & May 20, 2019 The Late George Apley is written as a memoir by a lifelong friend of George. In the portrait of a life that follows, the author grapples with the questions, "What is truth in a life?" For in the end, a man can only be judged by his actions rather than those values he professes to revere. George Apley comes from a firmly established Boston family that prides itself on its heritage. They are a part of society that is insular and so very difficult to break into, yet wholly necessary for any kind of prominent achievement. The expectations of this privileged class dictates how George's life is ordered from the very start. And in large part, George complies to all the demands made of him, from sailing and attending Harvard, to joining the right clubs and marrying the right kind of woman. George's parents carefully guard the society he keeps, admonishing h

G. by John Berger Awards: Booker Winner 1972, James Tait Black Winner 1972 Date Read: May 16, 2019 Wow! 336 pages has never felt so long. Amidst the background of a failed revolution and loose comparisons to Garibaldi, Berger has forged the character of G. (perhaps to further signify the Garibaldi association or as a pained reference to a G-spot. Who knows?). Sometimes novel, sometimes philosophical and political manifesto, G. missed the mark with me. "Why does writing about sexual experience reveal so strikingly what may be a general limitation of literature in relation to aspects of all experience?" so muses Beger in a narrator's voice. The remainder of the novel is an attempt to answer this question in one form or another. I suppose one could argue this work is daring since Berger lays bare (pun intended) his deepest mediations and opinions on sex, making him vulnerable to critique. Yet, for all his musings and analysis of women, I can only conclude that h

BILLY BATHGATE by E.L. Doctorow Awards: National Book Critics Circle 1989, PEN/Faulkner 1990 Nominations: National Book Finalist 1989, NY Times Finalist 1989, Pulitzer Finalist 1990 Date Read: May 11, 2019 Billy Bathgate is my first introduction to Doctorow, with 3 more of his works ahead of me. I look forward to them with pleasure! Billy, one quickly realizes, is in a precarious position for someone so young. With a mentally unstable mother, a vanished father and living with very little means, the opportunities in Billy's world are scarce. All the kids in his Bronx neighborhood look up to the gangsters who symbolize all they desire - power, wealth, prestige. Billy is thrust into this adult world so suddenly that one day he is a boy, and the next a man with adult responsibilities. His shepherding Drew around was astonishing for someone so young.  He takes to his life of crime quickly, yet there is always a part of him that bristles at the killings he is witness to,

NOW IN NOVEMBER by Josephine Johnson Award: Pulitzer 1935 Dates Read: August 14, 2010 & May 7, 2019 I generally enjoy these early Pulitzers but this one, in a word, is simply bleak. Now In November chronicles the move of one family from the urban city to poor farmers, trying to scrape together a living from the earth. From the beginning, Marget takes solace from the beauty of the land, yet it's this same land that turns against them time and again. Every force in the universe seems to conspire against them - drought, strikes, price depressions, broken bones, fire, death. Add to this a family lacking in emotional closeness and it makes for a very bleak perspective on survival. Marget's lack of faith, the one time they are able to find time to go to church, is fueled by the suffering she sees around her. The preacher drones on about sin but all she can see is the suffering and deprivations of her family and neighbors. The preacher asking them to leave before comm

THE WATERS OF KRONOS by Conrad Richter Award: National Book 1961 Date Read: May 6, 2019 John Donner, now in his golden years and in failing health, is hungry for a past that he can't get back to, literally and figuratively. His old hometown is now covered by water to form a nearby dam. He makes his way from New Mexico to the area of his boyhood to visit the graves of his loved ones who have been moved to higher ground. By some mystery of the universe, John is able to go back for a brief time to re-experience the memories he holds so dear. While he is able to live in this past, he is greeted as a suspicious stranger by all those he loves. The entire town is like a living museum purely for his benefit. With all the warmth these memories bring, also comes the tragedies and the injustices of the past. John is helpless to change any outcomes. The Waters Of Kronos has been largely picked apart by critics who have wondered how closely the experiences in this novel mirror thos

WAITING by Ha Jin Awards: National Book 1999, PEN/Faulkner 2000 Nominations: LA Times Finalist 1999, Pulitzer Finalist 2000 Date Read: May 4, 2019 Almost immediately, my heart went out to Shuyu, Lin Kong's estranged wife left behind with their daughter, Hua, in the country as Lin makes his way as a doctor in the big city. Lin is embarrassed by Shuyu, who he finds old, with her country manners and bound feet. I found Lin to be an unsympathetic character, constantly cowed by the will of others and never quite setting a plan for himself. I further lost respect for him for never forging a relationship with Hua, his daughter. Over the years, as he pushes for a divorce each year on his summer trips to the country, I was struck by how little Lin actually cared for Manna, constantly berating her appearance. Once the divorce is finally granted, after 18 long years of waiting, the marriage to Manna brings little consolation and Lin quickly realizes he made a mistake. We waited 1