A Word About Awards

TRANSPARENT THINGS by Vladimir Nabokov Nomination: National Book 1973 Date Read: April 22, 2020 Hugh Person travels to Europe four times over the course of his life, the first, most memorably, his father dies in a dressing room. The second, under the guise of an interview with an author he is editing, Person falls in love with his, soon to become, wife. The third he is recovering from "madness," having killed his wife in a dream-like state and the fourth he seeks to relive certain key moments from his past. I found it surprising that Person did not serve longer time after having killed his wife, madness or no. Their union was tepid at best but I don't believe he hated her or consciously intended to kill her. On his fourth journey, I never fully understood what he was trying to recapture - joy, love, understanding, peace? Person was a rather opaque character for a "transparent" novel. I found Transparent Things to be a brief, eccentric journey into t

DELICIOUS FOODS by James Hannaham Award: PEN/Faulkner Winner 2016 Nominations: Carnegie Longlist 2016, Dublin Longlist 2017, LA Times Finalist 2015 Date Read: April 20, 2020 All books have something unique to share, whether it be in the plot itself, the technique or marvelous prose. What I found unique here was Hannahm's use of a drug as a character. Darlene, the mother of Eddie, has a severe addiction to crack which limits her options and her judgement. She finds herself held captive as essentially a farm-working slave. The debts levied against her never measure up to the wages she earns. This is a reality that many of the world's poor find themselves in to this day and a shameful way of keeping consumer costs down. SPOILER ALERT What I struggle with in the aftermath, though, is the escape from the farm where the only option deemed viable is to cut off both of Eddie's hands. Why couldn't Jarvis return after Eddie was freed? What was How's ultimate plan

CALL ME ZEBRA by Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi Award: PEN/Faulkner Winner 2019 Nomination: PEN/Open Book Longlist 2019 Date Read: April 16, 2020 For those that loved this book, I get why you loved it. For those who hated this book, I get why you hated. Unfortunately, I find myself in the latter camp. Call Me Zebra is at times touching but it's mired in prevention, madness and condescension. I wanted so much to identify with Zebra and find compassion for her but could never quite identify with her. Zebra, having been told that the only safe and solid place to exist is within the confines of literature. This belief isolates and alienates her from forming relationships and she exists in the world only through her thoughts. When she meets Ludo Bembo, she refuses to let him really "in" and treats with disdain. When he leaves her for the first time, she realizes he is the only thing truly anchoring her to the world. Zebra has no true sense of self. She is unable to

THE CENTAUR by John Updike Award: National Book 1964 Date Read: April 11, 2020 With a fondness for Updike firmly in place, I looked forward to this  like a feast. In the end, I have mixed feelings. While I found the relationship between father and son compelling, the references to Chiron, the centaur were completely lost on me. Is this due to my lack of understanding of Greek mythology? Possibly.  Peter, the son, seems wise beyond his years and throughout, never really relates to his peers, excepting Penny, a girl he would cut off his arm to get anywhere near her underwear. He is simultaneously dedicated to and protective of his father, oftentimes seeming more responsible than George, while also being frustrated and repulsed by him. I found it such a contradiction that in his perceived maturity he still calls George "Daddy." Father and son both seem trapped in their lives, both hurtling toward an uncertain future. George, at only 50, his glory days in his distant p

THE TOWN by Conrad Richter Award: Pulitzer 1951 Date Read: April 3, 2020 Told through the lens of the prominent Wheeler family, one of the original founders of the Ohio hamlet Moonshine Church, readers are provided a glimpse of how an outpost of civilization becomes a town. From its rebirth at Americus, progressing from ferry crossings to a bridge and the arrival of the steam train, the Wheelers are privy to all the advancements of modern society. Their father, Portius, becomes a judge and a man of respect in the town, although everyone knows of his previous indiscretion with a local woman, which produced a daughter, Rosa. Never is she acknowledged as a half-sibling to the Wheeler offspring and I'm not quite sure she ever knew it for sure herself. Her ending is tragic and with some compassion from the Wheelers, could have been prevented. My only problem with this charming and folksy novel is with Chansey, the youngest Wheeler child. For lack of a better term, Chansey is

BEHOLD THE DREAMERS by Imbolo Mbue Award: PEN/Faulkner Winner 2017 Nominations: Carnegie Longlist 2017, Dublin Longlist 2018, Oprah Book Club 2017, PEN/Open Book Longlist 2017 Date Read: April 3, 2020 If there was one word to sum up  this brilliant novel by Mbue, that word would be probably. Amidst all the tragedy and hardship here, probably is the single word that comes to mind for me. Would Jende ultimately have been denied asylum? Probably. Would Cindy still have died if Neni hadn't extorted her for money? Probably. Would Neni have ever completed her studies if they had stayed? Probably not. Even if Jende had gotten his papers, would he have been able to get a better job? Probably not. At first I was completely disappointed that Jende gave up and wanted to move their family back to Cameroon but over time, I realized that he was probably right. He could spend his years ruining his body doing back-breaking work and never quite get ahead. The wild card would have been