Let me start off by gushing, raving, doing a little dance of excitement, for AHWSG. AHWSG is a memoir by Eggers released in 2000 chronicling his life with younger brother Toph in the Bay Area following the sudden death of both his parents due to cancer. It takes place during the arly 90's which references to the real world san francisco, hackysack, and ultimate frisbee. It has this level of self awareness that is part way between a slap in the face, and a breath of fresh air. Eggers makes his voice heard in every inch of the book, and even adds his own personal thoughts on the ISBN information page. I could go on for ages about how much i instantly fell in love with this book. I dare to say it is tied with the beach, but only multiple reads can determine that. Bottom line: run! don't walk to pick up your copy of AHWSG it will change your life and have you crying with a big grin on your face.
Next was Zeitoun, another book by Dave Eggers. This is the third Eggers book I've read. Before AHWSG I read What is the What? which he co-wrote with Valentino Achak Deng a Sudanese Lost Boy (more on that one at a later date). Zeitoun tells the story of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a successful Syrian-born painting contractor, who decides to stay in New Orleans during the storm and protect his property while his family flees to near by Baton Rouge. After the levees break, he uses a small secondhand canoe to rescue people, before being arrested by an armed squad and swept powerlessly into a vortex of bureaucratic brutality. When a guard accuses him of being a member of Al Qaeda, he sees that race and culture may explain his predicament. All the while, his wife and children, having not heard from him in days, wonder whether or not Zeitoun is even alive. The book is simple to read, but leaves the reader fuming over the injustices experienced by Zeitoun. Throughout it all, Zeitoun refuses to believe anything but the best in people, even when the disappoint time and time again. Warning, dog lovers out there, this one is a rough one. Eggers takes a different approach at the Katrina story and sheds light on two of American's biggest policy disasters, Post 9/11 War on Terror, Hurricane Katrina. I'll be the first to admit that i was hugely unaware of all the details of Katrina. I don't want to sound daft (my new favorite word, btw) but I had just begun college when it hit land, and wasn't paying attention to anything outside of my own little bubble. I knew of the horrors, and FEMA and basically that things went horribly wrong. But, what I guess I'm trying to say is that it never truly sunk until reading Zeitoun. I went back and watched news footage by Brian Williams at the Superdome, and instantly moved Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke" to the top of my queue. I have a lot of catching up to do. Bottom line: I'm glad I started to Zeitoun. It's different from any other Eggers I have read, but it's educational, inspirational, and an all around great read.
Lastly, half way through work today I finished Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro. NLMG is a British dystopia (oh how a love a good dystopia) set in the early 1990's. The novel is narrated by 28-year-old Kathy H. as she reminisces about her childhood at Hailsham a seemingly idyllic English boarding school, as well as her adult life after moving to a place called the Cottages with her best friends Ruth, and her secret love Tommy, who just happens to be Ruth's boyfriend. The story takes place in a dystopian Britain, in which human beings are cloned to provide donor organs for transplants. Kathy and her classmates have been created to be donors, though the adult Kathy is temporarily working as a "carer", someone who supports and comforts donors as they are made to give up their organs and, eventually, "complete". The novel is divided into three parts, Hailsham, the cottages, and the centers. Ill be honest, the first time I heard of this book was when I noticed Carey Mulligan was going to be in the film version. Then as I read about the movie I became even more interested, Alex Garland (author of my favorite book The Beach) wrote the screenplay, and Andrew Garfield (my new loml) was going to play the male lead. The movie did not disappoint, to say the least, but that's another post entirely. It took be a while, but I finally got my hands on a copy of the book and devoured it immediately. I have never felt so much while reading a book. It really got to me, and I can't yet figure out if it's all the book, or if a lot of it has to do with left over emotions from the movie. Let's just say i had a bit of a breakdown after watching it the first time, and had to cry it out in the theater well into the credits. But... back to the book. I will wholeheartedly say that you should definitely read the book, even if you were not too impressed or are just uninterested in the film. It is beautiful. It is actually quite simply written, and i think that really adds to it's overall beauty. It is a love story, it is an swan dive into some of the most heated ethical debates today (ahem, stem cell research anyone?) and it will leave you heartbroken in the best of ways. Bottomline: im still trying to catch my breath, pick my heart up off the floor, and get my brain out of the blender, but I hope I never have to let go of how this book makes me feel.
does it matter what orde the Eggers books are read? i think you said no but cannot remember.anyway, your reviews definately make me want to dive it. i am torn because i have the kindle and i have the book "in person"
ReplyDeletewhat to do? just read.