Carol’s Comments June
2018
Hello Everyone! Welcome to another issue of Carol’s
Comments. From 2001 through 2015, I actively participated in the St.
Joseph County Public Library’s “One Book, One Michiana" festivities. After a two
year hiatus, I thought I might read this
year’s event’s featured selection, Reyna Grande’s memoir The Distance Between Us. But
after browsing through the brochure listing upcoming programs, events and
suggested counterpart readings, I chose The House on Mango Street by Sandra
Cisneros instead.
Originally published in 1984, Cisneros’ remarkable
novel told in a series of vignettes centers around Esperanza Cordero, a young
Latina who lives with her parents and three siblings in Chicago. Using a first
person narrative, this very heartbreaking and poignant coming of age story
skillfully describes how Esperanza tries to discover her own identity.
Only 60 pages long, the book is interspersed with
tales about Esperanza’s neighbors, friends and relatives that creates a brilliant
and realistic portrait of contemporary Latino life in a gritty urban setting.
Cisneros’ novel was so enthralling I read it in one evening.
Furthermore, Cisneros’ introduction to the 25th
anniversary edition is especially informative because it gives the reader an
exceptionally insightful semi-autobiographical slant to her novel by revealing
the author’s motivation for writing this marvelous modern Latino classic.
With its memorable characters and unique writing
style, The House on Mango Street should be required reading for both
teenagers and adults. I highly recommend it.
I love reading and watching science fiction,
particularly when it involves time travel with a sprinkle of magical realism.
So when I skimmed through a positive review of Matt Haig’s new novel , How
to Stop Time in Entertainment Weekly, I couldn’t
wait to read it especially when the article mentioned that Benedict Cumberbatch
would be playing the central character in the upcoming movie adaptation.
Haig’s imaginative book focuses on Tom Hazard who
looks 40 but is actually 437 years old. He suffers from a rare condition that slowed
down his normal aging process considerably at adolescence. Born March 3, 1581,
Tom has assumed numerous identities and experienced incredible adventures
throughout the centuries including working for William Shakespeare as a
musician at the Globe Theater, sipping martinis with F. Scott Fitzgerald in
1920s Paris, exploring the New World with Captain Cook in 1772 and fighting fascists in the Spanish
Civil War.
Tom’s life irrevocably changes in 1891 when he meets
his mentor Henrich Pietersen, founder of the Albatross Society. This organization
protects people like Tom who have this affliction known as anageria from
outside threats. The Society has only one rule the “Albas” must follow: Never fall
in love. Unfortunately, Tom has already broken this directive when he fell in
love with Rose Claybrooke in early 17th century London. When the
couple married in 1623, they had a daughter Marion who also suffers from the
same condition. By joining the Albatross Society, Tom desperately hopes Henrich
can help him finally locate her.
By 2018, Tom only wants to lead an ordinary life. He
begs Hendrich to send him back to London where he starts working as a history
teacher at Oakfield Secondary School. Regrettably for Tom, unexpected complications
arise threatening him and his long-lost daughter.
How
to Stop Time is an extremely fast paced and absorbing
adventure story that alternates between various time periods, locales and the
present day, I highly recommend Haig’s captivating book to everyone despite its
very non-linear plot.
On April 24, I started watching Season 2 of Genius
on the National Geographic Channel. This year the series brilliantly chronicled
Pablo Picasso’s passionate and tumultuous personal life and artistic career amazingly
portrayed by Antonio Banderas. I knew I wanted to read a companion book that
would enhance my enjoyment of this miniseries.
After browsing through a subject search on the
public library’s online catalog, I found the perfect choice – Cooking
for Picasso by Camille Aubray.
Set primarily in the French Riviera. Aubray’s
fanciful novel contains two distinct narratives. The first revolves around 17
year old Ondine Belange who works at Café Paradis, her parents’ bistro. Her
life changes forever when Pablo Picasso, who is living in Juan-les-Pins on the
Cote d’Azur in 1936, patronizes the restaurant. Her mother has Ondine deliver
his lunch every day to his private villa.
After Ondine prepares a special luncheon for Picasso’s friends
Henri Matisse and Jean Cocteau at his home before the Easter holidays, the
artist tells her mother that he now wants Ondine to prepare all his lunches
there. Essentially, Ondine becomes his personal chef and very soon afterward,
his model and lover!
The chapters focusing on Ondine’s special
relationship with Picasso exude lots of romanticism, sensuality and eroticism
without being overly graphic or risqué.
The book then fast-forwards to the second storyline
set in 2013 where the reader meets Celine, Ondine’s 30 year old granddaughter
who works as a Hollywood makeup artist. At Christmas, Celine’s mother Julie
gives Celine her grandmother’s most treasured possession: the notebook filled
with all the recipes she cooked for Picasso in 1936. Her mother also reveals
that Picasso supposedly had given Ondine a painting which was never found.
After her mother suffers a stroke, Celine decides to
travel with her Aunt Matilda to Southern France and explore her Grandmother
Ondine’s world determined to find the lost Picasso painting.
I’m glad the author spent less time on this less
intriguing, somewhat pedestrian part of the novel and instead concentrated more
on Ondine’s exuberant adventures with Picasso. In fact, Ondine’s story contains a very
cleverly ironic plot twist which profoundly affects her granddaughter’s future.
Ultimately, Cooking for Picasso is a luscious summer literary treat that
will absolutely delight most readers.
The books reviewed in this blog can be found in most
local public libraries. My readers in St. Joseph County, Indiana can visit the
St. Joseph County Public Library’s web site at sjcpl.lib.in.us for additional
information. Thanks for reading! Have a great summer and see you all next time.
