The Sisters Brothers (and various thoughts about book critics and publishers)

Around Christmas 2011, there was a huge amount of hype about "The Sisters Brothers" by Patrick deWitt. The idea of reading a Western didn't really appeal to me and thankfully, my father was given the book by my aunt (saving me from buying it!)

While I thought I wouldn't enjoy it, I was pleasantly surprised and would recommend it! The book honestly reads like a short story and it is action packed, quick paced, and fun.

Maybe I associate Westerns with John Wayne and slow plotted movies that film dust storms and tumbleweeds. The basic plot is of Eli and Charlie Sisters traveling towards the west coast of California. They have been hired to kill a man (natch) and are notorious killers to most of the greater public. It really doesn't take much for them to pull a trigger, so expect a lot of blood.

I love the cover art on this book. The size is another story.

Charlie is a drunk. Eli is seeking a greater purpose in his life.  Together they get into strange situations (still trying to understand the witch thing), shoot a lot of people, drink and go to whore houses. It's really entertaining listening to Eli trying to make sense of it all.

Okay, now to a discussion on "funny":

All the critic quotes on and in the book talk about how hilarious the book is. This is not the first book I've read that has been deemed as hilarious where I don't laugh.

I have a sense of humour. This book was not funny. Whimsical, yes. Not, ha ha ha or LOL.

Who determines what is funny? Don't I have a sense of humour? David Sedaris is funny (I'm reading one of his works now). Why don't critics call "funny" works, "quirky"? Or "strange"? Or "weird"?

I think I am officially insulted.

And another thing: 

Is this why is the book is so friggin' big?!?!?!  The type is huge, .... , well, large. I threw this sucker in my purse one day and it practically took up the whole thing.

I am figuring the publisher probably thought that more men would read this book than woman. Do you think that they made the book bigger for "man hands"?

I'm insulted again!

The Sister Brothers is 9" in length and 6" wide.
(Stacked from bottom: The Sister Bros, Visit from the Goon Squad and Sons and Lovers)

Coming from a visual art background, I get the artsy-ness of a large paperback. It's cute. I get it. And I understand that sometimes a larger size lends it self to the story (I can't imagine D. Coupland's "Generation X" in a small format because it includes images, or any graphic book for that matter). And hardcover books tend to be bigger too.

But when novels are almost the size of a magazine, the publisher should consider that the reader may like to carry the book somewhere to read it.

Damn - I don't believe I actually measured it.

My Penguin Challenge!

Late last Fall I was given a large batch of Penguin Classic books. Being close to the end of the year, I decided that my New Year's Resolution would be to read at least five. I think I am doing pretty well, being that it is almost June (halfway through the year).

I first started reading Virginia Woolf's, "A Room of One's Own," as I have always enjoyed her novels. I struggled through it (to be honest, I probably have a chapter left). It is based upon a essay/lecture she wrote in 1928.

It reflects her rather elitist personality that she was apparently renown for. It's not flattering. On the other hand, she tells a story where she researches to find famous female novelists and comes up rather empty handed, due to the obligations put on women and the restrictions of the female sex in society.

Wonderfully feminist!!! The solution: a room of one's own to write and possess an income that can care for the writer. (She doesn't say marry a rich man to do this, ha ha!) It is still a book worth reading as many of these issues still exist. Smart Chick Lit.

Nice ugly cover, eh? This is the cover of mine. You can see why they re-do them!
Hell, if they kept this cover, no one would read this book.

Out of my selection, I chose D.H. Lawrence as my second Penguin choice. Why? Cause of all the stories about him writing rather naughty things of course! And yes, there are some steamy scenes but nothing like we see on television nowadays.

A wonderful coincidence with this book is the fact I had just finished watching "Edwardian Farm."

Edwardian Farm has Alex, Peter and Ruth live much like Edwardians had in the cold, wet English weather for the course of a year. It is absolutely wonderful to watch - you learn all these things like using seaweed as ground fertilizer! how to make Devon cream! how to train a wild horse! and my god, the cider they make looks AMAZING!

BBC's Edwardian Farm can be viewed on many a Public Broadcaster in Canada and the US.
It is one of the few fun history shows! Plus Ruth rocks! Check out YouTube for clips.

But it isn't all fun, that is for sure. They go into the pit mines (as the father, Mr Morel does, in Sons and Lovers). Women make lace or do laundry to attain income (like Clara and Mrs Morel do). The television series shows the popularity of growing flowers for the cities to attract income (and there is a lot of talk about flowers in the novel, that is for sure).

My point is, if you really want to enjoy this book and visualize it, watch the series. It provides so much context, so much so, they should show the series in classes where they study this book or any Edwardian book.

Okay back to the book ---if this "Sons and Lovers" was written today it would be called "Mama's Boy." It actually breeches on ridiculous how Paul (the son) is so devoted to his mother. Some descriptions of their love are almost a tad...um....incestuous. Paul is attracted to lovers but heaven forbid if he leaves the nest of his mummy.

"Sons and Lovers" is a little bit feminist too. Clara (a lover) dabbles with the suffragettes and the beginning of the feminist movement. She is fiercely independent, is not reliant upon a man, but struggles with society who forces her to live within its rules.

Quite fun! Would recommend it along side of the "Edwardian Farm." One compliments the other terrifically! And it is great to scream at Paul for being so tied to his dear Mommy. The man has serious issues.

Working and Reading

Life has been busy these days. For the next month and a half, I am working 7 days a week. I have found out one of my so-called "stable jobs" is ending in April, 2012 and I am working my butt off to save money for the impending change. I have also been working on a contract too. Together, I have little choice and I am consigned to be a "slave to the man." Oh, and to add icing to the cake, I am on a board for an art gallery.

I also commute (god, could this blog entry get any more depressing) and I have been reading quite a bit.

I finished reading "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. The book is quite popular at the moment because of the film and it was on the New York Times Bestsellers list. I often saw it in the bookstore but the cover never compelled me to pick it up. Birds on a wire. Blah. Had I known it was about black housemaids in the late fifties in the American South, not some dippy love story, I would have actually picked it up.

"The Help" is a wonderful book. Yes, it is light read. A pretty basic plot of black maids telling their housekeeping stories of the prejudice in their lives to a white author. The characters are terrific. The bad ones you hate, the good ones you applaud. It is a page turner with some funny parts too. What was my commuter book turned into my after dinner book, before bedtime book and lunch book. Highly recommend it.

Reading....Walking the Dog by David Hughes

When I went to art school, I studied drawing. I still have a great soft spot for drawing.

I purchased this book in Brighton, England at a bookstore on the main road. It was a great store and I am sorry I can't remember the name because I would recommend it to you. As soon as I saw it, I recognized the great style of David Hughes and had to purchase it. "There is no damn way I can get this in Canada and it would be three times the price," I said to my friend.

(Later I would be overweight on my luggage for all the books I lugged back. Not including my cast iron penny bank either. Funny, I forgot you can order books online. Usually art books cost more, ignoring the fact I did pay in sterling. Christ I don't know why I bought it. Maybe cause I loved the drawings? It weighed a ton in my luggage.)

The story of "Walking the Dog" is very simple. Hughes is told to exercise, drink less, and eat less red meat. His family tells him to get a dog and they buy him one for his birthday, a wired hair fox terrier. He walks the dog, contemplates his mortality. Everyone he comes across says, "My _________ used to have a fox terrier but it died...." The poor dude is constantly reminded about death.

He begins to think of all the people he has known who have died. From his brother and father, to Marilyn Monroe and Elvis.

Can I mention the book is funny? Funny in a morbid way. And all his characters are so quintessentially British. Bad teeth, rosacea from drinking, tweed. And the poop bag! He captures the doggie poop walk perfectly. If you have a dog, you know this walk.

My Darling Dog Penny
(she hates this picture and this tiara)

I have a personal connection to this book. I started reading this book in Brighton and there is a moment where he visits Brighton in the book and draws the pier...

The Brighton Pier, roller-coasters and games galore.

And I missed my dog....

Dogs outside of my friend's flat...

And my Dad has been told to start exercising because of his own heart. Yes, this book speaks to me on so many levels. It's deep, man.

Check out the copyright page. This page alone is a reason to get this book. Oh and the portrait of his Mom when she is ironing.

If you want to read an actual review of this book, following this link. She says the book lacks a story however she also mentions she read the book drunk. As a book reviewer, should you mention you are reviewing a book in an alcohol haze? She says you can read this book in one sitting. I don't believe it. There is too much writing and detail. I have issues with the review as you can tell, but not with the book.

Summer Reading: The Tortured Woman Series

When it comes to reading, I tend to read in themes. Strange themes. For a while I read nothing but gay, male, humour writers....David Sedaris, David Rakoff, Augusten Burroughs. Then when the "Julie and Julia" movie came out, I read everything that had to do with the trials and tribulations of French Cooking. (I highly, highly recommend My Life in Paris by Julia Child. It's absolutely wonderful.)

Five out of Five: If you like cooking, Paris, this is a
wonderful summer read.

Now it is Summer 2011, and what is my theme? Books whose women are tortured by the boredom of everyday life. Isn't that awful?!?! But that is running theme!


The first in this wonderful series on my shelf is "The Member of the Wedding" by Carson McCullers. If you haven't read "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter," then I recommend it. In this book, a pre-teen becomes obsessed by her brother's wedding and wanting to leave her small Southern town life. It is a small book, a quick read, well-written but not necessarily fulfilling. What kept me interested is how much small town, southern life has changed in America: no televisions, segregation, men off to war, woman's place in the home, etc etc. You can imagine how quiet life really was and why this character was yearning to leave.

Next in the "Tortured Woman Series" is "The Wife's Tale" by Lori Lansens. The cover on this book must be the American cover....I quite like the hardcover, Canadian more. This is a story about a woman who has eaten herself out of life. Literally. You wouldn't get that from this cover would you?!?! Her husband leaves her and in doing so, she becomes aware that, "Hey, I am a fat pig and I took him for granted." I hated the main character in this book. I am so angry at her selfish stupidity. I wanted to smack her upside the head. Want to read something far better? Read Lansen's "The Girls," about conjoined twins living in a small Manitoba town (the same one the fat pig is from.) "The Girls" is awesome. Excellent summer read. Read it.


Third in the "Tortured Woman" series is "A Complicated Kindness" by Miriam Toews. This novel got a lot of hype in Canada and won a bunch of awards and I think it is recognized so much because of Toews childhood of actually growing up in a Mennonite community like her main character. Can you tell I didn't like this one either? Apparently it was supposed to be funny. I just found it really sad. The main character doesn't agree with the Mennonite religion, the lifestyle and she rebels against it.

Personally, I couldn't identify with her, as I didn't rebel by drinking, smoking, doing drugs in my teen years and this is how she acts out. And everything she rebels against doesn't help her or anyone around her. I suppose it is a coming of age story, much like "The Member of the Wedding," but I didn't feel any compassion for her.


Throughout all these novels, I have also been dabbling in "Isabella Blow: A Life in Fashion." I loved Isabella Blow and her fantastic, outrageous hats by Phillip Tracey, and wild Alexander McQueen clothes. She was a tortured soul, suffering from incredible bouts of depression. I hate to say it: this book makes....me....not...like....Isabella. (oh that is so hard to say!)

I will point out that this biography is horribly written. It is very obvious that the writer is a socialite and probably enjoyed jet-setting, digging the dirt on Isabella. Many of her stories are little quips - little bits and bobs from people told ten times over from those in the know. The author repeatedly talks about Isabella's money hardships and Isabella was absolutely horrible with money. She is vulgar. She is vain. She is horrible to men and coworkers and her husband and especially to her family. The author tries to make us feel pity for when poor Isabella is left out of her father's will. Hell! Had she had unlimited access to her family's bank account she would have bankrupt them without any thought!

I haven't finished "...A Life in Fashion" yet. I just get overwhelmed by the money discussions in the book and hope that Isabella had more depth to her than worrying about her cash flow or spending money.