Currently Reading

Reading: My Two Polish Grandfathers, by Witold Rybczynski.
Listening to: Blasphemy, by Douglas Preston.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Review: Await Your Reply


Await Your Reply, by Dan Chaon. (New York: Ballantine Books, 2009). Note: Scheduled publication date is September 2009. This review is based on an advanced reading copy.

The notion that we can be anybody we want to be takes on a new twist in this novel of aliases, identity theft, and fraud. Author Dan Chaon roams the permeable boundaries of self, as he demonstrates how easily his characters abandon old lives and assume new ones.

The main character of the novel is Hayden, variously described as a genius and a schizophrenic. We're never sure we meet him directly, though we come to know him through the reminiscences of his identical twin brother, Miles, and through the clues the author drops in the stories of the other characters in the book.

Miles, now 31 years old, has spent the last decade searching for his twin brother, who vanished at 21. He is unable to define his own life's path without knowing where his brother is. Hayden leaves clues to his ever-changing whereabouts in rambling late night phone calls and obscure letters, but Miles is always one step behind him.

Ryan, a college student who is about to flunk out of school, decides that his whole life has been a lie, when he hears some shocking family news. He disappears and begins a new life, on the wrong side of the law, with his uncle.

Lucy is a high school student whose parents died in her sophomore year. She takes to the road after graduation with her history teacher, who promises her a life of riches and excitement.

These stories, fascinating in themselves, are even more intriguing when the author pulls all the threads together. Chaon's character development is excellent, and he has an especially good feel for the young adults he creates. I highly recommend this novel. It's a great combination of literary fiction and a novel of suspense.


Friday, June 12, 2009

Midnight's Children


Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie. (Jonathan Cape, 1981)

Last year, Salman Rushdie's 27-year old novel, Midnight's Children, was honored as the all-time prize winning work of literature in the 40-year history of the Booker Prize.

The title refers to the babies who were born in the midnight hour on August 15, 1947, as India proclaimed its independence from Great Britain. The main character and narrator is Saleem Sinai, born on the stroke of midnight and destined to live a life that parallels the early struggles of the newly independent nation.

Saleem and the rest of Midnight's Children have unusual and extraordinary gifts and powers. Saleem's power is a telepathic one that enables him to communicate with the minds of others, and he uses his gift to virtually convene the Children who are spread throughout the geographic vastness of India.

Rushdie's writing is filled with history, magic, and humor. I'm currently two-thirds of the way through this book, and I am enjoying it immensely. I'm posting this information now, rather than waiting till I finish, so that I can share the news that Salman Rushdie is the next speaker in the Lackawanna County Library Lecture Series.

The lecture will take place on Friday, July 17, at 8 p.m., at the Scranton Cultural Center. As always, admission is free with a library card. Tickets are available at all Lackawanna County libraries, at the Scranton Cultural Center box office, or at the door the evening of the event.

Start reading Midnight's Children now, so you'll have time to savor and finish it before July 17!