Film Review: Silver Linings Playbook

After coming home to find his wife in the shower with another man, Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) snapped and almost almost beat the man to death. He was court ordered into an inpatient psychiatric facility, where he discovered he had undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Rejecting medications, because their side effects compromised his sense of self, Pat learned to talk the talk and go through the motions of treatment. After eight months, his mother checked him out AMA. Uh oh!

Sunday Shorts: A Round-Up Of Short Book Reviews

This post is a collection of short reviews of some of the books I've read in the past month.

In a Perfect World by Laura Kasischke

This author won me over with The Life Before Her Eyes, and when I finally started In a Perfect World, I couldn't put it down. Jiselle is a thirty-something flight attendant, with an open heart and naive nature, who falls for a pilot. Mark seems perfect -- he's handsome, charming and sexy. Jiselle quickly agrees to marry him, quit her job, and raise his three motherless children. Do you sense trouble coming? 

The story of Jiselle's marriage is one layer of this novel. In the background of her life, the "Phoenix flu" is killing indiscriminately, and no one understands why or how to prevent or treat it. Furthermore, the United States is blamed for this growing worldwide epidemic. We see society change gradually around Jiselle, beginning with occasional electrical blackouts and shortages and ending with a world that is almost unrecognizable.

I love Kasischke's lyrical, poetic writing. Her vivid imagery and attention to detail make her stories seem realistic and concrete, yet you're being drawn into a world in which nothing is quite as it seems. I love the fact that, unlike other dystopian fiction, this novel takes place in a culture that is clearly our own. The apocalyptic events don't come in one dramatic moment. It's a slow progression, painted vividly with realistic details. This made it eerily easy to imagine these events really happening.

In a Perfect World creates an apocalyptic universe interwoven with a drama about falling in love, marriage, and becoming a stepmother. This novel reflects the zeitgeist of post 9/11 America. It's also full of allusions to history, including the Bubonic Plague, and folklore. The author spent a great deal of time researching how cultures respond to plagues. Most of all, however, it's a story about who you become when life demands every bit of strength and fortitude you have -- and more -- and about the glorious and agonizing journey of becoming a mother. 


(4.5/5 stars)

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

Three sisters – Elv, Claire, and Meg -- have a deep bond. They share stories of a secret, magical land and a private language. One summer, after their parents' divorce, things go terribly wrong. While trying to protect Claire, Elv becomes the victim of a vicious, depraved crime. She carries this secret for the rest of her childhood, and it leads her down a tragic path that changes everyone's lives. 


I used to be a devoted reader of Alice Hoffman's books. This is my first in many years. She is the queen of quirky, lyrical magical realism. She weaves together realistic, raw, painful experiences with mythology and fanciful stories. For example, the brutality Elv suffers becomes intertwined with her fantasy world, and she lives in a dark fairy tale. Hoffman is also masterful at intermingling aesthetic beauty with darkness and pain: a necklace made of a bird's bones, a young woman hobbled by guilt and grief making intricate, beautiful jewelry in a tiny, secluded studio, or a tiny black demon, with delicate wings, bringing tragedy and sorrow.

I had mixed reactions to this novel. It is dark and sad, to the point of being emotionally manipulative at times. The characters seem to be relentlessly bombarded by tragedies. Even given the fact that the line between reality and fantasy is porous, as it always is in Hoffman's novels, it sometimes strained credibility for me. 

However, I was often mesmerized by the storytelling, characters, lyrical storytelling, and vibrant imagery. I also found parts of this story deeply moving. One piece of the story that particularly tugged at my gut involved a program in which prison inmates rehabilitate severely abused dogs. This provides some sense of purpose to a very troubled character who has always had a tremendous heart for hurt or suffering animals. At this point, the novel actually made me cry, leaving me with feelings that have stuck with me ever since. 

(3.5/5 stars)

Triggered by Fletcher Wortmann 

Imagine the worst thing in the world. Picture it. Construct it, carefully and deliberately in your mind. Be careful not to omit anything. Imagine it happening to you, to the people you love. Imagine the worst thing in the world.

Now try not to think about it.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, particularly the "Pure O" kind (uncontrollable obsessive thoughts with relatively few compulsive rituals) may be the most misunderstood mental illness. People continually joke about OCD, which makes me cringe. "I can't stand it if my CDs aren't organized. I'm so OCD." Or they imagine it's just a frenzy of hand-washing and lock-checking. The reality is generally much darker and definitely not funny.

Anyone who knows me understands that severe OCD, particularly the "Pure O" kind, is a subject painfully close to my heart. Wortmann describes it, from the inside out, so much better than any other writer I have seen. His account of his experiences is sometimes cerebral, sometimes raw and confusing, and sometimes absolutely brilliant. And much of the book was hilarious. As a person who gets through pain with dark humor, I felt like I "got" it -- I kind of wanted to take this young author out and buy him a drink. He definitely has a keen intellect and a sharp wit, and at times he reveals himself with painful honesty. The book made me laugh out loud and cry at the same time.

(4.5/5 stars)

Saving Sammy: The Boy Who Caught OCD by Beth Alison Mahoney

Saving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD is Beth Alison Maloney's memoir about her pre-teen son's struggle with an unusual form of obsessive compulsive disorder. In a lovely, eloquent writing style that flows like a good novel, she tells her story. With close attention to the cycles of nature, the author paints vivid details that take you through all the seasons in coastal Maine. And with the same attention to detail, she makes her family's day-to-day experiences tangibly and heart-wrenchingly real.

When 12-year-old Sammy began to have trouble coping, Beth attributed it to his adjustment to the transitions in their lives. Beth, an attorney and devoted single mom, had moved from California to Maine with her three sons a year earlier. They were now in the process of moving from their beloved rental house by the sea into the new home she'd purchased. So when Sammy started developing odd compulsions, she believed "this too shall pass."

However, his compulsions increased exponentially, and he suffered constant, debilitating anxiety. Each day, he went through a series of complicated rituals. It began with drinking the same five juices, one after another, each morning. He had to complete a series of complicated motions every time he entered the bathroom or came into the house. These included swirling his legs, ducking, crawling, rolling his head on his neck, stepping sideways, or high-stepping over invisible walls. He avoided mats, doors, and faucets, and he couldn't shower or brush his teeth. He had difficulty touching anything or being touched, and even casual hugs were impossible. He couldn't attend school, and he rarely met friends or enjoyed outside activities. His condition eventually took over the family's entire life.

Sammy was treated, with psychoactive drugs, for the chemical imbalance that is presumed to cause OCD. However, the medications didn't help. Thus began a long journey through psychiatrists, neurologists and other specialists. With fierce dedication, Beth researched his condition. As options dwindled, she faced every mom's worst nightmare. She watched her son, worn down by fear, anxiety, and isolation, begin to lose hope.

Eventually, Beth did get some hard-won answers. She heard about a condition called PANDAS in which OCD can be caused by exposure to strep throat, even if the child was asymptomatic and even if there was a negative strep throat culture. At this point the long trip to recovery began.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children is a topic very close to my heart. Most parents of kids with mental illness and other challenges won't find a clear-cut medical answer or a "cure." Nevertheless, I think all parents of kids with complicated needs will connect deeply with this book. Beth Maloney does an amazing job of recreating the struggles many families with challenges face: the social isolation of not being able to participate in "normal" activities, the heartbreak of seeing ones child suffer, and the all-consuming need to uncover some answers. Her passionate love for her sons shines through on every page, and I believe this is a book all parents will connect with. I highly recommend this both as an lovely memoir and a way to spread the word about a typically misunderstood and misdiagnosed condition.

Read more reviews of this book:
Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea
MostlyFiction Book Reviews
Susan at Bloggin' About Books


Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

600 Hours of Edward by Craig Lancaster

 

Thirty-nine-year old Edward Stanton has obsessive compulsive disorder and Asperger's Syndrome. His illness -- the OCD -- is treated with medication and therapy, and the Asperger's is just part of who he is: a bright, funny, methodical man who likes concrete facts and predictable routines. Edward has many abilities, but his rigidity and difficulty communicating with others have kept him from holding down a job. He is supported by his father, a wealthy developer and county commissioner.

Edward is often baffled by other people's behavior, and he vents his frustration by writing letters of complaint. After his complaints to a popular Country-Western singer escalated to the point where he faced legal action, an event later known as "The Garth Brooks Incident," his father decided Edward needed to move out. He now lives in a house his parents purchased and structures his life around careful routines.

Edward is sliding into middle age; like T.S. Eliot's J. Edgar Prufrock, he measures out his life in coffee spoons, focusing on quotidian household tasks, errands, visits to his therapist, and his favorite television program, Dragnet. However, changes are coming. Through his tentative forays into internet dating, his budding friendship with a neighbor -- a single mom recovering from an abusive relationship -- and her 9-year-old son, and a crisis that strikes his family, Edward finds his life changed in ways he'd never expected.

 This is not a fast-paced edge-of-your seat kind of story. We're guided through 600 hours of Edward's life, an existence that is defined, in many ways, by repetitive routines. However it is a wonderful character study with several interesting twists. As an Aspergian with OCD, Edward dislikes ambiguity. He has spent his life avoiding shades of gray; as he often tells you, he prefers facts. However he is facing incredibly ambiguous, emotionally laden questions -- the kinds of things that often overwhelm "neurotypicals." For example, how do you forgive, and fully love, a parent who has been unkind and has shut you out of his life? What should you do when what you're supposed to do conflicts with what you believe is right? What are the "rules" and boundaries of friendship? And, for God's sake, when you're on a date, how do you figure out what a woman wants?

All of this leads to a turning point in Edward's life -- a coming of age. And yes, I believe "coming of age" can happen at any stage of life. This is a sweet, funny and occasionally heartbreaking debut novel that will appeal to fiction lovers who enjoy character-driven stories. I look forward to seeing what Craig Lancaster creates in the future.

 Hat Tip to the FTC: I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, for review. Many thanks to Chris Cauble at Riverbend Publishing for this opportunity.  

Read more reviews: Life With Asperger's, That Chick That Reads, Coffee Books and Laundry; hear from the author at For the Sake of Joy  





Rating:4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me

Swish by Joel Derfner

I recently won a random drawing at the GLBT Reading Blog and was offered my choice from a long list of excellent books. :-) I saw several novels on the list which I already wanted to read. However, I thought the point of a reading challenge -- and of a giveaway like this -- was to pick up something I might never have looked at otherwise. I had never heard of Joel Derfner, but his website made me laugh. Anybody who can make me laugh is someone whose company I want to share for a few evenings, even if it's through the pages of a book. :-)

So I took a chance on his memoir, Swish: My Quest to Become the Gayest Person Ever and What Ended Up Happening Instead. Joel is a gifted composer and author with a background in linguistics. He has a delightfully rich vocabulary, a gorgeous writing style, and a magnificent, edgy sense of humor that made me want to invite him over to share a pitcher of margaritas. There were parts of the book I loved, other parts I was lukewarm about, and a few bits that made me go "huh?" :-D But let's face it, when a man can write like that, there's no way I'm putting the book down. He starts each chapter by delving into one of his vocations or hobbies -- whether it be knitting, aerobics, cheerleading or being a go-go dancer in a gay bar. Then he segues into other aspects of his life, including his relationship with his parents, his feelings about Judaism, and his experience of coming out as a homosexual. At moments, we're sharing his awe and passion when creating music, at others we're tagging along on his adventures in casual sex, via an online hook-up site.

It's a colorful, unpredictable ride. If this were a work of fiction, I'd be lauding the author for his complex character development. Joel Derfner, as he appears in this book, runs the gamut. At times, he appears agonizingly insecure, the soul of a ninth grader -- perpetually humiliated and longing to fit in -- in a man's body. I imagine we all have a sliver of that. At moments he seems judgmental and petty, with a secret sense of superiority over people who can't punctuate. :-) At other times he is incredibly insightful and compassionate. I love the fact that he was fearless in showing us these many facets of himself. I got to know the whole person, and I came to care about him more deeply than I'd expected.

The thing I liked most about this book, as I've mentioned, was the writing. I loved the fact that it sent me to the dictionary, multiple times, because that doesn't happen often lately. (Maybe I should be reading more challenging books?) There are luminous moments, and I love the way they're carelessly tangled with silly, mundane things -- life is like that. This passage describes Joel's life after he had to give up singing, for health reasons, and began composing music instead:

Because the glee I feel when I surprise myself composing is real, but I feel it only because I have lulled to sleep the memory of what infinity feels like, and I am afraid of what might happen if I woke that memory up. I love my life because a part of me has learned how to give up hope, and that, I suspect, is a dangerous lesson to unlearn. As I sat at my friends' piano my fingers eventually assumed a position they had not held for years, and then I opened my mouth: "Gentle airs, melodious strains," I sang, picturing the dust motes shimmering in a Boston chapel. But when I got to the next part, when I was supposed to sing "call for raptures out of woe," neither my hands nor my throat could remember what to do.

Another thing that captivated me about this book was his brief story of living with a form of obsessive compulsive disorder. This illness has touched my family profoundly, as some of you know, and Joel's description of his struggle broke my heart. "I was able to wrench about 5 percent of my attention to eating and bathing ... while the rest of my brain was devouring itself like an ouroboros." That may be the single most wonderful metaphor I have ever read. I was also fascinated with his exploration of his sexuality. This includes his tongue-in-cheek odyssey to live a quintessentially gay lifestyle -- complete with teaching aerobics, cheerleading, and go-go dancing as well as being a musical theater composer.

But it goes deeper, and it eventually leads him to go undercover to a conservative Christian conference for ex-gays -- people who have given up "the lifestyle" for Jesus. This environment seemed foreign to him in every way. I was afraid he wouldn't look past this one-dimensional image of the Christian faith, not to mention the ludicrous, heart-wrenching position in which these individuals found themselves. However, he sought to compassionately understand the men he met at the conference and used the opportunity to reflect on the similarities and differences between their beliefs and his own Jewish faith and on his own journey toward self-acceptance as a gay man.

This memoir is beautifully written, thought-provoking and funny -- I highly recommend it to adult readers. It is definitely rated NC-17 for some of the themes explored and for some explicit sexuality. In other words, you might learn more than you want to know about Joel Derfner's sex life. If you're cool with that, go for it!

Thank you again to GLBT Reading Blog and to Joel Derfner for generously giving me a copy of this book. Read More Reviews at The Book Pirate and A Striped Armchair 

Rating: 4.5

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me