Fiction | Book Chatter

Lamb
By Bonnie Nadzam
(Other Press, Paperback, 9781590514375, September 2011, 288pp.)

The Short of It:

Stunning and dangerous with sharp, rusted edges.

The Rest Of It:

David Lamb is no stranger to hardships. His marriage failed miserably and he’s just buried his father. While taking a moment after the funeral to gather his thoughts, eleven-year-old Tommie stumbles into his path. She’s all limbs and freckles, yet there’s something about the girl that Lamb finds inviting. He decides to take her on a trip. To show her all the things that I girl her age should experience at least once.

And there was nothing wrong with all that, was there? With a guy like him, buying a kid like her a nice lunch, spoiling her a little? It was good for her. It was just a little tonic for his poisonous heart.

Although it might sound like a re-telling of Lolita, it is far from that. Lamb is a delicately written novel that explores appropriateness and friendship in a way that at times has you questioning Lamb’s true intentions. Tommie is hitting that awkward tween stage where every question is answered with a shrug. She’s seemingly floating along without direction, so when Lamb offers her a trip to his cabin, a place where she can experience everything a young girl her age should, it doesn’t take long for her to decide that it’s what she wants to do. In Lamb’s eyes, he’s giving her the guidance and attention she so desperately needs. In her eyes, she’s getting out of her Godforsaken town to see the world.

When they begin their trip, it’s impossible to know what his intentions are. Early into the novel, I felt sure that he was having some sort of a nervous breakdown and although the decision to take the trip was not a wise one, I could see his logic and his reasons for wanting to take it. But as the trip progresses, and as they get to know one another, insecurities and all, things take a turn and that is where I began to question if Tommie was going to make it out of this okay. These moments of doubt were excruciating to read. I literally had internal conversations with myself over what was going on. What disturbed me more, is that there were times where I found myself relating to Lamb. Making excuses for him, if you will. Somehow I wanted this trip to be okay and for them both to be better for having taken it.

What makes this novel so complex is that Lamb is good for her, as she is good for him. But what makes this a dangerous, edgy tale is the fact that this fifty-something has taken an eleven-year-old girl across the country and against his better judgement, has fallen in love with her. All of a sudden, his care of her becomes a slightly dark, disturbing affair that had me sitting uneasily on the edge of my seat. When you find your soulmate, does age matter? I got mad at myself for even asking such a question but that is what Nadzam does. She works her magic and makes you question right and wrong.

I can’t go into anymore detail than that, because you must read it to get the full effect, but when a book like this has you cheering for the old guy, you stop and take notice. Lamb is wonderfully complex and rich. It’s everything that I look for in a book.

Content Note: If you shun books that center around child molestation, do not let that keep you from reading this book. This book (in my opinion) does not fall into that category and is not graphic in any way.

Source: Sent to me by the publisher via Net Galley.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

1Q84
By Haruki Murakami
(Knopf, Hardcover, 9780307593313, October 2011, 944pp.)

The Short of It:

1Q84 is a literary mash-up of epic proportions. The artistry of the writing will impress Murakami’s die-hard fans, but I suspect that he will gain a whole new following with this one.

The Rest of It:

On a busy expressway, Aomame steps out of a cab and slips into a parallel world. Initially, the fact that she’s entered another world goes unnoticed by her, but slowly she begins to realize that although this new world is similar to what she had before, there is something about this new world that she can’t quite put her finger on. At times, she sees two moons in the sky and wonders if she is the only one who can see them. What do they mean? She calls this world, 1Q84…the Q, representing a question mark. It is a “world that bears a question.”

Meanwhile, Tengo has been asked by his editor to ghostwrite a work titled, Air Chrysalis. The work was written by a young girl named Fuka-Eri and although the story is impressive, the technical aspects of the writing are less so. An aspiring writer himself, Tengo finds himself somewhat obsessed with the young girl and the two form a very unusual friendship.

As the chapters alternate between Tengo and Aomame, you realize that at some point these characters will meet. In fact, they have already met once, as children. An encounter that Tengo and Aomame have never forgotten and one that is played out repeatedly throughout the book. Neither of them can explain their inexplicable desire to find one another because the fact that they are drawn to each other is odd enough. As they make their way towards each other, they encounter obstacles and unforgettable characters along the way.

If you noticed that ‘1Q84’ resembles the title of another landmark novel, ‘1984’ then you would be correct in thinking that there is a connection between the two. This novel is Murakami’s ode to Orwell. In 1984, you have Big Brother and in this novel, the Little People. The two books share similar themes but the feel of each is quite different. In many ways, Murakami is more matter-of-fact with his storytelling. For the most part, his characters say what they mean. They are open books. The reader is always clued in to what they are feeling at any point in time. However, the meaning behind what they are feeling, is often left open for interpretation. This is one of the reasons I love Murakami. His ability to put it all out there, trusting that as a reader, you will come to your own conclusions is a tough thing to do. The confidence that he has in his readers is something I have felt from day one. It’s no wonder that his fandom continues to grow daily.

I’ve read five books by Murakami and if I were to compare this one to them, I’d have to say that this one is tamer. There is less sex, less strangeness, but the themes dealing with identity, belonging, violence against women, religion, re-birth, Oedipus complex…are all here, but handled in a quiet way. It’s not nearly as bizarre as some of his other novels. No talking cats, for instance. But it is most definitely a Murakami in the handling of the characters. The characters are often likable, and that is also the case here. However, they are not predictable. As you read the novel, you begin to get a feel for them, but you can never truly know them because they are very complex. Murakami’s characters are never flat. They are constantly evolving and that is something I look forward to every time I open a Murakami book. The other thing that is pure Murakami, is that there are no “throw away” characters. They all have a purpose, no matter how silly or trivial they may seem at first glance.

I was very sad when I turned the last page. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to crawl inside the book and become one with it. It was wonderful and thought-provoking on so many levels. It’s totally accessible even at its 944 pages and there is never a dull moment. I was worried about the translation, as it took two translators to get the job done, but I looked for style differences and they were none to speak of. If they existed, I never noticed them. With its “love story in a parallel world” premise, there is something here for everyone. I honestly don’t think it even matters if you haven’t read any of his other books. This one might even be a good book to start with because it eases you into his writing style and if you like books that question reality as we know it, then there is no doubt in my mind that you will enjoy this one.

That said, I could write pages and pages on why you should read it, but I’d rather you just trust me in saying that if you do read it, you won’t be sorry.

Source: Purchased
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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