Kelly's Review: THE SOUND OF BUILDING COFFINS

THE SOUND OF BUILDING COFFINS

By: Louis Maistros

The Toby Press LLC / PO Box 8531 / New Millford, CT 06676-8531

First Printing: 2009

ISBN: 978 1 59264 255 7

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Concept: “It is 1891 in New Orleans, and young Typhus Morningstar cycles under the light of the half moon to fulfill his calling, rebirthing aborted fetuses in the fecund waters of the Mississippi River. He cannot know that nearby, events are unfolding that will change his life forever – events that were set in motion by a Vodou curse gone wrong, forty years before he was born.

In the humble home of Sicilian immigrants, a one year old boy has been possessed by a demon. His father dead, lynched by a mob, his distraught mother at her wits’ end, this baby who yesterday could only crawl and gurgle is now walking, dancing, and talking – in a voice impossibly deep. The doctor has fled, and several men of the cloth have come and gone, including Typhus’ father, warned off directly by the clear voice of his Savior. A newspaper man, shamed by the part he played in inciting the lynch mob that cost this boy his father, appalled by what he sees, goes in search of help.

Seven will be persuaded, will try to help…and all seven will be profoundly affected y what takes place in that one room house that dark night. Not all will leave alive, and all will be irrevocably changed by this demonic struggle, and by the sound of the first notes blown of a new musical form: jazz.

Vivid and complex, meticulously drawn in lyrical prose, this tale of death and rebirth, devastation and redemption, will draw you into a world of beauty and pain, as alluring as it is dangerous, Louis Maistros has captures the essence of New Orleans, and set it free on these pages to work its magic on us all.

Review: I don’t know if I can adequately review this book. It was one of the most unique books I’ve ever read and after reading other reviewers, it seems we all agree on that point. I sort of went from the fryer into the frying pan with this book. The last book I read, March, was also historical fiction and I swore I wouldn't read another one. But here it is and I did.

The book starts out in the late 1800’s with some extremely exotic characters. Rev. Noonday Morningstar has named his children after diseases and we meet Typhus, Malaria, Cholera, Diphtheria and Dropsy as well as other memorable characters as Marcus Nobody Special and even the boogeyman. It’s hard though, for instance, as the concept above points out that Typhus is giving aborted fetuses back to the Mississippi. Its rather a hard scene to imagine. But for some reason that I can’t quite explain, you can’t put it down. I found myself wondering where the whole thing was going and then at other points, just really enjoying the stories that the author told. This isn’t a bad book, it has received amazing reviews, I think it’s just a little too complex for my tastes. It so well written though that if you are considering this book at all, I hope you will consider other reviewers’ opinions to help your decision. If you DO decide to read it, check out the author's blog for a really cool "pictorial" of his characters. Its a really fun reader's guide sort of thing. Here.

What I liked: This author was not formally educated and you would not ever guess that from reading this book. The characters are so real, you really get involved with them and start hungering for more information. I loved the history in the book even though a big on the magical side (as the book promised) so you cannot take away from that at all.

What I disliked: It was very difficult for me to keep in focus what the story was about. It seemed, at times, like a bunch of separate stories which it was but it was hard to understand the connection. It dragged at some points. The story was hard and sometimes seemed to shock just for shock value.

My rating: 3 SOLID stars.

by Kelly

for Book Lover's Hideaway

Kelly's Review: MARCH by Geraldine Brooks

MARCH

By: Geraldine Brooks

Penguin Group / 375 Hudson Street / New York, NY 10014

First Printing: 2005

ISBN: 0-670-03335-9

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Concept: “As the North reels under a series of unexpected defeats during the dark first year of the Civil War, one man leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs. Riveting and elegant as it is meticulously researched, March is an extraordinary novel woven out of the lore of American history by the author of the international bestseller Year of Wonders.

From Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has taken the character of the absent father, Mr. March, who has gone off to war leaving his wife and daughters to make do in mean times. To evoke his voice, Brooks turned to the journals and letters of Bronson Alcott, Louisa May’s father, a friend and confidant of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. In Brooks’s telling, Mr. March emerges as an idealistic chaplain in the little known backwaters of a war that will test his faith in himself and in the Union cause as he learns that his side, too, is capable of acts of barbarism and racism. As he recovers from a near mortal illness, he must reassemble his shattered mind and body and find a way to reconnect with a wife and daughters who have no idea of the ordeals he has been through.

Spanning the vibrant intellectual world of Concord and the sensuous antebellum South, March adds adult resonance to Alcott’s optimistic children’s tale and portrays the moral complexity of a war and a marriage tested by the demands of extreme idealism and by the temptations of a powerful, forbidden attraction. A lushly written wholly original tale steeped in the details of another time, March secures Geraldine Brooks’s place as a renowned author of historical fiction.”

Review: That’s a pretty wordy description. I can go on with what *I* felt the book was really about, but I won’t because it will make me sound completely unappreciative. I *am* completely unappreciative to be honest. This book came to me as a recommendation for a monthly read from our group. The idea is to expand some of our genre horizons. I’m a paranormal romance nut so reading historical fiction is a stretch. If this is what historical fiction is though, count me out. I’ll stick with the boys in the Black Dagger Brotherhood for my escapism. Ouch right? I’m sorry. I really wanted to like this book. It was very flowery and I didn’t like Mr. March AT ALL. I found him to be completely annoying. I’m afraid I don’t have very many good things to say. I must be too simple to appreciate this sort of book since other reviewers find this book to be excellent.

What I liked: I love the idea of the book. I read Little Women as a teenager and Marmee was one of my favorite characters. I remember wishing my own mother was more like Marmee even. I put Mr. March up there with my own father. His girls adored him as I adored my own father. In my mind, I made him to be some sort of Civil War saint out there fighting for freedom. So I loved the idea of learning what he really did. I did learn some interesting historical facts, and I can see that the book was very carefully researched and for that, I have to give some credit.

What I disliked: Well, most everything, but especially Mr. March. I also disliked that I ever picked up this book in the first place because I may not ever be persuaded to read another historical fiction again. If you are a true literary nut and love, no, ADORE classics, then you may appreciate this book otherwise, I’d advise you to stay away.

My rating: 2 Stars for great research but -1 Star for making me hate a character I used to love. So 1 Star.

by Kelly

for Book Lover's Hideaway