Crime and Punishment

 Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Constance Garnett, 484 pages

"...a fantastic, gloomy business, a modern case, an incident of to-day when the heart of man is troubled, when the phrase is quoted that 'blood renews,' when comfort is preached as the aim of life.  Here we have bookish dreams, a heart unhinged by theories.  Here we see resolution in the first stage, but resolution of a special kind: he resolved to do it like jumping over a precipice or from a bell tower and his legs shook as he went to the crime."

It is difficult to imagine a better description of Crime and Punishment than that which Dostoevsky offers through the voice of one of his own characters, especially as the form - a prolonged monologue - is how much of the novel's action unfolds.  Raskolnikov is a failed student languishing in late nineteenth century St Petersburg, possessed by the notion that he can, by a single decisive act, break totally with the past and enter a realm of absolute freedom.  What he slowly and painfully discovers is that that realm is found in an entirely different direction, at the end of a radically different path, than he imagined.

It is difficult to say anything new about Crime and Punishment.  Obviously, it is not for everyone.  It is dreary and disorienting and merciless towards the reader.  Just as obviously, it is a work of genius, an incredible artistic achievement as well as an antidote to much of the existentialist sophistry that followed in its wake.

One Sunday at a Time

One Sunday at a Time by E.N. Joy Book 294 pages 

This is the second book in the Forever Divas Series. This story is about a friend of the first book’s protagonist. Deborah is struggling with depression, anxiety and a host of other things, but she doesn’t want anyone to know, especially not her husband. Only her husband can’t help noticing she has problems because she has so many mood swings and outright crazy behavior. Eventually it all goes wrong and the police and the hospital are needed. Will Deborah face her demons and finally let God do what He wants to do in her life or will she continue down the dangerous downward spiral of mental illness? You’ll have to read to find out.

This book was like the last one, it was fine. There was not as much agenda pushing in this as the last book, which I appreciated. The thing about reading series to me is that it usually just seems like the same book just told from a different perspective. Don’t get me wrong it can still be entertaining, it just something I notice and this series is no exception. That being said, if the author decides to continue the series it is likely that I will read the new addition.

A Step Toward Falling

A Step Toward Falling by Cammie McGovern, 364 pages

This book reminded me of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, in quite a few ways. While it does tackle some very serious subject matter, this is a relatively light, easy read. Still, the characterizations are good. On the surface, there are obvious themes here - don't judge others on appearances, forgive others and seek forgiveness, treat others with dignity and compassion, and "Choose carefully the people whose approval you seek." (pg. 350) - but thankfully, they all go a bit deeper than that.

Worth noting, the characters who have special needs aren't put on a pedestal, perfect in every way apart from their disability - they get angry and make mistakes just like any of the other characters. If Belinda (the main character with special needs) weren't as richly painted, it would be hard to take the book seriously. Emily (the main character without special needs), on the other hand, comes across as a pretty typical YA lead. The real depth of the book comes from alternating between the two, showing that while society labels them differently, they are both human, with at least as many similarities as differences.

Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher, 304 pages

This was a popular book at a previous place I worked for awhile, and when I read the description, I was intrigued.  The idea is that a high school girl kills herself, but sends a recording out to the main character of the book (and others) explaining how they helped lead her to her suicide.  I found this book to be flawed and somewhat troubling.  First of all, the main character turns out to not have been one of the 13 reasons why the girl killed herself- he's the one who was so good to her that she just wants to tell him she's sorry they didn't work out.  Insert massive eye roll here.  I think the book is coming from a good place- every news story about young people being raped while passed out or bullied into suicide breaks my heart.  It should be the stuff of a melodramatic teen book, but it's not- it's real life.  And I guess that's one of the things I found sort of troubling here- it feels like the girl's message (which the author does not contradict) was "I'm hurting and I want to die, so I'm going to make you hurt, too, because you should know that you helped do this to me," which is such a sad, selfish message to leave the survivors of a person's suicide. Some of the kids in this book do awful things, but by and large, most of them are just dumb kids.  They don't know any better.  This just really rubbed me the wrong way- but maybe I'm expecting too much.  

I Was Here

I Was Here by Gayle Forman, 270 pages

Cody’s best friend, Meg, committed suicide.  Cody is left behind, wondering why she didn’t know that Meg was suicidal.  Meg’s parents have always treated Cody like a second daughter, but now that Meg is gone, Cody doesn’t feel that she deserves that kind of consideration.  When Meg’s parents ask her to go to Meg’s school to pack up her things, Cody doesn’t feel that she can refuse.  Meg’s parents give her Meg’s laptop and on it Cody finds some interesting things, namely evidence that Meg was connected to a suicide support group, meaning a group that encouraged Meg to commit suicide.  This leads Cody on a mission to find out more.  She isn’t sure what she’s looking for, but she’s hoping to find some kind of closure.  This is a really good teen story dealing with the aftermath of suicide.  Forman is a great writer and this book is no exception to her track record.

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened, by Allie Brosh, 369 pages

Oh my glob- have you ever read a book where once you were finished, you thought "This author GETS it" ? That's kind of how this was for me.  It was hilarious and heartwarming and just a wonderful escape.

This book is a collection of written/illustrated short pieces by Allie Brosh, most of which were featured on her blog . The topics range from her dogs and their idiosyncrasies, to depression, to her inhuman, childhood need for sugar.  This book is hilarious, but not in a cheap joke sort of way- in a way that you have to go along with her for the ride.  The illustrations may be a turn-off at first for some people, but if you stick with it, you'll realize that they are perfect.

Sort of unrelated, but the humor in here reminded me of Maria Bamford's standup, if you're a fan of either.

The Interestings

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, 538 pages

The Interestings follows a small group of friends, who name themselves "the interestings", starting in the summer of 1974 at an arts camp called Spirit-in-the-Woods. Once you are introduced to the characters, the story jumps around a lot, hitting various turning points in the lives of these friends. The story is mostly told from the perspective of Julie aka "Jules" Jacobsen, a member of the group who always felt like she became part of the group by accident, and who is never quite satisfied with her life.
I read this book in a week, which for me, lately, is unheard of. (as in, I haven't been reading anything that fast). I am not sure why it held my interest so much. I guess I just wanted to see what would happen to the characters as they aged and changed, and see if any of them became drastically different than their childhood selves.
This book was a lot about how much people can change over time and yet still ultimately be the same. It is compared to The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides, and having read that recently, I definitely saw some similar themes.