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Here are comments from JK on his pick:

All the Light We Cannot See

December, 2015 Selection for Great Apes Book Group

Selected by John Karbula

Why did I select this book:

·       It was recommended to me by a friend here in Santa Barbara

·       It was favorably reviewed in the LA Times

·       It was one of the NY Times “Ten Best,” books of 2014

·       I have a nearly life-long interest in history in general and WW II in particular (only the American Civil War excites greater interest to me than WW II)

Potential Questions for Discussion: (I truly offer these as only possible things to discuss – any reader is of course free to take the discussion where they will!)

·       What is the point of blindness, particularly in regard to the title?  Why is it important to have Marie Laure be blind?

·       Blindness has a very long, nearly infinite history in literature, dating back to Oedipus at least (almost certainly oral literature used blindness as a metaphor or theme long before this).  Does Doerr call upon this long tradition and if so, how effectively?

·       Many critics have found Doerr’s character development uneven.  Do you agree with this general sentiment and if so, why?

·       It seems clear to me that Doerr is making a point to deeply personalize the large historic realities of WW II – to miniaturize them – which to me is most apparent (as a metaphor) in the miniature cities Marie Laure’s father builds.  I felt this element of the novel was successful.  Your thoughts?

·       In my own childhood, I was myself transported by radio.  Late at night, the house dark, everyone asleep but me, my bedside Motorola, through the power of 50,000 watt clear channel stations, transported me to other worlds: listening to baseball games on KMOX, to “underground rock,” on KAAY Little Rock, to talk shows in Pittsburg and Cleveland…  Because of this I found the entire use of radio in this book particularly powerful.  What are other perspectives on this “device,” in the book?

There are a number of things that over the years, we always seem to touch upon.  Here are my brief thoughts on many of these repeated topics of conversation:

Plot development/success at “telling a good story:” Quite well done.  The short chapters really worked for me and I felt the story was both engaging and well developed.  That said, some things were implausible (Werner stepping on the mine) and the drive to unite the two characters a little strained.

Character development: Uneven.  Marie Laure, her father, her uncle, their maid, the woman in the bakeshop were all well done.  Werner was not as well developed as he needed to be.  The diamond hunter was a combination of “bad guy,” clichés.  Same with Werner’s mentor at the school.  Jutta should have played a much larger role. 

Entertainment value: High.  A good read that moved briskly and that was a creative and enjoyable twist on a subject that has been written to death about – WW II.

Literary Value: Modest.  Too many clichés in dealing with the war – I was not a fan of the moral equivalency between the Allied and Nazi atrocities.  Some excellent character development but far from uniform.  As noted above, a creative approach, particularly (in my view) the extended metaphors of blindness (Marie Laure is blind but sees, Werner can see but is blind) and the transformative power of the technology of radio for good and evil.  The book is well imagined but not fully realized.  An “A” for effort but a “C+” for execution.  A good and entertaining book but not great literature.

Rating: Top 50% - above the mean but probably not in the top quartile.

Reviews: (for those interested)

Mainly positive:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/books/review/all-the-light-we-cannot-see-by-anthony-doerr.html

http://www.npr.org/2014/05/10/310459898/a-fractured-tale-of-time-war-and-a-really-big-diamond

Critical:

https://newrepublic.com/article/120769/problem-anthony-doerrs-all-light-we-cannot-see

Additional Questions – reading group guide:

http://books.simonandschuster.com/All-the-Light-We-Cannot-See/Anthony-Doerr/9781476746586/reading_group_guide

Camus and Daoud

Last night at the Forge a rousing discussion ensued encompassing The Stranger and The Meursault Investigation.  As with books that leave us unsettled, this pairing was no exception.  In the end many Apes noted that the two books were very much the same.  The voice in each novel was flat, two dimensional, detached.  I'm not sure the works could be labeled likable.  Imagine, if you will, the Apes discussing the likes of existentialism, nihilism and absurdist literature.  No one hurt themselves, drinks were had, and holiday greetings passed amongst the membership.  As always, I encourage Apes to add to these discussions.  I will weigh in separately.  Respectfully submitted, Doc.

Jitterbug Perfume

Tom Robbins' Jitterbug Perfume was the featured work at The Forge on Monday, August 24.  The five of us had mostly fond memories of Robbins from years past: this is the first one on our list.  Robbins, as a wordsmith, impressed the Apes and the story was agreeable.  Jitterbug Perfume, in this reviewer's opinion, bordered on the misogynistic. We still await a fuller report from Chad about his choice.

North Park

A small, yet determined, sub-set of the larger Great Apes fraternity met at Phil's North Park cabin to talk about The Tiger.  Discussion was reserved and respectful.  The general feeling was positive about  the book.  I will hold the space for Phil to make his remarks.  Phil's hospitality extended to a fine dinner, Doc started the next morning cooking an ample breakfast and Clark brought enough luncheon fixins for all.  Counselor provided us with a fine sampling of brewed bombers from throughout the country.  Sippin' spirits could be found, the tobacconist must have been joyous, too.  Some fished, some hiked, some recharged, the hummingbirds hovered.  Thanks, Phil, for hosting the crew.

Weigh in.

Respectfully submitted,
Doc

Doc Takes A Risk

This past weekend JP and Doc spent time discussing the merits of establishing a ranking for our 216 books.  This back and forth was initiated by comments made by several members over the years that went something like:

·      “This book is definitely in the top ten of all our books.”

·      “This book is definitely in the upper quartile…”

·      “This book is at the mean…”

·      “This book is below the mean…”

·      “This author hates everybody…”

I might have taken some liberty in how I remember the comments.  But you get what I mean.

It was a harder task to rank than expected.  Authors, editors, publishers, reviewers put in a lot of effort in putting the printed work in your hands, and I respect the book business.  I love literature.   Almost all works have redeeming qualities.  And only Faulkner should have been called out.  Ha!

So, what are my criteria for deciding the placement?  It’s subjective because it's mine.  Your list will be...?

Considerations:

1.     I have or would read the work again

2.     Its subject matter is compelling

3.     The characters are memorable

4.     The author’s style allows the work to be accessed by most readers

5.     There is entertainment value

6.     A reader can connect to and identify themes

7.     Intangibles

Ah, yes, the intangibles. That allows me some license in where a work settles on the list and I structured my list in thirds.  This exercise made me aware who critical I am as a reader.  More books are in the bottom third.  The top third, in my opinion, represents solid writing.  You won't be disappointed in picking up those books.  Somewhere in the middle third rests the mean.  That mythical work that all other works fall above or below.  The numbers are not a ranking.  They are simply the chronological order as they appear in the list. 

I hope this will generate some discussion within the Apes and beyond.  I look forward to hearing about it.  Read on.

Books in the top third

3. In the Lake of the Woods Tim O’Brien

5. Lolita Vladimir Nabokov (January ’95)

7. The Ginger Man JP Donleavy

9. Nobody’s Fool Richard Russo

14. Water Music TC Boyle

17. The Killer Inside Me Jim Thompson

18. Tropic of Cancer Henry Miller

24. Gunfight! James Work (Editor)

25. The Mambo Kings Play… Oscar Hijuelos

27. A Case of Curiosities Allen Kurzweil (January ’97)

30. Independence Day Richard Ford

31. White Noise Don DeLillo

35. The Brothers K David James Duncan

37. Undaunted Courage Stephen Ambrose

41. Bonfire of the Vanities Tom Wolfe

44. Cities of the Plain Cormac McCarthy

45. Of Human Bondage W. Somerset Maugham

46. Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer

51. The Iceman Cometh Eugene O’Neill

53. Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde

54. Rising Tide John M. Barry

56. A Death in the Family James Agee

57. Travels with Charley John Steinbeck

59. Treasure of Sierra Madre B. Travern

60. Deliverance James Dickey

62. Tortilla Curtain TC Boyle (January ’00)

64. Angle of Repose Wallace Stegner

72. Endurance Alfred Lansing

74. The Art of Happiness Dalai Lama

75. A Moveable Feast Ernest Hemingway

78. A Confederacy of Dunces John Kennedy Toole

81. Empire Falls Richard Russo

84. Citizen Soldier Stephen Ambrose

86. Carter Beats the Devil Glen David Gold

92. Middlesex Jeffrey Eugenides

99. For Whom the Bell Tolls Ernest Hemingway

100. The Inner Circle TC Boyle

101. The Last Good Kiss James Crumley

104. Man in Full Tom Wolfe

107. Hell’s Angels Hunter S. Thompson

108. Under the Banner of Heaven Jon Krakauer

111. The Devil in the White City Erik Larsen

113. East of Eden John Steinbeck (January ’06)

115. The Earth is Flat Thomas Friedman

121. No Country for Old Men Cormac McCarthy

123. The Road Cormac McCarthy (January ’07)

128. The Worst Hard Time Tim Egan

130. The Tender Bar EH Moehringer

132. The Omnivore’s Dilemma Michael Pollan

133. The Bridge of Sighs Richard Russo (January ’08)

139. The Master and Margarita Mikhail Bulgakov

140. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Junot Diaz

144. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle David Wroblewski

145. All the King’s Men Robert Penn Warren

149. Coal Black Horse Robert Olmstead

150. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain (September ’09)

163. Spooner Pete Dexter

167. The Cello Suites Eric Siblin

178. The Leopard Guiseppe di Lampedusa

185. KillShot Elmore Leonard

186. The Marriage Plot Jeffrey Eugenides

188. A Night Train to Lisbon Pascal Mercier

189. Dog Stars Peter Heller

190. Canada Richard Ford

192. The Bartenders Tale Ivan Doig

193. The Art of Fielding Chad Harbach

195. Hummingbird's Daughter Luis Alberto Urrea

197. Kafka on the Shore  Haruki Murakami

201. City of Bohane Kevin Barry

205. The Human Stain Phillip Roth

209. Boys in the Boat Daniel Brown

211. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig

212. Cinnamon and Gunpowder, Eli Brown

213. The Razor's Edge, Somerset Maugham 

215. Oil!, Upton Sinclair

Books in the middle third

1. Blood Ties Ted Kerasote (September ’94)

2. June Rise William Tremblay

8. Tarzan of the Apes Edgar Rice Burroughs

21. Altered States Paddy Chayefsky

38. Idoru William Gibson (January ’98)

42. Dog Eat Dog Edward Bunker

43. American Pastoral Philip Roth

61. Tuesdays with Morrie Mitch Albom

69. Corelli’s Mandolin Louis DeBernieres

71. Bridge over San Luis Rey Thornton Wilder

73. Plainsong Kent Haruf (January ’01)

88. The Corrections Jonathan Franzen

95. The Life of Pi Yann Martel

102. Where I’m Calling From Raymond Carver

103. The Future of Freedom Farheed Zachariah (January ’05)

126. Manhunt James Swanson

134. The Virginian Owen Wister

147. The Complete Short Novels Anton Chekhov

152. Rabbit at Rest John Updike

164. Cutting for Stone Abraham Verghese

172. Waiting for Godot Samuel Beckett

173. Gabriel’s Story David Anthony Durham

174. When the Killing’s Done TC Boyle

176. Last Night at the Lobster Stewart O’Nan (January ’12)

179. Rules of Civility Amor Towles

181. A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens

183. The Sense of an Ending Julian Barnes

200. The Caine Mutiny Herman Wouk

203. The Silence and the Roar Nihad Sirees

207. Brown Dog Jim Harrison

216. Serena, Ron Rash

Books in the bottom third

4. Evolution Man Richard Lewis

6. Herzog Saul Bellow

10. Catapult Jim Paul

11. Montana 1948 Larry Watson

12. Therapy Steven Schwartz

13. The River Why David James Duncan

15. Ancient Child N. Scott Momaday

16. Absalom, Absalom William Faulkner (January ’96)

19. Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter Mario Vargas Llosa

20. Small is Beautiful EF Schumacher

22. Swimming in the Volcano Bob Shakokis

23. Fifth Business Robertson Davies

26. Midaq Alley Naguib Mafouz

28. Master and Commander Patrick O’Brian

29. Field Notes Barry Lopez

32. Mating Norman Rus

33. Cruising Paradise Sam Shepard

34. A Child in Time Ian McEwan

36. The Bell Curve Herrstein and Murray

39. In the Beauty of the Lilies John Updike

40. The Good Book Peter J. Gomes

47. Bad Land John Raban

48. An American Requiem James Carroll

49. The Tetherballs of the Bougainville Mark Leyner

50. London Fields Martin Amis (January ’99)

52. Wicked Gregory Maguire

55. The Earth is Enough Harry Middleton

58. A Flag for Sunrise Robert Stone

63. The Vision of the Anointed Thomas Sowell

65. Keep the Change Thomas McGuane

66. Motherless Brooklyn Johnathon Lethem

67. The Reader Bernhard Schlink

68. ‘Tis Frank McCourt

70. Fierce Individuals… Tom Robbins

76. Heartbreaking Work… David Eggers

77. The Woman Lit by Fireflies Jim Harrison

79. The Last American Man Elizabeth Gilbert (October ’02)

80. Tomcat in Love Tim O’Brien

82. Blue Latitudes Tony Horwitz (January ’03)

83. Love in Ruins Walker Percy

85. The Big Sky AB Guthrie

87. The Power of the Dog Thomas Savage

89. Jayber Crow Wendell Berry

90. The Satanic Verses Salman Rushdie

91. The First American H W Brands (January ’04)

93. The Piano Tuner Daniel Mason

94. Angels and Demons Dan Brown

96. The Siren of the Titans Kurt Vonnegut

97. Summerland Michael Chabon

98. The Snow Leopard Peter Mathiessen

105. Stormy Weather Carl Hiaasen

106. King Solomon’s Mines H. Rider Haggard

109. Gates of Fire Stephen Pressfield

110. Founding Brothers Joseph J. Ellis

112. The Long Walk Slavomir Rawicz

114. Red Harvest Daishell Hammett

116. Roughing It Mark Twain

117. Pan Knut Hamsun

118. The March EL Doctorow

119. The Know It All AJ Jacobs

120. To Rule the Waves Arthur Herman

122. Ghostwritten David Mitchell

124. The Known World Edward Jones

125. To the Elephant Graveyard Tarquin Hill

127. A History of the World… Julian Barnes

129. The Secret Servant Daniel Silva

131. The Coast of Chicago Stuart Dybek

135. Tree of Smoke Denis Johnson

136. Peace Like a River Leif Enger

137. The Willow Field William Kittridge

138. Driving Mr. Albert Michael Paterniti

141. The Long Goodbye Raymond Chandler

142. Saturday Ian McEwan

143. No Man’s Land Scott Huler

146. Sons and Lovers DH Lawrence

148. The White Tiger Aravind Adiga

151. Out Stealing Horses Per Petterson

153. 1491 Charles Mann

154. And the Hippos were Boiled in their Tanks Burroughs and Kerouac

155. Till We Have Faces CS Lewis

156. The Book of Ebenezer LePage GB Edwards

157. Shop Class as Soul Craft Matthew B. Crawford

158. The Carpenter’s Pencil Manuel Rivas

159. Appointment in Samarra John O’Hara

160. Three Cups of Tea Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

161. Shadow Divers Robert Kurson

162. Freedom Jonathan Franzen

165. Await Your Reply Dan Chaon (January ’11)

166. The Republic of Wine Mo Yan

168. Falconer John Cheever

169. A Sand County Almanac Aldo Leopold

170. A House for Mr. Biswas VS Naipaul

171. The Given Day Dennis Lehane

175. Where Rivers Change Directions Mark Spragg

177. The Sojourn Andrew Krivak

180. 61 Hours Lee Child

182. Mink River Brian Doyle

184. The Book Thief Marcus Zusak

187. Fall of Giants Ken Follett (January ’13)

191. 13 Moons Charles Frazier

194. Sometimes a Great Notion Ken Kesey

196. Kenneth Rexroth, An Autobiographical Novel Kenneth Rexroth

198. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk  Ben Fountain

199. The Yellow Birds Kevin Powers

202. Life Among Giants Bill Roorbach

204. Don Quixote Miguel de Cervantes

206. A Fan's Notes Frederick Exley

208. Wayfaring Stranger James Lee Burke

210. Johnny Cash Robert Hilburn

214. Waterland, Graham Swift