Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea (3 stars)
The writing and style of this book was distractingly bad. For a while. Then I just accepted that the style was entirely unlike what I would expect from a novel, might even be what I would describe as didactic and simplistic. And I discovered that the translation was a bit of a fiasco; apparently a professional translator did a careful and artful translation. Then the author decided to redo it herself. Which explains the slightly off feel of much of the language - phrases that are technically correct, but not used in the way a native speaker would use them. And often a bit juvenile. So anyway, once I let all that go, I quite enjoyed the book. Which someone described as Sex in the City of Riyadh - four young women come of age in Saudi Arabia. Coming of age in Saudi Arabia, from the perspective of a western woman, is pretty oppressive. And these were, of course, sassy, educated, well-to-do women. Anyway, it's not a good book, but it's interesting and fun. And it was actually banned in Saudi Arabia and became an underground bestseller. So it's subversive to boot!
American Pastoral by Philip Roth (3 stars)
Another Great American Novel, complete with everything I like and don't like about GANs. Characters that are conflicted and alienated. Interesting psychological insights and clever storytelling. Lots of moments when I just want to shake the characters and yell at them, "Then stop living shallow, unconnected, meaningless lives!! Don't just let some apparent post-WWII toxic stain that this author sees seeping into the souls of upper-middle-class educated white people ruin your life! Your life doesn't have to be an ironic testament to the soullessness of our society! Only connect!!" As they say.
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom (3 stars)
I think Corrie Ten Boom was almost certainly an incredible person, dynamic speaker, and inspiringly faithful Christian. But I don't think she was that great of a writer. The story, while remarkable and heroic, never actually gripped me; somehow the storytelling just fell flat.
One thing I noticed was how completely forthright she was about her experiences. Her story lacked entirely the (sometimes tedious) angst and ambiguity that plagues our postmodern world. And I realized that having lived through the Third Reich, and knowing for sure how heroically and unambiguously she fought against evil, she earned every ounce of her moral clarity. I suppose that is one blessing of living through that hell: you know exactly the weight of your conviction. The rest of us just pray that we never live through something like that, but that if we are called to live through such times we have the strength to hide the Jews and spit in the Nazis' faces, come what may. And finally we fervently hope we would be, as Ten Boom, unencumbered by responsibilities to small children that would make the whole experience so much more agonizing and murky.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (3 stars)
Major Pettigrew is a fantastic character and it is a real pleasure to be in his head. There are many astute and clever observations about people and the provincial English countryside in here, as well as some very funny scenes. The first half of the book built up just beautifully. But the resolution left me disappointed. So many interesting questions about multiculturalism, tradition, and respectability were raised, but then resolved in what seemed halfhearted or very immature ways. It seems far too simplistic to simply root for the throwing off the constraining bands of old-fashioned morality and tradition, as the book seems to push for. Especially when the Major Pettigrew himself embodies so many of the ennobling aspects of those same traits.
Bill Bryson's African Diary by Bill Bryson (3 stars)
It's hard to be funny about the gut wrenching poverty in Africa, and Bryson wisely doesn't try. This is a very short book about his travels there; very readable and sheds more light on the problems we all know are there but wish we didn't have to think about.
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (3 stars)
I left this book with definite ideas about how to improve some areas of my life. I liked Rubin's commitment to following through on goals she set, and I admired her honesty. I related to her general personality type so her reflections were useful to me. It's not an especially profound book, but it's enjoyable and inspiring in parts.
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