Literary Fiction at its Finest

To my great delight, The Blue Bookcase has begun hosting a Literary Blog Hop. If the term "Literary Fiction" doesn't make you want to roll your eyes or gag, then you should consider checking out all the amazing bloggers that are participating.  You are sure to find some new books to put on your TBR list.

To join the hop, you are asked to highlight a favorite book and explain why you would consider it literary. The book that immediately sprung to mind was Olive Kitteridge.  Here's a book that seems to ride the line of many Literary Fiction Defining Points.

(HEY! ...I was in the middle of typing a lengthy literary discourse when a 3.8 earthquake hit a half mile from my house.  I love Southern California!  I'm definitely awake now.)

So here's the deal.  While you can put some qualifiers/definers on what Literary Fiction is, the truth is that it is a shady, grey, fuzzy line.  It can be an old book, or not.  It can be long, or not.  It can be difficult to read, or not.  It can be dark and depressing, or not.  It can be dull and humorless, or not.  And maybe...what is literary to one person will not be considered literary by another.

As I see it, Literary Fiction is something that doesn't rely on plot device to carry the book (not that all literary fiction is weak in this area, but that it typically doesn't play as important a role as it does in other adult fiction.)  Literary Fiction puts more time into writing style and themes rather than a lively plot and pace.  It is something that values the unique, that challenges you to think, to engage.  Complaints about Literary Fiction that say it is slow or boring, or that ask "What's the point?" or "Where's the story?" often simply express a preference for books that are plot driven.

When Olive Kitteridge was published, it seemed to share shelf space with general Adult Fiction, resulting in a confusion in what to expect.  As "a novel told in stories", about a rather unlikable character and without a distinctly satisfying ending, it definitely didn't follow a typical plot line.  But I flew through this book. I just could not stop reading it. The writing was lovely; fluid yet to the point. The characters very real to life, the stories heartbreaking but satisfying.

Olive is a big person.  She knows this about herself, but she wasn't always so big, and it still seems something to get used to.  It's true she has always been tall and frequently clumsy, but the business of being big showed up with age; her ankles puffed out, her shoulders rolled up behind her neck, and her wrists and hands seemed to become the size of a man's.  Olive minds--of course she does; sometimes, privately, she minds very much.  But at this stage of the game, she is not about to abandon the comfort of food, and that means right now she probably looks like a fat, dozing seal wrapped in some kind of gauze bandage.

What enjoyable writing! Such a satisfying read. I really liked how the book was organized as short stories that added up to tell about Olive and her town in Maine. All the characters were so real that I found myself amazed at times. My only complaint is that it got to be pretty depressing. All the stories are about life changing calamities that aren't necessarily balanced out with hope. There was an overriding theme of the fear, loneliness and uncertainty that goes along with old age. Strout seemed to do a great job in expressing those feelings.

Have you thought about the role of plot in literary fiction?  Is a well-developed plot a quality you value over others?

Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor

Title: Star of the Sea
Author: Joseph O'Connor
Pages: 395
Published: Harcourt 2002
Read For: Book Club #2
My Rating: 5 stars

Don't you love the cover to that book?  Alas, that isn't the cover on the book I own.  The book I read was decidedly less lovely in outward appearance.  Thank the good authors, however, that the innards stay the same regardless of the colors and fonts on the exterior.  (I'm going to be brave here and confess that I did something ultra-book-geeky: I purchased a copy of the pretty version, since I plan on keeping it on my shelf.  My justification: why, the other one can be passed on of course, and as the new one was more like almost new and only $3...I feel not a shred of guilt.  just a little embarrassment.  Carry on.)

I knew something different was going on with the structure of the book before I even reached the preface or read the first sentence.  After the title page, there is a secondary title page with a different title and author.  In retrospect, I feel a little silly that it took me almost the entire 395 pages to figure out what was plainly in view.  This process of discovery, however, was part of the charm of the book.  The secondary title page and the preface tell you outright whose story this is, and that the story ends with a murder.  But somehow, even with that foreknowledge, there is a surprising amount of detail unearthed along the way,  the ending holding more weight than would have seemed possible at the get-go.

I encountered my favorite sentence on the second page of the preface:

At night one sensed the ship as absurdly out of its element, a creaking, leaking incompetent concoction of oak and pitch and nails and faith, bobbing on a wilderness of viciously black water which could explode at the slightest provocation.

I remain amazed: someone finally understands how I feel about the ocean.

While the book takes place on the ship, the real story takes place in the back-stories and flashbacks.  This is the story of 1847.  It is the story of the hungry and starving Irish.  It is the story of the Upper Class and privileged, of literary and social circles.  It is the story of unfortunate women and depraved men.  It is the story of the innocent and the guilty--however you may interpret them to be.

Rumours adhered to him like barnacles to a hull.

I loved this book.  I loved the captain's statistics he recorded in his log; the glimpse into different social classes in Ireland during the Great Famine; the peek at the literary giants of the time.  I loved that the characters had depth, even if they do remain somewhat aloof.  I loved the titles and descriptions at the beginning of each chapter, and the humor interspersed with the more serious topics.  I loved the growing tension and the unexpected ending, even though you can see from the beginning what you are hurtling towards.

It felt to the killer as though the dilation of his pupils might be noisy enough to give him away.

Star of the Sea is not your classic ocean novel or murder mystery.  It's a great tribute to the millions of Irish people whose lives were cut short.  It's a great example of literary fiction and great writing.  If you are a reader of literary fiction, this will be a comforting, engaging read.  If you tend to stick to plot-driven stories, you may find this a tad slower or more dense than usual (judging from some of the responses of people in my book club).  Fabulous discussion fodder--I was thrilled to see my group's conversation at the end of the night turn toward our role with the homeless and hungry in the world today.

To remain silent, in fact, was to say something powerful: that it never happened: that these people did not matter.

Is that enough gushing already?  I typically try to keep my reviews much shorter than this, but there was just so much to say.  Have you read Joseph O'Connor and have an opinion to add?  Let me leave you with a quote, then let the discussion commence.

And as the name was uttered, some began to pray; and others began to weep in sympathy.  And others again who had lost children of their own began to utter their children's names.  As though the act of saying their names--the act of saying they ever had names--was to speak the only prayer that can ever begin to matter in a world that turns its eyes from the hungry and the dying.  They were real.  They existed.  They were held in these arms.  They were born, and they lived, and they died.  And I see myself on the deck in a scream of vengeance: as though it was my own spouse who had been scourged to despair; my own helpless child so cruelly destroyed.

For the Record: October 2010

• 12 books finished in October, and with some mini-vacations lined up in November, I have hopes that another good reading month is in store for me.  
• Favorite book this month? So hard to pick!  Loved High Fidelity.  LOVED 84 Charing Cross Road.  LOVED Star of the Sea.
• Least favorite book this month? 13 Reasons Why. I know others have loved it, but I really didn't.  I'll explain below.
• Other stats: 2 library books, 4 books read to my kiddos, 1 ARC, 1 Book Club pick.

87. Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher (2) This is Teen Fiction about suicide, which is one of the major reasons, I'm guessing, it has made such an impression on so many people. I didn't end up writing a review of it for my blog because I was so disappointed...I could've written a post called "13 Reasons Why I Didn't Like the Book" but I just couldn't bring myself to do it: it isn't horrible, I just feel it wasn't well done. Especially because I read it after reading Speak, which was amazing. 13 Reasons was rather 2-Dimensional to me.  None of the characters seemed real; I didn't identify with anything or anyone.  The whole thing seemed very contrived and dramatic.

88. Strawberry Girl, Lois Lenski (4) We really enjoyed this book. It's not a very happy book as far as plot line goes, but the well-written dialect was so much fun.  (see my full review here)

89. Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel (4) In retrospect, this book would have made a better impression on me if I'd simply been able to find some larger chunks of quiet time to spend with it.  Not a book to be read in snatches while kids are playing and pestering, that's for sure.  (see my full review here)

90. 84 Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff (5) Have you read this??? It's fabulous! And short, which is also good. It is nonfiction: a collection of letters written post WWII between Helene in NY and a small used book shop in London. A remarkable amount of story and humor for such a small book. Highly recommended. (see my full review here)

91. The Goose Girl, Shannon Hale (3.5) This is a retelling of a classic tale, and doesn't fail to disappoint. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings, this is a good one. (see my full review here)

92. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (4) This is the first Nick Hornby I've read, although I've enjoyed the movies based on his books (Fever Pitch & About a Boy in addition to High Fidelity). This was so well written and funny that I was just enthralled. (see my full review here)

93. The Light at Tern Rock, Julia L. Sauer (3) This is a short Newbery Honor book that I read aloud to my 6 year old.  This is a case where it would have served me well to do a little research on the book before diving in.  (Sometimes jumping into a book or film with no previous knowledge is a fun discovery process, sometimes it just makes it disappointing and unenjoyable.)  This is a Christmas story written in 1952 that seems to exist solely to impart a moralistic tale to ungrateful children.  I'm being a little dramatic, and the truth is that many people love this story.  In the right setting with the right expectations, it would be a nice little story I suppose.  But we found it boring and trite.

94. The Long Winter, Laura Ingalls Wilder (3) I love the Ingalls family and the Little House series, but this book is just storm after freezing storm for way too many pages.  I had a hard time making it through when I read it as a child, and my daughter had a hard time making it through with me reading it to her.  I understand that the winter was a significant one, and that it is difficult to put into words what they experienced, but feel that this was more repetitive than anything.  Much easier to appreciate as an adult.

95. Prisoners in the Palace, Michaela MacColl (3.5) Taking place in the year before Victoria became queen, this is a fun historical novel. Geared towards teens, but really enjoyable. (see my full review here)

96. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Laura Amy Schlitz (4) Much better than I thought it would be (little monologues written for a school performance--sounded boring). The perfect way to get an overview of the Middle Ages. (see my full review here)

97. April Twilights, Willa Cather (3) The first book Willa Cather had published, and her only published poetry. Most of the poems were mediocre, but there were a few good ones. It was fun to see some of her forming inspirations. (see my full review here)

98. Star of the Sea, Joseph O'Connor (4.5) Read for my book club, this is a story of the Irish during the famine in 1847. It was told in such a unique way, and was interesting and well written. The story takes place on a ship on its way to America from Ireland, though much of it was back-story.  Full review coming soon!

It Doesn't Take Much

What does it take for a book to make tears spring to your eyes? In my case, not much.  If the writing is real and engaging, I'm primed and ready.  This week, The Broke and The Bookish want to know the Top Ten Books that Made You Cry. This should be an easy list for me: it is not an uncommon occurrence for me to be laughing or crying while engrossed in a book. Problem is, I could convince myself I cried in all the books that touched me...if the writing is there, chances are the tears are also.  If the writing is sub-par, I'll be crying too...just for a different reason.


So I'm going to switch it up. Instead of specific titles, these are the topics that have the potential to put me in a puddle. (of tears. ahem.)


1. When gruff old guys turn teddy bear. Such as Squire Hamley in Wives and Daughters when his wife is dying (played perfectly by Michael Gambon in the BBC adaptation).

2. When someone surrenders a lifelong dream. Like in Lee Miller's Fair and Tender Ladies, when the harsh realities of life crash in.  Or Fannie Flagg's Standing in the Rainbow.  When we are young we are confidant that we can do anything we purpose to do...seeing dreams die tears me apart.

3. Reflection on life not lived.  Remnants of Glory by Teresa Miller and Clay's Quilt by Silas House both left me like that.  I guess this is tied into the last one, except in reverse.

4. When a kid's most beloved pet dies. Old Yeller anyone?  Where the Red Fern Grows?  Stone Fox? I'm not even a dog person necessarily, but these things are SAD.  I cried buckets with these guys.

5. A mother being unable to protect her children.  I actually try to avoid some of these books.  I just can't handle it.  They Came Like Swallows by William Maxwell and The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan are good examples of books that deal with this without something dreadful happening to the child (and yes, they still put me in tears.)


6. Writing that identifies with a serious internal struggle.  Comfort in numbers and all that?  Some things are so hard to put into words, that the effect is all the stronger when you encounter them.  The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, for example, shows such an amazing, clear yet confusing struggle with depression.  The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather is one of my favorites because of how she explains the artist's struggle with his muse, how to get that elusive creativity and imagination out and formed into something tangible...and the sacrifices that go hand in hand with making your art a priority.


7. Real, lasting, time-tested love.  When fascination and respect still exist after years of hard stuff, I get all misty.  It's like a modern day fairy tale.  Nicholas Sparks is not what I'm talking about--way too mushy-gushy for me.  I'm thinking more like Persuasion by Jane Austen.


8. Girls dealing with hurt and rejection, requiring strength and courage to make it through.  Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck both are this kind of book for me.

9. The struggling, starving Irish.  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.  Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt.  Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor.  Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff.  Oh dear, do these books choke me up.


Ah, well, I can't seem to come up with any other major categories.  But since I mentioned like a gazillion books, I think I'm okay with that list.