Without further delay, books and movies for February...
Books read in February (with brief reviews):
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov - often agonizing, occasionally touching, and always always funny, Nabokov's novel deserves every bit of praise and outrage it evokes. It's wonderfully offensive.
Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order by Robert Kagan - An interesting argument that postmodern, antiwar Europe was able to thrive because America's military did the dirty work of protecting them. I didn't buy it wholesale, but at least now I know a bit of the history of the tension between the US and Europe.
After Dark by Haruki Murakami - This little book felt like a minor work by a major author. It was intriguing, but not all that powerful.
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather - Cather created an interesting web of relationships, but in the end, there were too many melodramatic monologues and boilerplate plot devices for me to really enjoy the book.
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and Other Stories by Carson McCullers - I think McCullers loses a great deal of her impact in the short story arena, and out of the South, which she evokes so well in the novels I've read.
Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - A lyrical, incisive little novel that explores connections between human sensuality and spirituality. Stuck with me long after I put it down.
No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe - A bit of a disappointment after Things Fall Apart. While it uses idiomatic language, the folktale tone of this book's predecessor is replaced by what feels like a conventional morality tale set in the third world.
Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken - This book, while difficult to get through and occasionally preachy, opened my eyes to the power of grassroots, community-based movements to create positive change. Very inspiring.
Ulysses by James Joyce - So much has been said about this book, but I'd like to add that I felt like reading it reshaped my brain. I plan to revisit it regularly.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - Did this book seem a bit lame to me because I read it right after Ulysses? Probably. But still, I get tired of Vonnegut's contempt for his characters, and his snarky tone. Sure, it's funny and insightful on occasion, but I was glad to be done with it.
A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham - Cunningham is one of my favorite contemporary novelists, and this is one powerful book. The characters, rich, broken, and utterly believable, are rendered in such rewarding prose.
Miami by Joan Didion - Poetic journalism. This book is compact, eye-opening, and masterfully written.
Movies watched in February (with brief reviews):
The Hurt Locker - This movie may make it into my top 25 movies of all time. It was visceral, emotional, and ultra-realistic in its portrayal of a squad assigned to diffuse roadside bombs in Iraq.
The Lady from Shanghai - A pretty good film noir from Orson Welles.
The Band Wagon - a musical which my friend recommended to me as one of the best, directed by Vincent Minelli. It was enjoyable, but musicals just aren't my thing.
Journey from the Fall - A Vietnamese-made movie about the plight of refugees and political prisoners. I found it very moving and totally believable.
Paul Robeson: Portrait of an Artist - A short documentary about what it cost a black performer when he spoke out against racism in America.
Casino Royale - A perfect reinvention of Bond for the new millenium. Casino Royale was a popcorn movie of the highest order.
My Darling Clementine - One of the great westerns. Epic, engaging, and character-driven.
Goodbye Solo - Director Rahmin Bahrani might become one of my favorite. Goodbye Solo and Chop Shop both surprised and uplifted me with their unflinching look at what it takes to keep going, and what happens when you give up.
The End.
'Death Comes for the Archbishop' is at least twice as good as 'O Pioneers'. Never understood why the latter became here famous one.
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