Author: Ernest Hemingway Year: 1932 Pages: 275 Rating:86/100 Amazon: Death In The Afternooon

Death in The Afternoon is Ernest Hemingway's treatise (great word) on bullfighting. Hemingway writing about any subject is a treat unto itself, but he dissects bullfighting with both a passion and elegance that makes the tradition real to the reader. He goes into painstaking detail to explain every aspect of bullfighting - from the matadors to picadors, to structure of a good bull to killing style of each of the leading bullfighters of the generation. Hemingway does this so well that he transcends the actual sport to delve into issues such as spirituality, courage, fear and death.

Bullfighting appears to be quite a gruesome activity. Hemingway doesn't deny this and only offers that the reader gives the sport a fair shake. His ability to be objective (through the narration of an inquisitive "old lady") yet passionate makes you realize how unbelievable of a writer he is. Although never a bullfighter himself, it is apparent that he has fully engulfed himself in understanding the sport and his understanding of bullfighting is as authentic as anything that you can read. His story also passes the test of time as the novel is as fresh today as it was when it was written over a half of a century ago.

Finally, on any page there is a chance that you'll read a profound snippet of brilliance by Hemingway. As I was reading the epilogue he writes within a paragraph "Any man's life, told truly, is a novel…." I stopped and read that line over a few times. I liked it.

Litty’s Take

I love that Hemingway is a writer who is also a doer. His experiences include war, traveling, hunting in Africa and as a journalist so his stories are based on his actual experiences. It seems like the current generation of writers are slanted towards academics and their stories come from the unique way they passively view society. That's not as interesting or genuine as those who have experienced something exceptional and then can write about it in an even more powerful manner.

At times the amount of detail is extraordinary. It is more than I'll ever need to know about bullfighting but I believe there is value in learning about every aspect. The one analogy I applied is that if I wrote a book about the nuances of baseball. Of course I would outline the rules and strategy but then I would get into minutia of things like holding runners on at first base and it would go something like this.

"When there is a runner on first base the first baseman can either hold him on and stand in front of the bag or play at normal depth which gives him a better opportunity to field his position. By holding a runner on it will give the pitcher an opportunity to pick-off the runner and limits the runner's lead off of the base. The runner will usually take a lead of 3-5 strides depending on the threat of stealing a base. If a pitcher attempts a pick off, the first baseman will catch the ball and try to apply a tag on the runner before he returns to the safety of the base. This is unlikely to occur as only the most deceptive pitchers have good enough moves to trick the runner. The great Mattingly will tag every base runner no matter if he is already on the base. Other first baseman will simply return the ball to the pitcher. Therefore the first baseman's main role is to prevent the runner from getting to aggressive of a lead. After the pitcher throws home the first baseman will come off the bag into a defensive position by taking five to six steps to the middle of the field. The first baseman must also be ready for bunt attempts, double play balls, and pick off attempts by the catcher…"

Now imagine that with the articulation and elegance of Hemingway and you can begin to understand to what degree he breaks down bullfighting.

I'm not sure if you need to read this book unless you have a keen interest in bullfighting, Spanish culture or a love for Hemingway's writing. But if you do choose to give it a crack I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Author: Michael Lewis Year: 2006 Pages: 336 Rating:90/100 Amazon: The Blind Side

The description on the back cover of The Blind Side does a great job teasing the book so I'll use it this one time.

"When we first meet him, Michaell Oher is one of thirteen children by a mother addicted to crack; he does not know his real name, his father, his birthday, or how to read or write. He takes up football, and school, after a rich, white, Evangelical family plucks him from the streets. Then two great forces alter Oher: the family's love and the evolution of professional football itself into a game where the quarterback must be protected at any cost. Our protagonist becomes the priceless package of size, speed, and agility necessary to guard the quarterback's greatest vulnerability - his blind side"

Lewis has amazing access to Oher (through a pre-existing friendship with the family that adopts him) and is able to really get to the heart of his story. Lewis, the author of Liar's Poker and Moneyball, is at his best when he tackles a complicated trend, industry or activity and breaks it down into laymen's terms. In The Blind Side he details the evolution of the Offensive Linemen from underappreciated hogs in a system to valuable superstars. In doing that he gets to dissect how Lawrence Taylor changed the game, the origin of Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense and the business of high school football recruiting. The book does a great job on both the micro (Oher's story) and macro level and works from both a football and cultural anthropology angle.

Litty’s Take

I enjoy reading Michael Lewis and have read most of his books. He gives you the inside scoop on whatever he is writing about and allows you to feel like he's letting you in on industry secrets.

My overwhelming feeling throughout the story was that Michael Oher has had tremendous opportunities afforded to him just because he's a big boy. Oher did work incredible hard to succeed and it's hard to call him "lucky" because his background was just about as shitty of a hand as one could get dealt. But shouldn't there be better ways to identify kids from inner cities or in the system who show tremendous talent or potential (not just in sports either) and get them on a more positive track?

I was impressed how Oher was able to operate in a proper Christian white world and how they were able to adapt to him. I just wish it would happen more often in our society. I definitely drew some comparisons between Oher and Ishmael Beah in A Long Way Gone and while both boys have overcome extreme trauma and seemingly impossible circumstances it still a bit depressing how many other boys there are that are just like them but don't get anywhere near the opportunities to succeed that they did.

As for the NFL stuff, I'm always interested to learn more about football strategy and history. It's the one sport that I never played growing up. So unlike baseball or basketball where I feel like I know just about every strategy and situation, I usually watch football with a bit less deeper of an understanding of what's going on. For instance, I have no idea which teams use a 3-4 and which teams use a 4-3 and why a coach would favor one over the other (Lewis explains it).

Definitely a fun and interesting book worth reading.

Author: Ishmael Beah Year: 2007 Pages: 229 Rating:91/100 Amazon: A Long Way Gone

A Long Way Gone is a true story but it is unbelievable to me. In Ishmael Beah own memoir he recounts his childhood as a soldier in war torn Sierra Leone in the 90's. Beah tells his own horrific tale in a calm and detached manner with gut wrenching detail.

The book begins when Ishmael is a careless, hip-hop loving (rapper's delight!) 12 year-old who leaves his village with his brother and a few friends to enter a talent show in a neighboring village. It will be the last time he sees his family. Beah's village is attacked and destroyed by the Rebel Army. This begins years of wandering the countryside, trying to survive in a small pack with other homeless refugee boys and staying away from danger in its many forms.

Finally, Beah is picked up by the government army (which is strikingly similar to the Rebels) and turned into a soldier. He learns to kill, pillage and maim all the while hopped up on drugs without any understanding or reason. He goes into painstaking detail to detail some of his mind-blowing experiences as a boy soldier. Any reader will constantly ask himself if this could really all be true. A boy this young actually doing the crazy shit that he describes.

Beah somehow rehabilitates with loads of courage, an amazing will to survive and a heavy dose of luck. He seems to realize that while he has come such an incredible long way in his life there are so many more children soldiers who didn't. The reader must admire Beah perseverance and success. The truth though is that the doom and dread that he describes throughout the book is really too much to fathom.

Litty’s Take

This book did what most good books do. It got me thinking. The stats say that there are over 300,000 children soldiers in over fifty world conflicts that are living similar nightmares as Ishmael Beah. I can't accept that. If I did, I might drop everything I'm doing with my life and try to find a solution because I can't imagine that happening in a world that I live in. Or I might just believe that the world is an evil place. Both of those options are so awesomely unappealing that I will probably pretend like this book was a novel and file the story in the deep recesses of my brain rather than try to make sense of it all. Depressing. Yup.

I'm not sure how society can break down to such a degree and I'm not sure why anybody would want it to. Ishmael Beah doesn't get into that. He tells it how it was. To him, the why didn't matter. He talks about himself like he was a pawn who was at the fate of the whims of luck and his own destiny. Although Ishmael has accepted that what happened to him was not his fault he does not try to disavow his actions. He also does not try and take credit for all the amazing success he has had in his life. I guess he realizes the story he is telling is much bigger than himself.

I would recommend this book. It will make you feel uncomfortable and that's because it is just that way. It also will make you appreciate what you have a whole lot more. Maybe it will even spur you on to do something.

Author: Michael Chabon Year: 2007 Pages: 414 Rating:89/100 Amazon: The Yiddish Policemen's Union

The Yiddish Policemen's Union is an imaginative and entertaining mystery novel written by one of the best storytellers of our current generation, Michael Chabon (Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay).

Bound only by the endless confines of Chabon's mind, the author rewrites history to create the setting for the novel. In 1948 the newly formed Jewish State of Israel collapsed through pressure and aggression from neighboring countries. Jewish refugees and their descendents settled "temporarily" in an Alaskan safe haven known as the Federal District of Sitka. But after 60 years, the District is set to revert back to Alaskan control and with an unknown future it's certainly a "strange times to be a Jew".

Amidst the chaos of the upcoming Reversion, decorated yet down on his life Detective Meyer Landsman finds himself in the middle of a murder case. Landsman must come to grips with his own demons and penchant for liquid breakfasts if he has any chance to succeed in unraveling not only the murder, but a larger conspiracy that involves his wife, his sister and even the future of the jewish people!

Litty’s Take

I really enjoyed this novel because of the setting, the characters and Chabon's ability to maintain suspense.

Setting
The concept of the Jewish people not having a homeland is not all that far-fetched. Chabon's version of history is a plausible (if not scary) concept, and gets the reader thinking outside of the novel to evaluate the security and future of Israel. Chabon also goes into great detail to explain the Sitka District and how it has evolved and how it might just as easily dissolve. Like all societies there are both unifying themes and culture idiosyncrasies that make it believable.

Characters
Landsman is a successful detective who has deteriorated into a lonely drunk. His ex-wife who left him is actually his boss. His partner is a half-Indian Jew that seems to be viewed as an outcast by all. Finally, the characters that Landsman encounters throughout his adventure is an amusing mix of crooks, rabbis, con-men, and shady characters.

Suspense
It's always an added benefit when a great writer who is masterful at creating characters, develops meaningful themes and brings a story to life also uses suspense to move the plot forward. Not only was I enjoying Chabon's excellent writing but I kept on reading to find out what was going to happen next.

Definitely worth a read if you want something entertaining yet still thought-provoking. Probably a step below Cavalier and Clay but still a very good work.

Author: Kurt Vonnegut Year: 1973 Pages: 302 Rating:92/100 Amazon: Breakfast of Champions

Dwayne Hoover is a successful car salesman who unbeknownst to his friends is quickly going insane. His favorite author is the obscure science fiction writer Kilgore Trout. Trout may or may not be insane. Throughout Breakfest of Champions there is a build up to the climatic meeting of Trout and Kilgore in Midland City for an arts convention.

In the last third of the story Vonnegut enters himself within the plot. This is great fun as it makes no practical sense but somehow enhances the clarity of the story.

An interesting touch is that Vonnegut includes his own line drawings throughout the story. These simple drawings depict things such as an anus, a vagina, chickens, syringes, flags, electric chair, etc.

The book was originally called Goodbye Blue Monday. Vonnegut changed the book to the "registered trademark of General Mills, Inc. for use on a breakfasts cereal box. The use of the identical expression as the title for this book is not intended to indicate an association with or sponsorship by General Mills, nor is it intended to disparage their fine products."

Litty’s Take

Kurt Vonnegut recently passed away and I was fortunate enough to read some amazing obituaries and stories about the great author. I even wrote a blog post about how much I admired Vonnegut and his writing.

I hadn't read a Vonnegut book in years and was excited to warp back into his wacky world. For some reason I never got around to Breakfast Of Champions (recognized as one of Vonnegut's top three with Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle) so thought it would be a perfect choice.

I enjoyed this book as much as I have always enjoyed Vonnegut. Through his writing he makes the world seem chaotic and perfect all at the same time. Vonnegut allows you to see the world in a different way, his way, and it feels like you can laugh at all the things in your own world that usually make you worry and fret.

I'm not sure that everybody will understand and appreciate Vonnegut dark satiric wit as much as myself. I do recommend you give it a chance though because if you do like it you are in for a real treat.

Author: Dave Eggers Year: 2002 Pages: 353 Rating:89/100 Amazon: You Shall Know Our Velocity

You Shall Know Our Velocity is the first novel from Dave Eggers. Most people know him as the writer of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, his amazing and touching life story.

Y.S.K.O.V. is about Will (narrator) and his best friend Hand. Will has thirty eight grand that he wants to get off his hands and believes a one week trip around the world with Hand would be the perfect antidote to solve all his problems. Those problems are Will trying to overcome the death of his other best friend and to recover from an ass-beating he received a few weeks prior. Will's badly bruised and scabbed body and face probably symbolize his emotional and mental anguish.

The plot of the story takes effect as the narrator swiftly and roughly recounts their travels. Will and Hand go from Africa to Asia, to Eastern Europe without much direction. Along the way they hope to give away thousands of dollars but they aren't exactly sure the best way to disperse of it. Will and Hand aren't exactly sure about much.

My favorite part of the novel is when Hand shares a conversation he had with a traveler he met in Africa. The story is about a tribe in South America that believes they can learn to fly. The story also sheds light on the title of this novel. It's one of those insignificant passages within a book that makes reading feel great.

Litty’s Take

I think Y.S.K.O.V. is a tale of friendship. Or it might be about life and death. Or it might be about one's journey through life and search for meaning. I'm not really sure and I don't think the main characters of this book are either.

Eggers is at his best when he articulates the raw emotion and thoughts of himself and his characters. His magic is in making sense of the things that go through your head that don't really make sense. He has an innate sense of the stuff that people are too afraid, or pre-occupied or maybe even oblivious to face themselves. He was brilliant at this in AHWSG and he shows the talent at times in this story as well.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel. Eggers writing style is unique and meaningful. I wanted more from the characters and more from Eggers. I think he gave the right amount though and I've already bought my next Eggers book, What is the What.

Author: John McCain Year: 1999 Pages: 348 Rating:88/100 Amazon: Faith of my Fathers

Faith of my Fathers is a family memoir by John McCain. He fondly recounts, through his own memories as well as stories passed down to him, the honorable lives of both his father and grandfather. The story then morphs into McCain's experiences in the Navy and his five years as a Prisoner Of War in Vietnam.

Both McCain's father and grandfather were celebrated four-star admirals in the Navy. John McCain grew up in this military atmosphere and followed their path to Annapolis and the Navy. In his youth, he was stubborn and foolish and did not set himself apart from his peers. In fact, he was in the bottom 5% of his graduating class. By his own admission, he played the part of a spoiled navy brat who reaped the benefits of his esteemed family blood lines. The turning point of McCain's life occurs when his plane was shot down and he is captured as a P.O.W.

The second half of the books is super scintillating (thanks Dicky V.) as McCain vividly describes his experience as a prisoner. He was beaten, tortured and interrogated. McCain turned towards the other P.O.W.'s for courage and support and to keep hope alive. This is also the time when McCain learns to love America and all the freedoms and comforts of our nation. Despite the mental anguish and terror, McCain begins to develop his ideology and moral compass as he survives through the trauma.

Many of his stories seem to glorify war. To men like John McCain the military is a way of life. McCain is honest and forthright in deconstructing all three men (including himself) and it helps understand the motivations and inspiration of the McCain's.

Litty’s Take

As I mentioned in this blog post I am going to read the autobiographies for all of the top 2008 presidential candidates. I started with McCain because I had the most outstanding questions about him. He is considered a political maverick and isn't afraid of partisanship. Yet many believe he is quickly swinging to the right to win the Republican Party nomination. I wanted to understand his past. What does it mean to be a P.O.W.? It sounds horrible. Is he still all there physically…mentally (this might sound foolish but really is something that floats through my head)?

I was satisfied with what I learned about him and look forward to reading about more candidates. I can now better relate and appreciate McCain and his ideas. For instance, he supports increasing the troops in Iraq. Understanding his past it's a cinch to realize that McCain would favor this. I'm not saying I agree I just understand the qualifications behind his convictions.

There are some things I liked and some things I wasn't so hot about but overall I feel more informed. I'm not here to share my political views but I do want to put myself in the position to make an informed decision. Reading this book has allowed be to better evaluate McCain.

Labels: Biographies

Author: Chuck Palahniuk Year: 1996 Pages: 208 Rating:93/100 Amazon: Fight Club

Read Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk and you realize it was easy for Brad Pitt and Edward Nortan Jr. to turn the film into a cult classic. The novel is both outrageous and profound but it also has a tighter plot that more easily coalesces than the film.

The novel is narrated by an unnamed average guy (nicknamed Jack) who breaks out of his monotonous life to rebel against the blah that is his life, his job and his society. He is sick of the bullshit of his job, the commercialism of a consumer society, and feels chained down to his worthless Ikea possessions. His sole relief is attending support groups and pretending he is terminally ill in order to illicit and feel genuine emotion and support from a group of people. He craves true human interaction.

Somehow (can't remember how) our beleaguered narrator develops a badass alter ego named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt character). Tyler Durden rebels against everything the narrator despises about society and replaces support groups with the invention of Fight Club. In Fight Club, people get together to beat the crap out of each other. It makes them feel alive. Naturally, Fight Club spirals into chaos as the narrator struggles to not let Tyler Durden dominate his life. Unlike the film, the transformation into Tyler is steady, logical and done in a way that clues the reader off as it is happening.

In my version of the book, Palahniuk writes an afterward about the immense popularity and social immersion of Fight Club. It is awesome. He serves up the idea that the story resonates with people around the world for the same reason why he wanted to write it - because this is a story for you, me and every average guy. It is a story that is to obscene for most to tell but perfect for everyone to read.

Litty’s Take

Palahniuk does a solid job of developing both an intriguing plot and meaningful themes. He speaks out for the frustrations of his generation and accurately uncovers the issues and fears of young adults. As I read the book I related to his hatred for the corporate world, disgust at places like Ikea dictating what one owns and how one should decorate his own home. We acquiesce to accept phoniness within society but still let it gnaw at our true happiness.

Obviously, Palahniuk takes the rebellion to the far extreme but it is fun to think about such an insurgence. He writes about what the average guy would love to do. Get into fistfights for fun. Defecate in food served to pompous luminaries. Tell the boss to f-off.

The narrator reminds me of a modern day Holden Caulfield (Catcher In The Rye) mixed in with some Thoreau. But instead of being resigned to his sorry existence and "quiet desperation", the narrator turns into a bad ass. It makes the reader feel inspired. The protagonist wages war with society and! It puts the reader's head in the clouds.

I'm pumped up to read more books by Chuck Palahniuk. I've heard about Choke, Survivor, Invisable Monsters, and Stranger than Fiction (non-fiction stories).

Labels: Fiction

Author: Alex Garland Year: 2004 Pages: 192 Rating:81/100 Amazon: Coma

Coma is mind-bending novella that follows the semi-conscious mental state of the story's narrator Carl. On the way home from his office, while riding on the train, Carl comes to the aid of a female stranger as she is being harassed by a group of young thugs. Carl ends up getting an ass-beating for the ages that leave him in a coma. At first, it appears as if Carl has recovered, is released from the hospital and returns home. But twilight zone like experiences and surreal events lead Carl to conclude that he still very much in a coma, albeit in an intense dream state. The stories continue from within his coma as Carl slips in between different dream worlds. He visits friends, has an affair with his secretary and revisits his traumatic mugging, but always reverts back to his vegetative state in his hospital bed.

The book's author, Alex Garland, who is refreshingly unpretentious as a write refers to the story (article) as "a short read. It was always designed to be. I suspect it would not have worked had it been much longer. Those jumps in mental landscape get frustrating after a while. You need something to grip on to.'

The fuzzy and confused perspective of his comatose state is heavily illustrated by Garland father and political cartoonist Nicholas Garland. The illustrations enhance the tone and intentional confusing nature of Carl's trippy journey.

Litty’s Take

I've been a big fan of Garland since reading The Beach and The Tesseract. This is his third novel and while it holds it's own and is a quick read it is way different from the first two stories. Both of those stories took place in exotic locations, with young, idealistic protagonist's searching for utopia. By the way, if you enjoyed the film version of The Beach at all (with Leonardo DiCaprio and a super cute French chick) it is definitely worthwhile to give the novel a go.

The Coma does allow you to ponder the vibrant dream world of the sub-conscious and makes you wonder what happens to a person in a coma. I've always figured that dreams were meant to be forgotten and that is why we all do within minutes after waking up. But how real are you dreams? Can they add to one's fulfillment and satisfaction if they aren't ignored? I also wonder if dreams are our mind's way of telling us stuff that we refuse to listen to in our conscious state.

My recurring dream: I am in high school and realize that I have a Science Final Exam that day. For some reason I haven't gone to class in months, haven't opened a text book and have absolutely no chance of passing the test. I wonder why I never dropped the class while I try to hopelessly figure out a way to scheme my way into avoiding imminent failure. Thankfully it's not the worst nightmare one could have because I must have this dream at least once a week.

Labels: Fiction

Author: Gus Alfieri Year: 2006 Pages: 300 Rating:86/100 Amazon: Lapchick

Lapchick is the biography of Joe Lapchick – a basketball pioneer in the first half of the twentieth century and more importantly a legendary coach at St. John’s. The book is authored by Gus Alfieri, a sports columnist who played for Lapchick at St. John’s in the 50’s.

The theme of the book is that Lapchick was a gentleman with a tremendous amount of respect for others and for the game of basketball. He understood people and built lifelong relationships with teammates, players, coaches, journalists and fans. Lapchick’s accomplishments as both a player and coach are distinguished. He was a member of the original World Champion Celtics, won four national titles at St. John’s and was the first coach of the New York Knicks. But it was how Lapchick lived his life that seems to be most commendable and gives the reader a sense that Lapchick would have been successful at whatever he did in life.

Alfieri sheds light on more than a few fascinating and somewhat underexposed topics in basketball history. He writes extensively about the barnstorming days in the 20’s and 30’s and the formation of professional basketball leagues. He also covers the point-shaving scandals that tarnished college basketball in the 1950’s, the prominence of the NIT as the major post-season college basketball tournament and the emergence of black players in the NBA led in part by Sweetwater Clifton for the Knicks (under Lapchick’s realm). Even as a serious basketball fan with a good knowledge of the game I was in the dark on most of these topics.

Litty’s Take

As a diehard St. John’s fan, a self proclaimed Redmen aficionado, I had often heard the name Joe Lapchick. I used to attend the annual Lapchick tournament at Alumni Hall growing up. But I knew very little about the coach or about St. John’s history before the Louie Carnesecca era. So it was great for me to learn about Lapchick and read about how St. John’s was at the center of the NYC and college basketball scene (something I can only dream about these days). I often boast, somewhat facetiously, that St. John’s is a six time national champion (of the NIT tournament). In the 1940’s and 50’s the NIT was more established and desirable than the NCAA tournament. St. John’s won the tournament four times in this period. Alfieri deftly explains how the NIT was the IT tournament of the day and any how the Garden became the Mecca of sports.

I also learned about the Redmen stars of the era including Sony Dove and Alan Seiden, names that were nothing more than words in the SJU record book. It was special to read about the start of Louie career as an assistant to Lapchick and the controversial way in which he replaced the former coach. Lapchick’s days of head coach of the Knicks also was a primer in the early history of my favorite professional basketball team.

I’m lucky to read the book knowing most of this history would probably have been swept away if somebody didn’t come along and chronicle it the way Alfieri did. In some ways it seemed to me that writing the book just for me.

Best of all, the book was given to me as a holiday present by my Mom. Pretty cool that she somehow knew than I would enjoy it more than even I did.

Labels: Sports