J Banville's The DROWNED Detached Detective Is Enmeshed in What Maybe a Murder

John Banville (b. Ireleand 1945) is a highly honored author.  He's been bestowed prestigious, international literary awards: Booker Prize "The Sea" (19  ),  Princes of Astoria Award, Guinness Peat Aviation Award, and The Franz Kafka Award. In 2001, Banville relinquished the financial stipend asking it be given to a  more impoverished writer. His books vary in subject but all share his unique, literary prowess.  Banville's canon of work is not with mystery writing for the most part. However, in novel The DROWNED (2024), set in a coastal, rural town outside Dublin in the 1950s he delves into a missing person investigation. It's  more fitting of a character study or psychological procedural versus a clever who-done-it. It seems Banville has never traveled far from his oeuvre of creating compelling, complex characters. Furthermore, Banville's storytelling is from varying point of views which give us a keen insight into how the characters are likely to comport themselves. The DROWNED starts off serenely as a self-imposed loner, Denton Wymes, along with his beloved dog are returning from a day of fishing when he spots a fancy motor car left abandoned in a field. Against his better inclination, Wymes goes to investigate when he's hailed by a lanky, dapper stranger. The man introduces himself as Armitage who claims his wife ran off in the midst of their arguing. Armitage explains he's been trying to locate her fearing she may have fallen into the sea and drowned. Wymes submits to coming with Armitage up to the nearest home in order to phone the authorities. The nearest home is occupied by a wealthy couple, the Ruddicks and their young boy who rent the home during the summer. Wymes observes something awry between the gruff husband and Armitage. Armitage is only too happy to allow himself to become inebriated while awaiting the local police. When Armitage wife is not found (alive or otherwise) Detective Inspector St. John Strafford is called in to investigate. The investigation proceeds at a turgid pace. It becomes evident solving for the missing wife, who may or may not have taken off on her own accord, but as a means for the reader to become familiar with the cast of characters. Det. Strafford's character is unassuming and open minded.  He's also easily steered by his love interests. Strafford hooked up with his nemesis' only child, a much younger Penelope. She informs him she's pregnant which renders him speechless. Meanwhile Strafford is despondent over the failing health of his mentor and old friend. How does this all wrap up in the end? Rather circuitously than rapidly with the villain revealing his/her deeds and with more collateral damage befalling several of the characters. Rigid mystery lovers should abstain from the unsatisfying scenarios that pan out weakly but Banville continues to leave no doubt of his force as a teller of yarns yielding their own rewards. I recommend The DROWNED along with "The Sea, " The Book of Evidence" and "Shroud." 

Rachel Cusk's LIFE of M Maligns "Natalie Portman" in a Presumptious Novel to Pass on

I've been a fan Rachel Cusk's literary works. I'm not the only one - Natalie Portman has promoted Cusk's books on her literary platforms and forged a familiarity with the author. Perhaps, the purported friendly recognition between Cusk and the Acad. Award winning actress was blown out of proportion and inflated by Cusk's already engorged ego. I may have fabricated that last opinion, nonetheless, Cusk is culpable of creating a work of "fiction" that analyzes character traits of celebrities and more egregiously of attributing these attributes in a thinly disguised intimation of Portman. The easily identifying marks include her child stardom, portraying a ballet dancer and living abroad in Paris with her young children. I cannot disregard Cusk's clever and engrossing style, however, this only makes her presumptions of the "anonymous" actor more devious. I admit to falling prey to the controversy surrounding a seemingly illicit representation of Portman in Cusk's most recent novel "Life of M."  It's factual that Portman and Cusk have met on numerous social occasions and garnered a familiar acknowledgment of one another. Praises be to both Portman and Cusk for being innovaters in their artistic venues. In "Life of M" (one letter off from N), Cusk merges auto-fiction with editorializing the exclusive and indulgent lifestyle of celebrities. The connections between fame and artifice drawn by Cusk is credible, calculating and for the most part, unflat-tering. A particularly harsh critique of M comes in a scene in an art gallery. M's artist friend has a showing of her paintings. "She {M} has always been gently supportive of her friend, admiring her for her artistic integrity. The same quality, integrity, is something M experiences as a kind of absence within herself. It is something she recognizes only in other people. It is like a vital organ that was removed from her early on and for which she is forever trying to find the replacement. She has had to teach herself how to life and behave with integrity." Cusk makes demeaning allegations of M as a neglectful parent; delegating most of her responsibilities and for becoming inured of her highly preferential treatment as a famous movie star. Towards the end of the novel "Life of M," M asks the author to her home to discuss her dismay with her portrayal which the author refutes. "I don't like the way you portray me, she said.  Actually, it's hurtful. But it isn't you, I said. It isn't anyone. She looked at me coldly. You've made it seem like I lack humanity, she said. You've made it seem like I'm unable to love." I agree with this ingenious critiquing by Cusk of the actor confronting her. I ineffectually denounce reading "Life of M" for the sham facade of Portman. Still, it's hard not to admire Cusk's prowess as an author, essayist and conniver. "Can it be true that work, in the end, has proved more lasting than love? or is it that work, without us realizing it, has somehow interfered with our capacity to love?"

James McBride's The GOOD LORD BIRD-Historic Fiction at Its Finest

James McBride is among the elite authors who've received literary awards for both fiction and non-fiction. The GOOD LORD BIRD received the Nat'l Book Award for Fiction in 2013. This work of historic fiction tells the story of the misguided abolitionist John Brown from the voice of a young enslaved boy who is taken under the protective wing of John Brown in the years just prior to the civil war and months before the his raid on the federal armory in Harpers Ferry '1889. Our protagonist, Henry Shackleford, dubbed "Little Onion" by Brown after Henry's father is killed in a shoot-out involving Brown. Brown mistakenly sees Henry as male so Henry dressed and assumes a female role along with the name Onion to remain under Brown's protection. Told in retrospect from a much older, free man, in the dialect of a southern black person with a keen eye. Henry neither glorifies nor disavow's Brown character or actions. McBrides novel is a thrilling and terrifying odyssey of survival as a slave seeking his opportunity to be free. Onion's path alongside Brown's camping, gun-slinging, and foraging travels as an abolitionist into both slave and free states is an unforgettable tale made exciting by the bizarre circumstances and sheer tenacity for self-preservation. Henry arouses tender feelings for the young boy, posing as a girl left on his own, dependent  on the kindness of Brown, and his assembled abolitionist army. The retrospective telling is told with tenderness and wisdom. Early on Henry had an understanding of how Brown operated. When first taken up by Brown, Henry noted, "Whatever he believed, he believed It didn't matter to him whether it was really true or not. He just changed the truth till it fit him. He was a real white man." Life on the run with Brown and his men was extremely harsh. "It's one thing to say you're an abolitionist, but riding for weeks on the plains in winter, with no spare victuals, you weeding a bad hoe for satisfaction to test a man's principles that way. Some of the Old Man's men was turned toward slavery by the time winter was over." Henry met major historic figures Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman on his journeys. And, much of what he witnessed was jaw dropping. "Even the colored in Philadelphia didn't seem to care about their slave brothers. I seen a few of them strolling about, sporting pocket watches, walking canes, great pins and finger rings just like white folks." The terror, bravery and major fiasco that unfolded at Harper Ferry which led to Brown's capture is memorable in Henry's telling. "Captain {Brown} brung hisself back to Harpers Ferry knowing he was done in. He knowed he was gonna lose fighting for the Negro, on account of the Negro, and he brung hisself to it anyways." The most profound epiphany Henry had was in retrospect.  "Nobody asked the Negro what he thunk about the whole business, by the way, nor the Indian, when I think of it, for neither of their thoughts didn't count, even though most of the squabbling was about them on the outside, for at bottom the whole business was about land and money. something nobody who was squabbling seemed to ever get enough of." The GOOD LORD BIRD is a brilliant, entertaining and truly significant work of historic fiction. It makes history come alive. This should be included in reading lists for all our public schools. 

D Stuart's JOHN of JOHN-Gay Love Runs in Families

Douglas Stuart (b. Scotland 1976) is Booker Prize winning author of "Shuggie Bain". I was surprised me with Stuart's toned down depiction of the stringent life in a small rural village in Scotland. While the harsh life and cruel treatment Shuggie received was abhorrent, his story felt credible and aroused empathy. In JOHN of JOHN (2026) our young male protagonist, Cal, is from a small rural island off Scotland's coast. All  similarities, struggles and sympathies diverge from there. Cal (short for John-Callum) is the son of the local vicar John and recently graduated from University with an arts degree. Cal has been floundering around the mainland searching for gainful employment. When his father calls him home to help care for his elderly grandmother, Ella, Cal packs his few belongings and returns home. Despite never intending to go back to the island, he reveres his grandmother who raised him and fears his dad. Cal's mother, Ella's daughter, left him and started a new family with his dad's brother. The reason Grace left gets revealed nearly a year later. Meanwhile Cal has worked arduously caring for the sheep and the family's farmland. The island is shrouded in secrecy amongst its motley cast of inhabitants who harbor grudges and distrust. The story is laconically paced which contributes to the ambiance of a sparsely populated island with nothing to do except toil on the land or sea, attend Sunday services presided over by Cal's dad and drink by the fire. Homosexual proclivities are kept hidden to avoid heretical scandal. Readers glean early  of Cal's homosexuality and of his father's long-time affair with his male lover.  Cal and John both keep being gay guarded from each other. The hypocrisy and self-righteous condemnation of those who have commit sins such as pre-marital or homosexual sex is egregious, especially coming from John who proselytizes mandates. The cruelty from church leaders by ostracizing an unwed mother was deplorable. The duplicity of father/son both being gay and being attracted to the same man was preposterous. Ella noted to John, "It seemed to be such an unfunny joke that you {John}would be the way you are, and he would be yon way too. It was too weird to think of." Despite the narrow minded, homogenous consensus against homosexuality of the islanders, the community would also pull together in caring for one another. The descriptions of the landscape's natural beauty along the shoreline and meandering open fields were lush and inviting. To reiterate, JOHN of JOHN is a novel of duplicity, subterfuge and self-abasement that continued to fester which prevented Cal and his father from being at peace with themselves and each other. Ella advised secrecy. "Whatever he {Cal} is, whatever he is not. Let him keep it to himself, Islands within islands." The burden of senseless shame was omnipotent and isolating.  John realized, "he had decided years ago that he would never speak to his son about Cal's sexuality. To raise the subject would be to cast light onto it and it should be left in the murk where it belonged." 

R Russo's UNDER the FALLS is Underwhelming, Unlike His Previous Novels

American novelist, short-story writer and screenwriter, Richard Russo, received a Pulitzer for "Empire Falls" (2001) and has had several movies and TV series developed from his works.  His sharp and facetious writing inn his earlier books, "Nobody's Fool", "Everybody's Fool" and "Somebody's Fool" will have you scratching head with his most recent work "Under the Falls" asking yourself, what kind of fool does Russo think I am if he think's this underdeveloped story passes for anything on par with his past classics. The similarity begins and ends with a similar, setting in a small, upstate NY town that has seen better days. Intended as a literary thriller it fails to deliver an intriguing plot or scholarly writing that Russo is known for.  Returning home to the scene of his childhood is celebrity, rock-star Tyler to give a benefit concert for his childhood friend, Doc. Doc was left a paraplegic following an accident resulting from Tyler and Doc jumping into the local watering-hole. Also left behind are Tyler's ex-best friend, Curt "pinkie-swear forever") and Freddie, the beautiful girl the two both loved (and perhaps, still do.)  Curt has been married to Freddie with whom he shares 18 year old son, Freddie Jr. and is the local chief of police. These childhood friends blends into a love triangle that turns tragic with a twist that's hard to miss miles away. Nothing seems cleverly hidden or construed. The novel reads like an outline for a limited TV series. In fact, the acknowledgements at the end reads "Under the Falls began not as a novel but as a TV pilot script." Russo explains that during the WGA writers strike the pilot script didn't survive. Nonetheless, I confess UNDER the FALLS could succeed as a melodramatic miniseries that would be more pleasing with an attractive cast. But alas, UNDER the FALLS falls way below the esteemed standards of literary fiction Russo has written in the past. PASS on this watered-down novel that fails to rise to the level we expect Russo to pull together. 

Japanese Novel BUTTER Blends Murder Manipulation and Mouthwatering Meals

The Japanese novel BUTTER by Asako Yuzuki is a phenomenal best-seller in Japan that is starting to gain traction here in the states as it should. Yuzuki's distinctively Japanese tale is a tangy mix of a true female serial killer, Kajii, whose male victims fall prey to her cunning wiles and culinary skills. The salacious details of the relationship are tempered by the simmering reveal of details uncovered by a female journalist, Raki, whose tenacious investigation gets her embroiled in Kajii's menacing manipulation and enmeshed in Kajii's love of haute cuisine. Kajii's obsession with good food blends into Raki's obsession while trying to cull a murder confession. The novel is stuffed with salivating descriptions of delicious meals and their preparations. The sordid details of the deaths of three of Kajii's lovers are slowly revealed. As in many recipes, the key to success is not to hurry and allow things to simmer. The languid pacing allows each character to become rich and multilayered. Raki's nascent career as a journalist is elevated when she becomes the only one who managed to secure an interview with the notorious and obscure Kajii. Kajii is waiting a retrial after being convicted of three murders. There are multiple ingredients that go into this devilishly delicious investigative, psychological thriller. As Raki warms her way into Kajii's confidence, Kaji's influence over Raki proves perilous. The shifting power in relationships is a main trope along with double standards set for men and women regarding physical appearance. Rika's growing appreciation for fine dining led her to add gain extra kilos and an epiphany about societal views on women's physique and stature. Rika conceded "...even if she were to lose a few kilos, she still wouldn't pass. However beautiful she became, however well she did at work, even if she got married and had children, society didn't let women off that easily. The standards were getting high, and assessments harsher." Getting inside Raki's life as a single-working women in contemporary society was an insightful look into the typical grueling work demands, cramped living conditions and prevalent feelings of isolation was eye-opening and fascinating as getting inside the mind of Kajii, a master manipulator and likely sociopath. Rika came to the final realization that Kajii isn't alone in bending the truth to suit her needs. "What's the truth, though really? What is a lie? There's such a small discrepancy between the two. Given that, what's so wrong about choosing whichever path seems more appealing to you? What's so wrong about coating barren, flavorless reality in oodles of melted butter and seasoning it with condiments and spices? That's my way of getting by in life, which has come about quite naturally."  Butter is a scrumptious, unforgettable novel from soup to nuts. 

 

HOW to Not DIE in PRISON: A Survivor GUIDE-If You don't Need This- Don't Punish Yourself by Reading

Tom Nelson spent 17 years in medium and maximum security prison from an early age. Taylor Sheridan, an aspiring actor turned successful TV series creator ("Yellowstone") became acquainted and formed a friendship in his early days while working out a gym in LA.  Nelson, finding himself in desperate financial situation turned to his friend Sheridan for a friendly loan which Sheridan said is never the case but delivered invaluable, pragmatic advice and a starting point to write about his own life. Both discovered Sheridan's natural talent for writing and an in demand niche. As Nelson puts it, "So, you fucked up. Can't talk your way out of it, buy your way out of it, or beg your way out of it. You are going to prison." This self-help, auto-bio on prison life is de riguer; essential coaching on maintaining your safety serving your debt to society. Some sound advice: "You Should be ready to jump if a guard orders you to do something." And trust your instincts, "If you really get the sense that something is about to go down either shipyard time or stay close to the towers-you'll be safe there, since convicts tend to avoid them if they're trying to do something shady.." While I maintain there is a dangerous and irredeemable population that should never walk among free society. the concept of people in chains, living in cages is anathema and inhuman. It also remains a mystery to me what life would be like serving hard time. Nelson noted that having alone time is vital to keeping you sanity "Having just a couple of hours to yourself once a week can be a big part of keeping your shit together." My curiosity did get the better of me and Nelson's candor, cogent prose with a somewhat humorous light makes the this survival guide worthwhile until it becomes too oppressive for those with a more sensitive deposition to the atrocities that occur on a a regular basis and the barbaric living conditions. I was enlightened beyond what I naively envisioned inside prison and chose to close down my kindle. If you don't need this survival guide my advice is to keep your nose clean, stay out of prison and keep your nose in prose of life outside the penitentiary.