Similarly to the embarrassment that I felt when I went to Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam before reading her journal, I had some regrets of not reading Franz Kafka before visiting his grave in Prague this summer. (This is a picture of Dwarf wearing a yarmulke next to the famous F. Kafka's grave.) Thus, I promised myself that I would read one of his books sooner or later. Well, I finally got around to it. I've tried numerous times to start this book, which many say is his best piece of work, but they were all false starts because I couldn't get into the translated pieces. This is - seriously - the fourth copy that I purchased and finally it was a great translation which I was able to read completely. Now, I don't know if you've read Kafka before, but it seems that he's got some psychiatric problems. Paranoilia is a running theme and I don't think that there is a large seperation between Kafka and the protagonist, K. Obviously, you'll have to read it for yourself and determine your own ideas but, damn, the characteristic correlations between what I read about Kafka and how K. acts in the book are striking.
I won't lie to you. The book is somewhat a complicated read, even after finding a well translated copy, and there are certain parts of the book that I didn't understand at all. However, the mysterious possibilities that may have resulted in the charges against him make the book a great one. I give the book 4/5. Find a copy at one of your local used book outlets. (254 pages. Total for the year: 7311 pages).
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
May 22nd - Book Twenty-Seven: Thirst
I used to buy and try to read a lot of short story books but I stopped this year because I know that I usually give up on them once I run into even one story in the compilation that I find poor. I haven't actually finished many compilations before. With my goal being to finish 50 books within the year, I've made an effort of foregoing anthologies to limit the number of discarded starts that could, possibly, reduce the overall number of pages I'll have to read to garner this goal by December 31st. In contrast, I have to read any other book that I start to its last page regardless if it turns sour somewhere in the middle. So, notice, this is my first book of essays this year.
Book 27 is a book that I bought at a London Drugs book sale a couple of years ago. I actually can't remember when I bought it, nor the amount of money I shilled out for it. I do remember that I purchased this Ken Kalfus book of short stories because I read the first story in the London Drugs and I liked it a lot. But, not all of the stories are in the same interesting level as the first two or three of the book. Actually, besides the great writing style, some of the stories drag and stumble to get to the end. Having said this, I do think it's an above average book and I'd recommend it to anyone that can get their paws on a copy of it somewhere, be it Abe's or Powell's or some other reduced price book peddler. 3/5 stars, baby. (207 pages. Total for the year: 7057 pages).
Book 27 is a book that I bought at a London Drugs book sale a couple of years ago. I actually can't remember when I bought it, nor the amount of money I shilled out for it. I do remember that I purchased this Ken Kalfus book of short stories because I read the first story in the London Drugs and I liked it a lot. But, not all of the stories are in the same interesting level as the first two or three of the book. Actually, besides the great writing style, some of the stories drag and stumble to get to the end. Having said this, I do think it's an above average book and I'd recommend it to anyone that can get their paws on a copy of it somewhere, be it Abe's or Powell's or some other reduced price book peddler. 3/5 stars, baby. (207 pages. Total for the year: 7057 pages).
Sunday, May 20, 2007
May 20th - Kore brings out the bling
Another individual at the N & S's engagment party was the famous and highly celebrated BC Hydro call centre phone jockey Corey W. Look at this beast. Good looks and perfect girth. And he looks increasingly more like George Costanza with every passing year. He may look outwardly like Mr. Costanza but the way that he's modeling that bling watch and pawing that gin and juice, he looks inwardly more like another famous George...George Burns! No, I'm kidding. I'm talking George Clooney! (Or, George Burns.) As if I have to tell you, he's pulling here.
May 20th, 2007 - The Proposal
Today, I attended the engagement party for my friend Narv and his fiancee Sabrina. This is a picture of someone and another person that also attended the party. They look happy. Actually, this is Narv and Sabrina. Though, I can say with some certainty that I don't know who the two individuals on the left of the picture are. (I think the one on Narv's right might be Keyser Soze; If memory serves me, I think he walked with a limp and he may have been holding his left arm with his right hand. However, I may be wrong. And this, certainly, wouldn't be the first time.) The curry served at the restaurant was the best. The best, I say. Well, at least, it's much better than the only other curry I've ever had: "Curry Point" at UBC. Very memorable event. I'm happy to see Narv growing up.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
May 17th - Book Twenty-Six: Londonstani
Sometimes I miss England and this sort of thing is a great reminder of just how much I miss it. This is a fantastic book that Narv leant me and it tells a story about growing up as a young,middle class British Asian (Indian) in current-day England. (It was released last year and it was actually a highly touted book that I saw everywhere while in England but I didn’t get around reading it then because it was (I thought) such a large book with over 300! pages. (Now, well, 300 is still a lot of pages but the Canadian print of this books seems to me (somehow...possibly thinner stock paper? Or dense ink?) to appear a little smaller and, thus, a little more manageable.) When I taught in Ramsey, I only had two or three Indo-Britians in all of the classes I taught and they seemed to have completely bought into being British so I don’t know how much of this book is really true but, based on the general experiences I had with young English society, I wouldn’t bet against any of this possibly happening. A great story with a very unsuspecting and shocking surprise ending, I recommend it highly to all those that are looking for a perfect summer read. 4/5 (342 pages. Total for the year: 6850 pages).
Thursday, May 10, 2007
May 10th - Book Twenty-Five: The Child Buyer
Written in 1960, Pulitzer Prize winning author John Hersey's "The Child Buyer" is my 25th - aka hump - book of 2007; I'm half way through to 50. As noted on the book's cover, it is a very Orwellian story that produces a surprisingly immoral story that I guess could have been considered plausible when it was writen. However, some will say that, with the advent, success, and proliferation of computers and other artificial intelligent machines, the story has passed its time. Yet, if you consider that every one in this generation owns digital gadgets that handily store information so they no longer need to learn or retain information as long as they are attached to these machines, possibly this fictional story, though using dated examples, is actually ironically prophetic. The book is very good. I liked it very much. Rating: 3.63/5. (258 pages. Total for the year: 6508 pages).
Monday, May 07, 2007
May 7th - Book Twenty-Four: Game Misconduct
I bought this book from Value Village on Victoria Drive for $5.99. It's a little dated - published in 1996 - but still a very insightful read. It tells of the many disturbing failings of Alan Eagleson's running of Hockey Canada, the NHLPA, his law firm, and his pro hockey player agency. Obviously, most Canadian hockey fans know a little something of the problems Mr. Eagleson ran into following his departure from the NHLPA and Hockey Canada but this book clearly outlines just how greivous these transgressions were. Really, he took advantage of the NHLPA and its players to use the union in any way that he could that would make him money. Fortunately, he has been caught with doing this. Unfortunately, though only in the United States. He was charged by the FBI but after refusing to show up to court in the United States he is now a fugitive of that country. In Canada, he has not been charged even after 15 years of investigation by the RCMP, OPD, and other Federal Agencies. Plus, Canada will not extradite him to face his charges in the US. Many consider his tight association and friendships with many top Canadian government politicians as his savior from prosecution in Canada and, ultimately, the United States. Besides the many offenses outlined in Mr Conway's book, the most surprising relevation in this book was the possible relocation of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the early 90s. Apparently, Mr. Eagleson was hired to help a group in the possible purchase of an NHL franchise and one of his suggestions was to buy the Maple Leafs from the old curmudgeon Harold Ballard and to move it to Hamilton. Apparently, Mr. Ballard had just had a falling out with all of his three children and, with his advancing age, was considering selling the hockey team. The book is written like a news article - I guess that makes sense since Mr. Conway is a reporter - and there are weird, disjointed sentences. The story is very interesting but don't read it for style. 2.5/5. (271 pages. Total for the year: 6250 pages).
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
May 1st - Book Twenty-Three: The Diary Of Anne Frank
When I went to visit the office building last fall that the Franks family hid out in in Amsterdam, I was embarrased to find that I was the only one there that hadn't read her diary beforehand. When walking around the museum the importance of the some stuff eluded me. Well, because of this, I promised that I would read the diary sooner or later.
The book is very much a diary of a teener with more than half the book written about her infatuations with boys. Obviously, at her age that was what was important to her even in the difficult situation she found herself in. There isn't as much material about the hiding place and the experience of living in seclusion as I imagined there would be but she does give sufficient insight into how hard it must have been to have done what she and her family had to do for the two years spent hiding. The hardest part of this book to read was the end chapter that explains the ultimate end of the apartment's residents. Very sad indeed, especially considering they were caught so close to VE Day. A very good and sombering book. 5/5. (283 pages. Total for the year: 5979 pages).
The book is very much a diary of a teener with more than half the book written about her infatuations with boys. Obviously, at her age that was what was important to her even in the difficult situation she found herself in. There isn't as much material about the hiding place and the experience of living in seclusion as I imagined there would be but she does give sufficient insight into how hard it must have been to have done what she and her family had to do for the two years spent hiding. The hardest part of this book to read was the end chapter that explains the ultimate end of the apartment's residents. Very sad indeed, especially considering they were caught so close to VE Day. A very good and sombering book. 5/5. (283 pages. Total for the year: 5979 pages).
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