Sometimes it’s Just Better Not to Know

The plague won’t leave the city until the killer of the former king is found. The current king, Oedipus, agrees that it’s about time someone looked into this—it's been about twenty years. A psychic is called in, and at first he refuses to say anything; then he says that it’s Oedipus himself who killed the previous king. But this is ridiculous! Okay, so the previous king was killed at the place where three roads met, and Oedipus does remember killing someone (road rage) at the place where three roads met, but it wasn’t the king! So why is the Queen so reluctant to carry the investigation further?

Especially if you don’t already know how this is going to end, you should read Oedipus the King (PA4414 .O7 B44 1978), written around 430 BC by the Greek playwright Sophocles. One hint: this is a tragedy—the day’s not going to turn out well for anyone. The translation by Stephen Berg and Diskin Clay is in clear, elegant English. It’s the traditions of Greek drama that are less familiar. There’s the Chorus, for example, 12 actors who through speech, music, and dance help interpret the actions of the play to the audience. The fact that all of the characters wear masks. That all of the roles are played by male actors. Reading Greek drama is like looking through a window to the ancient past—and finding that the people of ancient myth, while not exactly like the people we see everyday (and this is fortunate), are not completely different from us either.

'Siesta Lane' by Amy Minato

The premise of Siesta Lane is similar to other books that are significantly more well known – Henry David Thoreau’s Walden jumps to mind (I think this is intentional). Minato is originally from Chicago, but living in Eugene, Oregon when she decides that she wants to simplify. She goes in search of a home that fits her new philosophy – a small place where her life is less likely to negatively impact her environment. She finds Siesta Lane – a community of several small houses (about 150 square feet each) with no indoor plumbing and like-minded individuals who share her environmentalist perspective.

Siesta Lane is a book that is well-suited to read just a little at a time. Minato’s chapters are short, and like Thoreau’s sections in Walden, are written on specific topics. She throws in her poetry in places, which provides an interesting contrast to other similar books. Minato’s book is less instructional than other diaries of the simple life; hers is a more introspective book. After reading about her year of living simply, a life like Minato’s seems more accessible than ever.

'The Uncoupling' by Meg Wolitzer

The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer is a story about families in a small town that fall victim to a very strange spell – the women of the town completely lose their libidos. The story focuses on a couple, English teachers at the local high school, but includes many other couples as well. An energetic new drama teacher joins the faculty at the school and chooses Lysistrata for the school play, a work in which the women go on a sex strike to end a war. Gradually, all of the women of the town lose interest in their mates.

Although this book was enjoyable, I felt that it was terribly cliché that the women were the ones who stopped feeling sexual desire. In pop culture, why is it that men never seem to be the ones turning away from the prospect of sex? I get the feeling that this book just perpetuates the stereotype that men enjoy sex and women don’t. But like I said, the story was entertaining and enjoyable, and the social commentary isn’t necessarily a big part of the book.

'Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later'

I’ve been looking forward to this release for several months, so I was understandably eager to get a copy as soon as it was released. Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later begins with the Wakefield twins separated – Elizabeth in New York and Jessica back home in Sweet Valley. We find out that Elizabeth has been victim of some unforgivable betrayal, and Jessica is desperate to contact her. The betrayal? Jessica has stolen Elizabeth’s longtime boyfriend Todd Wilkins!

Francine Pascal and St. Martin’s Press released the first chapter online months prior to the release of the book, and I have to say, this betrayal of Jessica’s is probably the most obvious twist imaginable. Many of us fell in love with the Sweet Valley that included kidnappings, murder, evil twins and vampires, so this new book is relatively mild in comparison.

Even thou there are many new characters, Pascal features many characters from the original series and updates us on what other folks have been doing. Some fans of the original Sweet Valley High series may be disappointed that some of the old characters are peripheral characters rather than major players in the action, but I think that may be one of the more realistic things about the book. How many of us are still close friends with exactly the same group of people that we knew in high school? Things change, even in Sweet Valley.

'Monster in the Box' by Ruth Rendell

Ruth Rendell has been writing detective novels featuring Inspector Wexford for many years now. I’d be lying if I said I had read them all, but I have read several, and they are typically enjoyable books. Wexford is the Chief Inspector in Kingsmarkham and has a memorable retinue to accompany him on his many cases.

In this book, Rendell incorporates cases from Wexford’s distant past with present day events. We learn quite a bit about Wexford’s history: an early murder case, his past love, and how the two intersect. The story is that of Eric Targo, a mysterious man who Wexford believes to be a murderer. Even though he has not previously discussed his suspicions with others, Targo’s reappearance inspires Wexford to confide in his coworker Burden and revisit the events of the past.

Rendell’s fascination with the British immigrant population is interesting to me. Most of her recent books include a storyline that involves special problems of the African, Middle Eastern or Asian communities in England, specifically problems that deal with issues of women’s rights. Monster in the Box discusses the problem of arranged or forced marriages, and other topics have included female circumcision and abuse. Rendell usually looks at these issues in a feminist light, but it does seem sometimes that she focuses a bit too much on these topics. (Not that it isn’t enjoyable, it just seems like these problems are coming up unusually frequently).

On the whole, this book was interesting, but I thought it was slightly less compelling than some of the other Ruth Rendell books that I’ve read. I’m sure there are those who have read all of the Inspector Wexford novels in the correct order, and for those people, this book is certainly required reading.

'Zeitoun' by Dave Eggers

Zeitoun is the fascinating story of a Middle Eastern immigrant (named Zeitoun) who was wrongfully arrested during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A small businessman married to an American woman, he is considered a model citizen by his friends and neighbors. Zeitoun decides to stay in New Orleans during and after the Hurricane to make sure his property is properly looked after. While visiting one of his buildings, Zeitoun and his companions are arrested and imprisoned.

Dave Eggers is known for his journalistic approach to non-fiction writing. The other Eggers books that I have read A Heartbreaking work of Staggering Genius and What is the What were both true stories. I felt that Zeitoun was less entertaining than these other two books because it was of a more journalistic style than his previous works. His other books made an impact because they were touching true stories, but Zeitoun is less moving, I thought. It was an excellent book about true events, but lacking the emotional involvement of his previous work.

'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel

It feels that many people will have already read the novel Life of Pi, so this review may not be terribly helpful to those people. But I have read this book recently and enjoyed it thoroughly, so there will be a review anyway. Life of Pi is the story of a teenage boy, Pi Patel, who is travelling with his family from Asia to North America when the ship sinks. The ship had also been transporting many of the family’s zoo animals, and four of these animals, a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena and a Bengal tiger, end up on a lifeboat with Pi. After a short time, Pi and the tiger are the only two remaining. Life of Pi is a survival story combined with the unusual element of fear, admiration and love of the Bengal tiger, Robert Parker.

Pi is a very religious boy and though the book is not heavy-handed in this respect, there is frequent evidence of his faith throughout. When looked at in these terms, Pi’s love and fear of Richard Parker elevates the tiger to a deity-like status. By staying by his side during his darkest time, the tiger saves Pi from desperation and certain death. If Martel had written a novel about a shipwreck survivor that saved himself through his own faith in god, this wouldn’t have been an unusual book at all; it is the transfer of religious love to a living being that makes the book uncommonly endearing.

All in all, a wonderful book with a bittersweet ending – C.S. Lewis would have been proud.