Book Review: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Jun30

Book Review:

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

06.30.2011

By Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez / @ZaraAlexis

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Category: Fiction

Author: John Irving

Format: Trade Paperback, 635 pages

Publisher: Vintage Canada

ISBN: 978-0-676-97403-4

Pub Date: May 1, 2001

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A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is a book that even with its complicated plot and story is at its core, a microcosm and testament to the long, historical argument between undeniable religious faith and scepticism.

And while the narrator of the book, John Wheelwright, testifies and credits his faith in Christianity to the character, Owen Meany, his voice in the book is somewhat ambiguous throughout where his struggle between his personal faith and doubt is often blurred.

To John, Owen Meany is the embodiment of miracle: his supernatural visions and dreams, his own belief in himself as God’s direct instrument on people’s lives, and his prophetic knowledge of his own death all seem to point him towards messianic attributes that leads John to a fervent friendship and faith more in the power of Owen Meany himself, rather than God.

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Owen Meany, himself, becomes representative of the relationship between the natural and supernatural world where his extremely small features, his high-pitched, nasal voice, and his strangely coloured skin all point him to a bizarre other-worldliness. Even his own conviction in the absolution of God’s will is honourable whereas his conviction in his own power as God’s instrument can be seen as one of profound spirituality, if not a borderline narcissism.

The main character’s narrative is a memory-induced re-telling that is both memoir and psychological rambling of his past: his childhood, his dissection of religious faith, the helplessness against the injustice of God’s will and fate, and his own personal American angst.

Together, the book reveals the nature of the spiritual condition of humankind, the pain caused by injustice, loss, and the struggle to reconcile one’s own faith in the power of friendship and God.

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Zara’s Rating

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I read A Prayer for Owen Meany for the Random Reading Challenge from May to June 2012.

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Saturday Snapshot: 06.30.2012

Jun30

Saturday Snapshot

06.30.2012

By Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez / @ZaraAlexis

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post. Please see the linky at AT HOME WITH BOOKS.

Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

Literally taking the time to “smell the flowers.”

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A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust. - Gertrude Jekyll

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I own copyright to all photos posted and request that any use of my photos be first cleared by permission from me with the use of an appropriate credit line, which I will specify and provide, as well as a link back to my webpage.

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Fashion Fridays: The Headmaster’s Wager. 06.29.2012

Jun29

Fashion Fridays:

The Headmaster’s Wager

By Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez / @ZaraAlexis

Fashion Friday is a weekly meme created by FireStarBooks in order for book lovers to post any fashion related idea or image that they think would be a great match for books on Friday.

Here are my fashion choices for the book, The Headmaster’s Wager by Vincent Lam:

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Must-Haves for the Writer: Part Four. 06.27.2012

Jun27

Must-Haves for the Writer:

Part Four

06.27.2012

By Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez /@ZaraAlexis

A FICTIONAL CRUSH

When your real partner gets frustrated with the incessant sound of your keyboard typing during his or her 3:00 a.m. snooze along with your passionate curses against the laziness of your current muse, fall back to your fictional crush. He or she will woo you back with fictional flowers, eloquence, poetry, or even perhaps a much-needed fictional massage. Use your imagination! The original author of your fictional crush certainly did.

Edward Cullen. When plagued with writer’s block at 3:00 a.m., Edward’s there. He doesn’t sleep!

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A PREPARATORY ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

Should you ever become as renowned as Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Atwood, or Mavis Gallant, it’s important for you to be prepared with an acceptance speech that has the right amount of humour, class, and gratefulness required for the literary community in receiving your prestigious literary award(s). You’re a writer. You and I both know there are more ways than one to say “thank you.” Be prepared with a speech that will convey it well.

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A PREPARATORY BEGGING SPEECH (FOR A Writing GRANT)

Now, that you have an acceptance speech in your pocket, you should also have a speech ready to kindly ask—yes, beg-–for a writing grant to help you finish up that book of yours. You, know…since you can’t be expected to write a book full-time if you’re also working at your “day” or “night” job! If so, might as well expected publication in a good 10 years or so.

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A DARTBOARD WITH THE FACE OF YOUR NEMESIS

I don’t promote violence. But, in the absolute need to vent your jealous frustration against a successful writing peer due to your own personal form of procrastination and/or poor writing, the safest way to purge yourself of deep-rooted anger issues and loathing is to play darts—with a special kind of dartboard, of course.

When your words have failed you, your editors have abandoned you, and your manuscript burns in a bonfire in your backyard…

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THE CONTACT INFORMATION OF EDITORS AND/OR PUBLISHERS WHO HAVE REJECTED YOUR WORK

I’m not a vengeful person. Nor do I believe in vengeance. But, should you publish with a wonderful house who has realized the worth of your work where other have not—where others have actually sent you numerous rejection letters—might I suggest sending them an early Christmas present? Mmm…your bestselling book perhaps?

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THE SERIOUS BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPH

Every writer has a serious black and white photograph for the jacket of their books. You know the one. The one above the short, but brilliant bio. The one that denotes intelligence, sensitivity, and depth. Because as writers, we don’t want the world to know what we really wear and look like when we write: pyjamas, dog fuzzy slippers, hair curlers, and an old terry cloth robe…right?

From L to R: Don Delillo, Barbara Gowdy, and e.e. cummings.

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Hope you’ll join me at The Bibliotaphe’s Closet for Part Five soon!

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To read more posts on Must-Haves for the Writer, you can visit here:

Must-Haves for the Writer: Part 1

Must-Haves for the Writer: Part 2

Must-Haves for the Writer: Part 3

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Top Ten Tuesday! 06.26.2012

Jun26

Top Ten Tuesday!

06.26.2012

By Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez / @ZaraAlexis

Top Ten Characters Who Remind Me of Myself or Someone I Know

1. Jing-Mei Woo

from The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

While the character Waverly, who was usually first in all things and also the first in picking “the best crab, the brightest,[and] the plumpest,” for dinner, I, like Jing-Mei Woo, would be offered the last piece to pick from the table, left always with the least desirable one.

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2. Kathy H.

from Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Kathy H. is not only chosen to be a “Carer” in the novel, Never Let Me Go, but she is also the character who is sidelined by her extroverted friend Ruth who “steals” the limelight as well as her true love, Tommy simply out of vanity and spite.

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3. Gwen

from Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay

Gwen is the dependable, intelligent broadcaster who is both humble in her ambitions and her self-worth when it comes to work and love as compared to the alluring, yet emotionally disturbed character Dido. While Dido is desired based on her overt sensuality, Gwen proves to be the more substantial character.

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4. The Japanese Wife

from The Japanese Wife by Kunal Basu

The Japanese Wife is the beloved from a distance. She is beloved through penned correspondence only. While her husband forms a new relationship , the Japanese Wife is unseen and yet faithful.

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5. Elaine Risely

from Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood

Elaine Risely is a successful artist whose childhood suffering was largely due to an enigmatic tormentor named Cordelia. It is only later that Elaine Risely is able to confront her past and come to terms with who she is in light of powerful and destructive influences.

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6. Charis

from The Robber’s Bride by Margaret Atwood

Charis is the “dreamer” of the book and deemed the most “flighty” of characters in the novel though she is quite intelligent. And she allows, out of her sense of responsibility and compassion, to often times let others take advantage of her.

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7. God’s Gardeners

from The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

The God’s Gardeners are a spiritual group of people, whose theology is based on extreme living due to its love for the earth.

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8. Megan

from “A Choice of Accommodations” in Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

Amit and Megan share the reality of a marriage that has reached its low season dented by babies and the monotony of routine. People from their pasts can resurrect old feelings, yet reassure us as readers that passion can still spring up from the loyalty and trust found in strong, married love.

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9. The character narrative in the poem

“You Heard the Man You Love” from The Door by Margaret Atwood

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10. Shiloh

from The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

Shiloh is rebellious in so far as she is independent at a time when her family and her community would exile her. She is strong, empowered, sensual, and gifted in the occult arts. She’s also fiercely loyal when it comes to helping women in need even at risk to herself or her reputation.

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Who are your Top 10 Fictional Characters that are most similar to you or someone you know?

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A Review: Hey Canada! Blog Tour

Jun25

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A Review: Hey Canada! Blog Tour

06.25.2012

By Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez / @ZaraAlexis

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Category: Description and travel, Juvenile Literature

Author: Vivien Bowers

Illustrations by: Milan Pavlovic

Format: Hardcover, 74 pages

Publisher: Tundra Books

ISBN: 978-1-77049-255-4

Pub Date: May 8, 2012

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It doesn’t matter if you’re Canadian or not, this book, Hey Canada! is going to make you smile. And if you’re a blogger, you might even smile more!

The book is narrated by nine-year-old Alice who’s “writing [a] blog on Gran’s netbook,” about her coast-to-coast trip across Canada with Gran, her grandmother, her cousin, Cal, and their pet hamster.

The story moves from each province, starting in Newfoundland and travelling through each province and territory, outlining key places and facts about its culture, cultural sites, monuments, landmarks, history, nature and climate, animals, and geography—pretty much anything and everything, a potpourri of Canadian, encyclopaedic information—but it’s done in such a way that it’s both educational as well as fun to read for both children and adults.

It incorporates photography, cartoon graphics, and great sidebars that are both creative and fun, which include:

a Find It box that lists things you can find in each province
Cal’s Tweets
Hamster Updates
Cal’s Factoids

There’s even a periodical comic strip featured as Cal’s Historical U-Turn that explains a little background history explaining founders and origins for each province!

This book is a lot more than I expected it to be where it happily combines the realism of photographs to show the true context of key places and artefacts within each province along with the cartoon graphics of the book’s characters who, in their excited narrative, carry us, story-wise, from coast-to-coast.

Its humour and its layout is what makes this book a great grab. Because of the way it’s written and laid out, the reader can read the book from beginning to end, page-to-page, or randomly pick tidbits out and still thoroughly learn and enjoy new information about Canada and its provinces.

It’s also written in a narrative that children will understand and connect with while at the same time remain informative and entertaining to both children and adults.

Hey Canada! is a fun, creative, and informative book that reads like the adventure it claims and the discovery it promotes and would be a great addition to any personal library.

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Zara’s Rating

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For more information, you’re more than welcome to visit the author and illustrator’s websites here:

Vivien Bowers

Website

Vivien Bowers on Facebook

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Milan Pavlovic

Website

Milan Pavlovic’s Blog

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And guess what? Cousin Cal has his own Twitter account!

Tweet, tweet, tweet!

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You can follow him and read his fun facts about Canada, here.

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There’s also a Twitter list that can help you track the Hey Canada! Blog Tour. Check out the hastag #HeyCanada for posts, too.

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And it gets better!

You could win a copy of the book on Goodreads so be sure to sign-up and enter!

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If you were to travel across Canada on a road trip, what places might you want to travel to the most?

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Stacking the Shelves: 06.24.2012

Jun24

Stacking the Shelves

06.24.2012

By Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez / @ZaraAlexis

I actually DIDN’T make any book purchases this week, which is a first for me. But, needless to say, it was probably meant to be considering that I received instead, quite a number of books and ARC for review from publishers and also won a number of titles through online contests via Twitter, Facebook, and blogs!

Books for Review:

Here are the books I received from publishers for review.

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Books I won:

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How did you stack up this week?

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Saturday Snapshot: 06.23.2012

Jun23

Saturday Snapshot

06.23.2012

By Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez / @ZaraAlexis

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post. Please see the linky at AT HOME WITH BOOKS.

My daughter thinking about which wish to make.

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Children’s games are hardly games. Children are never more serious than when they play. - Montaigne

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Fashion Fridays: The Night Circus. 06.22.2012

Jun22

Fashion Fridays

Fashion Match for The night circus

06.22.2012

By Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez / @ZaraAlexis

Fashion Friday is a weekly meme created by FireStarBooks in order for book lovers to post any fashion related idea or image that they think would be a great match for books on Friday.

Here are my fashion choices for the book, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern:

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How has literature influenced fashion, architecture, and decor?

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Book Review: Inside by Alix Ohlin

Jun21

Book Review:

Inside by Alix Ohlin

06.21.2012

By Zara D. Garcia-Alvarez / @ZaraAlexis

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Category: Fiction

Author: Alix Ohlin

Format: ARC, 258 pages

Publisher: House of Anansi

ISBN: 978-1-77089-206-4

Pub Date: June 16, 2012

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Inside by Alix Ohlin is a novel focused on multiple characters who are not only connected by a relational web of what is known as six degrees of separation, but also by the novel’s theme: an inner and hidden story of suffering.

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But, this is not a book to get depressed about. It reads easily and naturally, moving you to experience the characters’ regret, turmoil, and sometimes neurosis in an intimate way because the characters themselves are written so well and realistically that the reader is compelled by empathy to turn the page.

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It begins with Grace (both in name and in context), a divorced therapist from Montreal, who, on a ski run discovers a man in the snow who had just failed to hang himself. From there, her professional instinct, attraction, and intrigue compels her to ensure his safety, which in time evolves into a relationship that evokes both comfort, escape, and risk.

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Mitch, Grace’s ex-husband must battle issues of low self-esteem and delusions of failure in the midst of a complicated relationship with a competent, yet needy woman named Martine and her autistic son, Mathieu.

As the dynamics of their relationship unravels, so does Mitch’s need to escape to his work up north in Iqaluit. There he rediscovers the refuge and refusal of the Arctic as well as his limited powers of persuasion when it comes to a deeply disturbed, young man named Thomasie.

Iqaluit

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Annie, one of Grace’s former clients whose predisposition to self-multilate is hardened by her parents’ wealth, condescending expectations, and lack of attention. She finds power in her ability to transform herself as an aspiring actress both on stage, on-screen, and to herself where the disconnection of her lifestyle is further complicated with the arrival and acceptance of a pregnant runaway named Hilary and her boyfriend Alan.

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Together these stories reveal the inner dynamics of private histories, introspection, and wounds, which for some, continue to be an emotional and destructive force, while for others, a learning process for acceptance, resignation, and renewal.

Inside is a multitude of stories revealing the inner geography of the human condition when circumcised by trauma and grief and the compulsion of choices made in order to emotionally survive.

It is as entertaining as it is devastating and as true as it is as imaginative. It is a collection and testament to the depth of our psychology and the raw beauty of our willingness to resign to both love and despair.

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Zara’s Rating