Thursday, November 7

review: House of Sand and Fog - Andre Dubus III

i had my doubts about this book. first because it is an oprah's book club book (even if all the club books have been great so far, i can't get over the 2 oprah shows i watched in college that were so ridiculous), and second the author's name has a title, "III."

this book didn't make me cry. WHAT?! you say. haha. FUNNY.
the best way to describe reading this book: imagine being an alcoholic hooked for 20 yrs since the age of 16, clean for the last 2 yrs... then imagine taking a nice cold beer, just to wet your throat, because, darnit, it's been a hot day. WAIT. is that a can of guiness in the back? oh yeah! guiness is a man's beer! then you see a bottle of johnny walker, and heck, you can't say no to johnny walker... and johnny walker would be quite lonely without vodka and the asian boy favorite, crown royal. imagine downing bottle after bottle, getting plastered by yourself in one night, hanging on the brink of death (or to death, if you actually take all that alcohol) and yeah, maybe you'll know what it's like to read this book.

it's a lazy california setting that accelerates to a big crash. by the end, your heart will be jumping in your chest and you will be breathing short breaths.

it's not a feel good book. it's a bunch of small things that add up, and multiply, until it is out of control. i think i got wrapped up in it because i've had that type of feeling, that walls were closing in on me. thankfully, i've never lived the same circumstances. one thing that the author did well: he didn't take sides.

ok, i've said my piece. more about my experience than what the book was about. you can find a short plot summary elsewhere. maybe i've made you interested enough that you'll read it. ;)

yakob at 2:09 AM

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