Miscellaneous
Billy Bathgate - E. L. Doctorow ($.50/ $5.95, copyright 1989, 484 pages, Paperback)
I was a big fan of Doctorow's "Ragtime" so I was happy to come across this at a Library Sale in Metuchen.This is the story of an aspiring young street tough's initiation into the dangers and excitment of the gangster life in The Bronx back in the '30's. Billy is a 15 year old who progresses from a hustler on street corners to mascot of the Dutch Schultz gang as they begin to fall apart. Doctorow paints a picture that includes both outbursts of murder,coldly planned executions, and a romance that - in my opinion - derails the book. Still, he does create some interesting characters and his vision of the time and place rings true. It was OK.
The Cat's Table - Michael Ondaatje ($.50, $15.00, copyright 2011, 269 pages, Trade Paperback)I was a big fan of Doctorow's "Ragtime" so I was happy to come across this at a Library Sale in Metuchen.This is the story of an aspiring young street tough's initiation into the dangers and excitment of the gangster life in The Bronx back in the '30's. Billy is a 15 year old who progresses from a hustler on street corners to mascot of the Dutch Schultz gang as they begin to fall apart. Doctorow paints a picture that includes both outbursts of murder,coldly planned executions, and a romance that - in my opinion - derails the book. Still, he does create some interesting characters and his vision of the time and place rings true. It was OK.
This is not the kind of book that I usually read but I came across it while browsing through the tables at a local Library Sale. It's a coming-of-age story. Michael was eleven years old when his family put him on a ship, the Oronsay, that would take him to England and his Mother. He's given a berth, a place to eat at the Cat's Table (the furthest away from the Captain's), and the freedom to roam the ship. He meets a lot of adults who will have an impact on his life but it's the two other young men - Ramadhin and Cassius - who he really bonds with. During the 21 day journey, the ship becomes a microcosm of the world at large - full of authority figures, thieves, teachers, dreamers, and a shackled, dangerous criminal. Ondaatje has a great way with words and has created some really interesting characters whose interactions make the book hard to put down. I enjoyed it.
Off The Shelf
I was going to post this month's Blog Entry last week but I happened to spot this on one of my shelves so I took the time to read it.
Lord Jim- Joseph Conrad ($1.95/$1.95, copyright 1899, 307 pages, Paperback)
I first read this novel back in the 1960's in the Signet Classic Edition which I've kept all these years (and through several moves). Told by a man named Marlow (a recurring character for Conrad) Jim was a young man who sails off on a Merchant Ship as a crewman. Then something happens and he does something that he becomes ashamed of. He moves from job to job until he winds up on the island of Patusan where things start to work out for him. It doesn't last. Conrad isn't an easy read but, when I reread this, I kept seeing Peter O'Toole as the title character so it went well. It was OK.
It's the Memorial Day Weekend so stay safe. June, of course, is next and I just picked up an "Autobiography" that I'm looking forward to reading. And I just ordered a collection of essays - which will be a first for me.
Keep reading!
