The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer

The Conservationist
Nadine Gordimer
267 pages

The Conservationist is an in-depth character study of Mehring, a South African businessman-cum-farmer. His success in industry provided the means to buy a 400-acre farm, which serves primarily as a tax write-off. In his quest for material success, Mehring has lost his wife and a mistress. His teenage son attends school some distance away, and has become increasingly independent -- estranged, perhaps -- from his father. Mehring mistakenly views interaction with the black laborers on his farm as a meaningful relationship. In reality, the South African class structure ensures their relationship remains distant.

I found Mehring to be a fairly despicable and pathetic character, which I believe was Gordimer's intent. He is a philanderer, at one point fondling a young lady he'd never met for the better part of a long-haul flight. Yech. And while at times he seems to appreciate the natural beauty of his farm, he has no one to share it with him. His time spent at the farm is empty, a way to pass the weekend or to hide from social obligations.

This was a difficult book to read because the main character was so unlikeable, and it revolved much more around character than plot. However, Gordimer writes some pretty amazing, descriptive prose that brought the South African scenery to life. Despite my rather lukewarm reaction to this particular novel, I will definitely be reading more of her work. ( )

My original review can be found here.

Kaddish for a Child not Born by Imre Kertesz (Laura)

Kaddish for a Child not Born
Imre Kertesz
95 pages

I lived in such a way that the Germans might return at any time; thus I didn't quite live. (p. 45)

This book is a holocaust survivor's first-person narrative exploring the impact of imprisonment at Auschwitz on his adult life.
Then she asked me whether I suffered or perhaps even still suffer from my Jewishness aside from what I had to suffer in the past. I answered ... that I have carried this sin as my sin even though I have never committed it. (p. 56)As the title indicates, the narrator is mourning the child he never had. His marriage fell apart after he emphatically refused to have children: No -- it should never happen to another child, what happened to me: my childhood. (p. 71)

This is a short book written in a free-form style, and yet was not an easy read. It is probably best read in small pieces and then digested through contemplation. I was not in the mood for this kind of book and probably should have set it aside. Nonetheless, I could see that, if read with proper attention, it could be a quite powerful book. ( )


My original review can be found here.

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck - Laura's Review

The Good Earth
Pearl S. Buck
260 pages

Pearl Buck's classic novel is an epic portrayal of agrarian China near the turn of the twentieth century, leading up to the 1912 Revolution. The novel opens on the wedding day of Wang Lung, a poor farmer. His wife, O-lan, has spent her youth as a slave for a wealthy family in town. Up to this time, Wang Lung has had to care for his father in addition to farming the land, and he is simply glad to have someone to cook, clean, and tend to his father while he works the land. His relationship with O-lan develops, in a traditional way, as she bears him children and works with him in the fields. During a time of widespread crop failure, they migrate to a southern city and learn to survive in far different conditions. But the pull of the land is strong, and eventually Wang Lung and his family return to their home town and prosper as farmers and landowners.

Over the years the family experiences birth, death, marriage, and war; happiness as well as suffering. Buck brings the characters of Wang Lung, O-lan, and their children to life. Wang Lung could be rather distasteful by modern, western standards, even when he was simply trying to provide the best for his family. At other times, he was motivated by selfish desires and made decisions which would be harmful viewed through any cultural lens. And I felt sorry for O-lan, who was helpless under his partriarchal rule.

Towards the end of The Good Earth, Wang Lung prepares to pass his land to his sons, just as China is preparing to pass over into a new era of its own. My edition of this book included a reader's supplement with cultural notes and photos of weddings, markets, and ordinary people which helped bring the story and the time period to life. This book is more than just an epic family saga, it also paints a fascinating picture of the life and customs of a country on the brink of dramatic change. ( )

My original review can be found here.

Independent People by Halldor Laxness (Laura's Review)

Independent People
Halldor Laxness
470 pages

Independence is the most important thing of all in life. I say for my part that a man lives in vain until he is independent. (p. 29)

Bjartur of Summerhouses is an Icelandic crofter, having earned his independence after 18 years in service. He is a proud man who works hard and has little time for emotion: For once the crofter was rather at a loss for words, for to him nothing had ever been more completely unintelligible than the reasoning that is bred of tears. He disliked tears, had always disliked tears, had never understood them ...(p.296) Bjartur establishes his homestead, marries, and raises a family, but he is entirely focused on retaining and strengthening his independence, often at the expense of relationships. His children grow up uneducated and ill-prepared for the rapidly-changing world in the first half of the 20th century. Bjartur is conservative to the point of being reactionary, and refuses to acknowledge the realities brought on by politicians and economic conditions.

This epic novel takes place over many years, following Bjartur through good times and bad. Bjartur was not the most likeable character. His single-minded pursuit of independence and financial security meant that most of his family were unable to realize their full potential. Their emotional needs were largely unmet. And Bjartur experienced losses of his own, but It had never been a habit of his to lament over anything he lost; never nurture your grief, rather content yourself with what you have left...(p. 450)

While Independent People is sobering and often sad, I also found it moving. With its expansive scope and tough characters, it reminded me of John Steinbeck's East of Eden, which I also enjoyed. It is not an easy read, but is well worth the effort. ( )
My original review can be found here.

The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek (Laura's Review)

The Piano Teacher
Elfriede Jelinek
280 pages

This review will be very, very short, because I really disliked this book and was unable to finish it. Erika Korhut is a young woman who, having failed in pursuit of a career as a concert pianist, now teaches piano in Vienna. She lives with her domineering mother who controls every aspect of Erika's life. Erika has no friends, and no romantic relationships, and her mother ensures it stays that way. At the time I abandoned this book, Erika was already engaged in self-destructive behavior, which was about to continue through a relationship with one of her students. But I found the characters lacked depth and were completely dispicable. I didn't care what happened to Erika and was really disappointed by this work from a Nobel prize-winning author.

My original review can be found here.

Laura's 2008 Goals and Progress

Like The Complete Booker and The Pulitzer Project, Read the Nobels is an opportunity to read award-winning authors. I read 3 Nobel winners in 2007, which is pretty pathetic progress. In 2008 I’d like to read another 8-10, several of which will also count for my personal Reading Across Borders challenge. These include:

• 2006 - Orhan Pamuk - My Name is Red (DNF 2/23/2008 - review)
• 2004 - Elfriede Jelinek - The Piano Teacher (DNF 2/23/2008 - review)
• 2002 - Imre Kertész - Kaddish for a Child not Born (completed 10/24/2008 - review)
• 2001 - V.S. Naipaul - In a Free State (completed 4/23/2008 - review)
• 1998 - Jose Saramago - Baltasar and Blimunda (DNF 8/2/2008 - review)
• 1991 - Nadine Gordimer- The Conservationist (completed 11/25/2008 - review)
• 1955 - Halldor Laxness - Independent People (completed 8/29/2008 - review)
• 1954 - Ernest Hemingway - The Old Man and the Sea (completed 8/9/2008 - review)
• 1938 - Pearl S. Buck - The Good Earth (completed 10/23/2008 - review)

Complete List of Nobels Read (with links to reviews where available):

2007 - Doris Lessing - Love, Again
2006 - Orhan Pamuk - My Name is Red (review)

2004 - Elfriede Jelinek - The Piano Teacher (review)

2003 - J. M. Coetzee - Elizabeth Costello

2002 - Imre Kertész - Kaddish for a Child not Born (review)

2001 - V.S. Naipaul - In a Free State (review)

1998 - Jose Saramago - Baltasar and Blimunda (review)

1993 - Toni Morrison - Song of Solomon, Beloved, Paradise, Love

1991 - Nadine Gordimer- The Conservationist (review)

1983 - William Golding - Lord of the Flies

1982 - Gabriel García Márquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude (review)

1962 - John Steinbeck - Grapes of Wrath (review), East of Eden (review)

1955 - Halldor Laxness - Independent People (review)

1954 - Ernest Hemingway - The Old Man and the Sea (review)

1938 - Pearl S. Buck - The Good Earth (review)

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea
Ernest Hemingway
128 pages


When reviewing a classic like The Old Man and the Sea, it's difficult to find something to say that hasn't already been said. This concise novella packs a punch in 128 short pages. Santiago is the old man in the title, a Cuban fisherman who has gone more than 80 days without a catch. He's a lonely man, ridiculed by other fishermen and forced to fish alone after losing his assistant (forced by his parents to fish with another, luckier, fisherman). Santiago decides to go further out into the sea than the other fishermen and, sure enough, snags a marlin larger than his boat.

The rest of the book recounts Santiago's efforts to reel in the fish (this task alone takes more than a day), and then bring the fish back to port. He demonstrates powerful mental and physical strength as he combats the marlin, sharks, hunger, fatigue, and loneliness. Much has been written about this work's themes of pride and redemption, and comparisons to Hemingway's late career. And while there are certainly symbols and messages in this book, it's also a great story that holds your attention the entire way through. ( )

My original review can be found here.

Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago (Laura's Review)

Baltasar and BlimundaJose Saramago


In Portugal during the 1700s, Baltasar returned home from war and fell immediately in love with Blimunda, a woman with the power to "see inside" others. They encounter a priest on a quest to build a flying machine, and begin working for him in pursuit of the same goal. And then it all got a bit far-fetched.

I wanted to like this book, and I gave it a good try by reading more than halfway through. However, the characters lacked depth. Baltasar and Blimunda, supposedly deep in love, seemed like two people going through the motions of life, let alone their relationship. Saramago uses the story to take satiric shots at the church and the monarchy, which provided mild amusement, but overall I was disappointed in this book.
My original review can be found here.

In a Free State by V.S. Naipaul (Laura)

In a Free StateV.S. Naipaul
246 pages

In a Free State is a collection of short stories -- one more of a novella -- about expatriates living outside their home country. Naipaul has a good vantage point, being somewhat of a "wanderer" himself: of Indian descent, born in Trinidad, and living most of his life in England. He is well positioned to lay bare the perceived glamour of far-off lands. However, this book did nothing for me. Nothing, nada, zilch. The characters were largely unlikeable. They were mostly male, and his female characters were appallingly shallow. And then I found it impossible to get past Naipaul's misogynist history, having psychologically abused his wife for many, many years. It's disappointing to read a Booker prize-winner, from a Nobel prizewinning author, and have it fall so flat.

This may be my shortest review ever, but there's really nothing more I have to say. ( )

My original review can be found here.

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk (Laura)

My Name is RedOrhan Pamuk
413 pages


I really enjoy reading prize-winning authors. I have a long-term goal to read all Booker, Pulitzer, Orange and Nobel winners. But with my latest read I learned that just because an author won a prize, and just because umpteen people have raved about said author, doesn’t mean I will enjoy their work.

Orhan Pamuk won the 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature. My Name is Red is set in the late 16th century during the Ottoman Empire. The central figures are artists, miniaturist painters working for Sultan Murat III, who had several books produced during his reign, all including the work of prominent Ottoman miniaturists.

The book is a mystery, beginning with the murder of a miniaturist. The story is told from numerous points of view. All of this initially intrigued me, but I didn’t make it past page 85. The intricacies of miniaturist painting, the parables and cultural references, the unbearably slow development of the mystery … I found myself getting lost, re-reading, and repeatedly falling asleep in my chair. What have I missed? Was I crazy to throw My Name is Red at the wall?

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Laura's Review)

One Hundred Years of SolitudeGabriel Garcia Marquez
458 pages

First sentence: Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.

Reflections: I learned something reading this book: I learned that I do not particularly care for "magical realism." I was initially attracted to this book because it's one of the "1001 books you must read before you die," and because the author has received such critical acclaim. It seemed like a must-read. When I decided to read it to satisfy both the "Reading across Borders" and "Spring Reading Thing" challenges, it became a must-read. I perservered, but in the end I am left with little to say about this book.

One Hundred Years of Solitude is a multi-generational family saga. Magical realism, according to Wikipedia, is "an artistic genre in which magical elements appear in an otherwise realistic setting." I was reminded of American folklore like Paul Bunyan. The characters had unusually strong abilities, and fantastic events like plagues happened often, and yet the setting in which this occurred was a sleepy rural village that you might find anywhere.

The writing is lyrical and in that sense I can understand why Marquez is so highly regarded. I just couldn't connect with the style and I think this may be one of those books that would be more appreciated if read as part of a literature course, where you can explore the themes and hidden meanings of events that take place in the story. As leisure reading, it left me flat.
My original review can be found here.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck (Laura's Review)

East of EdenJohn Steinbeck
600 pages

First sentence: The Salinas Valley is in Northern California

Reflections: East of Eden is an epic novel which tells the story of two interconnected families, and explores the themes of good and evil through a loose retelling of stories in the book of Genesis. It is set in Northern California in the early 1900s. Samuel Hamilton is an Irish immigrant who settled in the area and bore a large family; one of his daughters was Steinbeck's mother. Adam Trask grew up in Connecticut and, after the death of his father, moves west with his new wife Cathy. Cathy is the very embodiment of evil, yet Adam is blind to her manipulative ways. She bears twin sons, Caleb (Cal) and Aron, but leaves them as infants and goes to work in a brothel. Adam is left to raise the boys with the help of Lee, a Chinese housekeeper.

Throughout the novel, each character grapples with issues of good and evil. This is especially evident in Cal, who struggles to overcome the darker tendencies he inherited from his mother. The father-son relationships are sometimes strained and quite poignant. Steinbeck reveals the evil present in each person, while also showing the individual struggles and choices that can overcome evil.

This book was published in 1952, late in Steinbeck's career. Ten years later he was awarded the Nobel Prize, "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humour and keen social perception." While this book did not have as much impact on me as Grapes of Wrath, I found the story captivating and thought-provoking. ( )

My original review can be found here.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (Laura's Review)

The Grapes of WrathJohn Steinbeck
502 pages

First sentence: To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth.

Reflections:I know this is a classic, and there would be little debate about its place in American literature. I probably don't have any unique commentary on this work. But I was surprised at how much I was "sucked in" to this book, and how much it stayed with me during the times I was not reading.

The powerful themes in this book, for me, were 1) the desperation of the migrant families, and 2) the intense drive to keep families together. Steinbeck is able to convey the sense of desperation so vividly, both through the Joad's experiences and through the chapters describing the world around them: the car salesmen, the people who buy off farmers' assets, the growers/canners in California, the effect of the heavy rain. And then Ma Joad's intensity around keeping the family intact throughout, and her ultimate failure to do so, is just heartbreaking. I can't imagine what it felt like, in an age without email and mobile telephones, to have one of your children go off in search of a better life on their own.

I know the ending is meant to cast a ray of hope, but I was left wondering what would happen next to these poor people, stranded in a barn in a flood with no money, no food, and no hopes.

Another thread running through my mind as I read was about society's apparent need to find a lower class who can be mistreated. In this book, and in that time period, it was the migrant workers. Today, we have found immigrants to do similar labor and their living conditions in many cases are not much better than the Joad's. There are many other groups who are also marginalized. Why is this? And why is it so difficult to eradicate this pattern of hate and discrimination?
My original review can be found here.

Laura's Progress List

I love reading prize-winning authors, and am already on a quest to read all the Booker and Pulitzer prize winners. So why not add one more? I also enjoy "reading across borders" (books by authors from outside the US), and a number of the Nobel winners represent countries I haven't "read" yet.

In fact, I've read pathetically few of the Nobel authors. I've included links to reviews where I have them. I'll post further reviews as I read more authors.

2007 - Doris Lessing

• Love, Again

2003 - J. M. Coetzee

• Elizabeth Costello (but I didn't finish it! Is that cheating?)

1993 - Toni Morrison

• Song of Solomon
• Beloved
• Paradise
• Love

1982 - Gabriel García Márquez

• One Hundred Years of Solitude - completed 4/6/2007 (review)

1962 - John Steinbeck

• Grapes of Wrath - completed 1/17/2007 (review)
• East of Eden - completed 10/6/2007 (review)