The Road by Cormac McCarthy
ISBN: 0307387895
The book is available on Amazon
I was hoping for a very dark post apocalyptic novel when I purchased The Road, but instead I found what felt like a half-hearted attempt at the genre. To be honest the entire story didn’t feel all that dark, hopeless, or even post apocalyptic. McCarthy repeatedly mentions the ever present ash, the ash snowfall, the ash dyed rain, etc etc …but this gets old after the first 100 pages. The dialogue is interesting if only because it’s short, choppy, and very much to the point. It may be important just to note that Cormac McCarthy is the writer of the now famous “No Country for Old Men” novel turned Hollywood blockbuster.
[xrr rating=3/5]

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
ISBN: 0446670251
The book is available on Amazon
After recently reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides I was anxious to read another book he had written.The Virgin Suicides continues in much the same style of sarcasm and biting social commentary, while remaining very approachable to the casual reader. The point of these reviews aren’t to give away the plot because that wouldn’t do anyone any good. So I will simply say that this was an interesting, relatively quick, and enjoyable read. The ending left a bit to be desired, but I’m beginning to realize that I happen to be extremely picky about what constitutes a good ending to a novel.
[xrr rating=3/5]

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
ISBN: 0312422156
The book is available on Amazon
“I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974.” Is your interest piqued yet? This remarkably novel follows the life and family of Cal Stephanides or Calliope, depending on when you met our narrator. Eugenides does a remarkable job of weaving minute details of the past with satirical humor of the present. This novel was exciting, engaging, extremely funny, and very approachable for casual readers. That being said, those with any knowledge of Greek mythology will find particularly interesting and comical tidbits throughout the novel. This is probably the best novel I’ve read in at least the past 4 years. I’d highly recommend this to anyone, but I’d emphasis that they shouldn’t get hung up on the society-induced awkwardness they may feel from the situation the book discusses.
[xrr rating=4.5/5]

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
ISBN: 0743297334
The book is available on Amazon
The Sun Also Rises is **censored**. In summary, the ending was quite nice. Without giving away too much I’ll just say the ending was very Casablanca-ish.
[xrr rating=3.5/5]

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
ISBN: 0061122416
The book is available on Amazon
The Alchemist is a quaint tale about a peaceful shepherd named Santiago. He travels from his quiet existence in the hills of Spain to begin what will ultimately become the spiritual journey of his life. Unfortunately for the reader, Coelho tries far too hard to impart these spiritual tidbits during this adventure. It’s not that the book is actually all that spiritual; it’s more that Coelho attempts force that on the story. If you haven’t gathered yet, I feel that he fails miserably at this unnecessary task. To be brief, if this book hadn’t been a very quick read (1 afternoon) I would have put it down and retired it to the bookshelf unfinished. It’s a moderately interesting story, but Coelho stumbles in his attempt to impress the reader with his spiritual ramblings.
[xrr rating=2.5/5]

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk
ISBN: 038549872
The book is available on Amazon
Survivor is definitely not for everyone. Palahniuk became famous with his novel-turned major motion picture Fight Club. This novel successfully carries the torch of sarcasm, pessimism, and dark humor. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this novel. Read that again. The first half of this story was very well executed, and then the second half of the book spirals into an absurd tangent that ultimately leaves the reader wondering why they are continuing to read. I won’t ruin the plot for you; if you’d like to find a plot review you can easily find one of those online with a quick search. What I will do is say that for the first half of this novel our main character, Tender Branson, is nothing short of brilliant. He’s brilliant in quirky and amusing ways, and yet he’s so horribly naive it’s actually hard to imagine at the same time. If you’ve ever read anything by Palahniuk then you will feel perfectly comfortable after even the first page of this novel. If you’re new to Palahniuk then you may be in for a new treat. That being said, do yourself a favor (I wish I had), just put the book down right around page 158 because after that it’s all downhill towards the ridiculous ending.
[xrr rating=3.5/5]