Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

 

After reading 7 chapters of this novel, I am so confused. I am giving up on it which I very rarely do. I have read 2 others by this author that I enjoyed very much but this one leaves me cold. I won't even spend the time looking for a memorable quote in those first chapters. Apparently, this is one of Follett's first novels and he definitely improved to be able to write Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. I won't rate this; it wouldn't be fair. Unless you love spy novels, don't choose this one.

The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman

 

"When I passed by the mirror in the corridor, I sometimes thought it was my mother's image I spied, not mine. This was her revenge. Everything I had done to her, my son now did to me."

    -Rachel Pomie Petit Pizzaro, from the novel

This was my first novel by this author. I liked it, didn't love it. I must admit I learned something about the artist Camille Pissaro, one I had never heard of before. Apparently, he was a very important French painter and a leader of the impressionist movement. I have Googled his work and it is lovely.

This book is mostly the story of Camille's mother, Rachel, who, as a young woman, was quite rebellious, much to her conservative mother's chagrin. (See quote) She grew up on the island of St. Thomas, along with other Jewish families who had been displaced by the inquisition. 

I enjoyed the settings of St. Thomas and Paris, both of which I have had the pleasure to visit. I didn't care for the magical realism and, at times, found the descriptions tedious---not a page-turner for me. The chapters were very long and there were many characters to try to keep up with. However, I must admit the lyrical writing is quite beautiful. I have rated the book a 3.

The Marriage of Opposites reminded me a bit of The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar in which a relative of Vincent van Gogh's is determined to introduce his art to the world while in this novel, the parents of Camille Pissaro tried to thwart his artistic genius.

The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissaro

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When the Page Turners met, it was clear that no one disliked the book. The average rating was 4.3, the highest rating of any of our selections this year. There were several members giving a rating of 5, fans of the author's style and perhaps, art lovers. One participant knew someone who had experienced something similar to the shunning of Rachel and her second husband. Most of us enjoyed learning more of the history and culture of St. Thomas and some Jewish traditions.

In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett

 

"I'm so glad we had this time together

Just to have a laugh or sing a song.

Seems we just got started

and before you know it

Comes the time we have

to say, 'So long.'"

   -from the theme song of "The Carol Burnett Show"

Someone left this book at my door anonymously. I suspect it was someone who knew I was a fan of Carol Burnett. It was not really a page-turner, but it was an easy, enjoyable read. I will rate it a 3. Liked it, didn't love it. Ms. Burnett is a great stage talent but not the best writer. I found a good bit of repetition and a few long descriptions of certain shows rather tedious.

The subtitle of this memoir is Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem and Fun in the Sandbox. As the actual title would indicate Carol writes mostly about the people she worked with on her variety show from 1967-1978. She goes into detail about her regulars like Harvey Korman, Tim Conway and Vicki Lawrence and even describes some of her favorite comedy sketches. She also compliments writers, producers, camera operators and other behind-the-scene contributors, not to mention Bob Mackie, the amazing costumer. One can sense that the cast was like a family and enjoyed "playing in the sandbox" together.

My favorite parts of the book were descriptions of sketches I remember like the Starlet O'Hara costume, Tim's elephant story, and the dentist scene with Tim and Harvey. (See link below---enjoy!) 

https://youtu.be/9IUSM4EKcRI

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

"If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way."

      -Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have read several books by this author, and I can truly say Ms. Picoult does not shy away from social issues, even provocative ones. Neither is she reluctant to take on tons of research to make her novels believable and accurate. She has tackled such topics as a school shooting, the Holocaust, abortion and transgenderism. In Small Great Things, she addresses systemic racism in a compelling story reminiscent of a Grisham legal thriller. 

The main character is a black labor and delivery nurse named Ruth Jefferson who faces a dire legal challenge. Much of the story is told by Ruth and other parts are narrated by her white female public defender, Kennedy McQuarrie, and a white supremacist, Turk Bauer, who is the originator of Ruth's woes.

With a gripping plot, more medical details than I could understand and disturbing scenes of hatefulness, both verbal and physical, the novel was a true page-turner. There is absolutely no humor and in her author's note, Ms. Picoult says she did not write it for fun but because it was the right thing to do. The chapters are longer than I prefer but I must rate the novel a 5. I believe it improved my insight into the Black experience, so it was the right thing to read even though it was not fun.