Fiction

Though not as memorable as Mrs. Dalloway, The Voyage Out still attests to Woolf's laudable pen, which flows simply and lightly, yet exudes acumen and verve. One might argue that The Voyage Out is a love story, for it describes the romantic relationship between two young people---mainly, that between Terrance and Rachel---but more so, the story offers an insightful case study of each lover's growth and development. At times, the individual analyses become so concentrated and sincere that the reader forgets a romantic relationship is taking place. Enwrapping Terrance and Rachel's love story is a ridicule of high-fashioned 19th century London society. Woolf notes the perfunctory, petty lives many of the story's characters lead, and has them present various theories on what genuine happiness may be. All in all, The Voyage Out is an artistic, commendable piece---maybe not Woolf's best work, but certainly worth a read.

Fahrenheit 451 takes place in the future, where a "fireman", named Guy Montag, burns books for a living. One day, all of that changes when it occurs to him that maybe these books shouldn't be burned like the government says. What follows is Guy's chase around the city, as he tries to escape the government. I love science fiction, and even though this book is older than most I read, I enjoyed it. Ray Bradbury's predictions for the future are jarring, yet believable when you look at our life now. Children and adults alike will enjoy Fahrenheit 451.

Dead Witch Walking is the first in the Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison. The story line moves very slowly for the first half of the book and I contemplated not finishing it. However I decided I should give it a chance and found out that the second half picked up quite a bit. There was a lot more action and I hope that the rest of the series is as action packed as the second half of Dead Witch Walking.

Set in 1930's America, this is the story of a young drifter whose primary desire in life is to avoid the tedious and dull existence of his parents. One day, while Joe is running from a sickening experience at his latest job, he sees a private train carrying a wealthy group of people into the Adirondack woods; his obsession with finding the beautiful young woman on the train, leads him to the estate of a wealthy businessman, where his life becomes entangled with the tycoon, the woman, a poet, and a mobster. The book was written both in first and third person narratives, with periodic out-of time-sequence changes, and interspersed with poetry. Not only did the writing style make the story confusing, but the characters' overwhelming self-absorption made them rather unlikable. This is my first Doctorow novel, and I am not compelled to read another.