January 2007 Reviews

My library queue - which has been stalled for what seems like months - seems to be moving again. I was able to get through a few titles that have been on my "to-do" list for quite some time. There's not a loser in this bunch, either - all were great reads.

1. The Painted Drum, Louise Erdrich, Rating: 4.3
Erdrich, an author I read for the first time back in October, really has an exceptional talent. The plot is layered and complex, full of well-realized characters and interesting twists. My only quibble is the cover, which depicts a woman obviously far too young and inappropriately dressed to be the narrator, or any other character. But just ignore that, and read the book.
2. Love and Louis XIV, Antonia Fraser, Rating: 4.0
Give me another six months, and I'll be an expert on European royalty. This is one of the best accounts out there. It chronicles the life of Louise XIV, and the women that shaped his life. I found it fascinating, never tedious, and extremely well-researched.
3. Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami, Rating: 4.2
I can describe all of Murakami's books in the same way - odd and fascinating - but that doesn't mean each book is at all alike. Each is odd in its own, very special way. This is no exception.
4. The Perfectionist, Rudolph Chelminski, Rating: 4.1
I realized recently that I'm swiftly heading towards the day when I'll read more non-fiction than fiction (this assumes that we consider memoirs non-fiction). It's a few years off, but coming. The Perfectionist is a prime example of what's pulling me over - carefully researched, packed with interesting information, beautifully written, and "worthwhile" - you feel like you learned something by reading it. It's the story of Bernard Loiseau, 3 star chef, and the Michelin rating system. If you like food and France, you'll enjoy this book.
5. Between Meals, A.J. Liebling, Rating: 3.8
This was a lovely follow-up to The Perfectionist. Liebling, a deceased New Yorker writer, published this collection of articles near the end of his life. The subject: eating in France. Most of the narrative concerns the late 1920s, when he was a student in Paris. Liebling considered himself a "feeder" - not a gourmet - and describes the truly massive meals he ate on a regular basis. Here's a funny little tidbit about the author: He worked briefly in the sports department of the New York Times, and was fired for listing the name "Ignoto" (Italian for "unknown") as the referee in results of games.