At Least It's Over.

So I don't know how he did it but Ishiguro got me to read all four hundred and something pages. Wow. At he end the narrator seems still to not know where he is and neither do I. The book has about 6 major storylines-none of which are satisfactorily concluded. Funny, there are so many books I've been wanting  to read and talk about that having to invest so much time on this one was incredibly irritating. My final verdict is that if you have plenty of time to invest in a frustrating read, step on up to The Unconsoled.

I Am Unconsoled :(

So I am still slogging through this monstrosity....ughh!! I probably have been reading too may YA and Middle Grade titles to appreciate something like The Unconsoled. It is just an incredibly frustrating read. I absolutely hate the obtuseness of the narrator. He doesn't have any idea of what is going on yet never seeks to clear the picture at all. I was talking to my wife about it and mentioned that it was completely kafkaesque. My son overheard the conversation and said the plot was directly taken from a scene in a Kafka novel. So maybe if I was more up on my Kafka I would appreciate it more.
Two other books on my bedside are Barbara Tuchman's March of Folly, about the self destructive behavior of great nations throughout history, and Autobiography of a Face by  Lucy Grealy that Jennifer Mann suggested when I went on a rant about how ludicrous and false I found Wonder to be.

😓

What We're Reading

The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro

By the author of The Remains of the Day, I know, pretty old school, but I loved that book so when I found this one in a used book store in Baltimore I couldn't resist. I am only a few chapters in and I can already tell you two things about this book; It is beautifully written and it is incredibly frustrating. The main character doesn't know what is going on and neither do I :)

The Verdict on Pax

Peter, a twelve year old boy living in a strangely vague war filled future, and his pet fox have been forcibly separated at the beginning of the novel Pax. The impetus for this is that Peter's father must join the army and Peter must go and live with his grandfather. Taking the fox is not an option. Peter and his father drive to the country and release the tame fox, who has never lived in the wild, into the woods. Before long Peter decides to run away from his grandfather's house and go back to rescue his beloved pet. Along the way he is injured and taken in by a woman who lives separated from civilization in the woods. The story is told through the alternating voices of Peter and the young fox Pax, who meets his own protectors in the wild. The story starts off slowly and the voices are a bit awkward which isn't helped by the vague, somewhat murky settings and the backstory of war. Where are we? Who is fighting? Why are they fighting? None of these questions are answered satisfactorily. However, the individual stories of Peter and Pax as they survive and grow do gain traction and become quite gripping. Peter, taken in by the mysterious, hermit like, war veteran Vola, begins a journey of self discovery that will leave him a changed boy by end of the book. Pax also finds others who help propel him on his path. A young vixen, her fox-kit brother, and an aging male all join Pax as he tries to make his way back home to find his boy.

Although flawed, I still found this to be a worthwhile read.  I would give it 3 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Today we are launching our blog and beginning a new book! That is so lit! (erature :)

Our new book is titled Pax and was written by Sarah Pennypacker. We've heard great things about it so we look forward to adding our two cents to the conversation. Check in next week when we share our thoughts.