Rich (12/26): Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie.

An old man kneels in the early morning and prays. Of what? His wife, his children, or of his country? He is silent, solemn in his reverence. Rushdie begins "Midnight's Children" with this image of an obedient, penitent man, asking what his role in life should be. The man does not wait for an answer.

A child is born on the stroke of midnight, as his country declares its independence. Every child is, undoubtedly, the future of any nation, but for such a nation that is just learning to walk, his hopes and dreams are its hopes and dreams. There is no bubble, no house on a hill on the countryside that insulates him from the world. In his basement, there lies a fugitive. In his kitchen, the uncle plots to overthrow the government. In the laundry room, his mother dreams of a forbidden love. When war breaks out with his neighbor, he is on the front line, holding a weapon. And, when martial law suspends basic civil rights inside the nation's borders, he turns into a savage.

With "Midnight's Children," Rushdie is ambitious. He wants to tell a story from beginning to end. But, as he gingerly pulls on the string, the knots become tighter, and this string cannot be separated from the others. Each must be described as it comes. Chronology is unimportant; what matters is that story be told. But, as Rushdie progresses deeper, he reveals that the jangle of strings is one continuous piece, distorted and twisted. This departure from a conventional linear flow is integral to understanding the characters and events. Rushdie shows that a person is not just defined by points in his own timeline. His father's politics and his mother's stubbornness reveal more than his own thoughts at the time could. The hindsight from the future enhances the frozen still-frame of the present by adding the trajectory of his growth. More than that, each life is a product of its environment, whether that be a child growing up in a fledgling nation or a country imperfectly cut along ethnic lines.

Salman Rushdie stands in the shadow of the bounty on his head, resulting from "Satanic Verses." But, in literary circles, he is known for this work. Like that of Galileo, Rushdie's work will outlive and eclipse his critics. It's a just shame that he will be unappreciated by the larger masses, particularly since it is their own story that he is recounting.

yong : book 12/25 : Honor and Duty by Gus Lee

Do we really need another book about what it's like to grow up as an Asian-American? Yeah, we do. And it's not even like this story is the typical Asian-Am experience. Because it's not. Plenty of Asian kids want to be black. But how many actually grow up with them? They want to be tough. But how many actually work out, get huge, learn to fight in the streets, and then spend ten years learning to box at a predominantly black and brown neighborhood YMCA? Suffer under a truly evil white stepmother? Attend West Point? Suck in math?

Kai Ting is a far, far cry from your typical Asian-American kid. And yet his experience is so very relevant, and so very relatable. And this is all the more so because whereas most authors draw small bits, subjects, and settings from their own experiences, the autobiographical nature of this story is on a whole other level. I'd guess that maybe 70% of the story is factual?

There are weaknesses, sure. I borrowed this book because I couldn't find the author's first one, China Boy. This story refers back to the prior one way more than most sequels, to the point where it gets obviously awkward. And some of the characters and plot developments seem over the top, melodramatic. But both can be understood and forgiven if they are the product of real life rather than crafted story. Because a real life is very much shaped by all the events in one's past. And truth is chock full of strange stories that would never pass muster as credible fiction.

I was very much moved, and I very much enjoyed it. There are loose ends left unresolved, and I sorely wish I knew how they turned out. But again...real life often does have loose ends, as well as tied ends that don't make such a good story and are better left loose.

Two unrelated comments: I can't believe there are only six weeks left in this. And Audrey says Les Mis should count as five books. :)

--Yong, in Michigan (and 11/25 was posted from Connecticut)

yong : book 11/25 : Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

I'd never read Vonnegut before. I picked this book up based on Kayan's recommendation and the enthusiasm of the librarian who saw me browsing his books. And now, having read it, I'm still not sure what to make of him. Or at least what to make of this particular book.

It's a somber book. It had to be, because it presents the fire-bombing of Dresden during World War II. Vonnegut's irreverent humor dulls the edge, makes it easier to swallow, but a spoonful of sugar can't alter the underlying, undeniable somberness of an entire city destroyed, its 135,000 civilians and war refugees wiped out. By our side. So it goes.

Vonnegut was there at Dresden during the bombing. It's a story he had to tell, and he does it well, freely mixing autobiography with historical fiction with science fiction. It's one of the great anti-war stories (Are there any pro-war stories?), his most famous work, and arguably one of the most significant pieces of 20th century American fiction. I'm just not sure if I enjoyed it. Yep, it's one of those.

One more factoid: From Wikipedia, Vonnegut currently only writes non-fictional essays, "focusing on subjects ranging from contemptuous criticism of the George W. Bush administration to..." Eighty-two years old, still fighting the good fight.

Kayan : 10/26 : Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

Vonnegut is a genius. Go read this book.

That is all I have to say.

P.S. The week I started this book, I was introduced to Radiohead by the same friend who nudged me to read Cat's Cradle. I brought Breakfast of Champions with me on my flight from SFO to PHL. During the read, I listened to Radiohead's OK Computer while watching the sun set over big fluffy clouds. It all fits. Try it sometime.

Highly Recommended: for its reflections of social absurdities and Vonnegut's ingenious ideas
Beverage Pairing: Orange Juice (no ice please)
Bonus Recommendation Track: OK Computer by Radiohead