Fahrenheit 451 - Thug Notes Summary and Analysis

A thoughtful, concise, and humorous look at a serious book, Fahrenheit 451 by the late Ray Bradbury. It's about a futuristic society where books are illegal. Firemen burn books instead of putting out fires. The main protagonist, a Fireman called Guy Montag, who becomes curious about the books he burns after meeting a 17-year-old girl named Clarisse in his neighborhood. His life is forever changed. 

The Bookshop with Evan Friss

Review: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingslover

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I became aware of this book because of reviews of another book (Hilbilly Elegy by JD Vance) that recommended this book as being a better representation of poverty and people in Appalachia. The book is written as a modern-day interpretation of the classic David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, which I haven't read, so I wouldn't be very good at making any comparisons to the original story.
Demon is born to a drug-addicted mother. His father had already died before his birth. He grew up in extreme poverty in a relatively rural area. He has friends close by but no close family. After going away for a bit, he comes home to find his Mom had remarried to an abusive(to him and his mother) man. That's the starting point of the book.

My interest in the book starts strong. It seems poor Demon can't catch a break in life. He has a tumultuous relationship with his new stepdad, Stoner. His Mom loses her battle with an overdose and he ends up getting put, by DSS, through a tobacco work farm and then a family where he's stuck in the laundry room and at 9 years old is expected pull his weight financially and is barely fed enough. The father pawns him off to a local storekeeper who has him picking through trash. The family, already dirt poor, ends up leaving, and he goes off to find his paternal grandmother with only a vague notion of where she lives. Just when you think it couldn't get worse, he's robbed by a truck stop addict/prostitute and is left even more penniless. Starving and desperate, he ends up finding his grandmother.

His grandmother, though, is hyper focused on helping women and has little interest in even helping her grandson and her elderly disabled brother, who is rather frail but is well read and has a sharper mind than may first appear. Despite her disdain for men, she helps find a place for Demon through her connections with a football coach elsewhere that will take her grandson in. Before leaving his frail great uncle, (Mr. Dick) leaves him with this thought, "Never be mean in anything. Never be false. Never be cruel. I can always be hopeful of you.". Demon seems to be really touched by these words and takes them to heart.

The football coach is a successful guy admired in his community, but we later find out he has a drinking problem. At first, Demon can't seem to believe his luck. He lives in the Coach's mansion with his room. We seem to rarely see the coach as his assistant, called "U-Haul" (There are a lot of nicknames in this book, so be warned, as it can be confusing) does a lot of the coach's errands and other tasks. He is treated well for a change and enjoys his relative freedom. He has a part-time job at a feed store. While there he meets Dori and falls in love with her.

Over time, the Coach realizes Demon has a football talent. Demon finds success and popularity on the football field. When things were looking good for him, he suffered a serious football injury, and everything seemed to change for the worse. He started on OxyContin, and then Dori introduced him to fentanyl (from her ill father's supply). As you can surmise, it goes downhill from there. I'll stop here, so I won't spoil anything.

I did the book, but I didn't fall in love with the story as many others have. I followed it pretty well up until Demon's injury. Then, it seemed to be a jumble of events and relationships that confused me. As I mentioned before, everyone seems to have a nickname, which was a chore to keep track of. It certainly painted a grim picture of extreme poverty in Appalachia and the drug issues that go along with it. I did enjoy it, but it isn't one I'd return to.

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Connie Martinson Talks With Gore Vidal about Lincoln (1988)

New York Sketches by E.B. White

 

New York Sketches by E.B. White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Most of my knowledge of E.B. White comes from the classic Charlotte Web book. Heard this mationed in a book podcast(the actual one I can't remember and it sounded interesting. I managed to borrow one from my local library. It came at a time when I was reading a couple of long books that were heavy in weight and subject matter, They were beginning to feel like a slog so this thin humble volume was appealing.

The book is snippets of White's time in New York City from the 1930s to 1950s. His writing is welcoming, light, and witty. Many are observations, poems, and a short story or two. It's not like a long book where chapters can go on forever. This you can dive in and out at easily without a heavy feeling of commitment. It was a joy to read.

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