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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These book nooks are a paradise for readers and seaside lovers alike

You don't know what it's like till you lose a parent

I'd read many of David's books in which he talks of his parents. Although many are humorous and heartwarming. Others though are sad and bitter. Anyone who's lost a parent knows the grief or reaction can range from hitting you like a load of bricks to indifference and everything in between. My Dad passed away in 2012 so I could sometimes identify with some of the conflicted feelings of sadness but not quite the level of bitterness David had with his father. Though with my mother turning 81 this year I know her day will come she will leave us and I can understand David's and Amy's feelings when they lost their Mom. It's a wonderful and heartwarming segment. 

Gore Vidal interviewed by Connie Martinson on "Connie Martinson Talks Books

My Top 10 Books of 2024

This is my top ten reads(or listens) for 2024. They are not in any particular order. It was a year of mega-biographies. Three were by Neal Gabler, two were from a three-volume set on Ted Kennedy, and the third was Walt Disney. Another was the legendary Abraham Lincoln biography from the legendary Carl Sandburg. The first installment The McCartney Legacy about the legendary Beatle Paul McCartney was only the first installment of more volumes anticipated(the second of which was recently published). Another timely book was of President Jimmy Carter, The Outlier by Kai Bird, who recently passed away.

• Against The Wind by Neal Gabler: The third and final volume of the late Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy's biography by Neal Gabler. I couldn't get enough of this series. Along with the Senator's biography, it also told of American Liberalism's rise and fall from prominence. (Audible, Narrated by Joe Barrett)

• Killing Floor by Lee Child: The debut of the legendary Jack Reacher. Tom Cruise has played him in films and Alan Ritchson in a TV series streaming on Amazon Prime. If you think Reacher is ruthless and vicious on the screen you should note he's toned it down from the books.

• The McCartney Legacy by Allan Kozinn, Adrian Sinclair: This is the first volume that takes an in-depth look at legendary Sir Paul McCartney's first years after the break up of The Beatles in 1970. Starting in 1969 the beginning of the end of The Beatles to the end of 1973 when Paul was on the cusp of releasing Band on the Run which would give new success and validation of his new band Wings. The majority of books about Paul virtually end. This is a rare in-depth look at Paul's career after the Fab Four. Another book I couldn't get enough of. I'm looking forward to reading the second volume that was recently released.  

• The Wager by David Grann: I grew up in New England maritime lore so this fell right into that category of a classic true story of shipwrecked survivors in the mid-1700's resorting to drastic measures to survive in some of the most inhospitable conditions. David Grann is an amazing storyteller and I highly recommend this if you're a fan of maritime history. 

• The Outsider by Stephen King: My first new Stephen King book in about 20 years (I've reread some older classic SK books in recent years). I saw the cover of this in a bookstore and was hooked. This was definitely worse. After a boy is brutally murdered, the apparent suspect who is thought to be a sure thing, is also proved to be innocent only after he's murdered by a distraught sibling of the murdered boy. Holly Gibney(a popular recurring King character) discovers what is happening. 

• Abraham Lincoln(The Prairie Years and The War Years) by Carl Sandburg: Being a Civil War buff this had long been on my radar to read. It is long though beautifully written by the legendary Carl Sandburg. It is an epic in every sense. If you read just one Abraham Lincoln biography I highly recommend this. (Audible, Narrated by Arthur Morey) 

• Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay: I discovered Roxane Gay by listening to her on a podcast and found her fascinating. This is a collection of her essays in recent years. She has a knack for being insightful, sensitive, vulnerable, and yet confident in her attitude. She'll make you laugh at one moment and then heart-sick moments later. Her writing can range from pop culture observations to very personal subjects that can be heartbreaking. 

• Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson: Professor Heather Cox Richardson(Boston College) is most well-known for her popular daily newsletter called Letters From An American where she helps make sense of current events with historical insight. This book also does that in it she helps give historical context to current events in politics and other related events. She does it with such ease without a heavy-handed bias one way or another. If you need help making sense of today's current event with historical nuance she's the one. (Audible, Narrated by Heather Cox Richardson)

• The Giver by Lois Lowry: This is one of those books I've seen around that seemed interesting but not until now I've dived into it. It's a futuristic coming-of-age story that centers around 12-year-old boy named Jonah. In the community he lives in everything seems ideal. Everything from families to jobs is already chosen for you. Families are assigned their members. Children are assigned separately from their birth mothers to family units. At age 12 everyone is assigned to train in a job that's chosen for them. When Jonas reaches 12 he is assigned as The Reciever and must train with an elderly man called The Giver. It's then that Jonah's really finds out what he is missing. 

• Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris: Every once in a while I need a dose of David Sedaris. His essays and insights are self-depreciatingly funny and insightful. It can be about dealing with the COVID-19 shutdown or his father dying. If you've followed David you may find out that he had issues with his Dad over the years. Even though his Dad gave him a lot of grief over the years it seems like the old man was mellowing out as he aged but David wasn't adjusting as quickly as his Dad. (Audible Narrated by David Sedaris)

To see what else I read you can check out my list on Goodreads. 

Vidal VS Mailer — A Battle of Wit! | The Dick Cavett Show