N is for Nolan

Ireland is one of the most beautiful places I've visited. It is a country in which I felt very at home. When I saw a book set in Ireland on the N shelves of my library, I was quite excited. I had my choices narrowed down to two and of course went with the Irish book. My selection for my N book is Christopher Nolan's "The Banyan Tree".

Before I get started with the review of the book, I'm going to tell you a bit about the author. From the back inside cover, I read that Christopher Nolan was deprived of oxygen at birth and therefore was paralyzed and mute. Despite this, he was able to use a stick attached to his forehead to type. It took Nolan over a decade to write "The Banyan Tree". Nolan was working on a second novel when in 2009, he choked on a piece of fish and died.

Now that you know a bit about the man who wrote this book, let me say jabberwocky! This is what I felt I was reading for nearly 400 pages. I've never liked "Through the looking glass" for that reason. I don't like jabberwocky! There was a wonderful story in "The Banyan Tree," but it was so hard to find. I realize that the author was Irish and the English of the Irish and the English of the American are not always the same. I get that. He used different words for common things. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the long, rambling sentences that were placed in the novel for no apparent reason. I remember one paragraph, toward the end of the novel, that was one very, very, very long sentence. There were probably over 100 words in the one sentence. Sometimes it went from jabberwocky to sounding like a bad poetry jam. Despite the annoying way Nolan wrote, I loved the story and I truly loved the main character.

This is the story of Minnie O'Brien of Drumhollow in Ireland. Minnie is the wife of Peter and the mother of Brendan, Sheila and Francis. She is a passionate woman, a loving woman and an incredibly strong woman. As we turn the pages, we see Minnie go from young bride to middle aged widow to old, sometimes senile, woman waiting to hand down her farm to her favorite child. We read of the highs and lows of this strong Fenian woman. This is truly Minnie's story though we do get to make acquaintance with Minnie's parents, the neighboring family the Fortunes, the town midwife and we learn a secret about Minnie's husband Peter.

Like many mothers, Minnie sees her children leave the fold one by one. Her oldest Brendan is called at a young age to be a priest. We follow Brendie from afar as he leaves for seminary, is ordained, goes to Africa and eventually returns home wearing the ring of a Bishop. Sheila, the only daughter feels her calling to be a nurse. She lands in Dublin as the wife of an overbearing, over-protective wealthy man who traps her in a sad and oppressive marriage. Then there is Francis, the favorite. Minnie's youngest child is the reason she lives. Frankie, as he's called, is expected to care for his mother and their farm when his father dies suddenly. Frankie has other ideas though and can't wait to leave Ireland. Minnie holds on day after day, year after year knowing that Frankie will come walking through the gate at any time. One of the mysteries of this novel is whether Frankie will return and if he'll return in time to see his mother one last time.

"The Banyan Tree" is a beautiful story hidden in the rambling (though many reviewers call it lyrical) writing of Christopher Nolan. While I never got on the same page as those who adore his writing style, I loved the story. I turned the pages to see if Frankie would come home, to hear the sometimes hilarious ramblings of Minnie and to lavish in the green sod of Ireland. Recommending this book is hard for me. If you love abstract paintings, you would likely enjoy the novel. If you see swirls and paint splatters on canvas as swirls and splatters, you probably won't.

M is for Martel

Here we are just entering the sixth month of 2010 and I am half-way through my journey. I am really enjoying reading through the alphabet. For a spur of the moment decision, it has sure been a fun journey so far. I've left my comfort zone and though I do look to return to the thrills and chills of the cold war espionage novel, I'm loving the glimpse into more literary novels.

As you would expect, there were dozens and dozens and dozens of "M" books from which to choose. I again went in blindly, allowing the book titles to speak to me. I looked at several, pulled a few just far enough out that I could find them again and put many more back where I found them. One of the few I pulled out for a return visit was the novel I ended up checking out of the library. Usually when I pick a book, it's based on the title and the inside dust cover. That is where you find the summary and possibly a review. This is all I found when I opened this book,
"A boy
A tiger
And the vast Pacific Ocean

This is a novel of such rare and
wondrous storytelling
that it may, as one character claims,
make you believe in God.

Can a reader reasonably ask for
anything more?"

How could I pass it up?

Yann Martel wrote a wonderful novel that won the Man Booker Prize. This novel is our "M" book, "Life of Pi".

As the dustcover promised, it's the story of a boy, a tiger and the Pacific Ocean. Piscine Molitor Patel is a young Indian boy living at the zoo his family owns. You've probably already stumbled over his first name. You are not alone. Friends, enemies and even teachers did the same thing to young Piscine. He finally had enough and began introducing himself as Pi. With a much more suitable name, Pi continued his journey in life.

Young Pi fell in love, but not with a girl, but rather with religion. Pi was raised in a Hindu home, but not an overly religious one. Still, he felt the desire to know a Higher Power. He learned more about his Hindu religion, but still longed for more. On holiday with his family, Pi gathered the courage to enter a Catholic church. In this church, he met a wonderful priest who introduced him to the stories of Jesus. Pi was enthralled and filled with questions. He never had heard of a God who became a man. Pi still longed for more. He searched further and met a Muslim mystic, a Sufi. This humble baker of bread introduced Pi to Islam. Having three religions would be tough on anyone, but especially a teenage boy. Pi suffered under this weight of religion and question. Still, he believed. Though told by his father to choose one, Pi could not. It was this openness which likely saved Pi on his harrowing time on the Pacific.

Pi's father decided to sell the zoo and move the family to Canada. Pi and his brother were not happy about leaving India, but they were obedient children and got ready for the journey. It was the journey to Canada aboard a cargo ship where everything changed. The Patels were on the cargo ship with dozens of the zoo animals they were selling to other zoos. A loud explosion was followed by water flowing into the ship. Pi abandoned ship. He landed in a large lifeboat and waited for his family or the ship's crew. Instead of those companions, he found himself with a male hyena, a female orangutan, an injured zebra and Richard Parker. Though the name sounds like just another man, Richard Parker was actually a Bengal Tiger. These animals were not meant to be together, especially with a teenage boy on a lifeboat in the Pacific.

There were times reading "Life of Pi," where I almost quit and returned it to the library. This was not a cute story of bunnies and kittens. There were gruesome scenes of predatory animals making sure they did not go hungry. I often had to remind myself that this was indeed a novel, not a true story. For a true animal lover, this was not an easy read. It was though, a great read. Yann Martel is a wonderful story teller. His writing draws you in and hangs on to you chapter after chapter. You root for your hero or heroes. You worry, you get thirsty and hungry and wonder how anyone will ever survive. You know you are reading a good story when you actually care what happens.

I recommend "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel for anyone who has ever doubted the existence of God. I recommend it to those who wonder how much one person can take. I recommend it for those who think Job had it easy. If you can get past some of the graphic images of the animal kingdom, it is a wonderful and fascinating read. Enjoy "Life of Pi" and see if you can finish it not believing.