I'd Know You Anywhere

Title: I’d Know You Anywhere: A Novel
Author: Laura Lippman
Pages: 384

Bookworm: I finally finished our book last night. It was down to the wire this time! Ready to discuss?

Bookworm: Well, I have to say I didn't like it that much. The novel never really seemed to pick up steam, I never felt held in suspense and I felt the ending was anticlimactic. I like her writing but I didn't think that her plot was developed enough. What did you think?

Me: I liked it. And was actually really interested to see what would happen when they came face to face. And I liked that Walter at least owned up to two more crimes. And I'm glad Eliza didn't save him.I HATED, HATED, HATED the character of Barbara LaFortuny. She was horrible. Not one of my favorite books. I wouldn't rave about it or anything. But it was decent.I think the weirdest thing was that I never connected to any of the characters in the story. It was like reading behind the scenes of a newspaper article. No emotion. Or connection. I don't feel like I knew them.

Bookworm: I agree with the hate you felt towards Barbara. I didn't like her either. I thought who she became after her own attack was an odd outcome of what she had suffered through. I would think that being knifed would make you a little softer, more grateful for life. She just seemed more cynical.I connected a bit with Eliza, or maybe I wanted to but never felt like I could. I didn't feel like the characters were developed well enough on an emotional level. I wish the author would have gotten into the day she was returned home, the family's reaction to her return, how she became relatively well adjusted. I guess I yearned for more emotion.It's not a book I would recommend to others, but it wasn't bad; just unimpressive.There were some interesting lines in there, like the one about the state killing the Walter that no longer existed. That made me think about the death penalty for a while.What about you? Did this book make you think about anything in particular, such as the death penalty?

Me: I agree the author could have put in a lot more detail and emotion. Like I wonder how Eliza was traumatized but still able to end up with a great husband like Peter, and great kids. Even a little bit about her going through therapy or something. One of the big things I thought about was forgiveness and the nature of it. It's such a big concept and one I struggle with. I have a really hard time forgiving people. I tend to hold on to hurts for a long time. I wonder if Eliza was able to forgive Walter truly. And if she was ever able to forgive herself. What did you think of the death penalty? In general? And in the case of Walter? Weirdly I never understood why Walter did what he did. Maybe that's more true to real life.

Bookworm: I am against the death penalty, though I can certainly understand those who are for it. I just see it as yet another murder being committed. However, I think prisons really need to be reformed so that it may possibly deter people from making bad choices. No TV, no higher learning, no options to buy fast food- a lot tougher, basically. In the case of Walter this is still my opinion. I, like you, never fully understood why Walter did what he did, and I liked that. As you said, it felt closer to real life.

Me: What did you think about the relationship between Walter and Eliza? Too friendly?

Bookworm: Um, I'm not sure. I think the friendliness (though I'm not sure if that's the right word for how I saw their relationship) speaks to the level of control he had over her and the odd relationship she developed with him when she could have escaped multiple times. I have never understood Stockholm syndrome. What did you think about it?

Me: It was so strange. She seemed to like him too much. I can see why the author character (sorry, I forgot his character name and I turned the book back into the library), said that something more was going on. I think she was too eager to please people. And she and Walter formed almost a strange friendship. It created a Stockholm syndrome.

My final verdict: 2 out of 5 stars

Book of the Month

Title: A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father
Author: Augusten Burroughs
Pages: 256

I can’t believe December and Christmas is here and upon us already. Bring on the stress and the food! As you know, each month it gets harder and harder to pick my book. Sometimes, I pick a book inspired by the holiday of that month. Sometimes I just pick the “it” book of the moment; you know, the one everyone’s talking about. Sometimes I pick something by a favorite author or just something I am looking forward to reading. This month’s pick I think takes all these ideas and rolls them into one. Not only have I read Augusten Burroughs before and enjoyed him but I have been looking for just the right book of his to read next. Plus whenever I mention that I love David Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs comes up. It seems like a book that has been staring at me but that no one I know has read. And when I think Christmas I think of families and their relationships. And the relationship between father and son is one that has always fascinated me. It seems like this relationship above all others shapes the son. It’s the one relationship on which the most hangs. And in this book Burroughs takes a look at his life with his own father. Burroughs brings us behind the curtain and down the rabbit hole. It may not make for light fluffy reading but I for one can’t wait to sink my teeth into this one. Give it a try and hopefully you will be reading my thoughts on it soon.