Ms. Hen reviews Apeirogon

Ms. Hen decided to read this novel, because she had read about it, and she thought it sounded interesting. She always wants to learn something new about a different culture, and she understood this novel is about Israel and Palestine, and the conflict. It's about that, but it's also about people, families, history, and nature.

This novel is written in vignettes, or micro fiction, and it is written very well. Each burst of writing adds to the story of two men, Rami, an Israeli, and Bassam, a Palestinian. Both men have lost young daughters in the conflict. Rami's daughter was killed when she was fourteen by a suicide bomber, and Bassam's daughter when she was ten outside her school by an Israeli soldier, while there was a conflict somewhere else; he shot without thinking.

The two men become friends, and travel around the world talking to groups of people about peace. The novel also intersperses bits about the history of the conflict, with the Holocaust, and birds that migrate to Israel and Palestine, and other characters in history. The word "Apeirogon," means many sided object, and this novel is indeed one of those, because it keeps turning and turning, and it becomes another section of the story every few pages.

Ms. Hen thinks this novel is emotional, and it is not for weak people. But she thinks the writing is some of the most beautiful she has read recently; the prose sings on the page, and even though the subject matter is depressing, the novel uplifts.

The novel starts describing one subject, then it stays on that subject for a while. It's almost like the book has a type of ADHD, it bounces around from different narrative to the main narrative, and back again. It's difficult to follow, if you're not a hen that can pay attention.

Ms. Hen likes the birds in this novel; even though there weren't any chickens or hen, she enjoys the descriptions of the various types of birds that migrate around Israel and Palestine.

Ms. Hen intensely enjoyed this novel. She thinks the novel captures the subject so well, and it describes the conflict with compassionate details. Ms. Hen took a long time to read this novel because it's dense, and she thinks it's meant to be read slowly, and digested. She recommends this to anyone who loves good writing, and also to people interested in this subject.

Ms. Hen reviews Jo's Boys

Ms. Hen breaks one of Mrs Jo's rules 

 

Jo's Boys

Louisa May Alcott

Roberts Brothers

1886

Ms. Hen decided to read this because she found it at a Little Free Library near where she lives. She had read other books by Ms. Alcott, and enjoyed them. She didn't realize that when she started reading this book, that she had not read LITTLE MEN, and that is the second book, and this is the third in the LITTLE WOMEN series.

This novel follows the characters in the college that Jo and her husband founded with the help of Laurie's donation. The three sisters, Jo, Amy and Meg, work in the college and help the young people to find their way in the world. They all have children, and there are lots of characters in this book. There are so many that Ms. Hen got a little confused at first, but each chapter focuses on one or two characters, and she got them straight by the end.

Jo and her sisters like to preach morals to the young people, especially the boys. Ms. Hen found this kind of superior talking down to people a little annoying. She understand that Jo wants to teach the boys and girls right from wrong, but Ms. Hen doesn't think those morals transfer to to this day and age. She thinks this book is a little old-fashioned and stuffy, and is acceptable for children, but not adults. She did not feel that way when she read LITTLE WOMEN, however, and she does not like to read about people being taught morals, because they are a gray area.

Ms. Hen found herself very distracted while she was reading this book, because she has things going on in her life, and she found the book a little boring. She needs to find something exciting to read to catch her attention, and this is not the book to do that.

Ms. Hen did not like this novel as much as others by Louisa May Alcott. Ms. Hen understands this is one of the last books she published in her life, and she thinks Louisa may have gotten a little "high and mighty" in her advanced age. Nevertheless, it's a good book for children, but not grown children.

Ms. Hen reviews Fever Dream

 

Fever Dream

Samantha Schweblin

Riverhead Books

2014

Translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell, 2017

Ms. Hen decided to read this novel because it was recommended to her. She had recently read a book by the same name, but she believes it was recommended to her because she read TENDER IS THE FLESH, which is a horror novel translated from Spanish.

This novel is like a long short story. It's about a woman named Amanda who is on vacation, and meets a woman named Carla. Amanda is afraid something will happen to her daughter, Nina. Carla tells Amanda a story about her son David, and how he got sick the same way one of the horses that was on their property got sick. Carla tells Amanda about the horrible things that David did after he got infected. Amanda speaks with David simultaneously while she is talking with Carla. This book is creepy, because even though it takes place in a summer vacation town, Ms. Hen got the feeling that something horrible was going to happen, and it did.

This book is a very quick read, but Ms. Hen found herself distracted while she was reading it. Not because it isn't good, but because she had other things on her mind, and she couldn't concentrate. She didn't find that she was scared reading this, even though she should have been. Sometimes she find novels and stories about motherhood tiresome, because she cannot relate to this. Amanda is obsessed with keeping her child safe, and Ms. Hen is not interested or compelled by this subject or this state of mind.

Ms. Hen thinks that this book should be read all at once, in one gulp. She did not read it like this, and she regrets it. She thinks it would be a good book to read if you are a mother and are scared that your children would be hurt, because it would be more frightening than it was to Ms. Hen.