Reviewed by Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian
In contrast to the lengthy Possession: A Romance, another A. S. Byatt work reviewed on this site, The Matisse Stories is a small collection of three short stories. Each of the stories incorporates a different Matisse painting, although they are about contemporary characters going about their everyday lives. Byatt's descriptions are colorful and highly sensory...not only when she is describing the Matisse paintings, but also as she describes setting and character. All three stories are primarily about relationships—between a woman and her hairdresser; between a husband, wife, and their housekeeper; and between an academic department head and a professor accused of sexual harassment—and how those relationships alternately hide and reveal complex human emotions.
December 2005 Archives
Reviewed by Patricia Selinger, Preservation Librarian
Neaira was a woman living in Athens around 343 BC who had a lawsuit brought against her for living in a marriage relationship with an Athenian citizen. Neaira was a "foreigner" since she grew up in Corinth, which meant that she was Greek but not an Athenian. Athenians jealously guarded their kinship and laws against the influence of such foreigners. The author uses the trial to explore the status of women, Ancient Greece's social strata, Athens' litigious society and its jury system, ancient speechwriting, and how a long-standing personal feud between two men in Neaira's life was fought out in the courts. Mystery, intrigue, lascivious behavior, sensational speeches, and controlled anger among the real-life characters make this an interesting study of ancient Greek history and people.
Reviewed by Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian
How to be Good delivers the same dry wit and subtle intelligence as Nick Hornby's other works (among them About a Boy, High Fidelity, and A Long Way Down). It is narrated by Katie, a middle-aged mother of two and wife of "The Angriest Man in Holloway," which is the byline on her husband's newspaper column. After many years of marriage, she is ready to call it quits but as she wavers and wrestles with this decision throughout the book, her husband undergoes some very dramatic changes. No longer is he angry (which means that he is now unemployed), he embarks on a campaign to save the world, starting with his street and city. He is mentored by his guru, GoodNews, a spiritual healer who moves into their home after being evicted from his apartment. Despite the humor and constant surprises, this book does address some complex issues: What makes someone a good person? Katie thinks she qualifies as Good because she is a doctor, a helper (even though she frequently has a bad attitude about her patients). Should being good require sacrifice? Is lack of marital happiness a sign of marital dysfunction? Does that merit divorce or require perseverance? Hornby was awarded the W H Smith Book Award for How to be Good in 2002.
Reviewed by Monique Prince, Undergraduate Services Librarian
This is an unusual review in that I haven't actually read any Sherlock Holmes mysteries but did want to pass on information about an exciting opportunity to receive Sherlock Holmes stories in serial format. Stanford Library is highlighting several Arthur Conan Doyle texts from their Special Collections, and will deliver the materials free of charge to all subscribers. You can receive the stories in print or via email just as they appeared originally in The Strand Magazine. Charles Dickens also wrote serialized fiction and Stanford's previous serial delivery projects include Hard Times, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to experience reading great literature in a new way. See http://sherlockholmes.stanford.edu/index.html for more information and to subscribe.
