Black Water

Black Water (1992) by Joyce Carol Oates. Fictionalized telling of the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident, in which Senator Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge and into a tidal channel, resulting in the death of his riding companion, Mary Jo Kopechne. Many people feel that Kennedy made less of an effort than he should have to save Kopechne from the sunken car, and that he delayed too long in calling police. This book fleshes out what is known, without naming names, and tells events as they might have happened. Oates is certainly a good writer, but this book seemed a little thin. Grade: B-

The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner (2003) by Khaled Hosseini. In what seems like an autobiographical tale, Hosseini tells the story of a boy named Amir, now grown to manhood, and his eventful life in Afghanistan. Amir lives from the time before the Soviet invasion to the time after 9/11, when it is U.S. forces moving into Afghanistan in the attempt to drive Al-Qaeda out. The "kite runner" of the title is his boyhood friend, Hassan, who comes to represent everything that goes wrong in the life of Amir and his later attempts to make amends. Although the writing is not as polished as some books, this one is a moving and memorable read. Grade: A-

Talking Right

Talking Right: How Conservatives Turned Liberalism Into a Tax-Raising, Latte-Drinking, Sushi-Eating, Volvo-Driving, New York Times-Reading, Body-Piercing, Hollywood-Loving, Left-Wing Freak Show (2006) by Geoffrey Nunberg. The author gives us a detailed deconstruction of how the right wing politicians and commentators have successfully bent the English language to put liberals on the defensive. It's pretty entertaining, but tough sledding in spots. Grade: B

After Dark

After Dark (2007) by Haruki Murakami. A young girl sits in an all-night restaurant and reads. Her sister lies in bed at home, sleeping. A young jazz trombonist wanders into the scene and strikes up a conversation with the girl in the restaurant. An office worker takes some time off work in the early morning hours and visits a prostitute, whom he viciously beats and robs. These are all elements of Murakami's novel, "After Dark." While it makes for entertaining reading, I was hard put to answer the question, What's the point? Grade: B