Hocus Pocus

Image courtesy of
www.wikipedia.com

Hocus Pocus
Kurt Vonnegut
1990

The Summary
Hocus Pocus chronicles the chaotic life of Eugene Debs Hartke, a professional soldier turned college instructor turned prison warden turned prison inmate.

The Good
Kurt Vonnegut knows how to show you a good time in his novel.  Not only can he point out the sheer absurdity of human nature, but he can make you laugh at the comic possibilities of the future and the way the world turns out.

You'll be in no shortage of laughter, when you pick up Hocus Pocus.

Additionally, Vonnegut fabricates his narrator into an oddly likable character.  He cheats on his wife, he participates in a prison riot (not really), he habitually lies to others, he ends his narrative with a math equation - but, despite this, he writes a fairly compelling and amusing story.

His refusal to use words instead of numerals, his unusual capitalization habits, and his ability to abstain from swearing are strangely endearing.

And Hartke has a dark sense of humor.  You almost can't help laughing, especially when he describes certain crises the world faces or his children's animosity toward him for reproducing.

The Bad
Despite the endearing oddities of Hocus Pocus, the novel does contain an element of violence and human absurdity that might make you want to tear your hair out.  Human morality seems compromised, social justice has no bearing, and equality seems, more or less, thrown out the window.  And Hartke exists right in the middle of it all.

It's absurd and sad simultaneously, a tragedy with a comic twist.

The Ugly
Sadly, the world just isn't what it used to be - if it ever was what it used to be.

The Map of Time

Image courtesy of
www.booksamillion.com

The Map of Time
Felix J. Palma
2011

The Summary
The Map of Time compiles the adventures of eminent author, H.G. Wells, as he finds himself called upon more than once to save lives through his literary skill and his supposed expertise of time travel.

Additionally, Felix J. Palma provides a unique vision of Victorian London - that is, if Victorian London possessed a time travel agency and authors of beloved classics were endangered by time traveling assassins.

The Good
Written with a storyteller's voice in mind, The Map of Time draws you in and makes you an intimate witness to events, compelling your attention from beginning to end.

And Palma isn't afraid to leave you with a cliffhanger or two.  He has mastered the art of unpredictability and suspense, which will keep you hanging on to his every word.

More importantly, he brings his characters to life and fashions a beautiful, rich, and complex story around them.  He combines whimsical imagery, romance, daring acts of heroism, and elements of science fiction, bundling together all the best aspects of literature into one, wonderfully seamless adventure.

As the narrator declares on page one, "Your emotion and astonishment are guaranteed."

The Bad
Palma's novel, however, is anything but a whimsical undertaking.  It borders on the lengthy side at more than six hundred pages, so it requires a reader's time and commitment - although, to be fair, its length in no way diminishes its quality or beauty.

The Map of Time is also not a book for the faint of heart.  The first pages open with the contemplation of suicide by young aristocrat, Andrew Harrington, and later detail the murder of a prostitute by Jack the Ripper, followed by varying acts of violence and depravity.

I won't lie, this novel has the potential to jar you out of your comfort zone.

The Ugly
Tragedy happens.

For instance, within the first couple of chapters, Palma introduces the character of Marie Kelly.  Marie Kelly is the love of Andrew Harrington's life.  Marie Kelly is also a prostitute, who lives in White Chapel.

Don't get too attached.

The Catcher in the Rye

Image courtesy of
www.booksamillion.com

The Catcher in the Rye
J.D. Salinger
1951

The Summary
After moving to California with his brother D.B., Holden Caulfield recalls all the "madman stuff" that happened to him just before Christmas.  He remembers his tenure at Pencey Prep (the military school which he attended - and from which he was promptly expelled) and his misadventures in New York City, opening the door on a world warped by teenage angst, desperation, and cynicism, and the search for identity.

The Good
J. D. Salinger creates an amazing and realistic character in Holden Caulfield.  His astute observations, his eccentric and scattered identity, and his uninhibited cynicism will draw you in and cut right to your heart.

Despite the unusual quirks in mood and stability, however, Holden possesses the capability to relate to everyone.  Although our desires may not be so spontaneously fulfilled as his, he often speaks from a place of knowledge and experience.

What he knows and what he experiences you may have learned and experienced also - which makes Holden all the more real and remarkable.

The Bad
Although entirely entertaining, the world of The Catcher in the Rye exists in the mind of Holden Caulfield, which generally means uninhibited wit, candid observations, and prolific amounts of swearing.  (I can't say there's a page in this novel that doesn't have at least some type of offensive language - or questions about sexuality - on it.)

Simply put, Holden has no qualms about relaying his each and every thought or sprinkling in an expletive or two (or ten) to embellish his vocabulary.

The Ugly
Although Holden's story opens with his admission about the "madman stuff" that happened in New York, you don't have a conscious understanding of just how broken and disjointed his mind may have become.

His fear of disappearing, his sudden and inarticulate desires, his intense and frightening feelings of depression, and his attempts to speak to Ally (his deceased brother) remind you that he is, in fact, a very damaged individual.  And his fears grow disproportionately large and foreboding as the novel progresses.

You can visibly track the progression of all the "madman stuff," as his body and mind begin to wear down.  He appears to be following a path of self-destruction - and that's probably the most frightening aspect of this novel, because Holden could just as easily be you.

V for Vendetta

Image courtesy of
www.booksamillion.com

V for Vendetta
Alan Moore
David Lloyd
1982

The Summary
Based on an alternative future, in which England suffers under the reign of totalitarian rule, V for Vendetta follows the actions of a "terrorist" named V as he tries to undermine the government and watches the deterioration of society.

Additionally, V for Vendetta is a coming-of-age story for Evey Hammond as she matures in a world where the human spirit is often crushed beneath the heel of an indifferent society.

The Good
If you have ever watched the movie version of V for Vendetta, putting it out of your mind may be the best course of action.  While the movie remains entirely loyal to the ideas of the original story, the two, except for a few plot points here or there, are vastly dissimilar beasts.

Now, as for the novel, Alan Moore and David Lloyd make a dynamic duo.  In their work, they have crafted an unusual and compelling story that will enthrall - or, quite possibly, repulse - you.

Their story is occasionally heart-wrenching, more often brutal, always graphic, and absolutely awe-inspiring.  And the artwork gives it a depth and texture that it might not have possessed otherwise.  It's impressive to think how well Moore's story and Lloyd's artwork act together, like peanut butter and jelly (or some other food related analogy), to form such a rich and challenging work.

The Bad
Let's just say, V for Vendetta doesn't compromise when faced with unsavory topics, like violence, abuse, corruption, unjust persecution, adultery, or oppression, among other things.  It confronts them head-on, rather than trying to hide them from you or give them a slight veneer of sanity.

So, it practically goes without saying that this is not a novel for younger readers, or individuals offended by intense subjects (or nudity).  And it's important to remember that V for Vendetta calls for a certain type of reader, as Lloyd comments in a letter from 1990, saying, "There aren't many cheeky, cheery characters in [it]...and it's for people who don't switch off the news."

Don't expect any particularly light-hearted subjects.

The Ugly
Obviously, the government and society won't hold much appeal within this story, beyond providing the necessary antagonists to V's protagonist.  And certain characters, I assure you, will get under your skin and disgust you beyond all measure.

Like Mrs. Heyer (a miserable woman, whose only goal in life seems to be vaulting her husband to a position of power and making him as wretched as humanly possible) or Lewis Prothero (the so-called "Voice" of England, who harbors a callous disregard for human life).

They're all quite demented, if you think about it.