Stealing Athena: A Novel by Karen Essex

Lisa recommended this book and I REALLY loved it! It told the story of two women - Aspacia who lived in ancient Greece (when the Parthenon was built) and Mary Elgin who was the wife of the Constantinople ambassador in 1799 - 1803. The two stories were each woven around the creation of the great marble works as a tribute to the Greek Gods and then the eventual removal of them by the British Empire for "safe keeping."

I didn't realize that the book was a true story - apparently Lord Elgin was an ambassador who took his young wife to Constantinople with him as he attempted to sway the Turks against Napoleon. While cozying up with the Turks, Lord Elgin was also concentrating on removing the Greek antiques from Athens for "their own preservation" and for the cultural betterment of the British Empire. Despite his good intentions for the British Empire, they refused to assist financially in this excavation so the efforts to remove, transport and display these huge marble pieces nearly bankrupted Elgin (or rather his wife, if the book was accurate).

It is a worthwhile discussion on whether or not the works should ever have been removed. It was noted that they were in disrepair and the Turks were carelessly destroying them and they were suffering from the constant warfare; however, now that all is well, it does beg the question of why they haven't been returned to their original location. I also read an account that some of the pieces were actually destroyed in the removal process so that has been a source of controversy as well.

I liked the book itself for more than the historical intrigue but also because of the women portrayed. Both were smart, sassy women who were unwilling to conform to social conventions if it meant their own unhappiness. I was glad that though they both had the same inner-steel and resolve that the book didn't paint them as mirrors of each other - that they were both allowed their own unique views and values.

An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clarke

Certainly the most original title and book I've read in a long time! The main character, Sam, accidentally burned down Emily Dickinson's home and killed two people. Ten years later he is released from prison and someone starts setting fire to other writers' homes. The story behind the story is about how people lie to each other and themselves. Alternates between quirky fun and human pathos.

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

Very similar to her other books - good character development, lots of research about hot topics...this one is about a child who is born with "brittle bone disease." Picoult asks the tough question about whether or not parents would choose to abort a child if they knew it would be disabled. Also the impact of a child with disabilities on the rest of the family. Even though the story was somewhat predictable (since I've read all or most of her other books), I still enjoyed this one.

South of Broad by Pat Conroy - CONT.

I just finished South of Broad and as with all Pat Conroy books, I can't decide whether to laugh, cry or wax poetically about life.

If even possible, I think my imagination has managed to grow since I was a child and I can vividly picture each gruesome image and event that is portrayed, in rich detail, in the book so that was a major difficulty in reading it. It makes it a)hard for me to put down until there is a "happy" place to stop and b)make me physically ill to think about dead bodies, men wracked with HIV/AIDS, incest, etc.

He took the unease all the way to the end too, there was almost no respite. In the book - there were moments where the characters either discussed a happy memory or were happy, but as the reader I kept waiting for the ax to fall...and it feel close to where I expected it to sadly enough.

As I mentioned in my previous post, there are many common themes/archetypes, etc that Conroy recycles through his other books. One is his love/hate relationship with the Catholic Church. Both Jack (Beach Music) and Leo (South of Broad) appreciate the beauty and sanctity of the church that was a staple in their early lives but both grow to distrust it and even seem to hate it as they grow older but still are unable to escape their early devotion to it. I've read several interviews with Conroy and found a quote that I think he sums it up well with:

"PC – I’m a bad Catholic. Being a Catholic is unwashable, there’s nothing you can do about it, it’s like being Jewish, its like being Black, its like being Korean, you can’t do anything but swing with it. I was utterly taken by that church and shaken around and they will not let you go. It’s one of those things I have gotten used to it — I’m going to be a Catholic the rest of my life, and I can yell about it, I can scream about it, I can not go to church, whatever I do."

Another thing I have found odd about his books is that they all focus on a 20 year time spread - from the '60s-'80s - not sure why he focuses so much on those years unless he considers them his most formidable and once again, pulling from his own life stories and experiences. Although, in an interview I just found he says "Its autobiographical elements are "more hidden," he says. "The relatives have less to worry and complain about."

South of Broad by Pat Conroy

Was there ever a more troubled soul than Pat Conroy? I have no idea how much of what he writes is autobiographical but judging by the frequency of pain, heartbreak and despair - all stemming from his life in the south - I can only think that this man can only survive by telling his stories to the masses.

All that said, I absolutely love Pat Conroy - his clever wit, the level of environmental description, his innate romanticism - all are found throughout his books and really suck a reader in until you actually feel the sweet smell of jasmine around you and the overwhelming expectations that a whole society can put on a set of small shoulders.

I've only just started South of Broad I just can't put it down! Part One centers around Leo King, a troubled teen who had his world rocked at the age of 9 when he found his older brother in the bathtub with his wrists cut. From then on, Leo had a downward spiral and the book starts only as he is starting to feel he can wrap up the last 9 years of pain and frustrations. Part One mainly acts as a platform to give Leo's background (with several clever points that I'm sure are being left as cliffhangers) and assemble the cast of characters that will mold the rest of the book.

As I've been reading, I was frustrated at first because so many of the characters are replicas of those from other Conroy books - Leo is Jack McCall to a flying T (Beach Music). At first I though ole Pat had gotten lazy but then as I continued reading, I was mystified because I felt that rather than a recycling of characters, it was a new look at them. It was taking this archetype and putting him/her in new situations to see what happens - once I had that thought, I loved the book all the more. I suppose pampered, aristocratic southern girls will always be just that but how interesting to see if they will break out of their molds depending on what is thrown at them - love it.

Pharoh, Kleopatra Volume II by Karen Essex

I liked this book but not sure that I loved it as much as the first one. The book picked up in Kleopatra's third year of ruling and jumped back and forth between each year and the 20th year of her reign in which she is watching her kingdom unravel as a result of Roman aggression.

What I really liked about the book is the explanation and logic behind Kleopatra's reputation as the "Roman whore." History has always painted her a the seductress and downfall of Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony without even discussing her motives other than just jumping into powerful men's bed. I really liked that she fully understood that the way to keep Egypt powerful wasn't to fight the Roman power but to manipulate it to become an ally - in any way she could. The book points out that the negative press about her began with Octavian (J.C.'s successor) and just spiraled downhill from there because the winner writes history after all.

In the book she is always saying "In matters of state, let your blood run cold" (which was how she justified many of her harsh decision, including starting her relationship with J.C.) but the author painted such vivid passion she had for both of these men that you would never guess they were also politically beneficial. I really liked that a definite difference was put between her relationship with J.C and M.A. - I was afraid they would just be replicas of each other but though the author painted these two generals very similarly, their relationships with Kleopatra and their own base personalities had enough individuality that it made it very interesting to continue to discover more about these men.

All the reviews of the book discuss its historical accuracy and the minute details she includes that really fill the book...I was curious when reading it how much could possibly be factual and how much was just created but it is interesting to think about the level of detail that is known about her life (the fact that they have CONCRETE dates) is just amazing to me.