“Siddhartha” is the story of one man, but a reflection of the impulses inherent to all men. Told in deceptively simple prose, this is a story of change, growth, quest, and the search for ultimate meaning.

Siddhartha is a young man when he leaves home to become an aescetic. After years of sacrifice and contemplation leave him unfulfilled, he decides to re-enter society and become a business man. Business pursuits fail to yeild the satisfaction Siddhartha craves, and so he leaves this lifestyle to become a ferryman on a river.

“Siddhartha” contains three main sub-plots. One is the seperation and eventual reunion that Siddhartha has with his childhood friend, Govinda. Another is the sexual awakening that Siddhartha enjoys with a prostitute named Kamala. The third is the relationship that Siddhartha (unsuccessfully) attempts to foster with his son.

“Siddhartha” is a wonderful book; it captures the universal drive to assign some meaning to the apparent randomness and emptiness in our lives. It would be a great choice for university students, mature high school students, and anyone interested in Eastern religions – particularly Buddhism and Hinduism.

So, what is the ultimate meaning? I leave it for you to determine, but here’s a hint:

everything is everything, time is an illusion, and rocks are God.

—katherine

The God Delusion begins with Dawkins questioning why it is that in popular society, religion is exempt from serious criticism. According to Dawkins, religion serves as a kind of “trump card” which ends discussions, and thereby, closes minds. Dawkins insists that we treat religion just as we would any other domain – with rigorous scientific inquiry. He goes on to examine various claims for the existence of God, and (dare I say?) destroys them quite easily. Next, is a discussion about how we can have morality and meaning in a world without God.

Religious readers may not enjoy this book, but I am certain that atheists will! Dawkins is brilliant, sharp, and witty. His humour is thoroughly British, and I can almost imagine the perpetual smirk which must have been present during the wrting of this book. It’s worth reading if only as an example of how criticism – of any topic – can be simultaneously trenchant and funny.

Those who enjoy The God Delusion may also be interested in books by Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens.

I must admit: the elitist in me doubted that a book whose bold title in hot pink letters, could contain any legitimate gender research. Lo and behold, my cynical intuitions were accurate. When you purchase a book spashed in the colour of a Barbie doll’s shoes, you will read work which is equally uninspiring.

Levy claims that currently, women not only participate in their own objectification, but even seem to have a misguided relishing of it. Admittedly, this thesis is correct. However, instead of offering critical analysis of the beliefs and structures which serve to maintain this particular variant of misogyny, Levy relies heavily on anecdotal evidence to make her argument. What little discussion of second wave feminism is included, is skimpy.

Though interesting at times, Levy’s account is ultimately shallow. It may appeal to readers who are just beginning to take an interest in “the F word” (FEMINISM, of course!), however, readers with a more advanced knowledge of the body of modern feminist literature produced by Greer, Dworkin, MacKinnon and others, will find this book lacking intellectual rigor. This book certainly does not belong in a Women’s Studies 101 syllabus, but it might make for good “beach reading”.

A final thought: suggesting that any woman (no matter how deplorable her actions) is a “pig” undermines the feminist agenda, which, broadly construed, is to improve the lives and status of all women.

- katherine

A buoyant and hyper-literary debut, Marisha Pessl’s ‘Special Topics in Calamity Physics’ is a murder mystery narrated by a precocious teenage girl, the only child of a brilliant, nomadic professor and a dead mother. Each of the books chapters takes its title from a classic work of literature. I was ready to dislike this book because it verges on gimmicky, but I was bowled over by the relentlessness of the story’s pace and the freshness of Pessl’s literary voice.

‘A Disorder Peculiar to the Country’ is the story of Marshall and Joyce Harriman, a couple in the throes of a particularly nasty divorce when both are nearly killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks. Joyce abruptly cancels her flight on one of the hijacked planes, while Marshall, who works at the Twin Towers, is late for work and on one of the lowers floors when the planes hit. Both think the other is dead, and both are secretly and perversely pleased by the thought. Ken Kalfus deserves credit for writing one of the first novels to deal successfully with 9/11. His description of the carnage at the World Trade Centre is beautiful, harrowing and free of cant.

Kalfus views religious and cultural hatreds through the lens of the Harriman’s protracted, awful divorce. Husband and wife work to sabotage each other—bugging phones, torpedoing assets, sleeping with friends and making no effort to shield their two small children from the battle. Like other political enmities, their conflict becomes entrenched and self-perpetuating.

All in all, the book is very illuminating—not to mention daring. But a few things failed to click: we never understand how Joyce and Marshall got to hate each other so (indeed neither do they, but so what?). A chapter narrated by the Harriman’s 4-year old daughter feels false as a depiction of a child’s thinking. And the final chapter, which describes the discovery of WMD in Iraq, the spread of democracy in the Middle East and the capture of Osama bin Laden is a perplexing departure from the historical realism in the first part of the novel.

Be Near Me is a poetically rendered fall-from-grace story, juxtaposing love, respect and tenderness with prejudice, ignorance and snobishness. Set in small town Scotland, a priest commits some stupid transgressions that preceed his ultimate demise. This book is filled with enough rich detail to merit a much longer novel, yet its sparse tightness vibrates with lifelike nuances. Despite some campy Oxford scenes, this is a near-perfect piece of work that will resonate inside you long after you put it down. Drop whatever you are doing and read it now!

Laura

Finding Excellence in “Looking for Alaska”

It has been years since I read a book intended for teens, but this award-winning debut novel has definately lured me back to that forlorn genre.

Our protaginist is “Pudge”, a biography-loving high school student who decides to leave his familiar public school and attend boarding school in a quest for “The Great Perhaps”. There he finds friends, falls in love, takes risks, suffers a tragic loss, and begins to heal. The book is divided into two parts: the first leads up to the climax, and the second is the search for the resolution of that climactic event. Resolution is never achieved, and yet the book feels completely satisfying.

The narrative is comic, endearing, and true to life. Perhaps its most impressive quality is the verisimillitude of the characters’ speech. Green has captured teens’ idioms and sarcasim (as well as hopes, fears, and reactions) exactly as I remember them to be. Accordingly, the novel seems current and relevant.

I wholeheartedly endorse this novel! It would be a great suggestion for either young men or young women. It will certainly inspire young adults to read for pleasure, and would provide a great alternative to the “classics” which are the backbone of standard curriculum.

“Looking for Alaska” is about love, loss, religion, friendship, longing, and tribute. Find a teen you care about, and give him or her this book!

-katherine

While the premise of this book (outright deception for the sake of sociological research) was somewhat unsettling, Vincent is forthcoming about her own hesitations, and is ultimately convincing that in order for a woman to have genuine experiences as a man, deception is the only available recourse.

During the course of this year-and-a-half-long memoir, Vincent adopts the alter-ego “Ned”, and proceeds to join a bowling league, date women, find a job, and even infiltrate a monastery and a men’s self-help group. Her observations about life as and among men oscillate between humorous and piognant, and are unfailingly articulate. Her narrative is strong and sharp; I found myself hearing what I imagined to be her voice. There is graphic language throughout, but it does not detract from the clarity or sensitivity of her insight.

I loved this book for the very reason which surprised me most about it: it is fair. Books about gender typically have a bias (in varying degrees of intensity) against men. Vincent’s project, however, accomplished the unpredictable: it actually had me feeling sorry for men, though not in any condescending sort of way. Though no one could ever convince me that men and women struggle equally, this memoir did foster in me a genuine sense of compassion for the struggles that men are compelled to face. The fact that we inhabit what is (clearly!) a man’s world, does not mean that men’s lives are easy in all respects. In fact, in light of Vincent’s memoir, whatever advantages men do have over women, now seem to be more marginal.

—katherine

I liked this better than Judy did, but not a lot more. I had a hard time relating to the narrator because she was so unpleasant, almost evil. And yet, she wasn’t quite a caricature and the novel isn’t a satire. Ultimately it was off—I think it was aiming at black comedy but didn’t quite find it. Or maybe it was a morality tale, and a dreary one at that.

But I did get caught up in the story. As Letty allows herself to get more and more consumed in the trappings of social mobility, I was pulling out my hair! I wanted to tell her to STOPRENOVATING. At very least, this book will live in the back of my head as a horrifying reminder of failing to live within one’s means.

-Andrea

I definitely did not think that this book was worth consuming.

I feel that it is poorly written, has a weak plot and drags along until the last couple of chapters which finally peak the interest a little. The author tries to use the ‘Bridget Jones’ style of humor but fails, as it just does not work here.

- Judy