Book Thoughts - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
published 1997
448 pages

Synopsis from publisher -

The Sparrow, an astonishing literary debut, takes you on a journey to a distant planet and to the center of the human soul. It is the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a twenty-first-century scientific mission to a newly discovered extraterrestrial culture. Sandoz and his companions are prepared to endure isolation, hardship and death, but nothing can prepare them for the civilization they encounter, or for the tragic misunderstanding that brings the mission to a catastrophic end. Once considered a living saint, Sandoz returns alone to Earth physically and spiritually maimed, the mission's sole survivor — only to be accused of heinous crimes and blamed for the mission's failure.

My thoughts -

Have you ever read a book that took your breath away? Have you ever fallen in love with a character who broke your heart? Have you ever had to put a novel down, because reading even one more word would be too much? If so, you know how I feel about The Sparrow.

From the beginning, I was gripped by the story. Russell's characters are so rich and complex, so utterly complete in their humanity, that I couldn't imagine what could have gone so horribly wrong. It's not a spoiler to say that their story does not end well - the reader is given this information almost immediately. But that does not lessen the anticipation, the unease, as Russell slowly unravels the threads of Emilio's story. It does not keep the reader from hoping for the best for these characters you have grown to love, and to feel the devastation when the end inevitably arrives.

There is so much to digest in the reading of this novel. The idea of family, both the family one is born with and the family one creates. The reality of the difficulties of truly understanding a culture that is foreign to our own. The human desire to understand the evil that is done in the world. The search for God, and the conflict between what we as humans want God to be, and what God truly is. Russell does not give easy answers - in fact, often there are no answers at all. But the journey is so authentic and real that it couldn't be any other way.

"For he could not feel God or approach God as a friend or speak to God with the easy familiarity of the devout or praise God with poetry. And yet, as he had grown older, the path he had started down almost in ignorance had begun to seem clearer to him. It became more apparent to him that he was truly called to walk this strange and difficult, this unnatural and unutterable path to God, which required not poetry or piety but simple endurance and patience. No one could know what this meant to him."

I've heard for several years that this novel was beloved by many - now I've joined their ranks. I had high expectations, and they were exceeded. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. It will be one that I read again and again.

Finished - 8/31/13
Source - my kindle
MPAA rating - R - this is a tough, adult novel
My rating - 10/10


I read this novel for The Estella Project - and I completed the project! Yay for me!!

Book Thoughts - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
published 2006
288 pages

Synopsis from publisher -

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town — and the family — Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

My thoughts -

I spent most of the reading of this book alternating between horrified and fascinated, and feeling a little bit like a voyeur watching something that I should probably stop. It took my several weeks to read - very unusual for a book weighing in at less that 300 pages - but I kept having to put it down over and over again. After nearly every chapter I just felt emotionally drained, needed a break, while I was incredibly interested in the story, almost dreaded picking it back up again.

It's hard for me to "review" a book that is the author's memories of her own growing up - how can I critique the narrative arc when it's just the author's actual life? I found her tone to be surprisingly unsentimental, which I assume comes from being enough years away from the events in the book that she can look at them through a somewhat more professional lens. I think the tone is what made the book work, in a way - if she had been overly emotional, her story could have seemed more sensationalized than real. But the way Walls tells this tale, there is no doubt that every word is true.

I found this to be a hard book to read. I'm not sorry I did, and I think it is an excellent piece of writing, but I don't think it will be one I will chose to revisit. If you are interested in a good memoir, this is certainly one to consider, but make sure you are ready.

Finished - 8/11/13
Source - loan from my mom
MPAA rating - R for violence and abuse
My rating - 8/10


I read this book for the Estella Project - find out more here!