Book Review: Calico Joe by John Grisham

Calico Joe

Author: John Grisham

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Date of Publication: March 26, 2013

Pages: 240 (Trade Paperback)

   
      It's almost October and playoff baseball time.  This is the perfect book to read to get into the proper World Series frame of mind.  John Grisham, known as a master of the legal thriller, has penned a very good baseball novel.  It captures the magic of baseball for young boys and the triumphs and tragedies of men playing a boy's game for high stakes.  The author does a great job of including some of the nuances of baseball strategy and the "baseball code" which are entertaining for baseball fans but not so obscure that they would bore the non-fan.

     The story is told by an adult male, the son of a former major league player.  As a youngster in the 1970s he listens to games on the radio, avidly computes statistics and keeps notebooks with newspaper and magazine clippings on his favorite players, including his father, a journeyman pitcher for the New York Mets.   I can relate to this character in every regard except my father didn't play baseball.  He is captivated by the story of a young phenom for the Chicago Cubs, "Calico Joe", who flashes on the baseball scene performing Ruthian feats with his bat and speed.  The intertwined tales of Calico Joe, the kids father and their tumultuous interaction and its effect on all parties including the narrator are magically told. It's a story of fathers and sons, tragedy and regret and the power of forgiveness. 

     There's really nothing to dislike abut this book.  The characters are a bit stereotyped but very engaging.  The plot, although fairly predictable, is very satisfying.  There is humor, pathos and irony mixed in just about equal perfect proportions.  This was a fun book to read and I enjoyed it very much.  Play ball!

The Beach Boys, Charlottesville, Virginia

The Beach Boys

nTelos Pavillion

Charlottesville, Virginia

August 28, 2013

     These weren't your father's Beach Boys.  The band that played in Charlottesville on August 28 included founding member and lead vocalist Mike Love and Bruce Johnston (who replaced Glen Campbell in the band in 1965).  The rest of the band has been touring with Mike Love as The Beach Boys for years and upheld the traditions of the original band quite well.

   

Mike Love

                                     

     

 

                                            

                                                                        

     This was not the usual rock band crowd, either.  The fellow in front of me had two hearing aids.  The guy next to me had a cane.  I'm not so young or spry anymore myself.  There were some young people present.  At one point I looked around and a twenty-something-ish couple were standing with puzzled grins.  I could only guess what they were thinking:  “Why are all of these old people jumping around singing ‘Help me, Rhonda.  Help, help me Rhonda”?

                                                                                                      

    The band played for over 2 hours, unleashing medley after medley of immediately recognizable riffs, chord progressions and harmonies.  Everything was pitch-perfect and the audience reaction and participation was enthusiastic.  Everybody, it seemed, knew all of the words to all of the songs.  Play beach music and it's hard to keep a bunch of Baby-Boomers, no matter how infirm, from dancing!

     It’s totally unfair to any band to compare their performance to Paul McCartney, but, since Sir Paul’s concert in Washington, D.C. was the other show we have seen this summer, I can’t help but do this.     This show was Mike Love, Bruce Johnston and a bunch of guys that sounded a lot like The Beach Boys, while the other was Paul McCartney and a bunch of guys that sounded a lot like The Beatles.  Certainly both acts displayed a tremendous level of professionalism and musicianship, but Paul McCartney is in a class by himself.  The difference really was the music.  Both sets included songs 50 years old or older.  McCartney’s, however still sounded relevant, innovative and fresh.  The Beach Boys provided a classic nostalgia-fest and recreated an era with precision and gusto, but it really was just that – a re-creation of and a testament to a more naïve and simpler time of fast cars, pretty girls and good times at the beach.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, I had a blast and would go see this group again in a second!

Bood Reveiw: Tenth of December: Stories by George Saunders

Tenth of December: Stories

Author: George Saunders

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Date of Publication: January 8, 2013

Pages: 159 (NOOK Edition)

   This eclectic collection of nine short stories was heralded upon its publication in January, 2013 as one of the best books of the year.  It is an interesting set of stories, all dealing with contemporary issues.  The opening story "Victory Lap" is the story of a teen abduction told from three different perspectives: the victim, the perpetrator and an autistic neighbor.  There are stories of families with children facing various challenges, out of work middle class Americans and a noteworthy Iraqi war vet dealing with his dysfunctional family upon his return from active duty ("Home").

     The author uses various different writing styles in these stories. Some are told as an internal stream of consciousness ("Victory Lap" and "Al Roosten").  One story takes the form of a letter to employees trying to improve morale and maintain positive attitudes ("Exhortation").  Another is in diary format as a father explains why he cannot adequately provide for his family ("The Semplica Girl Diaries").

     There's an odd science fiction story ("Escape from Spiderhead") which is reminiscent of Anthony Burgess' A clockwork Orange in which Saunders creates an indictment of science and the scientific method.  My favorite line from any of the stories is the conclusion to a self-deprecating rant by the main character in "Al Roosten."  It is in regards to his wife who "  "...cheated on him with Charles, which had fried his ass possibly worse than any single other ass frying he'd ever had, in a life that, it recently seemed, was simply a series of escalating ass fries."

     This is a very entertaining and thought provoking set of stories regarding contemporary American life.  I liked the varying points of view but was put off by some of the seemingly endless stream of consciousness
style.  One of the best books of the year?  Maybe, but the year's not over.