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Book Reviews -- Pi vs. Geisha
Two books I've been reading make for interesting comparisons and constrasts. Memoirs of a Geisha is definitely a 'life of' type of book, Life of Pi both is and is not a memoir. Actually, neither are really memoirs; they are novels, fiction, untrue. I stress this, because there seems to be some confusion among writers and readers about what forms are fiction and what forms of writing are considered nonfiction. I'm ambivalent about "creative nonfiction" at the moment.
The first 100 pages of Life of Pi were the best part for me. The author laid out the path of Pi to full participation with multiple religions in a pleasing, rather linear fashion. The bulk of the book, dealing with Pi's ordeal in a lifeboat, was depressing and tedious. I found the appended transcript and report as much gimmickry as the entire premise that this was a tale told to the author by the main character and in exactly 100 chapters. My impression that the writing quality deteriorated with the story (and Pi) may to be a function of growing discontent with the story itself. Switching back and forth with time and settings was disruptive rather than intriguing.
Memoirs of a Geisha received gushy positive reviews, especially because it was a first novel. I found it slow and boring at the beginning and wondered what all the fuss was about. Eventually the story engaged my interest, especially the description of life in Japan during and after WW II. By the surprising end, which came all too fast, I wanted more. The author also used the "as told to" device and in this case it didn't intrude, probably because he limited it to the book's beginning. I found remarkable his ability to write from a woman's point of view with delicacy and insight. He captured the mindset of an oppressed person in an oppressive society very well.
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The first 100 pages of Life of Pi were the best part for me. The author laid out the path of Pi to full participation with multiple religions in a pleasing, rather linear fashion. The bulk of the book, dealing with Pi's ordeal in a lifeboat, was depressing and tedious. I found the appended transcript and report as much gimmickry as the entire premise that this was a tale told to the author by the main character and in exactly 100 chapters. My impression that the writing quality deteriorated with the story (and Pi) may to be a function of growing discontent with the story itself. Switching back and forth with time and settings was disruptive rather than intriguing.
Memoirs of a Geisha received gushy positive reviews, especially because it was a first novel. I found it slow and boring at the beginning and wondered what all the fuss was about. Eventually the story engaged my interest, especially the description of life in Japan during and after WW II. By the surprising end, which came all too fast, I wanted more. The author also used the "as told to" device and in this case it didn't intrude, probably because he limited it to the book's beginning. I found remarkable his ability to write from a woman's point of view with delicacy and insight. He captured the mindset of an oppressed person in an oppressive society very well.
Listen to this article
posted by Georganna Hancock M.S. | 8:31 AM
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