Time and Again - Jack Finney

I am a New Yawker. There are many popular stereo-types that New Yorkers must endure - the country at large thinks that as a people we are rude, uncaring and cold. And this is even when they observe us showing the common courtesy of stepping over the man having a heart attack on 34th Street.

To be sure, many of the stereotypes are accurate. Its' true that most New Yorkers wear black all the time, we do have stores that are open 24 hours a day, and we have perfected the art of flagging a cab in any weather and on any street corner. But there's something else most of us share. Something a little less noble.

It turns out that most New Yorkers know little or nothing about the city's colorful history. When you travel to most towns, the locals are, despite your plain disinterest, overly eager to tell you what happened there 20, 40 or even 100 years ago. There are landmarks and guided tours and you can see where some historical documents were signed or where a civil war general camped with his troops.

NYC is all about progress and growth. There is constant building and construction going on. Each skyscraper competes with its neighbors, anxious to stand out in the prestigious skyline... in the haze of traffic, blaring horns, crowded sidewalks and bustling coffee houses the NYC of the past is all but forgotten.

Enter Jack Finney.

I discovered Time and Again on the shelves of one of my favorite haunts: "Here's a Bookstore" on Coney Island Ave in Brooklyn. Sure, the genre is not one that typically peaks my interest, but the proprietor, a kindly bookish sort who has a knack for matching reader to author insisted that I try it. I did, and as usual - he was right:

Albert Einstein published many theories in his life. Most of them were proven true. The novel begins by expounding on one of those theories, a theory in which one can travel through time. Finney wastes very little real estate on this concept, you either buy it - or you don't. I grabbed hold of the hook the line & the sinker and alas, I was not disappointed.

The novel is set in NY in the late 1960's. It tells the tale of a secret government program experimenting with time travel. Simon Morley, an advertising sketch artist, is recruited to make the journey back in time and to sketch his experiences. The story is told with his illustrations liberally sprinkled throughout.

Morley accepts the project and travels back to New York City in the year 1882. What ensues is one of the most enjoyable reads I have ever experienced.

What images does your mind conjure when you think about the past? Do you envision grainy black and white photographs - or perhaps steam ships and top hats? Using very powerful imagery, finely detailed descriptions and accompanying artwork Finney takes us on an incredible journey through NYC just before the dawn of the 20th century. He shares with us what our imaginations leave out.

The novel weaves several simple but enjoyable story lines together. A love story. A fire. A blackmail. A murder. But the plot winds up being just the icing, the real reward is the glimpse into the NYC of the past that is so vividly and accurately portrayed.

You will join the crowds walking down "Lady's Mile" on 5th Ave and you will take a ride on the public transportation wagons and the carriages and caloshs of a time long gone. You will run through the seasons' first snow in Central Park and race sleighs through the wide thoroughfares of midtown. You will travel to Madison Square and marvel at the as-yet-unassembled Statue of Liberties' arm that is on display, and you will take up residence at a small boarding house off Gramercy Park.

Being treated to a view of NYC in the 1880's, the hitching posts, the horses, the people and the politics is in itself a tickling experience. Doing so through the eyes of a New Yorker of the 1960's is a really inventive way to view the past.

Finney did his homework. His descriptions of the atmosphere on the streets, the varied accents of the citizens, the method of dress and social customs places the reader squarely in the thick of things. His attention to detail and his ability to speak volumes with brief, simple but brilliantly crafted descriptions makes this a really fun book to read.

I sincerely believe that this book will become a classic, and probably classroom material for a writing or history class in the future. Don't let that fool you. This is not ho-hum curriculum material. When I finished reading this book I leaned back and sighed. I was exquisitely disappointed that it was over.

The World of the Blogger

Everyone likes to give their opinions. In Yiddish, there is a term called an "Eitzah-Gebber." Like most Yiddish aphorisms, there is no English translation that truly captures its' meaning...I guess "Opinion-giver" would be the closest match. But the Eitzah-Gebber goes far beyond the task of giving an opinion - he or she will dig and "yent" until they have all the supposed "facts" and then spin a web of opinion that would make any trial lawyer proud.

The blog world is the perfect forum for the proverbial Eitzah-Gebber. It is an environment where those who are intelligent and articulate can share a stage with people who have the intelligence of roadkill. Whether you have have a point to express or not, you are welcome in the great big and forgiving world of the blogger.

It is up to the general public to sort out the haves from the have-nots.

So why would I start a blog...? I guess because I think that my opinion is worth as much as anyone else's. Don't think me haughty, don't you consider YOUR opinion to be one of empirical truth and clear reasoning -- even though you are the one who accidentally threw his tuxedo jacket into the laundry hamper and even now as you are reading this you are thinking that you better go rent a tux for your sister-in-law's wedding which you have no interest in attending in the first place? (Just a guess!)

My goal is to try and honestly review books that I have read and enjoyed. Yes, "honestly" in this context means that I will be true to my tastes, my favorite genres, my preferences and above all my opinions.

Does that seem egocentric? Why? What else would you expect from a world class Eitzah-Gebber???

The Monster of Florence - Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi

Non-fiction sucks. I mean, lets face it: When a competent author dreams up the concept for a good novel he invests countless hours into plot and character development. Then, when his work has properly been combed over by an editor, those characters become living, breathing and believable beings. Those characters evoke emotions in the reader - love, hate, anger, and sometimes all three. Lets face it. Non-fiction portrays reality and reality lacks the perfect symphony of characters, storyline, settings and twists that makes a great read.

Or at least that's what I USED to believe.

Preston has been a favorite of mine for many years now, and I have followed and thoroughly enjoyed his solo works as well as those written in tandem with his long-time co-author Lincoln Child. When The Monster of Florence was released, it was just the latest book from Preston, and by that virtue alone, it was automatically added to my "Must Read" list. I do not regret that decision.

Preston moved to Florence in 2000 and while seeking inspiration for a novel he was researching, he met up with Mario Spezi, a long-time police reporter for one of the local Italian papers. When learning where it was that Preston was staying, Spezi informed him that the villa he had rented sat just outside the site of a grisly killing some years earlier. This lead to a discussion about the so called "Monster of Florence", a serial killer who had been terrorizing young lovers in the hills and fields around Florence.

Not one to pass on an unsolved mystery, Preston launched into an unsanctioned investigation of his own, with Spezi as his guide and co-detective.

The results of those experiences are published in this book and I dare say they are far more readable then any non-fiction I have ever endured.

A novelist first and foremost, Preston weaves the tale of the Monster with great skill, hooking his readers with excellent character portrayal, picturesque descriptions of time and place, and above all, the ability to portray the unique mindset and psyche of the citizens of Florence.

This last point is critical in making for a powerful and poignant look into the minds and hearts of the population affected by the killer. It is damn-near impossible to describe the concept of mass-hysteria, the idea of lynching by the press, or the way in which the innate fears of a society plagued by a serial killer would manifest within the unique sociological profile of the average Italian. Yet Preston succeeds in accomplishing just that.

The book moves at a fast pace, and it takes the reader along for the ride, drafting him as an investigator's apprentice, by maintaining a constant stream of facts, evidence & theory that forces the reader to develop his own theories and to draw his own conclusions.

A thoroughly enjoyable read.