A Midsummer's Equation

A Midsummer's Equation by Keigo Higashino was an intriguing read. More ambitious than the previous entries in the Detective Galileo series for its huge cast of characters, it also features Yukawa visiting a small town on the coast. Therefore, a task force involving the local police, prefectural detectives, and Tokyo detectives Kusanagi and Utsumi are working to solve the murder of a retired detective from Tokyo in the town of Hari Cove. In addition, several other characters, including a 5th grader and possible suspects in the case have short chapters showing their perspective on events in the novel. In some cases, it felt a little excessive, although the use of Kyohei, the 5th grader, was humorous and included a number of important clues to the mystery. We will never forget Yukawa lecturing this child about science or helping him with his summer homework, either. Overall, this is yet another Detective Galileo mystery in which the detectives must search deeper in the past of those involved in a murder to close the case. In this novel, things are not so cut and dried, and there is a deeper meaning to many of Yukawa's interactions with Narumi, Kyohei and others. The largest flaw was perhaps never divulging a more plausible motive for one of the characters heavily involved in the case. It would probably have been even more effective if fewer characters received their short chapters detailing their actions...Of course, we were glad to see the author avoided one of the easier endings possible for a heart-wrenching tale such as this one...

The Shining

Stephen King's The Shining is my second King novel. Although I have long considered myself a fan of the film, Kubrick's brilliant adaptation which took many liberties with the source material, I now find the novel more enjoyable and, ultimately, more disturbing. Given the constraints of the film medium, the disturbing additional contextual and character background information in the novel add more layers to the complex events at the Overlook. Moreover, I think I prefer the book ending, particularly Hallorann's character succeeding in saving Danny and Wendy. In addition, the Overlook itself as a character is far more terrifying in the novel, with its moving topiary, deceased woman in Room 217, and inescapable weight of history. King's novel is better able to explore the gender dynamics of the American family unit of the 1970s, the dangers of obsession, racism and America's violent past of lynching, and cyclical violence or trauma from familial or social histories. Also, Wendy emerges as a fully-formed character who isn't so servile and obedient to Jack. Wendy appears to be trapped somewhere between trapped housewife and liberated woman, whereas the film's Wendy is servile and grins foolishly while enduring the abuse of Jack. 

Salem's Lot

Finally reading a Stephen King is an enlightening experience. Salem's Lot appears to encapsulate much of what is great in King's work as well as horror fiction, a genre I have not dabbled much with besides Poe and Lovecraft in the distant past. Thus, playing catch up with a classic King tale of vampires in a small New England town was a useful learning activity. King's prose is direct, life-like, and builds its setting through nearly flawless exposition. The masterful use of suspense juxtaposed to seemingly excessive description of Salem's Lot and its residents works excellently to persuade readers to invest themselves emotionally into the characters of Ben, Mark, and others. Nonetheless, as a fan of Castle Rock, this novel excels in its depiction of small town life and its intersecting personalities, families, conflicts, and relationships. There is much more to the narrative than vampires taking over a declining Maine town. Themes of loyalty, sacrifice, courage, corruption, as well as war occupy a central role, as numerous references to Vietnam and other contemporaneous events make clear. 

Brunner on SF

John Brunner's comments on SF and its relationship with "real" literature are interesting, perceptive, and thought-provoking. Brunner's commentary on the "science fiction ghetto" brings to mind Philip K. Dick, LeGuin, and Disch who also tackled the stigma of being science fiction writers who valiantly improved the literary and artistic style of SF. As Brunner says, we should not be surprised then by Vonnegut's science fiction elements in Slaughterhouse Five or the science fiction-y gadgets of the Bond series. The distinctions between the "ghetto" and other forms or styles of literature have perhaps even blurred more with the passage of time.

Rose Gold

Walter Mosley's Rose Gold received an astonishingly accurate review in the Los Angeles Times. It's satisfactory, draws the reader into LA's various social classes and geography, and is always entertaining and keeps one on one's toes. That said, the novel was uneven and not as well-written or interesting as the earlier Easy Rawlins novels. Despite naming the novel after the missing Patty Hearst-like character behind Easy's case, Rosemary remains largely unknown and we barely hear her in her own voice. The same could be said about the radical group that "abducted" Rosemary, who are not anywhere near interesting like previous cases Rawlins took involving radicals (A Red Death). In addition, this novel could have cut maybe 20 or 30 pages by removing some probably superfluous sub-plots or minor cases Easy takes on the side. If it is unclear what I am alluding to, I am referring specifically to the Percy Bidwell problem and the issue regarding a white mother and her black baby, but at least the latter was relevant to the central case in a small way. Nevertheless, Mosley is a master of the trade and never fails to write addictive entertainment and interesting social commentary.