Book #8: Dog On It (Spencer Quinn)

Reading time: 2 days (I'm catching up!)
Pages: 305
Genre: Mystery / Fiction

First off, this was a fun read. That might deeply depend on the reader being a dog person though. Woof.

Chet is a police dog (err, almost... just missed that one test) and is Bernie's four legged partner. A PI for hire, Bernie is searching for a missing 15 year old girl Madeline, but can't get it out of his head the case is just a little fishy... The book isn't your typical detective story for one thing-- it's told through Chet's eyes :) Ever wondered what your dog was thinking? I though Disney/Pixar did a good job with Dug the talking dog from "UP," Quinn just takes it one step further minus the crazy-cool dog translating collar (see "UP").

What rocks: Chet has the perfect dog personality. He's energetic and gets a lot of what happens around him, more than we think. Some things elude him though, like our figures of speech. His voice has the ignorance of an outsider, but the loyalty of your favorite pet. While he's a little mischievous at times, Chet definitely narrates why and almost gives dogs an excuse or at least a reason behind some behaviors: why he chewed up Bernie's leather sandal, or jumped up on that expensive car.

GRADE: B

++FUN and entertaining
++Chet kinda likes to cut out the boring, just give you the goods

--At one point I asked "really??" Maybe he tipped the scale form trained police dog to wonderdog/Lassie but hey, maybe? I should stop questioning plots sometimes. Also felt one point was a little too coincidental.....HMM..

BUT OVERALL you won't regret it :)

Book #7: The Crimson Petal and the White (Michael Faber)

Reading time: 5 weeks
Pages: 833
Genre: Historial Fiction

I feel like I ran a slowly reading marathon. This sucker was thick. And hardcover. In fact if it was printed in normal size paperback dimensions, I think it would be terribly un-fun to read. Imagine a fatter Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Yep. But I didn't want to just read 200 page books all the time. Don't discriminate against the page length!!!

Anyway, what was this monster novel about?
The Crimson Petal and the White (TCPATW) follows the lives of Sugar, a 19 year old prostitute in 1875, and the Rackham family. Sugar is raised into prostitution by her mother, the madam of a house in London. She is famous for doing anything a gentleman wants with a smile, as reported by "More Sprees in London" (teehee, sounds like a precursor to Playboy...). William, the nearly broke heir to Rackham perfumeries, eventually winds up in Sugar's room... and completely falling for her. Slowly, she rises from the house, to a ritzy apartment furnished by William as his mistress, then finally to his home as a governess. Sugar is quite educated and helps William to flourish in his business, but  after a year things begin to fall apart in his life. Taking Sugar for granted is probably one of his biggest mistakes ever.

Meanwhile, the novel splits between other characters too. Such as Henry Rackham, the older brother who declined inheriting the business in favor of becoming a member of the church, Emmeline Fox, a widow and closest friend to Henry who is deeply involved with the Rescue Society that helps prostitutes leave their old profession in favor of an honorable one and new life. And, not to mention Agnes Rackham, the bat-@#!$ crazy wife of William. Unbeknownst to her, she has a brain tumor which, makes many moments a little horrific in what she says or does. It doesn't help Agnes is completely selfish and shallow, but on top of saying the wrong things at the wrong time and having fits where she tells someone off at a party (slightly funny), or tries to escape to the "Convent of Health". Yikes. William is torn about putting her in an asylum and refuses until it becomes quite clear Agnes is only getting nuttier.

So what's to like about this story? Faber for one does an excellent job with narration. A little Charles Dicken-esque, each time I felt completely transported to 1875, or 1876 later on. A peculiar thing about the narration was that it was an approach I had never seen before (gasps/Angels sing out for joy in my head). There is an outside narrator that speaks the actions of each character as we go along. It's obvious at first as we must get into this climate of dirty streets and pleasure and strangers. But soon the narrator stops using I or you, and the story smoothly unfolds until the last page where we remember some mysterious person narrated Sugar's story to us.

Alright cool. It narrates slightly unconventionally. What else?
For seconds, Faber is probably an expert at all aspects of life in the 1900's. Everything was covered. I can't think of some fact or detail that was left out. It was the most historical piece of fiction that I can imagine I've read. Now, I'm not sure if another book will hold a candle to it without me thinking "NO" or "WRONG" or even "RESEARCH IT RIGHT." It was one of those books that you have a hard time putting down because it engulfs you so completely. And for one involving cheating husbands and promiscuity, it hardly reads dirty nor did I find myself skipping vulgar sections. Not really. Just remember it's England though. Whatever that means to you.

As for negatives? Perhaps the length got to me a little, as it began to drag for me. If I could have cranked out more pages for the times I sat down to read it, that probably would have helped. Problem solved.

So GRADE:

A

+FIRST A I GAVE.
+Excellent narration flows smooth and naturally.
+Feels like a... more-to-the-point-Dickens.
+Excellent characterization. Wide range of folks all chiseled well, felt like they could have been actual people as the dialogue showed. Not always 'perfect.' Therefore, little bit of imperfection = real results!!
-Kinda long. BUT hey, don't discriminate. I didn't. And I guess BBC made it a mini series. Must... Check... Out....