Withdrawal: A Novel, Michael Hoffman, AuthorHouse, 2003
Set in present-day Canada, somewhere near Toronto, this is the story of Len Fishman. In his mid-40s, he has returned home after 25 years of aimless wandering, mostly in Africa. He lives with his mother, in the house in which he grew up, sleeping on a couch in what used to be his room.
Len discovers that Saul, his father, was an amateur philosopher who, perhaps, was not totally faithful to Len's mother. Saul is now a patient at a local geriatric center, suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. Along the way, Len runs into Ron Bloom, his old high school English teacher, now running for a seat on the municipal council. Ron arranges a mini-class reunion with Len's classmates who have stayed in the area. Ron gets elected, and becomes an advocate for the youth of the town. His stay on the council is short; he is forced to resign because of an inappropriate relationship with a student that happened 30 years ago.
Why does Len stay in town? Is it to resume his discipleship with Mr. Bloom, who encouraged him to become an English teacher (how he earned money while living overseas)? Is it to recover his past via a girl he had a crush on in grade five? Saul, his father, doesn't recognize him anymore, and wouldn't miss him if he left.
This is another of those "quiet" stories that, by the end, turns into a really good story. It could take place almost anywhere, and be about any family.
Showing posts with label hoffman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hoffman. Show all posts
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
A Fistful of Sky
A Fistful of Sky, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Ace Books, 2002
The LaZelles are your typical Southern California family, except for the fact that all, except the father, are witches. At approximately age 16, each of the five children are supposed to go through Transition. It's characterized by being really sick for a few days; when it's over, the person's magical powers, whatever they may be, are born. For whatever reason, Gypsum, the middle child, doesn't go through Transition. Perhaps she is destined to be "normal," like her father. When everyone else becomes an official witch or warlock, Gypsum usually ends up being the magical "guinea pig."
One weekend, while everyone else is away, Gypsum gets really sick, not realizing it's her very delayed Transition. Unfortunately, her power is the dark power of cursing. She has to curse or damn something every few hours, or the power will eat her up from inside. She curses a rock, and it turns into a box of magic chalk. Gypsum and her siblings draw on some cement stairs with the chalk, and the drawings come to life. An easy way to release some energy is to cause the trash in the trash cans to disappear. But, do it too often, and people will become suspicious.
Gypsum tries to filter her power through one of her brothers. The subject of making brownies comes up, and the two fill most of their back yard with very edible brownies. Later, they create an equal quantity of fresh-baked bread and muffins. One time, Gypsum turns her younger sister into an old woman. Another time, she causes the mouths of her two brothers to disappear. It's a good thing her "human" curses come with built-in time limits. On a date with her boyfriend, Ian, Gypsum tries turning her curse power back on herself, to turn herself back to "normal," and comes very close to killing herself.
This retelling of the Ugly Duckling story is humorous, heartfelt and very, very good. Hoffman's writing comes very close to poetry. It works as an adult novel, and as a young adult novel, and it is well worth reading.
The LaZelles are your typical Southern California family, except for the fact that all, except the father, are witches. At approximately age 16, each of the five children are supposed to go through Transition. It's characterized by being really sick for a few days; when it's over, the person's magical powers, whatever they may be, are born. For whatever reason, Gypsum, the middle child, doesn't go through Transition. Perhaps she is destined to be "normal," like her father. When everyone else becomes an official witch or warlock, Gypsum usually ends up being the magical "guinea pig."
One weekend, while everyone else is away, Gypsum gets really sick, not realizing it's her very delayed Transition. Unfortunately, her power is the dark power of cursing. She has to curse or damn something every few hours, or the power will eat her up from inside. She curses a rock, and it turns into a box of magic chalk. Gypsum and her siblings draw on some cement stairs with the chalk, and the drawings come to life. An easy way to release some energy is to cause the trash in the trash cans to disappear. But, do it too often, and people will become suspicious.
Gypsum tries to filter her power through one of her brothers. The subject of making brownies comes up, and the two fill most of their back yard with very edible brownies. Later, they create an equal quantity of fresh-baked bread and muffins. One time, Gypsum turns her younger sister into an old woman. Another time, she causes the mouths of her two brothers to disappear. It's a good thing her "human" curses come with built-in time limits. On a date with her boyfriend, Ian, Gypsum tries turning her curse power back on herself, to turn herself back to "normal," and comes very close to killing herself.
This retelling of the Ugly Duckling story is humorous, heartfelt and very, very good. Hoffman's writing comes very close to poetry. It works as an adult novel, and as a young adult novel, and it is well worth reading.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Lines in the Sand: New Writing on War and Peace
Lines in the Sand: New Writing on War and Peace, Mary Hoffman and Rhiannon Lassiter, The Disinformation Company Ltd, 2003
This is a group of new short stories, poems and pictures, from all over the world, on the subject of war and peace. They cover the gamut, from the Crusades of the 13th century, to both World Wars, the Middle East, Africa, Kosovo, the Falkland Islands and both Gulf Wars. The contributions focus mostly on the point of view of those who are on the receiving end of the bombs and bullets.
My favorite piece in the book, called "Give Peace a Chance," tells the story of the end of apartheid in South Africa in language that any young person can understand. Another must-read piece, "Eco-Wolf and the War Pigs," is an allegory for the younger reader. I am not much of a poetry lover, but I really enjoyed the poems in this book.
Is "extraordinary" too strong a word? Not in this case. As far as history class in school is concerned, the average young person may think that there hasn't been a war since 1945. This book is very highly recommended for just such a young person who is becoming aware of the wider world out there. It's also recommended for older people.
This is a group of new short stories, poems and pictures, from all over the world, on the subject of war and peace. They cover the gamut, from the Crusades of the 13th century, to both World Wars, the Middle East, Africa, Kosovo, the Falkland Islands and both Gulf Wars. The contributions focus mostly on the point of view of those who are on the receiving end of the bombs and bullets.
My favorite piece in the book, called "Give Peace a Chance," tells the story of the end of apartheid in South Africa in language that any young person can understand. Another must-read piece, "Eco-Wolf and the War Pigs," is an allegory for the younger reader. I am not much of a poetry lover, but I really enjoyed the poems in this book.
Is "extraordinary" too strong a word? Not in this case. As far as history class in school is concerned, the average young person may think that there hasn't been a war since 1945. This book is very highly recommended for just such a young person who is becoming aware of the wider world out there. It's also recommended for older people.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
The Empty Cafe
The Empty Cafe, Michael Hoffman, 1st Books Library, 2001
This group of stories take place somewhere between fantasy and reality.
A man goes away to school and eventually becomes a history professor, losing touch with his younger brother. One day, he opens the newspaper and sees a picture of little brother, fronting a popular rock music band. Overnight, the older brother's life is turned upside down, as he goes from being an average college professor to brother of a famous rock star. A westerner living in Japan, accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, watches as his innocence slowly disappears.
A woman and her fiance are eating in an expensive restaurant. Suddenly, she notices an older gentleman a few tables away and screams. The fiance takes her home immediately, and after a good night's sleep, it's as if the incident in the restaurant never happened. A couple of times, the woman says "I won't hurt you," for seemingly no reason at all. The object of her emotional reaction, an actor, appeared in a film a few years previously. It's about a man who befriends a little girl, takes her shopping for a doll, then drugs her, undresses her and photographs her, but otherwise doesn't harm her.
A police officer in present-day Bangkok, Thailand, after reuniting a lost boy with his frantic parents, tells of how his own son, a schizophrenic, committed suicide. Perhaps those who hear voices in their heads are the sane ones, and the rest of us, who can't hear them, are insane.
These stories are really good. Hoffman has done a fine job throughout. They are easy to read, with real people as characters and are highly recommended.
This group of stories take place somewhere between fantasy and reality.
A man goes away to school and eventually becomes a history professor, losing touch with his younger brother. One day, he opens the newspaper and sees a picture of little brother, fronting a popular rock music band. Overnight, the older brother's life is turned upside down, as he goes from being an average college professor to brother of a famous rock star. A westerner living in Japan, accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, watches as his innocence slowly disappears.
A woman and her fiance are eating in an expensive restaurant. Suddenly, she notices an older gentleman a few tables away and screams. The fiance takes her home immediately, and after a good night's sleep, it's as if the incident in the restaurant never happened. A couple of times, the woman says "I won't hurt you," for seemingly no reason at all. The object of her emotional reaction, an actor, appeared in a film a few years previously. It's about a man who befriends a little girl, takes her shopping for a doll, then drugs her, undresses her and photographs her, but otherwise doesn't harm her.
A police officer in present-day Bangkok, Thailand, after reuniting a lost boy with his frantic parents, tells of how his own son, a schizophrenic, committed suicide. Perhaps those who hear voices in their heads are the sane ones, and the rest of us, who can't hear them, are insane.
These stories are really good. Hoffman has done a fine job throughout. They are easy to read, with real people as characters and are highly recommended.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Past the Size of Dreaming
Past the Size of Dreaming, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Ace Books, 2001
This is a continuation of the story of Matilda (Matt) Black, a wandering witch with the ability to converse with inanimate objects, like roads, cars and toy soldiers, and Edmund Reynolds, a young man with powers of his own. They return to the haunted house that was a refuge for Edmund and his friends while growing up. House tells Matt that she and Edmund must find the long-scattered group of friends and bring them back together, for there is an evil force upon the land, a force that has them in its sights.
Deirdre, now a veterinarian, is the "normal" one of the group, untouched by magic, but still seems to have acquired the spirit of a coyote. Julio tangled with the force, a man named Gross who wants the group as his slaves, years ago. Over the intervening time, he turned into Lia, a female musician. Tasha and Terry are twin sisters, whose powers revolve around the elements of Air and Fire. Nathan is the occupant of House; actually, he�s a ghost who can leave the premises only through a seance.
House also brought the group together for another reason. Just before the final battle with Cross and his slaves, it asks the group�s help in fulfilling a wish it has had for a long time.
I loved this book. The writing is lyrical, almost poetic, there is just the right amount of strangeness in the story, and the author does a great job making the characters into real people. Along with its prequel, "A Red Heart of Memories", this is a wonderful piece of writing.
This is a continuation of the story of Matilda (Matt) Black, a wandering witch with the ability to converse with inanimate objects, like roads, cars and toy soldiers, and Edmund Reynolds, a young man with powers of his own. They return to the haunted house that was a refuge for Edmund and his friends while growing up. House tells Matt that she and Edmund must find the long-scattered group of friends and bring them back together, for there is an evil force upon the land, a force that has them in its sights.
Deirdre, now a veterinarian, is the "normal" one of the group, untouched by magic, but still seems to have acquired the spirit of a coyote. Julio tangled with the force, a man named Gross who wants the group as his slaves, years ago. Over the intervening time, he turned into Lia, a female musician. Tasha and Terry are twin sisters, whose powers revolve around the elements of Air and Fire. Nathan is the occupant of House; actually, he�s a ghost who can leave the premises only through a seance.
House also brought the group together for another reason. Just before the final battle with Cross and his slaves, it asks the group�s help in fulfilling a wish it has had for a long time.
I loved this book. The writing is lyrical, almost poetic, there is just the right amount of strangeness in the story, and the author does a great job making the characters into real people. Along with its prequel, "A Red Heart of Memories", this is a wonderful piece of writing.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
A Red Heart of Memories
A Red Heart of Memories, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Ace Books, 1999
Matilda (Matt) Black spends her time traveling from place to place alone; she's never really alone because she has the ability to see other people's dreams and converse with inanimate objects like cars and trees. One day, she meets Edmund, a witch on a quest to help mankind, walking out of a wall (literally). He left his hometown rather abruptly, so Matt goes with him as he returns to take care of things.
They first visit a childhood friend named Nathan, who lives in an abandoned house. Actually, Nathan doesn't so much live there as haunt the place; he's a ghost. Later, they visit Abby, Edmund's sister, now married, and with a family. Abby is an artist who has always felt this "force" around her, but was never able to describe it or touch it. Matt is able to talk to it, and introduces it to Abby. Matt names it Gold; it is able to manifest itself as anything from a gold bracelet to a living, breathing person indistinguishable from a real human. Abby accepted Edmund's powers when they were younger, but she has a hard time with this.
Edmund feels compelled to make amends with Matt's father, a mean, sadistic type who has spent the past several years in a coma, courtesy of Edmund.
This is a better-than-first-rate piece of writing. It's an original work of genius, on the level of novels that come along only once every several years.
Matilda (Matt) Black spends her time traveling from place to place alone; she's never really alone because she has the ability to see other people's dreams and converse with inanimate objects like cars and trees. One day, she meets Edmund, a witch on a quest to help mankind, walking out of a wall (literally). He left his hometown rather abruptly, so Matt goes with him as he returns to take care of things.
They first visit a childhood friend named Nathan, who lives in an abandoned house. Actually, Nathan doesn't so much live there as haunt the place; he's a ghost. Later, they visit Abby, Edmund's sister, now married, and with a family. Abby is an artist who has always felt this "force" around her, but was never able to describe it or touch it. Matt is able to talk to it, and introduces it to Abby. Matt names it Gold; it is able to manifest itself as anything from a gold bracelet to a living, breathing person indistinguishable from a real human. Abby accepted Edmund's powers when they were younger, but she has a hard time with this.
Edmund feels compelled to make amends with Matt's father, a mean, sadistic type who has spent the past several years in a coma, courtesy of Edmund.
This is a better-than-first-rate piece of writing. It's an original work of genius, on the level of novels that come along only once every several years.
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