Book 39: No Country for Old Man

I got this from the library 2 weeks ago,
but haven't gotten around to read it.

Then it was the Oscars...
& they got the BIG script awards / Best pictures!
So i figured, this book can't be too bad, right?

Title: No Country for Old Man

Who wrote it: Cormac McCarthy

Whom I borrowed it from: Queens Library (Forest Hills)

What is it about:

A combination of crime / drug dealing /
police investigation / cunning & brutal murders /
$$$ = this fictional but realistic story!

What went through my mind:

- Although the whole story evolves around
the crime concerning a missing bag of $$
after an incomplete drug deal,
i feel that the core of the story is a
"coming of age" story of the investigator.

He receives the most in-depth character
development, even more than Moss,
who took the $$$, and Chigurh, the psycho killer.

- Indeed, the self-confession like essays
preceding every chapter of the story
portray a bigger picture than the crime story plot
itself. It demonstrates how it's not the ongoing
events that make life meaningful,
but our memories and reflections upon the past,
which enable us to realize who we are.

- I'm not the kind of reader/writer that enjoy
a lot of exposition / detailed descriptions,
so McCarthy's style bugged me a bit...

But at the same time, i felt like i was really
watching a movie, since he describes every
single move of each character in precise details.

Can't say it's bad at all... it's just not my preference.

- In order to create various persona for the characters,
McCarthy used very distinguishable 'language'
when each of them speak.
I'd say it's successful, except the ones
with a very heavy Southern Accent
(goin' -> going; nothin' -> nothing; set -> sit...)
bothered me from time to time,
because it's unclear at times,

esp. to an ESL NYC person like me '_'

Favorite Quotes:
- "It takes very little to govern good people...
And bad people cant be governed at all." (Pg. 64)

- "People complain about the bad things
that happen to em that they dont deserve
but they seldom mention the good.
About what they done to deserve them things.
I dont recall that I ever give the good Lord
all that much cause to smile on me.
But he did." (Pg. 91)

- "One of the things you realize
about gettin older is that
not everybody is goin to
get older with you." (Pg. 216)

- "...there was nothin to set a man's
mind at ease like wakin up in the morning
and not havin to decide who you were.
And if you done somethin wrong
just stand up and say you done it
and say you're sorry and get on with it.
Dont haul stuff around with you." (Pg. 249)

- "Every moment in your life is a turning
and every one a choosing.
Somewhere you made a choice." (Pg. 259)

- "All the time you spend tryin to
get back what's been took from you
there's more goin out the door." (Pg. 267)

- "... sometimes people would rather have
a bad answer about things than
no answer at all." (Pg. 282)

- "It's a life's work to see yourself for
what you really are and even then
you might be wrong." (Pg. 295)
** My favorite quote!

What came out of this:
*Goal: Watch the movie : )

Why Should you read it, too?

If you liked the movie / are curious like me : b

Book 34: Dark Maze (黑暗迷宮)

Title: 三色貓黑暗迷宮

(Dark Maze -- Tricolor Cat)

Who wrote it: 赤川次郎 (Jiro Akagawa)

Whom I borrowed it from: Queens Library (Forest Hills)

What is it about:
A group of policemen has been going after
a criminal who has killed 3 people.
On a fateful night, an almost-retiree fired his gun
in the dark, thinking that he had shot the criminal,
but it turned out to be a young policeman...

The scene was witnessed by the criminal,
and the retiree gave in to the threat of being exposed,
in exchange of helping the criminal escape.

Little did he know, the criminal would
lure his only daughter into a romantic relationship...

What went through my mind:

- Akagawa caught on to an essential trait of mankind:
do anything possible to cover up our mistakes.

If only the retiree was courageous enough
to admit that he shot the wrong person,
his family's life / his health / his dignity...
would all be so dramatically different.

In the same way, when we lie,
we often have to lie some more
to cover up the previous lies.
Sometimes, unnecessary serious consequences
result from what might seem harmless & best
in the beginning.

When will we learn this important lesson,
to tell the truth at all times,
even when the stakes seem high?

- This novel was a typical Akagawa one.

Quick read, fast pace,
an easy past-time entertainment.

What came out of this:

* Reminder: Be courageous in being honest!

Why Should you read it, too?

If you liked the other Akagawa books,
you'd like this one too : )

Book 27: Goodbye, Murder! (殺人唷! 再見)

Title: 殺人唷! 再見
(Satsujin Yo Sayounara / Goodbye, Murder!)

Who wrote it: 赤川次郎 (Jiro Akagawa)

Whom I borrowed it from: Queens Library (Forest Hills)

What is it about:
13-year-old Yukiko killed her mom's boyfriend,
but she never regretted about it.
3 years later, she went on summer vacation with Mom
to the same location, and various people
around her are being attacked.
Yukiko also received threats,
hinting at the murder she committed.
Who's behind all these? What's going on?

What went through my mind:
- Like the rest of the Akagawa books i read in h/s,
this is an easy & quick read.
So quick that it's almost mindless --
not necessarily a bad thing, i suppose,
on a relaxing saturday afternoon : )

- I remember Fafa often criticized that
Akagawa's books shouldn't be categorized as
detective/mystery stories,
because it's not only playful and toned-down,
but that there are no real attempt in
involving the readers in discovering
'whodunit/howdunit/whydunit.'
Instead, it's more like telling a story
with twists and turns, but no fair ground
on which the reader can jump ahead and
win the race -- which is the true purpose of
reading this kind of novels.
Yeah, i guess i'd have to agree that this book
would be disappointing if that's what you're after.

What came out of this:
* Remember to take breaks in between
reading serious, non-fiction books,
so my mind get to take a break and relax ; )

Why Should you read it, too?
If you want to be entertained, this is a decent book.

Book 15: Crime Scene (臨場)

Title: 臨場 (Crime Scene)

Who wrote it: Hideo Yokoyama (橫山秀夫)

Whom I borrowed it from: Fafa

What is it about:
Yet another series of short stories,
this time more focused on crime scene investigations.
The main character throughout is an eccentric investigator,
who refused to be promoted to other officer positions,
and was nicknamed "The Ultimate CSI" by others.
His motto was:
CSI must pick up every single clue left
at the crime scene, or the victim/dead
would be sorrowful in his/her unjust death!

What went through my mind:
- I liked this book better than 'Face.'
The pace of the storytelling is faster,
and the main character more interesting.
- Who knew that plants, dust,
the way you open the door,
how long it takes for blood to dry,
towards which direction & how the body fell......
could all play a part in telling the truth,
as well as what kind of people they are?

Why Should you read it, too?
If you liked watching CSI (Miami/NY),
or just wanna gain some trivial knowledge.

Book 13: Face (顏)

Title: 顏 (Face)

Who wrote it: Hideo Yokoyama (橫山秀夫)

Whom I borrowed it from: Fafa

What is it about:
This book is composed of a series of short stories,
in which a young policewoman is the main character.
Aside from the various crime cases
that she participated in investigating,
power struggles among the reporters/
policemen & -women/
criminals & the public...
were also carefully portrayed.
On top of a suspense/detective kind of fiction,
this also reads like a social case study.

What went through my mind:
- Everybody has some God-given abilities : )
The main character specializes in drawing
portraits of the criminals,
according to the victims' verbal descriptions.
She has a co-worker that's really talented in
gun-shooting, so much so that she was chosen
to take part in trainings for the Olympics.
-> What are my special gifts,
and how am i developing/utilizing them?
- One of the book's focuses was on
gender inequality, esp. in the police force.
I can't help but wonder,
if God designed us men & women to be different,
yet the same (as humans),
then how are we to attain that careful balance?

Why Should you read it, too?
If you're interested in the topics mentioned above,
or just wanna pick up an easy read : )

Book 8: The Self-Sacrifice of Suspect X (嫌疑犯X的獻身)

Title: 嫌疑犯X的獻身 (The Self-Sacrifice of Suspect X )

Who wrote it: 東野圭吾 (Keigo Higashino)

Whom I borrowed it from: Fafa

What is it about:
This is a very well-written suspense/detective novel.
Since the beginning, the author showed us the 'whodunit,'
and the Math Teacher who lived next door to the murderer
offered to help discard the dead body,
because he fell in love with her since the day she moved in.

The story went on, to tell of the little progress the Police made
in investigations, while the Math Teacher's old friend came by,
& figured out some clues that the Police has yet to discover.

What went through my mind:

- The 'howdunit' was well hidden under layers upon layers
of twists & turns, but none of those was forced/illogical.

The author's creativity clearly shines through,
& as a reader, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel till the very end.

- One of the main ideas the author tried to illustrate
through this story was "the Purest Love of all" --

Ultimately, his point of view somehow coincides with Christianity's,
that Sacrificial & Unselfish Love is by far the most amazing -

when someone lays down his life for another,
without asking for equal compensation nor even comprehension,
it reaches so deep into the core of our souls,

that we can't help but marvel at the precious gift presented to us,
& want to reciprocate in one way or the other --
just like the Murderer at the end of the story.

What came out of this:
* Reminder: Bear in mind that love is unconditional.
& if I were to offer sacrificial love, I'm not supposed to brag,
expect rewards / recognition, or demand others' appreciations.

Why should you read it, too?
Sometimes it takes a great novel to drive home
a deeper understanding of something bigger & more important.
I think this book's got something to offer,
with enjoyment & clever plots along the way : )

Book 6: Switch Circle Murder (人格轉移殺人)

Title: 人格轉移殺人 (Switch Circle Murder )

Who wrote it: 西澤保彥 (Yasuhiro Nishizawa)

Whom I borrowed it from: Fafa

What is it about:
The premise of the story is based on a 'Switch Circle.'
If more than 1 person step into this room at the same time,
an invisible wall would immediately appear to separate them,
then in split second their souls would inhabit in others' bodies.
The cycle will go on and on, until there's only 1 person left...

Due to an earthquake, 6 people escaped into the
'Switch Circle' without knowing what it is.
When the government agents discovered
these people in their contorted state,
they brought the group to a secluded mansion,
which is where the consecutive cases of murder took place...

What went through my mind:
-Modern Japanese suspense novels are quite
different from their American counterparts.
I feel that their plots are more sophisticated,
more variables exist in their stories,
& it's less about story-telling, more about
the readers figuring out the classic:
'whodunit,' 'whydunit,' 'howdunit,'
while the author attempt to trick the readers.
- The plot of this novel heavily relies upon the
'Switch Circle' set up, but it's definitely a clever & creative one.
The 'whydunit' turns out to be not that convincing for me,
but the explanations for the who & how are powerful,
& i am quite pleased with this book in general : )

What came out of this:
* Look out for other suspense novel
recommendations by Fafa!

Why Should you read it, too?
If you enjoy reading suspense novel,
this is one that's worth your time! ; )