SHARTARAM by Gregory David Roberts

This was truly a terrible book!  OK, so why did I follow it through 40 hours of recordings?  The book did hold my interest, it portrayed some interesting places in the world (assuming the portrayals were accurate), and it was sometimes funny.  If considered as camp, the entire book could be considered funny – though I’m not sure that was how this was intended.

I picked out this book at random from the Audible website.  There were some warning reviews that this wasn’t “worth the money”.   But it had a few redeeming qualities.

Our hero – Shantaram, but called “Lin”, is an escaped convict from Australia.  He has traveled to India on a forged New Zealand passport.  The explanation for this criminal life is only barely sketched in, and is slightly less than convincing.  He has lost his family somehow (I think perhaps his wife left him), and he turns to heroin as an escape.  In order to support his heroin habit, he turns to armed robbery.  He is caught and sent to an Australian prison, where he is beaten unmercifully.  He accomplishes a spectacular escape from this maximum security prison, and then becomes one of the most wanted men in Australia!

In Bombay, India, he falls in with a group of expatriates and with a jolly Indian tour guide. When he is evicted from his apartment, the tour guide arranges for him to live in a hut in the slum. 

Lin is a man that apparently can do almost anything.  He spends six months with the family of his Indian friend, where he learns the native languages.  He falls in love with a mysterious Swiss woman who grew up in the United States, Carla.  Their ridiculous romance is one of the underlying themes of the book.  He does NOT get the girl – but of course, we knew that when he made all kinds of dumb mistakes in the relationship.

When Lin returns to the slum, he becomes the slum’s doctor!  But then he runs afoul of Madame Chou, who runs an exotic whorehouse.  She arranges for him to be arrested and thrown into a terrible Indian prison, where he endures frightful beatings and privation.  He doesn’t learn until much later in the book who had had this done to him – only a “foreign woman”.  Never mind that it was perfectly obvious to anyone reading the book.

After getting out of prison, he becomes involved with the “Indian mafia”, learning money-laundering, gold smuggling, etc.  But these are good crooks, of course, as they don’t engage in drug trade or prostitution. 

It becomes obvious, however, that the leader of the mafia has other plans for Lin.  He recruits him to accompany a group to Afghanistan, where they will deliver supplies to the fighters against the occupying Russians.  Lin barely escapes falling off his horse off a cliff.  His group is almost wiped out by attacks from Russians, unfriendly Afghans, frigid weather, and, finally, near starvation.

The book is told in the first person, read by someone with a great Aussie accent. 

THE KICKER:  I try not to read reviews of the book until I have written up my own impressions.  Now I find that the author based most of this on his own experiences.  He was in fact a heroin addict and bank robber after his wife left him, did escape from an Australian prison, and was “most wanted”!  He also apparently did all the other things I’ve listed above, and more! 

But my feelings about his presentation of all this remain the same – no one is that good!

THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA SACKS by Rebecca Skloot

I keep wanting to call this book “The immortal cells of Henrietta Sacks, because it is her cells that are in fact immortal. 

The basic story (except this is nonfiction) is fairly well known:  Henrietta Sacks was a black working-class woman from the South who moved to Baltimore with her husband.  He worked (I think) in the steelyards there, and they got by.  They had four children.  But Henrietta, while still young, contracted a very nasty cervical cancer.  She was treated in the charity wards of John Hopkins hospital.  In the course of her treatment, some of her cancer cells were removed and given to researchers – without her knowledge.   This was in the early 1950’s.

At that time, researchers had been unsuccessful in growing cells in laboratory settings, hindering their research.  Henrietta’s cells proved to be the answer to their problem – they were strong, aggressive, and grew like crazy.  Fast forward to today, and Henrietta’s cells have been used in hundreds of thousands of commercial and research applications around the world. 

This book is absorbing, and has several facets:

--How the book came to be, and how it was written form the backbone of the narrative.  This is even more significant because the book becomes to a large degree the story of Henrietta’s children – their mother’s famous cells have a large impact on their lives, particularly the youngest daughter, Deborah.

--The author tells Henrietta’s life story.  This gives a perspective on the great black migration from the South in those days, life in the South versus life in the North.

--The central issue is whether researchers had a right to take the cells without Henrietta’s knowledge or consent.  This becomes more relevant when we are told that commercial labs took over much of the production and sale of these cells, for profit (none of which went to either the original researchers or to the family).  In fact, most medical institutions today will ask patients to sign a release that they understand that any products removed from their bodies may be disposed of as the institution sees fit.

My observations:

--First, this is history, which I enjoy reading.  Families in the South tended to intermarry, which I found interesting (but unappealing!).   Although the black families in the North were poor, they seemed more casual about life.  Henrietta didn’t seem to brood about her cancer.   Her main concern was an inability to have more children.

--These cancer cells probably could have come from a person of any race.  But because Henrietta was black, it added another dimension to the moral problem.  The blacks of Baltimore at that time were somewhat paranoid about the “free” treatment at John Hopkins.  They suspected the hospital of using their poor black patients for medical experiments.   In fact, the author uncovers that one of Henrietta’s daughters, who was epileptic and slow and had to be committed to a mental institution, was subject to medical experimentation there – some of which was probably painful.

--Henrietta’s children, particularly Deborah, were to my view a little obsessed with the “theft” of their mother‘s cells.  Part of this was due to the fact that some people tried to exploit the family.  One charlatan pretended to represent them against John Hopkins.    It took this book’s author over a year to gain Deborah’s trust, but they subsequently became close.  Deborah was a baby when her mother died, but let the stolen cells destroy her equilibrium over and over.

If my cells were taken for medical research and sold, with or without my knowledge, I wouldn’t care.  Nor would I expect recognition for this.  Henrietta’s family kept talking about her cells, when in fact these were cancer cells. 

But this story looms large in Black History for some of the reasons discussed above.  And this book does a great job of telling it.

COLUMBINE by Dave Cullen

Many people would not read a book on this subject.  I, unfortunately, have to admit to being like the majority, ghoulish population of this country who take a perhaps unhealthy interest.  How else to explain the popularity of crime shows such as CRIMINAL MINDS?

In any case, I did not know a lot about this notorious school shooting.   This author takes the story from the planning and perpetration by the two boys, to the aftermath on the families and community.  The book advertises itself as a unique look at the different characters of the two shooters.

Therein lies the interesting part of this book.  The media reported / invented all kinds of motivation /  reasons, but the author challenges most of them.  In a nutshell:

He says that Eric Harris was a classic psychopath /sociopath.  Cullen talks a bit about psychopaths, explaining that PET scans show a decided difference in the brains of such individuals.  So they appear to be freaks of nature, born but not created.   Unlike the Klebold family, the Harris family declined most communication with the public, so it’s difficult to know how they felt about this (other than the obvious). 

Cullen cites certain characteristics of psychopaths such as self-centered behavior, limited attention span, etc.   It sounds like a psychopath would be capable of murder for his own ends.  This doesn’t quite explain for me why Eric Harris would want to murder if he knew his own life would end, but no situations are totally straightforward.  This explanation works as well as any.

The author also portrays Harris as the instigator, and cites instances where he tried to lure others into his plot – testing them with hypothetical questions (“Wouldn’t you want to shoot everyone?”)  Harris is the manipulator of Dylan Klebold. 

Cullen talks a lot about Klebold.  Dylan’s heartbroken parents were more forthcoming in discussing what happened than the Harris’, for one thing.  It seems as though Klebold could almost have been talked out of this up until the last minute, except that Harris’ influence was strong.  Klebold lost interest in shooting very soon after the incident began.

Klebold is likened to the depressive murder/suicide perpetrator, who usually kills himself and a loved one.  Klebold is shown to have been depressed, and, in his depression, said that there was now nothing left to do with his life except “NBK”. “NBK” stands for “Natural Born Killers”, from the movie of that name.  So the press is correct, popular culture did have some impact!  This seems to be the “romantic” image painted for Dylan Klebold by Eric Harris. The book inspires a certain sympathy for Klebold, until you remind yourself what he did to other, innocent students.

The other most interesting “story” to me was that of Patrick Ireland, the boy in the window.  He became famous during the incident by being filmed injured and climbing out of a window in the high school library.  He was in fact seriously injured, destroying his career plans to be an architect (he had brain damage, and the curriculum was too difficult for him).  He instead became a highly successful and happy businessman – though he walked with a limp the rest of his life.   His story was an incredible inspiration. 

BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS by Dai Sijie

The best word I have for this book is delightful.  This is an older book – 2002 was the English translation from the French – but I had never heard of it.  It was recommended by someone in our book discussion group, and we will be discussing this next week. 

The story is of two young Chinese men in their late teens who have been sent to the countryside for reeducation in the 1970’s.  Both have prominent and educated parents – one (the narrator of the story) has parent s who were both physician specialists; the other, his best friend Luo – a famous dentist father who had once treated Chairman Mao.  The humiliation / denunciation of Luo’s father is described early in the book in understated terms.   The emotional impact of the situation is hinted at when afterwards, Luo punches his best friend in the face for the first time and for no apparent reason.   That’s an example of the delicate writing in this book.

The two young men are sent to toil in an obscure mountainous area, working with a village of farmers who, we are told, have been reluctantly forced to give up the opium trade.  The severity of their surroundings is also underplayed, but they are forced to carry heavy loads on treacherous mountain paths and to work at least once a month in a very dangerous mine, in the nude (due to heat) and pulling loads by wearing leather halters.

Amidst this, they show that they are still teenagers.   One of their early tricks is to turn the clock in their quarters back an hour, so when the headman comes to rouse them, they show him that he’s an hour early.  Sometimes, when it suits them, they move the clock ahead.

Their lives totally change through two occurrences.  First, they meet another young man in exile, and discover that he has a suitcase full of contraband books – Balzac, Hugo, Dumas, Flaubert, Tolstoy, Dickens, and others.   There follows a comedy of errors, whereby they manage to steal the suitcase for themselves.

Secondly, they meet the title “little Chinese seamstress”, the daughter of the area’s tailor, who is an important man in town.  As they have read and memorized some of the stolen books, they are able to recite stories, particularly Balzac, to the young woman.  She is feminine and dainty and is sought-after; she falls for Luo, who is the more forceful of our two young men, and they become lovers.  The author paints wonderful scenes of the two young people swimming nude in an isolate mountain lake.   The seamstress fashions a loin cloth of leaves.  The imagery is wonderful.

The novel also paints very funny portraits of the local people:   the headman who insists that Luo must treat his toothache, and the two take the opportunity to inflict maximum pain; the old man from who they are trying to solicit folk tales.  They want to trade these to the book owner (this is before the plan to steal the books has been put into play).   The old man insists they sit on his bed, which is filthy and covered with crawling insects, and he serves them a dish that consists of stone cooked in a salty sauce; one sucks on the stones and then spits them on the floor. 

In the end, they lose the girl.   I won’t reveal how.

 The novel presents a light-hearted approach to a serious and sometimes tragic time, by understating, but not minimizing, the pain.

Books about the "Indian Wars"

EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON by S.C. Gwynne  and BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE by Dee Brown

I select what to read mostly by chance.   I do look for recommended books, both from reviews and other people (though I’ve found that a lot of people recommend some really awful books, particularly suggestions I get from Postcrossing.  Tastes really vary).  But the order in which I obtain or read / listen to a book is mostly chance.

I selected the EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON as an audiobook since I had seen the title – specifically, in a “Best Books of 2010” feature in the local paper.  I later added BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE since it is on the same subject, and I had heard of it years ago.

The subject matter is Indians – as in “cowboys and Indians”, without the cowboys.  This is one of those subjects where I have been receiving information all my life – reading, hearing things, seeing  movie and TV images.  But I never really put the issue right in front of my eyes.  The issue, of course, is how we Europeans settlers stole this country from the native peoples  - and how savage were they, really?

I find the last question fascinating.  (Caveat – I am only half-way through BURY MY HEART OF AT WOUNDED KNEE.  However, I expect only the details of the history, not the basic theme, to change as I finish the book.)  Gwynne’s account focuses on the Comanche’s, who were reputed to be among the most brutal of the tribes.  When I think of Comanche’s, I think of movies where isolated homesteaders on a dusty plain are brutally attacked and murdered by a band of roving Indians.   According to the descriptions in Gwynne’s book, this is largely accurate.   Provocation?  Of course.  First, there is the relentless push of white “manifest destiny” to settle the continent.   The sense of various tribes being overrun over a period of 100+ years was best conveyed by Dee Brown. 

However, there are varying comments on the brutalities of the various wars with the Indians.  Gwynne describes Comanche rape and torture of opponents as commonplace.  However, he points out that these same tactics were used against other tribes in warfare.  He likens Indian tribes to early civilizations (like the Vikings) to point out that things considered as atrocities today were taken more for granted in civilizations at earlier stages. 

This is an assertion that invites all sorts of comment, much of it obvious.   The Comanche’s apparently wouldn’t condemn a tribal member for torturing a captive.  Modern society would condemn this sort of behavior –but, in many instances, would still engage in it.  I keep thinking of King Leopold’s forces in the Congo in the 1800’s:  standard practice to cut off the hands of non-cooperative natives. 

Dee Brown paints a more complete portrait of the atrocities visiting on the often unsuspecting and friendly Indians by European troops.  He shows instances where white atrocities (mutilation of victims) were later copied by Indians.  It’s noted that some cruel practices of Southwest Indians were learned from the Spanish. 

I guess we’re all people, and that includes all these ugly parts.

As a descendant of Europeans who truly stole all this land from Native Americans, what can I say about it?  Not much.  Not more than I can say about slaves being brought from Africa – though my heritage is thoroughly Northern.    Dee Brown starts each chapter with a list of events happening all over the world in the year being discussed.  It’s amazing to contrast the “modern” events with the Indian wars.   Brown’s descriptions of Indian chiefs traveling to Washington and New York for treaty talks are quite interesting.  Anther event listed is when African Americans were given the right to vote – but not Indians! 

Gwynne describes how quickly and thoroughly the buffalo were killed and the Great Plains, and driven almost to extinction.  It really hurts to read this.

The fascinating part of Gwynne’s book, however, is his portrayal of Quanah Parker, one of the last Comanche chiefs.  Parker’s mother was Cynthia Ann Parker, abducted from her Texas settler family at a young age, and thoroughly assimilated into the Indian tribe.  The famous John Wayne movie THE SEARCHERS was supposedly based on this notorious abduction (I haven’t seen the original movie, but it’s now been remade with Jeff Bridges, so it should be outstanding). 

In his youth, Parker was as “bloodthirsty”, cruel, and aggressive against settlers as any.  As the years went on, and it became obvious that the white man would win, Parker showed his remarkable intelligence in adapting to the new circumstances, and becoming a leader of the subdued Indians – capitalizing on any economic opportunity.  As he grew older, he was a champion of his people – truly one of those unique individuals in history. 

Though I’m not yet done with the Dee Brown book, and I realize that it may have been one of the first of its kind, the story and approach taken by Gwynne was quite engaging and readable.  My understanding of these events has been clarified, even if it adds to my internal store of hurt and regret about this world. 

THE YEARS OF RICE AND SALT by Kim Stanley Robinson

This is an alternative history  -which I usually enjoy.  The premise is that the Black Plague virtually wiped out all the Christian and Western European population, leaving the world to be dominated by, primarily, India and China.  The novel is episodic, and takes us from the time of the Black Death to an era that is roughly comparable to our own.  The device is that a group of six or seven souls are continually reincarnated together in each new era.  Most retain the same individual characteristics and foibels; the reader can recognize each one by the first letter of their name, which is always the same.  Interesting is the portrait of a North America that was never conquered by Europeans.  Japanese colonize the Western coast, while Chinese settlements are on the East coast.  The native Americans eventually come into their own, however.

There’s a lot in this book.  Nations in Europe are primarily Islamic.  The inevitable clash is between China and the world of Islam, leading to a war larger and longer than we have seen in present day.  India and the North American amalgamation are voices of reason and individuality – especially in terms of women’s rights.  The final section of this book waxes philosophical on human nature and war. 

Kim Stanley Robinson is undoubtedly a brilliant man, and writes books that are vast in scope (The Mars Trilogy is another prime example).  My own complaint about Robinson is that, in the end, I don’t find his books particularly memorable.  They don’t engage me, because I don’t feel connected to the characters.

BLACKOUT and ALL CLEAR by Connis Willis

Before reading these two books, I had read three books by Connie Willis:  LINCOLN’S DREAMS, DOOMSDAY BOOK, and TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG.  I had read and enjoyed her stories in science fiction magazines – this was probably in the ‘80’s  - and my recollection of LINCOLN’S DREAMS is that it was interesting, if not offbeat. 

But she won me over with DOOMSDAY BOOK.  This was a classic time travel story, where a history student in 2048 goes back to the 14^th century, and inadvertently gets caught up in the black plague.  She is stranded in a village where everyone begins to die.  I was very affected by the 14^th century characters.  I liked the book so much that I read it again last year.

Last year I also discovered TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG.  This book is set in the same future world as DOOMSDAY BOOK, but is a lighter tale.  The “past story” takes place in Victorian England.  Willis’ sense of humor is a little offbeat, but this book was very warm and amusing.

Both those books were written in 1990’s.  This year I discovered BLACKOUT and ALL CLEAR.  I’m not sure when they were written, but they are set in the same universe as the two earlier books.  This time, the time travelers are in England during the World War II blitz, and Mr. Dunworthy is still the university’s head of the time travel program, back in England of the future.

These books are two parts of the same story.  Once again, our time travelers are stranded.  This work is neither as heavy as DOOMSDAY BOOK, nor as light as TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG.

Michael has gone back to see the rescue of soldiers at Dunkirk in 1940; Eileen / Merope is a governess for children who have been evacuated from London; and Polly has come back to observe how normal citizens hold up during the bombing of London.  They are all stranded, and eventually find each other.

The books provide a lot of historical detail, which was new to me.  I had no idea how terrifying the London blitz had been.  Willis did a lot of research, and she made the era come alive.

The books also had a number of clever time-traveling twists that I really liked.  If I have any complaint, it’s that BLACKOUT was a little overdone.