An Unexamined Life

by Gareth Young
Oct 16-Nov 14, 2011

Recently, I learned about a pretty cool concept called Book Rooster. It's essentially an online community of passionate readers who receive free kindle editions of books by indie authors and write reviews. It's a great way for these sometimes struggling authors to get more reviews posted on Amazon.com. All you have to do is sign up and indicate which genres of books you are interesting in, and Book Rooster will start sending you titles. If you aren't interested in a particular book, all you have to do is wait for the next one to come along. Reading and reviewing with no pressure! My kind of site for sure. A more simplified version of the follow review is posted on Amazon, thanks to the free digital copy I received from the Rooster. Check it out.

I must say that upon reading the brief synopsis on An Unexamined Life, my interest was piqued. Definitely not the kind of subject matter I read on a daily basis. So I downloaded my free sample and headed off to Jamaica where I was sure I was going to read at least two, if not three, books. Little did I realize that a cocktail in one hand, seated at the swim-up bar, does not bode well for a kindle. Reading just had to wait until I was home again.

Never before has a book sparked such raw emotion and anger in me. Some might say this is a sign of a truly brilliant author, and while that may be true, I certainly can't say that I'd ever again want to read another of Young's books (this is the author's second novel). Joe Kay is a man who is living the textbook life. On paper, he has everything; a high-paying job, a devoted wife, and most recently, a large inheritance from a dead aunt. When his career takes a nose dive, Joe finds he has more time to spend with his wife. Only now does he realize that years of career-first neglect has driven a large gap between the couple. Joe resorts to online "dating," spending late nights chatting with strange women and having cyber affairs. For whatever reason, Joe becomes braver and begins bringing these affairs to the light of day. He even begins a fantasy-driven affair with his next-door neighbor. At this point, I'm keeping up and fairly intrigued as to where the next pages will take me, but then the protagonist's flaws come screaming to life.

Joe frequents a coffee shop more than ever now that he has Liz, a high school student, to ogle. He quickly becomes infatuated from afar as he eavesdrops on her every word. He finally works up the nerve to speak to her and he is instantly a teenager again. The affair that ensues paints the picture of a weak, selfish, perverted pig. I found myself actually wanting to throw my kindle at a wall I was becoming so frustrated with Joe's weaknesses.

"Moral weakness wasn't indicative of a lack of love for my Eliza, unimaginably cherished, the light of my life. Surely she could see that as a man of means and charm, it was inevitable I would be exposed to irresistible temptation?"

Puke. Some would ask me why I didn't just put the book down for good, but at 263 short pages, I had to at least be assured that Joe's wife would get some kind of redemption. The final moments of Joe's story had me writhing with disgust and frustration. I finished the book wondering if perhaps An Unexamined Life is more suitable to a male reader? As a woman, I refuse to make a single excuse for Joe's adulterous behavior. As an avid reader, I can compliment the author on his prose, but with the hatred I feel for Joe Kay, I have read my first and last Gareth Young book.

_______________
* * * * *

Minding Frankie

by Maeve Binchy
May 28 - June 26, 2011

I've read every single book Maeve Binchy has ever written. Her prose is so silky and charming that you actually start to hear the Irish accent in your head as you read. Quite a few years ago (I don't really remember how many), it was announced that Binchy was retiring. She had written her last book. I was sad. But imagine my delight to find that it was somehow untrue....or maybe she changed her mind...because she has written several books since. Each title fails to disappoint and I'm always able to devour them quickly. Unfortunately for Minding Frankie, this was not the case.

All of Binchy's past books have sweet, wholesome undertones that I find quite welcoming after a heavier read. In reading other reviews I found the perfect description of how her books make me feel: "Reading a Maeve Binchy novel is like settling in for a cozy visit with an old friend." But this one took on a little darker tone than I would have liked, and I actually question why the sudden change from my beloved author. As I read along I couldn't help but have a sense of dread and worry for the characters; Frankie and her father, Noel, in particular.

Noel is an alcoholic who suddenly learns that he is about to be a father. The mother of his child is dying, and has asked him to raise Frankie (already not a comfy, familiar situation like Binchy's other titles). When Frankie is born, Noel does his very best to make a proper home for his daughter. He enlists the help of an American cousin and the kind people in his neighborhood. That's one thing I do love about Maeve's books – the recurring characters. While Noel has vowed to quit the drink and be a proper father, a social worker continues to interfere and waits impatiently for him to fail. Of course everything works out for the best in the end...true fans of Binchy wouldn't have it any other way, but getting there was definitely not a fun, relaxing journey. I'm just not sure I can recommend this one.

_______________
* * * * *