Book Review: Falconer

Any list of great books by American novelists must include John Cheever's 1977 Falconer. I read it when it was first released and many times since. It has an honored place on my bookshelf because of its beauty and penetrating honesty. Cheever never wrote a bad story, but with Falconer he outdid himself. The novel focuses on the story of a university professor, Ezekiel Farragut, who kills his brother and is sentenced to Falconer State Prison.

Farragut (fratricide, zip to ten, #734-508-32) had been brought to this old iron place on a late summer's day. He wore no leg irons but was manacled to nine other men, four of them black and all of them younger than he. The windows of the van were so high and unclean that he could not see the color of the sky or any of the lights and shapes of the world he was leaving. He had been given forty milligrams of methadone three hours earlier and, torpid, he wanted to see the light of day.

We follow Farragut as he copes with prison life. The miracle of the novel is in discovering why he's a drug abuser and how he came to murder his brother. More than anything, Farragut searches for understanding and love. He finds it in an unlikely place within the walls of the prison. The novel's unusual, uplifting and moving ending is among the best in literature.

>>> READ THE OPENING PAGES OF FALCONER HERE.

Music Review: One Toke Over the Line

One of the more joyful songs from the early '70s is One Toke Over the Line, which appears on Mike Brewer and Tom Shipley's Tarkio album. The folk rock duo never had another major hit, but it's a great one. With its catchy melody and drug references, the song became a popular anthem of the hippie culture. Vice President Spiro Agnew called the song "subversive" and it was banned by the FCC. That only made the song more popular; it was covered by everyone from The Grateful Dead to (hilariously) Lawrence Welk. "We were really bored, sitting in the dressing room," recalls Brewer. "We were literally just entertaining ourselves. The next day we got together to do some picking and said, 'What was that we were messing with last night?' We remembered it, and in about an hour we'd written One Toke Over the Line. Just making ourselves laugh, really. We had no idea that it would ever even be considered as a single, because it was just another song to us." The classic song became a huge hit for Brewer & Shipley, and it holds up extremely well.

Movie Review: The Freshman

If you want to see Marlon Brando deliver a better Don Corleone than his Oscar winning performance in The Godfather, you should check out The Freshman. This wonderful 1990 film, written and directed by Andrew Bergman, stars Matthew Broderick as a film student at NYU. There, he is inexplicably drawn into an international endangered animal smuggling/cooking ring masterminded by Brando's Carmine Sabatini, really a stand in for Corleone. This is a madcap comedy. It's amazing to watch Broderick's descent into the underworld where he encounters the stolen Mona Lisa, a rare Komodo dragon, gun toting Department of Justice agents and his own forced engagement. The movie has some wonderful performances by Bruno Kirby, Penelope Ann Miller, Paul Benedict and Maximilian Schell as a flamboyant chef. But this is Brando's movie. Even when he's not in a scene, you're thinking of him because he's pulling all the strings. And when he's on screen, even when he's ice skating, he's magnetic, hilarious and touching. And for good measure, you can't go wrong with Bert Park's outlandish version of the Miss America theme song. I really love this sweet, unpredictable film.

Book Review: Treasure Island

There isn't a better novel for all ages than Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 legendary Treasure Island. How many other books are still in print after 125 years? You don't achieve that kind of longevitity without a certain about of magic, which Treasure Island certainly has. Whatever you're looking for, this book has it. Pirates? A rousing sea adventure? Search for treasure where X marks the spot? Talking parrots? You've found the motherload of classic literature. It's hard to think of another book with so much excitement, and certainly no other populated with some of the best characters ever created, including Long John Silver, Billy Bones, Black Dog, Jim Hawkins and Ben Gun. This is one of those books that adults can't wait to read to their 10 year olds, and with good reason; the novel was serialized in a children's magazine. That's why each chapter seems to end in a cliff hanger, leaving you in a perpetual state of wanting to know what happens next. Stevenson wrote other fine books, including Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. But Treasure Island is certainly his most beloved. Writing about it thrills me so much I'm going to start reading it again tonight.

>>> READ THE OPENING PAGES OF TREASURE ISLAND HERE.

Music Review: Pink Moon

Commercial success eluded Nick Drake, and it depressed him. It's no wonder that, after only three albums, he died from an overdose in 1974 at age 26. Some have called it suicide. I call it a great loss. All of his delicate, haunting albums are worth adding to your collection. I prefer his final album, 1972's Pink Moon, which ranks right up there with Joni Mitchell's Blue as a definitive statement in singer/songwriter confession. Pink Moon is mostly a solo effort, featuring Drake on acoustic guitar and vocals, with a little piano thrown in here and there. Like all of Drake's works, this is careful, affecting work, delicate in its precision and open in its honesty. This is the kind of album you want to listen to when it's raining outside and you're sipping a cup of tea. Gorgeous and languid, his breathy vocals luxuriate in moody depression. But that's Nick Drake, a troubled artist who didn't live long enough to see the renewed (and greatly justified) appreciation of his works.

Movie Review: Pulp Fiction

It feels so obvious to talk about Pulp Fiction. But the 1994 movie is too good to leave out. Should I ignore touchstone movies here? I think not. Here's the top 10 things I love best about this movie. 1: Its back-and-forth, non-linear time sequence. 2: Terrific discussion about foot massages. 3: Getting medieval. 4: The unbelievably great watch speech. 5: Ezekiel 25:17. 6: The dance contest. 7: The Wolf. 8: A big needle injection into the heart. 9: The genius of Quentin Tarantino. 10: Every actor in the film, including John Travlota, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, Bruce Willis and Christopher Walken. I could list another 10, but that would be overkill. This is a shocking, beautiful, brilliant work of art. And the music rocks, too. Damn! "Now, you've got a corpse in a car, minus a head, in a garage. Take me to it."

Book Review: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Let's get this straight. Mark Twain's best novel is also one of the best books ever written. I'm talking about Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, first published in 1884. If you don't want to take my word for it, maybe you'll listen to Ernest Hemingway, who said, "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. . . . it's the best book we've had. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since." Case closed, right? Simply put, Huckleberry Finn has just about the best of everything: an innocent, unreliable narrator through whom we see Twain's America; a rousing adventure story; and a scathing document against racism and slavery. Of course, it's also funny as hell, and exciting as anything written today. Huckleberry's flight from home, and his journey upon the Mississipi with runaway slave Jim, is the antidote to much of the lame contemporary works published these days.

>>> READ THE OPENING PAGES OF ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN HERE.

Music Review: Apostrophe (')

Like many important artists, he died too young. His subversive music was challenging, intricate and mesmerizing. He never repeated himself. He was Frank Zappa. RIP. There wasn't a music genre that Zappa didn't excel at, including rock, fusion, jazz, classical and electronic. He was his generation's most eclectic avantgarde artist, and certainly among its most influential. An entertaining and accessible entry into the bizarre world of Frank Zappa is his 1974 album, Apostrophe ('), a terrific collection that borders on the mainstream. The disc was Zappa's highest charting album, and it contains the classic, Don't Eat the Yellow Snow. The album is filled with some of his best (and funniest) work, including tributes to Nanook, St. Alfonzo and Father O'Blivion. If you're a true music aficionado, this is a work that demands your attention . . . and perhaps your allegiance.

Movie Review: Almost Famous

It wasn't big at the box office, but writer/director Cameron Crowe's 2000 film Almost Famous is a winner. It's certainly the best movie ever made about the rock and roll life, and Crowe should know; the film mirrors his time as a teenage writer for Rolling Stone. Almost Famous stars Patrick Fugit as William Miller, a 15 year old journalist who accompanies a rising rock band, Stillwater, on a nationwide tour. Hilarious and poignant, the movie follows his immersion into the decadent world of rock and rollers, with an unvarnished look at their drugs and sexual escapades. Other stars of the film include Billy Crudup as the band's lead guitarist, Kate Hudson as a "Band Aid" groupie, Frances McDormand in a winning turn as the boy's mother, and the always awesome Philip Seymour Hoffman as the legendary Lester Bangs.. Crowe won an Oscar for his screenplay, and Hudson won a well deserved Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. I never get tired watching this great film in which everything rings true. "Great art is about conflict and pain and guilt and longing and love disguised as sex, and sex disguised as love."

Book Review: Love in the Time of Cholera

It must be satisfying to be Gabriel García Márquez. After all, he's written two of the greatest books of all time: One Hundred Years of Solitude (previously reviewed here) and Love in the Time Cholera. First published in Spanish in 1985 as El amor en los tiempos del cólera, this novel is certainly one of García Márquez's great literary masterpieces. He's yet to write another mammoth novel since, but it doesn't matter; Cholera is a passionate achievement of such gargantuan proportions that he's unlikely to equal it again. At its heart, Cholera tells the simple story of Florentino Ariza who lives into old age holding on to his unrequited love for the beautiful and enigmatic Fermina Daza. He lives his years yearning for her, sick with love, watching Daza's life with her husband, Doctor Juvenal Uribno de la Calle. How does Ariza spend the years? Simply put, pursuing every woman within sight while waiting for Urbino to die, which is where Cholera begins. Only then, with Daza in mourning, does Ariza reappear, ready to claim his love. The novel then backtracks, telling the tale of their early courtship and lives apart set on the coast of South America. This might be the most romantic novel ever written. Glorious, rich and satisfying, Love in the Time of Cholera is a triumph.

>>> READ THE OPENING PAGES OF LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA HERE.

Music Review: Rough Mix

Here's a moderately obscure album that needs to be in your collection: Rough Mix. This disc, which was released in 1977, is a rocking collaboration between The Who mastermind Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane, the bass player for Faces. This is far superior to anything The Who released since Quadrophenia; it beats the hell out of Who Are You and any of the lame albums released after Keith Moon's death. Townshend sounds loose, alive and engaged here, perhaps because Lane challenged him to deliver something worthy. Or maybe they were just having fun. Whatever the reason, this is an awesome album. The music is blistering and challenging. Standouts here include My Baby Gives it Away, Rough Mix, Misunderstood and Townshend's incredible epic, Street in the City. It also features a definitive version of Don Williams' 'Till the Rivers All Run Dry. Joining Townshend and Lane here are Eric Clapton, John Entwistle, Ian Stewart and Charlie Watts. Truly, this is one of my very favorite albums.

Movie Review: Rear Window

There's a lot of discussion about which is the best Alfred Hitchcock movie. I've seen them all, but I keep coming back his 1954 classic, Rear Window. This movie has everything: a dashing hero, a beautiful woman, a dastardly villain . . . and suspense so thick you can't help but squirm when watching. James Stewart plays L.B. Jeffries, a wheelchair bound photographer and peeping tom who's convalescing in his apartment. His only company are occasional visits by an ex Army buddy of his, a funny and nosey nurse (Thelma Ritter), and his incredibly gorgeous girlfriend, Lisa Fremont, played by the radiant Grace Kelly in her most smart, sexy and alluring film role. To pass the time, Jeffries looks out his window at the other apartment buildings. That's when he begins to suspect that there's been a murder in one of the other apartments. The target of his suspicion is Lars Thorwald, menacingly played by Raymond Burr. When Fremont gets involved, all bets are off. I love this film's sense of danger. It still scares the hell out of me each time I see it, and I never fail to fall in love with Grace Kelly. Hitchcock picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Director for this great movie. "Let's go down there and find out what's buried in that garden."

Book Review: The Elephant's Child

I've often found poetry to be tough sledding. I'm more of a fiction kind of guy. But every once in a while I enjoy poetry that not only has something to say, but says it well. That's why I enjoy Steve Orlen, one of our finest poets. If you're interested in experiencing his brand of spot on real-life observations, the place to start is his 2006 book, The Elephant's Child: New & Selected Poems 1978-2005. Orlen is one of those writers who's not afraid to look at himself. I mean really look at himself, at his darkest intentions and base motivations. He's a wise observer of humanity and instincts, often filtered through his own experience. Here's a brief passage from his poem The Art of Conversation, in which he explores personal communication.

I wanted to know her better,
My new neighbor, clipping the hedges
Between our yards. One question
Led to another, and then
She said, in a murmur
As though afraid a louder pitch
Would overwhelm the air around us—
"It was summer
And my parents were murdered
Right in front of my eyes. I was
Just a seven year old kid."
She looked away, and I looked with her.

In addition to his newer work in this collection, I strongly recommend the poem Big Friend of the Stones which also appears here. This is beautiful, honest stuff which has something to teach us all.

>>> READ THE OPENING PAGES OF THE ELEPHAN'TS CHILD HERE.

Music Review: The List

When she was 18, Rosanne was traveling with her father, Johnny Cash. The late music master grew disturbed when his oldest daughter didn't know some of country's touchstone songs. So as the tour bus rambled down the road, he wrote a list of 100 songs he felt Rosanne should become familiar with. "Across the top [of the list] he wrote 100 Essential Country Songs," remembers Rosanne. "And he gave me the list at the end and he said, 'This is your education.'" On her new studio album, The List, Rosanne Cash has recorded twelve of these songs, and they are revelations. Cash's covers have an alt-country resonance. Actually, they sound more American than anything else. They feel lived in, perfect and new. Her versions of Sea of Heartbreak, I'm Moving On and Heartaches by the Number are just about definitive. On this album, Cash is joined in harmony by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Jeff Tweedy and Rufus Wainwright who are essential. This is certainly a candidate for the best disc of the year. Twelve songs down, 88 to go.

Movie Review: The Fortune Cookie

Before they were odd or grumpy, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were first paired in Billy Wilder's terrific 1966 comedy, The Fortune Cookie. This classic movie is certainly a highlight of both their careers. Directed by the legendary Billy Wilder, the movie earned four Oscar nominations, with Matthau winning a much deserved Best Supporting Actor trophy for his portrayal of Willie Gingrich, a conniving lawyer who convinces his brother-in-law (Lemmon) to fake an illness to win a million-dollar settlement from CBS and the Cleveland Browns. This is pretty much a two-man show, with Matthau and Lemmon chewing up the scenery. For his part, Lemmon plays Harry Hinkle, a down-on-his-luck cameraman who puts up with the scheme for a chance to win back his beautiful wife (Judi West). In the meantime, a private investigator (the hysterical Cliff Osmond) seeks evidence that Hinkle is faking. The movie offers many rewards, including watching Lemmon's multi-doctor physical exam, and Matthau's heroic allegiance to an easy dollar. It's no wonder the actors were teamed together eight more times, including The Odd Couple, The Front Page and Grumpy Old Men. "Why don't you kids go play on the freeway?"

Book Review: The Cat in the Hat

One of the most influential and subversive books of all time is 1957's The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. Influential? Absolutely. Can you name another book read by almost all children during their formative years? The Cat in the Hat has certainly been ingrained in your mind, right? It's been the foundation of learning to read for millions of people. Subversive? Of course. In the guise of teaching 236 important words to youngsters in an entertaining way, it also glamorizes a main character who behaves extremely bad. The cat convinces impressionable children to participate in destroying their parents' possessions. He acts horridly. But the top cat is also portrayed as an admirable being. Didn't we look up to him when we were young? Didn't we want to be like him? Weren't we goaded to break rules because it looked fun? How many children became delinquents because of the cat? And how many parents enjoy reading this joyous tale to their children? It's a perennial bestseller. Thankfully, the cat takes responsibility for his actions, offering the lessons of cleaning up and making things better . . . though not admitting fault. Maybe that's a lesson in how to lie. Still, The Cat in the Hat broke all the rules in boring see-Jack-run books. Glorious!

>>> READ THE OPENING PAGES OF THE CAT IN THE HAT HERE.

Music Review: Midnight Boom

If you haven't heard The Kills, get with it, will ya? And if you haven't caught the band's 2008 album, Midnight Boom, then you can't claim to know what's going on in the contemporary indie music scene. The genius of The Kills rests in the interaction of virtuoso guitarists Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince, which features an innovative interplay of drum machine, electrifying groove-based guitars and damn fine gritty vocals. I have no idea if Mosshart and Hince (who's dating supermodel Kate Moss) were romantically linked, but their music definitely suggests something naughty between them; you can almost smell the heat. They exude a dangerous, slutty relationship that's best expressed when Mosshart sings on Cheap and Cheerful, "I want you to be crazy 'cause you're boring baby when you're straight." The louder the better.

Movie Review: Wonder Boys

One of the most criminally overlooked movies of the past decade is Wonder Boys, a 2000 film directed by Curtis Hanson, starring Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Robert Downey Jr., Frances McDormand and Katie Holmes. Based on Michael Chabon's novel, Wonder Boys follows the exploits of Grady Tripp (Douglas) , an English professor who once published an extremely successful novel but is now struggling to finish his follow up book. Tripp is at a turning point in his life; his wife has left him, he can't finish his novel, his editor (Downey Jr.) is hounding him, he's in a relationship with his boss's pregnant wife (McDormand), he's reliant on marijuana, and he's suffering from fainting spells. Wow! To make matters worse, a talented but clingy college student (Maguire) latches on to him. Together, they manage to steal a famous Marilyn Monroe artifact and kill a dog. Sounds like a winner, right? This is certainly one of Douglas's finest performances. Actually, all the actors in the ensemble deliver career defining works. And Bob Dylan won an Oscar for his song Things Have Changed. Trust me on this one. "I'm a teacher, not a Holiday Inn."

Book Review: Never Let Me Go

If an award was given for haunting books, I'd nominate Never Let Me Go, the 2005 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. This is a subtle, disturbing novel about people who have been cloned to serve as tissue and organ donors . . . only the characters don't know it. They spend their lives living in a boarding school, kept apart from the population. Only as they age do they begin to understand who they are and the peculiar functions they perform. While Never Let Me Go certainly has a science fiction premise, it's really an absorbing human drama told by one of the clones, Kathy H., as she matures into awareness and watches her friends as they serve out their duty. This is a heartbreaking and profoundly sad novel, one which has loneliness and destiny as major themes. Ishiguro, who also wrote the miraculous Remains of the Day, again crafts a beautiful story. It's no wonder that Never Let Me Go was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. I began this short review by saying this is a haunting novel. It is. I read this when it was first published four years ago . . . and I still can't get it out of my head.

>>> READ THE OPENING PAGES OF NEVER LET ME GO HERE.

Music Review: Us3

I'm not sure what to call Us3's 1993 release, Hand on the Torch. Part jazz, part rap, part hip hop, part smart big band groove. I call it unbelievably awesome. The genius of this album is that each song's riff is pulled directly from a different classic Blue Note Records track. That means you're hearing Herbie Hancock, Reuben Wilson, Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Donald Byrd and more. As an example, the amazing first track, Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia), features an authorized sampling from Cantaloupe Island performed by Herbie Hancock. It's like an all-star session of the greatest jazz artists all mashed together and laced with modern rap dialogue and bass/drum tracks. Incredibly, the result is perfect thanks to the respect shown to the original works and the deft hand of rappers Rahsaan, Kobie Powell and Tukka Yoot. Really, it's not like anything I've ever heard. That's why it's one of my favorite CDs.

Movie Review: Midnight Run

When Robert De Niro acts you can sometimes see his effort. That can be good, and it can also be distracting. I enjoy De Niro most when he's relaxed and comfortable in his skin. That's why I admire Midnight Run, his 1988 film which was sharply directed by Martin Brest. Midnight Run is an action adventure movie, but mostly serves as a buddy vehicle for De Niro and Charles Grodin. It's a simple premise. De Niro plays Jack Walsh, a hardened bounty hunter with personal problems who is charged with escorting an annoying and sensitive white collar criminal to Los Angeles. Grodin plays the criminal, Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas, in what is surely one of his greatest screen triumphs. Walsh and Mardukas are oil and water, and they're pursued by the FBI and gangsters. The movie was nominated for Golden Globe's best picture. De Niro's performance was nominated as well. This is a fun, terrific and very enjoyable movie. "I know you all of two minutes and already I don't like ya."

Book Review: The Assistant

Bernald Malamud's 1957 novel, The Assistant, is one to add to your gotta-read list. This slim book is set in a small struggling grocery store in 1950s Brooklyn. The owner of store, Morris Bober, is robbed and beaten. While he recovers, he finds it necessary to hire an assistant to help him. But there's something mysterious about the man he employs; he may or may not be one of the men who beat him. To further complicate things, the new assistant falls in love with Bober's daughter. Talk about suspenseful plotting! This important novel is notable for its intricate character studies and its unflinching look at guilt, religious tolerance and love's fire. Once the assistant begins working in the grocery, you won't be able to put this one down.

>>> READ THE OPENING PAGES OF THE ASSISTANT HERE.