Archive for the ‘pantheon books’ Tag
Laila Lalami’s Dream Hotel is a disturbing, yet engaging read in a not-too-distant time that incorporates such recent events as Covid and the southern California wildfires.
When Sara is detained at Los Angeles International Airport upon her return from a business trip; she’s understandably snippy. She knows her husband is circling the airport, with the couple’s twins in tow, ready to pick her up. Instead, she’s taken to a “retention” center because she may be a danger to others.
That determination is based on a score that measures behaviors and dreams. The facility is Madison, an old, converted elementary school, which authorities repeatedly affirm is not a prison. Sarah and the many confined women think otherwise. They, like Sara, are desperate to prove they are being wrongly held. Their access to the rest of the world, primarily their families and friends, is restricted. And, the detainees have all been implanted with a device that records their dreams.
The living conditions are substandard and the guards, known as attendants, ensure that everyone follows the strict and ever-changing rules. When anyone strays from the prescribed norm, additional time is added to their sentence, er, stay. Sara was initially told she’d be at Madison for three weeks. For minor infractions, some of which are never explained, Sara has been there for months.
As Sara struggles to maintain her sanity and get back to her old way of life, she considers her past and the future in a world where thoughts and dreams are surveilled.
Dream Hotel
Three-and-a-half Bookmarks
Pantheon Books, 2025
336 pages
Clever, timely and important are what come to mind after reading Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu.
Written as a script for a fictional television show, along with some background about the characters/actors, the novel follows Willie Wu in his quest for the prime part of Kung Fu Guy in the police show “Black and White.” He, and his Chinatown neighbors, family and friends have been relegated to roles such as Generic Asian Man, Young Asian Man, Delivery Guy, Pretty Oriental Flower and Old Asian Woman, among other stereotypes.
The setting is mostly the Golden Palace, where the show is in constant production. Willie lives in an SRO, as do the other Asian cast members, viewed as interchangeable, above the restaurant/set. His parents live one floor below him in the unit where he grew up. They, too, have had various roles throughout the years.
Yu establishes the scene, the characters involved and provides production notes. Even his acknowledgements adhere to the theme. It doesn’t take long to realize the name of the television show is another example of racism with the main characters reflecting a hierarchy based on the “Black and White” title.
The script-like approach takes some getting used, but ultimately works well. The Wu family’s past isn’t part of the TV show, but is a major element of the narrative. Although the theme is serious, Yu injects humor and romance as Willie faces the dilemma faced by many regardless of race: attaining a dream but at what sacrifice?
Interior Chinatown
Four Bookmarks
Pantheon Books, 2020
270 pages
I don’t know what it is that makes me crave Scandinavian crime fiction, but I’m addicted. Sweden’s Hakan Nesser’s Mind’s Eye fed my habit, but I know I’ll need more soon. Nesser is a master storyteller whose pacing is neither rushed nor sluggish. The crime scenes aren’t too gruesome and the clues are well hidden. He even manages to throw humor into the mix.
The story begins with Janek Mitter awakening from a drunken stupor only to find his wife drowned in the bathtub. Mitter’s too easy a suspect, but is, nonetheless, tried and convicted before things take a turn and get exciting: Mitter, too, becomes a victim. That’s where Chief Inspector Van Veeteren, a middle-aged investigator with an attitude, comes in. His success rate at solving crimes is impressive. He had early doubts about Mitter’s guilt, but not soon enough.
I had a fairly good idea about who the actual killer was, but was not prepared for why. Van Veeteren knows who but won’t name names because, as he tells a subordinate, “… there has to be a story,” in other words a reason. Nesser’s characters develop slowly, and in an interesting manner. Many chapters begin with stream of consciousness narration and it is unclear who’s doing the thinking. This only enhances the element of suspense. Eventually, it gives way to very clear identities and perspectives.
This is the first of Nesser’s Van Veeteren mysteries. I can’t wait for my next fix, I mean the next installment. Fortunately, Nesser has several.
Mind’s Eye
Four Bookmarks
Pantheon Books, 2008
278 pages
The Blue Page Special 