This week’s review: THE DINNER by Herman Koch:
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Hogarth; 1ST edition (February 12, 2013)
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thrillers
Available here at Amazon
Maryellen’s Review:
THE DINNER by Herman Koch~~When I was little I had to sit at the dinner table until I at least tried the stewed tomatoes. That was a horrible dinner. I hate stewed tomatoes to this day. That’s pretty much the end of my dinner story. Take the same subject, dinner, and put it in the hands of Herman Koch and you have quite a different tale.
This is a, “What would you do if it was your kid?” book. What lengths would you go through to protect them? What lengths would you go through to protect yourself?
Two brothers, Serge and Paul Lohman, and their wives, Babette and Claire, meet at a restaurant in their native Amsterdam that requires a several months long wait for reservations (unless you’re Serge Lohman) where you get served on an almost bare plate and you pay the equivalent of the price of a small car, to discuss their children. The entire book takes place over the courses of dinner from “Apéritif” to “Digestif” and the subject matter is none too appetizing.
The story is told from Paul’s perspective. Paul is an unemployed history teacher who suffers from an annoyingly unnamed psychiatric malady making him prone to act out in violent bursts. Serge is a shoe-in for Prime Minister of the Netherlands with his election looming. Between the two couples they have four children: Michel, the only son of Paul and Claire; Rick and the mildly autistic Valerie, the biological children of Serge and Babette; and, Beau, the adopted son of Serge and Babette, who came from Burkina Faso, Africa. One night, after a party, three of the four teenagers are involved in a heinous crime leaving the parents to discuss how best to handle the matter, as a family.
A completely dysfunctional family.
Many times I wanted to spit this book out just like I spit out those stewed tomatoes. Yet I kept reading. The author sometimes bored me with inane details and other times left me hungry for intentionally missing morsels of the story. Yet I kept reading. There was not one character in this book that I actually liked unless you count the poor waitress who accidentally poured TOO MUCH wine in a glass~~is there such a thing as TOO MUCH wine? Yet I kept reading. Paul is whiney and really should get an award for “Worst Parent Ever”. Second runner up for that award would be his wife, Claire. The writer intends for you to hate Serge and you really do. Until you don’t. Each time I was ready to walk away from the table, the author lured me back in with something better than the last course. Stick with it, dessert is always the best course anyway. ✰✰✰✰
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Meet Maryellen — carefree, happy, and beautiful. ~~ Always.
I’d like to introduce one of my dearest friends, Maryellen. Maryellen is a 46-year-old avid reader, runner, and reviewer who lives near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband Mike and their two rowdy cats. The fact that she has a car named RoxyBlue and has a phone named Janet (Miss Jackson if you’re nasty) are two of a million reasons why I love her. Couple that with her insight, intelligence, and her always half-full glass of optimism and it makes for an exceptional book reviewer. I have asked Maryellen to post her reviews here every other Monday. She gracefully accepted.
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The Incredibly Talented Cathy Lamb
I must preface this interview by saying that my conversation with Cathy Lamb was an absolute honor and a complete delight. From the moment we each said hello, I felt completely at ease. She is relaxed, funny, easy-going, kind, and smart as hell. Now that I’ve had a chance to get to know her a little bit, I can see her feisty, untamed nature, and wit flow into her writing.
On a personal note, coming from a background in medicine where women can be viciously cruel to one another, she helped restore my faith in women helping women. If there is one thing for which I feel compelled to thank Cathy, it’s for giving me the courage again to be myself. She gave me the wisdom and the faith that I don’t have to always be ‘a good little girl’ and play by the rules. I never really liked the rules anyway.
Sherry: How did you come to write Julia’s Chocolates?
Cathy: For years I tried, unsuccessfully, to write category romance novels, specifically for Harlequin Mills and Boon in London. After they had asked for a number of full manuscripts, after reviewing partials, and then rejected them, I decided I could no longer beat my head against a brick wall unless I wanted my brain to fall out of my head and onto the sidewalk like squished clay. This meant I had to hop off the category romance carousel and move on, as I knew I needed my brain.
If Julia’s Chocolates hadn’t published, it would have been my last attempt at writing novels, at least for a while, and I would have gone back to teaching school. I did not want to go back to teaching school because it is an exhausting profession where you are blamed for all the ills of the nation, Canada, and outer space.
Plus I have wanted to write since I was sixteen years old and obsessed with two things: Writing and my boyfriend.
Sherry: How has Julia’s Chocolates been received?
Cathy: Julia’s Chocolates has always sold well. A lot of people love it, and even though it came out in 2007, I still get letters from readers all the time and go to book clubs, via Skype, that are reading it. There’s a segment that doesn’t like it, I think it’s just too edgy, maybe the Breast Power Psychic Night or the Your Estrogen and You: Taking Cover, Taking Charge Psychic Night are too much.
It’s been a great book club read because there is that controversy and there are a ton of women’s issues to discuss and debate in the story, including Aunt Lydia’s giant concrete pigs in her yard who are named after men she doesn’t like.
Sherry: How do you handle negative reviews?
Cathy: I don’t “handle” them. Now and then I’ll see something in a negative review and I’ll learn from it. Most of the time I completely ignore them. All I can do is write the very best book I can. I work so hard, so late at night, for months on end to do that, but of course there will be people who don’t like my books. Everyone has their own opinion. Thankfully, (and gratefully) a lot do like them and buy the books.
If you’re going to be in this business, you better have a thick skin. If you don’t, if you get bent out of shape from criticism, don’t become a writer. Criticism comes hard, fast, and public.
On the flip side, I can’t tell you how much I love, love, love getting letters and Facebook messages from people who have loved my books, and who laughed and cried while they were reading them. People are so honest about how the issues I discussed in my book have affected their lives, and I so appreciate those heartfelt conversations.
Sherry: You’ve chosen to publish the traditional route. Any regrets? Have you ever considered ‘going indie’?
Cathy: No regrets at all. I’m delighted. I’ve been with my publisher, Kensington Publishing in New York City, from the beginning, and I’m still thrilled with them. I’ve also had the same agent from day one. My agent, my editor and I all work together really well. They are incredible, insightful men and we all have the same goal: Write an excellent book.
I don’t plan on going “indie.” I’ve got a good thing going.
Sherry: What advice would you give for new writers?
Cathy: Read all the time. As you read a book, ask yourself why you like it, or don’t like it. Study the pacing, the characters, the character arcs, the word choice and setting, the plot, the problems, the climax, the ending. And write all the time. Don’t make excuses about why you can’t write or get something done.
Sherry: How do you stay disciplined and focused?
Cathy: I have signed contracts and the books gotta get written.
I goal set and stick to the goals. I write 2,000 words a day/10,000 words a week when I’m writing my first draft or I don’t go to bed on Saturday night. When I’m editing, I set a certain number of pages that I have to edit before I go to bed. I have had many late, late nights. I am up often until three in the morning.
In addition, I feel like I am almost always working and constantly thinking about my story and my characters even when I’m not writing in my journals or working on my computer.
When I write, it’s like watching a movie that is playing out in my head. I write what I see and hear and let those characters be who they need to be. They surprise me all the time, do things I didn’t expect, cry over things I hadn’t planned, and do wild things like get in bar fights, run naked along a river and build fantastical chairs.
I visit Starbucks every day and do a lot of writing/planning/daydreaming in the afternoon. I write every night from about 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Sherry: Oh my gosh! How do you manage to function in the middle of the night? (Translation: I’m preparing early for retirement by eating supper at 5 pm and going to bed at 7:30.)
Cathy: I sleep in until about 9 a.m.
Sherry: Out of your twelve novels/short stories that you have written, which one is your favorite?
Cathy: Julia’s Chocolates. For me, this book is very personal. It came out right before my dad died of cancer. He was so excited that I had published and always believed that if I worked hard enough, and didn’t quit, that I would publish. I did not always have that faith in myself, but my sweet dad did.
Sherry: I admire your spunk. However, I’ve been advised to keep things PC and to avoid saying things that might offend certain people. In fact, I’ve been told on more than one occasion, “You’re a brand now, learn to behave.” I don’t get the impression you buy into that. How do you get away with it?
Cathy: I think you should throw that stupid advice right out the window, Sherry. Honestly it makes me irritated that someone even said that to you. You are not a brand, you are Dr. Sherry Gorman. Be Dr. Sherry Gorman. Be you.
How can you possibly write rawly or honestly if you are listening to people in your head saying that “you’re a brand now?”
And these words, “Learn to behave,” strike those asinine words out of your head immediately. Behave? Why in hell should you behave? What are you, a pet? Behave how? For whom? Why should they have that power over you? Why constrict yourself, why smother yourself?
Interesting women rarely “behave.” They do what they wish to do and often wear high heels while doing it.
As far as being politically correct, haven’t we had enough of that already?
Write from your gut and don’t censor. Let the characters be themselves and you be yourself, too, it’ll show in your writing.
I don’t worry about what people will think when I’m writing. How could I write an authentic book with authentic characters if I did that?
In fact, I gave up on worrying about what other people think of me decades ago when I realized I just didn’t quite fit in with everyone else, never had, never would, and had to go forward in my red cowboy boots and kick some ass anyhow.
Sherry: Any parting words?
Cathy: Always strive to write a better book than you did before. Write your heart out.
Sherry: Cathy, I can’t thank you enough. You have been gracious, inspirational, and unbelievably helpful. I can’t imagine how you cannot continue to be a success, but still, I wish you all the success in the world.
Cathy’s website: http://cathylamb.org/
Cathy’s email: CathyLamb@frontier.com
OTHER NOVELS by Cathy Lamb:
If You Could See What I See, August, 2013
A Different Kind Of Normal
The First Day of The Rest of My Life
Julia’s Chocolates
The Last Time I Was Me
Henry’s Sisters
Such A Pretty Face
ANTHOLOGIES:
You’re Still The One with Janet Dailey
Beach Season with Lisa Jackson
Holiday Magic with Fern Michaels
Comfort and Joy with Fern Michaels
Almost Home with Debbie Macomber
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Paperback version: 400 pages
Published: 2007 by Kensington
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romance
Rating: ★★★★★
Available at Amazon
“I left my wedding dress hanging on a tree somewhere in North Dakota.”
These are the captivating words Cathy Lamb selected to begin her wonderfully crafted novel, Julia’s Chocolates. The mental image of a pristine wedding dress hanging limply from a lonely tree in the middle of nowhere is nothing short of genius. From that sentence on, I had to know what one has to do with the other.
Julia Bennett is no stranger to abuse. Growing up neglected by her mother and abused at the hands of her mother’s train of boyfriends, Julia finds herself trapped in a repeat the cycle with her fiancée, Robert. After years of enduring physical, sexual, and verbal insults at the hands of the man she is about to marry, Julia has a moment of clarity on the day of her wedding. She reacts by fleeing to the sanctity of her beloved Aunt Lydia’s farm in a small Oregon town. On her way across the country, Julia stops in North Dakota and heaves her wedding gown over a roadside tree.
At Aunt Lydia’s eccentric farm, the story unfolds when five delightfully flawed women come together to offer one another love and support. Each character is unique and colorful. Julia, who is overweight, cursed with massive breasts, and afraid to love another man uses the creation of chocolate masterpieces as an escape. Aunt Lydia grows her own marijuana, keeps the love of her life at arms length, and embraces the female spirit in a host of hilarious scenes. Katie works herself ragged to support her children and her alcoholic husband. At the same time, she does her best to shield her kids from their cruel and selfish father. Lara, a prim and proper closet alcoholic, grew up brainwashed and intimidated by the constant barrage of Christianity forcefully imposed upon her by her father. She frees herself from her father’s control only to marry the town pastor. Attempting to be the perfect wife, Lara is slowly dying inside. Caroline is the quirky town psychic with an uncontrollable twitchy eye.
Through their weekly rendezvous referred to as “psychic nights” the women develop deep bonds with one another. They also begin individual journeys of self-discovery and tackle the demons that have held them hostage for so much of their lives.
Julia’s Chocolates is a novel that addresses a host of serious issues: body image, sexual, physical and emotional abuse, alcoholism, homosexuality, domination through religion, and stalking. Yet the real story is the beauty of the female spirit. The characters aren’t perfect, each of their lives messed up to varying degrees, and they all must sort through the issues that haunt them. But they do it together. With the support of one another, each woman emerges stronger as they venture down the road of self-discovery. In a world where women seldom unite to display solidarity and pride in the female sex, this book is an inspiration. Through the most unlikely cast of characters, Lamb shows the reader the power and resilience of the female spirit and the pure beauty of the bond of womanhood.
After reading this novel, I am in awe of Cathy Lamb. The woman has an incredible gift – the uncanny ability to bring the most bizarre characters and imagery together and create a masterpiece. Lamb combines an eclectic mix of humor, tragedy, abuse, victimization, and outrageous scenarios to create a story that on the surface is pure entertainment, but woven into all of this is a much deeper message.
Cathy Lamb has a style all her own, and her writing skills are superb. Beyond that, it’s the uninhibited craziness that she’s not afraid to introduce into the story that makes me love her work. It wasn’t until after I completed the book and started looking into Cathy’s blog that I learned that Julia’s Chocolates was her debut novel. If Julia’s Chocolates was her starting point, I can only imagine where she has gone from there. I am a true fan, and will continue to read her other books. Thank you, Cathy, for being you and for allowing the rest of us to share in your feisty spirit.
Julia’s Chocolates, ★★★★★
Disclaimer: I purchased Julia’s Chocolates from Amazon. I did not receive any compensation or endorsement for my review. It is an honest, unbiased assessment of the author’s work.
Cathy’s website: http://cathylamb.org/
Cathy’s email: CathyLamb@frontier.com
OTHER NOVELS by Cathy Lamb:
If You Could See What I See, August, 2013
A Different Kind Of Normal
The First Day of The Rest of My Life
Julia’s Chocolates
The Last Time I Was Me
Henry’s Sisters
Such A Pretty Face
ANTHOLOGIES:
You’re Still The One with Janet Dailey
Beach Season with Lisa Jackson
Holiday Magic with Fern Michaels
Comfort and Joy with Fern Michaels
Almost Home with Debbie Macomber
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I have struggled for over three weeks to create both a blog and a website. I’ve Googled more questions than I ever thought possible. “How do you make an avatar?” “What is an avatar?” “What is a web-hosting site?” “Can you make a Mai Tai with cool-aid and rum?” Sometimes I got informative answers and sometimes not. Still, even though I have no understanding of how this stuff works, I never gave up. So here is it on Sunday afternoon, April 29, 2012 and I am officially part of the blogging and webbing world. Watch out, because here I come!
My goal in blogging is simple. I plan to let it all hang out. No filters. Just blatantly honest observations about the world we live in. As a doctor, naturally some of my blogs will be about what really goes on in the world of medicine. As a mother in an affluent community, I intend to rip on the princess moms and pompous dads that surround me. By extension, I also plan on scrutinizing their misbehaved bratty children. When something interesting comes up in the news, I’ll blog about that. I’ll probably bitch about my husband from time to time as well, depending on his behavior. Work, friendships, white trash, drug addicts, obese people, skinny people, fake boobs, people who drive a Lexus . . . eventually I’ll cover it all.
What I bring to the blogging world is a fresh perspective. I have never been a conformist. Routinely, I have had to reach up and dislodge my foot from my mouth. But one thing I’ve been told repeatedly is that I have incredible wit and a great sense of humor. Regardless of the topic, I hope that’s what will be the highlight of my blogs.
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Hardcover: 304 pages
