Reader's Club: Celebrity Reviews

Seabiscuit, An American Legend

by Hillenbrand, Laura
One does not have to be a lover of horses to respond to the story of Seabiscuit and the unique personalities of the men who scripted the Cinderella story of an ungainly, unwanted, unbeautiful animal that became a racehorse legend. The narrative vividly describes the Depression years, life at the race track, and the thrilling events that captured the imagination of the American public and thrust Seabiscuit into the status of legend and “one of a kind” sports history. In the year 1938, more newspaper space was given to Seabiscuit than to FDR or Hitler! He was a symbol of hope for all those who felt they were losing the race for success.

- Reader's Club celebrity review by Dave Brubeck, Jazz Great

The Gormenghast Trilogy

by Peake, Mervyn
Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” gets the attention this year because of the movie tie-in, but Peake’s more or less contemporary trilogy digs deeper into the twisted psyches of its characters. Titus Groan, 77th Earl of Gormenghast, inherits a vast castle full of eccentrics in part 1, defends it against a murderous conniver in part 2, then abandons it to plumb the terrifying outside world in part 3. Peake composed in labyrinthine sentences, lolling in language for the sheer pleasure of the sounds, but his sharp pen dissected an England whose class structure was tottering and whose international influence was waning. Partly adventure, partly satire, partly exaggerated character study, partly fantasy –and all bizarrely compelling.

- Reader's Club celebrity review by Lawrence Toppman, Movie Critic, The Charlotte Observer

Uncle Tom's Cabin

by Stowe, Harriet Beecher
Though everyone has heard of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, I have met few who have actually read it. That is unfortunate, since it captures pre-Civil War life in a colorful and compelling way that still invites controversy today. As a Southerner born and bred, I was challenged by the images of slave life, nostalgic over the local dialects and surprised by the amount of solid Christian theology. All that AND a great storyline with characters that really touch your soul. I think I’ll read it again!

- Reader's Club celebrity review by Ruth Samuelson, Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners

Back When We Were Grownups

by Tyler, Anne
If your life has neat borders and galvanized goals, Anne Tyler’s books may be too ragged, quirky and disquieting for you. But the Pulitzer Prizewinner’s fifteenth novel, Back When We Were Grownups, is a new favorite of mine because it celebrates the unexpected twists and epiphanies an ordinary woman’s life can take. The strong, delightful main character, Rebecca Davitch, wonders one afternoon how she got so far astray from what she thought was “her true life.” What happened? What can be done? Her refreshing quest throughout this intergenerational family story lifts up the spirit and celebrates irregular lives of integrity and compassion.

- Reader's Club celebrity review by Mary Kratt, Author, Charlotte, NC

Girl in Hyacinth Blue

by Vreeland, Susan
For readers interested in art and history, Girl in Hyacinth Blue is a must read. Author Susan Vreeland traces ownership of a Vermeer painting from the present through each owner in reverse chronology to its seventeenth century Dutch artist. The painting has a complex history, told chapter by chapter in stories of each owner and describes the profound effect the painting had on each one. These stories depict ordinary details with clarity of a Vermeer work of art. Each chapter could stand on its own, like a little gift to the reader. Vreeland is an extremely skilled historical fiction writer, but this books challenges us to think about the function and purpose of art.

- Reader's Club celebrity review by Susan Burgess, Charlotte City Council