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ookshelf
Mary Ann in
Autumn
By Armistead Maupin
Doubleday
Fans of the beloved Tales of the City stories that first appeared
in the San Francisco Chronicle in the 1970s before becoming
novels will be thrilled to hear of the latest one, Mary Ann
in Autumn, where the folks of 28 Barbary Lane are reunited,
older and wiser—after a 21-year hiatus. Now in their fifties and
dealing with issues related to aging—attending to a partner with
Alzheimer’s—or infidelity as Mary Ann discovers her husband
having an affair with her life coach on Skype so Maupin hasn’t
lost his touch of keeping things culturally and technologically
relevant. There’s a great deal of hilarity that one has come to associate
with the Tales series: absurd plotlines and eccentric but
lovable characters who are now navigating through traditional
relationships in difficult times. Can this novel appeal to a newer
generation perhaps unfamiliar with Maupin’s earlier work No.
It’s strictly for those who have followed his work and are coming
to terms with being unhip, much like the folks of Barbary Lane.
Decoded
By Jay Z
Spiegel & Grau
It's easy to think Jay Z's book (memoir cum social commentary
on rap) is as glossy as everything else is in his life. The
man remains guarded about his marriage to Beyonce so you
may be right to assume that he's selective in his decoding of
himself. However, Decoded is a brutally honest account by the
rapper of his early life at least. Learning about how he began
to write down rhymes from an early age, to his working the
streets as a crack dealer to becoming the man who has more
hits than Elvis Presley in a compelling manner makes this a
fascinating read. It is poignant to read about how he wanted to
"dirty up" the blockbuster song "Empire State of Mind", which
is the new anthem to the city like Frank Sinatra's "New York,
New York" was. The book is worth reading for an insight into
the evolution rap with mentions of the greats in the industry as
seen by Jay Z as well a long footnote section to understanding
his own lyrical process.
An Object of
Beauty
By Steve Martin
Grand Central
Is there anything Steve Martin can’t do—and that too effortlessly
The comedian, actor, musician and accomplished
writer weaves a tale around the art world in his new novel An
Object of Beauty. Martin is no stranger to art as he owns an
impressive collection, which includes Picasso, Seurat, Edward
Hopper and de Kooning. Like his novella Shopgirl, Beauty
centres around a young woman, Lacey Yaeger, but this heroine
is fiercely ambitious in her quest to rise at Sotheby’s. We also
meet artists, critics, buyers and are provided an entertaining
insight into the art world, complete with artspeak. There is also
a mystery element that runs through the plot, of an art theft that
occurs, which adds pizzazz to the storyline. Martin’s observations
on the art world today make for insightful reading—and
given his background, there’s plenty of humour in it too. "New
galleries sprouted in Chelsea overnight lacking only fungi
domes," he astutely notes.
Decision Point
George W. Bush
Crown Publishers
The former president couldn't have chosen a better title to
his autobiography as he waxes lyrical about major decision
points in his life—from going sober in 1986, to running for
government, to choosing to invade Iraq and why he made
the choices he did during the financial crisis in 2008. He has
ostensibly done this in the hope that his legacy is remembered
as one that kept America safer—which is why he defends his
decision to attack Iraq and sanction waterboarding suspects in
Guantanamo Bay, to quote just two examples. He cites "being
blindsided" by his government on frequent occasions, like Abu
Ghraib. While it is poignant to read about the conversation
between father and son during Christmas 2002, in which senior
Bush tells junior about avoiding war, unless he has no other
choice, there's still an impersonality to it. Perhaps the funniest
moment in the book, is when he talks about taking his dog for
a walk after retiring and having to pick up the poo himself.
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