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Simon & Schuster |
Bright lights, big cities
Urban landscapes play a big role in this month's five book roundup.
By Yvonne Zipp | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the August 17, 2007 edition
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Sometimes, a writer's most iconic character isn't a person; it's a city. Take Edith Wharton's New York, Charles Dickens's London … or James Lee Burke's New Orleans.
In his 16th Dave Robicheaux novel, the acclaimed mystery writer howls a furious, poetic eulogy to his beloved city, and rails against the country that let it down. Though not as pronounced as with Burke, urban landscapes rise above mere setting in all the books in this month's roundup.
Characters cavort among the wealthy playgrounds of New York (or press their noses to the glass as hard as their credit limits will allow), while the liberal intelligentsia of sophisticated Copenhagen finds their ideals might not be built as solidly as the furniture at IKEA.
Confessions of a Wall Street Shoeshine Boy, by Doug Stumpf (HarperCollins)
Even a high-gloss finish can't hide the cheap materials of this would-be "Bonfire of the Vanities." Gil, a Brazilian-born immigrant, makes a living shining the shoes of some of New York's wealthiest. When a janitor friend is fired for overhearing a phone call, Gil turns to a magazine writer for help. The novel purports to be the story of the scoop that got away, with the narrative switching between Gil and Greg, but the structure doesn't serve the plot, and both Stumpf and Greg seem to be condescending to Gil. (Having Gil naively idolize almost every white character doesn't help.) With his overreliance on profanity, Stumpf is trying for early Mamet; unfortunately, the result feels more like stale frat boy. But under all the sex talk, he does engage in serious questions about basic decency, and the level of moral bankruptcy among the well-heeled traders will have readers pulling their money out of mutual funds and stuffing it under a mattress. Grade: C
The Exception, by Christian Jungersen (translated by Anna Paterson) (Doubleday)
What distinguishes a war criminal from the idealists who spend their days chronicling his activities? You'd think the answer would be simple, but the line gets blurred as office politics becomes a breeding ground for cruelty in Jungersen's intelligent, empathetic novel. Iben and Malene are best friends who work at a Copenhagen think tank on genocide. Ten years older, research librarian Anne-Lise feels ostracized by the younger women, even before both receive e-mail death threats from revenge_is_near@imhidden.com. Evidence points to a Serbian war criminal, but Iben and Malene wonder if Anne-Lise isn't behind the attacks. Part psychological thriller, part a female version of "In the Company of Men," "The Exception" brilliantly probes the self-justifications and callousness that allow evil a foothold in civilized societies. Grade: A
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