The Metropolis Case

Devices. I gave the benefit of the doubt to Matthew Galloway for most of his debut novel, The Metropolis Case, as he constructed a complicated story set in modern New York and 19th century Europe, centered on the world of opera, especially Wagner’s challenging Tristan und Isolde. He connects four main characters to the music, and moves back and forth in time as he draws readers into the story. Along the way, no single character becomes fully developed, and Galloway ends up relying on the devices of a magical serum and coincidences to tie together the missing links of the story. Long on exposition and short on realistic dialogue, the language of the novel seemed heavier than the heldentenor. For a first-time novelist, some of these shortcomings can be overlooked by a patient reader.

Rating: Two-star (Mildly Recommended)
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Cleopatra: A Life

Determined. I picked up Stacy Schiff’s Cleopatra: A Life, with half-hearted interest. After all, I’ve read and seen the Shakespeare play, and Elizabeth Taylor must have nailed the role in the movie, since her image remains vivid in my memory. I quickly became engrossed in this finely written historical account of a powerful woman who became a very capable queen, acting with bold defiance against those who could do her harm. Her ambition was formidable, and she acted in ways that continually increased her power. Schiff acknowledges that much of the historical account is missing, but what she presents seems quite plausible. Readers who like history will enjoy this account which takes a mythic figure and fleshes her out in ways that separate myth from likely reality.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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The Thousand

Musical. I’m undecided after reading Kevin Guilfoyle’s second novel, The Thousand, if there is more to it than meets the eye, or less. Protagonist Canada Gold (Nada) has an experimental neurostimulator that was implanted in her brain to relieve ADHD, and as a consequence of the stimulation she has increased perceptual powers. A group of Pythagoreans called The Thousand want to retrieve the device to use for their own purposes, and they are divided into competing forces, the acusamati and mathamatici. Nada’s father was a musician who was murdered, and his manuscript which was his finished version of Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor, has been missing. A flawed and diligent Chicago detective provides color, as does Nada’s boyfriend. In some respects Guilfoyle has written a symphony in prose: there are motifs that come and go, and movements that are slower or faster. When I closed the last page, I put the book down and thought, “now what was that all about?” I’m still unsure of the answer. Readers who like a good puzzle, and novels with interesting characters are those most likely to enjoy this thriller.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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Swamplandia!

Journey. Swamplandia! might be the most unusual coming-of-age novel I’ve ever read. I enjoyed the creativity in Karen Russell’s debut short story collection, St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, and that same unique and quirky voice soars in Swamplandia! The title refers to the alligator amusement park owned and operated by the Bigtree family, that has fallen on hard times following the death of star alligator wrestler, Hilola Bigtree. Her daughter, 13-year-old protagonist Ava Bigtree, decides to search the swamp for missing sister, Osceola, 16, who left home to marry a ghost. Their father moved to the mainland, and 17-year-old brother, Kiwi, has gone to work for a competing amusement park, the World of Darkness. Ava’s journey is described in language that led me to reread some sentences as I savored the carefully chosen words a second time. Readers willing to try out a new and young author, and who enjoy unpredictable writing are those most likely to enjoy this novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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You Know When the Men Are Gone

Collateral. Siobhan Fallon’s debut short story collection is titled, You Know When the Men Are Gone. Fallon sets these eight stories at Fort Hood, Texas, and she explores the various lives of the women whose husbands are deployed in foreign wars. Each story packs a wallop of emotion and poignancy. The lives of these women are usually overlooked when most of us think about the impact of military deployment, especially for our volunteer army. We can understand readily the physical wounds of soldiers, and these stories can help any interested reader understand the collateral damage to those women who are left behind during deployments. This writing is fresh and engaging, and is likely to be enjoyed by most readers.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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The Empty Family

Taut. Colm Toibin wastes no words in the nine stories of his collection, The Empty Family. He brings characters to life with impressive efficiency, and places them in situations and relationships that unveil the complexities of love and loss and longing. Fans of the short story genre will appreciate the skill displayed in these stories, and most readers will find the stories engaging, especially because of his lyrical and precise writing. Readers of Toibin’s novels may find the shift in form leaves one wanting more, or asking “is that all there is?” after completing a story. For those who want more, re-read one of these stories, or revisit one of his novels. Toibin’s considerable talent is worth a reader’s time.

Rating: Four-star (Highly Recommended)
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The Sentry

Adversaries. The crime fiction from Robert Crais usually provides lots of action pitting a better-than-real hero against a very evil villain. In The Sentry, Crais reprises two protagonists from earlier novels, Joe Pike and Elvis Cole, and pits good against evil in dramatic ways. Murders and mayhem provide the backdrop for Joe and Elvis to perform heroic acts, and a very competent killer provides Pike with a very worthy adversary. The prose is clunky at times, but the action never falters, and the characters remain true to the behaviors that readers have come to expect. Whether a fan or new reader, anyone who finds crime fiction entertaining will get some thrills from this novel.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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