Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

 

         Occasionally I pass up a book a number of times at a bookstore before I finally find it necessary to buy it.  I am not exactly sure what causes this lapse, but it was certainly the case with this novel.  I think I finally bought thinking that since the story was set in Seattle it would make me more excited about my vacation in Seattle. I was right.

         I am now on my first day of vacation in this beautiful Pacific Northwest city and one of the most important things on my to do list is to go to the Panama Hotel in Chinatown (I did...see picture).  This landmark holds an indelible spot in World War II history.  A safekeeping place for many Japanese families’ memories, the hotel was the heart of Japantown in Seattle until WWII.  When the United States displaced Japanese families during the war they moved them to internment camps, including several Americans who happened to be of Japanese decent. 

         Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells a both “bitter and sweet” story of a young boy Henry Lee, a Chinese American, and his friend Keiko Okabe a Japanese American.  Both children, having been born in America, struggle with the animosity of older generations in their families—particularly Henry’s.  As outcasts in their school, Henry and Keiko form a tight bond that continues even after his beloved friend is shipped off to Idaho to and internment camp.  Their dedication to each other is inspiring not only to me, but also to a jazz saxophone player in the novel, Sheldon Thomas who forges a life-long friendship with Henry who for a while becomes Henry’s only confidant. 

         With “bitter” in the title, any reader can figure out this is not a Disney story, but the harsh realities of the world make this novel that much more compelling.  This is the first novel in a while that actually made me laugh at times, cry near the end, and be morally saddened throughout.   

         Jamie Ford’s novel is a quick read (I read it on my flight from San Antonio to Seattle) and very poignant.  Though there are a couple anachronisms, for instance the conversion of a vinyl album to digital in 1986, but they are not that distracting. I highly recommend picking this one up!

        

P.S. Border’s books filed bankruptcy and they have started liquidating their stores.  I suggest everyone get to their nearest bookstore and buy that book you thought of buying earlier, but were too cheap to buy until now! : )

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

         I initially picked this novel because of the connections to some of my literary heroes of the “Lost Generation”.  Thinking it might be a little more “beach read”, I was pleasantly surprised at how much depth Hadley Hemingway’s story held.

The story of Ernest Hemingway’s first wife begins with their first encounter at a friend’s party in the jazz-infused Chicago of the 1920s.  Reading Hadley’s thoughts, hopes, and dreams about Ernest reminds me of my naïve middle school infatuations—she is delightfully idealistic.  Despite prohibition, they still had alcohol, which rid their inhibitions like it does anyone else’s.  A few parties and several letters later, they marry and sail for Paris.

The City of Lights in this time period was very liberal, coming as a shock to Hadley.  The Hemingways surround themselves quickly with other notable writers, artists, and musicians of the time, with Gertrude Stein becoming a close mentor to Ernest.  Their bohemian lifestyle becomes both rewarding and eventually detrimental.  The lax social rules cause a rift in Ernest and Hadley’s marriage.

This time in the Hemingways’ life, interacting with the likes of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and Ezra Pound, becomes the inspiration for Ernest’s acclaimed novel The Sun Also Rises.

Though this marriage wasn’t always perfect, Hemingway later told Hadley "the more I see of all the members of your sex, the more I admire you."  How could a reader not want to know more about their love story?

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

         I have to admit that this novel is one of my summer reading requirements, along with a Mark Twain novel.   I read this book once in college; on the second read I see this Christopher McCandless’ story in a totally different perspective.

         As a college sophomore I saw nothing wrong with McCandless’ romantic transcendental views of the world.  McCandless came from an affluent area in Virginia, but he seemed to resent what was handed to him, preferring to make his own way in the world—how very “American dream”.  After graduating from Emory University and giving away his savings to OXFAM, McCandless tramped around the country eventually finding his way to Alaska.  It is in Alaska, living in an area devoid of other humans, that McCandless, aka Alex Supertramp develops his philosophy of life.  Alex lives off the land like his literary heroes.  Unlike his literary heroes, Alex never leaves. His idealistic views appealed to the 19-year-old in me looking to find my way in the world.

As an adult, I do find some of his decisions hasty.  I appreciate his want, perhaps his need, to go out into the world and “find himself,” yet I cannot even begin to empathize with the rashness of his decisions.  As a type A personality, I am by nature a planner.  Tramping into the wild without enough supplies is not idealistic in my opinion but careless.  I understand what he was searching for, but one could argue that it is our world that developed all of the supplies that could have aided him in his journey. 

For the most part, Krakauer’s commentary helped move the story along, as well as the blurbs from Thoreau and London.  The only detraction was Krakauer’s own personal odyssey with Devil’s Thumb in Alaksa.  His fight with nature was one that should be mentioned to enhance McCandless’ story, instead the lengthy side story took away from the central narrative.  Krakauer had already established his credibility prior to this story, and the nonstop technical step by step of his journey steals the spotlight from McCandless.

Overall I appreciate what McCandless was searching for, and his journey reminded me that perhaps I should simplify my life a bit.  Transcendental literature always inspires me to find myself.