LITERA LLY
Book Reviews For the restless mind
Elodie Caron and John Medeiros Black Elk in Paris Fiction by Kate Horsley I guess I should have known from the description in the front of the book, or maybe I should have paid attention to my own ‘historical fiction’ exhaustion, but it seemed like it had potential. Lakota storyteller Black Elk is part of a traveling Wild West show that ends up in Paris in 1888. Going by the name Choice, he is drawn into the world of adventurous French society girl Madeleine Balise, known as Madou to her friends and family. Madou and Choice establish a connection that ends up doing them both harm. Narrated by MadouÕ s friend Philippe, a physician who prefers the clinical over the emotional but canÕ t help being confused by the rebellious Madou, the story becomes ever sadder and more sentimental, skidding toward the inevitable end. I guess what IÕ m really tired of is overwritten narration. ItÕ s true that itÕ s hard to untangle a clear thought from the ball of yarn that is most peoples’ brains, but that’s the job of the writer, isn’t it? To pick a string, pull it loose and make some sense of it. When you need more than a hundred words to do that, instead of the ten it should take, it can be pretty frustrating to the reader. And this is in no way related, but it was so distracting that it can’t be overlooked: one of Madou’s sisters has a dog named Pee-Poo, who is mentioned a lot. Honestly, that did not need to happen. Boo.
How to Beat Up Anybody Non-Fiction by the World Champion Judah Friedlander If you’re a fan of 30 Rock, you’re familiar with trucker-hatted, mullet-haired Friedlander, who plays staff writer Frank. You might not be aware that he is also an expert in the deadly arts and all things manly. Fortunately, Friedlander has decided to share his wisdom and impressive kickass skills with those of us who have none of our own. Illustrated with plenty of helpful photos and demonstrations, How to Beat Up Anybody will teach you everything from the fine art of karate to levitation to proper nutrition (How to Make World Champion Pizza Sandwich!) and how to take down streetcreeps at night. As Friedlander says, “After reading this book, you will be able to beat up anybody, including anybody who has read this book.” Epic battle in the making, my friends. This book will make you invincible, and if it doesn’t, you probably read it wrong.
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NEW TRIBE DECEMBER/JANUARY 2010/11