WILL UNWOUND #140: “Will’s Mystery Project: Book 4 – ‘And Then There Were None’ by Agatha Christie”
June 12, 2010Is readers’ advisory work an art, a science, or a craft? Before you answer this question, listen up.
A few days ago I made the mistake of trying to browse through the Livermore Public Library’s mystery section with my two year old granddaughter, Sophia, in tow. She wanted to be hunting Dora books in the children’s room, and I was making her wait as I browsed through the many titles that you all suggested for Agatha Christie. Finally, Sophie’s impatience won out. She grabbed one of the Christie books, stuck it in my book bag, took me by the hand, and pulled me toward the children’s room.
An hour later when we finally made it up to the check out desk, I discovered that she had picked out And Then There Were None. Sophie’s choice was truly inspired, and she hadn’t even read Book Lust! What would Ranganathan say?
I absolutely loved And Then There Were None. I loved it so much that it is now on my all time favorite reading list. It is a brilliantly conceived literary concoction marbled with an exciting plot, sprinkled with a cast of intriguing but believable characters, frosted with a provocative moral conundrum, and steeped with several layers of metaphysical meaning. What more can you ask for?
Oh, did I mention that it’s a first rate page turner, one of those books that you can’t put down for anything or anybody. What, Barack Obama is at the front door? Tell him to come back tomorrow. And by the way, those tickets to the LA Forum for the Lakers-Celtics NBA championship game? Give them away to the kids next door. I’ve just got to finish this book.
But here’s the best part…this is a page turner that raises some very scary questions about the universe. It’s a book that just drips with philosophical and theological speculation. Up until yesterday, I was probably the only person on the planet not to know the plot of the book. How I escaped the plays and movies that have been made from this story is a mystery in itself.
Ten people receive alluring but rather cryptic invitations to spend a week at a luxurious new estate on a little island a mile off the coast of Devon. Each person in his or her lifetime has killed someone in a non-criminal way. …a car accident, an act of war, a drowning, a botched medical operation, etc.
Here’s the chilling part: the unknown host, Mr. U.N. Owen….get it… unowen….unknown…never shows up. He’s the prime mover of this little drama and he is non-existent. Things get more mysterious as one by one each of the ten guests starts dropping dead for a variety of reasons: poison, firearms, falling blocks of concrete, bludgeons, lethal injections…you get the picture.
But where is Mr. Unknown? The island is searched and he is nowhere to be found. That is what spooks everyone to the core. This little universe of an island has no prime mover. There is no God. Suddenly, the mood shifts from “let’s have a wonderful vacation” to “why are we here” to “let’s try to stay alive” to “we are all doomed.” It’s Maslow’s hierarchy in reverse, and the results aren’t pretty.
But in the face of this cruel and indifferent little universe, a God figure does emerge. Who is this God? Well, bad things happen to mystery reviewers who tell too much. I wouldn’t want to find myself under a falling rock, would I?
And Then There Were None gets all five stars *****. Too bad I couldn’t give it six. Thanks, Sophie.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: What book has been your most compelling “page turner”…the book that you absolutely couldn’t put down for anybody or anything?”
The most recent page turner that comes to mind from the crime genre is Flesh House by Stuart MacBride (sequel to Cold Granite). I made myself rather late to a diner party because there was no way I was leaving without having finished it.
Awakening by SJ Bolton was another recent can’t put it down when exotic snakes invade a small English town, the home of an exotic animal vet.
Outside the crime genre I’d have to go for Soulless by Gail Carriger, a steampunk influenced historical fantasy with werewolves and vampires. Also falls into my favorite sub category: books with girl who hit people with their parasols.
Jessica…nothing like a girl wielding a parasol to keep you up at night!
I’m not a big fan of mysteries – they move too slow and they are big on the cliches – I’ve been known to read the ending to find out if the rest of the book is worth reading
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But, the biggest page turner that I’ve read in years was The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson. It had me absolutely on the edge of my seat and I read it in one day (finishing at 2am). It’s wonderful, has a fantastic female heroine, and avoids all those typical mystery/romance cliches that you see in most mystery writing today. The central character is very sharply written; she manages to be smart, vulnerable, and independent at the same time.
It’s a tragedy that the author died after submitting the trilogy because he was very versatile in the three Millennium Trilogy Books (Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played Fire and the Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest). The first is a serial murder mystery, the second a character study, and the third a spy thriller.
I really can’t stand most mysteries because they are so predictable but this was worth it.
Lisa…why did he have to die so young?
I don’t know how closely the main male character is based on himself, but a life of heavy smoking and drinking might have done it – heart attack at age 50.
Though I originally suggested “Murder on the Orient Express” as my favorite Agatha Christie work, “And Then There Were None” is a very, very close second on my list. It was the first Agatha Christie book I read, and I wasn’t able to put it down either. It’s brilliant, and I’m glad to see you enjoyed it!
Haley, it truly is brilliant. Now I can’t wait to get to the Orient Express.
When I read the topic of your post I had a hard time picking just one. In high school, I remember spending days glued to Gone with the Wind and refusing my sisters’ request to go to the pool. A few years ago I stayed up past 3:00 AM until I finished Krakauer’s Into Thin Air. I couldn’t go to sleep until I knew who made it off the mountain! Recently, my son and I were equally obsessed with Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.
Tensy…when you read Gone with the Wind, could you get the movie characters out of your head?
I can’t – I always think of Scarlett as Vivien Leigh. It’s a bit easier with Rhett as Clark Gable is less of a perfect match, but he still intrudes.
Will…I don’t think I saw the movie until after I read the book. Remember, that was the summer of 1970 (I remember I had just finished my freshman year in high school)before the advent of VCRs and DVDs, and you had to find a movie theater which showed old movies. I looked up some information on GWTW and it was re-released in 1971, which was probably when I saw it in the theater. Its television debut didn’t occur until 1976, first on HBO and then on NBC. I didn’t even remember that HBO was around then.
Tensy, how soon we forget the stone age world of the 60s and early 70s!
Currently reading Solar by Ian McEwan. Can’t put it down. I am actually reading it and typing this at at the same time
All of McEwan’s books have that affect on me. They are major page turners… such surprises. I love it when I don’t see it coming! I do most of my reading in bed and judge a book’s draw on me by how damned late (or early) is the hour when I finally turn off my book light.
That’s the thing about a page turner. You read it everywhere…even when you are driving.
Working my way through all the Christie novels and have enjoyed each of them. Crooked House is one that sticks out in memory as riveting for its unexpected twists and turns.
Elizabeth…I can’t read any more Christie’s until I finish my list. Sigh.
I agree with Lisa. Once I started The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo I simply couldn’t put it down.
I read one or two books a week, and I have to rank this among the top page turners of all time.
The writing style, suspense, and unexpected twists of plot and character remind me of John Grisham, whose works I also enjoy.
A friend of mine told me that Larsson died of a heart attack after walking up several flights of stairs to his office when the elevator was out of order, but I haven’t been able to verify that.
Anita, how long did it take you to read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?
I read the paperback edition, and it probably took me about 7 or 8 hours in all. It’s nearly 600 pages.
But definitely worth the trip, right?
Anita – The NYT Magazine corroborated your friend’s story a couple of weeks ago, although I understand some fans are suspicious.
I’m with Lisa and Anita – for recent books, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was hard to put down. A friend got back from England this past week and gave me a copy of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest – I’m having trouble putting it down at night.
From years gone by – The Last Temptation of Christ / Nikos Kazantzakis; The Master and Margarita / Mikhail Bulgakov; Bleak House / Charles Dickens; Barchester Towers / Anthony Trollope; and, finally, about an Episcopal priest and his congregation, At Home in Mitford / Jan Karon.
Ellen, you get a shout-out. Bleak House as a page turner…I’m totally impressed!
I found Bleak House unlike other Dickens novels – I just enjoyed the heck out of it and was surprised by the characters, the plot, and I just had to know how it all ended.
Ellen, I loved BH and I love Dickens, but it’s always a slog for me to get through the Victorian prose. I am impressed with your facility.
I tried reading Bleak House during the period when I was supposed to be writing my thesis, but couldn’t get through it. I will have to try it again, though; after reading A Tale of Two Cities for the first time in January I’m in the mood to give some more of Dickens’ books a try.
God, I love Trollope, especially Barchester, the clerical trilogy.
On my must-read-some-day list, which is about a voluminous as the Library of Congress. If I don’t add another title, and manage to live until I read to the end, I estimate I will turn the last page and keel over at the age of 216 or so.
And, my mind being the sort of mind it is, inevitably I think of the story of the elderly English clergyman telling a cluster of his parishioners that he liked to take a Trollope to bed with him, and it didn’t matter which one; any Trollope would do.
There have been many, but years ago the first one that actually almost caused me to miss my bus stop was Daphne DuMaurier’s REBECCA.
I love ALL the Agatha Christies, but now I like to read them slowly to appreciate the clever plots and just treasure her use of words.
Most recently could not put down Tana French’s IN THE WOODS.
Thanks, Wynette. I’m seeing you in my mind’s eye almost missing your bus stop. Once I got so absorbed in a book that I got on the wrong plane and ended up in Columbus, OH rather than Columbia, MO.
Oh my word! As an UNfrequent flyer myself this story is just horrifying! In fact I find most things about flying horrifying. I am exactly the person George Clooney does NOT want to get behind in the entry line(UP IN THE AIR). But more to the point—what book were you reading THAT day???
More to the point: why didn’t the airline staff catch your error? Even before the horrendous way they have mucked up airplane trips, the staff was supposed to be checking tickets and that luggage wasn’t too extremely huge or numerous. I’ve flown since 1961 (at age 6 months) so do have plenty of before and after 911 trips to compare.
Page turners? Oh gosh, so many of them! I tend to not be able to put down books, or I don’t read them in the first place with some exceptions. The first book that comes to mind is a sci fi, Moreta’s Ride, by Anne McCaffrey. I am fascinated by medical based books to begin with combined with a really adult character and her lovely dragon and the oh wait, I almost blurted out the ending. Of course, that was true for most of the Pern books. Dragonflight (1st Pern novel by McCaffrey) was the one I read in the college bookstore and I’m pretty sure was late to the lecture that day. Just about any Asimov book would have kept me reading into the AM hours, sci fi or nonfiction. The Complete Robot certainly did since the book was huge. Caves of steel did as well, to veer back into the mystery genre.
You have one brilliant little granddaughter there Will!
I’ll have to tell the whole story sometime.
I’m holding you to that Will!
Me too! Could be a future blog actually.
I’m just sorry for whoever was expecting you in Missouri!
Hmmm. I wonder if this was the same day my roommate’s grandmother ended up in Columbus, OH rather than Columbia, SC. This was probably around 1990.
Back in university I was taking an early morning summer class on 18th century novels– 14 novels in 6 weeks and I read each one twice. Despite all that required reading, I stayed up all night to finish James Ellroy’s Black Dahlia. It was the first time I remember not being able to put a book down.
Michele…great story. I have heard Black Dahlia is an amazing book. By the way, which 18th century novels did you read? Do you remember? I’m a classics buff and I’m just curious. Thanks.
I don’t remember them all but I do remember the course included: The Monk; Robinson Crusoe; Moll Flanders; Tristram Shandy; Memoirs of a Women of Pleasure (aka Fanny Hill); Joseph Andrews; and Pamela.
Wow…that’s a heavy duty list!
In my younger days, most books were page turners – I couldn’t stop until I finished them. I never got on the wrong plane, but I passed my subway stop many times. Now, my concentration is much diminished and my reading speed is slower (any relation? hmmm). So I’ve actually been known to put a book down and go to bed without finishing it.
Offhand, I’d go with C.J. Cherryh’s Foreigner series, though probably most of her books would qualify. I always feel like I’ve run a marathon when I finish one of her books – exhausted but exhilarated. (I know, I know – oxymoron there).
For a non-genre book, I remember telling people that though I’d resisted reading it because I think the premise very silly (just as I’d felt about Holy Blood, Holy Grail), I’d found Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code impossible to put down.
birdy…C.J. Cherryh’s life story is pretty amazing in itself.
So glad you liked the book! All of us with favorite books are worrying you won’t like them. Anyway, like Wynette my first don’t put it down was Rebeccca. I was reading it at my music teachers house (it was his book) and I had to ask if I could take it home because I wasn’t done when my sisters finished their piano lessons. However, the most significant one was actually Gaudy Night, which I found on a lazy Saturday in the college library when I was a senior. My college did not have popular fiction until we merged with another school that had a really big collection. This was the first Sayers I read, and it really knocked my socks off. It was nearly 4:00 am before I finished it, thank goodness I could sleep late on Sunday. We can talk more on that when you get to it.
Karen C….as long as little Sophie keeps picking out the books, everyone should be pretty happy.
Oh my…well my most recent page-turner was The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell. And the worst part is that I can’t recommend it. It’s such a disturbing book, a story of a former SS member writing his memoirs, but modeled after several Greek tragedies. Also, it’s about 1,000 pages long, originally written in French and all dialogue is placed within the paragraph (hard for me to explain but you’ll know what I mean when you read it). His research into the subjects and writing style (clumsy as it might seem to the reader) is phenomenal. I could not stop reading and, after finishing, I consider it to be the best Historical Fiction book I’ve ever read.
I’ve been wanting to read that book but I haven’t bought it yet, since my to-read pile is still pretty big
That’s interesting – a page turner that’s too disturbing to recommend but you can’t put down.
That makes me want to go buy it…
Lisa – if you’ve had it on your list of “to read” books then I’d suggest you read it. Just be aware that it has many disturbing images in it, and not just related to the Holocaust.
I couldn’t put it down because Littell’s writing is, to me, just so damn good. He does a great job with characters and dialogue, and, being a German history buff, I thought his research seemed meticulous and clear. The complicated and competing web of government that the Nazis had is painted perfectly by the author. While there are sections of the book that he should have trimmed (you’ll know when you get there) it did not deter me from wanting to get to the last page. I hope you do end up reading the book, but please be warned that while I consider it a page-turner, there are areas that are grueling to read.
Now I’m really fascinated!
Thanks for the information Librarianry. I had heard the book praised. I shall very carefully avoid reading it. I’ve gotten where I cannot read Holocaust literature. It is just too disturbing for me. And I utterly refuse to read any more Holocaust fiction. The ones that aren’t disturbing, especially recently, tend to be somewhat offensive in the tone they use to talk about a horrifying event. The last few I read I felt that they were simply using the era as a convenient way to attract readers to their books, rather than put in the time to do their best writing. The Devil’s Arithmetic still remains among the best on the subject for juvenile readers. I personally think Yolen has never written another book anywhere near as good as that one.
Joan, what did you think of “The Reader?”
Didn’t watch it, didn’t read it. I’m serious about not being able to stomach Holocaust literature anymore. Maybe I didn’t communicate well. There are still going to be good Holocaust fiction done when a talented writer has a story to tell. I simply can’t stand the horrors of the Holocaust period.
The Reader certainly sounds well done both in the book and in the movie. I’m noticing that kids lit seems to be producing more Holocaust lit I think since the Book Thief. Nope, haven’t read that either. I may have to give in on that since so many YSLs refer to it. I’m finding that YA and J authors seem to be trying real hard to find some niche of Holocaust history to write about from a fresh angle which I find aggravating. If you have to try that hard for an angle, I suspect you didn’t have a story to begin with.
Zusak is one of my favorite authors, but BOOK THIEF isn’t my favorite book of his.
Which title by Zusak do you recommend Elissa? I’ll be glad for a rationale not to read Book Thief! BTW Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac came today. I estimate I’ll actually start reading it in two months after I have all the other books in front of it read….. is there a bookaholics Anonymous? I’m beginning to think I need it!
There’s some violence in Zusak, and he walks the line of “too dark” for me, which is my favorite kind of writing. My personal favorite is probably I AM THE MESSENGER, but some people hate the ending. It didn’t bother me. I also love FIGHTING RUBEN WOLFE and its sequel. Love the family in that. I’m sure we can all use Bookaholics Anonymous. There are definitely worse addictions out there, though.
Thanks Elissa! More to add to Goodreads….
I’m afraid I’m with Will on this one – I’m not really a Mystery fan as a general rule.
I know in library land that is about akin to an American not liking apple pie or baseball but it is true none the less.
And the mysteries I do like tend to fall outside of the usual who done its. I like what might be deemed supernatural mysteries or occasionally cozy mysteries with librarians as heroines or heroes.
Supernatural mysteries that I’ve enjoyed tend to be more light weight than the usual books I read, those general consist of either non-fiction or detailed historical novels (think Edward Rutherfurd or Diana Gabaldon). Having said that, titles I’ve enjoyed in the supernatural mystery genre include Ammie Come Home by Barbara Michaels, Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton (one of the early Anita Blake books – and the earlier books in that series are better and each contained a mystery of some sort – I’d skip the more recent books in the series…) and Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris of True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse fame, although notably this is a different series featuring a female protagonist named Harper Connelly who as a teenager was struck by lightening and gained the ability to find the remains of the dead by what might be termed their spiritual residue.
And cozy library style mysteries I’ve enjoyed include the Ophelia and Abby series by Shirley Damsgaard, book one of which is titled Witch Way To Murder, and as protagonists the series features librarian Ophelia and her grandmother Abby as the heroines again with a supernatural backdrop and the Aurora Teagarden series also by Charlaine Harris, book 1 of which is titled Real Murders – and likewise in that series the protagonist Aurora is a librarian.
I’ve never read And Then There Were None – I’ll have to check it out!
And I can think of a number of page turners I couldn’t put down – I’ll admit the Harry Potter series books 4-7 fell into that category as I waiting in line at midnight to buy the books and then read them each in one all-night sitting; and, since I’ve already mentioned Edward Rutherfurd – I’ll also mention a page turner favorite of mine that he wrote –Sarum: The Novel of England.
And more recently and on a non-fiction note – I greatly enjoyed Sonic Boom: Globalization At Mach Speed by Gregg Easterbrook which paints a fascinating picture of how technology has and is continuing to transform world societies at a lightning fast pace as compared to how fast word civilizations changed prior to the industrial age.
As an addendum to my previous posting — I found my library doesn’t own a copy of the book And Then There Were None — however, Amazon has an ebook version and by quickly pressing that buy button it has downloaded to my iPad at home — so I can read it tonight!
I love ebook reading devices!
Great idea Linda! I’ll go download And Then There Were None to my Nook! Thanks for the suggestion!
Linda…thanks for the mention of Sonic Boom. I must get that book on my reading list.
I think the thing I love most about libraries is the frequency of serendipitous events. I’m a little saddened when folks don’t want to wander and browse and, perhaps, have two year olds randomly select their reading materials.
I’ve avoided mysteries so far, also, Will – now that I know there’s a little bit of ‘Clue’ and ‘Murder by Death in this one,’ I might make this my first (it’s either ‘And Then…’ or ‘Heat Wave,’ ‘by’ Richard Castle
Time…there is a lot of serendipity in life if people would only recognize it.
When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone first came out, I started reading on my lunch hour, read it during my (too short!) afternoon break, and finished it that evening. I read Deathly Hallows on a summer Saturday, starting about 1 p.m. and finishing just before midnight, with short breaks to eat and such. I had to re-read the climax the next day, I was so groggy the first time.
I read Gone with the Wind at 16, during the summer, and for 5 days I did nothing but eat, sleep, and read. When I turned the last page, I was sorry it was over. Fortunately for me, I had not yet seen the movie (this was before the video era, much less DVDs) and so the movie images did not get between me and the book.
I have been rather shocked for years that I cannot clearly remember my first time reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I do remember though, recognizing that this was going to be an instant classic. I think the first midnight party I attended for HP was the 4th title, Goblet of Fire. I stayed up and read it straight through. I did the same on the rest of the HPs as well. Well, I think Hallows took me two sittings but I pretty much read it straight through. Lisa, I had to do the same thing, re-read the ending the next day of Hallows. Then I sat down and re-read the entire book….
Joan…why is HP so alluring to you?
A Cinderella story often has appeal to many people Will. That is why almost every culture has a Cinderella story. A mistreated child who overcomes adversity (usually a step parent) is just about irresistible. But as to why I love it, I like her sly humor. I like the fact that so much of the series is based on English and other countries’ folk tales. I like her way with language. She has a way of making her descriptions very easy to visualize, one reason the films were probably not so hard to make. She touches on basic themes. What is love really? Harry loves the Weasleys as a substitute family, not just as people who have been nice to him. Mrs. Weasley made it clear that she’d stand up for Harry and protect him as she would one of her own children. Harry loves his parents, or at least the image he has made of his parents. When he discovers his father was guilty of some over the top teasing and tormenting of the nasty professor, Snape, as a child, as much as he disliked Snape, he had to confront the fact that he couldn’t excuse the behavior in his father. What teenager doesn’t have the experience of discovering that their parents are not perfect people? Even Dumbledore who seems a heroic figure unable to do wrong, turns out to be a mere flawed human being. Harry himself definitely has faults. He spends a lot of Half Blood Prince being a sulky teenager which is why it is probably one of the least popular titles of the series. Each and every character in the entire series no matter how insignificant is a three dimensional separate human being, and cannot be confused with anyone else. That kind of attention to detail is impressive. She knows how people think. Before Harry and Ron becomes friends with Hermione, they cannot stand her yet they grow to be best friends. She can write. Lines such as “There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.” are delicious in the understated wry summary of their adventure. People have argued whether there is a Christ like theme to the story, particularly with the last book. Superficially the books are about the good guys against the bad guys but the story gets much deeper than merely that theme. Turning out a completely original story in a genre that has a lot of unwritten rules and conventions is amazing in itself. Lots of mysteries never get beyond the cliched ending of the butler or some other background figure did it. That is also true for Fantasy. Yet she manages to either make the conventions new again, such as Harry being an unhappy boy, not an unhappy girl for the Cinderella theme or completely upends them such as even making the ultimate bad guy somewhat sympathetic (Voldemort is an abandoned child whose mother died right after childbirth and lonely) I could go on and on, but I think this is a basic summary of it. Quick addendum. The name Voldemort is a good example of her attention to detail. Mort comes from the same root mortal comes from, check with your Mom! Will, believe it or not, people have written books and books on this series analyzing it as you might analyze Pride and Prejudice. If you think of these stories as merely a “kids’ book” you are missing a lot of the depth of the series. Elissa, Jess, any other admirer, please jump in! I need to go get chores done!
Joan, wonderful comment. You get a shout-out. I will have to give HP a try after my mystery year is over. This was truly eloquent. Your library is very lucky to have someone like you working with young people. Extraordinary.
Will, let me give you a bit of advice based on what I’ve heard from others who have been disappointed by the series. When I ask, they had given up before the end of the first two chapters in the Sorcerer’s Stone. Stipulated, those two chapters are somewhat slow. That is where Rowling is introducing us to the universe she has created. But after that it picks up speed and the fun doesn’t stop for 6.75 books. At least invoke your 50 page rule and give it a try to say, p.49. I’ll check in with you in a year or two and see what you think
It may turn out to be like my reaction to the Hobbit. I have tried to be open minded and I simply don’t like the book for some reason. And thanks for the shout out 
I am honored.
Okay, longest comment EVER. Spoiler warning: if you have not finished reading the Harry Potter series, and you intend to do so, you may wish to skip this post.
Harry Potter and I grew up together. When I first met the boy wizard, he was eleven years old and hiding in a broom closet. I was fourteen, and faring rather better: I was spending my summer babysitting full-time for family friends. The kids were easy, and during the humid Midwestern afternoons, they watched their favorite animes while I read. That summer, it was all Harry Potter, all the time.
From the first page of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” I was hooked. The world that J.K. Rowling created, and the creatures that she populated it with, captured my interest and imagination with unprecedented wholeness. This series was so much more than a fantasy, though: it was a primer on the challenges of reality and how to face them. Among other things, Harry, Ron and Hermione’s friendships are earned and rocky, adult role models like Sirius Black and Albus Dumbledore prove to be flawed, and plans that Harry and Ron make in the arrogance of youth go brutally awry.
As Harry and I aged, I needed the lessons from his world more and more. Through Harry and his friends, I watched others deal with trials similar to my own, which made me feel less alone and provided me with a way forward when things seemed unbearable.
Two instances stand out to me. The first is the illness of my father. When my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, I was 20 years old. My friends were at a loss as to how to respond. I was no help, either: I was hurt, scared, and totally out of my depth. My friends spent the hot summer on jobs and boyfriends; I spent it taking care of my parents’ house when they moved out of state for months of chemo and radiation. My friends’ idea of a “problem” involved a fight with their parents; mind involved finding out that my dad’s tumor was resistant to treatment.
I was angry. I was pissed at my friends for not “getting it.” I felt alone because I was dealing with problems that most of my peers couldn’t relate to in the slightest. I was on an angst trip pretty much all the time over pretty much everything. In short, I was behaving like a fifth-book Harry Potter. I read and re-read “The Order of the Phoenix,” really getting Harry’s reactions for the first time. Of course he felt so singled out by his connection to Voldemort! Of course he couldn’t make Ron and Hermione understand what he was going through! Of course he stomped around in a constant funk! He was dealing with real shit, man. And so was I.
The summer that my dad was sick, the sixth book in series came out. I went to the midnight release party and devoured the book with a mixture of delight and horror, then proceeded to re-read it throughout the summer. At times, it seemed to me that both Harry’s world and mine were playing in a godawful repeating loop: as Harry watched the man who had cared for him since birth fall to his death, I watched my father turn from multiple-sport athlete to jaundiced skeleton. What was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to handle this loss and continue living at the same time?
Through Harry’s example, I learned that my salvation was in love: my love for my excellent friends, their love for me, my family’s collective love… Without the people in our lives, both Harry and I would have been lost. Instead, our loved ones brought us through our darkest hours, and in so doing taught us how to do the same for them.
The second time the Harry Potter series changed my life, the threat I faced was not from the outside world but from my own brain. When episodes of OCD filled my mind with tormenting images, I felt ashamed and broken. Our society doesn’t look kindly on those with mental illness, and I couldn’t picture a normal future for myself: who would love someone whose thoughts were so awful? Who would hire someone with a broken brain, someone who lived in constant terror of doing something inappropriate? What child would want a parent for whom basic tasks like walking to the store were fraught with psychological suffering?
As I asked myself these questions, I realized that Harry* faced similar issues in “Order of the Phoenix.” Voldemort projected thoughts into his head, some of which were profoundly disturbing. Harry’s thoughts, while terrible in content and greatly alarming to him, were not his fault. He wasn’t defective. He wasn’t bad. In fact, he went on to save the world from evil, marry the love of his life, and live as happily ever after as anyone can hope to. Not too shabby for a guy who used to wake himself up screaming from the unwanted images in his head.
The hope I found in Harry’s example cut through my doubts, giving time and mental health counseling a chance to work their real-world brand of magic on me. Today, I am nearly symptom-free, I enjoy my full-time job, and my fiancé knows all about my crazy and loves me anyway. It’s a great life, and while I might have stumbled into it without Harry’s example, it would have been a much longer and more difficult journey.
So why am I so into Harry Potter, Will? Because without Harry’s story, I have no idea what my own would have been.
*Lupin’s series-long dilemma with lycanthropy is another and perhaps better analogue to the struggles of mental illness, and his example certainly changed my life for the better, but I chose to focus on Harry for the purposes of this post.
The most amazing comment ever! This really touched me. Thanks, Jess.
Jess, thank you for your post! I’m so glad you had the assistance of this series to help you through such horrid events. Thank you for being willing to share this with us. Will, Jess is a perfect example of bibliotherapy and what the power of books can be. I’m positive she also is a fantastic role model for these teens she’s been working with. I hope that fiance knows what a treasure he is getting and that he is worthy of such a terrific self aware KIND person. Oh, and creative as well. I hope your future jobs involve these strengths of yours Jess!
@Will: Quite welcome, and thank *you* for providing such a great forum.
@Joan: Thank you for your kind words, and for your wonderful and inspiring explanation of why HP appeals to you. The fiancé is quite a prize himself, so he knows that he’s lucky, and I know that I am too. It’s a nice arrangement.
Don’t answer if you’d rather not Jess, but is the fiance situation why a job is coming available I think you said August? I’m thrilled it sounds so positive for you! You deserve a good long streak of positive events after the nasty events you’ve had to deal with!
Hi Joan! Yep, it’s Mssr le Fiancé who found a job in Seattle and moved there (we moved to Wyoming from Illinois when I took this job, but he couldn’t find a job in his field here). I’m finishing up Summer Reading, then joining him in August. I’m excited to move to Seattle, though I’m a little, uh, concerned about job prospects.
As for deserving a break, I thank you for the lovely sentiment. In the tiny slice of the world that I’ve seen so far, people don’t get what they earn: they get what they get. (Or, as that tattoo parlor’s box might have said, “U git what u git.”) So I don’t know what I deserve, but I know that I’ll get whatever random curveball the Universe throws and take my best swing.
Jess, for what it is worth, the Seattle library seems really popular in WA. They could well be hiring. It is worth checking their website to see. I have relatives in the Seattle area. It is lovely, green green green. Mind you that green comes from rain rain rain! The joke in my family was that my Mom could control the weather. It would rain up to the day before we got there, maybe the day we left but almost never during the fun part of the trip. We made enough trips there that you’d think the odds of rain sometime would have been overwhelming. Jess, try this link. It looks as though Seattle PL is suspending hiring till July! Your timing might be perfect. See what you can find out and get your resume updated!
http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=about_jobsvolunteering
Thanks Jess. “You get what you get.” I love that philosophy! I’ll have to incorporate it into my life.
Wow, Joan and Jess! Amazing HP posts!! I love all 7 books, too, but could never begin to articulate my love the way the two of you have. I read them all myself, and I also read each one of them over again with both of my sons (well, when the 7th came out, the older son and I each read our own copy). One of my favorite mother/son memories, ever, with both of them. The Jim Dale books on CD are amazing, too.
Lisa…browse up a little and you will find my post where we shared the same experience with GWTW. I also read it in the summer when I was 15.
Lisa…thanks for yet another wonderful book memory of GWTW. That book has been all over the comment board today.
I didn’t read the first Harry Potter book the first time, but listened to it in the car on a long trip. I had been regarding the first two books as sort of kids’ books and wasn’t that interested, but I decided to listen to the audio book since I was going on a long car trip.
It was fantastic, so I’ve been a big fan of the books ever since. The guy who narrates the audio has done a wonderful job and his voice is always in my head as I read the books.
I also loved Gone With the Wind and read it 3 or 4 times in high school. The Scarlet character is really interesting, she is very independent and modern, but very flawed. It’s true that she defies convention and does what she wants in a time that women were basically property, but she also abandons her first two children (this is left out of the movie).
LIsa…I have heard that the HP reader is a force in and of himself. Interesting that the audio format would be better than the print.
I don’t think the HP audio is better than the books. Equally good, though.
Anyone ever have a Non-fiction page turner?
I read The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon last year and I ended up reading it in two days – couldn’t put it down.
It’s the story of one of the last Victorian era explorers and his obsession with an allegedly lost civilization in the Amazon rain-forest. He led several expeditions into the forest, but didn’t return from the last one. Also, he took one of his sons and son’s friend on the final expedition – and they all disappeared.
Trivia – this guy was the supposed basis of the Indiana Jones movie character.
Lisa…non fiction page turner…Zero to Sixty by Gary Paulson
I couldn’t put down a YA nonfiction title about Darwin last year: Charles and Emma (about his life and their marriage) by Heiligman.
I found I couldn’t put down a nonfiction title by Kevin Roose called The Unlikely Disciple:A Sinner’s Semester at America’s Holiest University (2009. Roose has successfully written an unbiased look at education at a fundamental, evangelical Christian university. A Brown University sophomore, he decided to take his “term abroad” at Liberty University, the college Jerry Falwell founded. Coming from a secular liberal, Quaker family, it was a cultural as well as religious change for him. Roose’s style is clear, engaging, informative and wholly rational. This is an exceptional writer I look forward to hearing more from in the future.
Ellenr…I have heard great things about this book.
Joan, Elissa, and Will, I will answer your question about why Harry Potter is so compelling to me, but it might take me til tomorrow to write it up. Sorry for the delay, but I want to get it right!
Will, I *loved* And Then There Were None. Props to Sophia for picking such a great title for you.
Can’t wait!!!!
I’m waiting with baited breath Jess! I’m sure your review will be fascinating!
I loved AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, too, but it didn’t convince me to read more mysteries. Love, the story about Sophia in the stacks!
My non-fiction page turner was The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America by Timothy Egan. I was almost late to work because I couldn’t leave the house in the middle of the fire. And I am generally not a big non-fiction reader.
Jane, what *was* the fire that saved America???
The fire of 1910. On August 20 and 21st it burned 3 million acres in Northern Idaho and Western Montana.
One mystery that fit that bill was “When First We Deceive” by Charles Wilson. The last trilogy of “the Forsyte Saga” was so mesmerizing I fell down the stairs (walking while reading) and got up and kept going — I was a teenager and not hurt a bit!
Brenda…great story! Thanks.
A book I neglected to mention – Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air. I stayed up awfully late to finish it. I was fascinated because I am terrified of heights and cannot fathom why anyone would risk life and limb to climb something that high and in those conditions. It was intriguing but disturbing too.
Yeah…and along those lines, A Perfect Storm was another page turner.
I had the same response to Into Thin Air, and to the whole phenomenon of mountain climbing, especially that extreme. Heights, brr ….
I am generally not a mystery fan — I won’t say that I dislike them when I do read them, but that (other than Sherlock Holmes) I’m not especially drawn to them. I did read a number of Agatha Christie’s books over several months, though. It was during the reading, not of And Then There Were None, but of A Pocket Full of Rye, that it occurred to me that part of what makes Christie’s mysteries compelling is a usually implicit but steely moral sense: I think to this author the murder of a human being really was a bone-deep outrage, however cozy the setting and prose might have seemed.
Page-turners, I’ve had many, many books affect me that way, missed more than one subway or L stop, stayed up way too late way too many times. More so in my youth when a book didn’t have to overcome codger sleepiness. Several of Stephen King’s books have done that to me, but the most memorable page-turners of recent years have been the Harry Potter novels.
You know — I’ve just thought of a series of books I first discovered in the sixties and then read through and gradually collected in the late seventies and early eighties — the Jalna novels by Mazo de la Roche, first published from 1927 to 1958. They had that page-turning effect, but more than that, they created a vivid, absorbing world. I think that is a particular virtue of some books or series of books (it’s almost certainly why the Holmes stories appeal to me so much).
R.A., now you have gotten me interested enough to try Christie. I think you hit on why I’ve been having trouble with in mysteries. Murder should be a shocking huge event. So often it seems like it is just a convenient way for the author to churn out another book and earn a paycheck. No objection to people earning income but some things I suppose should be sacred in both a positive sense and a negative sense. The act of murder should never be just easily dismissed! Come to think of it, that is another reason I like the Brother Cadfael mysteries. Thanks for the insight R.A.!
I forgot to mention one other item (truthfully, I could put down many, but I should restrict myself). Anything written by Alberto Manguel is fantastic! Have you heard of him, Will? Has anyone? History of Reading or Library at Night are just unbelievable. Never before have I read anyone with such a love and passion for reading!!
ry…I must try this author (and I admit I have not heard of him). By the way, feel free to list as many suggestions as you would like on the mystery page at http://willmanley.com/who-is-will/wills-favorite-quotes/. Thanks!!!
Well now. I did a quick check of my library’s catalog and found that, while we don’t have History of Reading or Library at Night, we do have A Reader on Reading, and the bib record is apparently a CIP that never got the pagination filled in. So of course it’s my responsibility to check it out and correct the record. I love it when duty and pleasure coincide.
I passed up a major end-of-semester party in college to finish Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres. Read it 10 years later and wondered why I had been so engrossed.
I also found myself racing through the last 300 pages of Les Miserables, very worried about the outcome for Jean Valjean, even though I’d already seen the play.
My first page turners were Nancy Drew Mysteries. I was in fourth grade and visited a local public library to see if there were other titles to check out when I had read every “Nancy” in the school library. The librarian told me, a little girl, that Nancy Drew was not worthy literature and not included in the library collection. Now that I am a library director, there will always be Nancy Drew in my library as long as they are popular.
My biggest recent couldn’t-put-it-down book crush was THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins. I also started it over again as soon as I was done reading it, and I rarely re-read anything unless I’m reading it to my kids.