The Reader - a novel by Bernhard Schlink

The book is an intense examination of how we deal with the transgressions of past generations.. do we really spend time and
effort to truly understand circumtances and motivations behind those wrongdoings, or do we simply condemn in order to show
our indignation, and somehow try to salvage our collective guilt, try to make it into something less passive, less futile?

Michael is a young schoolboy of fifteen in post-war Germany, when he meets, and becomes enthralled by an older woman (Hanna). Their short, but intimate time together ends when Hanna mysteriously leaves town - next to be seen by Michael, years later, when she stands on trial for crimes committed during World War II. Michael is now torn between his love for her and his own guilt for loving someone accused of those atrocities.

The author theorizes how the holocaust was perpetrated by people who were essentially numb, they were acting not just because of orders given to them by others, but because these very acts had become a matter of routine, something that wasn't to be analyzed or to be given the slightest form of the most basic human consideration. He also links this same "numbness" to the victims, who witness these daily horrors as if anesthetized. The author absolutely does NOT consider the perpetrator and the victim in this case to be any way similar just because they share this detached perspective, but he does pose the question: "What would you have done?" No other question could be so simple in phrasing, yet draw such complex, raw introspection.

"The Reader" is also a painful love story, beautifully written (the translator - Carol Brown Janeway - should get a special mention) but without the cliches that sometimes characterize the narration of such romances. The story is written so economically, yet, with every word, every sentence, you, the reader, will be made to feel the characters' anguish, the torment of their memories, their struggle to come to terms with their moral breaches, and their attempt at pennance..

Revolutionary Road - a novel by Richard Yates

the story begins as a tale about an outwardly happy couple in suburban america in the 1950's .. both struggling with the realization that their ordinary life together is probably all they can aspire to. april wheeler gives a less than stellar performance at community theater, and consequently questions her talent as an actress. she is also frustrated with her mundane role as a housewife and mother of 2 young children. frank wheeler has a job that he finds dull and unmotivating. in order to combat this fear of "life passing them by", they decide to move to europe, where they hope a change in environment, better intellectual and cultural stimulation might help them lead more fulfilling lives.

as the story progresses, this seemingly perfect yet simple plan begins to crumble as does the facade of the couple's marriage. the story is ultimately about the simple truths that we hide from ourselves because they are too painful to face: we pretend to love when we detest; we pretend that society is boorish and inane, when in reality we masquerade unconfidence as finesse and brilliance; we pretend that unbridled enthusiasm can compensate for the lack of talent. these charades place an undue burden on the protagonists, and we begin to see them crack rather than shine under the harsh (yet realistic) light of the author's narration. they are delicately balancing unfulfilled dreams with the promise of better ones ahead.. though the lies they tell themselves and others daily, are beginning to make the truth more elusive than the counterfeit future they planned.

the book is an absolute must-read.. the story is as intense, as it is sensitive - as extraordinary, as it is humble.

Travels of Angelica

We watched this play on a cold, dreary, snowing night.. and were just glad to be off the icy streets once we were inside the theater (Playhouse at the Park) - but the amazing story that began to unfold on stage along with the haunting background score were something we just weren't expecting!

The play is about a writer (Edward Blythebury, played by Erik Lochtefeld) in the 1650's who escapes oppressive England with his young daughter to the unknown territories of the New World in search of artistic freedom. While in America, he tries to write a story that would encompass his ultimate passions: freedom of thought, freedom to express one's religious disbeliefs, use of words and art to highlight the unlimited scope of human imagination, that cannot be reigned in by threat of banishment or might of sword. Edward faces suspicion from a greedy neighbor (Josiah Podge, played by Greg Thornton), who threatens to expose him. Lochtefeld's and Thornton's potrayals of these two dissimilar men, are the highlights of the play.

The play constantly switches between the 1650's and present day.. when two Yale literature grad students (Emma and Matthew) arrive in Virginia to research the writer's life, and perhaps uncover his last writings. Are they able to find the indelible voice of a rebel, an artist, or do they go home emply-handed? The powerful artwork that's projected on to the back wall, the emotive music, not to mention the eloquent dialogue and strong performances from the actors kept us (the audience) in an emotional hold throughout the play.

More than its potrayal of a persecuted writer in search of intellectual freedom, I think the play says a lot about how fleeting life is. It is a tragedy that many people's lives and legacies, are of no real consequence beyond a short time. To end on a less morose note... the play also celebrates the longevity of ideas, words, art, music.. and speaks to anyone who looks at the past for inspiration and re-invention.

It's playing at "Playhouse at the Park" till February 20th.