Tuesday, April 23, 2013

King of the Class, a New Age Novel

It has been a while since I have read such a unique novel. Gila Green paints a beautiful tale called King of the Class that follows a young woman through her philosophical challenges. This book is full of creativity as it is set in a future time, in a country that does not yet exist. Although the setting is foreign, the human characters' personality and motivations are easy to relate to. That contrast makes King of the Class a satisfying read. 

Judging the Book by its Cover -  a first glance review:

The cover combines various themes throughout the book. The blue eyes, that seem to be begging for attention, are a portrayal of Ben's blue eyes that follow Eve and propel her through her journey. The Israeli flag, which catches my attention next, is a hint as to where the story takes place. Although, it is not quite the Israel that we know today. The soldiers on the bottom of the cover can represent the physical battles in the book as well as the philosophical schism. 

Some Details I Liked:

This book is written by a frum woman, but totally doesn't follow "frum-novel-style". It has an original setting which helps the plot develop with various twists and turns.

Who This Book is For:

This book is for someone that wants a basically clean, sophisticated read, but not too Jewish. It is aimed for the general public and is not published by a Jewish publisher 

Who This Book Isn’t For: 

I was warned by the author, prior to reading the book, that it was not written with the frum audience in mind.
There is a touch of adult behavior, nothing explicit, but enough that I would label it for mature audiences only.
Towards the end, there is also a bit of violence that is described in detail.

What I Didn’t Like/Would Have Made it Better: 

I enjoyed the beginning and felt the end was written well, but I didn't like how the two segued. In general, I feel that there is something missing when a woman goes from engaged to understandably married and then all of a sudden, has a few kids. That is just my opinion though.

In Conclusion:  

I would say that this book is great for someone looking for an atypical mature novel that will tickle your intelligence and allow your mind to wander.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

The Conversation, Philosophy 101



The Conversation by Joshua Golding is an Urim Publication. It is a fairly new book with a very original layout, with various fonts depending on the type of communication. It is based on David's (the main character) journey through college and self-discovery. The majority of the book is conversations of philosophy (not necessarily Jewish) or letters. Being that it is a novel, there are sub-plots and a bit of romance, but nothing too dramatic. Joshua Golding was able to take his vast knowledge of philosophy and present it in a way that is easy to digest a bit at a time. At 528 pages, this is a very interesting read that will take some time, but is very enjoyable. (If it is too intense, you can easily skip some of the conversations and still follow the story line.)


Judging the Book by its Cover -  a first glance review:

The cover is simple, yet intriguing. I like the college varsity look of the font, as well as the wide path heading towards the academic building.

Some Details I Liked:

It was very interesting to me that an author could put so much non-fiction material in a fictional book. The story-line flows very well and I learned a lot from the "conversations". 
Some of the characters were so well-developed, they reminded me of specific people that I met while in college. 
I also enjoyed the change in fonts throughout the book. It made it more exciting to read and get into. For example, David's journal is typed in more of a hand-written font, so you feel like you are reading his penmanship.

Who This Book is For: 

College students. No really, I would say it is for anyone college and beyond. 
The intellectual pursuit of the right philosophy is quite deep, but I think most adults appreciate the search for truth.
If you skip the intense discussions, the storyline is cute and entertaining, but you won't get the full satisfaction out of the book if you read it that way.

Who This Book Isn’t For: 

Being that David has some serious, mature questions, I wouldn't feel comfortable with someone younger reading this book. 
Also, this is book has very open philosophical discussions from various cultures, so someone sensitive to learning about Atheism, for example, wouldn't appreciate that.

What I Didn’t Like/Would Have Made it Better: 

So, I enjoy "happily ever after" stories, that leave the reader with closure. The ending of The Conversation, is not one of those type of conclusions. There is a nice wrap up of all the "conversations", but the juicy details of the story are left undeveloped. Now, after reading the last page, I actually appreciated the wisdom of the author in leaving off how he did. (no spoiler, sorry :} ) The point of the book, as well as life, is not to focus on the gossipy details, rather we should learn from life and journey on with that knowledge.

In Conclusion:  

This is a high-level, highly recommended novel.