Nikolski

Last year a read a book called Fruit. It was a very unique story about a 13 year old boy from Sarnia who is gay, obsessed with Brooke Sheilds, and his nipples talk to him. I know this sounds really strange but it was a fantastic book. It kept you on your toes, you really felt for this poor boy and how hard it was for him to not be like everyone else.

Anyways, asside from the interesting title, I purchased this book because it was the 2009 CBC Canada Reads Selection. So when the 2010 CBC choice came out, Nikolski by Nicolas Dickner, I was constantly passing it on the shelves, wondering if I should give it a chance as I did Fruit.

Now I did purchase this book, read it cover to cover and I have to say I didn't like it at all. Basically its a long winded story about three people who's lives are connected through family and/or circumstances but don't necessarily meet. The story seemed to not have a point, and if it did then I missed it completely. I'm not the best reader of material that has symbolic meanings but most of the time I can at least catch a glimpse. I was very confused so I googled some reviews. Here is what I found:

(chapters.ca) Bahram Olfati:

"Nikolski, reminds me of those storys. Thestory covers ten years in the lives of three young characters. Over the course of the novel, which takes us across Canada, the three characters converge on Montreal, where their paths will cross again and again without ever allowing them to guess what really unites them. The novel also asks the reader questions on the importance of family identity, heritage, fish migration, and the nature of destiny and ambition. All these elements come together and their meaning is revealed gradually as the story unfolds. The novel will make you smile, and will remain with you for some time after you’ve finished the story."

(ummm what? The meaning of fish migration?)

(Chapters.ca) Ariel:

"Nikolski" is full of magical symbols: a Nikolski compass forever pointing somewhere away from the true north, an old three-headed book that passed through many hands and mishaps eternally remaining as one unicum (a word I actually learned from reading "Nikolski": a book that is only a single known copy in the whole world), and garbage, as rejects that had come to carry their own weight in the world. Among all these symbols, we followed the life of two characters who live their days in parallel to each other without once realizing their own hidden connections. I was thrown by the trick that the author did to introduce a mysterious first person narrator in the first chapter and then hide him until a long while through the book. I was confused for the first three chapters in my feeble attempt to work out the convoluted (more or less because a lot of them were unrelated and unimportant to the story line later on) list of characters. Surprise. Nevertheless, "Nikolski" is an interesting read.

(okay, I see a little bit of relevance to some of the symbolism but only because of this teacher-like description. Sorry Nikolski I didn't want to dissect you that hard)

And with that I toss Nikolski two fish bones out of 5. And that is only because I like the cover design.

Summer at Tiffany: a Memoir by Marjorie Hart

Iowa University students, Marjorie Hart and her best friend Marty decide in the summer of 1945 to set out to New York City and get summer jobs. With no luck finding any openings at any of their favourite department stores, the girls (on a whim) apply at Tiffany & Co. and end up getting positions as the first female pages. Fancy jobs like these don’t come without a price though, it only paid $20.00 a week. But these two girls had the summer of a lifetime. And memories are priceless.

This book was like a time machine. Marjorie’s description of her summer is captivating. It amazes me what she experienced during her summer – Eisenhower’s Parade, Truman’s announcement the Japanese have surrendered, a plane crashing into the Empire State Building and a close encounter with Judy Garland!

In the book are copies of Marjorie’s personal pictures and keepsakes from her summer in NY, there is even a photo of her paycheck from Tiffany. It’s so great to read a story and see photos from the exact situation that’s being described. Especially the photo of her and her date Jim. Her description did not do him justice. He was definitely a cutie.

Prepare yourself to fall in love with this book. Its like closing your eyes, snuggling up beside your grandmother as she tells you a story that takes you back in her shoes to a world you can only dream of. And if you’re like me, and can listen to music while you read, listen to Miss Ella Fitzgerald’s S’Wonderful and let the beauty of her voice take you farther away.

I give Summer at Tiffany 4 blue boxes out of 5. My jealousy keeps me from the 5th. :)

Kind Canadians

So today downtown Toronto was hit with a blackout. Apparently a transformer station blew up around Kipling. And as usual, with part of the westbound subway not running and street lights being out all over the place, the city was in utter chaos. For those of you able to work late or avoid the problem entirely, my jealously literally radiated out of my body with the heat I experienced this afternoon.

So my journey home consisted of a 4o min subway ride in a moving sauna (SERIOUSLY TTC!! Fares up to 3 dollars a way and still subways with no AC?) which only got me to Dundas West, and then a 45 minute cab ride in a slowing rolling, smelly, hot box of hell.

Now aside from the travelling torture there is a bright side to my commuting tales. When I hit Jane Station, a few people flagged my cab down and I was more than happy to share it with fellow westbound travellers. They were so friendly. The woman actually insisted on paying my share of the fare. I mean, really, Canadians are so sweet. Its acts of kindness like this that just warms my heart. I wish I got her name to send some thanks to her but I didn't. Its amazing how sweet us Canadians can be some times. I just felt I had to share that with the world. Especially since the fare wasn't cheap, our jerk cab driver decided at the end of our journey to demand $10 a head, with the meter saying $26!

That aside, heres to being Canadian *Cheers