I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: RUSH-Snakes and Arrows Live (2008).

Rush puts out a lot of live CDs. They started out back in the 70s by doing a live record after every four studio records. Then at some point they broke the pattern and just went nuts with the releases. The pro and con of a Rush live CD is that it sounds pretty much exactly the way the studio record does (because they are perfectionists, they duplicate the studio solos exactly). So, why get a live record? because it’s fun to hear them duplicate these sounds live! If that means nothing to you, then you’re probably not a musician. Anyway, their recent live shows have been a lot of fun because they have been really experimenting with their set list, playing some of their more obscure tracks that they haven’t played live in years.

This CD is no exception, and in fact, it may be my favorite live Rush release for three reasons: 1) They play “Entre Nous,” a wonderful song that I’ve never heard live. 2) They play “Natural Science” and “Witch Hunt” back to back…two of my favorite Rush songs ever. 3) They do NOT play “Working Man” or the first album medley that they have been playing for far too long to end their sets. Some other highlights: Neil changed his drum solo! I always thought that the whole point of the “solo,” aside from showing off how much you kick ass at your instrument, was to improvise something fun. Well, Neil Peart has been doing the same drum solo for something like five years. It was a song unto itself at this point. It was the only place I could think of where you’d see people air drumming to a solo, and actually doing it right. So, thankfully, that piece of percussive mayhem has been updated.

Two observations thought: 1) I feel that the sound of the album isn’t very good. It seems rather muddy to me. I’m not sure why exactly, but I expect better production from them. 2) And this is the most shocking observation: the songs are SLOWER than on the record, or on any other live instance. Some songs aren’t that noticeable, but there are several where the tempo is clearly not as speedy. I suppose this makes sense since the fellows aren’t young any more, and I suppose it also allows Geddy to keep his voice from having to reach the super high notes of years ago (his voice sounds great by the way), but for a band that never changes anything, it’s quite a shock!

Incidentally, I also just listened to the Pearl Jam Live at the Gorge CD right after the Rush one and it is amazing how different two bands could be live. There’s not a missed note or a flub or, really, anything unscripted on the Rush set. I don’t think there are any overdubs, but it’s pretty much perfect. Whereas on the Pearl Jam set, they are so casual, so mellow, and clearly having so much fun (not that Rush isn’t having fun, it’s just a different kind of fun). And, of course, there are major screw ups on the Pearl Jam set. The third song is completely flubbed. On “Betterman,” a song they must have played hundreds if not thousands of times, someone, I assume Eddie Vedder hits a terribly wrong note at the end of the soft introduction. And then he mocks himself for not practicing. Very funny, very good natured.

Of the two, I don’t really have a preference, but it’s nice to have the two styles to choose from.

[READ: May 22, 2008] Free Food for Millionaires.

I found out about this book when a patron asked me to put it on hold. It was totally a case of judging a book by its title. And I didn’t know if it was fiction or non-fiction, but I wanted to see what it was about. So, I read the blurb, and it is a novel which follows the life of a young Korean woman as she struggles to make her way in New York City.

There was enough of interest in the blurb that I decided to check it out, and boy am I glad I did. This book packed so much stuff into its 560 pages, and I loved every single page.

Before describing the story, I want to talk about the interesting technique she used in writing the book. The story is told from an omniscient narrator. The narrator is standing back observing all that is going on, but at frequent intervals throughout the story, the narrator is able to zoom into the action and tell us what other characters are thinking. Now, I know that that’s the job of the omniscient narrator…she knows all and can tell you anything. However, the way Lee does it is just so compelling. The first few times, in fact I was somewhat taken aback at what had just happened.

Imagine if you will (since I can’t find the passage to quote here): the scene is from Casey’s point of view. For several paragraphs we follow her as she is doing her thing, observing others, talking, being uncomfortable. Then suddenly there’s a quick jump to what Casey’s sister notices about Casey. It’s as if you are watching a movie from Casey’s viewpoint and then suddenly the camera zooms in a focuses on something about Casey that Casey doesn’t know. It’s a really powerful technique, even if the revelations aren’t earth-shattering (which they often aren’t). Because…

This isn’t an earth shattering book. It is simply a wonderful story about the Han family and all of the people whose lives they impact. The main character is Casey Han, the older of two daughters to Leah and Joseph Han. Leah and Joseph immigrated to New York, and have worked grueling hours at their laundromat to ensure that their kids could have a good life. And, despite the fact that they never made it out of a middle to lower middle class existence, both of their kids have gone on to do great universities and made something of themselves. Casey went to Princeton, and her sister Tina is studying to become a doctor.

The story is set a few years ago, so that Casey graduated college in 1993. As soon as she is out of school her father hassles her about her future plans. They have an antagonistic relationship to begin with, and this row pushes things too far. For the first time, Casey’s backtalk culminates in her father slapping her across the face and kicking her out of the house.

This singular event impacts the entirety of the rest of her life (or at least until the book ends).

[DIGRESSION]: I am (obviously, I suppose) not Korean. I know very little about Korean culture. And yet, I find that the portrayal of Korean first generation adults is quite consistent in media. Take Mama Kim in the Gilmore Girls, or the Han family in this book, and some other recent things I’ve seen. It seems that the fathers are portrayed as very hard-assed, with extremely high expectations. The mothers are similarly strict and tough, deferential only to their husbands. There also seems to be little room for frivolity. And, it seems that the men are prone to have very bad tempers with short fuses. But the most important characteristic seems to be pride. No one is willing to back down, and no one is willing to accept help. Obviously, these are stereotypes and this book, with the diverse array of Korean characters, simultaneously breaks but also reinforces the stereotypes. It’s always tough coming as an outsider to a culture to wonder how much of a book is “insider” information that I’m just not going to get. And I have to wonder if the Korean community agrees with the portrayal of the characters in this book: are they stereotypes or just good characters?

Anyway, it is the pride aspect that seems to really drive Casey, both in her life, and in her dealings with her family. Once she is kicked out of her house, her parents are effectively dead to her (she calls her mom once a month, but refuses to speak to her father). She also refuses to accept monetary assistance from anyone, despite her debts. On more than one occasion she is forced to move in with a friend or lover because she is essentially homeless. Her pride has also made it virtually impossible for her to take what she considers to be a handout either for job assistance or a reference that may get her into a better school).

DIGRESSION II: While there is something very noble about the independence and pride that Casey exhibits (something that seems to be so “American” and which her parents feel is true about America–if you try hard you will succeed) Casey seems to ignore the fact that fact that everyone succeeds not through hard work, but through connections. She has gone to business school, she works for a woman who has succeeded through the generous assistance of others and yet she only wants to succeed on her own terms. There were times when I just wanted to shout, “Take the offer, Casey!” And I wondered how much it said about me that I felt this way.

I have yet to even mention the rest of the cast, of which there is quite a large number:

Tina, her sister, is mild and sensible where Casey is wild.
Ella, a former classmate, whom Casey never thought too much of, but who turns out to be one her greatest allies.
Ted, Ella’s husband, and the only man that she had even kissed at the time of their wedding.
Jay, Casey’s first boyfriend. A white guy she met in college, of whom her parents greatly disapprove (more because he is white than anything specific about him).

Virginia, Casey’s best friend, and confidant.  She goes to Italy for much of the novel and leaves a void in Casey’s life.
Unu, the man that Casey starts dating later in the book. He is generous and warm, but also realies very heavily on games of chance.
A slew of coworkers at the corporate office that Casey interns in while trying to decide what to do with her life.
And there’s Joseph, a used bookstore owner who takes a shine to Casey and the fancy hats she wears…yes there is a whole subplot, or possibly even main plot about Casey and her clothes.  She also takes some classes as a milliner to increase her skills at hat making.

There are many more characters who come and go through these people’s lives, but to say too much about them will give away some crucial plot points. And, in a book like this, which is not really plot driven, you don’t want to reveal too many plot twists!

DIGRESSION III: An interesting thing about this book is that it shattered my preconceived notions for characters. Most of the characters have “American” names (Casey, Joseph etc), so when a new character is introduced, it took me a while to realize that he or she was Korean. The characters that are white are usually described as such right away, and the reader is basically to assume that all of the other characters are Korean. I found this to be as intriguing as many other things in the book.

What I thought was really neat about the book was that, even though it was mostly Casey’s story, the other character’s lives were followed in great detail. We would follow Ella’s life for quite some time as she went through difficulties with her husband. Then we would follow her husband’s life at work, and the problems he encountered there. We even catch glimpses of the lives of, for instance, the doorman of one of the buildings. It was a fairly complete look at a microcosm of New York Koreans.

What seems to connect all of these characters, aside from, or even exclusive of their Korean heritage is, strangely, infidelity. Just about all of the characters experience infidelity in some form or another. For some it is a matter of routine, for others it is life shattering. I haven’t seen this much infidelity since season one of Twin Peaks.

DIGRESSION IV: Sarah and I are watching Twin Peaks right now…Sarah for the first time and me for the first time in about 15 years. We were astonished that just about everybody on the show is sleeping with someone who is not their spouse or girl/boyfriend. That seems more prominent on the show than Laura Palmer’s death.

What is particularly interesting about the infidelity is that it occurs among people of faith. Men and women who go to church weekly, men and women who are on the choir at church, men and women who want to be more faithful and yet somehow keep managing to not be.

The infidelities are only compounded by the pride that I mentioned earlier. Once you have been cheated on, how much of your pride do you have to swallow to forgive someone? And, if you have been cheated on, how much of a hypocrite are you if you go and cheat on someone else.

Our main character, Casey, is deeply flawed, yet such an interesting character. It’s easy to see why people are attracted to her, and also easy to see why they become so frustrated with her. After all the lessons of pride and infidelity, the book ends on something of a hopeful note. Although, really the book doesn’t end, exactly, it just sort of stops–allowing you to imagine what will happen over the next few months. This particular ending is a bit hard to imagine as the two characters the book ends with are each in a huge state of flux; however, you can be hopeful.

DIGRESSION V: When I think about the distinction between fiction and literature (which I think about often!), I think I’ve come to an interesting conclusion. Literature seems to end without an “ending” (but not as if there’s going to be a sequel), whereas fiction wraps itself up pretty well. I wonder if that’s even remotely true.

I always figure that if I write a lot about a book it must have had a big impact on me. I assume these characters will grow in my head for several months to come.

Oh, and the fabulous title comes in the early stages of the book in what turns out to be not such an earth shattering moment: a buffet during a job interview.  But it still remains a great title, and certainly infuses the whole tone of the book.