Check it out
Although we’ve finally turned the page on the ‘90s, readers may want to
return to pages of some of the decade’s best books.
Listed on at least two “best books” lists published by the Los Angeles
Times, The New York Times, Library Journal, Magill’s Literary Annual and
Bowker Annual were these best bets:
“The Grown-Ups” -- After a sudden stroke,
philosopher-turned-TV-personality Dr. Leo Ulm causes friends, wives and
lovers to question their relationship with him. Victoria Glendinning’s
entertaining novel explores the complexities of relationships, the nature
of fame and the limits of individual perception.
“A Soldier of the Great War” -- Mark Helprin conveys the message that
women, with the promise of love and new life, are civilization’s
salvation in war’s tragic aftermath. His sweeping narrative focuses on
one man’s experiences during World War I.
“Jazz” -- Harlem is both setting and character in this lyrical novel by
Pulitzer Prize-winner Toni Morrison. The story begins in 1926, when
50-ish door-to-door salesman Joe Trace murders his teenage lover, whom
his hairdresser wife tries to disfigure at the funeral.
“Einstein’s Dreams” -- MIT physics professor Alan Lightman takes a
playful look at thoughts Einstein might have had while concocting his
theory of relativity. Thirty vignettes portray the great physicist when
he was a patent clerk sorting through dreams in which time runs haywire.
“Millroy the Magician” -- The message is salvation through health food in
Paul Theroux’s parable about a magician, a runaway girl and their
unlikely odyssey. The irresistible tale concludes that America’s
digestive system needs cleansing, that image triumphs over art and that
our best hope is the power of love.
“The Paperboy” -- Pete Dexter’s dark meditation on the responsibilities
of the media examines father-son relationships and the burden of guilty
knowledge. The action involves investigative reporters who reopen the
case against a man condemned to die for murdering the county sheriff.
“The Moor’s Last Sigh” -- Salman Rushdie’s epic encompasses a grand
struggle between good and evil. Speaking through his narrator (the
embodiment of India, who ages at twice the normal human rate), the author
tells his tale with humor and inventive wordplay.
“Straight Man” -- West Central Pennsylvania University English chair Hank
Devereaux is quirky and endearing in Richard Russo’s funny tale about
nonsense that gets in the way of scholarship. Realism and farce are not
distant cousins in this wry skewering of academia.
“Damascus Gate” -- Political intrigue and religious obsession blend in
Robert Stone’s powerful thriller. The multilayered tale involves an
American journalist writing a book about religious pilgrims, a
manic-depressive convinced he is the Messiah and fundamentalist
Christians plotting with Orthodox Jews.
“Losing Nelson” -- A contemporary Londoner obsessed with Britain’s
greatest naval hero is the protagonist of Barry Unsworth’s psychological
novel. The suspenseful narrative ingeniously blends historical details
into the portrait of a disintegrating personality.
* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public
Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with
Sara Barnicle.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.