Review: 13 rue Thérèse by Elena Mauli Shapiro

Author: Elena Mauli Shapiro
Publisher/Format: Reagan Arthur Books (2011), Hardcover, 288 pages
Characters: Trevor Stratton, Louise Brunet
Subject: mementos in a box
Setting: Paris
Genre:  a puzzle mystery or a mysterious puzzle?
Source:  ARC from the publisher


One of the most innovative, imaginative novels I've read in a long time, 13 rue Thérèse is a story within a story, a puzzle, a mystery, and a charming portrait of Paris from World War I through WW II, and up to the present.

Elena Mauli Shapiro, the author actually lived at this address, and found a box of 'treasures' long abandoned there. There's a wonderful conversation on the books webpage where she explains how she came to write the story  Using the contents of the treasure box--old pictures, playbills, postcards, lace gloves, a scarf, a rosary, a crucifix necklace, etc--she rebuilds the story of Louise and Henri Brunet the previous occupants.  But she also gives us the story of Trevor Stratton, the contemporary American researcher who 'discovers' the box, after it is planted by the office secretary Josianne, and his strange reactions to the artifacts as he writes about them.  This part of the story-- the relationship between Trevor and Josianne, and his letters to an unnamed "Dear Sir" are the weakest part of the story, but not weak enough to detract from the overall weave of the story.


We are treated to unrequited love, illicit love, an everyday marriage, and a bizarre compilation of coincidences, conflicts and puzzles. We have a wonderful picture of Paris in the 1930's, of women's roles in that period between the two World Wars.  It's amazing, fun, and thought-provoking.  In addition, Ms. Shapiro has given us a series of QR codes (I had to look that one up!): "Quick response codes" that readers who have such an app on their smart phones can use to bring up enhanced pictures of the treasures in the box.  For those of us who don't have such up-to-date skills and/or technologies, there are enhanced photos, audio and video clips available on the books webpage. It's a veritable treasure box itself. Here's just one example- Louise's scarf:

It's a tough book to categorize or summarize, just as working a puzzle is difficult to explain.  It's a book that is to be experienced rather than read.  There is quite a bit of french in the story, but the author does an admirable job of translating without disturbing the flow of the story.  I hope you have a chance to immerse yourself in this one sooner rather than later.

Many thanks to Regan Arthur books for providing a review copy.

Review: Room

Author: Emma Donoghue
Publisher/Format: Hachette audio 10 hours 45 min, 336 pg equivalent
Narrators:  Michal Friedman, Ellen Archer, Robert Petkoff, Suzanne Toren
Characters: Jack, Ma, Old Nick
Subject: kidnapping, abuse, captivity
Setting: Room and Outside
Genre: fiction, suspense
Source: public library audio download

It is easy to see why this was such a talked about book in 2010 and why it was on the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize.  The writing is exceptional, the story compelling, and the characters so well portrayed that the reader feels they are living the story with them.  The story is told entirely in Jack's words, a point of view that brings a fresh and engaging yet terrifying perspective.

ROOM is Jack's world.  Jack is a 5 year boy, imprisoned in an 11x11 shed with his mother.  Ma was abducted 7 years ago by Old Nick who visits periodically bringing supplies, and especially the "Sunday Treat." Because Jack knows only what is in ROOM, his world image is limited. They have rug, matress, chair, table, shelf, stove, toilet, bath, wardrobe and rocker, to all of which Jack attaches almost anthropomorphic characteristics.  They watch TV, but, with the exception of Dora the Explorer, he views that as "OUTSIDE" and scary, and mostly not real. He cannot conceive of 'others' as real people.  The pair bonds in an extraordinary fashion, and while Jack's intellectual development and vocabulary bloom from all the games they play and the TV they watch, his social development is non-existant. He has never spent a minute separated from his mother.

Reading this book is a chilling experience, but one that is very, very satisfying in the end.  Having the story told from the viewpoint of a 5 year old whose only experience of the world is through the prism of TV, the five books his mother has managed to con out of Old Nick, or whatever memories his mother chooses to share is what really makes this such an incredible story. I really don't want to give away anything because the tension needs to build for the reader (or listener) to enjoy the full impact.  I listened to the audio where Jack's voice is perfectly done. The cadence is perfectly for a five year old.  I intend to get a print copy to add to my permanent collection, but feel this is one book that is just as good in audio (if not better) than print. It is my first 5 star read of the year.

Too Much Information??? Warning RANT AHEAD

Is is me?

Am I too old for social networking? 

Or do I just not get it?

I'm preparing a presentation about blogging to give at the Maine State Library Association's annual conference next month.  I was going to try to do this as a comparison among various Social Networking formats: blogs, Facebook, publisher and author book sites, and other book collection/social sites such as Shelfari, Goodreads, LibraryThing, etc. I wanted to point out the advantages for librarians of various types of sites.  I'm finding however, that many of these sites seem to be turning into nothing more than verbal dumping grounds.  In fact, when I went to google image to see what I could use to dress up this post, I was rewarded with over 400,000 images that matched "blabber mouth."  Even filtering for those that allowed re-use, such as the one above, I still got over 1400~!!

Do I really care what time you're picking up your sister's kids after school today?  Do I really want to know all the intimate details of your latest doctor's visit? Why should I be a "fan" of your veteranarian? I'm not talking about asking for prayers for a loved one involved in an auto accident---that I need to know about.  But I'm talking about your cholestoral count, your BMI, your plans for purging etc.  IT's JUST PLAIN TMI TMI....

I've managed to hide all the farms, zoos, candy collections, and bible games that seem to be proliferating in the 2.0 world, but really, where are your manners?  If something is that important that you want ME to know about it, then call me up or send me a personal private email.  After all, I'm your FRIEND right?  And let's get some other terminology straight: just because I'm a follower, it doesn't mean I'm a friend. (A friend is someone I'd fly cross country to attend a funeral for, or someone I'd go bail out of jail at 3AM)

Yes, I know.  There's a delete button. And I use it frequently (along with the HIDE button when there is one), but I've noticed even on the threads on LibraryThing (my all time favorite BOOK sharing site) that we seem to be disintegrating into a group of teenie boppers who've just been given cell phones and learned to text.  And I can't delete those "Oh just popping by to say hello" posts that seem to clog up the airwaves.  The ratio of 42 posts to one book review is getting hard to take.

In researching some of these sites (Goodreads and Shelfari, e.g.), I have to go through so much stuff just to list books.  It's amazing.  I'm not sure I can find any redeeming social value in having more than one list, but I wanted to be able to be familiar with how they worked.  I realize different personalities relate to different images, arrangements, and models, and that's OK.  For instance, I really don't care if someone I don't know recommends this book to me, but if someone who is a serious reader, and whose judgment I trust says "This one stinks" I'm not wasting my time on it.  If I want to see what people think about it, I'll read their reviews. I don't need another feed in my email saying "So and so just sent you a recommendation."

You'll also notice that I have not mentioned texting, linking-in, tweeting, twittering, splatting, poking, and all that other variety of verbs with which I do not care to associate myself. As far as I'm concerned "delicious" is an adjective I apply to food that tastes good.  Guess I'm getting old. I thought I was really with it just having 6 different email accounts. (Don't ask.)

I do actually sort out personal blogs from book blogs in my feeder, (Yes, I use a blog feeder to keep up with the almost 200 blogs I like to glance at every week) and most of my favorite 'book' blogs do include some personal posts.  I don't want to discourage that.  After all, one of the reasons I trust someone's viewpoint about a book is that I feel I've gotten to know something about that person over the past two years of blogging. I don't mind once a week pictures of pets, or recipes, but that's about where I draw the line.

I'm just not getting the rest of this.  Can somebody give me a clue?