The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall

337 pages Trade Paperback (Realistic Fiction)

I was in a used book store and as I looked around I found this colorful looking book. Having a lot of interest in Art I bought the book. As soon as I started reading it I was completely transfixed. It has been a while since I have been so engrossed in a book. I was carrying it with me everywhere, using every spare moment to pick it up and read a few pages.

The book focuses on the life of Cy in the early 1900’s. Cy’s father, a fisherman, died in a storm right before his birth. His mother runs a hotel that specializes in helping people with sicknesses, especially consumption. Hall weaves a tale of a small town and growing up in it. The village of Morecombe becomes a character on its own.
Although Cy is the main character and the story follows him, it goes deeply into the lives of those around him. It starts with his mother and what she goes through to support her son and the town they live in. It continues with Riley. This strange old man jumps into Cy’s life and leads him into the life of a tattoo artist. As time passes Cy eventually moves to America and sets up shop on Coney Island. As he becomes engrossed in strange life of a tattoo artist he meets a lady named Grace.
Sarah Hall is a fantastic writer. Her use of metaphor and simile are among the finest I have read. The characters are real and you get to see them from all sides. Cy is surrounded by strong people and his quiet nature keeps him from being fully known. Only after reading the whole book do you start to see the complexity of this main character.

Anyone with interest in literature will be engaged by this book. The writing, the characters, the story and the picture of the times makes each page worthwhile.

4 Emotional/intellectual: Each character in the book is interesting and in depth. I found myself being as involved with the “unlikeable” characters as the likeable ones.

5 Style/Readability: Considering I don’t know anyone that has heard of this writer I was blown away. Her style is fantastic and I was constantly engaged.

3 Long Term Impact: Hall isn’t a famous writer…YET. She has 4 books to her name and as time goes on I feel she will be more and more recognized for her great work.

12 out of 13: For a virtually unknown writer this is fantastic. Although this book may be slightly dense for some readers I think most will find this book very much worth their while.

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Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

369 Pages Trade Paperback (Fiction)

Good Omens is a collaboration by Pratchett and Gaiman written before either of them had really hit it as authors. The book starts out 11 years before the Apocalypse. An Angel and a Demon are at a hospital to witness the birth of the Anti-Christ. A quick switch by satanic nuns leaves the pair looking after the wrong child. Both characters think they are better off with the world staying as it is and think raising the child with an equal measure of good and evil will lead to a longer existence on earth.
11 years later we join with Newton Pulsifer and Anathema Device. Anathema is the distant relative of Agnes Nutter. Agnes is the only fully accurate witch to see into the future. Anathema ancestors have all been keeping track of and cross referencing Agnes’ predictions. Ananthema has realized that the end of the world is near. Newton Pulsifer just wants a job and soon finds himself working to rid the world of evil witches. This eventually leads him to Anathema and they soon are working to save the world.

The book is a lot of fun. The quirkiness of the characters makes for interesting things at every page. The Angel and the Demon make for the most fun using minor miracles to make their lives easier. It reads very easily and I was encouraged to keep reading whenever I had a chance.

After the story is done the writers both comment on how the book was made. Each wrote different parts. Then they would work over the phone finishing ideas and tuning other parts. It seems as if it was a true collaboration through and through.

Overall, it was a quick and enjoyable read. It was funny and engaging throughout

2 Intellectual/Emotional – It was a fun exersize in seeing the end of the world, but I never felt that invested in the book.

5 Readability/Style – Both writers are great and this book shows it on every page.

3 Long Term – Giaman and Pratchett are both famous writers. This collaboration will stand the test of time. That said, both authors have works that stand better on their own keeping it from earning a 4.

10 out of 13 – I think most readers would find this book worth their time. If you haven’t read either author I suggest this as a lead in and then check out their other books.

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