The Radleys: A Novel

The Radleys: A Novel by Matt Haig

The Radleys are the typical suburban family. They happen to be vampires, but not even the kids know that until their instincts take over. The daughter is at a party where a drunk boy comes on to her and won't take no for an answer. When he refuses to stop she ends up biting him. After tasting blood, she can't stop. Then the parents tell them they are "vegetarian vampires". They also invite over his brother, a not vegetarian vampire who can help fix things (or make things worse.) The novel covers dark material in a light-hearted manner. There are a few people that know about vampires (like certain police group). There are some interesting conflicts with vampires and humans that are appropriately managed, as well as some interesting vampire transitions. I liked the light tone for the vampire work.

The Love Hypothesis

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

A girl runs into a guy when she is visiting campus. She thinks he is a grad student. He gives advice that helps her choose her future path. She doesn't realize that he is actually a professor and he had feelings for her also. She later chooses to kiss a random guy to "allow" her best friend to date her boyfriend. This ends up being the professor. But neither of them realized it at the time. They decide to carry on "fake dating" for a while. They are both oblivious to each other's feelings. It finally comes to a head when they agree to share a hotel room at a conference (in a Platonic relationship.) Things end up being not so platonic. Then there is the episode where the professor's old friend ends up being a scumbag and the professor gets in a fight with him. It makes for a welle-executed, very typical romantic comedy. You jus wish the main characters would stop behaving like middle schoolers and talk about their feelings.

Psmith, Journalist

Psmith, Journalist by P. G. Wodehouse

Psmith ends up in New York. There, he helps take over a small periodical and turns it into a "popular" muckraking periodical. This helps them gain circulation, but the original owner is upset when he returns. There is plenty of British humor, but it can be a bit slow going.

Happy-Go-Lucky

Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris

The author works primarily as comedian. A lot of the work involves traveling around the country and interacting with the audience. The pandemic made this challenging. He was glad to finally be able to get back out on tour again. The book is primarily narrated, but there are a few "live" sections that include the audience response.

The comedy in the book primarily deals with personal experiences in his family life. There are also plenty of observations related to culture and society. The pandemic caused a shortage of low-wage labor, and left some poor quality service workers. The different values from different parts of the country also provide source of humorous insights about things such as masks and guns. The death of his nonagenarian father also provided a source of humorous insights.

The humor is relatively clean, though his partner would have some of the content removed. The delivery is fairly relaxed. He is not wild and crazy. Part of the humor is with the calm way he observes interesting events.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Arthur Dent is not having a good day. He is hungover and sees his house about to be destroyed to make way for a highway bypass. He meets his friend, Ford Prefect who takes him to a pub and tells him the earth is about to be destroyed to make way for an interplanetary bypass. (Shortly after it is destroyed, these become no longer needed.)

Things get crazier. They hitchhike a ride on a Vogon construction ship that is building the bypass. They don't like hitchhikers, but their help does. They are using the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to make their way around. Earth's entry is just "Harmless" (though will be updated to "mostly harmless".) They are tortured with poetry and try to talk their way out of punishment, but end up being shot out of the ship into space.

They get picked up by zaphod beeblebrox on the Heart of Gold ship. This ship is powered by the improbability drive. It was almost impossible for them to be picked up, and thus the ship's improbability picked them up. Many other "improbable" things happen. (For example, Dent knew Beeblebrox from his time picking up a girl he liked at a pub - and the girl is here.) They end up in a place that makes custom planets. They are about to get nuked before the missiles turn into a sperm whale. They have a babelfish that translates any language to be understood (and just happens to have evolved that way.) They also learn that answer to life the universe and everything was 42 and earth was created to find the question - but it was destroyed just a bit too soon. Mice were the most intelligent creatures. Dolphins were trying to tell people that the earth would be destroyed, but people just saw it as tricks.

The book is filled with memes and humor. It goes quickly, but is zanily entertaining, while also providing witty societal commentary.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Book 2

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Book 2 by Douglas Adams

The second Hitchhiker's Guide book is comedy couched in nihilist philosophy. The earth has been destroyed just before it produced the question for life the universe and everything. (The answer was 42.) The gang are traveling around with some bizarre gadgets (including glasses that make things go black to help avoid bad things). The paranoid android continues to be negative, but can help them get places. They are hungry and end up at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. There is some time travel involved, so people can go, watch the end of the universe and then return back home. The restaurant includes animals that are bred to be eaten. The cow comes out and asks people what part of them they would like to eat. 

The gang ends up stealing a totally black ship and eventually end up on early earth. They run into primitive cultures, as well as a culture that has formed bureaucracy before innovation. (They need market research before producing the wheel.) There is also a group of "unneeded" people that were sent away from their planet under the guise of being the first to inhabit a new world before their planet is destroyed. The book includes some humorous explanations for hard to grasp processes (like the beginning and end of the universe.) There are plenty of funny moments as well as parts of interesting observations of the silliness of people, especially in the context of a vast world.

Bossypants

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Tina Fey humorously tells her life story. She lived on the east coast, was involved in arts clubs. There were many gays in the clubs, which she enjoyed being with, but was a little freaked out when she first saw some making out. She worked in a YMCA in Evanston and had interesting experiences there with a diverse crowd and the occasional conflicts from that diversity. She got involved with the Second City Comedy group. She mentioned Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park. Alas, that was closed a half-decade ago. I do remember that being an interesting place. She then made it to Saturday Night Live as a "diversity" hire. She portrays herself as someone who naively goes along through life. She had one child, and felt conflicted about having a second child. (Though it appears she later decided to opt for the child.) One theme through the book is the role of women in entertainment. There are extra challenges, especially as they get older. The book is short and funny, but also fairly forgettable.

Evil Spy School

Evil Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

The protaganist gets kicked out of spy school due to an "issue" with a mock battle. Back in regular middle school, he gets chased by bullies who somehow stop chasing him. The "evil spy" leader has saved him and wants him to join them. He agrees (after realizing that his friends might have intentionally framed him to get him to infiltrate the bad guys.) The bad guys have their spy school (including a girl that barely missed the olympic gymnastics cut.) They have a base disguised as a gated community with missile silos in septic tanks. The good guys barely win.

The pacing works fairly well, though seems a little too long. There are plenty of interesting elements that seem almost plausible, but are clearly played for laughs.

To Marry or Not to Marry

To Marry or Not to Marry by Elizabeth Inchbald

Women talk about getting married. Men talk about getting married. The play feels like a combination of a Jane Austen book with British commedy.

To Marry, Or Not To Marry; A Comedy, In Five Acts

To Marry, Or Not To Marry; A Comedy, In Five Acts by Elizabeth Inchbald

This short play seems to revolve around men questioning the benefits of marriage. They have status and the ability to live their life as they desire. Why would they want to get married? It has a light comedic touch that feels like a cross between Vaudeville and Jane Austen.

Hear Both Sides

Hear Both Sides by Thomas Holcroft

I read a free version that was a Google scanned version of an old library book. The quality had much to be desired. Every other page seemed to have a lot of bleedthrough from the other side. (It was interesting that the other half of the pages seemed to be clear.) I found a version on Amazon for sale that seems to have a totally made up synopsis that has absolutely nothing to do with this play. 

The actual play comes across as a very British comedy. It was first performed in 1803, but did not last for long, yet we still have it today. There are people bickering. There is an inheritance involved along with people that may or may not be dead. Bits did seem funny, however, I had trouble following what was going on. It would be better to see (or even listen to) a performance.

Subculture Vulture: A Memoir in Six Scenes

Subculture Vulture: A Memoir in Six Scenes by Moshe Kasher

Moshe Kasher creates a memoir of his life in "six scenes" which cover subcultures that he has been involved in phases of his life. He was an alcoholic at as a teen and become sober through AA. He was later involved in the Bay Area rave scene, both DJing promoting and selling ecstacy. Burning Man became another key part of his identity as he was involved as an attendee, and an employee. He was raised Jewish, which was an important part of his life (his father became orthodox after his parents divorced.) His parents were deaf, while he and his brother could hear, making him part of the deaf community and involved in translation efforts. Finally, he worked his way up through the comedy scene and has become involved in the comedy scene. There were challenges in each of the areas, as well as plenty of humorous anecdotes. The story of his deaf dad beating up the son of the mafioso stuck in my mind. (The result was the mafioso coming out and punishing his kid for getting beat up by a deaf Jew.) The book reads like a long comedy routine by a stand-up, complete with plenty of self-effacing vulgarity.

Cat's Cradle

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Cat's Cradle is one of Vonnegut's better books. The audiobook also includes a brief interview with the author, though that does not add much to the book. 

The story centers around an author who is trying to write a book about the experience of the nuclear bomb. He contacts the children of the scientist behind the bomb and asks what their experience was when the bomb went off. He received responses and got to know the family better. We learn that the scientist was a rather peculiar man. His wife and children also had their strange traits. The scientist had also been asked by the marines to invent something so they would not have to fight in mud. He had actually done it, though he had not widely shared it. This was "ice-9" a substance that is a "seed" that changes the crystallization and melting point of water, and can pretty much caused instantaneous freezing. Each of his children had a small amount. This would lead to the end of the world. 

The novel also ventures off to a nation where all religion is banned, especially the "national" religion. This religion is quite quirky and extremely contradictory. The leader of the company is on his death bed and a seemingly random outsider is asked to be leader. Leadership pays well and comes with dictatorial responsibilities, but nobody wants it. However, the old leader dies with ice-9 and most of the world gets iced over. The few survivors can survive by melting off ice.

There is some crazy science here (which is not fully explained) as well as plenty of social commentary, and just plaine zaniness.

Confidence: A Novel

Orson and Ezra meet at a camp for troubled teens. They build up a relationship there, and also run the underground smuggling operation. They are both "scholarship" students who also have a knack for non-violent crime. The engage in schemes to treat a store clerk out of money or return things they have not bought. They do move on to more legitimate jobs (such as working at a hotel), but continue to master the art of parting people from their money.

Orson is the master smooth talker, while Ezra is more of a "brains". They eventually pass themselves off as Stanford students and tech innovators. Their device really does nothing, but they tell people it helps them feel happy. This in turn does make people feel happy. They market it (complete with patents and piggybacking off research.) The company grows and then includes a "retreat" in upstate New York where the rich and famous come for New Age enlightenment. They also expand to other countries and become fabulously rich. Some people do find benefit from the work, even though it is essentially a giant pyramid scheme build on psuedo-science.

Things eventually unravel. They are in the middle of a third-world coup that goes badly. There are accounting irregularities. An early friend who signed away patent rights when he was drunk starts to stalk them. He eventually falls to his death from a flying device as they are taking him away. They end up in prison.

The characters are just grounded enough to not be too over the top. Both Silicon Valley Hollywood are gullible to a well-placed charlatan. Ezra is a bizarre character. He is in love with Orson, yet doesn't seem to be very phased when he goes off with a woman. He is super trusting of his assistant of others, which eventually leads to his downfall. He also fails to pay attention to his eyesight and he ends up practically blind. In spite of all this, he continues to be optimistic and ready for his next scam. How many rich executives are just scam artists in a suit?

The Wizards of Once

Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell

A wizard gets impatient for his magic to come in, so her tries to kidnap a witch. Things get weirder and weirder. They eventually realize that it is better to wait for magic than to try to kidnap dark magic - or do they?

Infinite Jest

Infinite Jest is a long novel that takes place in a time somewhat similar to our own. Years no longer are known by numbers, but instead by their sponsors. Most of the book takes place in the Year of the Depend Undergarment. Things are somewhat different. It is part alternate history and part futuristic work (that is now in the past.) 

A good chunk of the book takes place at a youth tennis academy in Arizona. The people there play war games on tennis courts, takes various mind alternating substances and explore many aspects of their life.

A significant section of the book also takes place in Boston. We also hear a long discussion about Alcoholics Anonymous in Boston.

Parts of the book feel based on his experiences. Some parts are quite good. Other parts are offensive. The book is in the "future" but very rooted in the 1990s when it was written. Some parts of culture were carried to their absurdist limits (corporate naming rights for everything), while other parts seem to still be stuck in the 90s. It feels like something that would be fun writing, just not so fun reading.

Phule Me Twice: Phule's Company, Book 4

The fourth Phule's Company books continues with many of the same sitcom-esque humorous episodes. The General keeps trying to get Phule's Company to fail. The company has been asked to be military advisors to the Zenobians. This time he sends a major out to whip them into shape. However, he ends up going crazy and leaving. There is a robot Phule who is kidnapped from a casino, but ends up on the base. There are a group of people who join an "Elvis church" and alter their appearance to look like Elvis. Even robot-proof camouflage plays a role. In the end Phule makes peace between the Zenobians and a mysterious other species and the general falls flat on his face, all while many funny things happen in the interim.

Phule’s Paradise: Phule's Company Series, Book 2

The second Phule's company book has the motley crew being sent on a "punishment" mission to try to protect a casino. The owner is a young heir who is in over his head. He inadvertently leans on the very people that are trying to take over his operation to help him out. Phule hires some actors to help supplant his band, while sending others undercover as hotel employee. A crime boss, Maxine, owns all the other casinos and nearly has control of the this one before Phule outfoxes her. However, she is sneaky as him and sets things up for a longer term battle. It is yet another funny episode in this "sitcom in a book".

The School For Wives

This was the best performed play on the Moliere collection. The acting was lively and even the American accents fit the roles perfectly.

In the play, an older man returns from a long absence. He had been supporting a young lady that he had been sheltering in a nunnery. She took her out and brought her to one of his houses and was occupying it under a new name. She is naively innocent. However, through a chance encounter with a young man, she fell in love. The young man confesses this love to the older man (not knowing that he is also the overbearing governor of the lady.)

The old man plots to have the girl marry him. The young man was also in pursuit of her. However, he gives it up after learning that he has been promised to somebody else. The old man sees this as the opportunity he desired. However, it turns out that the lady to which he is promised is the same one he had fallen in love with. Everybody ends up happy - except for the old man.

Confusing, eh? Luckily, it is the characters that are important here.

This play has all the trademarked Moliere doubled-talk and double meanings. The older man is the buffoon here. Everybody is chasing their emotions. However, he is trying to manufacture the perfect girl for himself (with disastrous results.) His attempts to manipulate others end up resulting in himself being the one manipulated. He seems totally clueless as to what everyone else is saying and feeling. The girl is played with a perfect innocence. She has learned with the help of the older man what it is to be "good" and attempts to follow it - even if it ends up being different than what he intended.

The School for Husbands

School for Husbands was Moliere's first full length play. The plot deals with two men who have opposite views of women. One believes that women should be strictly controlled and refrain from excess social activity or flashy dress. The other believes that women should do whatever they want. They each have girls to which they are engaged and want to point out that there way is right. The "controller" thinks that his girl his the perfect angel. However, she is just humoring him in an attempt to get with her true love. We get some hilarious double meanings where she launches into a soliloquy with both her betrothed and lover present. Everyone (except the fiance) knows exactly who she is talking about. Eventually, she tricks him into "forcing" her to marry her lover. Freedom wins over forced obedience.

The language in the Richard Wilbur translation is masterful, and helps to convey the humor and double meanings of the play. The humor also beings up the debate of appropriate freedoms. Too much freedom without concequences can lead to a persons downful. However, preventing people from making choices can often lead to people making a rebelling and going even further away from what is desired.