Even Crazier in California?

Crazy in Alabama by Mark Childress

This book was the June 2014 read for our "Borders" Book Club. It is a favorite book for one of our members, and therefore highly recommended by her. Everyone else liked it more than I did. I liked it, but that's about all. I found it a bit too "crazy" to be at all believable and for some reason just couldn't quite get into the California part--that darned Tupperware bowl and small dogs...not necessarily a good combination! Although rated the highest among Childress's books by Goodreads ratings, I actually preferred Georgia Bottoms and One Mississippi much more. Though I would concur with Pat Conroy; it is "unforgettable"! There are scenes emblazoned on my memory forever...some that make me chuckle to myself just thinking of them! 

There were definitely laugh-out-loud scenes in this book, particularly when she gets it on with the young trooper in New Mexico and leaves him handcuffed in his car, shoving the accelerator down with a rock, leaving the car moving off into the desert at 2-3 miles per hour! Now that was rather funny! As she peels out, she unwraps her leftover grilled cheese sandwich and tells Chester, "He was better than you ever were." 

I could truly appreciate the scenes about Martin Luther King and politicians' manipulation of rallies, etc., for nothing more or less than their own political gain. Sickening... My favorite parts of the book were the civil rights scenes, though they were also scary. I can never fathom that there are humans who willingly treat each other so appallingly inhumanely! I realize that people/societies/cultures develop and evolve, but the concepts of racism, discrimination, and prejudice seem so evil to me. Don't get me wrong, there are people in this world I definitely dislike, however, that is typically the result of direct contact and the fact that they have given me good reasons to dislike them, not just because of how they look. Book Club members noted the double oppression contained within this book: of females as well as blacks. 

Lucille had a very routinely dull life caring for her five children and was rather obviously in a lackluster, perhaps even loveless, marriage, but she had dreams to follow. I could understand and empathize with her situation, but does that justify murder? I realize it was the mid-'60's, but divorce WAS possible at that time! Gee! Since The Beverly Hillbillies was one of my favorite TV shows as a child, I was particularly enamored with those scenes. Admittedly, I was sorry that Lucille was unable to pursue her acting career fully, but murder is murder, after all... Add to that car theft, armed robbery, leaving a police officer handcuffed in his car which is accelerating through the desert, albeit slowly...well, you get the picture...she was in some deep trouble! The irony at the end was enjoyable. Once she finally decided to unload Chester, well... You need to read it to understand! 

The most intriguing relationship in this book was between Lucille and her anonymous night-time visitor! Then to run into him later at a public function, recognizing him only by his voice! How freaky would that be?!? You spend the night with a total stranger, never expecting to see him again, and then... Yikes!! :) 

Wiley and Peejoe were my favorite characters. Poor Peejoe! What a lot of responsibility he had regarding Lucille! I could appreciate his anger at Wiley for climbing a tree and staying there, leaving Peejoe to deal with his aunt. 

Have you heard much about this book? Or read it? I like Childress's writing, but this wasn't my favorite among the three of his I have read thus far.

I have yet to watch the movie, but perhaps it will impress me more than the book did. 

Classics Club Spin #6...A Notebook

The Golden Notebook 

by Doris Lessing

Ah, the dangers of reading "classics"! 
This is one of the first times I have felt 
the need to complete reading a book 
simply to have completed it...
just because I made a commitment 
to myself to do so!

It may have taken months, but finally...
I reached my goal!

Do I feel enlightened as a result of having read this book? Yes. 

Am I glad I read it? Somewhat. At least now I know what others are referring to when they mention this book, and after all, that is much of my goal when reading "classics." 

So, while I totally agree with Lessing, I truly believe she could have created a much more readable tome in about half as many pages and still conveyed the same themes and opinions just as effectively, perhaps more so. However, that is just my opinion, take it as you may. I kept repeating to myself as I read the last half of the book--"Consider the date of publication and the impact this book had on typical readers of the time." Trust me, that was my mantra and that was the main reason I was determined to complete this read! While I have read others' recommendations for this book as a "must-read" for girls/women, I heartily commend anyone who has read this book through to the bitter end. It was such a task of pure unadulterated determination on my part...

While I found Lessing's writing to be well-grounded, the organization of this text was perplexing and confusing for me overall. I had to keep referring back in the text and to the synopsis on the back of the paperback to determine who a character was, etc. And that never ended for me as I continued plodding along. And it did indeed feel as if I was plodding...trudging...through mud, sand, any glutinous mixture that might bog one down as I continued through the second half. 

Before...in the idealistic stage.

I could appreciate how Lessing depicted the initial idealistic enthusiasm of many people for communist/Marxist political systems, believing them to be an answer to the need and/or desire for totally egalitarian division of resources, etc., among all within society. However, as we now know, this system also proved to be flawed, as those "in power" within these political systems were just as corrupt, greedy, tyrannical, and maniacal as any despots who ruled prior to them. Stalin was, of course, the preeminent example of such wicked totalitarianism of that time, ruling the Soviet Union until 1953, having killed many millions (At least 13-14 million, according to Wikipedia!) of Soviets. Although I totally agree that it is grossly unfair for a few to hold all the wealth/power in any society, I believe it is virtually impossible for a greedy few NOT to grab power if they are determined to do so. As much as I believe democracy should work for humanity, it doesn't seem that we have yet perfected this political construct into an effective practice... I believe Capitalism is/can be just as corrupt. Greed, for money, power, status, etc., seems to enable a minority of people in any human society to subjugate the majority. 

After the idealist vision proved
inadequate and flawed...

Comes the disillusionment...

There was a like disillusionment with feminist ideals. Lessing shows the dichotomy of the archetypal woman who engages in casual uncommitted sexual relationships, believing herself to be "free" and acting like a "typical" male, when in 1962, most women were not at all psychologically prepared for this lifestyle as a lifelong behavior, and still found themselves desiring typically traditional relationships, including marriage, children, and commitment. 

          "And what about us? Free, we say, yet the truth is they get erections when they're with a woman 
          they don't give a damn about, but we don't have an orgasm unless we love him. What's free 
          about that?" page 439 
   
So although females had gained some sexual "freedom" at that point in time, they were not necessarily happy with the outcome. I believe this demonstrates the fact that social change requires much time; behaviors may change, but the psychological ramifications take much longer to incorporate into the human psyche overall. Unfortunately, societal expectations can require many decades to achieve much of a shift within the populace...

This reminded me of the time required for U.S. society to change its attitude toward women working outside the home full-time. I was a recent high school graduate in 1974 and although this concept was becoming a bit more acceptable, e.g. there was an expectation that females would "attend" college, (interestingly, not necessarily to "complete" or "graduate" from college) just as a "back-up," in case they were unable to obtain the expected "M-R-S" degree, or if they (Shock!) ended up d-i-v-o-r-c-e-d! It was a rather perplexing situation, and since I was in the Midwest, local society/culture was even more "backward" and much less progressive, and therefore, even more confusing for many of us females entering adulthood! 

A third recurrent theme (definitely related to that listed above regarding feminist ideals), repeated consistently throughout the second half of this book (to ad nauseum, in my opinion) is the idea of sexual attraction to those who have been "unfaithful." Men are portrayed as enjoying the fact they can have sex with another woman and then return to the one woman with whom they are supposedly "in a relationship" to have more sex. However, as Lessing depicts, a woman does not have this same sense of enjoyment:

          "I went over to him, and he gripped my wrist and brought me down 
          beside him. I remember lying there and hating him and wondering 
          why the only time I could remember him making love to me with 
          any conviction was when he knew I had just made love to someone 
          else." page 143

Virtually all of this information was obtained from reading the first half of this book. The second half simply repeated (over and over and over again) these same themes, adding the process of Anna's slide into insanity. For me, it was a very depressing read, however, as I kept telling myself, it was probably a much more enlightening, ground-breaking, even shocking read back in 1962 or even 1974!!

Have you read this classic? What was your take on it? Whew! I'm just glad it's over and done! I was glad I took a break and read other books I enjoyed much more before returning to it and reading the last half--that break seemed to invigorate me enough to push on!