Carolyn A Pappas

Here I continue my two part series of the books I read this past year. If you know of any books that may interest me, please leave a comment.

©2012 Carolyn A Pappas, Orchids Front and Back (12-25-12, 30 minute sketching). Graphite in 8.5 x 11 inch sketchbook.

The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright. From the very start I was not taken up by this book, but I kept reading until the end hoping that there would be one magnificent passage that would make it all worthwhile. I should have put it down in the beginning because it was a waste of time for me. It was a depressing novel about a woman who carries off an affair with a married man and it was a letdown from start to finish. It was well written, but I wish the author wrote about something more compelling than a pair of selfish cheaters, or at least developed the characters better.

The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri. I really liked this murder mystery because the protagonist seemed like such a nice guy. The story is set in Italy and it has a nice, relaxing pace and it was fun to read. I didn’t figure out the mystery early on either, which is always a plus. This was the first book in the series (Inspector Montabalo) and I think I would like to read the others for sure. I also really liked the cover art.

Mozart’s Ghost by Julia Cameron. I have to admit that I read this book mainly because it was written by Julia Cameron. I wanted to read some of her own creative work after reading so much of her nonfiction creativity inspirational work. One thing that initially annoyed me was that the chapters were very short, about a page and a half sometimes. It took me a long time to get into the story. It was a nice book to read before bed, but really predictable and I was honestly expecting something a little better from Julia Cameron.

The Master’s Muse by Varley O’Connor. This novel, based on the real life relationship of ballerina Tanaquil Le Clercq and choreographer George Balanchine, explores the conflict between dedication to your art and responsibility to your spouse. The talented young ballerina, married to the older director, is tragically struck down with polio just as her career is taking off. George, who is a serial philanderer, starts off being very dedicated to caring for his spouse, but ends up disgracing her through a series of affairs. This book really made me think about how a relationship changes over time, and the importance of cultivating close friendships.