Book Review: Empire Falls

HBO made a riveting two-part movie of Empire Falls by Richard Russo, a great narrative. They did the book justice, following it devotedly chapter by chapter. Still, as much as I liked the movie, I liked the book best.

Richard Russo is an excellent writer, as you’ll find in Empire Falls. You’ll relate to the interesting characters, enjoy the vivid descriptions of the town and the times, and reach the end caring deeply for this man of poor means and the people he interacts with every day of his otherwise rich life.

As I said, the book is filled with rich, vivid characters. There's the main character, who has spent his life trying to leave this sleepy, dying New England town only to be pulled back time and again, ultimately to run a diner owned but restrained by the town's richest family. And then there's his recently divorced wife who just wants to be loved -- she's about to marry the town's health club owner, a bombastic, self-assured health nut who has taken an irritating liking to the main character. Let's see, there's also the town matron who keeps a tight grip on the town that is her family's empire and who takes pleasure in putting down the main character. In flashbacks, you'll also meet her timid husband who once fell in love with the main character's wife but who takes his life when the main character was a child. Paul Newman won a Golden Globe this year by playing the main character's father, a listless, irresponsible, irrepressable, but certainly lovable scallawag who is less a dad and more an occasional houseguest. There is also the main character's brother who helps him run the restaurant, his daughter who loves her father and can't stand her mother or her mother's boyfriend, the main character's mother-in-law who appreciates him far more than her selfish daughter, and a retired priest who suffers from Alzheimers and can be counted on to say what he thinks however inappropriate and leaves town with the main character's father and the parish's cash. They all breathe life to this memorable narrative that seems long until you get to the last page and wish it could go on and on.

Reading Resources
See Editorial Reviews by Amazon.com and Publisher’s Weekly
(scroll down below the fold)

● Other books by Richard Russo
● Richard Russo interview on BookPage
● Article in World Literature Today (scroll down)
● HBO Web pages on Empire Falls including various interviews

Q&A: How to prevent paperback books from curling

Q: How do you keep paperback (soft cover) book covers from curling?

A: Thanks to Dennis of San Francisco for e-mailing me with this question.

Dennis says his room is often cold, but it faces the sun so it heats up periodically during the day, then gets cold again. His roommate’s room is structurally similar, but the sun doesn’t shine directly into his room, and the roommate’s books don’t curl.

My theory is that with the fluctuation in heat comes a fluctuation in humidity, which causes the paper to react differently at different times of the day. Thus, the cover stresses and curls. My recommendation is for him to shade the room during the day, especially the part of the day when the sun is the most direct and hottest. That might help modify the fluctuation in humidity.

Here are some additional tips:

• Get a humidity gauge (or hydrometer) to measure humidity and monitor the room. If humidity is high – 60% is ideal for books – take action to reduce humidity, such as using a dehumidifier or heating the room.
• If the rest of the house is moderately humid and books in the other rooms don’t curl, keep the doors to the bedroom open so the air can circulate, thus reducing humidity in the affected room.
• Store books in less humid rooms (that sounds simple, but most people don’t factor humidity into deciding where to store books).
• Shelve books tightly together. Don’t shelve them so tightly that it’s difficult to pull books from the shelves, but tightly enough to force the pages shut. Too tightly against varying sized books may warp the cover and too loosely will expose more of the paper to the air.

One more point to consider:
Paperback books generally don’t do as well with temperature and humidity fluctuations as do hardcover books. That’s because paperback books are usually made with thinner paper and often with a lesser-quality paper. If you think of your books as an investment or if you want to preserve your books for a long time, consider buying hardcover instead. They’re more costly but they should last longer with good care.

Update
Dennis reports that the tips have helped:
You were right--the temperature changes were making the humidity fluctuate drastically. That, in conjunction with a small room and no air circulation, was the culprit. I wonder how students take care of their books in small dorm rooms? Well, I bought blinds for my window and keep my door open during the day, and close it when it gets colder at night. Now that the temperature doesn't swing as much, my books seem to be holding out.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Dennis.

Q & A: How to safely ship books

Q: What’s the best way to ship books?

A: The short answer is, “Carefully!” The long answer is, “As you would package any delicate item for shipment.”

A lot depends on what you might be shipping with the book and under what conditions it will be shipped.

If you are shipping a book with soft items you need less protective packaging for the book. However, if you’re shipping a book with metal, glass, or breakable plastic items, you should use bubblewrap or other protective packaging.

If you are shipping the book to a warm, humid climate, consider enclosing some moisture absorbent packets and enclose them in a sealed or sealable plastic bag. If the book will travel in the cold, such as by plane, truck, or rail, enclose it in a sealed plastic bag. If the book will travel by boat or stored for any time in a warehouse or storage facility, seal it in a couple of layers of sealed plastic.

Even if you wrap the book for holidays, enclose the whole package in sealed plastic.

If you are shipping the book (or books) separately, use a protective envelope and seal the envelope well. If you are shipping in a box, use a larger box with lots of space around the book(s), and surround the book(s) with shipping peanuts or wadded newspaper or other shipping filler.

The ideal conditions for a book are 60 degrees temperature and 60 percent humidity, housed in a clean environment. Try to match those conditions as much as possible, considering you have little if any control over the shipping circumstances.

Note: Despite any appearance to the contrary, a book is a delicate item. It is made of cardboard and paper exposed on three ends. When it encounters water or other liquids, the tendency of the paper is to absorb or wick the liquid, which is true for each and every page in the book. Wet pages warp and ink smears. Mold thrives on damp paper in dark places. Paper will deteriorate under these conditions. To preserve the value of the book, protect it from these elements.

Ready to wrap and ship? Pakmail and other consumer shippers can help advise you and many even have the materials on-hand, so don't hesitate to involve a pro.

Holiday Shopping Made Easier!

Looking for good books for holiday gifts? Here’s a list you should consult, the 100 Notable Books of the Year from The New York Times (online). Also contains links to similar lists for 1997 through 2004.

The list covers 3 pages and is broken down into the following categories, listed alphabetically by title:

• Fiction and poetry
• Nonfiction

If you need any help, feel free to send me an e-mail: BizBooksPlus@aol.com or visit the leisure reading section of my online bookstore: http://www.bizbooksplus.net

Happy browsing and easy shopping!

"Lamb" Bookclub Discussion

Lamb by Christopher Moore contains wonderful laughs and inspiring ideas. It’s the story of Jesus Christ as a child, as told by his childhood pal, “Biff”. Moore tells it not like it is – no one knows about Christ’s childhood – but as it might have been, with a large dash of tongue-in-cheek. You’ll journey with Christ (called by his Greek name, Joshua, in this book) and Biff as they learn about the world and come to terms with Joshua’s role-to-come as Messiah.

See Editorial Reviews from Amazon.cm and Publisher’s Weekly
(scroll down below fold)
● Other books by Christopher Moore
● Christopher Moore interview on Chrismoore.com

Discussion Starters (click on "Comments" below):
● Did you enjoy this read? Why or why not?
● How did you feel about reading a fictionalized story about Jesus?
● What was the most compelling part of the story for you and why?
● Was the story believable? Explain.
● Did the story end the way you thought it would?
● What lessons did you learn from the story?
● Would you read another story by Christopher Moore? Why or why not?

Q & A: How to care for your books

Q: What’s the best way to care for a new book?
A: Here are some general-care instructions that work well for both new and used books.

1. Never leave books in direct sunlight. Sunlight can warp coverboards and bleach colors.
2. Never bend pages wide open. This applies to both hardcover and paperbacks. In addition, never curl back paperback covers.
3. Never turn down page corners (dog-ears) to save your place. Instead, use a clean, unmarked piece of paper, leather, or other thin card.
4. Store books in a cool, dry place. Ideal is 60 degrees and 60 percent humidity, but that isn’t comfortable for humans, so get as close yet as comfortably as possible.
5. Do not use a book as a hard surface for writing. Writing on top of a book may create marks or dents on the book’s cover or pages, which will lower its value.
6. Never write or mark in a book. A book will last much longer if it is kept in as prestine shape as possible.
7. Dust books periodically. Dust may contain chemicals that can make the paper deteriorate and yellow.
8. Use a dry or slightly moist cloth or paper towel to clean spills on books. Let the pages dry before closing the book. Never use harsh chemicals or wipes!
9. Store books upright on the natural bottom edge. Do not lay them flat on their backs across uneven rows of other books. Leave enough room between books to be able to grasp a book by the covers – do not pull at the top of the spine.
10. Use bookplates to indicate your ownership. Do not write your name or other information, which may detract from the value of your book.

Life of Pi to be filmed

I just ran into an article announcing that Jean-Pierre Jeunet will direct the filming of Yann Martel's Life of Pi (October 2005 Booksville book club discussion; see below).

This is from the October 24, 2005, Killer Movies website.