Review: Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series

Rothstein: The Life, Times, and Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series by David Pietrusza
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm surprised I hadn't heard of this book earlier. This is an excellent biography of Arnold Rothstein, with plenty of background information that had me heading to Wikipedia to look up other characters, places, events, etc. 

It's consintently fascinating how he was able to swindle people, find other swindlers, and swindle other swindlers. 

I liked how, when his partner in the card game decided to run away with the week's profits, he allowed the partner to keep it and run away, acting like he'd been bested, knowing that now he would be the sole owner of the most lucrative card game in the area. 

Betting heavy against his own horse, which was favored to win, was genius. When he saw there was a taker, he knew it must have been a fix (and then it turns out he may have gotten in on the whole thing regardless). 

When the unions were striking against the corporate bosses, AR provided thugs and strongmen to both sides. 

He tipped a cop off when his own employee (Diamond) was smuggling drugs, to get on the cop's good side. Then he placated Diamond by cutting him in on a drug deal with Lowenstein, the 3rd richest man in the world. 

It's also interesting how many mobster nicknames from movies and TV were used by real mobsters: Beansie, Nick the Greek, and there was even another "Lucky Charlie". 

Wilson Mizner's one-liners were a treat: "Be nice to people on the way up because you'll meet the same people on the way down", "Don't talk about yourself; it will be done when you leave.",  When asked by a judge if he was showing contempt to the court he replied "No Your Honor, I'm trying to conceal my contempt". 

All in all, I am deeply impressed with AR, as well as with the author's ability to wade through all the information from the time, given that so much of it was so secretive (he is very open about all the contradictory and odd information, and how he put it together). 

Could someone now please come up with a definitive biography of Carlo Gambino??

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Review: Things Remembered and Things Forgotten

Things Remembered and Things Forgotten by Kyōko Nakajima
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent short story. A man goes to visit his brother suffering from Alzheimer's in an old folks' home. Told through the present and through flashbacks. 

I will be looking for more from this author. 

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Review: A Clean Marriage

A Clean Marriage by Sayaka Murata
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting, odd, weird. I liked it. A man and woman decide to have a "clean marriage" (completely platonic). Things get complicated when they decide to have a child.

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Review: That Mad Ache

That Mad Ache by Françoise Sagan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first Francoise Sagan book I read, and I can already tell she is masterful at discussing humans and their relationships and feelings (take that, Jane Austen!). Were I to explain the plot to someone, it would come out sounding boringly trite at best: a frivolous girl is with an older rich man and falls for a younger poor man and problems ensue. I'm glad I wasn't in charge of writing the blurb to this book. 

For some odd reason I would have preferred seeing this set in Paris of the 1920s, rather than the 1960s. No real reason for this, but there you go. 

I look forward to reading more of Sagan's novels. 

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Review: Truman

Truman by David McCullough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The background on Missouri during the John Brown / Jim Crow era was fascinating and deeply disturbing. 

I hadn't realized how many things happened during Truman's presidency:

The end of World War II, including the dropping of the atomic bombs

The creation of Israel

The Truman doctrine

The Marshall Plan

The Berlin Airlift

The Civil Rights Commission (the first one ever) was set up

The Truman balcony

And apparently his election to a second term was the biggest upset in presidential history

The Korean war started

The Cold War started

NATO was established

General Macarthur's firing

I was curious about this biography for several reasons. First of all, I knew that the switch of Southern Democrats to Republicanism occurred during Truman, but I wasn't really sure why. Also, I know President Biden keeps a bust of Truman in his office. This biography answered the first question, but I'm not sure it answers the second. The closest analogy I can find is that Truman had to deal with WWII when entering into office, while Biden has COVID. 

Truman was definitely a unique president. He was truthful and naive almost to a fault, but in a good way, and was convinced the truth would win out in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 

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Review: The Roman Hat Mystery

The Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I didn't finish this book, so I won't leave any rating. I should specify, however, that I've read several complaints about this book here on Goodreads, but none about the issues I had, i.e. how contrived the situations seemed.

For example (PROBABLY A SPOILER AHEAD), the assassinated man happened to jot down, randomly, on a piece of paper, the amount he was blackmailing someone else for plus the time the other person was supposed to meet him?? And, according to the inspector "Nothing is more natural". I've sat waiting for plenty of meetings with a notepad and pen, and not once have I jotted down the amount of money involved or the time someone else was supposed to show up. Let alone doing so for an illegal act (and he was a lawyer!).

There were other issues, but this one stood out the most to me.

Again, I didn't finish the book, so maybe this turns out to be a red herring, but it still seems rather disingenuous of the detective hero of this book.

And the fact that it was written in 1929 is no excuse. The Sherlock Holmes books were written decades earlier and stood on much firmer ground.

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Review: Memoirs of Montparnasse

Memoirs of Montparnasse by John Glassco
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“O Paris dawns, you are always beautiful, I think, no matter what the weather, but there was never one more beautiful than on that bitter morning in early March in 1928, with a sky of ashes and the tall houses grey and cold, the streets wet and only a few lights showing in the little cafés where the chauffeurs take their breakfasts and brandy. It was all too soon when I arrived at the Jules-César and staggered up the stairs to our windowless little room, where I vomited in the bidet and fell into bed with a sensation of pure happiness.” 

I was extremely ready not to like this book. An obviously overly-privileged college student decides he wants to become a poet, so he quits school and has his father cover his trip to Paris to "write poetry" with a friend. In fact, I expected to read a chapter or two and toss it aside. 

I ended up not only reading the whole thing, but spent a lot of time online researching the people and places he mentions. Glassco fully describes a lost era in Paris, when artists, writers and others mingled together, from royalty to prostitutes, all partying together, drinking too much, mooching off each other, and discussing literature and poetry. Aside from Hemingway and Joyce, we encounter Man Ray, Kiki, Ford Maddox Ford, Peggy Guggenheim, and many others (many with pseudonyms). The conversation is both scintillating and extremely trite, while the author goes around Paris, Luxembourg, Nice and Montecarlo, living both the high life and being homeless and working as a prostitute. 

I was somewhat surprised at how little overlap there seemed to be with Giacometti's biography, which I recently finished. He also lived in Paris in the 1920s, and interacted with plenty of artists, like Picasso, Max Ernst, etc. But I guess there were enough famous people for there to be many different circles. 

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Review: The Lonesome Bodybuilder

The Lonesome Bodybuilder by Yukiko Motoya
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Like any collection of short stories, some were better than others. My favorites were probably An exotic Marriage, The Lonesome Bodybuilder, Fitting Room, Typhoon, Paprika Jiro, Q&A. 

Ok, I can probably narrow it down further to just Typhoon and Q&A (but you need to read The Women before reading Q&A). 

Surrealism interspersed throughout, a bit more blatant than Banana Yoshimoto, and a totally different feel. 

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Review: The Good Son

The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

At first I was confused, since I was like "well we know who the killer is" very soon in the novel. However, there is much more to be uncovered here. 

All in all this book is disturbing and intense, with many twists and turns. 

I saw that the original Korean title was the Korean name for "the Origin of Species", which would have been a much better title, quite frankly. 

Also interesting to see that the protagonist was inspired by a real person (Yoo Young-chul).

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Review: Life Went On Anyway: Stories

Life Went On Anyway: Stories by Oleg Sentsov
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stories about growing up (a happy childhood) in Crimea, which would just be interesting and nostalgic, had they not been written by someone we know has now been sentenced to 20 years in prison by Russian forces. This makes them more poignant than anything. Still, a short read, both light and intense, and all the while relatable. 

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Review: The Tar Heel State: A History of North Carolina

The Tar Heel State: A History of North Carolina by Milton Ready
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you have any interest in North Carolina history or in North Carolina in general, this is probably a must-read, mostly because as far as I know it is the only book out there specializing in general North Carolina history. For example, I found it quite interesting to read how Thomas Cary attempted a coup of the colony, since there is a city named after him now, or how William Tryon was generally a devious bad person (and much in the state is named after him). But if you're not in NC these names probably mean nothing to you. 

All in all I'm very happy I read it since it taught me much more of the background and history of the state I live in. 

Some of my notes:

North Carolina's original name was Virginia, and the first English person born in the Colonies was called Virginia Dare, after the state. 

Thomas Cary's attempt at a coup almost spelled the end of the colony (p. 44)

Blackbeard basically strong armed his way into the state, intimidated the governor and was able to get a royal pardon (since the governor was allowed to issue them). (p.45)

Virginia decided to invade North Carolina (p. 46)

NC split from SC in 1712

Raleigh was chosen as a capital despite there not being yet a city of Raleigh. It was a location (Lane's plantation) close to Hunter's Tavern, where many Westerners (who were in control at the time) liked to drink. The Easterners preferred an established city such as Fayetteville. (p. 152)

Thomas Jefferson hired Antonio Canova to create a bust of Washington for the Raleigh statehouse (p. 152)

The Conscription Act (1862) by the confederacy angered many in NC and throughout the south. It went against State rights. (p. 232)

"Reborn as North Carolinians and US citizens after the civil war, ex-slaves sought first not the right to vote, hold office, serve on juries, or own property, but the freedom to bind their families together, both legally and traditionally" (p. 261)

After the 1932 election, Democrats were the liberal party for the entire country except the South (p. 323)

Very interesting how segregation was seen as a progressive move by many. Since the KKK and the red shirts were terrorizing black people, and especially after the Wilmington massacre, it was thought by many that segregation would bring about peace and allow each race to continue with their affairs. 

"events of the 1930s tended to divide southern Democrats from their more liberal party members nationwide and to lay the foundations for the shift to Republicanism two decades later. Indeed, after World War II, some southern Democrats, unhappy with Roosevelt and Truman's liberalism, especially on civil rights, seceded from the Democrats altogether and established their own Dixiecrat Party in 1948" (p. 338)

Barry Goldwater took advantage of this situation. Republicans emerged as the States rights party. Goldwater believed Southern Democrats longed for change. Race was almost never mentioned, but would underlie almost everything (p. 353)

New code words replaced older more blunt vernacular of segregation and white supremacy (p. 355)

Some companies founded in NC: Pepsi, Cheerwine, Krispy Kreme, Food Lion, Ingles, Family Dollar, Belk's (p. 380-1)

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Review: The Roman Hat Mystery

The Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I didn't finish this book, so I won't leave any rating. I should specify, however, that I've read several complaints about this book here on Goodreads, but none about the issues I had, i.e. how contrived the situations seemed. 

For example (PROBABLY A SPOILER AHEAD), the assassinated man happened to jot down, randomly, on a piece of paper, the amount he was blackmailing someone else for plus the time the other person was supposed to meet him?? And, according to the inspector "Nothing is more natural". I've sat waiting for plenty of meetings with a notepad and pen, and not once have I jotted down the amount of money involved or the time someone else was supposed to show up. Let alone doing so for an illegal act (and he was a lawyer!). 

There were other issues, but this one stood out the most to me. 

Again, I didn't finish the book, so maybe this turns out to be a red herring, but it still seems rather disingenuous of the detective hero of this book. 

And the fact that it was written in 1929 is no excuse. The Sherlock Holmes books were written decades earlier and stood on much firmer ground. 

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Review: The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World—and Globalization Began

The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World—and Globalization Began by Valerie Hansen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the details regarding the Norse people coming to the New World. Intriguing also how murals from the Yucatan depicting blond captives, and Norse style boats, may represent the fact that some went down there. Also interesting how people from Africa had been seen in the same area. 

I was sort of amazed that William the conqueror didn't play a role in this book. Norman (and Norse) conquests did, but maybe 1066 was too late? 

Also odd was the focus on the Song dynasty in China, since Tang was supposed to be the more "global" dynasty. Although I guess that dynasty would have been too early. 

So maybe trying to fit everything into the year 1000 was a bit too narrow. Obviously she veers away from that precise year, but maybe the window should have been a bit more open to maintain the "globalization" theme. 

The section on the Rus was also all new to me, so that was fascinating. 

The section on the Austronesians was great, although "Sea People" went much more into depth about them. 

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Review: Lizard

Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Some short stories, with less of a supernatural quality than other books of hers, but that suited me fine. The stories are separate, although there are recurring themes (moving to Tokyo from somewhere more remote, a traumatic childhood, modern life, etc.). 

All in all good for a not-too-heavy read. 

3.5 stars

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Review: Sing, Unburied, Sing

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was both more depressing and also more hopeful than I imagined it would be, if that makes sense. 

I read some other people were complaining about the ghosts, but they worked for me. They are there more in the sense of spirits, and apparently a connection to African-based traditions. 

This was recommended to me by a lady in Lugano, Switzerland, when I told her I haven't read much contemporary American fiction, and I'm very glad she did. In turn I also highly recommend it. 

Now I'm going to have to read a few light YA books or something to recover. 

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Review: Notes of a Crocodile

Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can't say I liked this as much as "Last words from Montmartre", but that may just depend on which book I read first. 

I did like that Last Words from Montmartre was non-fiction, although this book itself read much too much like non-fiction, so I'm sure it's full of her experiences. 

Much like the other book, however, this was very intense, and can't help but make me feel that Qiu Maojin, aside from being gay during the 80s in Taiwan, also had to contend with the fact that she was too smart and too passionate to let anything go by without overly intense scrutiny and commitment. 

If you cannot get your hands on Last Words from Montmartre, this is probably a must-read. 

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Review: The Life and Times of Frank Balistrieri: The Last, Most Powerful Godfather of Milwaukee

The Life and Times of Frank Balistrieri: The Last, Most Powerful Godfather of Milwaukee by Wayne Clingman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was meticulously researched on the one hand, but seemed to be lacking so much on the other. At one point the author(s) point out that obtaining some documents via the FOI act would take too long so they didn't' do so (granted, this was ancillary to Balistrieri, but could have still helped a bit). Also there seems to be no mention of his sons. Wikipedia says they were quite involved and, in fact, were arrested along with him. There is no mention of any of this in the book. 

It is also interesting that, after Balistrieri's death, his son, then his brother, then his consigliere, all became bosses of the Milwaukee Mafia. Of course, this may be because there weren't that many people in this faction to begin with. Unfortunately none of this was addressed in the book either (I got it from Wikipedia again). 

Also, apparently Frank Balistrieri's daughter is suing her brothers and sister for part of the family fortune (again, not mentioned in the book): https://www.milwaukeemag.com/DaughteroftheDon/

Don't get me wrong. There was plenty of information in this book. Especially interesting were the section on Skimming, Rosenthal's car bombing, and the killing of Sam Cesario.

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