Remedies for Vertigo by Walter Bargen

This is one of my few signed books. And I went through the trouble of getting it signed because the author is the first named poet laurette from Missouri. And this collection of poems is just as special to me. Walter has a "fire-light story" way about him, makes you want to cuddle up and read it at night, just before drifting off. He holds a good deal of philosophy in his work but so comfortingly discloses his philosophy that even if you don't quite catch the larger message you enjoy it all along the way besides. Walter Bargen is a good poet because first he is simply a great writer, secondly he is earthy and imaginative. I'm on a scout to collect his out of print works. A great read, beautiful poetry. Five Stars.

jlw

The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie

It's hard to explain this book. I find the words of Lisa Shea nearly perfect, found on the back cover..."A prodigious fever dream of a book..." And it is such a story that would unfold in some sort of tortured fever sleep. Let me begin by saying it is some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read. Truly the words sway in and out of eachother like a spring breeze through a blooming dogwood. The words themselves enchant you, enough that you don't mind being completely confused by the tangled story line or the characters that go by a minimum of five different names. In my harshest opinion I think the story had too many main characters with too many names, it went off on different tangents so often that it may take you seven pages to finish one scene. And because of the overload of characters, I found myself unattached to them all. I really had no stake in them, I didn't care what their outcome was as long as I could keep myself together long enough to make it to the end and complete this fevered adventure I had begun. All this considered, I did finish it! It was the prose that kept me involved, very beautiful, very practised and proficient. But once finished there was no feeling of completion or triumph, it was just finally over. Three stars.

jlw