White Teeth by Zadie Smith

This is only the first novel of British author Zadie Smith, but is really quite good. I really liked how novel was divided into four even books, each focussing on a different main character, but the plot still flowed sytematically forward from the start of the first book to the end of the last. The book is beautifally laid out - from a pedantric nerd aspect: each book takes place in two distinct time periods, there is repitition in chapter titles all of the way through, and always the concept of "teeth" is made evident, but outside of the story itself. Having now finished the story, I think that the book is called "White Teeth" simply due to the clever tooth-related puns the author employes - not because of any trait of any character or development in the plot.

This book is the most amazing character study I have ever read. It has a omniscient narration that tells the reader what all of the wide cast are constantly thinking. There is no definitive protagonist and the story revolves around the events in the lives of three different familes, over three different generations on three different continents. The dozen or so main characters are black, white and brown; they are Christian, Muslim, Jehovah's Witness, atheist; the are young, middle aged, and old (and some characters you see as all three); they come from every concievable walk of life and only too willing to let you see how they live.

Typically character driven stories are a little light on plot, but for the most part "White Teeth" is an exception. The book has so many stories fueling the narration that it can't help but be plot driven. It's only with it's conclusion that the book reveals that it really is only about the characters.

It was quite dissappointed to finish this book simply because I had become so engrossed in the lives of the characters. I know that this sounds lame, but for the first few days after I had finished reading "White Teeth" I kept finding myself thinking about the characters and events of the novel - genuinely interested in how everyone was doing. They seemed just as real and lost as our other friends at home in Canada - except without a way to continue communicating with them. I guess now I'll just have to read Zadie Smith's newer novel and see if I can find some new friends.

Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction by Damien Keown

http://www.oup.com/uk/catalogue/?ci=9780192853868

This was a different read then I am used to. Appropirate seeing as how it is the first book on Buddhism that I've ever read.

It was not as interesting a read as the previous Very Short Introduction (VSI) I read. It was very dry, and the author seemed overconcerned with pronounciations; after a while the phoenetic letters became quite a distraction. As a consequence I didn't read this book straight through, but I had to read it in stages over the last month whilst reading a novel. (I suppose that this is a book about a major world religion, so I shouldn't have expected a page-turning read.)

I still enjoyed the book, and it contained a lot of interesting facts that I didn't know. It was a wealth of information about many aspects of Buddhism and I am certain to return to passages occasionally. I thought that some of the meditaion practices seemed especially practical for everyday relaxation.

I chose this book specifically to read because I have decided to try to educate myself about major world religions. Too often in movies, television, and literature I come across characters with belief systems I know nothing about, and I want to change that. I am far from an expert on Buddhism now, but at least I have had an introduction (albeit briefly).