I'll start this off by being completely honest. I don't read much. The most recent book I've read would have to be umm hmm.....You know I can't even remember (Yeah that says a lot about me doesn't it?). Anyway when I do read I try to make a general effort to make sure it's a good book at least.Usually one that is recommended to me by people. So that brings me here with Theodore by Sofia Fasos. Now this book was not recommended to me. In fact it was required reading for a class I'm taking right now. My expectations for it were kind of low I'll admit. I was expecting it to confuse me. Leave me wondering "why the hell was this mandatory reading?". Or something along those lines. But you know what ended up happening? The book left a huge impression on me. Something I was not expecting at all. I found myself intrigued by it. I needed to keep reading to see what would happen next.
In a nutshell the book is great. Definitely one of the most intriguing books I've read in a long time. Now you may be asking yourself "Gee what exactly makes this book so good Phil?" Well, to start off it has a very diverse set of characters. Each one shrouded in their own secrets. Obviously you have a young man named Theodore and the book mostly centers around his life and whats going on with his immediate family. Specifically his mother, Medea. The two of them have such a, let's call it "unique" relationship. Reading to see how the two interact is one of the best things about the book. There are plenty of other characters in the book and it would take me far too long to list each one of them. But in my opinion, what happens with them pales in comparison to the interactions of Theodore and his mother. Of course with such a huge cast of characters it may get just a bit confusing remembering who these people are or who's married to who but by the end of the it you should be more or less familiar with them.
The novel also does a fantastic job of showcasing the Greek culture. I mean you could use it as a window to Greece. From the in depth details of the locales to the explanation of customs and culture. Sofia Fasos really wants the reader to learn about Greece. It carefully and explicitly explains the customs, words, and locales. To be honest I felt like I had just took a trip to Greece, met a disturbed family, lived with them for a brief period of time and left knowing I had a bunch of stories to tell for the years to come. That should illustrate to you how vivid the writing is. The book is very detailed. Especially in the darker parts of the story. Ahh yes. The novel is dark. Very dark. It starts off with a pretty weird and detailed scene that left me wondering if I even bought the right book (and that's all I'm saying about that...).
My favorite aspect of this book ,however, has nothing to do with the characters or anything about the setting. Simply put I love the amount of charm that is present in the book. Sofia Fasos really did a great job with the writing. As I kept reading I noticed that the book itself did not really feel like a book. After a while I felt that the book served as a blueprint to what could possibly be a really interesting movie. (Hopefully an independent movie since well Hollywood is....actually let me not get into that now. I'll rant on for hours...OK back to the review!) In fact it reminded me a lot of Garden State and The Royal Tenenbaums. I first felt that way when i noticed early on in the book that every chapter introduced a new character. This confused me a lot in the beginning. I remember thinking back and saying to myself "Who are these people?! What happened to the people at the end of the last chapter?!" As I read on of course I saw that every chapter could be a transition of scene. That by the middle of the book everyone came together. Like a web, there are many strands in this massive Greek family. So each chapter early on ended up being dedicated to introducing the reader to a different family member and how they impact other main characters.
Within this lovely novel are issues of homosexuality, social identity, and perhaps the most important theme, self. You see Theodore figure who he is and most importantly what he isn't. It's really what makes the novel so interesting. Trying to figure out and guess where Theodore will ultimately end up. There is also murder in the book so really it lends itself to anyone with even a remote interest in books. Hopefully this review made you curious about the book. I can't recommend it enough. I believe there is something here for everyone. It's not a long book either so that's even better! I do have to thank my professor for making this mandatory reading. Otherwise I would have missed out on this gem of a novel. So do yourself a favor and buy yourself a copy. You won't be disappointed. You will also have a deeper appreciation for hamsters. I'm not kidding about that.
I read this book for leisure. Your review is right on. I loved Theodore. I too felt like I just took a trip to Greece after reading it. I disliked the character of Theodore's mother though. I met the author once. Sofia Fasos is a brilliant author and a beautiful woman inside and out.
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's really cool to see a comment from someone who has read the book. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Maybe one day Sofia Fasos will write another book. We can only hope right?
DeleteI read Theodore by Sofia Fasos and I was hooked. Although it was a non stop read, in the end it gets you thinking about details that foreshadow other details. After finishing the book I didn't just close it, it had me thinking about how I could relate with different characters in the book.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to give any details away, but if you decide to read Theodore (which I highly suggest you do)make sure you pay attention to some of the "pro verbs" or analogies that are used throughout the novel.
I like the showcasing of the Greek culture. Next summer I am planning on going to Greece, and now I feel like I have a little more insight on the culture. I won't feel that lost while traveling through Greece.
Throughout this novel I wish I could have been a fly on the wall it would have been interesting to see how Theodore evolves into the man he ended up being.
In addition to a great story line, I loved the beautiful writing. Theodore was intelligently written while being entertaining.
I hope some day it could be a movie, even though it wouldn't be as great as the novel.
Wow Phil, above the other things I agree with in your review of Theodore, the one thing I completely agree on is how well done the writing of the book was. Even after hearing from several other people that you "fly" through it, I didn't realize it until I started the book myself. On one hand, I was kind of disgusted by Theodore. His social ineptitude almost made me cringe outwardly. On the other hand, he was so slick and aware of his actions that I only wanted to read on and see what was going to happen. I felt like Theodore was repulsive and attractive at the same time.
ReplyDeleteAnother quality I loved about the book were the underlying meaning and metaphors scattered throughout the story. While the content of the book was a bit bizarre,the allusions and foreshadowing were really interesting and thought-provoking. On top of the references to the Greek culture that were new, but easy to relate with, the writing beyond the dialogue made the story that much more bold and real.
To top it off, the characters were intriguing. I love when any book does not have clear lines of black and white. It causes the reader to interpret everything on his own rather than be told how to feel about what he is reading. Characters like Theodore, Medea, and Kalliopi were not clear-cut good or bad. They were just like any other human beings dealing with life's situations as best as they could. The book had a unique way of making me like and dislike the characters at different moments, causing me to stop and think, "Maybe it's the psychology and motives behind all these characters actions that I want to think about,not just what is happening on the surface level." Fasos is clearly hinting to the interactions amongst all the characters, and how they all affect one another within those interactions. The characters showed how their nature and their nurture brought about their life stories that we were reading.
All in all, the book, like its characters, leaves a person guessing from the first page until the very (very) last. It was not too short, not "too" sweet, and overall, it was enjoyable.