How can reading about something so horrible be this enjoyable? The Iraq of Saddam Hussein may not seem like a probable target for gonzo journalism, but in the hands of British writer/film producer Roberts (Empire of the Soul: Some Journeys in India, 1996, etc.) the match is perfect. The subject matter is situated at the extremes of human existence: the megalomania of Saddam, the cruelty of his lackeys, the depravity of life under a totalitarian dictator, the human suffering from war and embargo are all so deep that description would suggest caricature, even when objective. Such a bizarre reality cannot be presented in banal terms, Roberts seems to assume, so it’s best to take a bizarre approach. He is right. His three trips into Iraq, first in 1990, then during the Gulf War in 1991, and finally in 1995, unveil a progressive deterioration of conditions in that country that is astounding when one considers how bad things were in 1990. Along the way, we laugh at the common foibles—distortions of language, vices, bad decisions—that populate life on a personal level while constantly remaining aware that genuine evil is present. Even though he accidentally took mind-altering drugs just before his interview with Saddam, Roberts cannot obscure the soulless quality of the dictator. The only new information elicited from Saddam is his favorite movie: The Godfather. Fortunately, Roberts does provide information during occasional serious interludes, offering a good overview of the emergence of the Ba’ath Party as well as a broad perspective on the problems that have plagued the Middle East during this century. No doubt is left about Roberts’s assessment of Saddam, but he is not an apologist for the West, either. The current embargo means that now “we are the ones punishing the innocent, poisoning the wombs of the unborn.” A light book with heavy undertones.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-374-13823-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1998
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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