published: 2005 by W. W. Norton & Company
isbn: 0393060349 (isbn13: 9780393060348)
pages: 252
literary awards: 2006 Orange Prize Shortlist

description: Nicole Krauss’s The History of Love is a hauntingly beautiful novel about two characters whose lives are woven together in such complex ways that even after the last page is turned, the reader is left to wonder what really happened. In the hands of a less gifted writer, unraveling this tangled web could easily give way to complete chaos. However, under Krauss’s watchful eye, these twists and turns only strengthen the impact of this enchanting book.

The History of Love spans of period of over 60 years and takes readers from Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe to present day Brighton Beach. At the center of each main character’s psyche is the issue of loneliness, and the need to fill a void left empty by lost love. Leo Gursky is a retired locksmith who immigrates to New York after escaping SS officers in his native Poland, only to spend the last stage of his life terrified that no one will notice when he dies. (”I try to make a point of being seen. Sometimes when I’m out, I’ll buy a juice even though I’m not thirsty.”) Fourteen-year-old Alma Singer vacillates between wanting to memorialize her dead father and finding a way to lift her mother’s veil of depression. At the same time, she’s trying to save her brother Bird, who is convinced he may be the Messiah, from becoming a 10-year-old social pariah. As the connection between Leo and Alma is slowly unmasked, the desperation, along with the potential for salvation, of this unique pair is also revealed.

AND I SAY:

While reading this book, I had a weird feeling that its first few chapters seemed familiar to me. As it turns out, I have read, at one point, a short story of Krauss’ that was published by the New Yorker Magazine in 2004 entitled The Last Words On Earth.

I don’t blame her, Leo is so lovable, and his story deserves to be told at length.

Di ba ako’y tao lang na
Nadadarang at natutukso rin
Maiaalis mo ba sa `kin na matutuhan kang mahalin
Sa bawa’t sandaling hiram natin

* Sa mga magtatanong, wala po akong kabalak-balak sunugin ang regalo sa akin ng aking mahal na asawa noong aking huling kaarawan. Ang totoo niyan, lubos na nag-aalab ang aking puso sa pagmamahal ko sa kanya at sa aking asawa. Tenk yu.

~~~

Isa pang Umaapoy DITO.

That’s what Fendi is up to with their Paint-Your-Own Baguette.

DIY peeps, this one is for you.

The bag itself is made out of bare white coated canvas. It comes with ten Pantone Universe markers that you can use to paint your purse in the color du jour or to create your own design.

Personally, as an artistically-challenged person, this bag is not for me. Probably, by the time I’m done with my design, I would have ruined the entire reputation of the iconic Fendi Baguette. I can already see the fashionistas going: “what fearful monstrosity, in heaven’s name, is that girl carrying?”

Also, I have no idea if the pens are erasable. Well, that’s $1300 easily down the drain for me if and when I do make any “design deviations”. Anyway, we’ve all been warned, the bag is only returnable in its original condition.

This item is for Lakers fans.

An Empty Bag of Fritos.

The current bid is now for $102.50. What makes this bag special is, the seller was watching the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA playoffs while snacking on his Fritos. Apparently, this bag is lucky for the Lakers because they won! Nice!

And this one, I will probably bid on myself!

A Chastity Belt.

It’s selling now for approximately $392.92! I have to agree that it will be very handy to have this one around if you have teenagers in the family.

Well, if these people can sell these kinds of stuff on eBay, why can’t we? There’s an easy way to sell your stuff on eBay: try iSold It. You’ll just need to bring your item to one of their many stores all around the US (and even Australia and Canada!), leave it there, they’ll sell it on your behalf at eBay, and then a check will be sent to you once they sell your item. That was easy, right?

Well, what are you waiting for? Drop off your grandma’s NIB chamber pot right now and watch your trash turn into cash.

For mother’s day, we had lunch at 15th Street Fisheries last weekend. We were easily able to seat ourselves downstairs and, despite that, a server promptly approached us and took our drink orders. Efficient no?

My daughter started off with a bowl of New England Clam Chowder. She loved it!

Chunky, creamy, and flavorful.

And my hubby and I had our ever present fried calamari. We love fried calamari (as if it isn’t obvious by now).

Light and crispy, and served with Wassabi Aioli. Yum!

As for our entrees, Hubby tried the Catch of the Day.

Grilled Salmon. Very very fresh.

Ninna, because she almost finished the entire bowl of chowder, hardly touched her Tempura Battered Shrimp with Steak Fries and Sweet Soy Dipping.

Huge shrimps. It’s not a kids meal, by the way.

While I had Joe’s Sizzler just because it looked good from the menu.

Shrimp, Fish, Scallops, Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts served on a Sizzling Plater with a Creamy Sauce. In real life, it was really good.

After all of that you might think we didn’t have room for dessert? Well, you’re wrong! We always leave room for dessert.

Chocolate Layered Cake. Gone in sixty seconds.

Next time, we’ll try the upstairs dining room and its fine dining menu and ambiance. Hopefully, it’ll be as good as downstairs.

I hope each and every one of you moms out there had a happy (and filling) mother’s day celeb, too! *muah*

~~~

15th STREET FISHERIES AT LAUDERDALE MARINA
1900 SE 15th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 763-2777
http://www.15streetfisheries.com

First Visit Rating: 4 out of 5

~~~

You can check out the other Weekend Snapshot entries HERE.

weekend-snapshot

Living here in South Florida, with this climate, I find that khaki pants work best as jeans could be a little too heavy. And I could even dress my khakis up, or down - great for going to the playground with my daughter in the morning and happy hour with my hubby at night!

Anyway, if my pants could talk, I know they’d say: “oh, it’s you again”. A hint of complaint? None. A hint of smugness? Nope. A hint of surrender. Nope. Just an all around “I’m happy to hug your booties again today”.

How about you? What would a day in the life of your pants be like?

Write about it, make your own video and submit it to the Dockers Commercial Contest where you could win the chance to see your ad during the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Who knows? You might even get another pair from this Dockers contest - two loves instead of one, how great is that!

Following his doctor’s instructions, engaging simpleton Charlie Gordon tells his own story in semi-literate “progris riports.” He dimly wants to better himself, but with an IQ of 68 can’t even beat the laboratory mouse Algernon at maze-solving.

Algernon is extra-clever thanks to an experimental brain operation so far tried only on animals. Charlie eagerly volunteers as the first human subject. After frustrating delays and agonies of concentration, the effects begin to show and the reports steadily improve: “Punctuation, is? fun!” But getting smarter brings cruel shocks, as Charlie realizes that his merry “friends” at the bakery where he sweeps the floor have all along been laughing at him, never with him. The IQ rise continues, taking him steadily past the human average to genius level and beyond, until he’s as intellectually alone as the old, foolish Charlie ever was–and now painfully aware of it. Then, ominously, the smart mouse Algernon begins to deteriorate…

AND I SAY:

Its one of those books that pulls you out from the comforts of normalcy. Simply one of the most riveting books i’ve read in my life.

If you’ve seen Robert De Niro and Robin Williams’ Awakenings, the book is something like it - only better.

I love the way it was told from charlie’s point of view - and grammar. A must-read book.

Iingatan ka
Aalagaan ka
Sa puso ko ikaw ang pag-asa
Sa ‘ting mundo’y
may gagabay sa iyo
Ang alay ko’y itong pagmamahal ko
May nag mamahal aakay sa iyo
Aking inay ikaw ang nagbigay
Ng Buhay ko
Buhay na kay ganda
Pangarap ko na makamtan ko na

~~~
Ang aking mga mahal na ina DITO.