Up in the Air

About a year ago, I watched the movie "Up in the Air" starting George Clooney. I really enjoyed the movie, especially the story line.   I had heard the novel itself was very good, but didn't have a chance to read the novel by Walther Kirn until recently. Let me say this, if you have seen the movie, you have a different story coming at you in the novel. Needless to say, the movie was loosely based on the book.

The story focuses around Ryan Bingham, a man who lives his life constantly in the air, flying from destination to destination. Ryan works in the field of career transition counseling. That is, he is brought in by companies to fire people, but he makes it seem less traumatic by counseling on their strengths and weaknesses for them to use in their future endeavors. On the side, Ryan goes around as a sort of a motivational speaker for the business sector.

Ryan has spent so much time flying, he is well recognized by several of the employees of Great West airlines, with which he is trying to earn one million frequent-flyer miles. Additionally, he knows the layout of the rooms in Homewood Suites, and is a loyal customer of Maestro car rentals. He secretly hopes he is being pursued by head hunters from a company called Myth Tech. However, he has a great disconnect from his own family back home in Minnesota, who are dealing with the planning of his sister Julie's wedding.

If you enjoyed the movie, I think you will enjoy the book, even though the two are nothing alike. I'm serious, they share the name of the main character, what his job is, the fact that he is trying to earn one million frequent-flyer miles, and that there is a sister getting married, but that is about it. Still, the book kept me captivated and it was quite an enjoyable read. 

The Handmaid's Tale

I read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood at the suggestion of my dear hubby. He really likes this book, and now I can see why.

Imagine a world where the religious right are in power. There are few women able to bear children, and those that are able to are rounded up and are sent to a school to become a Handmaid.

Handmaid's are assigned to families, each lead by a Commander. Handmaids are expected to take part in a "ceremony" each month in an effort to produce a child for the family she is assigned to.

The story centers around the main character of Offred, a handmaid. This story moves back and forth from Offred telling of her experiences as a handmaid, her time at the school where she learned to become a handmaid, and the time before the religious Gileads took over the country.

I envisioned the main character living a normal life during something like the 80's, and then being forced into this servitude and living in a world that is a weird mix of the middle ages and modern times.

I think the main reason I like this book so much is because it reminds me a lot of 1984 by George Orwell. It's a world where people are being constantly monitored and whisked away to never be seen again if they did something displeasing to the regime.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you haven't read Margaret Atwood before. It is an interesting depiction of what our world could be like if our country was run as a Christian theocracy.