Every Secret Thing, Patricia Campbell Hearst

"Every Secret Thing" is Patricia Hearst's attempt to explain what happened to her after she was kidnapped in the '70s by the Symbionese Liberation Army, a leftist militia group. The thing that made Hearst's kidnapping so bizarre (besides the fact that she was part of the Hearst family) was that she chose to join the group and, in fact, participated in bank robberies and other criminal activities. Hearst claimed brainwashing as a defense during her trial (bank robbery), which neither the judge nor the jury bought. The president (Carter), however, did, and she received clemency. Frankly, Hearst's explanation for her behavior is not all that convincing, perhaps because her defense -- brainwashing a la the kind suffered by prisoners or war -- is an intensely strange, unusual and hard to understand phenomon. Hearst, though a victim, is by no means an expert. An explanation by a medical expert would have added a lot to the average reader's understanding of why Hearst behaved as she did. In fact, I kind of think that Hearst was in a terrible position in trying to explain herself what happened. Having said all that, I now have a much better understanding of the political environment of the time, and the circumstances that led to extremist groups like the SLA. The book, overall, is boring and pedantic, poorly written and much too long. Somehow, despite her sensationalist topic, Hearst fails to engage the reader or even to create sympathy for herself.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

For whatever reason, I had the impression that "The Picture of Dorian Gray" was going to be yet another closely written Victorian novel delving into the inner lives of the poor rich. And, actually, it is, but it's also a fantasy, a science fiction folly -- and that, I didn't expect. Dorian Gray is an unbelievably handsome gentleman who makes a deal with the devil. His portrait, instead of his face, shows the effects of age and a decadent lifestyle. The freedom this gives him sends him spiraling into evil behavior and corruption, which Wilde illustrates with admirable literary aplomb. I don't know how Wilde could stand himself, the way he can turn a phrase is mind-boggling. The book is short, sweet and fantastic.

If I Live To Be 100, Neenah Ellis

Neenah Ellis' book is an off-shoot of her NPR interviews of centenarians. I never heard any of the NPR pieces, but when I read about the book's concept, I was interested in what might be learned from people who reach such an age. Ellis, however, does a cursory job at best with the book. It's too short and vague for you to gather much insight, and actually turns out to be more of a diary of Ellis' thoughts and reactions to her subjects. Sadly, it's not a very interesting diary either. You won't learn much here about about age and experience, and very little about what it's like to live that long.