Space - Jamer Michener, Our Town - Thornton Wilder

Space – James Michener

$7.99 at Amazon.com

You’ll love it: Reading isn’t a pastime for you, it’s a mission.

You’ll hate it: James Michener? Thanks, but I already have a 4 lb doorstop.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: James Michener? The guy with fictional time spans of thousands of years and can’t be followed without taking notes?! Yes, that guy. The scourge of tree conservationists everywhere. But if you haven’t made an attempt at a Michener book, perhaps this is the year to do it. And for perennial members of the Lonely Hearts Club like me, the best books - intimidatingly long or not - are companions that never let you down.

Of course, reviewing even a lesser-known Michener book like Space is a bit like giving a stamp of approval to Beethoven’s 6^th symphony. Even in relative obscurity, chances are it’s still head and shoulders above average. This is no exception. The sweeping vistas of fiction are all here (and remarkably not far from reality, especially given the technical nature of science fiction) as are the multitude of characters and the density of the prose you’ve come to expect from the man.

But this is a Valentine’s Day mini-review, and as such I’d like to point out that for a novel named after a frigid vacuum, you’d be hard-pressed to find a modern love story like the one between Captain John Pope and his wife, Penny. Though it takes up only a small percentage of a goodish length book (OK, its 800 pages…but by Michener standards, a trifle) it’s written with a very knowing hand. We’re so inundated with stories of failed military marriages, populated by philanderer husband, alcoholic wife, rebellious children…getting to know this pair is a heartwarming experience. The dedication of two humans to each other through periods of long separation, dangerous missions and all that other “The Right Stuff”….well, stuff, is enough to resonate with a cynical heart. In some ways, the realities of the romance make it even more so.

I realize no amount of hearts and candy can turn someone into a Michener fan. Like very dry wine, Marmite or atonal music, he can be an acquired taste. But it’s enough for me to point out that in the most unlikely of spots - should you feel in the mood for a panoramic tome - you might find one of the most touching love stories put down in print.

Our Town – Thornton Wilder

$13.59 at Amazon.com

You’ll love it: You love classic American theater, have a short attention span or are hopelessly romantic

You’ll hate it: You think plays are for sissies.

There are only three books that I always have within arm’s reach: Welcome to the Monkey House, The Stand, and Our Town. Technically, Our Town isn’t even a book. It’s a play. And a short one at that. But this is my Super Nerdy Review so I can include Thornton Wilder’s ascetic masterpiece if I want.

In all likelihood, most of you have already ready this at some point in high school. (Well, at least those of you who are American…) and have perhaps even seen it performed. But there’s also an excellent chance that you were told to read it…and there is nothing that preemptively kills literary joy faster than making it a required assignment. So perhaps it is time to revisit Grover’s Corner and see what you may have missed the first time around.

I know I run the risk of coming off as impossibly starry-eyed, but there certainly is something comforting in this small town love story. I mean, come on, Wilder manages to narrate one-third of the story with a non-existent near-deity and another third with people that are – essentially – zombies. Yet, all seems well and normal, so easy is it to get lost in a town where strawberry phosphates are still drawn from a fountain and childhood sweethearts marry and move just down the road from their parents.

But I contend that you, the modern reader with a buzzing Blackberry and reruns of the Bachelorette on your TiVo, would do well to remember that a lot of people are seeking a storyline not far removed from this one at all. It’s no simpler than the real world, but it does manage to distill the complexity of the human experience into what really matters. Our Town has it all: life, death, love and loss, all conveyed with nothing but a bit of dialogue and stage direction. It can (and probably should) be read in one sitting, by yourself or maybe even with someone else. Pick up a copy, pour yourself some coffee or red wine and travel to a place that might feel more familiar then you’d expect. Oh, and tell them I said ‘Hello,’ and will be visiting again shortly.