Staff Reviews: Books, Films, Music, and More

Wood River Museum Collections Specialist Ellie Norman recommends the film, Melancholia, written and directed by Lars von Trier.

Lars von Trier’s Melancholia (2011, R) is a cinematic exploration of despair and impending doom, framed within the intricate psyche of two sisters, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg). The narrative unfolds in two parts: Justine’s wedding day and the days leading up to the collision of the planet Melancholia with Earth.

Von Trier masterfully delves into the fragile states of mind that accompany depression and anxiety disorders, drawing from his own familiarity with these themes.

In the film, Gainsbourg and Dunst deliver powerhouse performances that elevate Melancholia to a profoundly affecting experience. Gainsbourg’s portrayal of Claire’s emotional unraveling is particularly poignant, transitioning from resilience to vulnerability with stunning authenticity.

Meanwhile, Dunst astonishes with her portrayal of Justine’s descent into depression, capturing the character’s complexities with unwavering precision. The chemistry between the two actresses is palpable, their performances complementing each other to create a deeply resonant narrative.

The film’s exploration of mental illness and existential dread is both harrowing and thought-provoking.

For those who have experienced depression, Melancholia strikes a chord with its raw depiction of despondency and the accompanying frustration. Von Trier’s direction, coupled with the stellar performances, creates an atmosphere of impending doom that lingers long after the credits roll.

However, Melancholia is not without its detractors. Its somber subject matter and unrelenting portrayal of despair have polarized audiences and critics alike. While some praise the film for its unflinching honesty and emotional depth, others find its relentless bleakness difficult to endure.

Melancholia is a film that demands emotional investment, offering no easy answers or moments of respite.

In conclusion, Melancholia is a haunting exploration of depression, anxiety, and the human psyche. Von Trier’s direction, coupled with standout performances from Gainsbourg and Dunst, makes for a compelling cinematic experience. While its unrelenting bleakness may not be for everyone, those willing to engage with its themes will find a film that lingers in the mind long after viewing.

Find it on DVD and streaming on Kanopy here.

Gold Mine Processing Associate, Ingrid Roman, recommends Tenía Que Sobrevivir (I had to Survive) by Roberto Canessa and Pablo Vierci

Tenía Que Sobrevivir is a narrative based on a real-life event of an airplane crash in the Andes mountains. In 1972, a Uruguayan rugby team was traveling to Chile with forty-five passengers aboard when an aviation error changed the fate of the whole team.

Many died, but the remaining survivors were in the midst of nowhere with limited to no resources. To survive, they worked together and developed a society of the snow.

At the same time, their desire to live and to reunite with their families left them no other option than to seek help on their own. Among all the survivors, only Canessa and Parrado had the condition to journey out through the unknown lands of the Andes. Canessa gives his point of view of his experience in the mountains and how this influenced his future.

This book easily captures the reader’s attention because Roberto Canessa has no filters when going through his memoirs. He can engage the reader by giving great detail about the encounters he faced while he was trying to survive.

What Canessa and his friends went through pushed the limits of the human condition to unimaginable levels.

They had to readjust physically and mentally to survive. The human body demonstrates its adaptability to harsh environments even in places where life wouldn’t exist. In addition, they also had to undergo a psychological change if they wanted to make it out of the Andes mountains alive. I think this is a key element because although everything was against them they didn’t lose hope that they would return home. Even if they had doubts and fear, their willingness to live was greater.

Find it in SPA 363.12 CAN.

Director of the Center for Regional History, Mary Tyson, recommends The Story of Art without Men by Katy Hessel.

I first became aware of Katy Hessel’s work as an art historian through her podcast. The Great Women Artists Podcast sprung to life in 2019. it grew out of Hessel’s Instagram account with a similar name, “Great Women Artists.” Since 2015, Hessel has celebrated female artists daily, by sharing images of artwork from old masters to young graduate students. Her podcast is one of my favorites. Hessel has introduced me to so many artists that I didn’t know about and so many great art historians and critics who share her passion for making society aware of them. Her passion is contagious.

Hessel’s book, The Story of Art Without Men, came out in 2023, and I was so excited to see it at the Library! A rich resource covering a survey of art with a Western perspective, Hessel’s title comes from its predecessor, The Story of Art, by E. H. Gombrich, which, by its eighteenth edition, included only one female artist!

I think if you are a budding art historian, an artist, an emerging artist, an art lover, you would find this a great resource and you would discover, like I have, many artists that you will want to know more about.

The book is divided into five sections. Four of the five sections cover Modern, Post-Modern, and contemporary art. To state the obvious, there are many more women artists to help tell a story in the last 150 years than in the previous four centuries.

Hessel begins in the first section, “Paving the Way,” with the Italians in the early 1500s, specifically in Bologna. Bologna at the time was supportive of women in professions. Women were supported to go to the university there. One sculptor, Properzia De’ Rossi, had patrons, and created a marble relief, Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife, for the front of one of the largest churches at the time. Women in Bologna were encouraged to sign their work and to paint self-portraits to help make themselves known. Art historians have been able to study “a staggering sixty-eight women artists” working there between the 15^th and 18^th Centuries.

Some of my favorites that she included are painter, Agnes Martin, who lived a monk-like existence in remote New Mexico. She painted large mystical abstractions of the human condition, with titles like “Friendship” and “Happy Holiday.” Another is Nicole Eisenman, a painter of sympathetic figures, often grotesquely exaggerated to reflect our anxieties. Another favorite is Tracy Emin, a British artist, famous for shocking the public in the 90s by making the political personal and the personal public with an installation of her actual slept-in, unmade bed with empty vodka bottles and cigarette butts narrating her actual breakdown experience.

As Hessel writes, “Artists pinpoint moments of history in a uniquely expressive medium and allow us to make sense of a time. If we aren’t seeing art by a wide range of people, we aren’t really seeing society, history, or culture, as a whole…” More than any other art book in the Library, this one helps me to relax. I think it’s because of the feeling that someone has my artistic back and it’s Katy Hessel.

Find The Story of Art without Men here.

Gold Mine Product Quality Manager Daniel Velasco recommends Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki challenges conventional beliefs about money and wealth. The author shares insights from two fathers, his own “poor dad” a well-educated but financially struggling government worker and his friend’s “rich dad,” a successful businessman and real estate  investor. 

Throughout the stories of his two father figures, Kiyosaki highlights the importance of financial literacy and smart investing.

What I appreciate most about this book is its importance in developing a financial mindset that goes beyond just saving and budgeting. Kiyosaki encourages readers to think creatively about generating income and building assets and inspires us to take control of our financial futures. While some may find the book’s ideas uncommon, I believe they are precisely what young adults need to hear in order to break free from limiting beliefs about money and build a brighter financial future.

Find Rich Dad Poor Dad in print, ebook, and on CD here.

Children’s Librarian and Programming Assistant, Ellen O’Dell, recommends Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.

“No plot just vibes” is a new way to describe a classic concept: a novel with little in the way of central conflict but a keen sense of place and time. Some novels included in this genre are Normal People, Mrs. Dalloway, and The Picture of Dorian Grey. 

As a particular fan of the “no plot, just vibes” style of storytelling, I recently enjoyed the novel Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. Tom Lake brings the reader to those early, delirious days of the pandemic on a cherry orchard in northern Michigan. 

When I first learned that Tom Lake takes place during the spring of 2020, I quickly stopped listening (I borrowed the audiobook narrated by Meryl Streep).

But something about the serenity of the cherry orchard, the familial bond between the characters, and the hazy sense of nostalgia pulled me back.

Patchett writes about this period of history with accuracy and tenderness that does not step too far into the fear and isolation that we were all feeling.  

It helps that much of the novel is told in retrospect, as Lara, the main character, recounts the story of her love affair with a famous actor to her three daughters. We have one foot in the present and one in the past with Lara as she relives the whirlwind relationship she had with Peter Duke, a fictional actor, in her mid-twenties. Lara and Peter are a part of the same summer theater group performing the play “Our Town.” While “Our Town” features prominently in this story, it is not necessary to have read it before picking up Tom Lake. 

Her daughters ask their mother questions about her life before children, wondering if she feels like she missed a life of wealth and glamour with Peter Duke. Lara thinks to herself, “There is no explaining this simple truth about life: you will forget much of it. The painful things you were certain you’d never be able to let go? Now you’re not entirely sure when they happened, while…

…the thrilling parts, the heart-stopping joys, splintered and scattered and became something else.”

She tells her girls that as her life went on, she evolved into someone with completely new desires and goals, shedding past versions of herself all the time, and that she cannot imagine things having gone in any other direction. Lara feels a profound sense of peace with her life on the farm.  

Tom Lake has a little something for everyone—I felt like I could relate to the three daughters, each having their lives halted when the world shut down. The novel also beautifully describes the pains and joys of motherhood, the bucolic wonder (and daily stress) of life on a farm, and the exciting lives of performing artists.  

Upon finishing the book, I wanted to dive back into the world that Patchett built (especially on these chilly winter evenings)—not for the fast-paced plot, but for the vibes of summer in northern Michigan.  

Are you curious about Tom Lake? Join us for The Community Library Book Club on April 3, 2024, to discuss the novel! 

Find Tom Lake in print, ebook, eaudiobook, and on CD, here.