JustJoey's Book Blog

Welcome to my 2011-thread.
You can find my 2nd thread (books 76 etc.) here.




January 2011
1. De tweeling van de Sinaï by Janet Soskice - 5 stars
2. Skylark by Deszo Kosztolanyi - 4 stars
3. Notes from a small Island by Bill Bryson - 3 stars
4. Zwarte tranen by Tom Lanoye - 3 stars
5. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell - 4 stars
6. Restless by William Boyd - 3,5 stars
7. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - 4 stars
8. Doopvont van de duivel (Devil's Baptismal Font) by Viktoria Platova - 4 stars

February 2011
9. Vlaams landschap met nonnen by Liliane Wouters - 4 stars
10. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón - 2,5 stars
11. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks - 4 stars
12. Dreaming Of The Bones by Deborah Crombie - 3 stars
13. De schilder en het meisje by Margriet de Moor - 3 stars
14. Eva's oog by Karin Fossum - 4 stars
15. Het familiekapitaal (Blood Count) by Robert Goddard - 3,5 stars
16. Kijk niet achterom by Karin Fossum - 4 stars
17. Tot de woede is geluwd (Until Thy Wrath Be Past) by Asa Larsson - 4,5 stars

March 2011
18. Nachtlicht (A Dedicated Man) by Peter Robinson - 4 stars
19. Wie de wolf vreest (He Who Fears The Wolf ) by Karin Fossum - 4 stars
20. Alles waar ik spijt van heb by Philippe Claudel - 4,5 stars
21. Dichterbij dan je denkt (Unspoken) by Mari Jungstedt - 3,5 stars
22. De collectie van de geograaf by Jon Fasman - 4 stars
23. Tegenstroom (A necessary end) by Peter Robinson - 3 stars
24. Gezicht uit het verleden door Fiona Mountain - 3 stars
25. Het papieren huis by Carlos Maria Dominguez - 3 stars
26. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - 4 stars
27. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - 4,5 stars
28. De kleinzoon (The upright piano player) by David Abbott - 4,5 stars
29. De bewaker by Peter Terrin - 3,5 stars
30. How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton - 4 stars

April 2011
31. De tweede man by Doeschka Meijsing - 4,5 stars
32. Publieke Werken by Thomas Rosenboom - 4,5 stars
33. Geschiedenis van mijn puurheid / (Storia della mia purezza) by Francesco Pacifico - 4 stars
34. Duel by Joost Zwagerman - 4 stars
35. De kunst van het wachten by David Nolens - 3,5 stars
36. Rituelen by Cees Nooteboom - 3 stars
37. De omweg by Gerbrand Bakker - 4 stars
38. Bonita Avenue by Peter Buwalda - 4,5 stars
39. L'Horizon by Patrick Modiano - 3,5 stars
40. Zonder mij by Philippe Claudel - 4 stars
41. XY by Sandro Veronesi - 4,5 stars

May 2011
42. Met angst en beven by Amélie Nothomb - 3,5 stars
43. Het leven gaat verder by Hans Keilson - 4 stars
44. Bittere bloemen by Jeroen Brouwers - 3,5 stars
45. In de ban van mijn vader (The Force of the Past) by Sandro Veronesi - 4,5 stars
46. Het onderzoek by Philippe Claudel - 3 stars
47. De Middagvrouw by Julia Franck - 3 stars
48. Het geheim van de Hoffmans by Alejandro Palomas - 4 stars
49. Kalme chaos by Sandro Veronesi - 4,5 stars
50. Veranderend licht by Jens Christian Grøndahl - 3 stars
51. De verborgen geschiedenis van Courtillon (Johannistag) by Charles Lewinksy - 4,5 stars
52. Een vorm van leven by Amélie Nothomb - 3,5 stars
53. Refrein van de honger by J.M.G. Le Clézio - 3,5 stars
54. Hector & Hector (Petit Hector apprend la Vie) by François Lelord - 4,5 stars
55. De regen voor hij valt (The Rain Before It Falls ) by Jonathan Coe - 3,5 stars

June 2011
56. Aan het einde van de wereld (Leaving the World) by Douglas Kennedy - 4 stars
57. Van acquit by Pietro Grossi - 3 stars
58. De reis van Hector, of De zoektocht naar het geluk by François Lelord - 3 stars
59. De meester van Brugge (The Master of Bruges) by Terence Morgan - 2,5 stars
60. De Steppewolf (Steppenwolf) by Herman Hesse - 4 stars
61. Het verloren kind (The Vanished Child) by Sarah Smith - 3,5 stars
62. Een betrouwbare vrouw (A Reliable Wife) by Robert Goolrick - 3 stars
63. Het portret (The Portrait) by Iain Pears - 4,5 stars
64. De kleine vreemdeling (The little Stranger) by Sarah Waters - 2,5 stars
65. Het goud van de waarheid by Iain Pears - 3 stars
66. De man van de blauwe cirkels by Fred Vargas - 3 stars
67. Misleid by Sarah Smith - 3 stars

July
68. Een onbewaakt ogenblik by Philippe Besson - 4 stars
69. Het Franse testament by Andreï Makine - 4,5 stars
70. De zin van het duister by Michael Cox - 4,5 stars
71. Het voetspoor van de duivel (The Devil's Footprints) by John Burnside - 4,5 stars
72. Urania by J.M.G. Le Clézio - 3 stars
73. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones - 4 stars
74. Het lange eind (The Long Stretch) by Linden MacIntyre - 2 stars
75. Nazomer (L'arrière-saison) by Philippe Besson - 4 stars

I'm interested in all kinds of books, but I focus on world literature, classics and prize-winning novels. In between, I like to read detectives and mysteries.
My threads:
- my 75 Books in 2010-challenge (part 2);
- my Global Reading-Tour;
- my Tour through Europe;
- my Tour through Time;
- my Old Mystery and Detective Club reads.

I welcome everybody who's interested in these sorts of books to discuss them, exchange opinions, recommendations, suggestions, etc.

Glad to see you back with us again for 2011, Monica!

Hello Monica, Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

Hi, Monica. Found you! The best wishes for 2011!

Welcome back!

Found you Monica - Happy New Year!

1. The Sisters of Sinai by Janet Soskice
This is the first book I read in 2011 and it's one of the best books I've ever read. For the first time I've rated a book with 5 stars.
I'll elaborate on a proper review later, because this book really deserves it.

Wow, 5 stars! This book has been on my wishlist for a while. Now I'm even more anxious to read it! I'll look forward to reading your review.

That sounds fascinating Monica, and I'm glad you found it to be a book you could rate so highly. Adding it to my wishlist at once!

#9: I have had that one in the BlackHole for a while now. I am glad you found it to be such a good read, Monica!

#9 Never heard of that one before but it definitely sounds interesting and looks like it has some good reviews too. I'll await your thoughts with bated breath!

Happy 2011, Monica! If you liked The Sisters of Sinai so much, I need to get my hands on a copy asap. Glad you started the year off with such a great read!

Edited to fix touchstone

As promised...:
1. The Sisters of Sinai by Janet Soskice - 5 stars

I loved this book on more than one level. First of all, this story exceeds fiction: two feisty twin-sisters, Scottish presbyterians born in 1843 with a very sound, no nonsense view on life and a craving to learn, find the oldest Syriac Bible-manuscript (and many other important manuscripts) when in their fifties. This is not a coincidence but rather the result of unremitting studying and profound curiosity.
After the death of their beloved father who'd encouraged them to study, they decide to make a trip to Egypt to visit the Biblical places. They are in their early twenties then. Do they travel the safe way accompanied by a male chaperone as would be expected in these days? No, they find another woman, a former teacher to accompany them. Do they take the safe and short route? No, they take the tricky and adventurous one. As was usual in these days, on arrival in Egypt they have to choose a local guide to guide them on a boat but when he proves to be unreliable and negligent, do they complain or wine? No, they first go off the ship and buy a couple of cats to chase the rats off the ship and then decide to learn Arabic and Greek which will enable them to talk with the local people and avoid disasters like that on their next trip.
They both got married rather late in life, but both lost their husband after few years of very happy married life. And after the loss of their husband, they were even more adamant to achieve the goals God had set them in life as they firmly believed. And so they went to the Sinai-desert...
I just loved the sisters who despite all that went wrong, never gave up but found a way to get around the problem, no matter what other people thought or did. They were wealthy enough to spend the their entire life in luxury and wealth. They could have travelled to places like the riviera or the Swiss mountains which was fashionable for the rich at the time. Instead, they decided to go backpacking, ride camels in the Sinai, devote the larger part of their lives to filology and scriptures and have fun!
I also loved the way in which Janet Soskice tells this story. I was immediately sucked in because she's not only bringing the sisters to life (and what a life that is) but she's sketching their whole world, the academic scene which they aren't part of because women cannot study at university but which cannot ignore them as self-taught scolars, the religious sensibilities between presbyterians, protestants, catholics, orthodox, jews,..., the way people travel to and in the Orient in the 19th century, life at St-Catherine's convent in the Sinai, etc. The writing is fluent, colourful, often humorous, genuine. Although the author keeps her distance as a historian and she doesn't do any guessing, her research is so elaborate and thorough that she's able to come up with some unbelievable details, background and inside-information (all verified by primary sources) of a very colourful pair of unconventional, open-minded sisters.
So, in case you weren't sure of how I think: I absolutely loved this book and I recommend it to anyone who's slightly intrigued or curious now and also (especially) to anyone who's having a midlife crisis or whatever and thinks it's too late to change course in life (heck, I've even decided to refresh my knowledge of Latin because of these two). Brilliant book. My apologies for being so enthusiastic, but I just can't stop telling anyone what a magnificent book this is.

ok - I'm sold. Onto the wishlist it goes

ADDITIONAL NOTE - I just realized after I added it - this title became the 1,000th book in my LT Library (and it's the 10th book I've added based on your reviews)

Placed hold on Sisters of Sinai!

# 16, Congratulations, Patrick. 1000 books (read or unread) is a milestone! I'm flattered I contributed to 10 of them. I hope you'll enjoy the Sisters as much as I did.

# 17, Hi Lisa, I'm looking forward to hear what you eventually think of the book.

Sisters of Sinai sounds like just my cup of tea! (or my cup of peppermint-mocha-whipped-cream?-yes-please!

Thanks for the recommendation!

Karen O.

There you are, Monica! Almost lost you there! Phew!

Have a nice day:)

2. Skylark by Deszo Kosztolanyi

I sometimes think there is an invisible link tieing one book to another. The contrast to the first book of the year I read couldn't have been bigger and yet, the theme was somewhat similar. A 30-something ugly spinster leaves her old father and mother for a week's vacation with her aunt and uncle. The parents are devastated and lost at first, but soon discover the joys of being able to do as they please: go to a restaurant, visit the theatre, go out with friends, meet new people. While they enjoy these little pleasures, there's always the feeling of guilt and they often feel uncomfortable. When the daughter gets home, everything gets back to normal and they take up their dreary lives as usual. All three think life is lead as it should be and they seem unaware of the fact that they make themselves and each other unhappy. The image of the ugly bird in the cage at the end of the story is magnificent in that respect
This book is a little gem. The characters are somewhat sinister and tragic, the story sometimes humorous, sometimes sarcastic and it leaves the reader with plenty to think about. While the first book I read this year was all about looking for one's purpose that God has created and the joy that comes with it, this book is about the tragedy of people who don't even realize they have a purpose in life and take life as it comes. Recommended if you like literary, slow reading of quality.
(Thanks to Rebecca for bringing this book to my attention).

Hi Bente, glad you've found me again. Happy reading (and listening :-))
Hi Karen, I hope you'll enjoy the "cup of peppermint-mocha-whipped-cream" turned into a book!

Interesting review, Monica. I am looking to expand my knowledge of Hungarian authors, so this may be one I'll pick up later. Have you read any other works by him?

Thanks, Lisa, I haven't read any of his other books yet. First, I'm browsing through Europe's literary grounds and then intend to delve more deeply into some areas. Btw, I perfectly understand your decision about the European challenge. However for me, it's not an addition to my reading. I keep the 75-books-challenge to list and comment all the books I read, whereas I use the other challenges as a guideline for my reading. So, I regularly throw in a European, a non-European, a historical, an old mystery and a classic in between other books that I think I'll like or was recommended. In other words, these challenges keep me focussed, not pushed on :-)

#21, I am glad you enjoyed it too.

#22, I've also read a couple of works by Gyula Krudy; I was very impressed by Sunflower, which is extremely strange, but interesting, and less so by his story collection, Life Is a Dream.

#21: I have got to get my hands on that one some time!

Nice review of Skylark, Monica; I'll add this to my wish list.

Hi Monica, Just wanted to let you know that I've got a new thread going on Club Read and can be found here. I think I might migrate completely. We'll see. Anyway, hope to see you there!

Monica, I love your thoughtful reviews! Looks like a great start to your reading year.

Hi, Monica,
I love your enthusiasm for the books you've been reading! I probably won't read The Sisters of Sinai, as I have a huge long list already for this year, but boy did you make it sound great!

Thanks for the great review of Sisters of Sinai I've added it to my ever-growing wishlist.

I skipped over your comments on Skylark until I had finished it myself. I finished it this morning. I really liked the book. I thought it was both entertaining and thought-provoking. The family has created a fiction that each one secretly knows is fiction. It's sad that, even after this fiction is exposed for what it is, the parents choose to return to the lifestyle they've created.

What a great start to 2011 Monica! Both books have gone on my wishlist.

I'd already added the Sisters to my wishlist when you first mentioned it. Your review makes me want to rush out and read it straight away, so I'll have to try to find a copy soon... Thanks for that!

3. Notes from a small island by Bill Bryson

Before moving back to the U.S., Bill Bryson decides to make a tour through Great Britain by public transport and on foot. The tour is not only a way of finally seeing parts of the country he hasn't visited yet but especially a trip down memory-lane. The book looked promising and I had high hopes but I was a bit disappointed. I appreciated the funny aspects - some were hilarious - and I did see that he actually loves the country but overall, Bryson gave me the impression that Britain is a country full of shabby hotels, ugly shopping-malls, weird people, awful public transport, uninteresting towns and villages, bad food and abominable weather. If Bryson's book was the only information I had on Britain, I'd never visit the country.

Unfortunate that you didn't really like Notes from a small island. I didn't read this book by Bill Bryson, but normally I like him. This book is still waiting on the shelves.

I had just written down A Walk in the Woods after a recommendation from someone else's thread when I read your review of Notes from a Small Island. Kind of eerie!

I think maybe I'll locate both books, and then do a comparison (like a taste test). I do appreciate your review, and it will be interesting to see how my views compare!

See you around LT!

Karen O.

#35 - 36 - The funny thing is, this disappointment won't refrain me from reading Bryson's other books because I do think he's a very good and entertaining writer. And I'm just wondering... are ratings sometimes dependent 1). on the books we read before the ones we rated (which in my case were extremely good ones), 2). on the mood we're in (sometimes you feel like wanting to be silly, sometimes you don't)?
Maybe I should review the books I read in the past and give them a "long-term-rating"?

#37: I like your idea, Monica, and I quite agrre with you. Sometimes I need to process some of the books I read, before I can fully make up my mind about it. Time sets the book in perspective, sort of. And maybe you don't remember all the little things that annoyed you while reading it, and the book turns out to be god after all. At least the way you can remember it. I've read a few books that I didn't instantly enjoy, but later I can see the poitive side of reading it.

Phew...that was just me rambling. Hope your day is good, Monica:)

I have added Skylark and The Sisters of Sinai to my to be read tower. They sound fantastic. Ceri

#37 - Almost exactly what I just said over at my thread! I do think the books you just finished play a huge part on how you feel about a current book. I loved my last book and am having difficulty in getting into another story right now.

I definitely think Bill Bryson will be worth a second look at, Joey.

#34 I loved A Walk in the Woods and didn't like Notes from a Small Island. The only other travelogue of his I read was the one about Australia...um...In a Sunburned Country and liked that one better. Sometimes I think that writers almost have to berate something in order to get the laughs. Disastrous trips are always more funny than pleasant ones.

#37 I struggle with this in another way too. Sometimes I think back on a book that I have rated or reviewed on LT in a certain way, and after reflection/time, would rate differently. I never know whether I should go back and change it or if that is cheating. Especially bothers me when I sort my library by my ratings and see uncomparable books with comparable ratings!

#34 I had mixed feelings about Notes from a Small Island when I read it towards the end of last year - my review here. I was quite irritated by his humour for the first third or so of the book, but rather less so by the end.

I'm sure there is something in what you say about being in the right mood for certain kinds of books though. And I have the same problem with ratings. I think my ratings are rather inconsistent, and perhaps I just need to accept that and not try to adjust them later to be more comparatively consistent.

Yesterday I noticed the first tiny leaves of daffodils growning in my garden again. Reason enough for me to:
1. rush into my garden at daybreak this morning to start off the new gardening-year, which in my case is clearing the old leaves and weeds and other things that shouldn't be there and getting rid of some plants that really annoyed me last year;
2. finally starting to add my garden-library to LT (part of);
3. absorbing the books I recently bought by Christopher Lloyd (1921-2006), my favourite gardener ever. My admiration for the man and his inspiring ideas is endless, so I'm having a ball!

Oh, I am so envious! Our garden is completely dead, just recently thawed from the latest snow, and trampled by our maurading chickens whom we let roam for the winter, fertilizing as they go. And we have become home to a energetic mole and are trying to figure out how to oust him from our lawn, now a dirt mound.

My one consolation is my birds. I have lots of feeders, and we have some birds that winter here, but are not around the rest of the year. Currently a pileated woodpecker and a half a dozen band-tailed pigeons (NOT city pigeons, but a larger wild type) are in view.

Well, I'm an early bird myself this year. Ususally, the gardening season for the die-hards like me starts in February / March, but we had a lot of snow and cold temperatures till last week. Now, we're having a couple of days with + 10° C, which is more than enough for the plants to wake up. I'm a bit worried that winter may strike a second time, but I'm not doing anything too invasive (like pruning the roses or fragile shrubs) just in case. I'm amazed how some delicate plants can survive during winter and grow so beautifully. I always get very humble when working in my garden.
Sorry I can't help with the mole-problem, Lisa. They're a protected species here. I've heard they cannot stand noises. Making noises within their gangways is supposed to scare them away without hurting them, but I haven't tried this myself.

Garden? What's a garden?

Can you tell I do not have green thumbs?

I was just looking out at mine from the warmth of behind the window, and trying to see how many of the herbs I planted in pots last summer have survived the snow and winter... I need to take a 'leaf out of your book' Monica (very appropriate English idiom in this circumstance) and go and have a proper look outside!

I hadn't heard of Christopher Lloyd, so I followed the touchstone and looked up one of his books. I like the sound of him from this description on one of the reviews:
“…A classic garden text by a waspish and amusing writer who was also an excellent gardener. Lloyd’s style was gardening as theatre, and he loved the grand statement. I don’t always agree with him but I like the way he says it. It’s a book any non-gardener could pick up and read and not be bored.…”.

I completely agree with that review. Christopher Lloyd's books are a joy to read. He was an excellent gardener with exceptional ideas, an outstanding writer within his genre (gardening of course) and he was known to be a good cook too. I admire him because he had the audacity to pull out an entire rose-bed against all conventions and replace it with exotic planting, because he put plants together that were believed to clash and make it look fantastic, because he was courageous enough to take risks and sometimes fail but most often make it a huge success. He was a rebel who lifted gardening to another level. I'm so sorry I didn't get a chance to visit his garden (Great Dixter) when he was alive, but I'm ever so grateful he loved writing so that we can still enjoy his wit and brilliance in his books... amen.

Hi Monica, Hope your gardening is going well. The chickens started digging up our bulbs, grr. We might have to fence them into a smaller area of the yard or we are going to lose plantings and our gravel pathways, etc. Their scratchings are energetic and constant. Hope you have a good book going on the side.

4. Zwarte tranen by Tom Lanoye - 3 stars

Part two of the Monstertrilogie by one of the most famous Flemish authors. A chunky book in which the author continues to weave the threads he spread out in the first book. Not as overwhelming as the first one though because he comes to no conclusion yet, but probably essential for what is to follow in book 3.

5. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell - 4 stars

This is the amazing, enraging, heartbreaking story of three women: Esme who has been placed in an asylum over 60 years ago when she was 16, her sister Kit who has Alzheimer and her granddaughter Iris, a young woman. It's only when the asylum closes that Iris finds out about her lost family-member. Little by little, through intertwining dialogues, we find out what's really happened to Esme.
The parallels and differences between the characters whose lives evolve in a different time-frame, are striking and thought-provoking.
I sometimes like to place the characters from different books with similar themes together and compare them. In this case, I joined the main characters of The Awakening by Kate Chopin and The Yellow Wall-paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman which I both read last year. Although they are not similar, if you like one of these, you'll probably like the other ones too. Highly recommended if you like a short, but thoughtful read with a serious theme.

Hi Monica, I read The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox in November and had, of course, the same reaction as you. I had picked the book up off the library sale table with no expectations and was very pleasantly surprised. I remember that I stayed up really late to finish it, I was so involved with the story. Glad you enjoyed it, Lisa

6. Restless by William Boyd - 3,5 stars

A cosy spy-novel set in the 1970's where the twenty-something daughter Ruth finds out, much to her surprise, that her plain mother was a spy during World War II. Even after all these years the past still haunts the former spy. The character of the daughter and her issues is used (a bit too much) as a hatstand for the adventures of the mother-spy. It feels as if the author needs to write a second book about the daughter. A nice, enjoyable book though, with a bit of romance and a bit of thrill.

#51: I have had that one in the BlackHole for a while now. Thanks for the reminder that I still need to read it!

7. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - 4 stars

... The kind of book which everybody thinks is beneath your literary standards but which you just cannot put down before having read the very last sentence, drinking each and every page, enjoying each and every twist and turn, shamelessly wallowing in the descriptions of old book-shops, country-houses, kind maids, devoted doctors, family-secrets, lies and love. If you like Jane Eyre, The Woman in White or similar books, you'll love this one. I did but don't tell anyone I said so.
ETA touchstones

Great review... shhh... I added it to my wishlist...

... and I forgot to add I also loved the doctor who prescribed Sherlock Holmes as a cure. Some books have it all :-)

I am just about to start The Thirteenth Tale as a Group Read at the 11 in 11 Challlenge. Really looking forward to it.

The vanishing act of Esme Lennox is still waiting on my shelves to be read. Thanks for your enthousiastic review. And I should definitely get to The thirteenth tale, as there are so many differing reactions about this book.

#55: (quietly) I enjoyed that one too, Monica.

I loved The Thirteenth Tale too! I don't know why there should be any shame in it... ;)

8. Doopvont van de duivel (Devil's Baptismal Font) by Viktoria Platova - 4 stars

A fast-paced thriller, set partially in Sint-Petersburg and in the Netherlands, about three Russian artist-friends who get their hands on a 15th century Dutch painting with an unusual history and think they've struck gold. It soon becomes clear that anyone who owns the painting doesn't live long enough to enjoy it. The reason seems to lie within the painting. I liked the main character who was lively and funny with a sense of "don't mess with me" and a heart of gold at the same time (in other words, a modern woman...). And I liked the outcome because it was different from what I'd expected. Again, not Great Literature but a few hours of thrill and fun guaranteed. Probably not yet translated into English, I'm afraid.

#62: Sounds like a fun read, Monica! Too bad it is not translated yet though.

Hi There

I'm compiling a list of birthdays of our group members. If you haven't done so already, would you mind stopping by this thread and posting yours.

Thanks.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/105833

Hello Monica. February already! where is the year going to?... I like the sound of The Vanishing Act of Esme - and of The Thirteenth Tale too - I had no idea about the book before you mentioned it. I don't think anyone should worry about other people's ideas of 'literary standards' on LT - we all seem happy to read a diverse range of stuff and enjoy both the heavier and the lighter reads, so say it loud if you enjoyed it!

#62: That sounds awesome! I'm looking for a gift for my boss, because I have a new job as of March. She is an art historian who now does research into the occurrence of art theft, so a book like that would be great... I just discovered it's no longer in print and you can only buy it second-hand, which doesn't make as a good a present... If anyone has any other tips on novels in this area, please tell me!

#66 Delurking to suggest The Monuments Men. It's about the Allied soldiers tasked with finding, monitoring, and re-acquiring art treasures stolen by the Nazis. I actually knew one of them: Walker Hancock, an American sculptor. The author, Robert Edsel, has also written Rescuing Da Vinci, but I haven't read that.

#67 Thank you! The Monuments Men sounds really interesting. I might just get it for myself.... :)

Is Walker Hancock one of the artists who's work had been stolen, or was he one of the "Monuments Men"?

I hope you like it. Walter was a Monument Man and is mentioned in the book. Most of them were artists who were serving in the military; their expertise made them particularly useful in this role. I was fortunate enough to visit Walter at his Gloucester studio a couple of times. He was an intellectual in the best sense of the word, and so well read (he was a great friend of Robert Frost's).

Wikipedia has an entry for Walter with photos of some of his sculptures here.

His sculptures look amazing! Thanks again for the recommendation.

I have little time but wanted to record that I recently finished two books:
- Vlaams landschap met nonnen by Liliane Wouters

The memoirs of an eighty year old French-speaking Belgian writer about the time she spent in a very strict boarding-school lead by nuns. Very insightful with this touch of humour on one hand and melancholy on the other.

- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

I had high hopes for this book because it was so highly talked of but I believe it's one of the most over-rated books I've read in years. What a boring book this is. I might do the effort to explain why I think so, but on the other hand why spend even more time on a book that already took away far too much of my time. Well, I guess hyped books don't work for me, but that's just my opinion.

#71: Sorry you did not enjoy The Shadow of the Wind, Monica. I loved that one.

I hope your next read is better for you!

#71 Oh dear, I have Shadow of the Wind on the TBR pile - I wonder what I'll make of it!

I loved The Shadow of the Wind when I read it. Sorry you didn't enjoy it.

#71: I totally agree! I was so annoyed by all the devices the author uses to 'compel' his readers: it's just too easy to win over reading enthusiasts by stories of huge libraries. And it was way too long for the story it contains.

back up to message #62, I'm going to try to get a copy of this book. I'm very interested in art. Last year I read two intriguing books regarding art theft -- The Gardner Heist and Priceless.

Uh oh - I have The Shadow of the Wind on my shelf, too! But since some people loved it and some hated it, I'll definitely read it, and hope I'm in the love camp.

11. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks - 4 stars

Now thát is a book about books I really liked. Based on a true story, this book is about the journey of a valuable Jewish book that is discovered in the 1990's in Sarajevo. During conservation-work, some things are discovered that tell someting about the history of the book. While Hanna, the main character, tries to find out more about the book, the author tells us the "real" story using flashbacks that go back to the beginning of the book in the late Middle Ages.
Although I was a little bit annoyed by the fact that Hanna was absolutely perfect in her job, knew all the right people all over the world who could help her with her work and were always available at the right moment and the fact that the part about her personal history and the end were a bit far-fetched, I really liked the other aspects of the book. It shed a light on the conservation of books and the history and importance a book can carry in itself. The fact that this book is based on true facts makes this even more enjoyable. Compared to the Shadow of the Wind that was merely a flimsy double love-story, I thought this book is all about real book-history.

I have People of the Book in my pile, and I really look forward to it. I'm also in the minority of LTers regarding The Shadow of the Wind. I read it a couple of years before joining LT and thought it was okay. I was a bit taken aback at the superlative praise it earned here.

#78: To be fair, I liked that one too :)

I thought People of the Book was creative. It's not often that an object is the protagonist in a story. Plus I liked the historical speculation. It was the book that got me turned on to Geraldine Brooks. I didn't care for her Year of Wonders, Doomsday Book by Connie Willis is much better IMO. March was good and won the Pulitzer Prize, although I though People of the Book was better. I think people liked March because of the Little Women tie-in. Her non-fiction book, Nine Parts of Desire, was interesting but dated, and of course, not being Muslim, but Jewish, her views are less "authentic".

12. Dreaming Of The Bones by Deborah Crombie - 3 stars

I thought this was an average mystery: not very good, but not very bad either. I had difficulties with remembering who was who although this really wasn't such a "crowded" book. It probably had to do with the fact that I never managed to picture any of these characters. Normally I "see" my characters and they grow on me as I read, but not in this case. Very, very strange.

#82: I have not read any of Crombie's books yet. It does not appear that Dreaming of the Bones is a good place to start.

13. De schilder en het meisje by Margriet de Moor - 3 stars

Introspective, rather poetic story with Rembrandt van Rijn (the painter) and a young Danish girl who moved to Amsterdam and was hanged because of a murder she committed as the main characters. The personal 3rd person point of view is rather strange but effective because it creates a distance and a closeness to the main charracters. Unfortunately, this book didn't impress me much. It's a bit too hermeneutical to my taste.

eta: the book is based on this picture by Rembrandt.

@84, I heard a lot of good raving about De schilder en het meisje, but was doubting if I wanted to read it. I guess I will at least postpone it now ;)

14. Eva's oog by Karin Fossum - 4 stars

The first book of the Inspector Sejer Mysteries by the Norwegian author I read. I love Scandinanvian mysteries and thrillers and it's unbelievable I'd never heard of this author before. I liked my first encounter with Fossum's writings. I like Inspector Sejer who's a normal person with his own "normal" problems, doing his job conscientiously but not overdoing it. I've had it a bit with all those inspectors who are drunk, adulterous, addicted to women, drink, work or whatever, not able to have a normal life, not getting enough sleep, not washing themselves properly, eating garbage, etc. so inspector Sejer was a relief. I'm looking forward to read the other books in the series.

#86: The only book in the series I have read (also the only one my local library has) is When the Devil Holds the Candle. I liked it, so I hope you give it a shot at some future point, Monica.

I never read anything by Karin Fossum, but seeing your review, I've the idea I will like it. Scandinavian thrillers normally work for me.

I just finished The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels (your first read of the year) and loved it! What amazing characters the sisters were! Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

Karen O.

To echo Karen, Sisters of Sinai is amazing. I'm almost fiinished and loving it. Thanks for the recommendation, sister by the other sea.

Hope all is well.

Snow seems to have discouraged the moles for now. I got some castor oil type spray that is supposed to make the grass so unappealing that they move on. I hate to do that to our neighbors, but since they are a protected species and the have-a-heart trap isn't working, we are desparate.

Glad you both enjoyed this book as much as I did, Karen and Lisa. Recommendations are a very big responsability (:-)), so I'm glad it worked out for you.

Currently I'm in the "detective and thriller-mode" (this sometimes happens). I've read the latest one by Robert Goddard and the second one by Karen Fossum in the Inspector Sejer-series (the first one to have been translated to English) and both loved them.

15. Het familiekapitaal (Blood Count) by Robert Goddard - 3,5 stars

This is a typical Goddard book where a middle-aged man all of a sudden finds himself in a dangerous situation and has to undertake some serious action in order to rescue his own life or that of others. It takes him all over Europe, he meets all kinds of vilains and helpers and in the end all is well, not necessarily without the odd casualty here and there. In between, he weaves a nice historical plot-line which makes it even more realistic.
Despite the predictability of his work, Goddard's books are always a joy to read with plots and turns and twists that leave you breathless for a few hours. Probably not his best work, but I believe even a mediocre Goddard is still better than most others in the genre.

16. Kijk niet achterom (Don't look back) by Karin Fossum - 4 stars


I really enjoyed the second Fossum-book as it confirmed my initial feeling. These books are more about characters and psychology than about real policing, so they're exactly my cup of tea. I like Sejer because he's calm and sensible with a dry sense of humour and a lot of subdued empathy. I like the Norwegian setting as well. I'm looking forward to read nr. 3 in the series.

ETA typo

As I'm familiar with the "detective an thriller-mode", I like yours ;). Two authors I've never tried, but that sound very interesting. On my 'buy-if-you-find-them-cheap'-list!

17. Tot de woede is geluwd (Until Thy Wrath Be Past) by Asa Larsson - 4,5 stars

An intriguing book, set in the harsh but beautiful north of Sweden. When two teenagers go missing after diving in the fall, most people think there's been an accident. But when one body is found in the spring, it soon becomes obvious that something's terribly wrong and it's Rebecka Martinsson and the Kiruna police-force who have to find out what has really happened. While this is primarily a detective-story, it also deals extensively with the thoughts and feelings of the different characters who live in the vast Sami-landscape. This book has captivated me as I read on and although it soon became obvious who had committed the murders, this knowledge was less important than finding out why and how.
This is the fourth in a series and although I'm sorry I didn't read the first three ones first, I'm glad I still have the opportunity to look forward to reading them now. It seems this book will be published in English as from August 2011, so if you feel like reading a beautiful detective-novel, you still have time to read the other ones in the series first.

18. Nachtlicht (A Dedicated Man) by Peter Robinson - 4 stars

I was reminded of Peter Robinson's books by a review of his 18th book, so I thought I'd check him out again. I have read a few of Robinson's books years ago but lost track of him. Since then I've discovered it's much nicer to read series in order to add just this extra dimension. I'd already read the first one, so I skipped to the second one (which appears to have been written as the first one and the second one as the first one...). It was a delightful read that reintrodued me to Inspector Banks and the beautiful Yorkshire-setting. It's a sort of cozy mystery where a well-loved and respected historian is murdered. The man had no enemies so it takes quite a while for inspector Banks to find a motive and a murderer. Although critics say it's certainly not the best of the series, I really liked it. And it leaves me plenty to look forward to... 19 books of which I've now read only 4.

The Alan Banks series is interesting in that it starts off almost like a cozy mystery but as the series goes on it gets grittier, darker and more like a procedural. Personally I like the darker, grittier ones, so I found the series just kept getting better, overall an excellent series.

19. Wie de wolf vreest (He Who Fears The Wolf ) by Karin Fossum - 4 stars

The third Inspector Sejer-book of the series and again a delightful, although not as intriguing and surprising read as the first two. But definitely enthralling enough to go looking for number four.

20. Alles waar ik spijt van heb by Philippe Claudel - 4,5 stars

This is the 6th book I read by Philippe Claudel and every time I'm in awe of his beautiful prose. Reading his books is like slowly tasting, savouring a glass of exquisite wine. This book tells the story of a man who comes to back to the village he left 16 years ago, to bury his mother. Little by little, we get to know the mother, the village and the reasons why he left. Although this story is not as overwhelming as Brodeck's report or By a Slow River, it is breathtakingly introspective and charming. The way in which Claudel depicts ordinary people like the hotel-owner or the priest is sublime. I'm afraid this book may not be to everyone's taste, but if you like a taste of literary wine, this one is highly recommended.

"Literary wine"... I think I'll have to take a sip. Onto the list it goes.

21. Dichterbij dan je denkt (Unspoken) by Mari Jungstedt - 3,5 stars

I'm still enjoying my detectives. This one I read in one session: when a man is brutally murdered and a girl goes missing and is later found dead, there seems to be no connection between the crimes. But with the help of a journalist (who's a far better policeman than the real one), the cases are solved. It was an entertaining read but a bit too smooth for me despite the serious subjects. Not the best in the genre, but good enough for a few hours of light entertainment.

22. De collectie van de geograaf (The Geographer's Library) by Jon Fasman - 4 stars

I enjoyed this one, not in the least because of the main character, a somewhat gullible, young journalist who's not taking himself and the world too seriously, but gets involved into something far bigger than anything he's ever experienced. I liked the set-up and the structure of the story as well as the atmosphere. This could have been a heavy-weight crime-novel which nobody can really take seriously. Instead, the author chose to flavour his story with mild humour which makes this book a delightful read.

23. Tegenstroom (A necessary end) by Peter Robinson - 3 stars

When a policeman is killed during a demonstration, inspector Banks is the one who has to find out who's done it along with chief inspector Burgess who's sent from London. While Burgess is convinced that the murderer has to be found in radical left-wing groups (hippies, students, feminists), Alan Banks thinks the motive for murder lies more in the character of the victim.
I was a bit disappointed, not so much becuse this story is rather dated (which would be a strange thing for someone who likes old mysteries and historical fiction), but because the plot was so clumsy: policemen in Yorshire seemed to do nothing but smoke, have lunch three times a day, drink themselves a delirium, chase after women preferably if they are married, while being secretive about their own work to one another. The knife that was missing was found within days in the middle of a yorkshire field by a shepherd who was bright enough to link this to the murder and carry it to the police (have you any idea how enormous this landscape is?). In the end the mystery was solved more despite the police than because of them, I thought.
Anyway, I have a feeling Peter Robinson was trying to create more personality and character to Alan Banks, after having introduced him in the first two books and wanting to make a series out of the Banks-character. Having read a few of his later books already, I think this book was a necessary rite-of-passage but not a favourite of mine.

24. Gezicht uit het verleden (Pale as the Dead) door Fiona Mountain - 3 stars

It sometimes takes a book like this to make me yearn for good literature again...

Hi, Monica!

How are you? I can see you have been reading a lot of Norwegian literature lately. Karin Fossum is a well known author In Norway, but somehow I have never tried any of her books. Might reconsider it after reading your reviews!:)

Oh, and I love your comment in your last post:

It sometimes takes a book like this to make me yearn for good literature again...

Haha..though I have not read that spesific book, I know exactly what you mean!

25. Het papieren huis (The House of Paper) by Carlos Maria Dominguez - 3 stars


A literary, somewhat strange, novella in the best writing-tradition of Latin America about the danger of loving books too much. Three things I learned from this novella:
1. thank God I love reading books but don't feel the need to own them all;
2. LT may prove to be vital for genuine book-addicts;
3. Latin-American fiction and I, it's not meant to be.

This was a quick in-between read but now I'm hurrying back to Jane Eyre. I find it very interesting to reread this book after I read it in my late teens. I enjoyed it then but now it's very different because I'm older and wiser (I hope) and better understand the characters. Back then I was hoping to find my own Rochester. Today I'm glad I didn't :-)

Hi Monica. I'm interested in your reviews of the Peter Robinson series. I've read quite a few of those, starting somewhere in the middle, and have recently gone back to try reading from the start. I've read the first one, but still waiting to get hold of the next few.

Also like your description of the Karin Fossum books. Another author to look out for...

Enjoy your re-read of Jane Eyre!

Hi Monica, I'm reading Jane Eyre, too, only it's my first time. It's a classic I've somehow missed. I love it so far!

26. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - 4 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this reread. Although a bit tedious and old-fashioned, it well and truly deserves to be called a Classic.

27. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - 4,5 stars

I must admit I've been very reluctant to read this book and I only read it because it scores so high on the lists of best books in the world. The idea of a book about the war spiced with absurd humour, sci-fi and time-travelling didn't really appeal to me. Other than that I'm not a big fan of sixties literature. But if ever I've been mistaken about my presumptions regarding a book, this must be it. Although this isn't a classical anti-war-book, I think it is one of the more poignant ones because of the way in which the story is told by Billy Pilgrims, the American soldier who survived the bombing of Dresden. So, this book really was a lovely surprise and I'm so glad I read it. The contrast to my previous read probably couldn't have been bigger though...

Thanks to all of you who stopped by my thread these last weeks. I've been quite negligent to keep in touch myself, but I do keep track of your threads. I'm just not very talkative these days :-)

Your reflections on Slaughterhouse Five have gotten me thinking about how there must be loads of wonderful books out there that I haven't read because of my prejudice against the topic, the author, the cover. One of the first that comes to mind is Moby Dick. I just cannot stand the man's grammar and can never get past the first few pages. I should just suck it up and read the darn thing. I might surprise myself. Then again I read all of Hemmingway's major novels and still didn't change my mind about him being a chauvinist and not liking his books. :)

Hope your flowers are blooming and your moles are in abeyance.

28. De kleinzoon (The upright piano player) by David Abbott - 4,5 stars


A beautiful, multi-layered story that evolves around Henry Cage, a quiet, middle-aged man. It's a story of love and loss, words unspoken, coincidence, fate, ambition, getting older, chasing dreams, reconciliation, ... written in the most beautiful, soothing prose that I find is so typical for British writers. Highly recommended if you like the books by Ian MacEwan or John Banville.

ETA. The book will be published in the US as of June 7th 2011: http://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/blog/2011/02/21/interview-with-david-abbott/

The Upright Piano Player sounds fascinating. Your desciption reminds me a little of The Waitress was New, quiet middle-aged man who reflects on life past and present. And thanks for sharing the interview. David Abbott sounds so unassuming and genuine, and I love the pictures of his book-filled house and favorite bookstore.

#110 I saw that one mentioned in a recent TV show about new British authors and thought it sounded interesting so very glad to hear you enjoyed it. I will hopefully get it out of the library at some point.

29. De bewaker by Peter Terrin - 3,5 stars

This novel by a Flemish novelist, written in 2009, tells the weird story of two guards (Michel and Harry), seen through the eyes of Michel. They watch over a luxurious appartment-building from the basement which is the only entry to the building. When alle the tenants but one and their personnel leave the building, the two guards are left on their own. As the story unfolds, we get dragged into the minds, fears and fantasies of the guards and share their habits and uncertainties. This book was nominated for the Libris Literatuurprijs in 2010, one of the most prestigious prizes for Dutch fiction and ended up on the shortlist. It reminded me of books written by Beckett, Kafka, Hrabal and other writers who are able to give expression to alienation, loneliness and fear. Not a very happy read, but quite impressive. I think this one's eligible for translation.

Hmmm, looks like there is intent to publish, but maybe not out yet:

Gallimard to publish translation Peter Terrin
The rights for Peter Terrin’s book ‘De bewaker’ (The Guard) were recently sold to Gallimard, the prestigious French publishing house, with the assistance of the FLF. Terrin is the first Flemish prose author on Gallimard’s list since the translation of Hugo Claus’s ‘Omtrent Deedee’ (About Deedee) 40 years ago.

Dutch publisher De Arbeiderspers has already negotiated and sold English-language rights for the book to MacLehose Press in England and the Italian rights to Bompiani...

# 114 - Really !?! A Flemish writer to be translated, that's amazing. I think you would like (though maybe not love) this one, Lisa, as well as The upright piano player. But then... so many books and so little time. I'd already listed The Waitress was New when you first mentioned it, but I'm looking for the French version as it would be silly for me to read it in English.
Btw, here's some additional info on Terrin's book: http://www.nlpvf.nl/book/book2.php?show=all&book_vertid=7181&Book=728

30. How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton - 4 stars

Well, I'm not sure if Proust will change my life but de Botton managed to shine an interesting light on some issues, such as looking differently at things, using language differently, etc. illustrating this with the life and work of Marcel Proust. Apart from these issues, it also became very clear to me that being a brilliant author doesn't imply success in life & love: Proust may have written the most beautiful novel, may have known have to live happily, may have done all he could to achieve happiness but I wouldn't have wanted to live his life. But does anyone care? Did Proust care ? Is this important? Given the fact that now we can enjoy his beautiful literature?
Anyway, de Botton / Proust may just have given me some very simple but happy insights. I'll probably reread this one very soon, to let it sink in a bit more. Meanwhile...

What a lovely image that still life is. Who is it by?

I've never read Slaughterhouse-Five either - another one that must go on the list.

Hi Genny, thanks for stopping by. The painting is by Jean-Baptiste Chardin, an 18th-century painter who specialized in still life-paintings. He's mentioned by Proust as a way to enjoy life more (there's a whole theory behind it which I found interesting).
More on Chardin:
- http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/still_life/chardin/chardin.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste-Sim%C3%A9on_Chardin

31. De tweede man door Doeschka Meijsing - 4,5 stars

A multi-layered novel, a quest in which a man always finds himself in the position of being the "second man" and seems to be unable to step into life as the first man, even though he has everything going for him. Beautiful to read, hard to describe, only in Dutch.

Just checking in here, Monica, after a 6 weeks absence from LT. Hopefully I can keep up with you for the remainder of the year :)

Hi Monica,

I've unpolitely neglected your thread the last month (someone an idea how to put 48 hours in a day), but I'm still following you!

Nice to see the thrillers you read and good to see that you liked Slaughterhouse-five. I read it in the end of last year and was amazed by it (after a reluctant start).

Thanks for the reviews of Flemish and Dutch books, I should get to them more often.

32. Publieke Werken by Thomas Rosenboom - 4,5 stars

A beautifully written and brilliantly composed book set in the late 1880s about two Dutch nephews who want to do the right thing but end up differently than planned. I don't think this one is translated yet, which is too bad.
My review (in Dutch) is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/923816/reviews/71740749

Yippie, another positive review of a book that is still waiting on my shelves

Yip-oh-no, another one not in English. :-(

It is too bad that it is not translated. Rats.

33. Geschiedenis van mijn puurheid / (Storia della mia purezza) by Francesco Pacifico - 4 stars

This book tells the story of the young Italian Piero Rosini who became extremely catholic in his early twenties. He and his wife now lead an exemplary life (or like to think so), leaving behind their sinful habits and friends. Leading an exemplary life however is not as easy as it seems and when he's struck by the beauty of his prude sister-in-law, the ghost is out of the bottle. Piero finds it more and more difficult to sustain the catholic way of living and somewhat flees to Paris where he's faced with even more challenges. When he befriends a jewish girl and her uncle, his antisemitic ideas cannot stand the test of reality either.
This is a humorous, often sarcastic, biting novel about the dichotomy of life having to chose between being exemplary or human. There's more to this book than I can tell in this brief review, but it's a whirlwind of a book, forcing you to think about some major issues of life.

34. Duel by Joost Zwagerman - 4 stars

A funny, little novella about a modern art-project, involving Mark Rothko's Untitled no. 18, going terribly wrong.
After the book by Pacifico, this was my second read of the "Literaire Lente ("Literary Spring") 2011"-list (http://www.boek.be/actie/literaire-lente-2011).

Looks like you have had several good reads in a row, Monica! I hope the streak continues for you.

35. De kunst van het wachten (The art of waiting) by David Nolens - 3,5 stars

A recent book by a Flemish author about a succesful copywriter who suddenly realizes he wants to change his life and befriends a hobo. Together, they roam to Denmark and other places where they meet and join other 4th-world-people. Fast-paced and introspective, this is a strange, highly literary book which focusses on a universal theme of feeling comfortable within your own world. Although I admire the high quality and writing-skills of the author, it's not really my kind of book as I'm not fond of this type of self-centered characters.

ETA touchstone

36. Rituelen by Cees Nooteboom - 3 stars

Although he is one of the most famous and best regarded Dutch writers, I'm not a fan of Nooteboom's work. He is a great writer, for sure, but I simply do not like his books. As with 's Nachts komen de vossen, I read this book and waited for some plot to develop. It never did of I must have missed it. Reading some of the reviews, I realize I probably have a blind spot towards these books. I'm glad I read it though.

Hi, Monica! How are you? Trying to catch up on threads:) Have a lovely day!

37. De omweg by Gerbrand Bakker - 4 stars

This is the most recent book by Gerbrand Bakker about a woman who takes off to Wales, getting away from her husband and her work at university. She carries a secret with her that is slowly revealed. This book is impressive, not so much by what it is telling but more by what the author is revealing by not telling. A beautiful, poetic, introspective book for readers that enjoy slow, microscopic reading. Recommended!

That is certainly a riveting book cover, makes me want to know what's inside.

Good to see you liked De omweg. This far I've only read Boven is het still (English:The Twin), and Juni is waiting on the shelf. I guess I will buy his newest book if I finished that one.

Scurrying off to see which of the above are available in English. Another LTer has been touting The Twin, so I really need to try Bakker. The Pacifico book sounds really interesting too.

ETA: I can't find either in English. :-(

We have read the same number of books so far this year, but you are ahead of me in reviewing.

I've added The Twin to my wishlist based on the conversation here.

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.
I read The Twin last year (my comment is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/92190#2036196) and, in retrospect, I'd recommend it. I think Bakker is one of the more exciting new Dutch authors with an own style. The Twin won the IMPAC award and De omweg has been nominated for the Libris Award, which is one of the highest awards in the Dutch literary landscape.
As you probably noticed, I'm in the native-language-mood right now. I want/need to catch up with the Flemish and Dutch literature which has been published since I left high-school. There seems to be a lot of it (or maybe I left high-school too long ago) and the quality is far better than I remember.
It's a pity few books have been translated and probably never will be. It makes me wonder about all those other beautiful books published in other languages I'll never be able to read.

38. Bonita Avenue by Peter Buwalda - 4,5 stars

This is an amazing debut-novel by a Dutch writer which immediately got on the prestigious shortlist of the "Libris Literatuurprijs". No wonder, because this is a spectacular book. it tells the story of the decline and fall of the charismatic Simon ("Siem") Sigerius and his family. I know this sounds pretty cliché, but the way in which Buwalda tells the story, interweaving three points of view, whirling back and forth through the past and the present in an amazing literary language is breath-taking. Furthermore, I think it takes a pretty good writer to be able to mix drama with humour the way he does, so if you know how to read Dutch or if ever you come across a translation (which is not yet available), it's highly recommended.

ETA: review in Dutch is here: http://www.librarything.com/work/10477710/reviews/72355059

39. L'Horizon by Patrick Modiano - 3,5 stars

The first book I read by this French novelist is about a man who briefly knew a woman who was stalked and disappeard from his life. 40 years later, he wants to find her again. Although the novella leaves you with more questions than it gives answers, it is a beautifully written book. I'll certainly try to read more from this author.

40. Zonder mij by Philippe Claudel - 4 stars

Every book I read by Philippe Claudel so far, moves me. I love his gentle, rich language, his subtle tones, the sensitive way in wich he tells his story. This one is about a man who's lost after the death of his wife and since her death - apart from the beauty of his baby-daughter - can only see the negative and the ugly in the world. But then he meets someone who changes his views. As always, this is a very thoughtful, poetic novella which has to be read when you're in the right mood. Probably not to everyone's taste though.

I'm mentioning two books here which I started, but did not finish. So I won't be counting them for the 75BC. However, I thought I'd elaborate on my reasons for not finishing them:

De Asielzoeker by Arnon Grunberg - not finished

After 154 (out of 352) pages I was so fed up with this book I almost threw it away. Fortunately, I remembered in time I had to give it back to the library (can't wait). This kind of book really makes me angry because it's this kind of book that some people keep calling literature and keeps appearing on high-school-readinglists. And then people wonder why young people are put off of reading for the rest of their lives... OK, I may not have a lit. degree, so I probably do not understand what Literature is all about but could someone please, please explain it to me then? Because I really don't. The plot is promising enough: a man without illusions has decided to live for his girlfriend instead of living for himself. But they never get intimate anymore. Instead he visits brothels and whores. But then, the girlfriend gets terminally ill and she decides to marry a low-life asylum seeker from Algeria to help him out. So they start a menage à trois and go to France because the girlfriend wants to learn how to make goat-cheese. This is where I gave up... There probably will be a twist somewhere, but I'm not interested anymore. Also, the language is sublime, without any doubt. Grunberg knows how to write in strong, literary prose. But is it really necessary to go on and on and on on every aspect of having sex with a despicable whore in a shelter or to tell in detail how he uses the bathroom? Or how he witnesses the intimacy of the others? I don't think so. Other than that, this book reminded me of how much I hated reading when in high-school. It took me years to recover and discover that there are books that I do like. I'll live after this gastly experience,because I know there are plenty of great books out there, but I'm frustrated because I know this kind of book will put off teenagers from reading for a long time, if not forever.

Major Pettigrew's last Stand by Helen Simonson - not finished

This is another one I did not finish for completely different reasons. I started it a while ago but I found it a bit too corny and it couldn't keep my attention. I'm convinced though that it would make a lovely movie, one of those British makes with its typical humour. I'd be happy to watch it if I wanted to see a feel-good-movie. Perhaps, if the circumstances had been different, I might have finished the book, but I was in a bit of a rational mood, having a lot on my mind at work and at home and somehow major Pettigrew and his people were a bit too trite.

Wow, now I really feel like I'm nagging, but I'm glad I got this off my chest. One does not always have to agree with everyone, do we?

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy those books! But dont' feel guilty about it. No, you don't always have to agree with the "experts" about books. I liked Major Pettigrew but not quite as much as everyone else did. And the Grunberg book sounds like I would hate it too! :)

Although Zonder Mij isn't translated into English yet, Brodeck's Report is, and I think I'll go pick it up. Have you read it?

I'm glad you are writing about books you didn't finish. Grunberg's book sounds horrible. Is it really on high school curricula?

Sorry you didn't care for Major Pettigrew. It caught me at just the right time when I needed something light to offset a lot of depressing reading. I found it charming, but I can see how in a different mood it might have seemed cloying.

Thank goodness there is always something else to turn to when we hit a clunker! What are you reading now?

(edited to fix touchstones)

Hi. It has been a long time since I visited.

I smiled at your comment regarding the book Pale As Dead. I read this a few years ago because I love Pre-Raphaelite art. While the story line was good, I agree, the writing was not!

@140 You seem to have the same feeling about Arnon Grunberg as I have. Last year or so I read Blauwe maandagen and wasn't impressed. I guess I will try Tirza sometime, but I'm a little scared to start it.

I've lost your thread, Monica, but I've starred it so I keep up with your recommendations. De omweg (The Detour?) sounds good; I enjoyed The Twin, so I'll definitely get his new book once it is published in English. The Modiano and Claudel novels look interesting, so I'll add those to my wish list, too.

Thanks everyone for stopping by!
Hi Angela, you're right. I don't particularly feel guilty though but rather annoyed because awful books are such a waste of valuable reading-time. I know I'll always dislike Grunberg's books but I'm not sure about Pettigrew. I think there might be a right place and a right time for this type of book for me, just not this time and place :-)

Hello Lisa, I think you'd enjoy Brodeck's Report. It was by far my favourite read of 2010. And well, Grunberg... I'm still waiting for someone who really likes his books to comment and tell me what he or she likes about them because I must be missing something. The man has won quite a few prizes or ended up on shortlists. I've given it some further thought because this really bothered me. It actually put me off reading for a couple of days (a kind of book-nausea). I think it's the combination of far too much explicit sex one one hand and the self-centered characters who only concentrate on their own petty lives on the other hand. I think if Claudel were to approach this theme, he'd write a totally different and much more interesting book. Maybe I should have tried Major Pettigrew after I threw away Grunberg's book though.
I've tried to read a couple of books, but didn't get far yet. Today I bought Congo by David Van Reybrouck. The man won about every prize there is to win with his literary-historical book, published in 2010 about the history of Congo (a former Belgian colony). I've put off even approaching this book because I'm reluctant to give in to popular books but last weekend I saw the man and I was impressed by his speech. I thought if he only writes half as good as he talks, it'll be great. But now I've read a couple of pages and I think he's an even better writer. So that looks very promising and I may be joining the choir of fans. Other than that I also started Wuthering Heights, Steppenwolf and a couple of other books I'll probably continue to read over the next few weeks.

Hi Linda, great to find you here again. I remember you like the pre-rafaelites. Although I wasn''t impressed with the book, I learned interesting things about this group which I'd never known before.

Hi Boekenwijs, what else can I add on Grunberg that I haven't said before. I read Tirza and didn't like it for the same reasons why I didn't like De Asielzoeker. I think there are far more interesting books in Dutch literature available. I still welcome all suggestions.

Hi Darryl, what a surprise to find you here. I'm not surprised you lost me though because I strayed through detective-land for a while and I don't think that's your cup of tea. But now I try to read more literary stuff again (if I ever recover from the Grunberg-disease). I hope the books you're interested in will be translated soon. I noticed you read quite a few books by Amélie Nothomb lately. Believe it or not, I haven't read any of her books yet. After reading your reviews I really want to read some.

Usually I donate any books that I don't keep to the library booksale, but every once in a while I read one that is so awful that I would rather rid the world of such trash and throw it in the recycle bin.

Speaking of recycling, I just got back from Florida and was appalled at the lack of recycling. There are no public bins around, people don't do it at home, and boy do they drink a lot of those waters in plastic bottles. It was very stressful!

Hope your reading funk ends soon. I hate those.

I'm very intrigued by many of the books you are reading--but I'll have to hope that someday they will be translated to English.

I loved Brodeck's Report last year when I read it, and I have The Twin waiting on my shelf.

41. XY by Sandro Veronesi - 4,5 stars


This is a fascinating book (published in Italy in 2010 and already translated to Dutch) and probably one of the better reads for me this year. The book starts off with what seems to be the setting of a detective-novel: a group of people is found brutally murdered in the woods near a small and remote hamlet in the Italian dolomites. The eyes of the world turn to the small community that is shocked and desperate about what has happened.
The story is told by two protagonists, a priest who wants to help his flock and wants to overcome the madness and insanity that slowly creeps in and a young psycho-analist who has left her overpowering boyfriend and wants to help the priest to cure the community. Despite their noble efforts, things evolve differently than expected.
This might have been a corny story with the traditional contrast between man-woman, faith-reason, old-young, city-hamlet, etc. It is not. Instead it is a very delicate, gentle, sensitive, thoughtful yet sometimes humorous, multi-layered story in which there's plenty of room for insightful thoughts and imagination.

I won't give away much more about the plot. However, I highly recommend this to anyone who slightly shares my reading-tastes.

This was the first book I read by Veronesi and I have a feeling he is a writer whose other books I have to check out rather sooner than later.

Just one more thing: I haven't got a clue what the book-cover in the Dutch version has to do with the book. I think this is a mistake.

42. Met angst en beven by Amélie Nothomb - 3,5 stars

This is an (autobiographical) novella in which the author writes down what happened to her when she worked for a Japanese firm in Tokio for a year. Being Belgia, born in Japan, she knows Japanese and knows the Japanese ways of life and habits, but it seems she's in no way prepared for the one-year-experience in the firm. She starts as a help in book-keeping, but unwillingly and unconsciously she makes so many mistakes against Japanese etiquette, she soon finds herself cleaning toilets. This is a hilarious at times sharp account but also very interesting to see in which way the western culture differs from the Japanese. Also, it made me curious to read other books by Nothomb because she has a witty style that appeals to me.

43. Het leven gaat verder (And life goes on) by Hans Keilson - 4 stars

A lot of books have been written about the second World War. Far less books have concentrated on the period before that war. In this book, we meet the middle-class Seldersen-family, who live in a small provincial town in Germany. The parents are shopkeepers and the son Albrecht is studying. Throughout the book we witness the fall of the family and of the whole German society, the economic crisis of the 1930's, people who lose their jobs, people who are not able to pay their debt, etc. We witness the strikes, the discontentment, the rebellion, but also the meekness, the despair and the clever tricks by resourceful people. Parallel to this is the story of Albrecht who wants to study and his friend Fritz who wants to work. But they both have a very hard time in realizing their dreams.
This is not an uplifting book, but it is relevant and beautiful, especially if you know it is written by Keilson in 1933. It was the last book by a jewish author that was published by Fischer Verlag and was banned a few months later. In 1936 Keilson migrated to the Netherlands.

44. Bittere bloemen by Jeroen Brouwers - 3,5 stars

Jeroen Brouwers is one of the most important Dutch writers of the older generation. This book is supposed to be his final book (self-declared). And very appropriately it deals with the feelings of the 80plus-year old Jules Hammer, a former judge, politician and famous writer who, after having recovered from a stroke, is sent on a cruise to the mediterranean by his bossy daughter, much to his dislike. However, when he meets a former girl-student on the ship, his infatuation with her immediately rekindles. And although his health is weakening by the hour because of the circumstances on and off board (heat, noise, people, etc.), he's extremely happy to be around her. However, things do not work out as planned.
This outline might seem a bit flat but the book really isn't, not in the least because the story is seen through the eyes of the very grumpy, cynical, no-nonsense yet likeable main character who interweaves the present with fleeting memories from the past which gives the reader an insight into the life Hammer has lead. And then of course, there's the splendid writing-style of Jeroen Brouwers which is outstanding.
All in all, this is a rather flimsy story but in the hands of Brouwers, it's become a little gem and a very enjoyable read.

45. In de ban van mijn vader (The Force of the Past) by Sandro Veronesi - 4,5 stars

Sandro Veronesi is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors. I like the themes he chooses for his books and in combination with his fluent, unique style, his books are a joy to read. In The Force of the Past an author of children's books meets a man who claims his father was not the rather right-winged Italian gentleman he used to think but a Russian KGB-spy. He has a very hard time believing this. But as his insecurity grows, he realizes other people have secrets as well and are not who they seem.
This is a book which one may read on an entertaining level: "man finds out his father is a KGB-spy", but on a deeper level, it deals with the importance and the relevance of identity. The stream of consciousness towards the end of the book was magnificent, the way in which Veronesi is able to portray the insecurities, anger, disappointment etc. of the main character is impressive.
I already have another of Veronesi's books on my "soon to be read-pile" and I cannot wait. This one is highly recommended.

Nice review of The Force of the Past, Monica. I've added it to my wish list, and I've downloaded a sample of Quiet Chaos to my Kindle.

Monica, You have convinced me to try books by Sandro Veronesi!

The force of the past looks right up my alley, and it has been translated. Onto the list it goes!

Checking in, Monica. Looks like you have been doing some great reading. I am sorry to see that you did not enjoy Major Pettigrew. I loved that one, but like I always say ' Not every book is for every body.'

46. Het onderzoek (The Investigation) by Philippe Claudel - 3 stars

This is the most recent book by Philippe Claudel and by far one of the most creepy books he's written so far. I must admit, Claudel is not a very humorous author. His books are though-provoking and often a bit disturbing but never before has he written such an eerie book. The plot is quite simple: an man comes to a town to investigate the 20+ suicides that were committed by the employees of the company, but as soon as he sets foot in the town, he gets sucked away in a nightmare where he never accomplishes what he aims to. It is easy enough to understand that Claudel wants to point out the problems of modern society but in my opinion it is all a bit too weird, too much of a caricature. It felt a bit too structuralized, too manicured to my taste. So, as much as I hate to admit it and despite the strong message and the fluency of his style, this was the first book by Philippe Claudel I didn't really like (not saying "really didn't like")!
Btw, the plot for this book is said to be based on the striking number of suicides that were committed by employees of France Telecom that is said to be a consequence of the bad working-conditions of the company.

Thanks for stopping by everyone. I really appreciate it. I have been a bit less active on your threads, but I try to follow and lurk.
# 153 - I hope you'll like Veronesi, Darryl, but I actually think you'll appreciate his books. Do let me know if I'm wrong :-)
# 154 - You really should try Veronesi, Linda, he's a very interesting author. I seem to have lost your thread (as I have many others), but I hope you re doing OK.
# 155 - Well, why doesn't that surprise me, Lisa :-). It seems our mutual reading-taste has shifted a bit (I admit you might have a hard time reading all these Dutch books), but I'm sure we'll meet again in the future on the same book-level!
# 156 - Wow, Stasia, it's been a while. I hope you'll soon be able to sail calmer waters and find the job you want. I really appreciate you finding the time to stop by. Don't worry about my Pettigrew-experience. It was not that bad and besides, there's plenty of books in my book-ocean I did and do like.

...if only I read Dutch or I had a superb, personal translator. I keep up with you where I can!

#159 - Don't worry, Lisa, I feel my reading-sonar is shifting towards French, Italian or definitely translated literature in the near future. I just learned one of the most important literary prizes in the Dutch language was won by the Fleming Yves Petry for his book De maagd Marino about an intellectual cannibal who ate his boyfriend. I believe it is a true story that happened in Germany but I have to check it out further. I'm not sure I'll read this one because the theme doesn't really appeal to me (...) and I'm quite reluctant to read books just because they won a prize... Grunberg won quite a lot of them and you know how I feel about his books by now.
eta touchstone

#157: I do not think that is a book for me, so I will give it a pass (without even knowing if it has been translated or not!)

Thoughts too dark to think, words too unspeakable to write are the stuff of Yves Petry's fifth novel De Maagd Marino (The Virgin Marino). The protagonists have made a deal: one will castrate, kill and then eat the other. And so it happens.

Ehhwww! Definitely not for me. Prize awarding committees must have stronger stomachs than I.

Too bad the new Claudel book is not as good as his previous books. I think I'll still look for it though. I'll also be looking for some Veronesi books.

47. De Middagvrouw (The Blind side of the Heart) by Julia Franck - 3 stars


Hm, now this is a tough one to review. Part of me liked this book, part of me thought it had too many flaws. I thought the theme was interesting and intriguing enough: shortly after the war a 7 year old boy is left by his mother Helene aka Alice on a train-station. What caused the mother to abandon her child this way. The rest of the book is a flash-back in which we get to to know Helene, her family, her background, her history which all lead up to abandoning the child. The author writes fluently in a rich and elaborate style. However, it did not convince me. I did feel sorry for Helene because she had a miserable childhood and youth with a madwoman for a mother and a lesbian older sister who couldn't keep her hands off her (and others in her presence), lost the love of her life and felt obliged to marry a man she didn't love which did not work out well. But Helene never "touched" me. I couldn't get a grip of her personality. All through the book she was so depressing, so distant although I'm sure the author did everything she could to make her feel like a victim. Other than that, I didn't like the shallowness of the other personalities: the mad mother, the intelligent boyfriend who loves art and philosophy, the loose aunt with her boyfriends, the sister and her doctor-girl-friend, the husband who changes his personality overnight. It was all a bit cliché and gimmicky and for some strange reason, despite all the words, none of the characters came to life for me. I was bothered with all the loose ends also. The author started something but didn't pick it up later to finish it off. And on a less important note, I thought it was not necessary to elaborate on the sex-experience the way she did. But then, sex sells.
It also struck me that this book contains absolutely no humour, which is rare. I find that almost every book, however serious and heart-breaking, often contains humour or a light tone to make it a bit more bearable. This one didn't.
So, all in all, the book did not live up to my expectations. I had hoped after the first chapter, that I would be able to understand Helene's motives, but I just thought what a self-centered, depressing woman she was. Maybe if I had read the book this way (which I'm sure I was not meant to do), I would have enjoyed it more.
For some reason, I compare the Helene-character to Jane Eyre. There are similarities: both woman have their difficulties when growing up and have to make hard choices but at least Jane Eyre (who has far less choices IMO), makes the best of it while Helene is just a depressive woman who abandons her innocent little boy. No way, Jane Eyre would have done this.
So, I don't really recommend this book, although I'm sure there are plenty of people who did love the book and weren't taken aback by what I see as flaws.

#164: I think I will give that one a pass. I hope you enjoy your next read more, Monica!

Too depressing, I think. Finally, one I can pass on!

#165 - Plenty of other fish in the book-sea, Stasia, don't worry:-)
#166 - Well, actually, Lisa, I think you might like it though. I've read some comments of peple who did like it and they enjoyed the subdued tone of the book. So maybe this is a brilliant book but it just does not appeal to me. Or is this just another case of the wrong book at the wrong time? I wish there was just some kind of objective way to rate a book. Anyway, I've just started on my third Veronesi-book and it is spot on, again.
#163 - Thanks for stopping by, Deborah. You're absolutely right to read the Claudel-book. He's too good a writer to miss one of his books. It might be one of his "lesser" books, but it still a good one if you like the Claudel-style, like we both do.

48. Het geheim van de Hoffmans (El secreto de los Hoffman) by Alejandro Palomas - 4 stars

When the ex-husband, the daughter and the two grand-children meet for the funeral of the grand-mother, a family-secret hangs between them like fog. The death of the two parents of the grand-children over 20 years ago not only has caused a rift in the family but also had a deep personal impact on every individual involved. In the days that follow the funeral, the family learns to deal with their past and tries to find a new balance.
This is a gem of a book, not so much because of the story - 200 pages is far too little to go into each person's character in depth - but because of the beautiful style and poetic language, the subtlety of the phrasing, the delicacy of the words. Reading this book is like watching a family-portrait where the people come to life while you're watching. Recommended, but - as often - not yet available in English yet, I'm afraid.

Rats. Nicely done review though.

ETA: I went to go give your review a thumb, and see you didn't post it. I think people would appreciate it if you did, because it's a good review and there are no others.

Thanks, Lisa. I've added the review. I'm a bit reluctant to do this sometimes, because I don't think of my thoughts as reviews. However, if they can be of any help to other people, I'm happy to contribute.
I often read the conversations about a book though, because they often shed a different light on a book. And again, I was amazed to find out this one is not available in English.

I know. Some reviews are so professional that my ramblings seem inane.

I think you Europeans are keeping all the good stuff for yourselves!

I am with Lisa - Rats.

49. Kalme chaos / (Quiet Chaos) by Sandro Veronesi - 4,5 stars

This is the third book by Veronesi I've read and it's the third one that ended up on my list of favourites. What's even more surprising is that they're all very different and I'm not able to choose a "favourite of favourites".
Quiet Chaos starts with the main character Pietro Paladini and his brother rescueing two women from drowning while Pietro's wife dies of an aneurysma. In order to protect his 10-year old daughter from grief, he decides to stay near her all day when she starts school again. The next day he decides to wait before her school again. What starts as a temporary measure, becomes a habit and Pietro Paladini stays there for months on end. While waiting there, Paladini gets to know the people in the neighbourhood. His colleagues, friends and family come to visit, ask advice, quarrel, share their problems. While the world is moving on, Pietro stays in front of the school and sees the world pass by.
I really like the mix of deep, fragile, poetic insights with the mild and absurd humour, the way in which Veronesi portrays his characters and the ease with which he's able to convey feelings of loss, tenderness, despair, love, empathy.
Needless to say, this one is highly recommended and... available in English.

#173: Needless to say, this one is highly recommended and... available in English

Woot! I know my local library will not have it, but I am glad to see that it has been translated nonetheless.

50. Veranderend licht (An Altered Light) by Jens Christian Grøndahl - 3 stars

First of all, let me say that I'm amazed by the fact that this very introspective book was written by a then 40-something male author. The story is about a 56-year old woman who, shortly after she's found out that her husband is leaving her for a younger woman, finds out that the man she believed to be her father was not her biological father. But more important than the facts are the feelings, the introspection. I hope I do not sound offensive (it is not meant to be) if I think this is a book that would do well in those female book-clubs where women like to discuss relationships, men, love, faithfulness, adultery, self-actualization. But there's a time when I draw the line for self-absorbed books like this one, however stylish the language and relevant (to some) the theme. So, probably good if you like the genre, but not my cup of tea.

#174 - Ah, Stasia, you're a woman hard to please :-)

I'm adding Quiet Chaos to my Kindle wish list. Thanks, Monica!

51. De verborgen geschiedenis van Courtillon (Johannistag) by Charles Lewinksy - 4,5 stars

This is a beautiful book but so dangerous to review it because part of the beauty lies in the way in which the story unravels. However, I'll try to convey a glimpse of what the book is about. If you've ever been to France and strayed off the highways and the Routes Nationales, you may have passed through those small villages where the young people have moved away and have left the place to the old, simple villagers who live their quiet lives, unaffected by modernity and where nothing seems to happen. Courtillon is such a village when a foreigner arrives and finds out that underneath the varnish lies a world of secrets from the past that have a huge impact on the present and where stories can be told and deliberately misinterpreted. This was a delightful book because of the great characters, beautiful language and a story that smoothly twisted and turned in every direction and always ended up differently than expected. Furthermore the interpretation of the book was so poignant, that every village needs its stories but that they aren't necessarily true.
This is the first book I read by this Swiss author and his other book is said to be even better (I'm not sure if that's even possible). Highly recommended but, you guessed it, probably not available in English yet.

#178: Highly recommended but, you guessed it, probably not available in English yet.

I know you do that on purpose! :)

52. Een vorm van leven by Amélie Nothomb - 3,5 stars

A pretty weird but fun story of the correspondance between Amélie Nothomb and the obese Melvin Mapple, an American soldier fighting in Irak. I won't go into details as it would spoil the outcome, but this sort novel is such a delightful little treat in between the heavier stuff.

53. Refrein van de honger (Ritournelle de la faim) by J.M.G. Le Clézio - 3,5 stars

This is a sensitive story of a young girl growing up in Paris before the Second World War. The story mainly focusses on her relationships with her father, a flamboyant man who loses his fortune and his daughter's inheritance, her mother who disapproves but is unable to really stand up to him, her great-uncle who adores his niece, her friend who wakes up her first feelings of love and the boy who is to become her husband. The decor is Paris before and during the war and the south of France where the events interfere with her life. Although I liked the writing-style and the way in which Le Clézio portrayed his characters, the story in itself was a bit too distant, too clinical to me despite the sensitivity and the importance of the feelings and events that took place. I have yet to figure out if this is the way Le Clézio writes or if it's specific for this one book. But I'm planning to read more by this author.

#181: Do you know if that one has been translated into English, Monica? It looks like one I would enjoy.

# 182 - I don't think so, Stasia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._M._G._Le_Cl%C3%A9zio

Well, rats. Thanks for the info though!

54. Hector & Hector (Petit Hector apprend la Vie) by François Lelord- 4,5 stars

This was a delightful read. Hector is a happy primary-schoolboy who lives with his parents who love him very much. His father is a psychiatrist, his mother works at an office and they talk a lot to each other, teaching him the lessons of life, how he has to behave in certain situations, what is wrong and what isn't, how the world works, etc. This might seem a bit heavy-handed, but because the entire story is seen through the eyes of the boy who takes notes and tries to live by what his parents teach him but doesn't always understand what they are trying to say or who is sometimes confused by their difference of opinion, this is a light-hearted, often hilarious, sensitive book. If you'd like to remember how a child's brain works, if you want a light-hearted read with an all by all deep message or if you just want to have a fun read, I highly recommend this one. Lelord has written other books in the Hector-series and I'll definitely read the others.

#185: And of course, my local library does not have that one despite its availability in English. I cannot win! :)

Thanks for all your great reviews! I've read In de ban van mijn vader by Sandro Veronesi and enjoyed it, so I have to look out for his other books.

I'm doubting a little about Charles Lewinsky but as we seem to have quite similar reading preferences, I think I should give him a fair chance and read one of his books.

55. De regen voor hij valt (The Rain Before It Falls ) by Jonathan Coe - 3,5 stars

Enjoyable book telling a family-history that dates back to World War II. Maybe a bit too "chickliterary" for my taste, but enjoyable nonetheless.

I have not read anything by Jonathan Coe yet (at least I do not think I have!) Off to see if my local library has that one. . .

56. Aan het einde van de wereld (Leaving the World) by Douglas Kennedy - 4 stars

An intelligent woman has to pick herself up after disaster strikes time and time again. And when she finally decides to leave everything and everyone behind and start a new life, she rapidly understands that you cannot flee from yourself. I was impressed by the way Kennedy portrayed his main character. He could have turned her into an heroine or a loser but instead he simply let her be human. I loved this book because it contained some deep insights of what happiness is all about, how depression can undermine your self-esteem, what' s the importance of taking risks, etc.
I cannot understand why this book isn't more popular, but I guess the theme seems too chick-lit for the serious reader while the chicklit reader will be put off by the all by all not extremely happy end ("and they lived happily ever after"). However, I think it was a very gripping book that can touch your soul if you're in the right mood and that contained some "inconvenient on some no so inconvenient truths".

57. Van acquit (L'acchito) door Pietro Grossi - 3 stars

This is a short and simple story of a man who's working on cobblestone-roads, plays billiards and is happy with his wife planning trips they never make. But then his life changes when the cobblestone-roads are replaced by asphalt, he wins a billiards-tournament and his wife is pregnant. But then something else happens that change his life forever.
I'm not sure what to think of this story. It may have a deeper meaning, but I thought it was a somewhat depressing novella that did not lead to anything. But then, that might me my literary blind spot I seem to have towards some books that are widely acclaimed to be literary...

#190: That one looks good! Thanks for the recommendation, Monica.

#191: I think I will give that one a pass.

58. De reis van Hector, of De zoektocht naar het geluk (Hector and the search for happiness) by François Lelord - 3 stars

A somewhat disappointing prequel to Hector & Hector about the psychiatrist's search for happiness in China, Africa and the US. The naive style which worked so well in the first book, was a bit annoying in this one. Agreeable if you don't expect too much or feel a bit low.

#193: I think I will give that one a pass and stick with Hector & Hector - that is, if I can ever get my hands on a copy!

59. De meester van Brugge (The Master of Bruges) by Terence Morgan - 2,5 stars

I cannot give a straightforward opinion on this book, so I'll try to focus on certain issues.
This book is about one of the most famous Flemish painters, Hans Memling who lived in Bruges in the second part of the 15th century. Despite the fact that the author uses some biographical elements that are historically correct, this book is mainly fiction. The author claims however that everything that he's told has really happened and that only characterisation and motivation are based on interpretation, but I'm not sure if that is correct: there's no evidence that Memling played a role in the War of the Roses by harbouring King Edward IV and the later kind Richard III in his house in Bruges and later taking care of Edward IV's sons in London and Yorkshire after their father's death and even making sure the younger of the two brothers gets adopted. Memling's close relationship to Charles the Bold and Mary of Burgundy is not upheld by official sources either but is also based on very wild speculating.
I might have enjoyed this book if the author would not have claimed historical correctness. I would have been able to accept his very wild and entertaining speculations and might even have enjoyed it. However, I have a problem if someone claims he's telling the truth but doesn't.
Other than that I thought the characters were flat and one-dimensional and he did not manage to bring to life the setting of Bruges and other places mentioned. He did not capture the brightness, the splendour and the harshness of that period of time either. And the chapters in between in which he lets Memling get philosophical about painting is irrelevant, imo.
I thought the best thing about this book was the story in itself...if only he wouldn't have claimed it as a historical reconstruction in his epilogue...

More information on Hans Memling: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Memling

Hey Joey,
Just checking in! Haven't been on LT in a while, but as usual I found a lot of books on your thread to add to my wish list... As I am working in Brussels for a while, I'd like to read more Belgian authors, so I'll definitely try to get a hold of Vlaams landschap met nonnen!

60. De Steppewolf (Steppenwolf) by Herman Hesse - 4 stars

This book tells the story of a man who struggles with his personality and finds himself out of tune with the world he lives in. I really liked it although it's not my usual cup or tea. I understand this book, written in 1927, is a bit of a cult-book, often read by troubled teenagers either by choice or because they had modern lit-teachers and I can see why. However, I suspect this book cannot be appreciated unless you can relate to the middle-aged main character, i.e. if you have experienced life a while longer than the teenage-years. I think this is necessary to really understand the depth and meaning of the book. Furthermore, I think this book is a waste if you've never felt slightly depressed, melancholic or not in tune with the world, but then, who hasn't?
So, I think it's a waste on young adults, but otherwise, a book to really get you thinking. Apart from that, I also thought it excellently conveyed the atmosphere of the 1920's, in a very subtle way.

I agree! Both to your comments about historical fiction being passed off as history, and that Steppenwolf is wasted on the young. I read it in my younger years and just didn't get it.

61. Het verloren kind (The Vanished Child) by Sarah Smith - 3,5 stars

An entertaining mystery-novel set in the late 19th, early 20th century, about a child that's gone missing 20 years earlier and a man who may or may not be that child. Vacation for the brain.

#197: I am one of the people who read Steppenwolf in her teen years. I need to revisit it!

62. Een betrouwbare vrouw (A Reliable Wife) by Robert Goolrick - 3 stars

A 54-year old man in Wisconsin tries to find a "reliable wife" to share the rest of his life and his wealth. 34-year old woman reacts and they get married. However, the woman is not as reliable as he'd hoped and the man does have a few secrets that complicate things. Interesting and promising plot, well-written but a rather poor setting and one-sided characters kill the story. I liked it more because of what could have been than because of what actually was presented (although far too much to my taste in the passion-department).

Hmm... think I'll pass on that one. Did just read Brodeck's Report and loved it. I think you were the one to recommend that one to me. Thanks!

#201: I am giving that one a pass too.

63. Het portret (The Portrait) by Iain Pears - 4,5 stars

This novel is set up as a monologue by a Scottish painter who's retreated in France and gets a visit from his friend and art-critic in order to get his portrait painted. Little by little, we get to know what the relationship between the two and the circle of friends involved, what happened earlier on and why the painter moved, It all leads up to a climax which is totally in line with the set-up but takes you by surprise anyway.
I thought this was an extraordinary, very thoughtful book with important insights into the human psychology. It must be a pretty difficult thing to portray characters the way Pears does by merely using a monologue from a character who's very much involved, but I think he did a brilliant job. Highly recommended to non-superficial readers.

#204: I own that one! I wonder where my copy is. . .

I really like the two or three Iain Pears books I've read. I don't know why I haven't made an effort to read more of his work. I'll have to add this one to my TBR list!

I'm intrigued...

64. De kleine vreemdeling (The little Stranger) by Sarah Waters - 2,5 stars

I'm so NOT into this kind of ghost - poltergeist - haunted house kind of books. Probably a very good book in its genre, but just not for me... definitely not. But I'm glad I sat the full 400+ pages. Now I am absolutely sure I'll never want to read something similar again.

Thanks for everyone who's stopping by my thread. I enjoy the company :-)

Hi there, I like what you wrote about The Portrait so it's on the list. You got me when you said it was an extroardinary, thoughtful book - I was hooked.

#208 Me neither. Another thing we have in common!

#208: That one did absolutely nothing for me either, although I really liked Waters' Fingersmith.

I've Steppenwolf on my shelves and maybe I should leave it there for a couple of years more, as I might be a little to young (28). Your review sounds good though.

65. Het goud van de waarheid (An Instance of the Fingerpost) by Iain Pears - 3 stars

Impressive yet slightly disappointing book in which the same events are told by four different characters. This technique enables the reader to eventually understand what really happened during the turbulent years in 17th century England. However, my lack of extensive knowledge of English history of that period and the fact that I could not relate to the characters enough to be enthralled by the story, made it a somewhat bleak reading-experience. I'm glad I continued to read till the end though because the final character, the historian, finally shed the more precise light on the entire story. Or maybe that's just because I have more affinity with the one who has the same profession as I do, unlike the three other characters: the priest, the mathematician and the madman :-) All in all, a very good book, but not entirely my cup of tea.

66. De man van de blauwe cirkels (The Chalk Circle Man) by Fred Vargas - 3 stars

Surprising French detective-novel written in a somewhat special style, which I would call typically French. Anyone who's ever seen the movie "Amélie Poulain" may understand what I mean.

67. Misleid (Deceived: A True Story) by Sarah Smith - 3 stars

The true story of a student who, along with some other friends, was led to believe she was in danger of the IRA by a man she met in a bar. She spent ten years of her life under the spell of this conman. Interesting, rather scary view on how people can be brainwashed.

68. Een onbewaakt ogenblik (Un instant d'abandon) by Philippe Besson - 4 stars

A beautiful book, not so much because of the story but moreso because of the beautiful style and language and the insights it gives into the human psyche. I cannot believe I haven't run across this French author before since his writing is somewhat similar to Philippe Claudel's, one of my favourite authors these days.

69. Het Franse testament (Dreams of My Russian Summers) by Andreï Makine - 4,5 stars

Incredibly beautiful story of a Russian boys who spends his summers with his French grandmother in Saransk in Russia. Through her eyes he not only learns about France and what it means to be French but also about what it means to be Russian. To call this book a coming-of-age-book would be inaccurate: it is so much more. Glimpses of 20th century Russian history, of what it means to feel like an outsider in society, of the importance and the meaning of language are presented in the most beautiful, delicate and thoughtful prose. This autobiography within a biography is one of the best reads of this year. Highly recommended.

70. De zin van het duister (The Meaning of Night) by Michael Cox - 4,5 stars

This story is set in 19th century Victorian Engeland. When the young Edward Glyver discovers that he's the one and only heir of a rich and aristocratic family, he's set on claiming his rights, confronting his arch-rival Phoebus Daunt who not only wants to take his inheritance but also his great love and eventually his life.
The story is told as the personal confession by Edward Glyver which was found and edited by a professor in 2005. This one-sided, very personal point-of-view ensures involvement by the reader. Through Edward's emotionally coloured glasses, the story unfolds with great pace and expectancy. All other characters and events are portrayed from his mildly humouress, sometimes compassionate, empathic but also ruthless, even cruel perspective which ensures authenticity.
This is a wonderful Victorian novel, in the best tradition of Wilkie Collins. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel which I hope takes care of the few bits and pieces that were left unanswered in this book.

71. Het voetspoor van de duivel (The Devil's Footprints) by John Burnside - 4,5 stars

A beautiful, intimate, sometimes disturbing, thought-provoking, poetic book, set in Scotland, about a 30-something man who, after some tribulations (death of his parents, marriage, etc.), finds out it is ok to live his life the way he wants to, quietly, in solitude.
Strongly recommended if you are ready to leave the conventional path of the "...and they lived happily ever after"-type of book.

This sounds interesting; I'll add it to my wish list.

Looks like you have had some nice recent reads, Monica! I too enjoyed The Meaning of Night and like Darryl, am adding The Devil's Footprints to the BlackHole.

72. Urania by J.M.G. Le Clézio - 3 stars

Despite Le Clézio's unquestionable writing-skills, this book did not work for me. The story is about a French geologist who travels to Mexico for his work and finds himself in between scientists he mostly dislikes and a commune he's attracted to, but not too much. In between there's the obligatory mistress and a mysterious prostitute who are more of a device to keep the story together than real characters. I thought the way he handled the theme felt a bit dated and the way in which he tells the story is a bit erratic. However, this may as well be one of those much applauded writers that I simply cannot appreciate as much as others do. I'll have to read another Le Clézio to find this out.

73. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones - 4 stars

I thought this would be a rather cheerful story, like Major Pettigrew or something, but it didn't turn out this way. The story is mainly set on the island of Bougainville in the Pacific where in the nineties a civil war broke out which killed thousands of people. When the war breaks out, all the white people leave the island, leaving behind the natives and one Australian, mister Watts who stays behind with his wife. Mr. Watts decides to reopen the school and teach the children whatever knwoledge he has. When he decides to read Charles Dickens' Great Expectations to his pupils on a daily basis, a whole new world opens to them. However, the book also proves to become a source for disaster.
This truly was a magnificent surprise, heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Matilda, the teenage-girl through whose eyes we see the story evolve, proves to be a remarkable, genuine, resourceful girl who observes with great sensitivity. This is one of my favourite reads of the year, but I won't add it to my official list of favourites because I'd get all those recommendations for sad books about war and that is not why I like this book so much.

I enjoyed Mister Pip too, Monica. I am glad to see the book has another fan.

Mister Pip is on my wishlist for some time already. I should finally get to it!

Your reaction to Mister Pip is similar to mine when I read it last year. I liked it very much. With a lot of books, I forget a lot of the details soon after I finish reading. This is one of the rare ones that has lingered in my memory.

The Meaning of Night has been on my wish list for several years. I really must see about getting a copy to read. It sounds like one I would enjoy.

I'm glad that you enjoyed Mister Pip, Monica; so did I.

I agree that Mister Pip is a novel that I haven't forgotten.

Onto the list with Mister Pip. What a beautiful cover.

215- Okay, I've just GOT to read that book! :)

Yep, me too! Mister Pip is a read-sooner-rather-than-later for me!

Karen O.

I liked The Meaning of Night too. You mentioned a sequel. Is it already published, or just in the works?

I recently read my first Le Clezio too (Wandering Star) and was also disappointed. I have two other of his books on the shelf, though, and intend to give him another try.

I'll be the outlier here and say I didn't really care for Mr. Pip. Maybe it just wasn't the right time when I read it.

74. Het lange eind (The Long Stretch) by Linden MacIntyre - 2 stars

What an incredible boring and annoying read... I simply don't feel like wasting any more words or thoughts on this book. The strange thing is that while the 'Will you like it"-feature is not always right, it's always more or less in the right direction. This time, the feature said I would love it (high end), but I really disliked the book although it had everything to make this a winner: a setting in Canada, a family-secret, a bit of soul-searching, but well, it's like having all the right ingredients and not being able to make an edible cake. Too bad.

75. Nazomer (L'arrière-saison) by Philippe Besson - 4 stars

I really liked this novel about a woman waiting for her lover in a bar, but instead meeting her old lover, all under the watchful eyes of the bartender. Like layers that are added to a painting, we slowly get to know the protagonists of this very simple, very poetic story and dig deeper into their souls. I find Besson to be a very sensitive writer, although I can imagine he is not to everyone's taste and his books might get a bit boring if read too fast too soon. But I'm looking forward to slowly read his books one by one, with intervals. It's like tasting first class Burgundy wine: one or two glasses are heavenly, but too many, too soon... bad idea.

Hm, what's with the parallels to cake and wine... I must get something to eat.

Btw, thanks to everyone who stopped by. I really enjoy your comments. It seem Mister Pip had evoked some strong reactions...

I also started on the sequel of Michael Cox' The Meaning of Night , i.e. The Glass of Time but gave up after some 100 pages. Although it was well-written, I saw "it" coming far too soon and I didn't feel like working my way through some other 500 pages then. Maybe the fact that I heard that the author had died of cancer the very same year he published this book, put me off too. Anyway, I still recommend the first book and many other seem to like his second book, but in my case, it might have been too much too soon (again). I'll probably pick this one up again later, though.

So, I finished my 75 books for this year, if anyone's counting. I read some very good books, some awful ones too, but in general, I've enjoyed these last 6,5 months of reading. I'm still a bit surprised to see how versatile my reading has become when I compare this to my pre-LT-years. However, I intend to diversify even more, because I think there's a lot more out there for me to discover.

Congratulations, Monica! Isn't it wonderful how sharing books with a like-minded community can enhance our reading pleasure? I have learned a great deal about books, authors, and genres that I would never have encountered without interaction with people like you. Being encouraged to write about what I read has helped me too. I actually have to stop and formulate my thoughts before jumping into the next book, or at least as I'm jumping into the next book. Here's to your next 75!

Congrats on hitting 75!

I'm adding another title to my wishlist based on your great reviews - although I admit, I'm struggling right now to finish one of your earlier recommendations. The Last Summer of Reason - given how short the book is, it is taking me forever to plow through. In concept I like it, I just think my literary chops are a little weak right now, and I'm not in the mood for all of the symbolism and allegory. But I've still got 14 books on my list tagged with your name, and overall, your reviews haven't steered me wrong, so I hope you keep plowing past 75!

The Upright Player Piano is in my suitcase as my next "justjoey4" read.

Congratulations on making 75 already!!

Congrats!

# 230 - Thanks Lisa, I agree that it's nice to share the reading-experience here on LT, although it can be a bit overwhelming. But it's great to find like minds like you who more or less seem to enjoy the same books who can inspire me.

# 231 - Hi Stasia, always nice to see you over here!

# 232 - Thanks Patrick, I'm ever so proud you take recommendations from me. I hope you'll manage your way through The Last Summer of Reason. I agree it's not a fun read, but if you know that it's more or less the situation the author was in and that he got killed because of his belief in freedom, I thought it to be very relevant.

# 233-234 - Thanks Leonie and Jim!

I thought 75 books is a good place to finish this thread and start a brand new one here.