Rachbxl's 75 books for 2008

I've been keeping a record of everything I read for about 15 years now, but I like the idea of sharing it with other readers.

I'm going to date my list back to the beginnning of the year, so here's what I've read already:

1. The Island by Victoria Hislop
2. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
3. Winter in Madrid by C. J. Sansom
4. Metaphysique des tubes by Amelie Nothomb
5. The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville
6. A Revolution of the Sun by Tim Pears
7. Rien de grave by Justine Levy
8. Y de repente, un angel by Jaime Bayly

I'd like to think that this year I'm going to read at least some of the books in my TBR pile, but I prefer to read what takes my fancy, rather than forcing myself to get through the pile; I've always thought that the right time comes for any book, sooner or later.

I always rearrange my TBR pile-so you are right- each book will be read in its right time-nice way to say it.

9. The Tent by Margaret Atwood

Thank you, torontoc. I have one particular friend who does read a lot, and we often swap books and recommendations, but she maintains that every book is equal and that you should just read whatever's next in your pile...but I can't! Everyone's different, I suppose.

Did you like The Idea of Perfection? I really enjoyed it when I read it several years ago. It converted me into a die-hard Grenville fan.

Loved it! I enjoyed The Secret River (and Searching for the Secret River still more), but I thought this was something else. I really liked the way she makes those two flawed characters so likeable. What else of hers have you enjoyed?

10. Youth by J.M.Coetzee

11. The Mystic Masseur by V.S.Naipaul

Set in the Indian community of Trinidad, this is the story of Ganesh - failed primary school teacher and would-be writer who finally finds success, first as a mystic healer, then as a politician. The basic premise lends itself to humour, enhanced by the dialogue between the colourful, likeable characters, all of which is in local dialect. It's an easy read, but not without its darker side, as a commentary on society, religion, politics and - as we see right at the end - how success can change even an average man like Ganesh. I have A House for Mr Biswas on my TBR shelf, and I'm looking forward to reading that soon.

>6 rachbxl: alas, while i have collected her earlier works I haven't read them yet; however, I was reading the entry on "Lillian's Story" in the book Australian Classics recently and that may be the next one I read. Did you know there was a movie made of it? I didn't.

12. Gilgamesh, version by Stephen Mitchell

I'd heard of this, but had no idea that I wanted to read it until it leapt off the shelf at me in a bookshop on Sunday - and I'm glad it did. This epic poem is some 3,500 years old, yet fresh, full of life, and immediate. Mitchell's freeform verse flows effortlessly, and his introduction and notes make the work very accessible. I was struck by how the voice of the author comes across all these thousands of years, in his economy of words, which at times I found so effective that it made my spine tingle, and in his use of repetition, and I was overawed that something so old could still make me laugh and cry. I think I'll be coming back to this again and again.

13. L'Enfant de sable by Tahar Ben Jelloun

14. Tiare by Celestine Hitiura Vaite

Light and fun, exactly what I felt like after a hard week at work, real feel-good stuff. Even so, there are some interesting points about identity (are they French or Tahitian, or both?) and the relationship between Tahiti and France.

15. Snow Country by Kawabata

A beautiful novel set in western Japan, apparently the snowiest region on earth. The story deals with the doomed love affair between a rich, worldly man from Tokyo and a young geisha in a remote mountain resort, but what really made this book for me was the style - the narrative is sparse, minimalist, even haiku-like at times, and the reader is left to infer changes of mood through subtle imagery. Great importance is attached to the natural surroundings, and the changing seasons in the mountains reflect changes in the relationship between the two characters.

> 9 I recently read Dark places, which I loved loved loved, Lilian's story is a sequel to Dark places.

16. The Farming of Bones by Edwige Danticat

I was inspired to buy this by the discussion about Haitian literature in the Reading Globally group. The novel is set at the time of the Haitian massacre in the Dominican Republic in 1937. The Haitian narrator, Amabelle, a maid for a Dominican family since she was a child, has to flee for her life when the Dominicans turn on their Haitian workers - mainly labourers in the sugar cane plantations and domestic workers. Unlike thousands of her countrymen, she survives, but the memory of all she has lost (lover, home, life as she knew it, her future) and the knowledge of what her people suffered exert more of a pull on her than the present, and the reader is forced to question whether survival at such a price is worth it. The almost unbearable sadness of the book - personal loss interwoven with national tragedy, the pain of exile and separation - is skilfully, beautifully expressed, and still haunts me now, almost 2 weeks on.

I just picked up the Farming of Bones- I'll have to put it at the top of the big TBR pile!

17. Los Premios by Julio Cortazar

If I'd known how much I was going to enjoy this, I'd never have let it sit on my TBR shelf for so long! I bought it years ago, with a view to reading it as part of my degree, but opted for other writers instead. The eponymous winners are the winners of a mysterious government lottery, the prize being a cruise about which they know very little; the book opens with them and their accompanying friends/relatives convening on the cafe to which they have been summoned, without knowing where they are going or even for how long - absurd, in both senses. The plot thickens when they embark on the "Malcolm", only to find that half the ship is out of bounds, without satisfactory explanation. The passengers are conveniently drawn from all different sectors of Argentine society, and, as in Albert Camus's plague-infested Oran, their isolated condition serves to draw out their characteristics, as some display blind faith that the authorities will look after them, whilst others rage against their condition and try to take action.

18. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

I read all 653 pages of this in 2 days, mainly on a plane on holiday, and I think that's partly why I enjoyed it so much - not sure it's a book for dipping into a bit at a time. The storyline, for what it is, involves a mother's attempts to bring together her dysfunctional family for one last family Christmas, but the book mainly consists of background and related storylines. I often get frustrated with this kind of sprawling narrative, but this worked for me, apart from the section about Lithuania, which I found was at odds with the credibility of the rest of the novel. I particularly like Franzen's way of portraying everyday things; I think he captures the little things in life - a conversation round a dinner table, for example, with several different conversations/monologues going on at once. I have The Twenty-Seventh City on my TBR pile, and on the basis of The Corrections, I'm looking forward to reading it.

19. One Step Behind by Henning Mankell trans. Ebba Segerberg

My first Inspector Wallander mystery; I'll certainly read more when I want something light but well-written.

20. The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer

Upper-class white Julie's car breaks down in a seedy Johannesburg street, and an Arab mechanic, Abdu, an illegal immigrant to South Africa, comes to help her from a nearby garage. Despite their differences of class and culture, the couple start a relationship and fall in love, gently challenging each others' assumptions and certainties. Estranged from her family, Julie has a support network of left-wing friends who meet regularly at a cafe table to talk; despite their much-vaunted liberal values, they are concerned about Julie's increasingly serious relationship with an outsider. Eventually, Abdu's fears come true, and he is ordered to leave the country, forcing Julie to face up to the reality of immigration, idenity and belonging, issues which, for all their talk, she and her circle have never had to tackle. Julie surprises Abdu by deciding to accompany him back to the unspecified Arab country which is his home, where it is her turn to be the outsider.
Julie and Ibrahim, as we discover his real name to be, are a couple united by their hatred of and shame at what and where they come from - she, privilege and money, he, a dusty village in the desert. They come together by chance, but ultimately cannot be together, for each wants what the other is trying to flee - she wants an authentic sense of family and community, whilst he wants success and money.

21. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

Another book that is still haunting me several days after I finished it. What I always love about McEwan are the beautifully crafted sentences, each one packing so much in - so what a lot he manages to say in this 150-page novella.

22. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell

A couple of people have recommended O'Farrell to me recently, so I thought I would give her a try. This was an easy read, but very enjoyable - I have no objection to lighter literature, as long as it's well written, which this is. Iris, the main character, discovers that she has a great-aunt she never knew about; Esme was locked away in an asylum as a teenager, and her family erased all traces of her. As the novel progreses, Iris unravels her family's real history, which makes a good story, as well as providing interesting insight into the treatment of madness in Britain in relatively recent times. There are echoes of On Chesil Beach, as here, too, we find newly-weds in the 1950's whose ignorance about sex has far-reaching consequences. The novel is narrated partly by Esme, partly by Iris, and I found Esme to be particularly engaging; far from being mad, she embarrassed her family by not conforming, so they put her away.

Edited to sort out some of the Touchstones.

23. Inge & Mira (Two Women) by Marianne Fredriksson, trans. Anna Patterson
I wanted to like this book, as I thought the idea was interesting - a chance meeting leads to a friendship between two very different women, the cool, reserved, thoughtful Swede, Inge, and the warm, impetuous, volatile Mira, a refugee from Pinochet's Chile. They bring to their friendship not just their own indivual experiences, with all the ensuing misunderstandings and misconceptions that exist in any relationship, but also their two cultures. However, had it been any longer than its 230 pages, I would have given up, as I found that I couldn't identify with any of the characters - too much telling and not enough showing made it hard for me to believe that the characters could actually say and do things that appeared to come out of the blue.
I was also constantly aware that I was reading a translation; the English was fairly stilted at times, the dialogue in particular (and I question the translator's decision to have Inge's almost-adult daughters call her 'Mummy' all the way through the book).

> 13
I read Snow Country while studying haiku and found, as you mention, that the style is very haiku-like, not only in sparseness but also in the small turning points (as opposed to large Western turning points).

> 21
I think I know what you mean, ktruh - things are changed not by a big crisis, but by the slightest glance, reference to the change of colour of the leaves, and so on. My partner, a photographer, is working on a macro project at the moment (close- up shots of tiny things), and I feel the same way looking at his work - once you look past the big stuff, it's amazing what detail you can see, but would never normally notice. (Or perhaps you meant something completely different!?)

You're right about what I meant. It seems like the western world climax or turning point is big, like a car crash. And Japan has its share of car crashes (thinking of Godzilla movies). The haiku has the kireji, a sound word that is like a dash or some other indication that a change or movement is happening. But the movement isn't big in haiku. Not like an epiphany. The change of the leaves is a good example that also makes me think that I was reminded of haiku while reading Snow Country because of the way the natural world was described.

24. Miss Webster and Chérif by Patricia Duncker

25. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing

What a lot Lessing manages to cram into a mere 159 pages! I found this gripping, and read it in one sitting. As ever (this is the third of Lessing's novels that I've read), I loved the style - searing, luminous; her 10 words say more than 100 words from someone else.
David and Harriet meet, marry, and set about turning their shared dreams into reality - big house in the country, lots of children, enormous family gatherings. All goes to plan - and what's more, David and Harriet are every bit as happy as they'd anticipated - until Harriet's fifth pregnancy; even in the womb, this child is difficult, making Harriet ill and miserable, and things only get worse after Ben's birth. In stark contrast to the couple's other children, Ben seems to be evil incarnate, cold and detached, and with a physical strength and presence extraordinary in a child his age, and no sense of right and wrong (as a very small child he strangles both a small dog and a cat, raising fears for the safety of his siblings and cousins). The family's perfect life falls apart, the visitors stop coming to the family get-togethers, and the other children leave home to live with relatives or attend boarding school.
Convinced that Ben is abnormal, even a throw-back to life-forms that inhabited the earth before we did, Harriet longs for a doctor or a teacher to concur that there is something badly "wrong" with her son, to no avail. The novel is in the third person, but we know much more about Harriet's thoughts and feelings than about anyone else's...this made me think about whether Ben is as inherently bad as he appears to be, or if he is a fairly normal child, albeit a very badly behaved one, whose mother does not like and cannot love him (as Harriet is told by a doctor, this is common enough). Is the narrator neutral, or biased towards Harriet? I'm still thinking all this through.
Also fascinating is the character of Harriet, who feels such guilt at her inability to love her fifth child and bond with him as she has done with her other children that she is willing to sacrifice their family life, and the happiness of the older children, to provide a home for Ben.

rach, I do mean to get to some Lessing this year and your review is very helpful!

I just posted a message to another thread inviting comments on Things Fall Apart....how did you find it?

Also, I have been meaning to read The Handmaids Tale by Atwood and noticed you read another Atwood. Any thoughts?

Can't agree with you about The Corrections.....that was one of mine that failed the 50 page test. But, that's what's cool about all this, not every book pulls your trigger and you can move on to another.

Welcome!

> 26 avaland, the first Lessing I read was The Grass is Singing, a couple of years ago, and it made a real impression on me. I remember feeling that I could see the African landscape shimmering on the page. Last year I read The Summer Before the Dark, which I liked less; it didn't draw me in, and I couldn't identify with the characters (also, the main character gets a job as an interpreter, and some of the things that happen are just implausible...I'm sure most readers wouldn't notice, but I just happen to be an interpreter myself). However, what kept me reading it was the style - I can't think of any other writer who could keep me reading even when I'm not interested in the plot or the characters!

I have Mara and Dann on my TBR pile, but not sure when I'll get to it.

>27 blackdogbooks: blackdog, I read Things Fall Apart because Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie lists Achebe as one of her main inspirations, and I really enjoyed it. Okonkwo is one of the greatest anti-heros I can remember - cruel, proud, stubborn, yet sympathetic, a man trying to come to terms with the changes imposed on his world by the white man. Where is the discussion that you've launched?

The Handmaid's Tale is one of my very favourite Atwoods - and I've read almost everything she's written. I recommend it. I love her novels and her short stories, less keen on her occasional writing though (like the book at number 9 on this list).

26. Un dimanche à la piscine à Kigali by Gil Courtemanche
(A Sunday by the Pool in Kigali)

This has been on my mental TBR list for some time, in part because I've been wanting to read something in French from Canada. Courtemanche is a journalist who has spent many years in Africa, and this, his first novel, is based on his eye-witness account of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, combined with material collected by the human rights organisation African Rights.
The pool of the Mille-Collines hotel is the social centre for a group of expats and Rwandans, both Hutus and Tutsis. The novel chronicles their fate; most of them die, killed by one of the two scourges facing the country - genocide and AIDS.
It's not an easy read (AIDS and genocide apart, I thought some of the sex scenes were a bit graphic, and I'm no prude...but perhaps it's realistic; I've never been in such a desperate situation). However, what struck me as I read on, bit by bit, was that more than anything, this novel is about love. Yes, there's a love story between the Canadian journalist who's the main character and the Rwandan Gentille. More than that, though, it's about the love of the main character (and presumably the author) for Rwanda and its people.

I have read Things Fall Apart many times and have loved it everytime. There was also a mini series made a very long time ago. It aired in Nigeria and in parts of Africa but I do not believe that it ever aired in foreign markets. It was very well done and I believe it captured the essence of the book.

Things Fall Apart presents us with a man full of complexities. Though it may be easy to call him a bad guy, he is so much more than that. He is a man of many facets who is struggling to retain his family structure and to keep his community just the way he has always known. As brash and harsh as he may seem we see his gentler side when he is dealing with the orphan boy Ikemefuna. Unfortunately for Okonwo, he is fighting a rising tide in the form of colonialism and Christianity, a battle that he will eventually lose.

I would recommend Things Fall Apart and I would also recommend his other books especially Arrow of God and No longer at ease.

TrishNYC, you've said what I was trying to say so much more eloquently!

I have read Things Fall Apart but had not read Achebe's other books. I am going to have to look for them because I too enjoyed the first one.

Whoa, you guys are great at vetting a book for me. I already had my next two or thre TBR stacks formed but now I have to find room for Things Fall Apart.

I read Achebe's Arrow of God recently. Not quite as good as Things Fall Apart in my opinion but still very good. There are a few of Buchi Emecheta's books which segues nicely from Achebe's books.

27. Joyce's Pupil by Drago Jancar, trans. various

A collection of short (often very short) stories from one of the leading contemporary Slovene writers, mainly set in ex-Yugoslavia. I'm not sure I've read anything from this part of the world before, so I was pleased that this book is very much from there - all the more satisfying given that I read it because I'm in Slovenia for work this week; it's good to be able to picture the architecture and the landscapes Jancar describes. I'll be writing more about this book over in the Reading Globally group, as part of next month's group read from the former Yugoslavia.

28. Colombo; a Novel by Carl Muller

One of the worst books I've ever read; I only finished it was because I was away from home and had run out of reading material. The title says it's a novel. The back cover says it's a "quasi-fictional" account of the history of Colombo, interspersed with scenes from daily life. I say it doesn't know what it is. It was hard to follow the narrative and get an overview of the history of the city, as it jumps around between events hundreds of years apart; nor can I be charitable and say that this structure was necessary for the plot, because as far as I could see, there wasn't one. It wasn't all bad - I really enjoyed the little fictional sketches, which I thought were nicely done, but it was a shame that Muller didn't choose to develop any of the characters and have them reappear throughout the book.

29. Before You Sleep by Linn Ullmann, trans. from the Norwegian by Tiina Nunnally

What a relief to come home and pick this up! It's the story of the Blom family, and in particular the Blom women, narrated by Karin Blom, an endearingly unreliable narrator who swerves off into wild exaggeration without warning. It's funny, it's touching, it's heart-warming - everything you need for a Saturday morning on the sofa! The translation reads beautifully (Nunnally also translated Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow).

30. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

I'm so sorry to have finished this. It's been my bedtime reading, and it's had me going to bed earlier and earlier. I'd never read a graphic novel before, and had a bit of a mental block about them, but this has shown me that they really can be for grown-ups too. With this book, Satrapi achieves something that no text book or article on the Islamic Revolution has managed to do for me - she portrays daily life, and it's fascinating.

31. Arrancame la vida by Angeles Mastretta (Mexican Bolero? Tear this Heart Out?)

Unlike with book no. 30, this time it's a relief to have finished, as I didn't enjoy this novel, set in 1930's post-revolutionnary Mexico. The book opens with the marriage at an early age of the narrator, Catalina, to a much older general, Andres Ascencio, and ends about 15 years later with Ascencio's death. Catalina is my main problem; I found her wholly unlikeable, and often found myself wanting to reach into the novel and give her a slap (I don't think this is the reaction the author was after). I know that this is supposed to be a feminist novel about a woman's journey towards self-determination in a macho world, but in fact her "journey" seems to take her from submissive wife who refuses to believe her husband is involved in mass killings, to selfish woman who, at best, ignores her children completely ("it was years since I'd last played with my children") or, at worst, lives out her many affairs under their noses. Yes, I know we've seen the heroines of the great 19th century adultery novels behave like this, but Emma Bovary, Anna Karenina and Ana Ozores get away with it by being better-drawn characters in better-written novels.

32. I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti, trans. from the Arabic by Ahdaf Soueif

I started this weeks ago and was enjoying it, but then it disappeared and only came to light again this morning (behind the piano). The book is both a factual (if far from impartial) account of the recent history of Palestine, and an intensely personal account of exile. The former was interesting, but I confess that I reached factual saturation as far as this particular conflict is concerned quite some time ago. The latter, though, was wonderful, and succeeded in making me see the very human consequences of the political circumstances (just as with Persepolis, above). The pain of exile and displacement, the longing to return, are eloquently, beautifully expressed, and I found these parts incredibly moving. Instead of giving lengthy explanations, Barghouti shines his poet's light on small details, his minimal descriptions of which speak volumes of the pain and loneliness of exile - on his expulsion from Egypt, Barghouti was separated from his infant son, who, on meeting him over a year later, calls him "uncle". Barghouti corrects him, telling him that he is his daddy; the boy then calls him "uncle daddy". Lying in bed one night during his longed-for return to Ramallah, Barghouti counts up the houses he has lived in since having to leave his homeland - over 30. These details, which he doesn't dwell upon, hit home hard with me.
One fly in the ointment - I'm a big fan of Ahdaf Soueif's own work, but she's not quite so assured as a translator. There were some awkward turns of phrase which jarred with the otherwise flowing lyricism, and which made it hard for me to forget that I wasn't reading the original.

rachbxl, I just bought The Complete Persepolis over the weekend! It's in the TBR pile. . .

> 40 Lucky you, Avaland - you've got it to look forward to! Trust me to have read it just after the film has disappeared from the cinemas here; I'll have to look out for it on DVD.

33. The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud

A nice easy read; the story kept me going (all 581 pages of it) without ever really drawing me in. In terms of style and language I thought it tried a bit hard at points.

Just realised that I've missed one out - it should have been number 23, but I'll stick it in here:

34. Je viens d'ailleurs by Chahdortt Djavann

35. Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Great book! Her brother's death gives a young black girl the opportunity to leave her Zimbabwean village and go to have the education that would have been denied her as long as a male child lived. It's about her changing sense of identity, and her changing relationships with those around her, in particular with the women - anglicized cousin and educated aunt with whom she lives while she attends the mission school of which her uncle is headmaster, and uneducated mother and aunt back in the village. The uncle is a wonderful Okonkwo-like strong male figure, ruling his household firmly (harshly?), whilst struggling not to be left behind by progress.

36. Snakepit by Moses Isegawa

37. A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam

38. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro

I only discovered Alice Munro last year (I don't think she's particularly well-known in Europe; at any rate, I was unaware of her until an American friend recommended her to me). What often happens when I discover an author I like is that I rush off and read more by them straight away, and end up over-dosing. I liked the first Munro I read so much that I've been making a concious effort not to do that with her, so this is only the second of her books that I've read - and I made myself read it very slowly. It was worth the wait.

39. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

184 double-spaced pages of beautiful, elegant prose; I seem to be getting a taste for short, sparingly written novels. In the past I've always enjoyed longer novels that I could get really caught up in, but if I look back at the books I've enjoyed most this year, I see that it's this economy that stands out (much easier to see this now that I've started writing down my thoughts on what I read).
The narrator meets an American tourist in Pakistan, persuades him to join him for tea, and tells him his life story. From the start, the narrator's choice of language and way of speaking suggest that he is both highly educated and westernised, impressions which are confirmed by his story. He recounts how he achieved the American dream by leaving his humble origins in Pakistan for an American education, followed by a well-paid job with excellent prospects which allowed him to send money back home. It's clear from his story, though, that despite his success he never stopped being an outsider, initially mainly in his own mind, but increasingly, after 9/11, in the minds of others. Eventually, feeling let down by America and by the American woman he loved, he fled back to Pakistan.
This is a convincing story of one man's development, as well as a thought-provoking look into East-West relations. I can see from other reviews that not everyone shares my admiration for this book, but I for one would recommend it.

40. Delirio by Laura Restrepo
Oh, I enjoyed this! Leafing through before I started, I thought I might find the long, long sentences off-putting, but once I started reading I found that all I had to do was relax and trust that it would all make sense - and it did. The narrative often switches mid-sentence between first and third person, referring to the same individual, a device which could have been horribly confusing, but which Restrepo pulls off well.
The novel begins with Aguilar returning to Bogota after a few days away, only to find his wife, already unstable, completely delirious in a hotel room with a strange man who immediately disappears. Naturally suspecting an affair, Aguilar sets out to unravel the mystery, discovering in the process how little he knows about his wife's family and their past. The story, told from various different points of view, all of which I found compelling, is the story of one family, intertwined with the recent history of Colombia - a backgournd of drug barons, guerillas, the gulf between the north and south of Bogota, with normal life going on in the foreground.

41. The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices by Xinran, trans. Esther Tyldesley

A collection of beautifully written (and beautifully translated) true stories about the lives of women in twentieth century China.

rachbxl, I tabled Delirium a few months ago after falling into a book funk; it was not the book's fault and I will go back and finish it at some point!

42. Good Bones by Margaret Atwood

43. Mosquito by Roma Tearne

Thanks to Nickelini for recommending this one - a recommendation I wouldn't hesitate to second. I don't understand why this wonderful book isn't better known.
Theo, a writer grieving for his wife, returns to his native Sri Lanka after years in the UK, to find a country that he no longer understands or even recognises. Slowly, an unlikely love affair (unlikely, yet convincing and moving) develops between him and a much younger local girl, a budding painter, until they are torn apart by the civil war. The two main characters are beautifully drawn, but what really impressed me was how even the more minor characters come across as rounded people.
This is Tearne's first novel; she is first and foremost a painter, and I think you feel that in her writing - she paints pictures with words, and I came away with some very clear, colourful images in my head.
I really can't do this book justice in a few sentences; it's much more than the love story. The Sri Lankan civil war features prominently, and often gruesomely; Tearne conveys its horror by showing its effect on the lives of Theo and Nulani, and cleverly uses Rohan and Giulia to show how the horror moves out in concentric circles, deeply affecting the lives of those further out, too.

44. Crisis Respiratoria by Susanne Noltenius

review

45. Me and the Fat Man by Julie Myseron

Don't know what it was about this odd little book that grabbed me, but something did. Not the implausible plot, that's for sure. Or the graphic sex scenes - is quite so much detail really called for? I enjoy reading Myseron's newspaper column (Observer? FT? Can't remember), which is why I bought this when I saw it, and a lot of what I like in her columns I found here, too - direct, somehow jaunty style that works, and she has a way of putting her finger on things that makes me laugh (or shudder) in recognition.

46. La isla de los amores infinitos by Daina Chaviano

Cecilia, a lonely Cuban immigrant in Miami, meets an old woman in a bar. The old woman, Amalia, starts to tell her story, which is in fact several stories, reaching back over several generations, to Spain, Africa and China. Cecilia is entranced by the story, and goes back night after night to hear more; the novel consists of Amalia's story, entwined with Cecilia's own story of life in exile...and damn good stories they are too!
My complaint is that this book is far too long (it's 380 pages and could happily lose 100 of them). I enjoyed the first half, and then got completely bogged down; it just seemed to be more of the same, and I got very impatient with it. I'd have given up if I hadn't already got so far, and I'm glad I didn't, because the last 30 pages or so won me back. There's a twist at the end that I really didn't see coming - I'd smugly thought I could see where it was going from way back, but I was glad to be wrong.
This is the 4th and last part of a novel cycle on Havana, but stands alone (I haven't read any of the others).
English translation just out this month, I believe: The Island of Eternal Love.

I love Cuban stories. I have a wierd obessession with the island nation. Though you got bogged down, it appears you had an overall good experience with the story. I like the premise also; stories from individuals played out together. So, this and the others are definitely going on my look for list. What drew you to this book?

Thanks for the comment, blackdog. What drew me to La isla de los amores infinitos? I'm reading my way around the world (charting my progress on my thread in the Reading Globally group), and one of my rules is that I can't count books by authors I've already read something by (I'm really glad I invented this rule for myself, as even though I'm not very far into my "travels", I'm already enjoying the results of having to avoid the obvious and the familiar). I'd already read works by Cuban writers like Alejo Carpentier and Zoe Valdes, for example, but I'd never even heard of Chaviano, until I came across this book in the Spanish section of a local bookshop a few months ago, and like you, I liked the premise.
Hope you enjoy it if you decide to read it!

47. A Dance to the Music of Time, novel 1: A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell

Have been meaning to read this for years, ever since seeing a wonderful adaptation on Channel 4. I enjoyed this first one. My boyfriend complained that "nothing happened" and he has a point, but it didn't bother me; rather, I loved the observation of people. It made me laugh out loud at several points; boyfriend, having hated it so much, thought I'd gone mad.
Am looking forward to reading more, but I'm going to take my time over it.

#54 and 55, What an awesome idea. There are so many nooks and crannies here on LT and I haven't discovered them all yet. But after your response, I checked out your thread on the Reading Globally group and was fascinated. So many thoughts and books popped to mind.

First, I began to think of all of the classics which would satsify one of the countries, anything by Dostoevsky, Petersburg, The Good Soldier Svejk, The Betrothed, The Leopard, and on and on and on. All of these books have been battling for a place on my TBR stacks.

Next, I thought of a few recommendations for you. Some of these may already satisfy countries you've planted your flag on, but I noticed you have some repeat trips to some countries. One of my favorite Cuba stories is a non-fiction memoir from the wife of a diplomat, Cuba Diaries. The author paints such a beautiful picture of the island nation, while honestly detailing the gritty struggle for survival, played out every day. Geographies of Home Loida Maritza Perez, Dominican Republic, is a good immagrant story, following one families days in NYC. While the story is set in NYC, it is powerfully driven by the culture and perspective of a Dominican family. The characters were people who broke my heart as they tried to figure out what it meant to leave their natvie country and except another as their home. When the Elephants Dance, Tess Uriza Holthe, concerns the Phillipine Islands in the days of WWII. Told from the voice of three narrators, the story examines the Japanese occupation of the islands and its affect on the villages and families. Sometimes brutal but always interesting read. Finally, I think I remember Africa already filled in. Nonetheless, you should read West with the Night by Beryll Markham. This is a classic memoir about one of the first ever female pilots. She is extroidanary. Reading about her life made me feel ashamed of my own, as she accomplished more and saw more in a couple of years than I have in a whole lifetime.

I also thought it would be a neat idea to do the same thing next year with a group devoted to reading a book concerning or from each of the 50 states. What do you think of that idea?

I think that would be a great idea, blackdog. I would think that it wouldn't be too difficult to find books for all of the states with the exception, maybe, of Delaware. Can't think of anything off the top of my head for that state. But then again, I've never looked.

There is a group that I used to belong to that was something like "Reading the states" ... HERE it is! It was set up by one person who intended to read a book from each of the states. You might consider reviving that group before starting a new one. There are some great resources there. And you could have people declare whatever kind of challenge they want related to the states; for example, if they didn't want to commit to reading 50 books, they could read a book for every state they hadn't visited in person...or other challenges like that...

I, personally, would find it way to ethnocentric for me:-)

avaland, I guess our thoughts on such a group came from different places. But I can see why someone might feel to ethnocentric about such a group. My persoanl thoughts run much more towards diversity when I think about a group devoted to books from the different states. I have lived in quite a few places, on both coasts and up the middle of our fair country and found the experiences wildly diverse. In the American Southwest where I currenlty reside, there are well over 20 different native cultures, each distinct in various ways; there are differences in the hispanic cultures based on whether they were influenced by the Mexican attempts at colonization or the Spanish attempts at colonization; there are towns which started as Dutch settlements; there are communities that started as Mormon towns; and then there is the interplay between all of these. I have seen and read books touching on many of these different communities and cultures. I am quite certain that a read of books from or concerning each of the fair 50 would expose people to cultures and perspectives that they had no idea existed in the United States, whether they are American or not. I just feel like people know far too little about the wonderfully diverse and interesting place that is the United States.

That said, perhaps your idea about reviving the "Reading the States" group is a good idea. I will check it out. One way or another, I might challenge you to join to see if your thoughts about the ethnocentrism or such a group would change.

Fourpawz22, I bet we could find some books about the Revolutionary War, the early days of the country, or even the Indian Wars, whether set in Deleware or having some connection to Deleware. That's just off the top of my head. But, such a group would rely on interaction from people from all over seeking out and making recommendations about books from the various states. For example, when someone wanted to read about the states in the Southwest, I would have a very long list of recommendations. And I am certain the same would be true of people in the Northwest, Midwest, Northeast, and the South.

My thread has taken on a life of its own while my back was turned!

Blackdog, thanks for your comments, and for your recommendations; I hadn't even heard of any of the books you mention, so I'll check them out. You're right, I do have return visits to some of the countries - I decided that it wasn't just about ticking countries off a list, but about spending more time getting to know a place if that's what I feel like doing.

On your idea about reading a book from every US state, I have an idea that some of the LTers in the Reading Globally are doing that; I couldn't tell you who, and it doesn't appear in any of the thread titles, but I'm sure I've read comments about it over there.

Sorry....didn't mean to co-opt your thread here!!!!

>62 blackdogbooks: Any time!

48. Armadillo by William Boyd

Am grateful to this very entertaining book for getting me out of those awful moods where nothing you try to read appeals.

49. Los Mares del Sur by Manuel Vazquez Montalban
Available in English as Southern Seas

Los Mares del Sur is one of a series of detective novels starring private investigator Pepe Carvalho, and is set in Barcelona in 1979 - in other words, in the middle of Spain's transition to democracy, after Franco's death in 1975. The events of the novel are inextricably rooted in the political and historical setting; it's a context that I already knew quite a lot about, but even so I had to look a couple of things up (that said, I think you could still enjoy the novel without prior knowledge; I looked things up out of curiosity rather than a need to know). For example, there is a mention of an "Inspector Creix", which is clearly meant to have an impact on both Carvalho and the reader; it turns out that Creix was an infamous torturer during the fascist dictatorship, and that the author (a communist, like Carvalho) was tortured by him.
Vazquez Montalban wrote this novel for a contemporary audience (and a Spanish one at that) - it's a commentary on the political situation in Spain at the time - but it hasn't dated, and is still relevant and accessible. As well as the political references, there are literary references, to the Poema de Mio Cid, for example, and to the great Spanish novel La Regenta. I congratulated myself on understanding most of them, but I'm sure there were others that I didn't even notice (in other words, the political and literary references are there for the informed reader, but the touch is light, so if you miss them you don't feel that you're missing out).
Los Mares del Sur won the Planeta prize in 1979; initially I was surprised, because detective novels don't tend to win such prestigious awards. By the time I was a few pages in, I understood. It's wonderfully written, the characters walk off the page, the dialogue is short, snappy and realistic, and as a portrayal of a particular place at a particular point in time, it can't be beaten. I'll defintely be reading more Carvalho mysteries, as well as Vazquez Montalban's other works.

Half way through the year - take for a stock-take!

Read this year so far:

1. The Island by Victoria Hislop
2. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
3. Winter in Madrid by C. J. Sansom
4. Metaphysique des tubes by Amelie Nothomb
5. The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville
6. A Revolution of the Sun by Tim Pears
7. Rien de grave by Justine Levy
8. Y de repente, un angel by Jaime Bayly
9. The Tent by Margaret Atwood
10. Youth by J.M.Coetzee
11. The Mystic Masseur by V.S.Naipaul
12. Gilgamesh, version by Stephen Mitchell
13. L'Enfant de sable by Tahar Ben Jelloun
14. Tiare by Celestine Hitiura Vaite
15. Snow Country by Kawabata
16. The Farming of Bones by Edwige Danticat
17. Los premios by Julio Cortazar
18. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
19. One Step Behind by Henning Mankell
20. The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer
21. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
22. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell
23. Inge & Mira by Marianne Fredriksson
24. Miss Webster and Chérif by Patricia Duncker
25. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing
26. Un dimanche à la piscine à Kigali by Gil Courtemanche
27. Joyce's Pupil by Drago Jancar
28. Colombo; a Novel by Carl Muller
29. Before you Sleep by Linn Ullmann
30. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
31. Arrancame la vida by Angeles Mastretta
32. I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti
33. The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
34. Je viens d'ailleurs by Chahdortt Djavann
35. Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
36. Snakepit by Moses Isegawa
37. A Golden Age by Tahmina Anam
38. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro
39. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
40. Delirio by Laura Restrepo
41. The Good Women of China; Hidden Voices by Xinran
42. Good Bones by Margaret Atwood
43. Mosquito by Roma Tearne
44. Crisis respiratoria by Susanne Noltenius
45. Me and the Fat Man by Julie Myerson
46. La isla de los amores infinitos by Daina Chaviano
47. A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell
48. Armadillo by William Boyd
49. Los mares del sur by Manuel Vazquez Montalban

And my favourites so far...

Things Fall Apart
Los premios
Delirio
Mosquito
The Farming of Bones
Before you Sleep
Persepolis
Snow Country

I was going to pick 5, but I can't narrow it down that far!

Hi Rachel,

You might be able to pare it down to 5 if you list your top 5 for the second quarter only :)

Do consider listing it at the Top Five Books, 2008, Q2: April - June Books topic here.

You'll be interested to know Mosquito has been mentioned a few times already. You might want to add your vote!

Edited to fix link.

Good idea, akeela - it's done! (I see that you're one of the other Mosquito fans).

Been meaning to talk to you about Snow Country. That went on my wish list recently when I found a new 100 best list which included it. It looks like you enjoyed it, as it made your favorites short list there.

>69 rachbxl: I certainly am!

I'm going to head over there right now to check out your top five!

50. Zdazyc przed Panem Bogiem by Hanna Krall
(available in English as Shielding the Flame)

The highlight of my reading year, or possibly of my reading life - the first book I've read in Polish! I promised myself in January that I'd do it this year.
This is a non-fictional account of a lengthy conversation between Hanna Krall and Marek Edelman, a Polish Jew who was one of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. After the war, Edelman became a cardiologist, and the book moves easily between his account of life in the ghetto, and details of his pioneering operations decades later (he was involved in introduces revolutionary new techniques to Poland). It struck me as I was reading that I was as moved by the suffering of individual patients as I was by mass suffering in the ghetto; the last sentence of the book makes it clear that this is partly Krall's intention - to get across the idea that each indivual life has its intrinsic value and is worth fighting for.
Another point which I found particulary interesting was Edelman's insistence on "what people want to hear", which creates different versions of "the truth". For example, when Krall asks why he became a doctor, he tells her that what she wants him to say (and what I wanted to read, it turned out) was that, having saved so many lives in the ghetto, he wanted to go on saving lives, and go on being a hero -whereas, in fact, at the end of the war, the hero of the ghetto took to his bed, depressed, and spent months staring at the wall. His friends persuaded him that he had to go to university, and he was toying with the idea of economics, but the woman who was to become his wife went against his wishes, and signed him up for medicine.
I chose this as my first book in Polish because I'd already read a couple of Krall's short stories, which made a real impression on me. Even 18 months ago, when my Polish was even shakier than it is now, her deceptively simple style gave me goose bumps. Perhaps it's time to read the rest of the stories in the collection now.

51. La Disparition de la langue française by Assia Djebar
(not available in English?)

A beautiful book, sparing and haunting. Bekrane, his 50th birthday approaching and a ruined love affair behind him, returns to Algeria in 1991 after 20 years in France. However, he struggles to settle back into life in his beloved homeland, because his memories of it don't square with the reality of a country rife with the fervour of Islamic extremism. He finds solace in the arms of Nadjia, another exile who, like him, moves between 2 cultures, without really belonging in either, and it is only after Nadjia's departure that Berkane is able to do the writing that he came back to Algeria to do; he starts to write an account of his imprisonment during the war of independence in the 1950's, which constitutes the bulk of the last third of the novel.
The novel's title, "The Disappearance of the French Language" is important. Berkane has lived his life in French before returning to Algeria (his French partner of 10 years, Marise, knew only one sentence of Arabic), and in his first weeks back home we see him delight in the use of Arabic, through his developing friendship with the fisherman, Rachid - "Since I got here, I have only spoken my dialect with him, with the excitement of having rediscovered a kind of verbal dance made up of all those lost words". He and Nadija, too, speak Arabic, and Berkane identifies with Nadjia's assertion that this is the first time in years that she has loved "in Arabic".
It's not a straightforward question of "Arabic or French", though, as French is essential for Berkane, too (as Marise says, he needs his two languages), as the language he writes in.
However, in post-colonial Algeria language is a fraught issue, and in the second half of the novel it becomes clear that "the disappearance of the French language" refers not just to the increasing use of Arabic in Berkane's life; rather, it refers to the disappearance of Algeria's French-speaking intellectuals at the hands of the nationalists.
In short, a wonderful blend of the personal and the more general, each serving to shed light on the other. I found this novel fascinating, particularly as its main theme - language and identity, moving between cultures - is something I have a personal and professional interest in.

I'm looking forward to reading more of Djebar's work.

52. The Children of Men by P.D. James

Wonderful book! I was completely gripped. I'd been vaguely meaning to read it for ages, but bought a copy last week after seeing the film, which turned out only to be loosely based on the book. Although the film got me thinking - because the basic premise of a society in which no children have been born for over 20 years is thought-provoking in itself - the book was much more satisfying (the film had loose ends which the book didn't), and far more complex and disturbing.
Set in 2021, it was written in the early 1990's, and it's interesting to see to what extent James's vision of the future is correct; if I remember correctly, she says that cures for AIDS and Alzheimer's were found in the late 90's - and it's strange to think that less than 20 years ago James was in no position to imagine that her characters could have used mobile phones, not phone boxes!
My one quibble is over the speed with which Theo and Julian fall in love; some acknowledgement of a mutual attraction, fine, but I found it hard to believe that after only a couple of short meetings they were already "starting to fall in love" - and that others had noticed.

>51 rachbxl: well, I'm bummed there's a Djebar I don't have access to (although I knew enough French to know I hadn't read that one:-)

>52 rachbxl: I remember enjoying this book when it came out (ages ago). I am both a PD James and a SF fan so it was a treat to get them both in one book.

#74 rachbxl: I will have to check that one out. I am with avaland, both a PD James and SF fan. Thanks for the recommendation!

>75 avaland:, 76
avaland, alcottacre, thanks for the comments. What else by PD James would you recommend?

I can highly recommend James' Adam Dalgliesh series. She has another series with a character named Cordelia Gray, but I have not yet read that one. Perhaps avaland has?

I have read all but one of P.D. James' books (I haven't read The Black Tower - I thought I had until I watched the TV version and realized it was all new to me!) - and I recommend all of them. Actually The Children of Men did not interest me much and the movie was not great either, IMHO.

As alcottacre mentioned, she has two series. I read them so long ago now, it's hard to remember the Cordelia Gray's (it seems the series was only two or three books beginning with An Unsuitable Job for a Woman. I know I liked them all! I enjoy and still follow the cerebral police procedurals with the brooding, perpetually-grieving poet detective Adam Dalgliesh.

However, I would consider these crime novels/police procedurals of the highest order so really, they do not resemble Children of Men in any way.

>78 alcottacre:-80 Thank you all for the recommendations! I've been enjoying reading crime novels recently, so I'll look out for these.
Avaland, that's the idea that I'd picked up from somewhere else, actually - that The Children of Men doesn't have much in common with her other work.

53. Lo que esta en mi corazon by Marcela Serrano

Enjoyable but improbable story about a Chilean woman sent to Chiapas, Mexico, to cover the aftermath of the Zapatista uprising in 1994.

54. Field Study by Rachel Seiffert

Great book of short stories - don't know why it's taken me months to read, because I really have enjoyed these stories. Most of the collection was written during Seiffert's time in Berlin, and there's a definite Central European influence, with one story set in Poland, one (with the same characters as the first) between Poland and Berlin, and another in an unspecified wartorn location probably in the Balkans.

55. Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje

Disappointing.
The book begins in 1970s California, with the childhood of Anna, her adopted sister Claire, and Coop, a neighbour's son taken in by Anna's widower father when his parents died. The three are propelled into adulthood by an event which will mark the rest of their lives. So far, so good. I was caught up in the story, and really wanted to know what happened to the characters, but that's where things got a bit patchy. Ondaatje gives us little fragments of the lives of the three, but I felt it didn't hang together. Anna ends up in France, researching the life and work of Lucien Segura, a writer whose old house she has rented, and the second part of the novel is about Segura; the original characters don't reappear.
I liked both stories, but for me the two stories didn't form a whole; I feel like I've just read two slightly linked novellas rather than one novel.
This is the third of Ondaatje's books I've read, and I really enjoyed the other two (The English Patient and Anil's Ghost). Here, though, I couldn't help feeling that he overdoes it a bit; it's as if he's found a winning formula and he can't make enough use of it, and I found the rich, poetic style almost cloying at times.

56. Iris and Ruby by Rosie Thomas

Escapism at its best! I whizzed through the 470 pages in 2 days.
Unruly teenager Ruby runs away to her grandmother's in Cairo, and an unlikely friendship develops between them. Although I felt that both characters were verging on being caricatures at times, I enjoyed the portrayal of their relationship, and dialogue between them in particular, the 82 year-old lady locked in her memories of wartime Cairo and the trendy London teenager using versions of English so far apart that they could be different languages.
The book wallows in nostalgia - but I was in the mood, so I followed the flow and wallowed too.

Timing is everything!!!! Okay, not exactly everything, as there are some titles I don't think I will ever enjoy and others that I can read in any mood and time. But, it's cool to pick the exact right book at the exact right time and just enjoy the ride.

>86 blackdogbooks: Blackdog, I couldn't agree more! And that's why my TBR shelf is as full as it is - no point wasting a book by trying to read it at the wrong moment! But you're right, too, in that for some books the right moment won't ever come...

57. The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell, trans. from the Swedish by Laurie Thompson

Don't have much to show for August - I've been reading constantly, but haven't finished anything yet. I was doing a language course in Poland and decided to be strict with myself and read only in Polish, but it's still painfully slow going. I've also been reading Norman Davies on the history of Poland, but it's such a hefty book that the end isn't in sight yet.

So, unable to face the ignominy of not having completed a single book in August (and desperate for some light relief, let's be honest!) I tore through my second Inspector Wallander mystery in a day - I really couldn't put it down. It's set mainly in Riga, Latvia, just when the Soviet Union was starting to crumble, and portrays a country and a society incomprehensible to the West, in the form of Wallander - how things have changed in such a short time!

58. Aliantka by Regina Kowalska

Polish YA novel. I didn't realise this was a YA novel when I bought it, and it reminds me why I never read YA when I was the right age for them - I don't like being patronised!

rach, I must agree with both you and blackdog about timing. So true.

Looking forward to the Mankell title, I have it coming via BookMooch. Will keep an eye out for more titles. I can see why he is compared with (or vice versa) Icelandic crime author Indridason, there are similarities but they are still very different, imo.

Don't know if your still doggedly reading in Polish (which makes a bit envious) but I just read Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun and thought you'd probably like it. It is translated from Norwegian and was a really good book. Thought it'd be good for your other group and be a bit of a distraction from Polish.

I do enjoy your posts and reviews a great deal.

Thanks for that, blackdog - I just went over to your thread and read your review. It's gone on my wishlist - am always happy to be distracted!

I always enjoy reading your posts, too - it was very quiet round here while you were busy with work recently ;)

>90 avaland: Avaland, I haven't read any Indridason yet, but on your recommendation I've been keeping an eye out. I'm looking forward to reading him (and more Mankell!)

Glad you took the recommendation. Let me know what you think!!!!

59. Trzepot Skrzydel by Katarzyna Grochola

Really enjoyed this - thanks to Agatatera for seconding my Polish teacher's recommendation!

Calling out for you by Karin Fossum
translated from the Norwegian by Charlotte Barslund

A good read, this Inspector Sejer mystery. (Sejer was new to me, but apparently there are several more, which I'm going to keep an eye out for). Different style to the 2 Inspector Wallanders I read recently, though I couldn't say I like one more than the other. Here, the focus is less on the reserved, old-fashioned Sejer (who nevertheless emerges as a fully-formed character, and one I warmed to) and the police investigation than on the community in which the crime took place, in a claustrophobically small Norwegian town, miles from anywhere. The townspeople are more than just witnesses and suspects; they are real people who, in different ways, are suffering the varied consequences of a series of events culminating in a murder.

61. White by Rosie Thomas
Touchstone not working - I'll see if I can edit it later.

A good book for curling up on the sofa with on a rainy Saturday morning - comfort reading. I didn't enjoy it anything like as much as Iris and Ruby, though, and for me it could easily have been much shorter than its 462 pages. I also found it a touch over-done in places - what could have been moving was almost embarrassing. However, frostbite and dead mountaineers aside, the beautiful descriptions of Everest have made me want to take up mountaineering!

62. Sleep it off, Lady by Jean Rhys

I've been dipping in and out of these old-fashioned little stories, set partly in the Caribbean and partly in Europe, for several months; I took them slowly not because I didn't enjoy them, but because they were all merging into one in my mind. In the end, I'm not sure spreading them over time made any difference - I've come away with a general impression, rather than clear recall of any particular story. I liked each story as I read it, I liked Rhys's wit and perception, and yet now that I've finished I'm struggling to remember much about them.

rach, have you read Asa Larsson? I read her second book The Blood Spilt and thought it quite good and have ordered the third (should arrive Monday!). I didn't bother with the 1st as I know the spoilers from the 2nd book. I thought her novel also interesting because we saw how many of the characters related to their animals. While I'm not a big animal fan, per se, I thought this very interesting. I read at least one Fossum and it seems I have another around the house here somewhere (if I can find it), I thought them decent mysteries, although I think I like the Mankell better.

>99 avaland: Avaland, I haven't read Asa Larsson (in fact I hadn't even heard of her), but she's gone on my wishlist. As has the Olaf Olafsson you've just read. (I'm supposed to be having a clear-out before we move house next month, but all I'm managing, at very best, is one book out, one in!)

63. Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai

Arjie is a young boy from a Tamil family in Colombo, growing up into the last thing his family wants - a "funny boy". In the first chapter (or story, as this is "a novel in six stories") we see how the little boy prefers dressing up as a bride with his girl-cousins to playing cricket with the boys. His father strives to make him "normal", although his attempts invariably backfire (when he forces Arjie to play cricket with the boys, nobody wants to be on his team and the game falls apart; when he sends Arjie to a different school to make a man of him, it is here that Arjie meets the boy who helps him realise he is gay).
The beautifully observed portrait of boyhood and family life is set against a backdrop of tension between Tamils and Sinhalese, culminating in the family having to flee in the 1983 riots. The reader gradually becomes aware of the racial tension as the novel progresses, parallelling Arjie's increasing awareness of it as he grows up; the contrast between the innocent childhood scenes with which the book opens (Arije is unaware of the problems in his country, just as he is unaware as yet that his love of dressing up in women's clothes is going to set him apart) and the baldly-described riot scenes is heart-breaking.
I would recommend this book in particular to all those Mosquito fans out there, because I think it complements it well. Unusually for me (if I read more than one book about a given place and/or time, I tend not to associate them in my mind's eye- they invariably evoke different images), I was seeing exactly the same Colombo as I read this; the characters in the two books inhabit the same world in my head.

64. Bethlehem Road Murder by Batya Gur
translated from the Hebrew by Vivian Eden

Another very enjoyable read - I'm on a roll at the moment! Gur wrote several mysteries starring Chief Superintendent Michael Ohayon, and this isn't the first, but that didn't matter. This one is set in a residential area of Jerusalem during the second intifada, and Gur portrays a society of which security concerns are an everyday part. The heightened tensions mean that everyone could be the enemy, so when a beautiful young woman of Yemeni descent is found murdered, suspects abound. The book is peopled with carefully-drawn characters, both the police (the Arab-hating intelligence man, the young sergeant who grew up on a farm, the gentle, lonely Ohayon) and the community (the feuding neighbours, Jews from one ethnic group rattling their sabres at Jews from a different background, the lonely little fat girl who observes everything around her). And to top it all off, I learnt a lot about Israel - and reading the book spurred me to go and look more things up, too.

I've had enough of detective novels for a while, but I'd certainly read more Batya Gur in the future.

Thank you to those who flagged this message.

Hi
While I didn't know how to flag the post, I was upset by it and I'm glad to see that this has been "flagged by multipe users." We are all on a journey and there are many,many different paths. I like reading about yours!

Shalom, Take care
Linda

Message #25...sorry for the delay
I've recently read some of Doris Lessing's stories. In addition, I found an article, interview regarding her reactions to receiving the Pultizer Prize. She is a funny, spunky lady!

#103 & 107 - what the hell is that about????? It's not a real person is it? It's so waaaaay over the top!

#108 Fourpawz: Agreed. Even for those of us who consider ourselves to be "True Christians", the verbiage is polarizing and certainly does not have any place in this discussion group.

> 108, 109
I've no idea! I think it could have been any one of us - maybe my thread was at the top when our visitor first arrived, so I copped it. (Don't know why they picked this particular group though, but anyway...) I was quite surprised to get the return visit, though.
Once again, thanks to all who helped me flag these 2 posts!

>105 Whisper1:, 106
Hi, Linda! Thanks for popping in, and for your nice message re my unwanted posts.
Which Lessing stories did you read? I'm working slowly through a collection of her stories at the moment - The Story of a Non-Marrying Man; I'm enjoying them, but not as much as I've enjoyed a couple of her novels (The Grass is Singing and The Fifth Child). I find her a little uneven (I didn't like The Summer before the Dark, for example), but on balance I'm a big fan, and I'm looking forward to tackling Mara and Dann, which has been on my TBR shelf for a while now.
Yes, I've read a couple of interviews with her, too - what a woman!

I would like to thank all members for their interest, and the concern for LibraryThing they show in flagging abusive messages. I would like to repeat that personal attacks on members are prohibited by the Terms of Service. Although not as serious, wildly off-topic messages could be seen as "spam," and should be avoided as well.

By the way, if you enjoyed Gilgamesh, I'd recommend The Buried book, a book about the discovery and translation.

65. How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer

Stumbled upon this at a booksale yesterday, and remembered hearing about it somewhere. I read the first story and was hooked - one of the best books I've read this year, and some of the best short stories I've ever read. Most of the stories deal with adolescence, adolescence as a period of transition when the individual belongs with neither children nor adults, and in particular with the humiliations and petty cruelties suffered by adolescents; the narrators are often the (in their own heads?) fat, ugly, unpopular children that nobody wants to dance/sit/play with. These stories took my breath away, figuratively (in admiration) and literally (I found myself not daring to breathe as I squirmed and waited to see what would happen next). My favourite story in this collection, The Isabel Fish, is a little masterpiece. I can't recommend this book highly enough!

Hi
I really like your description of How to Breathe Underwater. I've added this to my ever growing tbr pile.
Thanks.

On the subject of Doris Lessing, a colleague mentioned the other day that videos of all of the Nobel lectures are available from the Nobel prize website, which is just soooo cool.

I rather like the idea of Doris Lessing attacking the erosion of culture by the internet being available on the Internet ;-)

Definitely looking forward to spending a bit more time browsing that site.

message #111
Hi and sorry to be delayed in responding to your question re. Doris Lessing. The book I began to read was The Real Thing. It is a collection of short stories. I had to get it back to the library before I finished it and now someone else has reserved the book. I hope to be able to obtain it again in a few weeks.

The above discussion prompted me to read more about Doris Lessing, an amazing woman! Now I have to go out and get some of her books! I have access to The Grass is Singing, so will read that first. I've also added How to Breathe Underwater to my TBR list. Thanks!

Hi Rach, if you want to send me your address, I'd be happy to mail the Olafsson to you. I understand you are in the middle of moving, perhaps you would rather wait?

Incidentally, the poster of message 122 and previous won't be bothering us under that name. If he comes back under another, there are other options.

I don't suppose boiling in oil is one of them?

No, but if anyone wants to create an image of boiling oil, I can make sure the user sees only that when he signs in :)

Fourpawz2 and Tim...
Thanks ever so much for the laughter and vivid images...It has been a grueling day at work and when I read your messages I had to chuckle.
Thanks for bringing a ray of sunshine to a stress-filled day!

:)

You're welcome, Whisper. (Man, I would really like to see that boiling oil image thing happen. Unfortunately I am too unskilled, computer-wise, to make it happen.)

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:QvoPoGNLI3EJ::www.astro.su.se/~magnusg/large...

edited to remove image of boiling oil in hopes that it is no longer necessary.

WOW! Now that is a great image....a chicken boiling in a pot? appropriate...very appropriate.

That's probably a turkey. Deep fried turkey is a Southern (US) classic!

looks like I'm showing my northern ignorance (I'm smiling)

Wander down south, I'm happy to cook up a batch!

Somehow, a turkey boiling in oil seems more fitting for the context anyway...8^}

AGREED!

I did some work tonight. It should help. If necessary, I will ban his whole Brazilian ISP.

Wow Rachel, I am really sorry to see that some nutjob hijacked your thread. I missed all the ugliness but I can only imagine what this hack was posting. Maybe we should fry up some chicken in that pot and fed them to him/her until he/she apologizes. How sad. In the meantime, I see that you have read many interesting books.

I was very interested on your take on Children of Men. I saw the movie and it was...meh. I wanted to like it but just as you said, too many loose ends. It was interesting to know that the couple were not together from the beginning.

Tim.

Thanks ever so much for all your work. This is such a wonderful sight. I recommended it to a group of 12 members who met last night for our monthly book club. I raved about how much I've enjoyed it and about all the books I've read that I would not have heard about if not for LT. Again, hats off to you for making this all happen.

That is truly a beautiful pot of boiling oil!

Whisper, avaland, drneutron, Trish, Fourpawz: oh, you've all made me laugh - thank you! (Waste of good oil, I'd say.)

Right, back to business.

66.Le Ventre de l'Atlantique by Fatou Diome

What to say? I really enjoyed this book, and yet I didn't. It's set on a little island off the coast of Senegal, where all the young people dream of emigrating to France, which is what the narrator has done. On her return visits she strives to make them see the immigrant's life in France for what it is - lonely, poor, unstable - but her warnings fall on deaf ears; her brother and his friends see themselves as the next generation of Senegalese footballers to be trained in Europe (and this despite the presence on the island of the father of someone who, having failed to fulfil his footballing potential, was deported from France in unpleasant circumstances).
I liked the handling of the themes of identity/belonging/otherness; the narrator, away in Strasbourg, is detached from her community, which she no longer belongs to, and nor does she belong in France. However, this same detachment meant that for me, things didn't really come alive (with a few exceptions). There are a lot of long descriptive passages, as though the author really, REALLY wants the reader to understand what she's saying, whereas for me the sections with dialogue, where something was actually happening, got the message over much more effectively.
The novel is beautifully written, with a wonderful flow to it, and I felt that I could almost hear the author's voice in my ear, reading aloud.

#144: Well, dodged a bullet on that one - I cannot read French. Otherwise, I would be putting it on Continent TBR because I am sure that despite your reservations about the book, it is probably very good in French. After all, everything sounds better in French, doesn't it?

alcottacre, you don't get off that easily! The English translation is called The Belly of the Atlantic, and I can already picture how well it fits into your Continent. The French really is beautiful, but I'm sure the translation's good too, so no excuses!

67. Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

What a beautiful, quiet book. In the 1950's the author left her husband and five children behind to go and spend time alone on a small island, living very simply; she wrote these essays in an attempt to find answers to the questions that were bothering her in her own life as wife, mother, friend, neighbour, and human being, questions which are still relevant today. I tend not to like books which claim to provide answers to our moral dilemmas in life (The Alchemist is on my most hated books list), but this book isn't like that; the writer gently proffers her own musings, which the reader is free to take or leave.
I think this is a book to dip into whenever life gets a bit hectic.

68. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
translated from the Russian by Max Hayward and Ronald Hingley

This novel was a revelation to me. I had always assumed (on the basis of nothing) that Solzhenitsyn's work would be inaccessible and difficult. I don't know about his other works, but that's not the case here, and it's precisely the simplicity with which the story is told that makes it so striking.
Ivan Denisovich, Shukhov, is in the 8th year of his 10-year term in a hard-labour camp in Siberia, and this is the story of one day in his life. Shukhov presents the horror and brutality of his world in a matter-of-fact way, because it IS matter-of-fact to him. This particular day is an exceptionally good one - he gets an extra ration of gruel at both lunch and supper, and an extra bit of bread that he hides in his sawdust-filled mattress for later use, he manages to sneak an old piece of steel back into the camp to make a knife, he is given a little piece of sausage by a fellow prisoner, he managed not to get his feet wet all day, and his felt boots have prime position on the stove overnight, so at least tomorrow he'll start out with warm feet. Life is so terrible that the only way to survive is by taking pleasure in small mercies such as these.
On the basis of this novel, I'll be reading more by Solzhenitsyn.

Rachel, I'm glad you enjoyed Gift from the Sea!

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich has been on my TBR list for a long time, as well, and for some reason I've had the same preconception! However, based on your review, I think it's time to bump it up on the list! Thank you.

None of his other books are as quick a read, unless you count Letter to the Soviet Leaders, mostly because they are vaster in scope. However, I think both The First Circle and The Gulag Archipelago are just as readable.

#146: Rats! I knew it wouldn't be that easy. OK, on to Continent TBR The Belly of the Atlantic goes.

#150: I will second the recommendation of The Gulag Archipelago. I have not read the other book TadAD mentioned, so I cannot comment on it.

I tried to read Gulag just out of high school and found it very dense - suppose I was really too young for it. I then read Cancer Ward and while it was hardly a cheery read, I remember that I liked it.

rach, re #148: a dear friend of mine just bought this book for me saying I HAD to read it so it's good to hear another positive vote!

Always look forward to your thoughts on books. Glad you enjoyed Gifts from the Sea. It is truly a small but powerful and thought provoking book. You'll find you are right about going back to it again and again.

Thanks for all the comments - I'm definitely going to look out for The Gulag Archipelago and maybe The Cancer Ward and The First Circle as well.

69. Remembering Babylon by David Malouf

The Australian friend who lent this to me proved to be correct in her prediction that I wouldn't like it as much as I like Tim Winton and Kate Grenville, to whom she also introduced me. (She herself prefers Malouf).
The novel is set in Queensland in the mid 19th century, in a community of Scottish settlers, and opens with a real event: an almost-naked man staggers out of the bush and announces, "Do not shoot! I am a B-b-british object", and Malouf develops the story from there. The wild man, Gemmy, after being thrown overboard off the Australian coast as a child, was rescued by Aborigines and taken to live with them. By the time he rejoins European society, he has forgotten virtually all his English, as well as his "civilised" behaviour.
There are some fascinating themes in this novel - The Other, the Europeans' utter failure to understand the Aboriginal culture (and mistrust of Gemmy because he does understand), use of language and the importance of naming - and it's beautifully written, but for me there was something missing. I also felt that there were a few loose ends- Mrs Hutchence and Leona, for example; why make so much of their mysterious circumstances if you are never going to tell the reader what they are?
(My boyfriend is from Queensland, and he found this novel to be such a perfect evocation of home that he was homsick for days after reading it!)

Interesting that your boyfriend had that reaction. Probably means that the author was able to tap into a feeling only a native would understand. I have had that experience with some westerns and other stories set in the southwest.

Hang in there. You are very close to the 75 book challenge goal!

I would recommend this book in particular to all those Mosquito fans out there, because I think it complements it well. Unusually for me (if I read more than one book about a given place and/or time, I tend not to associate them in my mind's eye- they invariably evoke different images), I was seeing exactly the same Colombo as I read this; the characters in the two books inhabit the same world in my head.
-----------
Rachbxl - That's exactly how I felt about Mosquito and Anil's Ghost. I own Funny Boy, but haven't read it yet. I did read Selvadurai's Cinnamon Gardens, which to me had quite a different feel. Must bump Funny Boy up my TBR pile.

> Look forward to hearing what you make of Funny Boy, Nickelini!

70. The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro

Wow. One of the strangest novels I have ever read, and probably one of the best, although I'm going to need a little time to let my thoughts settle - so I'm not going to write anything for now.

#160 rachbxl: I am looking forward to your review of The Unconsoled. I read his Never Let Me Go earlier this year and liked it very much. I had never read anything by Ishiguro prior to this year.

Ditto Alcottacre. I can't wait to see your thots on the book. I too had never even heard of him until this year and so far I have loved the two books of his that I have read.

#161, 162 Oh, the pressure! I'll have to think about it for a bit longer...!

71. Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

I was at a loss as to what to read after The Unconsoled - nothing was going to live up to it - so I went back to my new best friend Inspector Wallander for a change of mood and style, and he didn't disappoint. This is the first Wallander novel (my third), but reading them in random order doesn't seem to matter - actually it's like getting to know a real person (when you're with a friend, they don't tell you their life story in linear order, but they jump around, and things slowly start to make sense). I'm still thinking about Whisper's question about the kind of characters we're drawn to, and I think I like Wallander because he's so flawed. He eats and drinks too much, can't find the willpower to go on a diet, has difficult relationships with his father and daughter, and we even see him making mistakes in murder investigations - he's very human, in a nutshell.

You are the second person to comment on the Wallander series that I have read today; both of you who mentioned it are starred on my threads. So, I must seek them out.

I heartily agree with you about the characters. I like the ones who are human, with all of our bundled contradictions we carry around! The ones who are either too prue or too evil never seem as interesting.

Here at last, some of my thoughts on The Unconsoled:

This is (I think) the third novel by Ishiguro that I've read (I read The Remains of the Day ages ago, and Never Let Me Go soon after it came out). What I'm particularly struck by is how different these novels are from each other - and yet they're all great. In other words, Kashiguro isn't someone who's found a winning formula and sticks to it; he's just a very good writer.

And only an excellent writer could have pulled off something like The Unconsoled, I believe. The narrator, a concert pianist only ever referred to as "Mr Ryder", has arrived in a small town in Central Europe (the town is never named, because it could be anywhere) for a stay of a few days, at the end of which he will give a recital. For reasons which never become clear (many things never become clear in this novel, and that's part of its charm), the town is in the midst of a crisis (it seems to be something to do with musical styles and interpretations), and all the townspeople's hopes are pinned on Mr Ryder; they believe he can save them, whereas he doesn't know what's going on at all (like the reader).

Confused? I was, and for the first hundred pages or so I kept turning back because I thought I'd missed something, until I realised that no, I wasn't supposed to know. The whole book is like a dream (or more often, a nightmare) - reactions are completely out of proportion (the town crisis, for example), doors lead into places that are miles away, relations with other characters slide in and out of focus...

In less expert hands, this could have been a disaster, but it's brilliant. It's taken me so long to write about because it's impossible to sum this book up. In a nutshell, it's wonderful - try it and see!

#165 rachbxl: After reading your review, I am definitely going to find a copy of The Unconsoled. Thanks for another great recommendation!

#164 blackdog - as you can see, I'm really impressed with the Wallander books. For me they're perfect for those times when I want to switch off a bit, but still want something that's well-written, intelligent and interesting. Just yesterday I picked up a copy of a novel by Mankel that's not Wallander (can't remember the name - it was on our swap shelf at work) - I read the first chapter last night, and am looking forward to more...

#166 hope you enjoy it as much as I did, alcottacre!

>165 rachbxl: rachbxl, i read The Unconsoled many years ago and no longer remember the details but do remember that i had a similar reaction as u did. Kashiguro is simply brilliant...

72. The Journey Home by Olaf Olafsson
translated from the Icelandic by the author

I became aware of how much I was enjoying this book because of how frequently by thoughts turned to it whilst I wasn't reading it. It's the story of Disa's return to Iceland, a journey of redempton, after many years in England; it's told in the form of recollections which she jots down on her way, on the ship. At first I was almost repelled by Disa's strong character, her belief in herself, but I later warmed to her - she's another of those flawed characters who are likeable because of it. It's been a couple of days since I finished reading it, but it's still very much with me.

As far as I can make out, the novel was originally written in Icelandic, and the author produced the English translation himself. The only thing I have a little problem with is that sometimes the English wasn't very English (ie of England) - for example, it jarred to hear "I had gotten" from the lips of an Icelandic woman who had spent several decades in England and who (as far we know) had never even been to the USA. There's also a mention of an English county which only came into existence under that name well after the time when it was supposed to exist in the novel.

These are minor details, though (but irritating!), and I would heartily recommend this novel.

Thanks again, Lois!

rachbxl, obviously the difference in the English is not something I would tend to pick up on. I did notice the other Olafsson I have is set in the US, so I suspect the author may have spent time here.

Hi RAachbxl.

You are very close to completing the 75 book challenge...Congratulations!

Thanks, Whisper - and now I've done it!

73. Joy School by Elizabeth Berg

This got me out of one of those phases when you can't finish a book, no matter how much you might want to read it. The narrator is a 12-year old girl, Katie, and I thought Berg pulled off her voice well. For the most part the novel is light, and sometimes very funny (not so much the plot as the way the narrator sees the world around her), but it's also one of the best portrayals I've read of the potential misery of growing up - fickle friends, first love, etc. There's also some lovely characterisation; I particularly liked Katie's older friend from her old home-town, with her patronising advice.

(Akeela, you were indeed responsible for this one, but you can relax now - I quite liked it!)

74. Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham

Oh, this is good. It's very, very good. There are 3 parts to this novel - one in 1800's industrial New York, set among the poor factory workers, one in modern-day New York, and one in the future, in the "Old New York" theme park. I really enjoyed the first part, and was disappointed to find that part 2 was about something else, until I realised what Cunningham was doing. The 3 parts involve reincarnations of the same characters - but nothing so straightforward as the characters coming back as themselves. Instead, the characters play around each other in slightly different roles each time.
If The Hours was a tribute to Virginia Woolf, Specimen Days pays hommage to Walt Whitman - the man himself has a walk-on part in part 1, and his poetry is the thread which links the 3 parts of the book; in each part there is a character who compulsively blurts out Whitman quotations, for different reasons. This was lost on me at first; I've never read any Whitman so until it was made clear, I thought that the random quotations from "Walt's book" were invented nonsense - but it's made me want to go and read some Whitman for myself now!

75. Eventide by Kent Haruf

The sequel to Plainsong, which was one of my best surprises of last year.
It was good to be back with these characters that I liked so much, in that familiar old corner of Colorado...but, as is so often the case with sequels, I was disappointed. I didn't think the writing was anything like so fresh as Plainsong, which I liked for being such an unassuming, quiet little story with a lot to say. This time I got the feeling that the author was trying to hard to live up to what he did the first time, and I found the result a bit flat - "he did this, and then that, and she said, and he said".
A large part of this book is about characters who weren't in the first book - 2 new storylines are introduced; I liked the story about DJ and his grandfather, but I couldn't help feeling that the part about the Wallace family was padding to make the book a decent length.
That said, I did enjoy parts of this novel, and I found parts of it very moving. One of the reviews quoted on the cover says that it's "a kind book in a cruel world", and perhaps that's the charm of both of these books.

Congratulations Rachel on reaching #75!!
Anita

Congrats!

congratulations!

congrats!

Hey Rachel,

Fantastic, you made it!! And in style, I might add!

What a wonderful line-up of books - Congratulations!

Phew! I'm relieved you enjoyed Berg - she ususally delivers. I suppose if she lapses in a couple of the 30-odd books or so she's written, one should be lenient, eh? :)

At my congratulations to the list as well! Plus you have given me several more titles to add to my ever-expanding Continent TBR.

I did not realize that Plainsong, which has been residing quietly on Continent TBR, had a sequel. I will look for that one as well and give it a try. Thanks!

And very many congratulations as well!

First, congratulations. I always look forward to your posts and your reading.

Next, Specimen Days. Whitman is a very interesting person, having several different 'lives' within the course of his life. I recently became very interested in his life and received a compendium of his work as a gift. His writing is so vital and current in its theme and feel. Definitely read some of his writing.

Next, Eventide. I had the same letdown in reading the sequel and maybe you're right, maybe the author was trying to hard to re-create the experience of the first. I attributed it to my own let down at the book not being the exact same book. In any case, I too still enjoyed it a great deal and will read more of his work.

Congratulations, Rachel! Glad you enjoyed Specimen Days - I found it one of those books that gives you the slightly dizzying effect of making the real world look strange after reading.

Wow, I had no idea so many people read my thread! Thanks to you all for the messages.

I have to say that the numbers don't matter all that much to me (by which I mean that I've never felt that I had a goal; I was just reading for the pleasure of it). What has mattered, though, is being a member of this group, which is what has spurred me on to read so many wonderful things this year (and it's not over yet!) This seems like a good time to thank you all for your ideas, comments, support and friendship; I had no idea a website could enrich my life like LT does - THANK YOU ALL!

Onwards!

76. Nigdy w zyciu by Katarzyna Grochola
(available in English as Never in my Life!)

This came highly recommended by several Polish friends, but actually I didn't like it as much as Trzepot skrzydel. Still, the book was much better than the film.

Hey, I try and read everyone's thread, even if I do not leave comments, you can probably bet I have been there. How else am I going to find interesting books to read next, lol?

77. Le Dossier: How to Survive the English 'translated' by Sarah Long

This purports to be a kind of handbook to surviving life among the English, supposedly written by a rather pretentious Parisian lady struggling to come to terms with life in my barbarian native country, and translated by Sarah Long. In fact, it's all Long's own work, years spent in Paris having given her not just plenty to say about the differences between the 2 countries, but also a nice eye for the things that the French find strange about England, and it's very funny.
A refreshingly new slant on something that's been done to death, and a fun, light read - recommended, but perhaps only if you're English and know something about France!
(What a shame it wasn't properly proof-read, though...)

I'll definitely put Le Dossier on my list, having really, really enjoyed Paris to the Moon this year (one of my few really 5-star books of 2008) which contains a lot about culture clash with the French. Although I may have to grit my teeth for the poor proof-reading. I have to say that it is one of the things I find MOST annoying about books - poor proofreading. Good proofreaders can still be found very cheaply (I know at least 3 that are all disgustingly cheap given what an excellent job they do) and capable of a quick turnaround. There is just no excuse.

Ahem. Sorry. Pet peeve there.

>188 FlossieT: FlossieT, don't apologise! I'm often accused of being too fussy about things like this, so I'm pleased to find I'm not alone. I suppose in this book it wasn't THAT bad (a couple of typos, several footnotes on the wrong page) - but it bugs me because it shouldn't happen at all.

Thanks for the mention of Paris to the Moon too; I'll have to look out for it.

78. Kiffe kiffe demain by Faiza Guène
available in English as Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow

I throroughly enjoyed this short novel about contemporary life in the soulless Paris suburbs. The narrator, Doria, the 15-year-old daughter of Moroccan immigrants has a fresh, captivating voice, and is without a trace of self-pity. I think it's this refusal to feel sorry for herself that makes the reader really appreciate the bleakness of her life in a high-rise block, denied access to life's opportunities because of her poverty and her immigrant status. I really felt for Doria as she described how she was helping her mother learn to write, or how her mother had never seen the Eiffel Tower despite having lived 10km away for the last 20 years - but by the next paragraph she would have me laughing out loud with her irreverent descriptions of the world around her.

Doria really came alive, and I miss her now I've finished the novel.

Wow! Sounds like another great reading discovery for you. I will try and track down the English version to read. Thanks for the recommendation.

I'm going to have to find this one, too! Thanks, Rachel.

another interesting book, it seems, on immigration --- i was just reading a post elsewhere about another book on the subject -- The Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous. Very interesting and very timely, oftentimes provocative, difficult and divisive, this is an issue which we're only scratching the surface of, yet is here to stay. there seems to be a burgeoning literature on this subject. wondering now if there's an LT forum on Immigration, perhaps it warrants a discussion all its own...

Agreed on Paris to the Moon. A great book!!!!

>190 rachbxl:-193

Sorry, gave you the wrong title in English the first time; it's actually called Just Like Tomorrow.

>193 deebee1: deebee, I don't know about a whole forum, but there was certainly a group read on immigration in the Reading Globally group just recently.

79. Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

I liked this, but I didn't love it. It's a vivid tale of childhood and adolescence on the island of Antigua, narrated by Annie John herself. A brilliant, headstrong child to whom everything comes easily, she has an idyllic childhood as the apple of her parents' eye, enjoying a particularly close relationship with her beautiful mother, whom she adores. When she reaches adolescence, though, everything changes, as her mother tries to put distance between them and force her to be a young lady, not a child. What I found interesting here was the idea of perception; the reader sees everything through the lens of Annie's perception - so does her mother really behave in the cold way that Annie says, or is that only Annie's childish reading of her behaviour? (In this I was reminded of Doris Lessing's The Fifth Child - how reliable is Harriet's interpretation?)

80. Earth and Ashes by Atiq Rahimi
translated from the Dari (Afghanistan) by Erdag M. Goknar

What a beautiful little book. And it really IS so little - 81 pages, big margins, wide spacing - that it could actually be a short story, except that that somehow it needs to be a novel and stand alone. Normally I'd have raced through something this short in an hour, but I couldn't do that here; it begged to be read slowly.

It's set in Afghanistan at the time of the Soviet invasion, and it involves an old man, Dastaguir, travelling with his grandson, Yasin, to find the boy's father, Murad, who works in a mine, to tell him that their village has been devastated. The book is written in the second person - Dastaguir talking to himself. I unearthed an interview with the author in which he explains that the grandfather, son and grandson represent 3 generations of Afghanistan which are unable to communicate with each other; the grandfather is the old, noble Afghanistan with its traditional values, the son is the Mujahideen and chaos, the grandson (deafened by the bombing of his village) is handicapped by war and unaccessible. I can see that now, but I'm afraid I didn't know enough about Afghanistan to be able to get there on my own.

Thanks to Akeela for another great recommendation!

(edited to correct the author's name!)

Book 80 sounds fantastic - I'm going to look out for it. Thanks, Rachel.

Hope you like it, Rachael (NB I just had to edit the post because I'd got the author's name wrong!)

Another great review and book. As always, a diverse and interesting choice. You and akeela really give the most interesting books.

Another thing I am ignorant on....."NB"??

Another one passes 75. Belated congrats!

>200 blackdogbooks: "nota bene", meaning "note well", as in "take note". Sorry, blackdog - I tend to forget that other people didn't have the years of Latin that I did at school!

>201 Cariola: Thanks, Cariola!

Woah! (Said in a Neo-like tone.) Sometimes you guys really impress me with the level of your education. Latin on top of the other languages! Keep the knowledge coming. I'll catch up with a little help from all my friends here on LT.

I am one of those people who has always felt deprived because I never learned Latin. One of these days, I am going to fix that problem!

I did 4 years of Latin at school, and I loved it! It's certainly made it easier for me to learn my other languages; even a non-Romance language like Polish is easier on the back of Latin (for me, anyway). I keep thinking that I'll go back and rediscover my Latin one of these days, but there are so many other things to do...!

I think what I need is a good Latin textbook that lends itself to self-education. Once I find that, I can tackle it. Just one of those things I want to do before I die.

Rachel, I'm glad you enjoyed Earth and Ashes so much! Thanks for the link to the interview. It just adds another dimension to the already wonderful read.

> 205 and 206
There must be something like that out there alcottacre. I could search for you, if you would like that.

I tried Latin (and Ancient Greek) at school twice (because I flunked that year), and had to do French and German for 4 years... and English all 6 years.
Disasters, all languages at that time.
I have dislexia, now I know how my brain works, reading a lot gives "little photos" of words in my head, that is how I recognise them. I immediately spot spelling errors. And new spelling (just a few years back for Dutch) makes a mess in my head, it takes some years to adjust ;-)
Being around at the web has improved my English skills a lot, not enough yet to read whole books in English, but maybe in the future...

81. The Outcast by Sadie Jones

I've been in a book slump for a couple of weeks, but this fantastic book, a recommendation from avaland (thanks, Lois!) got me right out of it.

Like On Chesil Beach, the backdrop to this novel is the stifling, oppressive atmosphere of 1950's England. The more I read of books like these, the more I wonder just how my parents, growing up in the same time and place, manage to appear quite so normal (but it's all about appearances, so who knows what's going on underneath?); what saved them, I think, was not being born into such upper-class families as those in these books. For the families in The Outcast, the motto is that anything goes behind closed doors, but keep up appearances at all costs, and that stiff upper lip mustn't even twitch. The tone of the whole book is brooding, the atmosphere reminiscent of a sultry day when you know there has to be a huge storm, but even so some of the things that happened shocked me.

The life of the main character, Lewis, is torn apart when his mother dies in an accident at which he is present when he's 10. This previously normal, happy child isn't given any opportunity to grieve, and isn't allowed even to mention his mother after her death. His father, who does appear to have loved his mother, remarries with unseemly haste, and attempts to force life to go on. Lewis becomes withdrawn and unsociable; everybody sees what's happening and talks behind his back, but nobody helps, and Lewis steadily goes off the rails - only not as far as the villagers think, for they are no longer interested in the truth; they just want a scapegoat for everything wrong in their society.

I thought the female characters were exceptionally well done - stepmother, Kit, Tamsin, and in particular Elizabeth, Lewis's mother. It would have been easy to have made her into a saint, but Jones avoids that, and this gives the story yet another layer. With the exception of Lewis, the male characters didn't come alive for me quite so much, although perhaps that's also a reflection of life at the time - father is a distant figure who spends all day at work, whereas it's the women, children and servants who make up life in the community.

Recommended!

#209 rachbxl: I read The Outcast earlier this year (also based on avaland's recommendation), and boy, was I impressed. It is a terrific book. Glad to see that you liked it as well.

Hi rachbxl.
Thanks for your wonderful review of The Outcast. I'm moving this up toward the top of the tbr pile.

#209 - not about The Outcast but I I just picked up on your note on 1950s England... I'm reading The Golden Notebook at the moment, and I think that is one of the things I'm struggling with the most: it's set in the 1950s, but the characters are speaking and acting in a way that I would consider to be from at least a decade later.

I just find it interesting to think about how little we really know (if we haven't lived through it) about how accurate a setting is - a similar problem to reading novels set in different countries. How does that affect our enjoyment of a book? Is it basically just a massive bluffing game?

>212 FlossieT:: Flossie
Is it basically just a massive bluffing game?
Basicly yes, but when it is done with too much bluffing, there will be too many readers who can see through ;-)
Karl May was at the end of the 19th century the greatest example, wrote adventure novels playing all over the world, although he had never set a foot outside of Germany.

A quote that comes to my mind is about a well respected paper here, after a survey they concluded that everyone thought the paper was very well informed and accurate except for their own field of knowledge.

>Rachbxl (& Stasia), Glad you both enjoyed The Outcast. Your review, Rach, brought it all back to me. Such a well-done book (that was a debut novel, wasn't it?).

>212 FlossieT:, 213 I think it is a fine balance. Clearly, some bluffing is necessary for a variety of reasons, but I would think the very best writers would be able to make credible another time or place with a minimum of it.

82. Chwila/Moment by Wislawa Szymborska

I don't read much poetry, but whenever I do, I wonder why that is. This is a short collection from one of Poland's Nobel prize winners, with the English translations alongside the Polish originals. Initially I was only dipping into the translations to check my understanding, but I was so impressed that I ended up reading them for the pleasure of it, as well as the original. The translators are Clare Cavanagh and Stanislaw Baranczak, the latter being a well-known translator of English into Polish, at least among my Polish friends (admittedly not, perhaps, a representative sample, given that they're almost all translators or interpreters themselves). One of my friends raved about Baranczak's translations of Shakespeare, another about his translations of children's stories.

Some of the poems in this collection are reflections on abstract concepts (eg "A Few Words on the Soul"), whilst others are about everyday things, but from an interesting angle ("Receiver", "A Little Girl Tugs at the Tablecloth"). My favourites are "A Memory", about reactions to a beautiful girl, and "A Contribution to Statistics", in both of which Szymborska's succint, witty style is particularly effective.

83. Kennedy's Brain by Henning Mankell
translated from the Swedish by Laurie Thompson

Having enjoyed several Inspector Wallander mysteries this year, I thought I'd give this a go when I found it on the swap shelf at work (it's not Wallander), but I can't say I enjoyed it. I only finished it out of laziness - it was often the closest book to hand so I read it instead of going to get something else.
As I keep saying, I really like Wallander as a character. Here, though, I didn't warm to the main character at all; okay, so you don't always have to like a character, but since the whole book is about Louise Cantor and her search for the truth about her son's death, a certain degree of empathy with her might have made for a more enjoyable (and credible) read.
The novel, mainly based in Mozambique, is largely about AIDS and AIDS research; Mankell does a lot of work with AIDS organisations in Africa and runs a theatre in Maputo, so he knows what he's talking about - but I couldn't help feeling at times that the novel was more personal crusade than story-telling. He says in the epilogue that he was driven by anger at the unjust plight of African AIDS victims, but for me this very anger at times stood in the way of what he was trying to tell me.
I also felt that the story was overly complicated. I may have missed something vital (I was skimming at times), but I think that the part about Kennedy's brain just made the novel longer and more confusing; the central AIDS-in-Africa theme would have sufficed for me.

Rachel, I've really enjoyed the two Wallanders they've had on the BBC the last couple of weeks (sadly - or maybe this is good? They make excellent TV, so perhaps it doesn't matter that I broke my sacred "read before watch" rule - they chose two that were already on my want-to-read list). I take it you would recommend further reading?

>217 FlossieT: I would, Rachael, I would! The Wallander books are far from being the best I've read this year, but I've enjoyed them a lot - particularly for those times when you feel like something light and easy to read, but nevertheless well done. I hadn't realised the BBC was screening them quite so soon - if I'd known I'd have asked my mum to record them, then I could have watched them over Christmas! I have a "read before watch" rule as well, which a lot of people find odd (perhaps not LTers, I suspect...)

Rachel, I, too, like the Wallender novels, and I've sampled a couple of his other books (one a detective story, one a children's story), and just this weekend finished a non-fiction I Die But My Memory Lives On about the memory book project Mankell is/was involved in while in Africa. It was very strong emotionally, which may be where a lot of the reaction you found in Kennedy's Brain comes from. This small book does not soft-pedal Mankell's reactions, but it is sometimes hard to read. The straight text of the book is interspersed with selections from memory books of AIDS victims. Sometimes it is confusing where one leaves off and the other starts, and I have to think that set-up is deliberate--meant to force the reader to pay attention to the message in both sections. I do recommend it, including both introduction and the epilogue, written by others about AIDS, Africa, and Mankell.

Message 115
Rachel, I want to thank you for recommending
How To Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer. I added this to my tbr pile in September and finished it yesterday.
Like you, this is one of my all-time favorites of 2008! It is an incredible book. And, also, like you, The Isabel Fish was my favorite of the nine short stories.

Thanks again,
Linda

>220 Whisper1:
Linda, I'm so pleased you liked it. I can't remember where I first heard of it, but I must have filed the name away in my head because it rang bells when I came across it at a booksale a few months ago - I love happy finds like that! I still think it's one of my favourite books this year.

Rachel

Rachel
If not for you, I would not have heard of How to Breathe Underwater book and that would have been a loss.
I do hope Orringer writes more. I really like her style.

I didn't want the book to end. I was a bit disturbed by the final story Stations of the Cross and was very disappointed in the characters and their actions.
But, it was so well written and such an accurate depiction of how far people go in order to fit into a peer group.

84. Szafa by Olga Tokarczuk
(Possibly available in English as The Wardrobe)

Enjoyable collection of 2 short and one longer story. The short story from which the book takes its name involves a young couple who buy a wardrobe for their almost unfurnished flat and end up retreating in it from the world outside - wonderfully quirky and a little bit surreal. The longer story, "Numbers", is a look at a hotel from the point of view of a chambermaid who analyses the guests through the state in which they leave their rooms (note to self to be a bit tidier in hotel rooms in future...!)

#223 rachbxl: The Touchstone for The Wardrobe that you have leads to a book by Jovan Panich, so I think perhaps it is not the same book or perhaps the book is not available in English after all? If that is the case, it is too bad because it sounds like something I would really like.

>224 alcottacre: Sorry, Stasia - I was in a bit of a rush and didn't check the link (I've removed it). I think maybe you're right and it's not available in translation at the moment - but fear not! There's an LTer who is passionate about Polish literature and who has been really pushing to get English translations done, and Olga Tokarczuk is one of his favourites, so you may not have to wait long!

85. My Revolutions by Hari Kunzru

I really didn't enjoy this and only finished it because I was on the train with nothing else to hand.
On the eve of his 50th birthday, Chris/Mike, a 1970s radical who has managed to escape arrest and has set up a life for himself with a new identity, finds the net closing in on him and reflects on his life. The narrative jumps in what I found to be an unsettling way between Mike's life in the present with a woman who knows nothing of his past, and Chris's life in the 1960s and early 70s in London, where he soon graduated from student protests to armed violence and bomb attacks.
This is not a period I know much about, but rather than learning from the novel I was put off my the political ranting and raving - I felt that I was being bashed over the head with the politics of it. Moreover, I couldn't find it in me to sympathise with any of the characters; far from warming to their cause, I thought they were a load of navel-gazing whingers.
On a more positive note, this novel has made me want to go and ask my family about this period when I go home to England tomorrow, so it's not all bad!
Kunzru's first novel, The Impressionist, has been on my mental TBR list for ages, and I may still give it a go, as reviews I've read suggest it's quite different.

I hope you have a safe trip and a wonderful visit with your family!

rachbxl, the Olga Tokarczuk collection sounds enticing. I checked Amazon and I didn't see it available in English; however, another collection was (House of Day, House of Night), so I added it to my wishlist (more or less a buy later list). She sounds like a wonderfully imaginative writer, right up my alley. Maybe we should put Poland on the list of countries for Reading Globally to do later this year.

Also interesting to read your impressions of the Kunzru. I read his Transmission and enjoyed it well enough and also have The Impressionist on a mental TBR list, based on the rave review of a co-worker when I was at the bookstore. I suppose regarding the newest I am less inclined to revisit the late 60s and early 70s (isn't once enough?)

If I don't talk to you before the New Year, have a wonderfully Happy one.

>227 alcottacre:, 228 Stasia, Lois, thanks for your good wishes; hope you're having a lovely Christmas yourselves, and all the best for the new year.

86. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

Very much enjoyed this quick little read, on the surface about how the Queen throws Buckingham Palace into turmoil by discovering reading, one of the corgis having wandered into a mobile library in the palace grounds one day, but also a gentle fable about how reading can change lives and open perspectives. It's only very short but I had to read it particularly quickly as my 93 year old grandma was prizing it out of my hands before I'd finished it! (Let's hope she likes it more than The Farming of Bones, which was pronounced "odd"!)

Great - beat down at Rachel's house - Grandma going after the books! Rachel fending her off with a right cross to the jaw - I can see it all now - the Christmas tree toppling on top of the wrestling combatants . . .

I hope your grandmother likes The Uncommon Reader. I really enjoyed it as have several other people here on LT! I wish my grandmother was still around to share books with.

One last one this year:

87. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson

The perfect end to a great year of reading! It's not a word I use often, but there's no other way to describe this book - it's delightful. Written in 1938, it was recently republished, and it's surprisingly fresh. Miss Pettigrew is a failure of a governess who is mistakenly sent by her employment agency to work for a nightclub singer; the misunderstandings come thick and fast as Miss Pettigrew tries to square what she finds herself surrounded by with her values as a 'lady'. It's light and frothy with some wonderfully sharp dialogue - perfect post-turkey reading.

>231 rachbxl: I read that one earlier in the year. I agree - it's wonderful!

> 231 congrats on ending the year on a high note - I will look out for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day as it sounds like fun.

See you on the 2009 thread.

Happy New Year!

- TT

Thanks, TT - and the same to you!

Some figures for 2008:

The 87 books I read included...

4 non-fiction (could do better!)
2 poetry (that's 2 more than last year)
1 graphic novel (my first ever)

books from 38 different countries, including:
19 from the UK
8 from the USA
5 from both Poland and Sweden
4 from Canada
3 from both France and Sri Lanka
2 from Iran, Peru, Norway and South Africa

14 translations
9 in French, 8 in Spanish, 6 in Polish

I've visited such a lot of countries in part because of my round-the-world trip for the Reading Globally group, but in 2009 I'd like to revisit some of the places I've only read one or two books from - I want to get a better idea of where I am, rather than just ticking countries off a list. I'd also like to read more non-fiction, but I say that every year.

And my favourite books of the year, in order of reading:

Gilgamesh
Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata
Los Premios by Julio Cortazar
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
La Disparition de la Langue Française by Assia Djebar
How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Outcast by Sadie Jones

That's 9; it was impossible to choose a 10th as there were so many it could have been (The Idea of Perfection, The Farming of Bones, Nervous Conditions, Delirio, Mosquito, Crisis Respiratoria, Funny Boy). Interestingly, not all of these were in my top 5 for the respective quarters; time has changed how I see them, and some (especially Crisis Respiratoria, a collection of short stories from Peru that I grabbed on spec in Lima last year) have stayed with me when I really wouldn't have expected them to.

Last but not least, I'd like to round off this great year of reading by thanking (almost) everyone who has visited and commented. I'll be starting a thread in the 2009 group as soon as I've read something...

We are waiting over there with bated breath for you, rach!

Thanks for posting your Best of 2008 list. I have the Solzhenitsyn book home from the library now, so it will be interesting to see how I feel about it in comparison to you.

>223 rachbxl: Stasia and Lois (if you're still there!), if you're still interested in the collection of stories by Olga Tokarczuk, I've just discovered from LTer agl1 that the longest story, "Numbers", appeared in English in Granta a few years ago. agl1 runs the website to which I provided a link above (polishwriting.net), and he tells me he's just put an interview with Tokarczuk up; I'm off to have a look at it now.

>236 alcottacre: Stasia, I think it goes without saying that "A Day in the Life..." was hardly the most fun thing I read last year, and it was far from being the most enjoyable, but it made an enormous impression on me. Even in a translation with which I had a few quibbles (the translators decided to render concentration camp slang as contemporary American slang - contemporary to when the translation was published, obviously...but that was 1963 - prompting a British reader in 2008 to wonder WHY they all speak the way they do...), the message came across with a clarity that I found startling. How to say it? I felt in a way that the truth glared out in the same way as the snow and ice in the camp, so harsh and glaring that you can hardly bear to look. I'd tell you to enjoy it but that seems almost obscene - you know what I mean, anyway, and I look forward to your thoughts on it.

I like this thread so much that I'm finding it hard to tear myself away!