Two brothers are at the centre of Rooney's latest offering. Peter is a lawyer, thirty-two. Ivan is his younger brother, ten years his junior. Peter isTwo brothers are at the centre of Rooney's latest offering. Peter is a lawyer, thirty-two. Ivan is his younger brother, ten years his junior. Peter is a ladies' man, who parties hard. But he's also depressed and anxious. He doesn't get his chess genius brother. Ivan feels disdain and thinks Peter doesn't care about him. In short, their relationship is tenuous.
Rooney masterfully unpeels and unwraps personalities, human flaws, motivations and people's ineptitude when it comes to communication.
Despite not being that keen on the narrator, I ended up feeling invested in the brothers' lives and what happened to their relationships with each other and with others around them....more
I'm glad I went back to the audiobook and put aside my apprehension that this would be a s0-called "spiritual" novLonglisted for the Booker Prize 2024
I'm glad I went back to the audiobook and put aside my apprehension that this would be a s0-called "spiritual" novel. The Booker Prize longlisting of this short novel convinced me I should give it another chance.
A middle-aged, childless woman leaves her job, interests, city life, her dying marriage, and moves close to where she grew up, in a small town. She somehow manages to move into a small Catholic monastery, inhabited by nuns. Interestingly enough, the narrator is not religious.
The life is simple, preoccupied with survival, domesticity, and rituals. There's a horrendous mouse plague that lasts years (based on real-life events). Also, there is a famous nun coming to live at the monastery.
Wood weaved seamlessly between the daily grind and the past, with little snippets of moments and events, showing how memory is so strange, certain seemingly small things we remember for decades. The back-and-forth examines life, sorrow, guilt, grief.
The marriage and the relationships with men are brushed over, they're not analysed in great detail, which I guess is fair enough, I appreciate the author's choice of not centrering men in the character's life.
This is a quiet, navel-gazing kind of novel that will appeal to some more than others. My appreciation of this novel was greatly enhaced by Ailsa Piper's beautiful narration....more
As you can tell from my rating, I really liked this novel.
Evenings and Weekends takes place mostly over a weekend. It's inhabited by several characterAs you can tell from my rating, I really liked this novel.
Evenings and Weekends takes place mostly over a weekend. It's inhabited by several characters, most of them are in their late twenties, early thirties. There's Ed and Maggie, who discover they're expecting a baby. Maggie's best friend is Phil, he's in love and lust with Keith who's already in a relationship with another man. Phil's brother, Callum, is soon to be married to Holly. His best friend and best man at the wedding is Ed. Ed, Maggie, Phil and Callum are from the same town, they've known each other for many years.
London is one of the characters of this novel, in its incarnations as a glamorous metropolis where working people live in moldy, derelict rental places that many have to put up with if they want a roof over their heads.
This excellent debut novel is modern, fast-paced, and incredibly well-written.
McKenna digs into the characters' psyche with aplomb, masterfully unpeeling the inner selves vs the facades we all present. ...more
Ingvar is a grieving father, who's been walking across Australia for three years. He's scraggly-looking, a loner who stays aIndeed, why do horses run?
Ingvar is a grieving father, who's been walking across Australia for three years. He's scraggly-looking, a loner who stays away from people. He ends up in a small town. Hilda, an older woman on a farm, allows him to take shelter in her abandoned, ramshackle shed. She's suspicious. He needs a place to rest.
Told via very short chapters, this Australian debut novel does a great job portraying guilt, grief, loneliness, and the power of small kindnesses.
The ending was unexpected and an interesting choice....more
Thelonious Ellison is a professor and novelist. His novels are too intellectual, too high-brow, to the point of being incomprehensible. When his la4.5
Thelonious Ellison is a professor and novelist. His novels are too intellectual, too high-brow, to the point of being incomprehensible. When his latest novel is being rejected on account of making no sense, he's despondent, seeing what type of novel is at the top of the best sellers list only lowers his spirit. To make things worse, his family is going through a series of crises and a tragedy.
Pissed off, Thelonious takes to writing in the style of a ghetto thug. He's having so much fun with it. His unamused agent will submit it, under a pseudonym. Surprises follow!
This novel is a brilliant satire about the literary and publishing world, about race and the limitations and expectations associated with one's skin colour, which make Thelonious feel like he does not fit in anywhere.
This is the fourth Everett novel that I read in the past two years. I'm in awe of his intelligence and how he twists language to make a point or several in just the right number of pages. So often, I found myself guffawing.
As I said in a previous update, Sean Crisden's delivery is worthy of an award or several.
Before reading this, my husband and I watched American Fiction, which we appreciated for the most part, but were puzzled by its ending. I wonder if Everett was OK with it, as the movie's ending was over the top and different to his novel. ...more
I saw the Spanish movie trailer for Un Amor and I noticed it was adapted from a Spanish novel, which had been translated into English and, fortunat2.5
I saw the Spanish movie trailer for Un Amor and I noticed it was adapted from a Spanish novel, which had been translated into English and, fortunately, my library had a copy. Apparently, this was also named as one of the best Spanish novels of the year.
Disclaimer: I tend to be less judgy with book and movie characters, and admittedly, I'm more benevolent with non-English literature.
The premise: Nat, in her thirties, moves from the city to a tiny, desolate Spanish village, where she rents a run-down, ugly house. If you think this novel employs the sea change trope where the city girl discovers the wonders of country living including an available hunk of a man who's waiting for the right woman, this is the complete opposite. The village is far from picturesque, the people are either old or weird, and the landlord is creepy, making Nat shake in her boots. My contrary personality who enjoys different now and then - thought this was a promising novel.
(view spoiler)[We're in Nat's head, albeit the narration is in the third person. Nat doesn't articulate many things, she's a mystery. Her personality is very subdued, to the point of not having any. Anyway, she's new in the village, so she gets to know her neighbours, Piter is a hippy-looking, stained-glass artist of sorts.
Then there's the German, who provides her with vegetables now and then. A few other small village characters pop up. Even Nat's dog which the landlord supplied her with is terrible. Poor Nat! Nat has a penchant for avoiding work at all costs. She's a translator who never translates, despite having money woes.
The rain finally comes and there are leaks everywhere. The creepy landlord wouldn't do anything about it. But then, the German comes to the rescue, he'll fix it for her if only "she'll let him enter her a little". Yep, you read that correctly. He's twelve years older, not much to look at. Intriguing... Different. Upon some consideration, Nat takes him on. The sex is quick, perfunctory and safe. He does a great job with the roof. Boredom and loneliness can make people act strangely. Nat finds herself back for more. I mean who among us doesn't like a man who can do things around the house, right? The sex is very satisfying, the guy has incredible stamina, there's little talking, no promises, and no sleeping over. But Nat can't be content with just that. She turns into an obsessive teenager, she tries to extract proclamations from the simple guy and is amazed when he truthfully answers her question - what do you mean you weren't bedazzled by my youth and beauty? (sarcasm) I mean, I get it, who among us hasn't imagined the man was much deeper, better than he actually was?
Anyway, I went along for the ride. I cringed at how pathetic Nat was. Of course, she's got a prince in shining armour in her neighbour Piter, who would have been more believable had he been gay. A few other bad things happen to Nat, because we all know trouble loves company. (hide spoiler)]
I was taken aback by the ending and everything else before that. The characters felt unreal, they didn't act like most people would. After a while, Nat got tiresome, it was difficult to feel bad for her. While idiocy is not solely the prerogative of the young and inexperienced, it's extra grating and pathetic when the person is in her thirties. Also, I realised Nat is one of those women who don't seem be to able to connect with other women, big thumbs down/red flag for me, not that it was declared in the novel.
While I liked the writing style and it kept me reading, after finishing the novel, I felt empty and unsatisfied....more
Ordinary Human Failings is seemingly a thriller, mystery.
Nolan's writing shines when it comes to characterisations. Told via multiple POVs, over decaOrdinary Human Failings is seemingly a thriller, mystery.
Nolan's writing shines when it comes to characterisations. Told via multiple POVs, over decades, it has at its centre the Greens, an Irish family who moved to London. This is a novel about disenfranchisement, mistakes that affect one’s once promising future, lack of opportunities, depression, alcoholism, loneliness to name just a few of the themes. Nolan does a great job humanising all the individuals, even the very flawed.
Ordinary Human Failings is worth checking out – the writing is masterful, the narrator, Jessica Regan, was top notch....more
This is the first time I read a book about Libya and Libyans, My Friends filled in some gaps in my limited knowledge. Growing up in Romania, CeausescuThis is the first time I read a book about Libya and Libyans, My Friends filled in some gaps in my limited knowledge. Growing up in Romania, Ceausescu was very fond of Qaddafi, I guess they were kindred spirits in their megalomaniac, dictatorial ways. Unfortunately, the Libyans had to suffer even longer than the Romanians. Anyway ...
This was unique, not only because of its Libyan protagonists but also because it's about the friendship between three men, who met while in exile in the UK. The novel is narrated by Khaled, who received a scholarship to study English literature in Edinburgh, where he meets a fellow Libyan, Mustafa. The two become good friends. Mustafa pushes Khaled to join him to protest in front of the Libyan embassy in London. Both young men get shot, with Khaled taking quite a bit of time to recover. That was an actual event that happened in April 1984. Both young men fear repercussions from the Libyan regime, known for assassinations of dissidents who were in exile in other countries. Khaled kept those events hidden from his parents and sister, who were still living in Libya under the regime.
A chance encounter brings another Lybian into Khaled's circle - Hosam is an author, whose short story left a strong impression on Khaled when he had heard it on the radio years prior. The three are different men, Khaled is the connecting link between Mustafa and Hosam. We follow them over decades.
This novel is highly introspective and permeated with melancholy, which was amplified by Hisham Matar's soothing voice, which I found mesmerising and calming. Destiny, belonging, self-determination and duty are always on Khaled's mind, who could never quite find his place. He came across as indecisive and impassionate, I guess people have a certain disposition and temper.
I was impressed with Matar's writing, I'll try to get my hands on his other books....more
This novel was something else! It spans several decades and has at its centre Nahr, a Kuwait-born Palestinian woman. She's grown up hearing stories abThis novel was something else! It spans several decades and has at its centre Nahr, a Kuwait-born Palestinian woman. She's grown up hearing stories about the motherland, but she's quite fond of Kuwait. She's a bit of rebel, determined and headstrong. Her mother is a widow who's also been caring for her mother-in-law. Nahr's younger brother is quite intelligent and does well in school. Nahr's works a variety of jobs but it's hard to make a living and even harder to get enough money to send her younger brother to university. Decisions will be made by Nahr, others will be made for her.
While imperfect, I loved so many things about this novel. Through Nahr's everyday life and adventures, I got to hear about Kuwait's invasion, and the Palestinians' plight, who yet again get kicked out of a place and have to move to another country and start all over again. We also got to experience some of the horrible things the Jewish settlers were imposing on the people and their lands, houses, etc. There is so much sorrow and tragedy, pretty much no family is spared - and that was before the atrocities currently occurring in Gaza.
This was a powerful, heartbreaking, and enlightening read. I'm keen to read more books by Abulhawa....more
As always, it's such a treat reading a Strout novel.
This time, Strout brings together all the characters she's been writing about - there's Lucy BartAs always, it's such a treat reading a Strout novel.
This time, Strout brings together all the characters she's been writing about - there's Lucy Barton, Bob Burgess, and Olive Kitteridge. Lucy and Bob form a close friendship, they take walks together and talk about life. Lucy and Olive become friends, with Lucy often visiting the nonagenarian to exchange stories about their past or people from the past.
If you suspend your disbelief about a partnered man and woman taking frequent walks and their partners not minding in the least - then you'll appreciate the friendship between Lucy and Bob.
Lucy and Olive's friendship felt a bit tenuous and unrealistic, with some of the stories not that interesting, but it was lovely to encounter Olive again.
There's also a mystery/crime element added to the mix - with Bob being the lawyer of a single, lonesome man suspected of having killed his mother.
Ultimately, despite having a few grumbles, I ended up being charmed by this novel.
Will Strout write another Lucy, Bob, Olive novel? We'll have to wait and see.
Crudo is about a forty year old woman who's about to get married. Her life is changing, the UK is changing, the world is one big boiling pot which sheCrudo is about a forty year old woman who's about to get married. Her life is changing, the UK is changing, the world is one big boiling pot which she's aware of due to consuming the news and being on Twitter.
This is a short, fast paced, direction and ideas changing novel, that should have greatly appealed to me, alas I couldn't get into it, many a times I found myself not taking anything in, I didn't feel anything except for mild irritation about not knowing what the point was.
This is a short, well-written and translated novel. The main narrator, a woman recovering from illness, looks back at some of her previous rela3.5 - 4
This is a short, well-written and translated novel. The main narrator, a woman recovering from illness, looks back at some of her previous relationships, a female lover, a friend, a male lover and lastly, the narrator's mother.
Via those relationships, we assemble a picture of the narrator - a chameleon of sorts, coming across as a passive person, who took her queues from those around her.
This is the kind of introspective, quiet novel that will be interpreted differently by each reader.
The Details was shortlisted for International Booker Prize....more
It must have been the cover and the fact that it was labeled as literary that drew me to select this audiobook.
Renaissance is narrated by a Canadian wIt must have been the cover and the fact that it was labeled as literary that drew me to select this audiobook.
Renaissance is narrated by a Canadian woman, on the cusp of turning fifty, who's spending five weeks in a monastery in Florence, Italy. For most of this short novel, there is foreshadowing about the reason the narrator feels lost, out of sorts. We find out she's an empty nester, as her three boys had left their home in pursue of degrees and lives as adults. She loved being a mother, she identified herself as a mother, even though she had been working in different roles that mostly centred around caring for others.
For the most part, I really enjoyed the novel, as someone of similar age, albeit still with teenagers at home, I could understand her, empathise, sympathise. Of course, the descriptions of Florence, the art, the foods were enticing as well. Then, the revealed reason for feeling betrayed kind of angered me - let's just say that religious, Christian vibes were amped up big time, I won't say more for fear of spoilers
Generally speaking, this intenseley navel-gazing novel appealed to me, then I found myself cussing annoyed with the reveal, but I'm self aware enough to recognise it's a me problem.
I'm pretty sure Rachel McKendree's beautiful voice kept me going as well....more
Absolutely and Forever is a short novel narrated by Marianne Clifford, who at just fifteen falls crazy(ly) in love with the handsome eighteen-year-oldAbsolutely and Forever is a short novel narrated by Marianne Clifford, who at just fifteen falls crazy(ly) in love with the handsome eighteen-year-old, Simon. Oh, the agony of the first love. The mature me got irked by it, telling her to get a grip, asking myself was I that pathetic and obsessed? Very likely. The two become an item for a little while, but then Simon moves to Paris.
We follow Marianne's life, as she attempts to finish a secretarial college in London, as she dates again and just finds herself directionless, letting things and life happen, including when it comes to partnering. Then she finds herself married to a man whom she doesn't love, but she was expecting a child and it was the sixties.
Class, parenting, gender roles, and the stiffness of English relationships, are some of the motifs that gently emanate from the novel. The main one for me was about gender roles, women's lack of autonomy, and the lack of expectations for themselves, besides marrying well.
This short novel was beautifully written and the conclusion was surprising....more
A Good Life is about two sisters, Emma and Agathe, five years apart. Emma is the older sister, organised, settled, and seemingly having it all. AgatheA Good Life is about two sisters, Emma and Agathe, five years apart. Emma is the older sister, organised, settled, and seemingly having it all. Agathe has always been reckless, her life had many ups and downs, starting many jobs and projects, getting through relationships, and always on the move.
After the passing of their beloved grandmother, the two adult women decide to spend a week together in their grandmother's house, before it is sold.
The novel is told via flashbacks, from the girls' earlier years to the present. Family dysfunction, mental health, and grief are the novel's main themes. The sisters' bond is strong, despite all the misunderstandings, they realise how lucky they are to have had each other.
Grimaldi's writing is unadorned but very apt at conveying the characters' inner selves. The surroundings and the past are vividly depicted. It was lovely to recognise some of the pop references.
I've received this advanced reading copy, in exchange for an honest review....more
Praise the reading gods, I've finally finished a book, even though it was an audiobook and a short one - life has been busy, it's summer in Austral3.5
Praise the reading gods, I've finally finished a book, even though it was an audiobook and a short one - life has been busy, it's summer in Australia, festivals and events galore...
This novella was potent and raw, as it's told in the first person by a woman, a mother who struggles with mental health issues - big time! to the point that she keeps hurting herself by biting huge chunks out of herself, and, occasionally, has violent outbursts. It was an uncomfortable read. Some parts about the early days of motherhood, about the horrors of childbirth, post-partum were powerful. It's amazing the majority of us birthing mothers still go for a second child and third, fourth, the hormones trick us into forgetting.
This was well written, but tread with caution. (Before it begins, it does state the many trigger warnings)....more
This short novel was in many ways similar to the Labyrinth, Lohrey's Miles Franklin award winner, as it has at its centre a woman no longer young a3.5
This short novel was in many ways similar to the Labyrinth, Lohrey's Miles Franklin award winner, as it has at its centre a woman no longer young and whose life has been uprooted. In this case, Zoe's husband of many years died suddenly.
After his death, she buys an abandoned church in a small town and takes on converting it into a home. It's not an easy task, there are limitations, especially considering the tight finances. She gets a job as a receptionist at the local hospital. Slowly, she meets neighbours and other local people.
This is a short novel that has relatively low stakes. I had this sense of distance and disconnection when listening to this, at least when it came to Nicole Nabut's narration, Zoe never lost her temper, never got annoyed or irritated with anything or anyone, she just observed without reacting. It must be nice.
This was quite atmospheric, the landscape and descriptions of the small town were enticing. If you're after an exciting plot, this is not that type of novel....more
3.5 This isn't easy to rate. Why? This time of the year is super busy, so my mood is not the best. This book won the Booker Prize and some expectations3.5 This isn't easy to rate. Why? This time of the year is super busy, so my mood is not the best. This book won the Booker Prize and some expectations and pressures accompany the reading and reviewing such a novel.
The plot can be summed up as a professional Irish mother and her four children, including a baby, are trying to survive the authoritarian/fascist new regime that sees her union leader and teacher husband being apprehended by authorities. On top of that, she's got to deal with her ailing, demented father. She is kind of naive in the beginning, believing in the rule of law, human rights and common sense - oh, how easily those principles of modern democracies can crumble. Her naivete was even more striking as she lived in Ireland. But we all have our blind spots and some people are the half-full type of people. Moving on.
Not to spoil it, but there's more chaos, misinformation, confusion and a lot of grief.
I couldn't help but think of those suffering through armed conflicts, bombings and other such reprehensible things inflicted by other humans on other humans.
The writing was good, but things didn't hit me on an emotional level, I'm happy to blame my mood for my lack of emotional conectiveness. Now that I try to articulate things here and to myself, I'm convinced that had Lynch used the first-person narration, the novel would have been more impactful, at least for this reader.
Also, while Gerry O'Brien was perfectly adequate, I thought it was a peculiar choice to have a male narrator deliver this novel mostly about a woman's journey.
I'm rounding this up to 4 stars as the other novels on the Booker shortlist I read were rated 3 stars but were less enjoyable/worthy....more
I tried multiple times to read the Offing by Myers as many people raved about it. I just couldn't get into it.
I tried CuddySomewhat spoilerish review
I tried multiple times to read the Offing by Myers as many people raved about it. I just couldn't get into it.
I tried Cuddy as an audiobook, and upon noticing the setting, I promptly dropped it.
So reading this was a kind of last attempt at seeing what's all the fuss about.
Objectively, Myers can write. Subjectively, I just couldn't connect, I often found myself reading but not taking anything in.
The protagonists of this short novel (something that goes in the plus category) are two men who are a bit different: Calvert is a Falkland Islands veteran with a good case of PTSD, Redbone is an anti-authoritarian, musician of sorts. It's 1989, somewhere in England. The two friends have plans and goals - to make crop circles. Calvert is the logistics man, Redbone is the designer/creator of those crop circles that get more and more sophisticated. They do it at night, it's all anonymous. Of course, (insert rolling eyes) people and the media wonder if they're done by extra-terrestrial beings. Sorry to spoil it for you, but that's pretty much all there is about this novel, plus a few tidbits about climate change, and class.
In conclusion, this was a short novel, the writing was decent, the story didn't feel like was going anywhere. Unfortunately, I didn't care about the two protagonists, and I don't think it's because books about men usually bore me.
I'll put this down as it's me, it's not you....more
The Dry Heart was brutal in its depiction of a marriage devoid of joy or companionship.
When we meet the protagonist, she's a twenty-six-year-old virgThe Dry Heart was brutal in its depiction of a marriage devoid of joy or companionship.
When we meet the protagonist, she's a twenty-six-year-old virgin, working as a teacher in an all-girls' school. She lives in a dark and depressing boarding house. Nothing much happens in her life, she's only got one friend. At a party, she meets an older man, Alfredo, who takes an interest in her. They start going out, he shows an interest in everything she has to say, she loves being seen, who doesn't. Is this love, she asks herself? He's short, much older, and not that attractive, so what she tells herself ... How does one know, one without experience, one who never loved or was loved? He added a bit of spark and interest to her life - not that much power or heat is needed when one's life is so dim.
Eventually, they marry. Besides the comfortable life, she's lonely as one can be, as he takes off weeks at a time on mysterious trips. She's disgusted by the sex act, but thinks that's probably normal - nobody told her about such things. And then, she falls pregnant and has a baby - will that revitalise their marriage?
Ginzburg's writing is as simple and unadorned as it comes, but that makes it even more potent. This is a story about loneliness, lack of options, and grief.
Thanks to my GR friends who brought it to my attention. I'll try to get my hands on more of her translated works....more
Loading...
