Quite a varied year with crime-Maigret and Bosch yet again-biography, a session of Evelyn Waugh, a couple of books by Thomas Mann and a couple by Salman Rushdie and a record attempt at the Booker longlist where I managed 12 out of 13!
The Booker list this year was the best for a while. The winner was unusual, funny at times but definitely not my favorite. I really liked Elmet and home fire. I liked Autumn by Alis Smith and Exit West by Moshin Hammad, not to mention Swing Time and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, but I think my favorite of the crop was Resevoir 13 by Jon McGregor which charts the circle of life as the years roll by in a village in Northern England.
For the others, Waugh was very funny but poignant too examining Britain around the wars of the last century, and Thomas Mann was a great family saga and the beautiful Death in Venice. However, I think my absolute favorite of the year was Salman Rushdie's Satanic verses. I love the breadth of his imagination and his use of language.
On the non-fiction side I think the prize must go to Claire Tomalin's biography of Thomas Hardy.
Thursday, December 28, 2017
The Shadow Puppet
by Georges Simenon
Set in the Place des Vosges this case involves addiction, family secrets and greed. Claustrophobic and Maigret at his best. 8/10
Set in the Place des Vosges this case involves addiction, family secrets and greed. Claustrophobic and Maigret at his best. 8/10
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