by Eric Hazan
A walk from South to North through areas of Paris that tell the story of the republic from a left perspective. I love his (I suspect slightly tongue in cheek) asides, speculating on how people will react in the coming revolution, as well as his extensive knowledge of the city he has always lived in. Good to have a street map at your side, or better still be in Paris as you read. 7/10
Saturday, October 27, 2018
The Mussel Feast
by Birgit Vanderbeke
This is a short but fantastic story. It is set on one evening in the late eighties in East Germany. A family of four awaits the father so they can celebrate his new job with his favourite food -moules frites.
He is late and as the evening gets later more and more gets revealed about how this idyllic family buries many secrets. In turns funny and sad it has a great ending. 9/10
This is a short but fantastic story. It is set on one evening in the late eighties in East Germany. A family of four awaits the father so they can celebrate his new job with his favourite food -moules frites.
He is late and as the evening gets later more and more gets revealed about how this idyllic family buries many secrets. In turns funny and sad it has a great ending. 9/10
Paris Echo
by Sebastian Faulks
An American post grad researcher and a young Moroccan man searching for something meet in unusual circumstances as they arrive in Paris. There follows a story of how they bounce off each other as one looks for love and one looks to forget love, told in a storytelling way that Faulks is so good at. Good read for a holiday 8/10
An American post grad researcher and a young Moroccan man searching for something meet in unusual circumstances as they arrive in Paris. There follows a story of how they bounce off each other as one looks for love and one looks to forget love, told in a storytelling way that Faulks is so good at. Good read for a holiday 8/10
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Everything Under
by Daisy Johnson
The last of this years Booker crop and an interesting read. It was not my favourite but it may have the right ingredients to win.
Everything in this book is fluid. Set on the canals and rivers, relationships are fluid, gender is fluid and everything in between keeps moving. Scary to follow and the reveal at the end of the book of the adaption of a well known Greek myth is clever but also a bit too in your face. 7/10
The last of this years Booker crop and an interesting read. It was not my favourite but it may have the right ingredients to win.
Everything in this book is fluid. Set on the canals and rivers, relationships are fluid, gender is fluid and everything in between keeps moving. Scary to follow and the reveal at the end of the book of the adaption of a well known Greek myth is clever but also a bit too in your face. 7/10
The Overstory
by Richard Powers
This is an amazing book. It is about trees and the people who try to save them. The characters are fascinating, and the commentary on the human race depressing but the beauty of the storytelling is wonderful. It would be up there as a possible Booker winner this year for me. 9/10
This is an amazing book. It is about trees and the people who try to save them. The characters are fascinating, and the commentary on the human race depressing but the beauty of the storytelling is wonderful. It would be up there as a possible Booker winner this year for me. 9/10
The Flemish House
by George Simenon
Maigret is invited by a distant cousin to look at a murder near the Belgian border. It is an interesting book in that Maigret is investigating in an unofficial role and the end of the book is surprising while displaying another side of his character. As usual I enjoyed this book 8/10
Maigret is invited by a distant cousin to look at a murder near the Belgian border. It is an interesting book in that Maigret is investigating in an unofficial role and the end of the book is surprising while displaying another side of his character. As usual I enjoyed this book 8/10
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