Paperback Places

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila@PaperbackPlaces) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:24:00 +0000

Apparently "The Book Thief" is classed as a young adult, even a children's book, in the USA, but it wasn't written as such and certainly I've thoroughly enjoyed it a very long way away from young adult years..

The story is set in wartime Germany and gives an insight into ordinary people's lives. It is narrated by Death, which may sound morbid, but this Death is afraid of humans and wonders how they can be capable of so many glorious things as well as such ugliness. And that really is one of the main themes of the book, along with death of course, the Second World War, and the conflict of ordinary people with the society they live in.

It's the story of Liesel, who has to be fostered when her own parents are taken away to a concentration camp for being Communists. Her brother dies before they reach their foster parents and she steals a book, a grave digger's manual, even though at that time she couldn't read. It's the story of the books that pass through her hands, and the story of how she survives the events of the war.

There isn't, in truth, a great sense of place, but there most certainly is an all-enveloping feeling of being immersed in the time. This is such an important part of Germany's history, I would happily recommend the book to anyone planning to visit Germany.

White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila@PaperbackPlaces) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:21:00 +0000

An eye-opening story set in modern India, a country of start contrasts between rich and poor, between the Light and the Darkness, between men with fat bellies and men with thin bellies. It's a rapid and easy read - cynical, provocative, and entertaining.

The format of the book is a series of emails sent by the narrator to a Chinese head of state due to visit India, to explain the truth about being an Indian entrepreneur. In essence, it's a very moral tale, it exposes corruption in all its forms, the extraordinary poverty in an upwardly mobile society, the blurred moral boundaries. In spite of it all, I have a lingering sympathy for Balram.

In India, 76% live below the poverty limit of $2 a day, compared to 73% in Sub-Saharan Africa. People forget this, probably because there is the "new" India, the world of technology and entrepreneurs, the world that Balram wants to join. It is this contrast that is brought out so very well in the book.

The dreams of the rich and the dreams of the poor - they never overlap, do they?
See, the poor dream all their lives of getting enough to eat and looking like the rich. And what do the rich dream of? Losing weight and looking like the poor.

Extra Virgin by Annie Hawes

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila@PaperbackPlaces) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:24:00 +0000

A very enjoyable read, but it didn't flow very smoothly, nor was it a page turner. I thought the descriptions of local people and life in the village very interesting and not too patronising or over-romanticised as so many are in this type of book. In my view it was much better than Under the Tuscan Sun which had a very self-satisfied tone that I didn't like.

I would have liked more information about Annie and her sister - it was a bit of a mystery how they transformed from holiday workers on the rose farm into part-time residents, or did I miss something? What did they do in England and how were they able to travel back and forth so often? I imagine the reason was to maintain some privacy, but it bothered me somehow.

The structure seemed to me to be a little odd. At first I thought it was going to be a description of a single year, only to realise that it was progressing through the years as well as the seasons. At times that gave a confusing/disjointed impression and it made it hard to follow in places.

Nevertheless it was a very entertaining read and one I would recommend to anyone interested in Italy.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila@PaperbackPlaces) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:28:00 +0000

This book is an excellent crime novel set in Sweden. I have read a number of Henning Mankell's novels but this is very different. It's a gripping and fast read, a little graphically brutal here and there, though not excessively. By that I mean I was able to skim over those parts, enough to realise what was happening but not enough to give me nightmares! The translation is excellent in that you truly aren't aware that that the book wasn't originally written in English. That's not often the case, sadly.

I enjoyed the picture it gave of Swedish life, in particular rural and island life. I have a firm picture of Hedeby, picturesque villages and summer cabins, so unlike the melancholy and brooding of Mankell's Sweden.

Paris in the Fifties by Stanley Karnow

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila@PaperbackPlaces) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:52:00 +0000

This book is neither about Paris nor set in the fifties, for the most part. I rarely consider giving up on a book, but in the first few chapters, I was sorely tempted. It seemed to be nothing but a recital of all the celebrities and intellectuals that Stanley Karnow had met during his time as a foreign correspondent in Paris.

I'm really glad I didn't put it down though, because it improved immeasurably after those first chapters. Most of the paragraphs have a theme, such as the history of the guillotine, Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam, Algeria, and as a whole gives an interesting and readable view of France and French culture.

Driving over Lemons by Chris Stewart

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila@PaperbackPlaces) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 20:51:00 +0000

A light and easy read, perfect for a holiday in Spain and Andalucia in particular. Chris Stewart, one-time drummer with Genesis, has a pleasant style and brings alive his search for his dream of a different lifestyle in the heart of the Spanish countryside, well away from the coastal "ex-pat" areas. There is plenty of local colour without its being sentimental.

This is not great literature, nor does it pretend to be. Definitely one to read when concentration might be difficult. When I come to look back on the book, it's quite hard to say a great deal about it. It's not entirely unlike Peter Mayle's "A Year in Provence" but I find the humour less at the expense of the locals than Peter Mayle's.

There are two follow-up books - "Parrot in the Pepper Tree" and "The Almond Blossom appreciation Society". I probably wouldn't want to read them in quick succession, but I will read them over time.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila@PaperbackPlaces) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:35:00 +0000

This book has been sitting sadly and reproachfully on my shelf for over a year. Why I didn't pick it up earlier, I really don't know.

It was an enjoyable read - with reservations. It was easy enough to become involved in the story which moved swiftly along, easy to read and also enlightening. It seemed to give a fascinating insight into lives, especially of women, during the troubled years before, during, and shortly after the influence of the Taliban, how the everyday lives of ordinary Afghani people were affected.

I have two main reservations though, even while recommending it. The first is that Khaled Hosseini felt the need to explain the politics of the situation, the fighting between the different warlords and their followers. That was fine but he did it by having the characters discuss what was happening, and it just didn't ring true.

"And he's fighting Hekmatyar, of course, who has the support of the Pakistanis. Mortal enemies, those two, Maassoud and Hekmatyar. Sayyaf, he's siding with Massoud. And Hekmatyar supports the Hazaras for now."

My eyes glazed over during these passages: too many names I found difficult to remember.

The other reservation was that the characters were either black or white with nothing much in between: Rasheed was too bad with no redeeming features, Tariq too good. People are normally made up of so many different shades. The women were rather better drawn but I still didn't feel I knew them, I didn't know how they thought.

Don't let my reservations put you off though. All round it was an easy and enjoyable read. In spite of the tragedies of Afghanistan, the book ends on an optimistic note. The real tragedy is that the optimism for the future of the country hasn't yet been fulfilled.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila@PaperbackPlaces) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:42:00 +0000

Synopsis from Amazon
Griet, the young daughter of a tilemaker in seventeenth century Holland, obtains her first job, as a servant in Vermeer's household. Tracy Chevalier shows us, through Griet's eyes, the complicated family, the society of the small town of Delft, and life with an obsessive genius. Griet loves being drawn into his artistic life, and leaving her former drudgery, but the cost to her own survival may be high.

I've found it difficult to review this book because although I found it easy to read and quite enjoyable, I was left with the feeling something was missing, the mystery and genius in the painting perhaps. The characters didn't seem well developed and really, neither did the storyline. In the synopsis above it mentions life with an obsessive genius - well it was hardly touched upon and Vermeer's character was possibly the least well-drawn. The child Cordelia seemed contrived, and the plague appeared to be thrown in almost as an afterthought.

Saying all that though, I cannot deny enjoying it, I just think it has been hyped up and hasn't lived up to my expectations. I read it in just a few hours - it is a very short book. And it has definitely made me more interested in Vermeer's art, and in Delft.

Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner.

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila@PaperbackPlaces) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:25:00 +0000

From the back cover:

In this dazzling evocation of late nineteenth century Paris, we follow Victor as his investigation takes him all over the city. But what will he do when the deaths begin to multiply and he is caught in a race against time?
'A charming journey through the life and intellectual times of an era' ~ Le Monde

This book is the work of two authors, two sisters who are booksellers, bouquinistes, on the banks of the Seine in Paris. I find the translation a little awkward, even dated in places. Whether this is a deliberate attempt to conjure up the era I don't know, but I found it a false note. "Two stiffs in the same day" neither sounds like 1889 nor the present day.

It is very much set in Paris, and if you recognise the street names and the areas mentioned, it will conjure up an image satisfactorily. For anyone who doesn't know Paris, I would say it's less successful. It's rather better at the era than the geographical setting. All the same, it's interesting to read about the time when the Eiffel Tower was brand new, so for that alone it's worth a read. Less so for the murder-mystery element which I didn't find especially compelling.

The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila@PaperbackPlaces) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:47:00 +0000

The Bookseller of Kabul gives interesting insight into the life of an Afghan family both before and after the Taliban. It describes familyand social life, the political situation and how individuals, particularly women, are affected. It isn't a compelling read, the writing doesn't seem very fluent and far from fast paced, however it's a book I am glad to have read and would recommend it.

Fear and Trembling by Amélie Nothomb

daily.postcard@gmail.com (Sheila) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:37:00 +0000

Amélie Nothomb was born in Japan to a family in the diplomatic service and lived there until she was five. She speaks fluent Japanese and did return to work in a Japanese company for a year.

Although for some reason I thought it was going to be a “difficult” book, it wasn’t at all: it’s entertaining and very easy to read. My usual caution about reading books in translation was totally swept away because at no point was I aware of its having been originally in French.

I don’t know whether the fairly dreadful portrayal of Japanese corporate life is accurate or not, but the most fascinating part of the book I found was the section about Japanese women, “if the Japanese woman is to be admired – and she is – it is because she doesn’t commit suicide”. Japan apparently has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, but in spite of the pressures put on them by society, the rate is very much lower in women than men. How much that holds true now I’m not sure.

Something I heard quite a while ago was also mentioned in the book. When people were starting to become aware of water conservation, a hotel said it would be very difficult to put effective measures in to reduce water consumption because a large portion of their clientele was Japanese. Apparently Japanese women become terminally embarrassed if they feel they can be overheard in the bathroom and will turn taps on full in order to prevent this. I never really knew if this was true, but Amélie Nothomb says the same thing.

A Party in San Niccolo by Christobel Kent

daily.postcard@gmail.com (Sheila) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:01:00 +0000

This is the story of an English woman who goes to Florence to spend a week with friends in an effort to overcome depression. From the point of view of the setting, it is a wonderful book. The atmosphere and images of Florence are beautifully drawn and the characters of the ex-pat set are very believable. The storyline, something of a murder-mystery, is hardly fast-paced, but enjoyable.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

daily.postcard@gmail.com (Sheila) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 23:36:00 +0000

Written in 1958, this wonderful book tells the story of a man called Okonkwo, who lived in what is now known as Nigeria. It certainly is a fascinating account of how the Igbo people lived, but it's not so much about the man or his family, as about the way the first missionaries and other colonials imposed their views on Africa, written entirely from an African point of view. Their whole way of life was completely altered by the insistence of the British that the self-governing towns and villages should be amalgamated into their idea of a country. At the same time it didn’t try to idealise life in Africa at that time: the brutality resulting from some of their beliefs isn’t hidden.

It’s a short book at 176 pages and I found it easy to read.

The Island by Victoria Hislop

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila@PaperbackPlaces) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:05:00 +0000

I've read a review which described this as a beach read with a heart and I think that just about sums it up. It is not a great book or wonderful writing, but what raises it above the usual beach read is the theme of leprosy and the lepers' colony. In fact I believe without that it would have been a very ordinary family saga indeed.

It tells the story of a family torn apart by leprosy, spanning four generations. The characters are very simplistic, Anna irredeemably bad, Maria nauseatingly good: bad woman, high spirited, questioning, “mischief in her eyes and lips that didn’t smile”, “had her arms folded and glared …”; good woman, quiet, retiring and wanting to please, “hands held softly in her lap in a demure pose”.

But, if you're travelling to Crete and can visit Spinalonga, an interesting read for the background information.

A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi

daily.postcard@gmail.com (Sheila) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:47:00 +0000

Subtitled An Unexpected Romance, this book gives a highly romantic view of life and of Venice, but then Venice must be one of the most romantic cities in Europe, if not on earth.The story, a true story, is based on what I once would have dismissed as a ridiculously fanciful notion, that of love at first sight. I'm older and wiser now, and I would never now reject such an idea out of hand.

However we aren't here to discuss romantic notions, but Venice and whether we can find ourselves there through reading. We can. Marlena de Blasi has managed to pin down the essence of Venice, the delight and joy of merely being there. Some people may think it over-done: I don't believe they can ever have been to Venice.

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

noreply@blogger.com (Sheila@PaperbackPlaces) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:09:00 +0000

I read Moloka'i fairly soon after reading The Island by Victoria Hislop because of the similarity of setting - a leprosy island.

Moloka'i was a relatively easy read and it left me with the feeling that I knew more about both leprosy and Hawaii than I knew before, and that is exactly what i want from a book. It doesn’t pull any punches in describing the ravages of leprosy. It has made me aware of Hawaiian culture, something I knew nothing whatever about before this, and has left me wanting to know more.

Memoirs of a Geisha By Arthur Golden

daily.postcard@gmail.com (Sheila) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:58:00 +0000

It is truly hard to believe that this is a novel because it paints such a vivid picture of the life of a geisha that you could swear it was autobiographical. It took a long time to read (it is a big book!)but it wasn't a struggle at all. It gives an insight, sometimes romantic, sometimes tragic, into a disappearing culture.

Fear and Trembling by Amélie Nothomb

daily.postcard@gmail.com (Sheila) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:12:00 +0000

Amélie Nothomb was born in Japan to a Belgian family. She lived in Japan until she was five years old, and returned to work for a year in a Japanese company when she was 21, to work as a translator.

Eleven years later she wrote the book Stupeur et Tremblements, translated as Fear and Trembling which tells the story of a young woman going to work in a Japanese firm, and comping up against all the intricacies of Japanese ways. It is both depressing and amusing at the same time, but above all it gives some insight into working life in Japan, an extreme culture clash even if it has been exaggerated.

I loved the book. It is short, so a quick and easy read, but at the same time thought provoking. I am often put off by books which have been translated, but this is an exception. I had no feeling of the clumsiness that is often there.

Chocolat by Joanne harris

daily.postcard@gmail.com (Sheila) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:33:00 +0000

I first read this book in 1999 I think, when it was first published, and well before the film. I thought it an excellent book, light and a quick read, very entertaining but not great literature. You don't find chocolatiers in very many small French villages, but it nevertheless paints a good picture of life in rural France. It's such a shame that the film didn't keep more closely to the book.

I do wonder if I would find it as good if it hadn't been the first of Joanne Harris' books set in France. I have come to tire of her more recent books.