The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Genre: Fiction

Translated from the Spanish by Lucia Graves, daughter of the poet Robert Graves.

"When a Library disappears,. or a bookshop closes down, when a book is consigned to oblivion, those of us who know this place, it's guardians, make sure that it gets here.  In this place, books no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time, live forever, waiting for the day when they will reach a new reader's hands.  In the shop we buy and sell them, but in truth books have no owner.  Every book you see here has been somebody's best friend.  Now they only have us..." ~On the Cemetery of Forgotten Books [Page 4]~

"Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul.  The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it.  Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down it's pages, it's spirit grows and strengthens."  [Page 3 - 4]

Set in Barcelona, the novel plays out over eleven years (1945 - 1956) and follows the story of Daniel Sempere and his loyal friend, Fermin Romero de Torres.

Daniel's mother died when he was very young and, in 1945, his father, the owner of a book store, takes him to The Cemetery of Forgotten Books.  At this very magical mystical place Daniel is given the choice to remove one book for himself and so he discovers The Shadow of the Wind written by an author he does not know, Julián Carax.  And so the adventure begins.

This unknown author sparks Daniel's curiosity and soon the reader is drawn into a world filled with love, mystery and betrayal as Daniel tries to learn more about this strange author.  Over eleven years we see Daniel fall in and out of love, make a new friend or two, come terribly close to dying and getting himself into a few very sticky situations.

This story is beautifully and exceptionally written and each character, no matter how minor or insignificant, is perfectly sculpted by the author.  I fell in love with this book from page one, and the two quotes above had me in tears, prompting the people around me to inquire whether I was alright.  Telling them that the book had made me cry earned me quite a few weird glances...  Once I had finished chapter one I wanted to stop reading, not because there was anything wrong but because if I continued to read then the book would end and then I would have nothing.  And I was right...  Now that it's done I have nothing because I will never be able to read it for the first time again...  Unless I suffer memory loss and that idea looks very tempting to me on a regular basis.

It was a beautiful read and should appear on every one's "Top 5 Books to Read Before I Die" list.

Vanishing Acts – Jodi Picoult

Genre: Fiction

Delia Hopkins’s whole life has been a lie and this lie is suddenly ripped from underneath her with very little warning.  Once the truth is revealed, is it really what Delia wants?  Is her mother the idea she used to picture when she was young? And is her father really such a bad person for what he did?

I love Jodi Picoult’s books and this one was no different.  It was beautifully written and each moment was perfectly captured and described on the page.  As a reader you are drawn into the story and start to think for yourself about what was right and what was wrong.  This is one of the things that I love most about Picoult’s work, as every story has an underlying moral or lesson.  From this book I learnt that not everything is always as it seems and that even though something may be wrong, it may be what is right for the person who does it.

I was a little bit shocked because the novel also mentions, to the very bare minimum, how to make methamphetamine (Crystal Meth/Tik). I did not realise that something like this would be allowed to be published as it might give people ideas, although I suppose the type of people who would get these ideas would not be caught dead reading this book.

Alfred Hitchcock’s A Brief Darkness – Edited by Cathleen Jordan

Genre: Mystery / Horror Short Stories

From a man who fakes a botched armed robbery to be rid of his wife, to an abandoned home with dark secrets, this is quite a wonderful collection of ‘scary' short stories well put together.  I didn't find them quite as scary as one would have thought but I definitely did enjoy them.  Each story provided it's own little thrill for the day, complicated enough not to be boring, but easy enough to finish within an hour.  It's a wonderful book if you're looking for a little bit of a thrill everyday without having to focus too much on what is actually happening.

Kopwond: Vergete Slagoffers van die Bosoorlog – Anthony Feinstein

Genre: Non-fiction / South African War History

Taking place in South-West Africa, now Namibia, while fighting the SWAPO and the Communists, we read about the authors experience and a medical specialist on the war front.  First as a Psychiatrist in Oshakati, where he treats everyone from the camp commander’s wife, to a young soldier that appears to be suffering from shell shock.  Then as the GP in Tsandi, where he treats just about every imaginable ailment.

This book is well written and rather graphic.  It is an enthralling read, bringing the horror of war within reach of those who never have, and hopefully never will experience it first-hand.

The Foundling – Agnes Desarthe

Genre: Fiction

Translated from French, the story follows the life of Jerome, a divorced father whose daughter is suffering the loss of her boyfriend, who was killed in a motorcycle accident.  While trying to help her cope, Jerome must also face his own childhood ghosts, that of being a foundling, and the mystery thereof.  He befriends a retired policeman and together they gather more information on his adoptive parents and investigate his daughter’s dead boyfriend.

Although the ending was a bit placid [for lack of a better word] the story line was strong throughout the novel.  The mystery and suspense, as well as the relationships between the various characters keeps you curious and entertained and needing to read more.  Regarding the ending, I can’t help but wonder if anything was lost in the process of translation.  Something small and subtle like the emphasis or nuance on certain words, which may have played an important role in making the ending seem more alive.  All in all I rather enjoyed this book and hope to find more of Desarthe’s works translated to English.  I would happily recommend this book to any one wanting to read something different.

Groomed – Laurie Matthew

This book is not for sensitive readers!

Genre: Biography

“An uncle who went too far, a mother who didn’t care” – This is the ‘catch line’ on the front of the book…

Sweet cheese on toast!  The horror in this book…  Little Laurie’s mother hates her and abuses her.  But her Uncle Andrew loves her.  He’s showed her that.  But it’s not love.  He sees a vulnerable child that he can manipulate and groom, and he does, and not just for himself but for an entire cult of ritualistic child abusers.  And she’s not the only one.

The horrors of Laurie’s childhood are forever trapped in this book.  It was a captivating read but the ending was blunt, although captivating isn’t really the right word, more like gripping.  The horror grips you and doesn’t let you go right until the very end.  Seeing life through Laurie’s eyes is enough to make your stomach turn.  I couldn’t even cry for her, I was too shocked.

I think Laurie should be congratulated.  It must have taken a lot of bravery to be willing to share her story.  Her ordeal.  She must have scratched open so many of her old wounds and felt the pain so she could tell the world what happened.  To confront her abuser for what he did and her mother for what she didn’t.

The Host – Stephanie Meyer

Genre: YA / Science Fiction

Not being a big Stephanie Meyer fan I was not looking forward to reading this but as the suggestion came from a friend with decent taste in literature I thought I’d give it a go and I'm glad that I did.

Basically, ‘parasites’ from a far distant planet invade earth and use human bodies as hosts to survive, as these small silvery creatures cannot survive as they are on their own.  Enter Melanie, a teenager, who plays host to one of these creatures, Wanda.  Only Melanie’s personality doesn’t allow her to be possessed and we watch as Melanie and Wanda first fight each other and then fight for each other.  We see how they both fall in love and make friends and how these friendships blossom and bloom until Wanda becomes ‘one of them’ and the story ends.

Although much better written than Twilight, I found the open ended ending horrible as there is no real closure as to what happens to the characters, and I’m sure everyone would love to know.  Despite my initial resignations about reading this, the thought that I’d have to gouge my eyes out, and the few paragraphs and chapters that I felt I needed to plough through, I was quite surprised and actually rather enjoyed it, despite it taking me almost two months to finish.

The Mallen Litter (#3 of The Mallen Trilogy) – Dame Catherine Cookson

Genre: Fiction (Historical) dealing with class issues

#3 The Mallen Litter

Katie Bensham marries a man 20 years her senior and their only child, Lawrence, has Down’s Syndrome (one can sense the discrimination that this child would have faced and it is heart breaking).  Barbara and Dan have triplets and Ben, whom the novel focuses on, is a typical Mallen and displays the streak.  His mother pretty much hates him as he resembles the man who fathered her.  During the war, Ben suffers severe shell shock and ends up at High Banks Hall, which Anna has turned into a nursing clinic.  Ben’s carer is the beautiful Hannah Radlet, the daughter of Michael and Sara, and they fall in love.  In the end it is the sweet natured Lawrence that helps bring them together.  Barbara and Michael rekindle their love and have an affair while Dan has an affair with the nanny of his children and she bares him a daughter.

And again the editing done to the novel leaves much to be desired as there are spelling and grammar errors, but again I suspect that is because the copy that I read was one of the first edition paperback prints from the late 1970s.  I found this book the most gripping and struggled to put it down.  It is by far my favourite of the three as I love the way she ties up all the loose ends.  The biggest question I kept asking myself was whether Ben and Hannah's love would conquer their family problems and put an end to the bad luck that comes with the Mallen Streak...  And I'd love to tell you, but that would spoil the story so you'll just have to read it yourself.

The Mallen Girl (#2 in The Mallen Trilogy) – Dame Catherine Cookson

Genre: Fiction (Historical) dealing with class issues

#2 The Mallen Girl

This novel follows the life of Barbara Mallen, the daughter of Thomas Mallen and his niece (also Barbara, who died in childbirth).  Barbara is born deaf and carries the cursed Mallen streak.  She is in love with her cousin, Michael Radlet (the son of her Aunt Constance).  We watch as she grows up and falls deeper in love with Michael, resulting in a lot of jealousy and wickedness.  This causes her to maim Sara Waite, whom Michael then marries.  We meet the Bensham family who move into High Banks Hall, and Miss Brigmore is their Governess.  This sets the foundation for the final novel in the series as Barbara marries Dan Bensham and Miss Brigmore (Anna) marries Mr Harry Bensham, after his wife dies.

This is the second Cookson novel that I have read and again the editing that has been done leaves me weeping as there were a few spelling and grammar errors this time round too (again I will blame this on the fact that the copy I read was one of the first edition paperback prints from the 1970s.  I didn't find this novel as wonderful and entertaining as the first one but rather a bit dull and tedious instead.  The story line was still good and I'm hoping it has laid a good foundation for the last novel in the series.

The Mallen Litter, Book 3 in the trilogy, will be the topic of my next blog post.

The Mallen Streak (#1 of The Mallen Trilogy) - Dame Catherine Cookson

Genre: Fiction (Historical) dealing with class issues

#1 The Mallen Streak

We are introduced to Thomas Mallen at his home, High Banks Hall) and his nieces.  We learn about the signature white streak of hair that afflicts the Mallen’s and their rather unfortunate streak of bad luck.  Thomas loses his home due to bad debt and his son flees the country.  So he moves into the small cottage with his 2 nieces (Barbara and Constance) and their governess, Anna Brigmore, who is in love with Thomas.  One night, in a drunken stupor, Thomas Mallen rapes his young niece, Barbara, upon realising what he has done he commits suicide.

The editing done to this novel was not great as there were quite a few spelling and grammar errors, but I suspect that is because the copy that I read was one of the first edition paperback prints from 1975.  I found the novel rather interesting and struggled to put it down.  I thought the story was well written and I absolutely loved the way Dame Cookson highlighted the class differences and issues of the time, especially her way of focusing on the 'fall from grace' and the inability of some to adjust to a smaller scale of living.  I was disappointed when the book ended but I was glad to find out that there were two more to follow.

The Mallen Girl, number two in the trilogy will feature in the next post.

The Concubine’s Secret – Kate Furnivall

Genre: Fiction

12 Years after her escape from communist Russia, and months after the tragic ending of The Russian Concubine, Lydia returns to find her father, the father she believed dead.  With Alexei Serov, her half-brother, and protector, Liev Popkov, the giant Cossack bear, she travels to Moscow and trouble finds her.  We join her as she tries to find the hidden labour camp where her father is being held.  Soon we meet Lydia’s other companions on this journey, Elena, a prostitute in love with Liev. Edik, the street urchin, and his puppy, Misty.  A Russian soldier and his wife. The ‘Vory’ and a most welcome appearance by Chang An Lo.

Again, this story is wonderfully written but I felt that I was let down by the ending because I hoped, beyond all the doubt that I knew existed, that there would be a happy ending for all involved.  I had also hoped for closure on Lydia’s story but Furnivall gives it an open ending and leaves one wondering.

Will there be another novel about Lydia? I doubt it, but I can’t help wishing that there will be.  I want to spend more time with these beautifully crafted characters and I actaully find myself missing them and wondering how they are doing.

The story of Valentina Ivanova and Jens Friis is found in the prequel, The Jewel of St. Petersburg, which I have yet to read...

The Russian Concubine - Kate Furnivall

Genre: Fiction

The story is not biographical but is loosely based on the story of Furnivall’s own mother, Lily, who was a Russian refugee.

Lydia Ivanova (age 5) and her mother, Valentina, escape Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution, losing her father, Jens Friis, a Danish citizen, in the process.  They end up living in an International Settlement in Junchow China, and without ‘papers’, they are stuck there.  The novel follows Lydia’s escapades through Junchow, from thief to protector to nurse.  She is a daughter, lover, prisoner and fighter.  One day she finds herself in trouble and is saved by the wonderful Chang An Lo, a freedom fighter and a Communist rebel.  Soon we begin to follow their fiery romance and their ‘involvement’ with the Black Snake Brotherhood.

I thought that the novel was expertly written and the ending left me craving for more.  She definitely knows what her readers want and exactly how to give them that.  We watch Lydia grow from a frightened 5 year old to a strong vicious fiery-haired ‘demon’.  Watching this growth, you find yourself falling in love with Lydia and hoping that all turns out well for her.  This story left me in tears when I was finished, and I was disappointed that it had come to an end.

The story is continued in The Concubine’s Secret, which will be the topic of the next post.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake – Aimee Bender

Genre: Fiction

Just before her 9^th birthday Rose Edelstien discovers that she can taste emotions in food.  Suddenly food is a challenge for her.  All she can really stomach is mass produced machine food like crackers.  This gift, or is it a curse, is the centre of the entire novel.  Rose’s brother, Joe, possesses his own frightening gift and she relies on his friend, the ever smart and charming George to help her with this.

Although the novel is well written I found the story to be a bit ‘blotchy’ as I thought Joe’s gift demanded a further explanation and although Rose’s dad is present, he is such a mysterious character that it just didn't seem like he was needed at all.  The blurb is a bit misleading and resulted in me feeling rather let down as it makes it seem that the story is all about Rose and her gift rather centred more on her brother and her mother, who has a secret of her own.  I read this book on a bit of a whim as one of my favourite authors, Jodi Picoult, is quoted, on the front cover as saying “such beautiful writing” and while I cannot deny this I just found that the story was a bit lacking.

Had I known this in advance, would I have still read the book? Yes.  Even though I felt let down and disappointed I enjoyed the ‘magic’ of the story, making it just a little worthwhile.