Book updates....

I thought I'd write a few short reviews on my latest reads (more for my own benefit, I have to admit)...but you might enjoy them too.

To Siberia by Norwegian writer, Per Petterson - Per Petterson is one of my all-time favourite writers. The main character and narrator of the is a young Danish girl. But the story is based on her nostalgia and vivid memories - looking back at the age of 60. The novel is set in Denmark and takes place around the time of the German invasion and the beginning of the Second World War. Per Petterson has a way of mixing landscape with emotion to create startling images with acute feeling using clear, lucid prose. His depiction of family life, town life and the relationship between the girl and her brother is extremely evocative. But it is not really a heartwarming tale. There is a coldness that seems to pervade the novel; the town, the characters and the events, both literal and metaphorical - and that coldness seems like a backdrop for the isolated family, the mother's stark christian values, and the cruelty of the war..

Black Dogs by Ian McKewan. This book has been on my to-be-read pile for a while, but I have to say it was quite a disappointment. Although his writing style is superb and the ideas in the book are interesting, the whole effect left me very underwhelmed. I thought the characters of June and Bernard were dull and two-dimensional, as was Jeremy the narrator. In my opinion the characters were sacrificed to the ideas of the book and to a very heavy-handed philosophical debate...one that is as old as time. I've read so many amazing reviews of this book (hence it was on my "to-be-read" pile), but I didn't see what those reviewers saw. I sometimes think there are a lot of educated middle-class people who sit around having philosophical arguments over dinner parties...but otherwise don't get out that much. Anyway, a tad disappointing.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson. I enjoyed this book and plan to read more Shirley Jackson. Written back in 1962, it is the macabre story of two young sisters who live isolated in the family house with their ailing uncle following the strange poisoning of the rest of their family. They are outcasts in the village, but seem to enjoy their isolation and their life and routines. Catherine the older sister has never left the house in 6 years and we learn that she was convicted and acquitted of the murder of her family. The novel is being narrated by "Merricat", the younger of the sisters. She is clearly looking back in her narration. Merricat has all kinds of habits and beliefs and is fiercely protective of her sister and their solitude. It is a strange read. I am reading a collection of short stories by Jackson. Her most famous short story was "The Lottery". That story is a trip in itself.

I finished Swann's Way, the first volume of Proust's, "In Search of Lost Time". Only about five 800 page volumes to go! There are whole careers devoted to analysing Proust - so I won't get into it. I've begun "Within the Budding Grove" and so far I find it moves along a bit more than Swann's Way. In some ways it feels like reading philosophy. I am reading it alongside my other books so I'm guessing it will take me a year or so to finish. It's part of my decision to read some classic literature that I have missed over the years. It's much more humourous and philosophical than I expected. And actually quite enjoyable.

The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein. A bit of a sentimental tear-jerker, but with a lot of references to open-wheel racing. An entertaining, quick read...told from the perspective of a sage dog. Although it is an unapologetic tear-jerker, I didn't find it that heart-wrenching. Perhaps it was too Hollywood style for me. It takes more than that to squeeze a tear out of my eye!