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anusha_reads's reviews
400 reviews
Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
BOOK 4: CROOKED PLOW, ITAMAR VIEIRA JUNIOR, TR. JOHNNY LORENZ, LONGLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024
This is the most beautiful book I have read this year! I really hope this book wins!
The story is about two sisters, subsistence farmers, and their families that live near a river in a place called Agua Negra. The area is tormented by either droughts or floods. The people here are mostly uneducated. It is a society where people help each other, but all the farmers are slaves and don't own the land!
"THE ROADS AROUND THE PLANTATION AND EVEN THE FLOORS OF OUR HOUSES WERE JUST FLATTENED EARTH. MADE OF MUD, NOTHING ELSE, THE SAME MUD WE’D USE TO MAKE PIES FOR OUR CORN COB DOLLS, THE SAME MUD FROM WHICH THE PLANTS WOULD GROW, THE PLANTS THAT FED US. THE SAME MUD IN WHICH WE’D BURY THE PLACENTA AND UMBILICAL CORD OF EACH NEWBORN CHILD. THE SAME MUD IN WHICH WE’D BURY THE MORTAL REMAINS OF OUR DEAD. THE SAME MUD INTO WHICH WE’D ALL DESCEND ONE DAY. NO ONE ESCAPES."
Bibiana and Belonisia, when they are seven and six respectively, out of curiosity, fish out a knife from their grandma's bag. The knife cuts them but severs Belonisia’s tongue, rendering her speechless.
"MY VOICE WAS A CROOKED PLOW, DEFORMED, PENETRATING THE SOIL ONLY TO LEAVE IT INFERTILE, RAVAGED, DESTROYED."
Their father, Zeca Chapeu Grande, is also a Jare healer and is revered by the people living in that region. People come to him to get cured of many ailments. The father dons a garb, and he becomes Saint Barbara and performs frantic dances, similar to Velichappadu, in Kerala, India. Velichappadu performs a dance called Thullal, accompanied by drums called ‘Chenda.’ The belief about not building during a full moon is there in Indian Vaastu Shastra too, which can be seen in the book.
The story primarily focuses on families, their lifestyle, and their hardships. The draught and the flood punish them with hunger and ruined harvest. They still work hard trying to make ends meet. People face food scarcity, forcing them to eat anything available like starved dead animals, lizards, or some cacti.
The story about Grandma Donana, her missing daughter, and Zeca was very touching and propelled me to read more to learn more about their lives.
It’s a bildungsroman, magical realism, and a romance novel. The book is divided into three parts; the first part is narrated by Bibiana, the second by Belonisia, and the third is by the Encantada, an ancient spirit that possessed various humans. I loved the third part the most.
"EVERY WOMAN FEELS THE STRENGTH OF NATURE HER BODY HOUSES IN THE VITAL TORRENT OF HER LIFE."
Abusive men, yelling drunkards who ill treat their partners or even fail to acknowledge their efforts. The author beautifully portrays what living with the men does to the lives of these women, but they rise and bounce back, determined to bring about a change.
A flawless translation of a moving, powerful story that resembles the works of Pearl S Buck, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, or Steinbeck.
The author himself conducted doctoral research on Quilombos, the Afro-Brazilian communities organised by escaped slaves and their descendants.
This is a book that I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone!
This is the most beautiful book I have read this year! I really hope this book wins!
The story is about two sisters, subsistence farmers, and their families that live near a river in a place called Agua Negra. The area is tormented by either droughts or floods. The people here are mostly uneducated. It is a society where people help each other, but all the farmers are slaves and don't own the land!
"THE ROADS AROUND THE PLANTATION AND EVEN THE FLOORS OF OUR HOUSES WERE JUST FLATTENED EARTH. MADE OF MUD, NOTHING ELSE, THE SAME MUD WE’D USE TO MAKE PIES FOR OUR CORN COB DOLLS, THE SAME MUD FROM WHICH THE PLANTS WOULD GROW, THE PLANTS THAT FED US. THE SAME MUD IN WHICH WE’D BURY THE PLACENTA AND UMBILICAL CORD OF EACH NEWBORN CHILD. THE SAME MUD IN WHICH WE’D BURY THE MORTAL REMAINS OF OUR DEAD. THE SAME MUD INTO WHICH WE’D ALL DESCEND ONE DAY. NO ONE ESCAPES."
Bibiana and Belonisia, when they are seven and six respectively, out of curiosity, fish out a knife from their grandma's bag. The knife cuts them but severs Belonisia’s tongue, rendering her speechless.
"MY VOICE WAS A CROOKED PLOW, DEFORMED, PENETRATING THE SOIL ONLY TO LEAVE IT INFERTILE, RAVAGED, DESTROYED."
Their father, Zeca Chapeu Grande, is also a Jare healer and is revered by the people living in that region. People come to him to get cured of many ailments. The father dons a garb, and he becomes Saint Barbara and performs frantic dances, similar to Velichappadu, in Kerala, India. Velichappadu performs a dance called Thullal, accompanied by drums called ‘Chenda.’ The belief about not building during a full moon is there in Indian Vaastu Shastra too, which can be seen in the book.
The story primarily focuses on families, their lifestyle, and their hardships. The draught and the flood punish them with hunger and ruined harvest. They still work hard trying to make ends meet. People face food scarcity, forcing them to eat anything available like starved dead animals, lizards, or some cacti.
The story about Grandma Donana, her missing daughter, and Zeca was very touching and propelled me to read more to learn more about their lives.
It’s a bildungsroman, magical realism, and a romance novel. The book is divided into three parts; the first part is narrated by Bibiana, the second by Belonisia, and the third is by the Encantada, an ancient spirit that possessed various humans. I loved the third part the most.
"EVERY WOMAN FEELS THE STRENGTH OF NATURE HER BODY HOUSES IN THE VITAL TORRENT OF HER LIFE."
Abusive men, yelling drunkards who ill treat their partners or even fail to acknowledge their efforts. The author beautifully portrays what living with the men does to the lives of these women, but they rise and bounce back, determined to bring about a change.
A flawless translation of a moving, powerful story that resembles the works of Pearl S Buck, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, or Steinbeck.
The author himself conducted doctoral research on Quilombos, the Afro-Brazilian communities organised by escaped slaves and their descendants.
This is a book that I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone!
Undiscovered by Gabriela Wiener
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
#IBPCHALLENGE2024 BOOK 3: UNDISCOVERED, GABRIELA WIENER, TR. JULIA SANCHES, LONGLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024
"THE STRANGEST THING ABOUT BEING ALONE HERE IN PARIS, IN AN ANTHROPOLOGY MUSEUM GALLERY MORE OR LESS BENEATH THE EIFFEL TOWER, IS THE THOUGHT THAT ALL THESE STATUETTES THAT LOOK LIKE ME WERE WRENCHED FROM MY COUNTRY BY A MAN WHOSE LAST NAME I INHERITED."- These are the opening lines of the book.
This work is rather unconventional: Is it an autobiography or fiction?
The protagonist is the author, Gabriela Wiener, herself. The book is primarily a reconnaissance into the life of her great-great-grandfather Charles Wiener (a Jewish-Austrian explorer). It’s a quest to unravel her family legacy, or history, which she believes remains largely undiscovered.
"MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHER WAS A HUAQUERO OF INTERNATIONAL REPUTE. HUAQUERO IS NOT A EUPHEMISM. IT’S HOW I REFER TO THE LOOTERS WHO TO THIS DAY REMOVE CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC PROPERTIES FROM ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES." She is horrified by all this, and he has even been accused of stealing and selling an indigenous child.
She is traumatised to have her brown body associated with an Austrian surname. In one instance, she recounts being mistaken for her own child's nanny and, at a dinner party, being mistaken for a maid despite being a journalist.
The book seamlessly blends facts into the narrative, making it challenging to distinguish between reality and fiction. Throughout the book, she narrates events about Charles Wiener, delving deeply into his true identity. She also discusses her father’s life, his infidelity to her mother, his mistress, and his daughter born out of wedlock. After her father's death, she further investigates her lineage.
The narrative also touches on her polyamorous life, her two spouses, and her other relationships. The book explores themes of identity crisis, discrimination, racism, slavery, colonial wounds, child theft during colonialism, ancestry, and infidelity, and presents a plethora of facts.
Did you know Cristopher Columbus ordered six of the natives to be seized and work for him?
“ALL OF US HAVE A WHITE FATHER. BY THAT I MEAN, GOD IS WHITE. OR AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN TOLD. THE COLONIZER IS WHITE. HISTORY IS WHITE AND MALE.”
The author reads One Hundred Years of Solitude, which is her dad's favourite book, too. This part resonated with me as my dad had many favourites that he would recommend.
"POWER IS REPUDIATED BECAUSE POWER IS ALSO RACIAL."
Wiener is a witty, bold, and fluid narrator who has skillfully woven this blend of fact and fiction into her composition.
Julia Sanches was also the translator for #internationalbookerprize2023 shortlisted book BOULDER by Eva Baltasar.
This could be the one!
"THE STRANGEST THING ABOUT BEING ALONE HERE IN PARIS, IN AN ANTHROPOLOGY MUSEUM GALLERY MORE OR LESS BENEATH THE EIFFEL TOWER, IS THE THOUGHT THAT ALL THESE STATUETTES THAT LOOK LIKE ME WERE WRENCHED FROM MY COUNTRY BY A MAN WHOSE LAST NAME I INHERITED."- These are the opening lines of the book.
This work is rather unconventional: Is it an autobiography or fiction?
The protagonist is the author, Gabriela Wiener, herself. The book is primarily a reconnaissance into the life of her great-great-grandfather Charles Wiener (a Jewish-Austrian explorer). It’s a quest to unravel her family legacy, or history, which she believes remains largely undiscovered.
"MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHER WAS A HUAQUERO OF INTERNATIONAL REPUTE. HUAQUERO IS NOT A EUPHEMISM. IT’S HOW I REFER TO THE LOOTERS WHO TO THIS DAY REMOVE CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC PROPERTIES FROM ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES." She is horrified by all this, and he has even been accused of stealing and selling an indigenous child.
She is traumatised to have her brown body associated with an Austrian surname. In one instance, she recounts being mistaken for her own child's nanny and, at a dinner party, being mistaken for a maid despite being a journalist.
The book seamlessly blends facts into the narrative, making it challenging to distinguish between reality and fiction. Throughout the book, she narrates events about Charles Wiener, delving deeply into his true identity. She also discusses her father’s life, his infidelity to her mother, his mistress, and his daughter born out of wedlock. After her father's death, she further investigates her lineage.
The narrative also touches on her polyamorous life, her two spouses, and her other relationships. The book explores themes of identity crisis, discrimination, racism, slavery, colonial wounds, child theft during colonialism, ancestry, and infidelity, and presents a plethora of facts.
Did you know Cristopher Columbus ordered six of the natives to be seized and work for him?
“ALL OF US HAVE A WHITE FATHER. BY THAT I MEAN, GOD IS WHITE. OR AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN TOLD. THE COLONIZER IS WHITE. HISTORY IS WHITE AND MALE.”
The author reads One Hundred Years of Solitude, which is her dad's favourite book, too. This part resonated with me as my dad had many favourites that he would recommend.
"POWER IS REPUDIATED BECAUSE POWER IS ALSO RACIAL."
Wiener is a witty, bold, and fluid narrator who has skillfully woven this blend of fact and fiction into her composition.
Julia Sanches was also the translator for #internationalbookerprize2023 shortlisted book BOULDER by Eva Baltasar.
This could be the one!
Not a River by Selva Almada
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
#IBPCHALLENGE2024 BOOK 2: NOT A RIVER, SELVA ALMADA, TR. ANNIE McDERMOTT, LONGLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024
The story revolves around an island and its inhabitants -three fishermen, their memories and a ray. It gave the vibes of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, minus the children, plus the adults. This is an island whose inhabitants are welcoming as well as not-so-welcoming.
The book begins with the fishermen Enero Rey, El negro, both in their fifties and Tilo, a young man who is the son of their late friend Eusebio, who drowned in the river. The names sounded similar and caused a bit of confusion. On a fishing trip, they catch an enormous ray after shooting it and the story unfurls with an air of tension. There is Enero’s dream which causes a stir and is interpreted as a projection of the future.
A dark, short novel, portraying aggressive masculine pride, the culture, and the superstitions of the island. A community where the women are not treated well, objectified and which has incest, cheating, and adultery.
I enjoyed reading this lyrical excerpt:
“SOMETIMES SHE THINKS THE FIRE TALKS TO HER. NOT LIKE A PERSON DOES, NOT WITH WORDS. BUT THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE CRACKLE, THE SOFT SOUND OF THE FLAMES, AS IF SHE COULD ALMOST HEAR THE AIR BURNING AWAY, YES, SOMETHING, RIGHT THERE, THAT SPEAKS TO HER ALONE. EVEN IF IT DOESN’T USE HUMAN WORDS, SIOMARA KNOWS IT’S CALLING HER. SAYING: COME ON, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO. JUST LIKE ALL THE MEN SHE FELL FOR, JUST LIKE THE FATHER OF HER DAUGHTERS, JUST LIKE SO MANY OTHERS.”
The brilliant use of personification to describe the fire talking to her and comparing it to a man, symbolic of how they both cause hurt, was fascinating.
The story is written without chapter breaks, allowing the past and present to mingle like a river with a confluence of narratives.
The translator's note at the end of the book talks about how she had to read books by various authors that influenced Selva. She talks about how the author has removed speech tags, chapter division etc to make her prose lyrical or poetic.
“IT’S NOT A RIVER, IT’S THE RIVER.”
“IT WASN’T A RAY. IT WAS THAT RAY”
“PULLED FROM THE RIVER TO BE THROWN BACK IN LATER”
“DEAD”
Truly captivating! A straightforward yet remarkable read!
The story revolves around an island and its inhabitants -three fishermen, their memories and a ray. It gave the vibes of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, minus the children, plus the adults. This is an island whose inhabitants are welcoming as well as not-so-welcoming.
The book begins with the fishermen Enero Rey, El negro, both in their fifties and Tilo, a young man who is the son of their late friend Eusebio, who drowned in the river. The names sounded similar and caused a bit of confusion. On a fishing trip, they catch an enormous ray after shooting it and the story unfurls with an air of tension. There is Enero’s dream which causes a stir and is interpreted as a projection of the future.
A dark, short novel, portraying aggressive masculine pride, the culture, and the superstitions of the island. A community where the women are not treated well, objectified and which has incest, cheating, and adultery.
I enjoyed reading this lyrical excerpt:
“SOMETIMES SHE THINKS THE FIRE TALKS TO HER. NOT LIKE A PERSON DOES, NOT WITH WORDS. BUT THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE CRACKLE, THE SOFT SOUND OF THE FLAMES, AS IF SHE COULD ALMOST HEAR THE AIR BURNING AWAY, YES, SOMETHING, RIGHT THERE, THAT SPEAKS TO HER ALONE. EVEN IF IT DOESN’T USE HUMAN WORDS, SIOMARA KNOWS IT’S CALLING HER. SAYING: COME ON, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO. JUST LIKE ALL THE MEN SHE FELL FOR, JUST LIKE THE FATHER OF HER DAUGHTERS, JUST LIKE SO MANY OTHERS.”
The brilliant use of personification to describe the fire talking to her and comparing it to a man, symbolic of how they both cause hurt, was fascinating.
The story is written without chapter breaks, allowing the past and present to mingle like a river with a confluence of narratives.
The translator's note at the end of the book talks about how she had to read books by various authors that influenced Selva. She talks about how the author has removed speech tags, chapter division etc to make her prose lyrical or poetic.
“IT’S NOT A RIVER, IT’S THE RIVER.”
“IT WASN’T A RAY. IT WAS THAT RAY”
“PULLED FROM THE RIVER TO BE THROWN BACK IN LATER”
“DEAD”
Truly captivating! A straightforward yet remarkable read!
The Details by Ia Genberg
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
#IBPCHALLENGE2024 BOOK 1: THE DETAILS, IA GENBERG, TR. KIRA JOSEFSSON, LONGLISTED FOR #INTERNATIONALBOOKER2024
It's a short book that reads like a memoir and is beautifully crafted but stands out from the previous Booker Prize nominations due to its uniqueness.
The story unfolds across four chapters, each focusing on a person who impacted the unnamed narrator's life. It mirrors the chapters in our own lives that conclude but remain eternally in our memories.
The narrator, laid down with malaria, feels compelled to read Paul Auster’s “The New York Trilogy,” a book inscribed by her ex-girlfriend Johanna.
The opening lines of the book, “AFTER A FEW DAYS OF THE VIRUS IN MY BODY I COME DOWN WITH A FEVER, WHICH IS FOLLOWED BY AN URGE TO RETURN TO A PARTICULAR NOVEL,” – set the tone for this exploration.
QOTD: DO YOU HAVE THE URGE TO RETURN TO A NOVEL YOU’VE READ EARLIER? WHICH ONE?
The narrative touches on relatable themes such as relationships, memories, love for reading, and mental health. The narrator comes across as a detached person, with the voice lacking warmth, intentional,maybe?
The protagonist is portrayed as both a writer and an avid reader, with friends who share her literary tastes. Their discussions about books, whether in agreement or disagreement, add a layer of enjoyment to the narrative.
“LITERATURE WAS OUR FAVOURITE GAME”
The story introduces characters like Nikki, the narrator's former roommate; Alejandro, her ex-lover who serves as a benchmark for future relationships; and Birgitte, her mother who struggles with mental illness after the narrator's birth.
I particularly enjoyed the parts that revolved around books, featuring authors such as Kundera, Oates, Bukowski, Lessing, Siri Hustvedt, and various Swedish authors like Birgitta Trotzig and Selma Lagerlof and more.
The translation of the book is seamless, capturing the essence as if it were originally written in English. A translator's note at the end reveals that it is Ia Genberg's fourth novel, written after a career shift from journalism to nursing, preserving her writing for fiction.
I was intrigued by the cover adorned with four torn photographs, which might be the four chapters.
She begins the book with a fever. What does the fever represent? A yearning for books? Missing her ex? Or just a deluge of memories?
“AS FAR AS THE DEAD ARE CONCERNED, CHRONOLOGY HAS NO IMPORT AND ALL THAT MATTERS ARE THE DETAIL,THE DEGREE OF DENSITY, THIS HOW AND WHAT AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH WHO.”
It is a very unusual book that evokes an incomplete feeling, which is probably intentional, as it lacks closure.
It's a short book that reads like a memoir and is beautifully crafted but stands out from the previous Booker Prize nominations due to its uniqueness.
The story unfolds across four chapters, each focusing on a person who impacted the unnamed narrator's life. It mirrors the chapters in our own lives that conclude but remain eternally in our memories.
The narrator, laid down with malaria, feels compelled to read Paul Auster’s “The New York Trilogy,” a book inscribed by her ex-girlfriend Johanna.
The opening lines of the book, “AFTER A FEW DAYS OF THE VIRUS IN MY BODY I COME DOWN WITH A FEVER, WHICH IS FOLLOWED BY AN URGE TO RETURN TO A PARTICULAR NOVEL,” – set the tone for this exploration.
QOTD: DO YOU HAVE THE URGE TO RETURN TO A NOVEL YOU’VE READ EARLIER? WHICH ONE?
The narrative touches on relatable themes such as relationships, memories, love for reading, and mental health. The narrator comes across as a detached person, with the voice lacking warmth, intentional,maybe?
The protagonist is portrayed as both a writer and an avid reader, with friends who share her literary tastes. Their discussions about books, whether in agreement or disagreement, add a layer of enjoyment to the narrative.
“LITERATURE WAS OUR FAVOURITE GAME”
The story introduces characters like Nikki, the narrator's former roommate; Alejandro, her ex-lover who serves as a benchmark for future relationships; and Birgitte, her mother who struggles with mental illness after the narrator's birth.
I particularly enjoyed the parts that revolved around books, featuring authors such as Kundera, Oates, Bukowski, Lessing, Siri Hustvedt, and various Swedish authors like Birgitta Trotzig and Selma Lagerlof and more.
The translation of the book is seamless, capturing the essence as if it were originally written in English. A translator's note at the end reveals that it is Ia Genberg's fourth novel, written after a career shift from journalism to nursing, preserving her writing for fiction.
I was intrigued by the cover adorned with four torn photographs, which might be the four chapters.
She begins the book with a fever. What does the fever represent? A yearning for books? Missing her ex? Or just a deluge of memories?
“AS FAR AS THE DEAD ARE CONCERNED, CHRONOLOGY HAS NO IMPORT AND ALL THAT MATTERS ARE THE DETAIL,THE DEGREE OF DENSITY, THIS HOW AND WHAT AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH WHO.”
It is a very unusual book that evokes an incomplete feeling, which is probably intentional, as it lacks closure.
The Wren, the Wren by Anne Enright
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
THE WREN, THE WREN, ANNE ENRIGHT, WINNER OF THE WRITERS’ PRIZE 2024, LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024
Anne Enright 2007 BOOKER PRIZE, for her book THE GATHERING.
“THE CONNECTION BETWEEN US IS MORE THAN A STRAND OF DNA, IT IS A ROPE THROWN FROM THE PAST, A FAT TWISTED ROPE, FULL OF BLOOD.”
The story spins around the poet, his poems, and their influence! Philip McDaragh is there, and he is not there. He is the poet whose impact is felt throughout the book, across the three generations of women, the wife, the daughter, and the granddaughter. Phil is a poet and Nell; his granddaughter is an avid poetry lover who frequently reads from his book. The book contains numerous poems, penned by this fictional poet.
The book talks about these three women, more about Nell and her mother. The story is told from the point of view of Phil, his daughter Carmel, and his granddaughter Nell.
The poet deserts his wife and their two daughters due to her medical condition.
The story talks about the struggles of these three ladies under the shadow of the poet and his poems. The grandmother suffered because of her husband, the poet, while the daughter prefers to raise her own daughter as a single mom
Do you think memories are passed on through generations even if they haven’t been told verbally, as in through genes?
“WHAT I WANTED, MORE THAN ANYTHING, WAS SOME UNINTERRUPTED CRYING TIME. I HAD A SCREAMING NEED TO BE ALONE. I DID NOT SAY THIS TO LILY, I TOLD HER I NEEDED TO WRITE A BOOK. WHICH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IS PROBABLY CODE FOR THE SAME THING.”
Nell reflects on various aspects of her life, including her problematic relationships, love for animals and birds, and her passion for poetry and writing. Despite trying to escape her so-called controlling mother, she ultimately finds herself in an abusive relationship.
I loved the fact that throughout the book, there are names of birds as Nell is showcased as a bird lover and expresses her amazement at seeing a bird she has been waiting for. The book is sprinkled with different birds such as Nightjar, Heron, Wren, Bullfinch …
“… WATCHING THE FREEDOM OF THE BIRDS IN THEIR BRANCHES, LISTENING TO THE WIND COMB THROUGH. I BEGAN TO THINK I COULD TALK TO THEM.”
A cerebral novel, which delves into the myriad challenges faced by women, including menstruation, childbirth, and relationships.
“… EMOTION IS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN PEOPLE, SENTIMENT CROSSES SPACE, SYMPATHY IS A GAS, EXHALED BY ONE, INHALED BY THE OTHER. EMPATHY! IT’S JUST LIKE MELTING.”
This is not a fast-paced read but a must-read
Anne Enright 2007 BOOKER PRIZE, for her book THE GATHERING.
“THE CONNECTION BETWEEN US IS MORE THAN A STRAND OF DNA, IT IS A ROPE THROWN FROM THE PAST, A FAT TWISTED ROPE, FULL OF BLOOD.”
The story spins around the poet, his poems, and their influence! Philip McDaragh is there, and he is not there. He is the poet whose impact is felt throughout the book, across the three generations of women, the wife, the daughter, and the granddaughter. Phil is a poet and Nell; his granddaughter is an avid poetry lover who frequently reads from his book. The book contains numerous poems, penned by this fictional poet.
The book talks about these three women, more about Nell and her mother. The story is told from the point of view of Phil, his daughter Carmel, and his granddaughter Nell.
The poet deserts his wife and their two daughters due to her medical condition.
The story talks about the struggles of these three ladies under the shadow of the poet and his poems. The grandmother suffered because of her husband, the poet, while the daughter prefers to raise her own daughter as a single mom
Do you think memories are passed on through generations even if they haven’t been told verbally, as in through genes?
“WHAT I WANTED, MORE THAN ANYTHING, WAS SOME UNINTERRUPTED CRYING TIME. I HAD A SCREAMING NEED TO BE ALONE. I DID NOT SAY THIS TO LILY, I TOLD HER I NEEDED TO WRITE A BOOK. WHICH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IS PROBABLY CODE FOR THE SAME THING.”
Nell reflects on various aspects of her life, including her problematic relationships, love for animals and birds, and her passion for poetry and writing. Despite trying to escape her so-called controlling mother, she ultimately finds herself in an abusive relationship.
I loved the fact that throughout the book, there are names of birds as Nell is showcased as a bird lover and expresses her amazement at seeing a bird she has been waiting for. The book is sprinkled with different birds such as Nightjar, Heron, Wren, Bullfinch …
“… WATCHING THE FREEDOM OF THE BIRDS IN THEIR BRANCHES, LISTENING TO THE WIND COMB THROUGH. I BEGAN TO THINK I COULD TALK TO THEM.”
A cerebral novel, which delves into the myriad challenges faced by women, including menstruation, childbirth, and relationships.
“… EMOTION IS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN PEOPLE, SENTIMENT CROSSES SPACE, SYMPATHY IS A GAS, EXHALED BY ONE, INHALED BY THE OTHER. EMPATHY! IT’S JUST LIKE MELTING.”
This is not a fast-paced read but a must-read
The Fraud by Zadie Smith
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
THE FRAUD, ZADIE SMITH, LONGLISTED FOR WALTER SCOTT PRIZE 2024, SHORTLISTED FOR WRITERS PRIZE 2024.
The almost 500-page book is divided into eight volumes. The short chapters flow seamlessly, giving a sense of a fast-paced read. What I liked the most about the book was the fact that it’s fiction about real authors and takes place mostly in the head of a woman, a woman of the 19th century.
The story begins at the house of the author, William Ainsworth, who is the contemporary of Charles Dickens. Picture a family with children and helpers, though the children and other members do not play a prominent role.
It explores gender inequality, racism and class disparities.
The narrative builds up to the Tichborne case, a famous case that involved a butcher named Arthur Orton, who claimed to be the heir to the Tichborne estates and the title. He asserted that he was Sir Roger Tichborne, presumed by drowning. The case garnered considerable public attention, and eventually, he was proven to be a fraudster.
The author has woven this into the story so beautifully giving details of the Tichborne family and branching out to slaves and their lives talking about the hardships and other social conditions. A major chunk of the book was about Andrew Bogle, a Jamaican and a former slave. He is a key witness to the Tichborne trial.
The character that I loved the most was the protagonist, a widow Eliza Touchet, who is Ainsworth's cousin. She lives in Ainsworth's house. She is intelligent, a reader, and a lady with many interests. She hates being curtailed from doing whatever she wishes to do.
“HOW COULD A WOMAN EVER IMPROVE WHEN FENCED IN ON ALL SIDES BY CONTEMPT? WHEN GIVEN SO FEW OPPORTUNITIES?”
“ THE ANTI-SLAVERY CONVENTION WAS HELD IN JUNE. BUT WOMEN WERE BARRED FROM IT, MR. DICKENS. I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND, MUCH TO MY FURY AND DISMAY.”
“ LADIES SHOULD STOP READING NOVELS- NOTHING GOOD COMES OF IT. IF IT WERE TO ME, A PETITION TO THAT EFFECT WOULD BE TAKEN TO PARLIAMENT.”
Some of the debates that Eliza Touchet engages with herself are admirable. She was a lady portrayed as determined and strong-willed, believing in trying out something new contrary to the societal norms at that time.
A well-researched historical fiction that’s also a fictional biography. Set in the Victorian era, it reads like a classic!
“THE PURPOSE OF LIFE WAS TO KEEP ONE’S MIND OPEN, NEVER TO JUDGE ON APPEARANCES OR BAD NAMES, AND ALWAYS TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON EVIDENCE ONLY.”
The almost 500-page book is divided into eight volumes. The short chapters flow seamlessly, giving a sense of a fast-paced read. What I liked the most about the book was the fact that it’s fiction about real authors and takes place mostly in the head of a woman, a woman of the 19th century.
The story begins at the house of the author, William Ainsworth, who is the contemporary of Charles Dickens. Picture a family with children and helpers, though the children and other members do not play a prominent role.
It explores gender inequality, racism and class disparities.
The narrative builds up to the Tichborne case, a famous case that involved a butcher named Arthur Orton, who claimed to be the heir to the Tichborne estates and the title. He asserted that he was Sir Roger Tichborne, presumed by drowning. The case garnered considerable public attention, and eventually, he was proven to be a fraudster.
The author has woven this into the story so beautifully giving details of the Tichborne family and branching out to slaves and their lives talking about the hardships and other social conditions. A major chunk of the book was about Andrew Bogle, a Jamaican and a former slave. He is a key witness to the Tichborne trial.
The character that I loved the most was the protagonist, a widow Eliza Touchet, who is Ainsworth's cousin. She lives in Ainsworth's house. She is intelligent, a reader, and a lady with many interests. She hates being curtailed from doing whatever she wishes to do.
“HOW COULD A WOMAN EVER IMPROVE WHEN FENCED IN ON ALL SIDES BY CONTEMPT? WHEN GIVEN SO FEW OPPORTUNITIES?”
“ THE ANTI-SLAVERY CONVENTION WAS HELD IN JUNE. BUT WOMEN WERE BARRED FROM IT, MR. DICKENS. I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND, MUCH TO MY FURY AND DISMAY.”
“ LADIES SHOULD STOP READING NOVELS- NOTHING GOOD COMES OF IT. IF IT WERE TO ME, A PETITION TO THAT EFFECT WOULD BE TAKEN TO PARLIAMENT.”
Some of the debates that Eliza Touchet engages with herself are admirable. She was a lady portrayed as determined and strong-willed, believing in trying out something new contrary to the societal norms at that time.
A well-researched historical fiction that’s also a fictional biography. Set in the Victorian era, it reads like a classic!
“THE PURPOSE OF LIFE WAS TO KEEP ONE’S MIND OPEN, NEVER TO JUDGE ON APPEARANCES OR BAD NAMES, AND ALWAYS TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON EVIDENCE ONLY.”
A New Name: Septology VI-VII by Jon Fosse
This book was longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2022
There are two Asle and two ladies called Guro. Why did the author do that? Was it to show two parallel lives? Was it to depict the irrelevance of names? Or was it just to show that in life, there are people with the same names and different lives?
Like in the other two books, the marathon sentences with haunting and atmospheric narratives only add to the brilliance.
The voice inside Asle’s head debates the connection between God and humans, tries to find purpose and direction through faith, suffers due to isolation, questions one's identity, and tries to find the meaning of human existence vis-à-vis life and death, morality, etc.
As we grow old, we live mostly with our memories. Often grandpas and grandmas have told me a lot of tales about their childhood. In fact, they enjoy the narration themselves, and it kind of brings them comfort and evokes a sense of nostalgia. Whether sad or happy, these stories offer glimpses into who they were or how their lives got moulded. Reminiscing is a way of connecting with life, finding meaning, and reminding oneself of the journey undertaken, that is, a person’s history.
The ending was a bit ambiguous, left to readers' discretion, I think!
This concludes the Septology.
This is a must-read!
medium-paced
5.0
A NEW NAME, SEPTOLOGY VI&VII, JON FOSSE (NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE 2023), Translated by DAMION SEARLS
This book was longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2022
The Septology is a captivating story of Asle, spanning seven days.
Asle, a widower, intimately shares his present thoughts and past memories, expressing profound loneliness and longing for his late wife. He recalls all the moments he had with his wife. Despite being a renowned painter, Asle remains a humble, unassuming old man.
The concluding part delves into Asle's new life at art school and his marriage to Ales, exploring the fascinating tale of how he meets the gallerist Beyer and achieves success selling his paintings.
A part I loved was a scene where Asle pushes the swing Ales is sitting on, and Ales loves it and swings higher and higher. A similar scene is mentioned in the first book, where Asle, while taking a walk, sees a young woman sitting on the swing being pushed by a guy. Asle reminisces the time he enjoyed with Ales. I found it very sweet and sad.
There are two Asle and two ladies called Guro. Why did the author do that? Was it to show two parallel lives? Was it to depict the irrelevance of names? Or was it just to show that in life, there are people with the same names and different lives?
Like in the other two books, the marathon sentences with haunting and atmospheric narratives only add to the brilliance.
The voice inside Asle’s head debates the connection between God and humans, tries to find purpose and direction through faith, suffers due to isolation, questions one's identity, and tries to find the meaning of human existence vis-à-vis life and death, morality, etc.
As we grow old, we live mostly with our memories. Often grandpas and grandmas have told me a lot of tales about their childhood. In fact, they enjoy the narration themselves, and it kind of brings them comfort and evokes a sense of nostalgia. Whether sad or happy, these stories offer glimpses into who they were or how their lives got moulded. Reminiscing is a way of connecting with life, finding meaning, and reminding oneself of the journey undertaken, that is, a person’s history.
The ending was a bit ambiguous, left to readers' discretion, I think!
This concludes the Septology.
This is a must-read!
I is Another: Septology III-V by Jon Fosse
medium-paced
5.0
I IS ANOTHER, SEPTOLOGY III- V, JON FOSSE (NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE 2023), Translated by DAMION SEARLS
I IS ANOTHER picks up from where THE OTHER NAME finishes off.
The translation is so perfect that one doesn’t realise that the book was written in another language. The long and winding sentences that run to pages don't seem to bother me at all.
Asle, the protagonist finds it rather difficult to strike up a conversation and often ends up having the same old talks, which is very symbolic of how old people have the habit of repeating stories. His friendship with Asleik, his neighbour, is very sweet, and both look up to each other, helping and caring for each other. Asle in the present lives in a house near the sea. Asle has had a knack for painting from his childhood. He couldn't shake off the picture in his mind till he painted it.
The transition from past to present and vice versa is just sudden, and every time that happened, I just went back and reread those parts, thinking I might have missed something.
Though the story keeps moving back and forth, the part about the present nonetheless is interesting, where he portrays Asle’s forgetfulness, his reticence, and his concern for his ailing namesake.
A major chunk of this book focuses on adulting, how Asle moves out from his parent's house to settle in another place to study further, his new friends and the school. Asle is made to read, and he freezes and decides to skip school on days he has English. I found this part rather cute as children often tend to do that.
I loved the part when he gets to meet his future wife and how they instantly connect, both with similar names: Asle and Ales
From being not so religious to becoming a pious old man- what brings about this transition in Asle? Jon Fosse himself has a similar story. Fosse quit drinking and converted to Catholicism. He then wrote Septology after these major life changes.
THIS BOOK WHICH COMPRISES OF THE 3RD, 4TH, AND 5TH part of the Septology
The spellbinding tale is to be continued...
Next: A NEW NAME, SEPTOLOGY VI-VII
I IS ANOTHER picks up from where THE OTHER NAME finishes off.
The translation is so perfect that one doesn’t realise that the book was written in another language. The long and winding sentences that run to pages don't seem to bother me at all.
Asle, the protagonist finds it rather difficult to strike up a conversation and often ends up having the same old talks, which is very symbolic of how old people have the habit of repeating stories. His friendship with Asleik, his neighbour, is very sweet, and both look up to each other, helping and caring for each other. Asle in the present lives in a house near the sea. Asle has had a knack for painting from his childhood. He couldn't shake off the picture in his mind till he painted it.
The transition from past to present and vice versa is just sudden, and every time that happened, I just went back and reread those parts, thinking I might have missed something.
Though the story keeps moving back and forth, the part about the present nonetheless is interesting, where he portrays Asle’s forgetfulness, his reticence, and his concern for his ailing namesake.
A major chunk of this book focuses on adulting, how Asle moves out from his parent's house to settle in another place to study further, his new friends and the school. Asle is made to read, and he freezes and decides to skip school on days he has English. I found this part rather cute as children often tend to do that.
I loved the part when he gets to meet his future wife and how they instantly connect, both with similar names: Asle and Ales
From being not so religious to becoming a pious old man- what brings about this transition in Asle? Jon Fosse himself has a similar story. Fosse quit drinking and converted to Catholicism. He then wrote Septology after these major life changes.
THIS BOOK WHICH COMPRISES OF THE 3RD, 4TH, AND 5TH part of the Septology
The spellbinding tale is to be continued...
Next: A NEW NAME, SEPTOLOGY VI-VII
The Other Name: Septology I-II by Jon Fosse
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
5.0
THE OTHER NAME, SEPTOLOGY I&II, JON FOSSE, Translated by DAMION SEARLS
JON FOSSE was honoured with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2023 and has been bestowed with many other awards.
I can not possibly describe what the book is. I feel I'm 'a nobody' to write a review or comment on this artwork. It is like trying to describe a painting. Everybody might have a different perspective, but everyone would like to know what made the painter paint it in the first place or what his source of inspiration was. Are there any right answers?
This is a lyrical rambling of an old, religious painter, a widower named Asle, who forgets and keeps repeating things. He is helpful, friendly, yet aloof. He has a routine he prefers to stick to, like he always stays in the same room of a hotel he always checks into whenever he goes to the town. It happens over two days. The author has poured in all the thoughts of an old painter, Asle. His doppelganger, namesake is a drunkard, a painter too, and our protagonist is worried about him. The way there is a barrage of thoughts in our minds while driving alone or trying to sleep or while taking a walk; grudges, regrets and delights, things we like and dislike, to do or not to do; all these feelings have been encapsulated into this book. Sometimes, these thoughts are so overpowering that they might hinder our daily lives, and it happens to the protagonist, too.
Many years ago, I started reading Swann’s Way by Proust but did not finish it because it had long sentences that ran into pages. Though I felt Septology(I-II) moved at a slow pace, the story without breaks, which runs to pages, makes sense. It neither bothered me nor confused me as the prose is smooth-flowing.
If you are looking for a book with a plot, look elsewhere. This book reads like a memoir, and one easily falls into the rhythm of the fascinating prose. One needs to read with a little concentration as there are repetitions and people have the same names, too. The translation is so brilliant that it feels as though it is the original language.
To be continued…
Next in line, Septology III – V: I is Another
JON FOSSE was honoured with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2023 and has been bestowed with many other awards.
I can not possibly describe what the book is. I feel I'm 'a nobody' to write a review or comment on this artwork. It is like trying to describe a painting. Everybody might have a different perspective, but everyone would like to know what made the painter paint it in the first place or what his source of inspiration was. Are there any right answers?
This is a lyrical rambling of an old, religious painter, a widower named Asle, who forgets and keeps repeating things. He is helpful, friendly, yet aloof. He has a routine he prefers to stick to, like he always stays in the same room of a hotel he always checks into whenever he goes to the town. It happens over two days. The author has poured in all the thoughts of an old painter, Asle. His doppelganger, namesake is a drunkard, a painter too, and our protagonist is worried about him. The way there is a barrage of thoughts in our minds while driving alone or trying to sleep or while taking a walk; grudges, regrets and delights, things we like and dislike, to do or not to do; all these feelings have been encapsulated into this book. Sometimes, these thoughts are so overpowering that they might hinder our daily lives, and it happens to the protagonist, too.
Many years ago, I started reading Swann’s Way by Proust but did not finish it because it had long sentences that ran into pages. Though I felt Septology(I-II) moved at a slow pace, the story without breaks, which runs to pages, makes sense. It neither bothered me nor confused me as the prose is smooth-flowing.
If you are looking for a book with a plot, look elsewhere. This book reads like a memoir, and one easily falls into the rhythm of the fascinating prose. One needs to read with a little concentration as there are repetitions and people have the same names, too. The translation is so brilliant that it feels as though it is the original language.
To be continued…
Next in line, Septology III – V: I is Another
The Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
dark
medium-paced
5.0
STEPPENWOLF, HERMANN HESSE
Herman Hesse was honoured with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946.
There are many translated versions of Steppenwolf. I started reading an edition translated by Basil Creighton but found certain parts difficult. Since I buddy-read this book , my friend sent photos of the same page, which I found easy. Then I got an edition translated by Kurt Beals,and I found the book easier. Though it’s a novel that's autobiographical, existential fiction, parts of it read like an epistolary and magical realism.
Having read Siddhartha (by the same author) a few years ago, I could see that both the books spoke about finding oneself or self-exploration in different ways.
The protagonist Harry Haller and the author Hermann Hesse have similar names starting with ‘H’. Hermann Hesse wrote this book when he was about fifty.
Harry is a man around the age of fifty. He looks like an intellectual, and he is courteous and amicable but is a mystery and perpetually looks disenchanted. Harry is a writer and a pacifist who has given up many things in his life, including his wife and job.
What is he going through?
Was he going through a midlife crisis?
Or did he suffer from an existential crisis?
A neighbour initially narrates and tells us how he perceives Harry. Then he reads out the book Harry has written about himself.
Often, we as adults feel that we do not need anybody to guide or chide us, and inherently, we need that father figure or maternal touch to pilot our lives. So many decisions in our lives would be much easier if we constantly had someone to show us the way. Time and time again, we need people to bring out the best in us. Don't you think?
Harry meets a girl at the bar who very vociferously tells Harry to do things as though taking control of his life. Harry happily listens to her and humbly agrees to do whatever she asks him to do. Loved the fact that he found a person who could bring him out of his cage. He hates dancing and considers it a rather brainless activity but ends up loving it, a talent that he was unaware of. He is a big lover of Mozart and classical, and he hates any other music like jazz. He ridicules the radio, which was new to society then.
I feel the author was beautifully able to depict how man gets torn between a dichotomy, be it good or bad, right, or wrong, isolation versus society, or man versus himself, but mostly man versus wolf or beast. He also portrays how a person dons many personalities or the existence of multiplicity in individuals
Hermann Hesse was diagnosed with type II bipolar disorder. A note at the beginning of the book says that the character shares many features with the author himself.
Did you know the rock band Steppenwolf was inspired by this novel?
This is a tough read, but I enjoyed the read thoroughly because I buddy-read it!
Herman Hesse was honoured with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946.
There are many translated versions of Steppenwolf. I started reading an edition translated by Basil Creighton but found certain parts difficult. Since I buddy-read this book , my friend sent photos of the same page, which I found easy. Then I got an edition translated by Kurt Beals,and I found the book easier. Though it’s a novel that's autobiographical, existential fiction, parts of it read like an epistolary and magical realism.
Having read Siddhartha (by the same author) a few years ago, I could see that both the books spoke about finding oneself or self-exploration in different ways.
The protagonist Harry Haller and the author Hermann Hesse have similar names starting with ‘H’. Hermann Hesse wrote this book when he was about fifty.
Harry is a man around the age of fifty. He looks like an intellectual, and he is courteous and amicable but is a mystery and perpetually looks disenchanted. Harry is a writer and a pacifist who has given up many things in his life, including his wife and job.
What is he going through?
Was he going through a midlife crisis?
Or did he suffer from an existential crisis?
A neighbour initially narrates and tells us how he perceives Harry. Then he reads out the book Harry has written about himself.
Often, we as adults feel that we do not need anybody to guide or chide us, and inherently, we need that father figure or maternal touch to pilot our lives. So many decisions in our lives would be much easier if we constantly had someone to show us the way. Time and time again, we need people to bring out the best in us. Don't you think?
Harry meets a girl at the bar who very vociferously tells Harry to do things as though taking control of his life. Harry happily listens to her and humbly agrees to do whatever she asks him to do. Loved the fact that he found a person who could bring him out of his cage. He hates dancing and considers it a rather brainless activity but ends up loving it, a talent that he was unaware of. He is a big lover of Mozart and classical, and he hates any other music like jazz. He ridicules the radio, which was new to society then.
I feel the author was beautifully able to depict how man gets torn between a dichotomy, be it good or bad, right, or wrong, isolation versus society, or man versus himself, but mostly man versus wolf or beast. He also portrays how a person dons many personalities or the existence of multiplicity in individuals
Hermann Hesse was diagnosed with type II bipolar disorder. A note at the beginning of the book says that the character shares many features with the author himself.
Did you know the rock band Steppenwolf was inspired by this novel?
This is a tough read, but I enjoyed the read thoroughly because I buddy-read it!