Today I have with me a copy of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, but before immersing myself in her magical world I wanted to share my thoughts on the Waterstone’s Eleven list, announce Thursday before last at their now annual event at the flagship Picadilly branch. The Eleven books chosen, all debut authors tipped to shine this year were;

The Panopticon – Jenny Fagan
Absolution – Patrick Flanery
Shelter – Frances Greenslade
The Art of Fielding – Chad Harbach
The Snow Child – Eowyn Ivey
The Unlikely Pilgramage of Harold Fry – Rachel Joyce
The Land of Decoration – Grace McCleen
Signs of Life – Anna Raverat
The Lifeboat – Charlotte Rogan
The Age of Miracles – Karen Thompson Walker
Care of Wooden Floors – Will Wiles

It was a pleasure to read the extract book and to dip into such a variety of ideas and styles of writing. I’m being quite strict and narrowing my favourites to the following three books:

In Absolution by Patrick Flanery, biographer Sam Leroux is researching world renowned author Clare Wald who is writing a new book, set to confront her experiences in Apartheid-era South Africa. What immediately struck me in the extract that I read was the intense and uncomfortable feeling of intimacy between the author and her biographer. Wald is evasive and it seems as if she has something unpleasant to conceal, yet I felt that her ego would potentially lead to her letting something slip to the tactful but determined Leroux. I’m intrigued by both the headstrong personality of Clare and her mysterious past.

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan opens with a flashback into the memory of Grace Sachs a woman on trial. Trapped on a Lifeboat leaving a sinking ship each of the passengers respond in their own way to the set of circumstances they are confronted with, but the safety of the whole group relies on life or death decisions which are often cruelly pragmatic. I was left wanting to know why Grace was on trial and was she culpable, while suspecting that the answer to the question might be in shades of grey.

The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen stood out to me because it instantly struck me as original. McCleen’s subject is a little girl completely absorbed in her own world. Her father is a strict Christian and her mother absent because she has passed away. Judith has created an entire landscape in her bedroom made out of boxes and yoghurt pots and endless bric-a-brac where she escapes to when she is safe inside her own home. We meet her as she is readying herself with an encounter with the school bully and McCleen brilliantly communicates the anxieties and particular perspective of this child as she prepares herself.

Other titles were very promising too – I was on tenterhooks reading the first chapter of The Snow Child as a woman makes her way across a deadly ice-covered ravine, and I was drawn in by the authors engaging voice in Care of Wooden Floors, which leads me to wonder how much you can really tell just from a first chapter of a book. I expect to see some of these titles popping up in blogs and reviews so I’ll be looking forward to seeing what people make of the full novels.

Do any of the above books appeal to you? Do you find that you read many debut authors?

5/5

I planned to spend Sunday reading through extracts from the Waterstone’s Eleven choices, that I picked up on Thursday, but instead gave in to my desire to finish the last 80 pages of the WONDERFUL Eline Vere.

Pushkin Press, 2010 edition (first published in 1889), 540 pages - personal library

Thank you, thank you to my ‘Secret Santa’ Armen (hmm.. not so secret!) who gave me this Pushkin Press translated Dutch classic novel by Louis Couperus at December’s Riverside Readers book group. I have thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in this delicious doorstop of a novel for the past three weeks. Before I continue, I want to do a little plug for Pushkin Press. I’ve only read two novels by this publisher of translated European literature, but this, and Journey by Moonlight have completely won me over as an advocate for their titles – Literary gems, beautifully bound quality paperbacks with yummy illustrated covers in muted tones. (NB neither of these were sent by the publisher – I just really dig this publisher!) Anyhow, to the novel itself…

My experience of reading Eline Vere was a bit like watching a very good period drama series on the television. A sumptuous visual experience conjured up by descriptions of the vivid colours of dress and opulent surroundings of well-to-do members of Dutch society at the close of the 19th century. The narrative is frequently broken up by intimate tête-à- têtes between the different characters, sometimes philosophical, sometimes frivolous, occasionally candid and cutting. This creates the impression of multiple little scenes, so that although this is long book it is broken up into enjoyable and manageable segments.

I haven’t gone straight into describing the plot because although there is a central character and several plot-lines, this book is really driven by a set of circumstances and the relationships between different characters and how they react to each other. There is much discussion of the role of fate in this novel and yet although the main character Eline, comes to believe that her future is pre-destined, what Couperus seems to play with as a device is really the idea of chance – how a word uttered or held back can make a mark on a person’s future, which can be indelible depending on the nature of the person. And this idea of a persons nature is really key to the novel as it centres around a young woman who despite having everything in her favour – riches, beauty, grace and intelligence – is unable to take control of her own will to the extent that she undermines her own chances of happiness.

Eline is an incredibly complex character. A less skilful author would be unable to gain the reader’s empathy for this charming yet doleful figure. How frustrating she should be, but yet I was sympathetic to her because despite orchestrating her own misery she genuinely seemed paralysed by her mental state. Couperus’s subtlety in conveying each characters’ core ‘being’, giving the reader insight into their mind is almost magical and it was a genuine pleasure to be introduced to the contrasting personalities in the novel. I loved the outwardly frivolous yet wilful Frederique (Freddie) and revelled in the descriptions of young Lili Verstraten aware and happy with her own indolence -

“She was never bored, even when she was idle. On the contrary, she would sit back and enjoy the notions drifting through her mind: rose petals wafting on a gentle breeze, soap bubbles, fragile and iridescent.”

But as you have probably determined by my earlier comments Eline Vere is not simply a frothy book. Couperus’ insight into people, and their sense of self-awareness is remarkable. His writing is beautifully descriptive yet well paced. Themes of love, free-will, spirituality and psychology are interwoven deftly into the story. This isn’t a novel to consume in one sitting – as that would be rather too much, like eating a whole pile of profiteroles! When enjoyed at a languid pace however, this is a richly rewarding read.

Has anyone read any of Couperus’ other novels? Can you recommend any translated foreign classics?

Well this year the line up certainly looks interesting. Admittedly this year I was a little less sociable and instead of stalking new Authors was content to scoff a few canapés and chat to the lovely Reading Matters who came along with me. However, I DID snaffle a copy of the book that contains extracts from all the recommended books so will be posting my thoughts once I have read it.

If you can’t wait for my sum-up post you can find out the chosen authors at the Waterstones site and even read extracts for yourself here.

Did you read any of last year’s debut author picks?

3/5

Originally written in the 1940s, The Visitor is a novella about a young woman named Anastasia, who returns to Ireland after living in Paris for six years. When she arrives, her Grandmother – Mrs King, greets her with a cool manner and instead of finding a welcoming home, is faced with the realisation that she is considered a ‘visitor’.

Atlantic Books, 2001 edition (first published in the 1940s), 86 pages - personal library

I’m not quite sure what I feel about The Visitor. I enjoyed the way that the novel had an element of suspense about it. Brennan builds an unsettling atmosphere with curious characters who either keep a cold reserve (Mrs King) or who are, at the other end of the scale, overwhelmingly emotional with an undertone of desperation (Miss Kilbride). Like Daphne du Maurier’s Manderley, the house appeared at times to have it’s own creepy personality. Despite, the suspenseful start, I was a bit baffled by the ending because I couldn’t decide if it was really quite disturbing or a bit of a let down. I think that I was expecting something more dramatic, whereas the drama is really all in the psychology of the novel and the way that Anastasia feels and the other characters respond to her.

I think that there is also an important element of the reader’s perspective. The Grandmother is portrayed as a monstrous person, but perhaps this is because we experience everything from Anastasia’s point of view. There is clearly an important piece of the puzzle missing – it is implied that Anastasia’s mother and the Grandmother were always at odds and that Mrs King was an unhealthy influence on the family. That said, is Anastasia, or more to the point her understanding of the situation reliable or not?

At certain points in the novella, I found my empathy for Anastasia faded. She seemed to be missing some vital spark of self-preservation. This frustrated me, but possibly being a woman who has grown up in a modern-world, makes it harder to relate, and I suppose Brennan isn’t exactly trying to portray a heroine – but a situation and a impression of Anastasia’s circumstances.

I couldn’t help but compare Brennan’s style to that of Barbara Comyns, who was writing during a similar period. I think she teases out the nastier elements of human behaviour in a more disturbing way and somehow her quirky writing packs more of a punch. The Visitor was an interesting and clever piece of writing but it felt incomplete, and I can’t quite put my finger on why.

For a different perspective, you might like to read Savidge Reads’ review who in contrast to me appreciated the lack of drama, but was also a little non-plussed by the ending and also this glowing review at Reading Matters which also adds some useful context about the author.

Have you read this or any of Brennan’s other writing and would you recommend reading more?

Sparkly sequinned wristwarmers in soft and cosy (Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran) 100% merino wool:

A pair of socks in a soft yet sturdy cashmere / merino / acrylic mix (Rowan Cashsoft 4 ply) for toasty feet:

(a little too big even for my feet!)

And a tea cosy, knitted in a lovely shade of teal (Rowan Felted Tweed Chunky) Merino / Alpaca / Viscose mix, which I wanted to keep.

And here they are all together:

Thanks OH for your photographic skills. All patterns are from Jenny Lord’s excellent book Purls of Wisdom - reviewed here.

Everyone needs a bit of granny-chic in their lives surely?!

Did you give / receive any handmade presents this Christmas?

How To Be a Woman, by Caitlin Moran

 5/5

“…challenges all the stupid things that women are told (and tell themselves) with a big bucketful of humour…” Read full review.

Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro

 5/5

“…an important book and one that I think is up there with some of the best dystopian novels.” Read full review.

In Love & Trouble, by Alice Walker

 5/5

“…each time I picked up Alice Walker’s collection of short stories, I felt as if time was suspended and I was transported completely to heat of the Southern America… The richness and vitality of Walker’s writing makes this book an utter pleasure to read.” Read full review.

Through the Wall, by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya

 5/5

“The stories sound barmy, and there is a heavy dose of the surreal, but at their heart Petrushevskaya’s tales  are real human experiences of grief, love and loss.” Read full review.

Purls of Wisdom, by Jenny Lord

 5/5

“…a book that I know I will refer to time and time again. I love the informal writing style because it feels just as if a friend is teaching you…” (AKA the book to blame for my knitting obsession in 2011!) Read full review.

Mr Chartwell, by Rebecca Hunt

4.5/5

“I struggle to think of many other books that convey what is a very serious message with so much originality and seemingly so effortlessly.” Read full review.

Mary Anne, by Daphne du Maurier

4.5/5

“…a book, packed with with witty lines, and a richly described period setting which creates the backdrop for the story of a fascinating protagonist based on du Maurier’s own great-great-grandmother.” Read full review.

The Mermaids Singing, by Val McDermid

4.5/5

“I think that I might have found a new favourite crime writer to add to my list!” Read full review.

A Grief Observed, by C.S. Lewis

4/5

“Of course, this is a sad book to read, but also so beautifully and eloquently written… In an odd way, I believe that this little book could be comforting at a time of loss, if only because of how openly the author shares his experience.” Read full review.

Fateless, by Imre Kertész

4/5

“… a novel that will stay with me, because it is unique in the way that it addresses the experience of concentration camps. The writing is deceptively simple, and peppered with imaginative ideas…” Read full review.

Journey by Moonlight, by Antal Szerb

4/5

“…has the qualities that I associate with a real classic… A rich and many-layered story.” Read full review.

Before I go to Sleep, by S.J. Watson

4.5/5

“…smartly plotted, written compellingly and the premise is well-executed.” Read full review.

A retrospective look at Novel Insights tells me that in 2011 I read a total of 43 books which is a whole 30% lower than last year’s count of 62. I don’t get too hung up about the number of books that I read because I don’t like to over-organise or analyse the things I do for pleasure and for this reason I don’t really make reading resolutions.

That said, I do think that my reading and blogging can be seen as a bit of a barometer of how I’m feeling. While sometimes I read less because I’ve been occupied with nice, fun stuff (including quite a lot of knitting this year!) I have felt quite busy over the past few months and it is one of my resolutions to find a better balance between work and my leisure time.

Well that’s my little bit of naval-gazing over and done with! How was your 2011? Do you have any reading resolutions? What books really stood out for you this year?

While the news in 2011 has been full of turmoil and economic woe I count my blessings that I had a pretty good year all round. A new role at work was a big milestone for me, and in Novel Insights world I hosted my first read-a-long - Discovering Daphne with Savidge Reads.

Some of my closest friends and family have had a much tougher year so I’m brightly hopeful that the New Year will bring better things for them. Also, while the news is never all cheerful, I would love it if we could see some more inspiring rhetoric from our political leaders in the coming months as when the chips are down, well chosen words can be a powerful way of lifting spirits and motivating people. ‘Austerity’ has been the most overused and depressing expression lately. It makes me think of grey flannel and Victorians (not in a good sensational novel kind of way either!).

We are NOT amused...

On a more bookish note, in proper New Year tradition, I’ve had a good de-clutter in the house and picked out a few books that will be heading to the charity shop. I only managed a small bag because of my hoarding tendencies however I need to make way for a lovely box of books that my Dad gave me over the Christmas period.

It’s a rather good mixture of paperbacks that I’ve fancied reading or look interesting, and there are also some little treasures in there that I remember from childhood.

A few crafty books (you can probably guess from my numerous knitting posts that I have always liked to make things):

A special copy of Alice in Wonderland that my Mum had as a little girl with brilliant illustrations:

And Dad’s lovely copies of King Arthur, and The Arabian Nights:

Looks like it’s actually been more of ‘out with the new, in with the old’!

I’m a big believer in setting well thought out and defined resolutions for the coming year so along with thinking about my favourite books from 2011 (a later post!), I’ll be sitting down some time this evening and penning those. I’m not sure if there will be any reading resolutions yet…

What are you looking forward to 2012? Will you be making any resolutions this year (reading or otherwise)?

5/5

I have loved reading this book. In the last few weeks it’s felt as if I haven’t been able to stop, but each time I picked Alice Walker’s collection of short stories, I felt as if time was suspended and I was transported completely to heat of the Southern America.

The Women's Press Ltd, 1984 edition (first published 1973), 144 pages - personal library

Alice Walker, in In Love and Trouble tells us stories of black women living in the rural American South. They are a mix of the strange, the devastatingly sad and totally delightful. They are brief, yet deep. In just a few lines, Walker drops you into someone’s life and you feel as if you had been a fly on the wall all along.

Flipping back through the pages, I would find it difficult to pick a favourite story, but to give you a feel for them I will highlight a handful.

Her Sweet Jerome is the story of a woman who falls in love with a studious school teacher. Handsome and ten years younger than her, she desires him so much that she won’t rest until “I were Mr and Mrs Jerome Franklin Washington the Third, and that’s the truth!”. But after she gets her wish, she becomes suspicious of his behaviour. Though she supports him financially and lavishes him with beautiful things, the relationship is troubled. She lacks his “eddicashion” and is conscious of the fact and that she is older. He has no respect for her, beating her black and blue whenever she opens her mouth. She believes that he is cheating on her in some way and in desperation, rifles through his clothes and belongings until dramatically she discovers that what he is being distracted by is to her even more devastating than she could have guessed.

In The Child who Favoured Daughter, an angry father sits on his watch awaiting the return of his teenage daughter. Memories from the past, of a white man damaging his dearest sister whose face, his daughter resembles haunt him. Discovering love letters from his daughter to her love – a “white devil” – a dark and destructive jealous fury wells up within him and he viciously takes his anger out on the girl that he loves.

To Hell With Dying is the final story in the collection and describes the love of a little girl for family friend, Mr Sweet. A troubled man, but kind and charming Mr Sweet plays with the children and plays them songs, sometimes happy and sometimes melancholy on his steel guitar. A drunk and a diabetic Mr Sweet’s ailing health leave him laid out and the children are called to bring him back from the dead numerous times with tickles and kisses. Later, the little girl who narrates the story has grown up and left for university but drops everything to run back home to Mr Sweet one last time.

Walker manages to paint heavy and conflicted human emotions with a light brush. She roots the reader firmly in the sense of time and place, demonstrating a turning point where young people are struggling against prejudice and also the deep seated anger of a previous generation scarred by racism. I consumed each of these unique stories slowly, and as a collection they left me feeling totally satisfied. The richness and vitality of Walker’s writing makes this book an utter pleasure to read.

So instead I thought I’d post a picture from one of my favourite Christmas children’s stories, The Snowman. I used to look forward to watching the animated film on telly every Christmas eve and had a tape recording that I would listen to.

For those celebrating this year, I wish you all a very merry and magical Christmas and to everyone a happy holiday. x

The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs (Image from the Visit Birmingham website)

Apart from the day job, which is keeping me busy, and a little bit of party season indulgence, I’ve been quite productive on the knitting front.

I put down my rather complicated cable knit sweater project temporarily to make a couple of little Christmas gifts. I can’t show you the full items now as one of the recipients might be reading this but here is a teaser

I have been reading too, particularly enjoying the latest Riverside Readers choice – The House of Sleep, by Jonathan Coe and have been dipping into Alice Walker’s In Love and Trouble which might be one of my favourite short story collections this year.

None of my recent choices have been seasonal at all (except for the Radio Times I bought today!) but it might be about time to hunt out a Christmas classic to snuggle up with and make me feel more Christmassy.

Do you do festive reading at this time of year or maybe have other celebrations that are important to you? Anyone else feeling a bit clapped out and ready for a mince pie or three?