Over the last few weeks I've read some books I enjoyed a lot and some books that made me not want to read, but play Sudoku instead. Some weeks are like that, I guess...
I enjoyed this one a lot, and I am sure it's because I listened to this
on audio. He tells about his childhood and late teenage years in South
Africa. There are bits about language, the economical and political
situation, the status of a colored person like himself (he has a Black
mother and a white father), and the way things were during the late 80s
and early 90s in South Africa. I so appreciated that the tone wasn't
bitter and mercy-inducing, but light and there are some very funny
moments.
De ce fierbe copilul in mamaliga (=Why the Child is Cooking in the Polenta)
&
Raftul cu ultimele suflari (=The shelf with the last breaths) - both by Aglaja Veteranyi - 2*
&
Raftul cu ultimele suflari (=The shelf with the last breaths) - both by Aglaja Veteranyi - 2*
These two go together for me. They are the only two published novels of Aglaja Veteranyi before she committed suicide. She has Romanian roots (her parents were Romanian), but she belongs to the Swiss literature. Her novels are rough, the family is dysfunctional, the relationships are all over the place, and they leave you with a bitter taste. These aren't easy, light reads, but I am glad I read them.
I think this is my last Romanian novel for a while. This book is sad, and it left me sucked out of my will to live and read. The main character tells her story as a journal, but the focus is mostly on a crazy (yes, crazy!) mother who manipulates and turns things around so that she comes out better in any situation. For some reason, Romanian literature wants to be sad and almost depressing, but I'm not here for it.
I read this one for Net Galley, and it wasn't the right fit for me. It was predictable, far fetched, and not all decisions the author made about the setting and the characters made sense. Here's my review.
I first heard about this novel from Stephanie Howell @plan.read.bloom, and she was right - this book is magical! Think magical realism (but not the weird kind!), YA love story, Iceland setting, and all happening during the summer months - can you even think of anything better to read over a weekend in July?
It started great, I liked both main characters, I liked the immersion into the Indian culture, I liked learning about their lifestyle, traditions, and customs, but at the 70% mark it started to drag. I don't know why. I lost interest in the story, probably because I knew that Rishi and Dimple would be fine, although their plot line seemed to stretch too long towards the end. I most clearly didn't care for the brother and the friend plot line, and it could have been either shorter or skipped altogether.
In an anti-romance moment I was seriously hoping to see Rishi and Dimple break up and not get in touch for many, many years. But because it was kismet (it says so in the book), I was glad that at least it wasn't Dimple who had to make the choice to change her plans for the future for the relationship to work.
It's a summer vibes novel, a cute YA, and I'm glad I finally know what's it about, despite the fact that I had to make myself sit down and read the last 30% of the book.
In an anti-romance moment I was seriously hoping to see Rishi and Dimple break up and not get in touch for many, many years. But because it was kismet (it says so in the book), I was glad that at least it wasn't Dimple who had to make the choice to change her plans for the future for the relationship to work.
It's a summer vibes novel, a cute YA, and I'm glad I finally know what's it about, despite the fact that I had to make myself sit down and read the last 30% of the book.
I've been trying to think of things I didn't like about this novel, and I can't! There's not a lot of plot, the focus is on the characters. You can't possibly like all the characters, you might not identify with anyone - I didn't! but the writing lured me in, and I sure didn't fight it!
It's not always chronologically told, and it's most definitely not a plot driven novel. Having finished it I was surprised to think that most of the characters have been trying all their lives to be someone else, to step into a different life than the one handed to them at birth. I liked how all the characters interacted with one another, but there was an underlying feeling that they were about to crush one another and create even more drama. Despite the apparent calmness, I thought the characters were squirmy on the inside, too big for their skin.
The way the novel is structured might seem too much, especially because there are new characters being introduced gradually, but it's not overwhelming. Bennett feeds us bits of information about different characters every few pages and this left me guessing and wondering about them because I discovered things gradually. This only made me want to read more and more.
I couldn't put this book down, I liked it, and any notion of book slump I might have had was shoved aside once I started this novel. I am glad I read it and I see why all the hype about it.
It's not always chronologically told, and it's most definitely not a plot driven novel. Having finished it I was surprised to think that most of the characters have been trying all their lives to be someone else, to step into a different life than the one handed to them at birth. I liked how all the characters interacted with one another, but there was an underlying feeling that they were about to crush one another and create even more drama. Despite the apparent calmness, I thought the characters were squirmy on the inside, too big for their skin.
The way the novel is structured might seem too much, especially because there are new characters being introduced gradually, but it's not overwhelming. Bennett feeds us bits of information about different characters every few pages and this left me guessing and wondering about them because I discovered things gradually. This only made me want to read more and more.
I couldn't put this book down, I liked it, and any notion of book slump I might have had was shoved aside once I started this novel. I am glad I read it and I see why all the hype about it.
***
That's it! I'm currently trying to decide what to read next, but I hope for a good reading rest of July!
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