#BookReview Less: A Novel by Andrew Sean Greer
Read on audio
Narrator: Andrew Petkoff
Hachette Audio
Pub. 2017, 263pp
Wow, I had a blast reading this book which kept me entertained on a long flight home from holiday. the character of Arthur Less is so vividly realised and he gets up to some great misadventures throughout the story. in fact he reminded me of a friend who I admire as she gets into all kinds of scrapes by throwing caution to the wind in a way I rarely dare to do!
This is a hard book to review because I went into it knowing only that the main character is a middle aged American writer who goes on a book tour of sorts and I’m glad that was all I knew about it. Sometimes it’s best not even to read the blurb.
what I will say is that, despite mixed reviews, I believe Less totally deserved to win The Pulitzer Prize in 2018. it’s brilliantly quirky and I loved the way language is played with. Here’s a little taster:
“Less wears a pair of natural leather wing tips, a paint stroke of green on each toe, black fitted linen trousers with a spiralling seam, a grey inside out t-shirt, and a hoody jacket whose leather has been tenderly furred to the soft nubbin of an old eraser. He looks like a Fire Island super villain rapper.”
Another highlight was that at one point Less thinks he’s fluent in german but the translation of what he’s actually saying to people shows otherwise!
it’s true that the story meanders somewhat so if you like a tightly plotted novel this may not work for you, but I was totally on board with the writing style from the start. This is a very funny book but it’s balanced with poignant and reflective moments that many readers will relate to. And the audiobook narrator was particularly good, easily switching between languages and accents.
Less definitely appealed to my sense of humour and I highly recommend this refreshing book. Witty and insightful, it’s up there in my top 5 reads of the year! #bookstodon@bookstodon
@weirdwriter@bookstodon So good, I was laughing out loud so many times! When I read through some reviews I was surprised just how many readers didn’t finish it, or complained about it being too light to win such a big prize!
@disability@bookstodon I’m particularly looking forward to reading the pieces by Polly Atkin, Khairani Barokka, Jamie Hale, Hannah Hodgson, Sally Huband, Abi Palmer and Louise Kenward. it’s available online and in bookshops and also as a Kindle e-book:
@CiaraNi@disability Yes, that’s why I always pass on my hardcopy Braille books- there’s just no room to store them all! Those numbers seem high to me actually as the last book I had that was nearly 600 pages long was in 9 volumes, she must be reading uncontracted Braille which would be a lot longer. This year I’ve been reading much more electronic Braille using what I call my ‘Braille kindle’, which has one line of Braille that refreshes when you press a button, as it’s so portable though I love the feel of hardcopy more
#Bookreview Hand in Glove by Ngaio Marsh
read on audio
Narrator: Marie McCarthy
Harpercollins
Pub. 1962, 251pp
This is a classic crime read set in a village among a group of neighbours who’re related in various ways. I knew I was going to get on well with the #audiobook from the start as the narrator was instantly engaging, expressing the dialogue brilliantly.
The action centres around the home of snobbish Percival Pyke Period, an eccentric figure who’s writing his memoirs, alongside the cook Mrs Mitchell, his loyal servant Alfred and his new lodger Mr Cartell who has a rather troublesome dog, Pixie. The first chapters set up the world surrounding this household with the introduction of a cast of distinctive characters. I particularly liked Mr Cartell’s ex-wife, the Flamboyant Desiree Bantling, and this great description:
“with her incredible hair brushed up into a kind of bonfire, her carefree makeup, her eyebrows and her general air of raffishness she belonged, asMr Period mildly reflected, to Toulouse Lautrec rather than any contemporary background.”
She’s known for her amusing parties and there’s a long build up to her April Fool’s treasure hunt which is set to end in tragedy. In fact, as the murder doesn’t take place until about Chapter 14 I felt I knew everyone involved very well and of course there were plenty of strong motives for possible killers.
The central idea of a letter being sent in condolence to someone for the death of a loved one before the deceased was discovered was unique and played out well.
One thing that surprised me was the lack of period details to root the story to the 1960s. It seemed to me that it could’ve very easily been set in the 30s or 50s, though there were a few passing references like mentioning TV. I guess it stuck out as my other read for the #1962Club was the Miss Marple which was very much about social change.
This is my first Ngiao Marsh novel and I’ll be returning to her in future. #Bookstodon@bookstodon
@Merlo51@bookstodon Oh thanks! She’s new to me, do you have any good recommendations for her books? I should possibly start at the beginning of the series I guess. I was encouraged to read this one because of a club reading week
#BookReview#1962Club The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side by Agatha Christie
Read in Braille
Pub. 1962, 280pp
A Hollywood actress, Marina Gregg, buys a country house near Miss Marple’s village and hosts a garden party where a guest is poisoned. The police believe the lethal cocktail was meant for Marina and she takes to her bed, scared that someone’s out to get her. A whole host of her movie world rivals and others from her past are suspected. She’s not exactly made too many friends over her career!
Meanwhile life in St. Mary Mead isn’t quite what it once was, with progress being viewed with suspicion by many. The Development (as it’s referred to by locals) brings new people and attracts a supermarket which is a step too far!
Miss Marple embarks on her sleuthing in her typical quirky way; asking her hairdresser for old movie mags:
“I think the truth lies somewhere here.” She rustled her magazines and picked up another one.
“You mean you’re looking for some special story about someone?”
“No,” said Miss Marple. “I’m just looking for mentions of people and a way of life and something–some little something that might help.”
I was struck by how well Christie writes about aging as Miss Marple comes to terms with the loss of independence in her 80s. She has a housekeeper, Miss Knight, who fusses around her, speaking to her in a condescending way. At one point Miss Marple sends herh to town with a long shopping list, so she can escape to explore The Development alone which was a nice detail.
The mystery takes many enjoyable turns, including a fashion photoshoot at Keats’ Hampstead house and the ending is satisfying. I tend to let Christie’s books wash over me but with this one I surprised myself by guessing the killer and motive!
I’ve read that it was based on the life of a real Hollywood actress and that the 1980 movie had the inspired casting of Elizabeth Taylor as Marina Gregg and Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple, wonderful! #Bookstodon@bookstodon
@bookstodon Tomorrow (today in Australia and New Zealand) is #Ageism Awareness Day. What really good novels have you read that feature older protagonists?
These come to my mind:
Remnant Population, Elizabeth Moon
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Olga Tokarczuk
@kimlockhartga@bookstodon Off the top of my head I loved quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym (and her other books as they all have older characters), Strangers by Anita Brookner, The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim and Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
#BookReview Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov, tr. Angela Rodel
Read on audio
Pub. 2020
This book centres around the narrator and someone he meets throughout the novel, Gaustine, who’s obsessed with the past and how people relate to it as they age, particularly those who develop conditions like Dementia or Alzheimer’s. He sets up “clinics of the past” where people can immerse themselves in a decade that brings them comfort.
This is such an engaging idea and the 1st part of the book which explores how it could work is so enjoyable:
“Reading magazines and newspapers from 30 or 40 years ago, what was worrisome then is not worrisome now.news has become history. Breaking news has long since broken. The paper is slightly yellowed, the scent of damp wafts from the magazine’s glossy pages. But what is going on with the ads? The ones we passed by with annoyance back then have now taken on a new value. Suddenly the ads have become the true news about that time.”
The aim of the therapy is to draw out conversation from the patient as they recognise items, allowing them to recall lost memories. This improves their mood and they relate better to their family.
Following the popularity of the clinic, Gaustine decides to create entire cities set in the past. In one based in the 70s, a patient runs away, and when he returns he reports:
“everyone was being subjected to an experiment. They were playing out the future if you can believe it guys? Some people are walking around with wires in their ears and little TV sets in their hands and they never look up”
Word of the clinics spreads and people want to join who have no memory problems and things then start to get really twisted! some want to join out of nostalgia and others through fear of the future.
The 2nd part pushes things further, exploring a world where European countries decide to hold referendums about living in the past.
This is a novel full of ideas; disturbing, funny and poetic. #bookstodon@bookstodon
Got a new #audiobook on the go today that I’m reading for the #1962Club which is coming up soon. The book’s Hand in Glove by Ngaio Marsh which I found on the RNIB Talking Book library and, judging from the first chapter, both the story and audio narration are going to be very good!
If you fancy joining in then pick a book published in 1962 and post a few thoughts about it on your social media/blog from 16 to 22 Oct, all good fun! It’s hosted by bloggers Karen @kaggsy59 and simon (Stuck in a Book .com) #bookstodon#reading@bookstodon
#BookReview Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
Read in Braille
Viking
Pub. 2021, 256pp
My Name is Lucy Barton, 2016, was the first book I read by this author and I was struck by the writing style which seemed very different from anything else I was reading at that time. The character is very well drawn and I’ve often thought of the book since. Lucy has certainly stayed with Elizabeth Strout too as she wrote another book loosely based around her called Anything Is Possible which I haven’t read, and one that follows this book called Lucy by the Sea. I can see why she’s returned to Lucy as this book is about her life in her 60s where she’s left her first husband, remarried and is now alone again after her second husband dies. Her girls are grown up and married and William has remarried and has a young daughter. So there’s plenty to reflect on.
Elizabeth Strout’s prose is so distinctive and full of touching, beautifully observed details: “I saw him from afar and I saw that his khakis were too short. A little bit this broke my heart. He wore loafers, and his socks were blue, not a dark blue and not a light blue, and they showed a few inches until his khakis covered them. Oh William,I thought. Oh William!”
Lucy’s thoughts jump around as she recounts episodes from her life and tells the reader the reasons for her actions, and sometimes quite perplexing reactions to situations. She’s living with past trauma which resurfaces and takes her by surprise at times.
Lucy and William are brought together by a discovery made about William’s family and I enjoyed reading about them navigating spending time together now they are divorced; how they annoy each other but are also clearly still so connected and glad to be in each other’s lives. It’s gentle and touching.
Elizabeth Strout really knows how to make her readers feel the emotions Lucy’s going through and I very much enjoyed being in her company again. #Bookstodon#reading@bookstodon
@lunalein@bookstodon I’ve very rarely given up on a book because of the narrator. I think matching an author well to a narrator long term can be so good - Peter Caulfield narrates all Jonathan Coe’s books and is just so right! I’ve been blind over 10 years and honestly thought the discussion around whether audiobooks could be described as reading would have disappeared by now but, no, here it is again. Of course it’s reading the book, it’s just another format!
@bookstodon …and it’s brilliant to hear George Saunders talk about her writing too - he didn’t read the story as guests normally do as he didn’t want to say a particular, rather unpleasant, word which is repeated several times!