Brian's 2013 Book Log

[Brian.]

I went to my local library today and picked up Sputnik Sweetheart & Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, both by Haruki Murakami. I borrowed them in an attempt to keep my buying habits in check. Unfortunately, on the way to the library there is an Oxfam bookshop and I spied a copy of The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster in the window. I've had this on my wishlist for a while and for £2 I couldn't turn it down. On my way to the checkout My Childhood & My Apprenticeship both by Maxim Gorky and Dubliners by James Joyce also happened to end up in my possession.

 

My reading for January has really surprised me, I have managed to read 11 books which I think is by far the most I have read in a month. Admittedly I started 2 of them before the start of the month and a couple have been really short. Despite this I don't think I have read more than 6 books in a month before. Two of the books I read were awful in Heart of Darkness and Less Than Zero. One was 5 star for me, The Snowman by Jo Nesbo. All things considered it's been a great month of books for me and I've made some strides into 2666 by Roberto Bolano as well.

Edited February 1, 2013 by Brian.

[Brian.]

Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami

 

 

 

Synopsis

Sumire is in love with a woman seventeen years her senior. But whereas Miu is glamorous and successful, Sumire is an aspiring writer who dresses in an oversized second-hand coat and heavy boots like a character in a Kerouac novel.

 

Sumire spends hours on the phone talking to her best friend K about the big questions in life: what is sexual desire, and should she ever tell Miu how she feels for her? Meanwhile K wonders whether he should confess his own unrequited love for Sumire.

 

Then, a desperate Miu calls from a small Greek island: Sumire has mysteriously vanished...

(Taken from Amazon)

 

 

My Thoughts

Last week during a visit to my local library I decided to reserve a few Haruki Murakami books. For some reason they are kept in reserve stock instead of on the shelves so I knew I wasn't going to be in for long wait. Of the 2 books I reserved I decided to read this one first. There was no particular reason for this, it just ended up this way. I really loved the other Murakami books that I have read so I was really looking forward to reading this one.

 

As usual for Murakami, there aren't that many characters to deal with, in fact there are only 3 main characters, the rest being unimportant in the grand scheme of things. The book is written from the point of view of a young male teacher who we only know as K. K is in love with a slightly younger wannabe writer called Sumire, the feelings aren't mutual however. Sumire ends up falling deeply in love with an older Korean woman who is called Miu. Things are further complicated by the fact that Miu is married with children and a very different person to Sumire.

 

For me, the first half of the book was fairly unspectacular for Murakami. That isn't to say that it was poor but I felt it lacked a little bit of the usual Murakami magic. The one thing that remains a constant is the enigmatic nature of his female characters. As with his other works I felt drawn to them while at the same time not really knowing why. K doesn't feature so much in the first half of the book and it's not until much later do we discover more about him.

 

I wasn't that fond of the use of Greece as a setting for the later stages of the book. Murakami's Japan is always really magical to me and his Greece doesn't quite have that same mysticism for me. However, certain things really do work well. The use of a Ferris wheel as a way for Miu to view herself on 'the other side' works extremely well. I really love the way that Murakami demands some suspension of belief from the reader to make things work and if you are willing to take that leap that you are rewarded as the book progresses.

 

Isolation and loneliness are big themes in the book but instead of being dealt with directly, they are dealt with in a more spiritual way. K especially feels the loneliness when Sumire disappears and wonders if he will always be lonely in future, a fear I'm sure many people can identify with. There is also the theme that people often give a part of themselves up when deeply in love and when it doesn't work out that part is gone forever. This make the isolation far harder to deal with and I guess that some people just never the same after that.

 

 

The final thing I want to deal with is the phone call that K receives from Sumire at the end of the book. For me this isn't a literal phone call but a dream that K has. It's almost as if Sumire contacts him from 'the other side' and releases him from his anguish, even if only a little. That is my interpretation of it anyway, I know there are several other theories and none are more right than any other.

 

 

Again Murakami ends the book in a non-definite way and I think this is one of the main reasons why his writing has quite such an effect. You can't help but think things over and reply things over and over again in your head and this leaves a lasting impression.

 

There is one short paragraph from the book that really stuck in my head.

 

So that's how we live our lives. No matter how deep and fatal the loss, no matter how important the things that's stolen from us - that's snatched right out of our hands - even if we are left completely changed people with only the outer layer of skin from before, we continue to play out our lives in this way, in silence. We draw ever nearer to our allotted span of time, bidding it farewell as it trails off behind. Repeating, often adroitly, the endless deeds of the everyday. Leaving behind a feeling of immeasurable emptiness.

 

I am going to give this book 4/5. The reason behind it not being 5/5 is that although it is very good it doesn't feel quite as magical throughout as some of his other work. Parts of it are right up there with his best work in my opinion but other parts are merely good. This is a mark of just how much I like Murakami. He has set such a high watermark for himself that there is no shame in falling slightly short of this.

 

4/5 (I really liked it).

Edited February 1, 2013 by Brian.

[bree]

Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami

 

 

4/5 (I really liked it).

 

I liked reading your review - I haven't tried any of Murakami's work, but I may just!

And again, a captivating cover.

[Alexi]

I keep meaning to pick up a Murakami - possibly 1Q84 as that seems to be recommended everywhere. But given it comes in three parts (with one and two published together), I'm not sure if I need to read them at once or separately.

 

I'm increasingly tempted though due to how much you like Murakami's work Brian.

[Brian.]

I liked reading your review - I haven't tried any of Murakami's work, but I may just!

And again, a captivating cover.

 

 

I keep meaning to pick up a Murakami - possibly 1Q84 as that seems to be recommended everywhere. But given it comes in three parts (with one and two published together), I'm not sure if I need to read them at once or separately.

 

I'm increasingly tempted though due to how much you like Murakami's work Brian.

 

If you haven't read any Murakami before I would suggest going for either one of his big hits like Norwegian Wood or Kafka on the Shore (I've not read this yet myself though) or for one of his shorter works like After Dark,  South of the Border, West of the Sun or Sputnik Sweetheart. Some of his books are more surreal than others so that is something to bear in mind when choosing what to read first. It's hard to explain what he does but his writing tends to screw with people's minds.

[Nollaig]

I've only read Norwegian Wood but I absolutely hated it. I was then told it was quite different from his other books. I have 1Q84, so I'll give that a go at some point, but if I dislike it I won't be picking up any more of his books I'm afraid!

[Brian.]

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini



Synopsis
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years, from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding, that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heartwrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love, a stunning accomplishment.
(Taken from Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I've tried looking back at my previous posts to see when I bought this but I can't seem to find the answer. It was unread and new so I know I must have had it for a while at least. Yet again I picked this off my bookcase on a whim, it just felt like the right time to give it a go. I knew that it was pretty well thought of and I loved The Kite Runner, it was probably my favourite read of last year.

 

Like The Kite Runner this book features two main characters but this time they are female instead of male. I'm sure that like many people, I'd heard of the harsh treatment that the women of Afghanistan have faced over the years. Little did I know the extent that this runs to. The fact that all of the events described in the book have almost certainly happened to Afghani's  in real life made this quite a difficult book to read.

 

When I say difficult, I mean in an emotional way, in fact the words fly off the page which makes this a very easy and pleasurable read. None of the characters are particularly deep, this is a criticism I've seen people use against Hosseini but I don't feel this has a particularly negative effect on the book. To develop the characters further would have probably meant a lot of filler which would have spoiled the flow of the book in my opinion. They are as developed as they need to be as far as I'm concerned.

 

The story starts with Mariam, a young girl who is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy local man. Every week she looks forward to the visit of her father and she longs to live with him. Little does she understand that he does not feel that this is possible due to the shame that it will bring on his name.  The story of Mariam's life is covered in the first part of the book, she does not have a happy life.

 

From the second part onwards we are introduced to Laila as a young girl and her time as a child growing up in Kabul. She has a friendly relationship with a young boy called Tariq which is seen as inappropriate by many members of the local community. War comes to Kabul with all the problem that this brings. I won't say much more for fear of spoiling the books.

 

One thing that really jumped out for me was the subject of the burka. Hosseini definitely made a concerted effort to show that some woman feel comfort in wearing it despite the western opinion of it. This is something that could have been mis-handled and just treated as an item of control. Throughout the book we get cultural insights and historic tidbits which help to understand the people and the changes Afghanistan has gone through over the years.

 

This is a very emotional book. My edition has an afterword by Hosseini in which he said that his aim was to portray the struggle Afghan women have faced over the years. He also wanted people to understand and feel empathy with the normal people of Afghanistan and in particular the women. He completely achieved these goals in my opinion. No book has ever made me cry but I had a huge lump in my throat towards the end of the book and the last few lines almost tipped me over the edge.

 

5/5 (It was amazing).

[bree]

If you haven't read any Murakami before I would suggest going for either one of his big hits like Norwegian Wood or Kafka on the Shore (I've not read this yet myself though) or for one of his shorter works like After Dark,  South of the Border, West of the Sun or Sputnik Sweetheart. Some of his books are more surreal than others so that is something to bear in mind when choosing what to read first. It's hard to explain what he does but his writing tends to screw with people's minds.

 

Thank you for the suggestions Brian. I've just ordered for a copy of Kafka On The Shore and look forward to reading it.

(I just hope its not too hard to understand!   )

[~Andrea~]

Both of those Hosseini books are on my wish list, as is Murakami as an author to try. You really make me want to read ATSS and Murakami! Great reviews.

[Alexi]

Glad you enjoyed it so much Brian. I also loved it, in the end I preferred to The Kite Runner, which I had previously thought it couldn't live up to!

 

I cried, but then I often cry at books...

[Janet]

I loved both the Hosseini books, but ATSS just edged it for me too (and made me cry!). 

 

The only Murakami I've read is The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - it was decidedly odd!

[Brian.]

Wow!

 

After a fantastic January reading wise my mojo just slumped, I haven't felt like reading anything for about 2 weeks now. It's slowly creeping back and to be honest I expected the crash, it usually happens after a very productive period. Fortunately the time hasn't been totally wasted, I've kept myself busy with various things.

 

I have a book I will probably start tonight in bed called London Under by Peter Ackroyd.

[Brian.]

London Under by Peter Ackroyd



Synopsis

London Under
is an atmospheric, imaginative introduction to everything that goes on under London, from original springs and streams and Roman amphitheatres to Victorian sewers, gang hideouts and modern Underground stations. This book tunnels down through the geological layers, meeting the creatures, both real and fictional, that dwell in the darkness - rats and eels, monsters and ghosts. From the Anglo-Saxon graves under St Paul's, to the hydraulic device in Kensal Green cemetery which lowered bodies into the catacombs below, to the fossils uncovered when
the Victoria Line was built and the gold bars within the Bank of England's vaults, London Under takes you into a hidden world, beneath our feet.

(Taken from Goodreads)

My Thoughts

After a few weeks where I haven't felt like reading anything I felt like I needed something light to get myself back into the fold. I don't know why my modjo just vanishes for weeks at a time but when it does I find it quite annoying. Fortunately I have been busy doing other things so that I didn't drive myself to distraction. However, back to the book. I'm not sure when or where I picked this up but I suspect it may have been towards the end of last year as part of a 3 for 2 deal.

 

This book is a very light history of London under the surface, ie the waterways, the tube, war time shelters etc. It starts off by detailing some of the ancient waterways, some of which still flow under the surface and which a lot of areas and streets get their names from. I did not know for example that places like Clerkenwell got their names from wells which formed a central part of the society at the time.

 

After the waterways there is a mishmash of underground tunnel building, myths and legends and then finally onto what becomes the modern day underground tube system. I know a little bit about the tube and it's early days due to a documentary series ran a few years ago. At the time, and in fact still now, I was amazed at how they actually constructed the tunnels given that London is essentially clay and prone to collapse. Sadly this book misses a lot of that detail out and there is scant mention of the engineering brilliance that went behind it's design and construction.

 

This is the main failing of the book in my opinion. It's not the best written book in the world, his writing style isn't to my liking, but it lacks detail which would make it a far more interesting real. I ended up feeling teased by some of what was revealed only to have to read about it further on the internet. It kind of felt as though this was a thorough outline of a book which should have been written instead of the final draft. It is a shame as this could have been a fantastic book.

 

2/5 (It was ok).

[bobblybear]

London Under sounds interesting in premise. It reminded me that I was going to watch a show on TV last night where they delved under the surface of cities and described how they came to be. Of course I completely forgot and can't even remember what it was called!   

[Kidsmum]

London Under sounds a fascinating read i can see why you picked it up, shame it didn't live up to your expectations though. Hope it hasn't delivered a fatal blow to your mojo 

[Brian.]

London Under sounds interesting in premise. It reminded me that I was going to watch a show on TV last night where they delved under the surface of cities and described how they came to be. Of course I completely forgot and can't even remember what it was called!   

 

It could have been so much better given how fascinating the subject is. If you can remember the channel it was on maybe you can find it online on iplayer or similar.

 

London Under sounds a fascinating read i can see why you picked it up, shame it didn't live up to your expectations though. Hope it hasn't delivered a fatal blow to your mojo 

 

It hasn't, I'm about to start The Black Path by Asa Larsson.

[Devi]

Stuff like that always fascinates me!

 

We have lots of underground tunnels in my town, they were built by the American soldiers who were stationed here during ww2. Melbourne city itself has lots of tunnels under it too, they span the whole city and funnily enough, not many people know they are there. Some are currently being used today, and are planned to be used if there is ever a need to be, such as another war etc.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Devi

[bobblybear]

It could have been so much better given how fascinating the subject is. If you can remember the channel it was on maybe you can find it online on iplayer or similar.

 

Found out what it was  - it's called Strip the City, on Quest. It looks at one city each week. Next week is Dubai.

[willoyd]

 

This is the main failing of the book in my opinion. It's not the best written book in the world, his writing style isn't to my liking, but it lacks detail which would make it a far more interesting real. I ended up feeling teased by some of what was revealed only to have to read about it further on the internet. It kind of felt as though this was a thorough outline of a book which should have been written instead of the final draft. It is a shame as this could have been a fantastic book.

 

 

If you are looking for a general book on underground London, then two others that might be worth exploring are Trench and Hillman's London Under London, which is much stronger on detail and more rigorous on the history than Ackroyd.  Stephen Smith's Underground London is more personal, being more an account of his explorations, but it has still much interesting information in it.

 

There are some good books on specific areas, especially the rivers, e.g.  Nicholas Barton's The Lost Rivers of London, or Paul Talling's little book London's Lost Rivers which I've found great for tracing the routes through the city, leading me to some fascinating little corners.

[Brian.]

Found out what it was  - it's called Strip the City, on Quest. It looks at one city each week. Next week is Dubai.

 

 

If you are looking for a general book on underground London, then two others that might be worth exploring are Trench and Hillman's London Under London, which is much stronger on detail and more rigorous on the history than Ackroyd.  Stephen Smith's Underground London is more personal, being more an account of his explorations, but it has still much interesting information in it.

 

There are some good books on specific areas, especially the rivers, e.g.  Nicholas Barton's The Lost Rivers of London, or Paul Talling's little book London's Lost Rivers which I've found great for tracing the routes through the city, leading me to some fascinating little corners.

 

Thanks for the heads up Bobblybear & Willoyd, I will keep my eyes out for them.

[Brian.]

The Black Path by Asa Larsson




Synopsis
A grisly torture-murder, a haunting northern Sweden backdrop, and a dark drama of twisted sexuality collide memorably in Åsa Larsson's masterpiece of suspense—a tale of menace, hope, longing, and darkness beyond imagining.

The dead woman was found on a frozen lake, her body riddled with evidence of torture. Instantly, Inspector Anna-Maria Mella knows she needs help. Because the dead woman—found in workout clothes with lacy underwear beneath them—was a key player in a mining company whose tentacles reach across the globe. Anna-Maria needs a lawyer to help explain some things—and she knows one of the best.

Attorney Rebecka Martinsson is desperate to get back to work, to feel alive again after a case that almost destroyed her. Soon Rebecka is prying into the affairs of the dead woman’s boss, the founder of Kallis Mining, whose relationship with his star employee was both complex and ominous. But what Rebecka and Anna-Maria are about to uncover—a tangled drama of secrets, perversion, and criminality—will lay bare a tale as shocking as it is sad…about a man’s obsession, a woman’s lonely death, and a killer’s cold, cold heart.
(Taken from Goodreads)


My Thoughts
After going through a little bit of a reading modjo slump I could feel things getting better so I decided to stick with an author who have enjoyed in the past, Asa Larsson. I have read the two books that came before this and enjoyed them quite a lot. I was aware prior to reading this that the book is quite dark in mood and that was something I was looking forward to.

 

It's going to be tricky to write too much on this book without revealing the story but I'm going to try my best. We pick up with Martinsson where we left off in the previous book and it's safe to say that she is in a mentally fragile state. I couldn't remember a huge amount about the closing scenes of the last book but it didn't hurt too much. Martinsson features a lot but does little in this book, her parts are more focused with her dealing with her demons and the spectre of depression. I really liked the fleshing out of what she was dealing with emotionally and it made a refreshing change for the run of the mill crime novel. Although she features heavily I think that it's fair to say that she isn't the hero of the book, again another nice change.

 

Anna-Maria Mella is developed a lot more and she is a character that I found growing on me more and more as the book went on. She is the unusual combination of a detective and a mother to three children. This gives her a nice mixture of strength and weakness that makes her really human. Another interesting character is Ester, the half sister of Mauri Kallis. She is very different to the other characters and she is working out to become strong and able to navigate the local woodland in the dark. She did feel out of place and a bit awkward in the grand scheme of the book. It stood out that she would feature in the final stages in a big way and her inclusion felt a bit clunky at times.

 

In the end I felt that Larsson came close to pulling off a fantastic book but fell just short. There are many of the elements needed but they just failed to mesh together in a few places. The final stages felt a bit thrown together and the final reveal came all in one big mush instead of slowly unraveling. The book is dark and pretty grim in a few places but I really liked that, it added some much needed bite.

 

I look forward to reading the next book.

4/5 (I really liked it).

[Brian.]

Snowing in Bali by Kathryn Bonella




Synopsis
It's snowing in Bali. Among Bali's drug dealers it's the code for a huge cocaine shipment having just landed. For the men who run the country's drug empires, it's time to get rich and party hard.

Snowing in Bali is the story of the drug trafficking and dealing scene that's made Bali one of the world's most important destinations in the global distribution of narcotics. With its central location to the Asia Pacific market, its thriving tourist industry to act as cover for importation, and a culture of corruption that can easily help law enforcement turn a blind eye, Bali has long been a paradise for traffickers as well as for holiday-makers.

Kathryn Bonella, bestselling author of Hotel Kerobokan, has been given extraordinary access into the lives of some of the biggest players in Bali's drug world, both past and present. She charts their rise to incredible wealth and power, and their drug-fuelled lifestyles, filled with orgies, outrageous extravagance and surfing. But running international drug empires in Bali can also be a highly risky business, with terrible consequences for those caught and convicted.

From the highs of multi-million dollar deals to the desperate lows of death row in an Indonesian high security jail, Snowing in Bali is a unique, uncensored insight into a hidden world.
(Taken from Goodreads)


My Thoughts

After a bit of fiction I felt like dipping into a bit of non-fiction and decided on Snowing in Bali by Kathryn Bonella. I have read one of her earlier books, Hotel K. It would appear that her work on Hotel K and No More Tomorrows has gained her a certain degree of trust within the drug dealers in Bali. This book has detailed accounts of how the major drug dealers did their business, lived their lives and how their inevitable downfall came about.

 

The book is a great mix of an account written by the author and quotes by the actually people involved. The people involved are not just the drug dealers but also the chief of police, the drug runners and bar owners. The tales of excess are simply mindblowing and it would seem it was allowed to continue as everyone was getting a cut of the action. Although it is not blatantly stated the suggestion is that the crackdown only came about once the police realised they could get richer by clamping down.

 

Due to the character behind some of the drug importers they came across as likeable despite their trade. This meant that when they were ripped off by the police I couldn't help but feel an odd sense of injustice. Pretty much all of the people who smuggle the drugs into Bali are busted by customs at various airports.

 

Its not all sunshine and roses though. There are many ruined lives directly because of the drug trade and many families broken up. This is before the horrid conditions of the jail (Hotel K) are revealed. This is covered in much less detail than in Hotel K but the issue of bribing to get better rooms is still mentioned.

 

This is a fantastic book for fans of true crime and in particular the drug sub-culture.

 

4/5 (I really liked it).

[Alexi]

This sounds great Brian - I've added it to my wishlist

[Devi]

so have I. I'm also going to add Hotel K too.

[Brian.]

so have I. I'm also going to add Hotel K too.

 

 

This sounds great Brian - I've added it to my wishlist

 

I think you will enjoy them.

 

Got back from Prague late last night, what a beautiful city. Quite a few literary things to see and I spent some time in the Franz Kafka bookshop browsing. I didn't go to the museum this time but I plan to re-visit the city in the future so I will see it for sure next time. I had hoped to do a little reading while I was away but I only managed about 20 pages of Maggie Cassidy by Jack Kerouac. I blame the Czech architecture and beer.