Books Read - Week in Review - 3/4/2017

AT the MOVIES

Lion is one of those movies that would be difficult for viewers not to be moved by in some way.  I found the beginning especially sad.  Based on a true story of Saroo Brierley, who was separated from his family at the age of five. The movie begins with his tragic separation and later his quest to find his real family over a period of 25plus years. The young boy part was played by Sunny Pawer, who was just incredible as was the adult role played by Dev Patel.  Nicole Kidman plays his adoptive Aussie mother (she was excellent as well). (Must See)

BOOKS READ (this week)

Behind Closed Doors; BA Paris
St Martins Press - (eGalley) 2016
Audio (library) - Macmillan (Narrator Georgia Maguire - very good)

(My Thoughts) - Who hasn't met what seems to be that perfect couple, they have money, looks and class. Jack is a successful lawyer and Grace a stay at home wife, gardener and protector of her disable sister.  The couple seems to love to entertain but it's not easy to get Grace away from Jack, to get to know her better, in fact it's impossible. Although still newlyweds, Jack has taken total control over Grace and she doesn't get to leave the shuttered, gated house with tall shrubbery that Jack has purchased for her.  Unless she is with him, she is a prisoner in her own home, no cell phone or means of communication unless Jack is in earshot.  Jack is seriously disturbed and as the plot unfolds things take a very bizarre and sadistic turn.  The audio book was well done but disturbing to listen to at times. This debut, psychological thriller will disturb some readers but, I found it difficult to put down. (4/5 stars)





Everything Happens Today; Jesse Browner
Europa Editions - 2011
(Print edition - my shelves)


(My Thoughts) - Wes is the lovable, seventeen year old protagonist of this novel. He attends the prestigious Dalton school in Manhattan.  Wes is there on scholarship and lives in a run down house in Greenwich Village with he terminally ill mother, a father who brings his girlfriend home, and his younger sister Nora, who he is very protective of. As the novel begins we learn that Wes has lost his virginity to the wrong girl and is sure he has ruined his life. In addition he has a major assignment on War and Peace due on Monday and he wants to cook a special meal in hopes of having all of his family together and happy.

What a delightful read and protagonist you'll root for. The entire novel takes place in a single day and since Wes is a literary lover, the novel has loads of literary references, some serving as metaphors for the things he is dealing with. There's some touching scenes when he spends time caring for and talking with his ailing mother which really moved me. I loved Wes and think this novel will stay with me for a while.  (4.5/5 stars)

Agnes; Peter Stamm
Other Press - 2016 - translated from the German)
(review copy)

(My Thoughts) - I read this novella in a few hours but, it took me a while to sort through my thoughts.  We learn immediately that the title character, Agnes, has been "killed by a story".  Our unnamed narrator, meets Agnes in the Chicago Public Library.  The narrator is a failed writer who has been trying to write a book about locomotives. He is cold, aloof and unlikable, but, from the time he sees Agnes, he is attracted to her. Agnes is working on a research project and suffers from an anxiety disorder and seems obsessed with death. Before long the two begin a relationship. Since the narrator (first person) is cool and unexpressive, Agnes asks him to write a story about her so she knows what he thinks of her. Each has different memories of what has occurred in their relationship and he, in turn, writes how he sees her life playing out. The ending is somewhat vague, and left open to interpretation IMO, but, for me that was okay as I really liked this odd little offering -- lots of interesting excerpts to ponder. Somewhat haunting; very different (4/5 stars)

What I'm Reading 
(listening to now)

First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies; Kate Anderson Brower
Harper Audio - 2017 (Read by Karen White - very good)

Have a Great Weekend All!

Europa Challenge - Perpetual

(Perpetual Challenge)

Progress to Date

1. A Kind of Intimacy; Jenn Ashworth - 5/5
2. The Lost Daughter; Elena Ferrante - 4.5/5 
3. The Days of Abandonment; Eleana Ferrante -4.5/5 
4. Troubling Love; Elena Ferrante - 4.5/5 
5. Treasure Island!!! Sara Levine - 3.5/5 
6.  

The Lost Daughter; Elena Ferrante

Title: The Lost Daughter
Author: Elena Ferrante

Publication Year: 2008

Publisher: Europa Editions

Edition: trade softcover

Source: personal collection

Location: Italy 

Date Completed: 8/20/2011 

Rating: 4.5/5

Recommend: yes
 
When I posted the intro to this book on Tuesday, several bloggers mentioned that the cover seemed creepy. Well let me just say, now that I've completed this book, the doll on the cover image is significant to the story, which is somewhat creepy as well.  That being said, I enjoyed this very different book, and think many of you might as well.

Leda is a 47 year-old divorced woman, and mother to daughters, Bianca and Marta, now 22 and 24. The girls have recently moved from Italy to Toronto, Canada to live with their father.  Leda is well educated and teaches at the university in Florence, Italy.  Leda was not upset when her daughters moved away, in fact it was quite the opposite:

"When my daughters moved to Toronto, where their father had lived and worked for years, I was embarrassed and amazed to discover that I wasn't upset; rather, I felt light, as if only then had I definitively brought them into the world. For the first time in almost twenty-five years I was not aware of the anxiety of having to take care of them. The house was neat, as if no one lived there, I no longer had the constant bother of shopping and doing the laundry, the woman who for years had helped with the household chores found a better paying job, and I felt no need to replace her."

It's summer and since she is feeling happy about her new freedom, Leda decides to rent a beach house for six weeks, on the Ionian coast, near Naples.  She packs her books and lesson plans for the coming school year and is planning to relax by lounging on the beach by day.

Early on she becomes fascinated by the interactions of an attractive young mother named Nina, and her young daughter, Elena. She also intently watches little Elena's interactions with her doll, which the girl calls by several different names.  Several other family members visit the family on the beach as well. One day Leda notices the child by the waters edge,  so she returns her to her mother who was lying on the beach blanket and hadn't noticed the child  had wandered to the water.  Another day when the family leaves the beach for the day, Leda notices that Elena's beloved doll was left buried in the sand. This incident upsets Leda, and suddenly this event, along with the interactions of mother and child, opens a floodgate of memories for Leda of her own days as a young mother.  Some of the incidents which she recalls of things she did, and ways she reacted to her own daughters --were cringe-worthy.

This brief novella, just 124 pages, is sure to evoke emotions among readers, especially mothers. Narrated in the first person, this deep journey into a mother's psyche, gives the reader plenty to think about. Marriage,  motherhood, personal freedom, sacrifice and career fulfillment are some of the conflicting issues that surface in this work.

Initially, I thought I might have a problem with the flow of the story due to the translation, but that was not the case. Once I got into the rhythm and into what was going on in Leda's head, I was hooked. I liked this one a lot, and would definitely recommend it.

A Kind of Intimacy; Jenn Ashworth

Title: A Kind of Intimacy

Author: Jenn Ashworth

Publication Year: 2011 

Publisher: Europa

Edition: Kindle eBook

Source: personal copy

Date Completed: 7/10/2011 

Setting: British Suburb

Rating: 5/5

Recommend: yes - it's wonderful!

Annie Fairhurst, 27 and newly single has just relocated to a British suburb with her cat, Mr. Tips. Annie is an obese and socially awkward young woman, who actually seems content with her size and who she is.  It is important to her to make a good impression with the new people she meets, so she has immersed herself in personal development books about socializing and making conversation.  She's vague about her past, and when she does talk about it, you are never quite sure if she is telling the truth.

In her efforts to make friends and get to know her neighbors she decides to throw a housewarming party. She sends out 30 invitations, prepares a hedgehog centerpiece with pickled onions for eyes, and raisins for the irises, sets out her cow shaped milk pitcher, among other treats, and is ready for the party to begin. She thought the centerpiece would make for some good conversation.  Although the party is a disaster in the eyes of those she was trying to impress, she thinks it went well.  She even believes the friendliness of her next door neighbor Neil, is really a romantic crush on her. The fact that Neil has a cute, 19 year old live-in girlfriend named Lucy, is not even a factor in Annie's eyes, because she knows if Lucy were gone, they would be together.

"Sometimes I liked to imagine that Neil's bed was pushed up against the wall like mine, so near that I could hear his breathing. There was nothing inappropriate with my imaginings, far from it. Just the thought of hearing someone nearby helped me to sleep."

 " The newspaper he gave her felt like a lover's token, a little indication of his concern for me. "

An unreliable narrator, as the story progresses, the reader gets some insight into Annie's past: her very sad childhood, her problematic marriage, and the risky behavior she has engaged in,  all in attempts to find love, acceptance and companionship.  It's clear she is delusional and pretty much the "sociopath next door".   Each new chapter shows you just how twisted and laughable her logic is.  Just when you think she's gotten herself into the worst mess possible, something new happens, and it isn't long before her past catches up to her.

Annie is a whacky gal, who I found endearing in a bizarre sort of way.  At times I pitied her, and her desperate attempts for love and acceptance.  The story is dark and addictive. An unforgettable birds-eye view of the dark side of a fractured mind.  I LOVED this book, and it is without a doubt, my favorite book read in 2011.

(If you are serious about wanting to read this book, DO NOT read the Publisher's Weekly review of it -- it contains MAJOR SPOILERS).

First Chapter~First Paragraph (s) ~ Tuesday Intros

Every Tuesday, I'll be posting the opening paragraph (maybe two) of a book I chose to read based on the opening paragraph (s).  This week's book is being read for The Europa Challenge which I just joined.

"After the van had been loaded and sent on its way I took off all my clothes and kicked the sofa I was about to abandon. Not just a little kick either. I really belted it.

That bloody sofa! Hairy, brownly uncomfortable, smelling of damp: the pile on the armrests was clogged flat, shiny gone, and all I could think to do with myself was kick the settee. I threw my old clothes away as if they were dirty, giggling at the swishing sound my jumper made as it sailed through the room and made the lampshade swing. The air hit my skin and I stretched out my arms. I filled the room: as large and white as the removal van that had just left me. My thighs wobbled, dimpled with fat and puckered with stretch marks, and I saw myself kick again, hopping from one foot to another, breasts bouncing, arms shaking, getting out of breath. "

What do you think of this intro - would you read it ? If you've read this one, what did you think?

Want to join in?  Just grab the image, and share the first paragraph (s) of your current book.

The Europa Challenge

Progress to Date

1. A Kind of Intimacy; Jenn Ashworth - 5/5
2. The Lost Daughter; Elena Ferrante - 4.5/5 
3. The Days of Abandonment; Eleana Ferrante -4.5/5 
4. Troubling Love; Elena Ferrante - 4.5/5 
5. Treasure Island!!! Sara Levine - 3.5/5

I wasn't planning on joining any new challenges for the remainder of the year, but when I read about the Europa Challenge, Europa Editions, being one of my favorite Imprints (now with 100 titles), I just couldn't resist.  The quality and design of these books is just fabulous, and since I own several, and acquired (3) new ones last week, when we took a trip to Brattleboro, Vermont, I felt I was meant to join this challenge.

 
I hope to read (4) books by the end of 2011 - Europa Ami Level, but hope to keep this as a Perpetual Challenge with hopes of someday reading ALL the books in this collection. My (4) tentative selections are:

• A Kind of Intimacy; Jenn Ashworth - 5/5 (loved it)
• The Art of Losing; Rebecca Connell
• The Elegance of the Hedgehog; Muriel Barbery
• Heliopolis; James Scudamore

Here are some of the details about this challenge in case you are interested.

Announcing the 2011 Europa Editions Challenge!

The challenge runs from July 1 until December 31, 2011.

There are several levels of participation:

Europa Ami (friend in French): Read 4 Europa titles by the end of 2011;
Europa Haver (friend in Hebrew): Read 7 books by the end of 2011 (one per month);

Europa Amante (lover in Italian): Read 14 books by the end of 2011 (2 per month). 

At any level, you can qualify as

• A Connoisseur, by accepting the Perpetual Challenge;
• An Expatriate, by choosing books from a single country or original language;
• A Passport Holder, by choosing books from different countries or original languages.

We have two speciality challenges:
Love Challenge 
Sélim Nassib, I Loved You for Your Voice

Edna Mazya, Love Burns

Elena Ferrante, Troubling Love
Massimo Carlotto, Bandit Love

Creature Challenge

 Benjamin Tammuz, Minotaur
Alicia Giménez-Bartlett, Dog DayWolf Erlbruch, The Miracle of the Bears
Edwin M. Yoder Jr., Lions at Lamb House.
Roma Tearne, Mosquito
Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog

You can do the speciality challenges towards any of the Ami/Haver/Amante levels.

• We encourage you to cross-post your reviews and posts to your own blog and link back to this blog. 
• To participate, you must be a contributor to The Europa Challenge blog. To become a contributor, please email the moderator (an email address is required, so comments to this post won't work).  Note:  you can also be a contributor to The Europa Challenge blog without doing a challenge.
• You can overlap your selections with other challenges as long as the books are published by Europa Editions.
• Post to The Europa Challenge blog listing your books and your anticipated level of participation.
• Post your book list whenever you want, and change your reading list at any time.
• Read, review, and post your reviews on The Europa Challenge blog.  See the Participant Guidelines for more information.
• Enjoy these great books!