Fiction: August 2008 Archives
Another Steve Erickson book, another interesting journey. This time the story circles around Los Angeles, told in three parts. First part follows a man who was put in prison for his political views (which he didn't have) and is now released to live in a library in ruined and ravaged Los Angeles. Second part tells the story of a mysterious woman and moves on to a movie script writer. Third part is a story of a son and a father.
It's all rather pleasantly confusing, yet everything comes together in the end - well, perhaps not quite completely, but providing some satisfaction nevertheless. This is one of those books you shouldn't try to understand, just enjoy. Erickson's writing is generally more about vivid images than captivating plots, I think, and here it's particularly clear. There's poetry in these words.
Rubicon Beach is a demanding and rewarding book. The third part fell a tad flat for me, but the first two parts were very good, after I got over the initial confusion. Erickson is a remarkable author and this is a book definitely worth reading, but not for everybody. [ Rubicon Beach at Amazon.com ]
Vampires are a thoroughly used element in literature. However, Marcus Sedgwick has managed to write a reasonably fresh vampire novel. His trick is to cast Dracula aside and go back to roots, to old Eastern European vampire stories. Thus, his creation is charming and interesting.
My Swordhand Is Singing is written for a younger audience. There's some gory details, but I wouldn't have minded some more cruelty and horror. The plot - a story of a father and son, who wander from town to town as woodcutters, running into vampiric trouble in their current home town - is somewhat simplistic: there are interesting elements, but the resolution seems too easy.
Nevertheless, My Swordhand Is Singing is not a bad book at all. It just could be better... The story kept me reading and I'm sure I'm not the only adult reader who will find this book interesting and good for a quick read. There are some seriously cool details in the story. Definitely a book worth reading! (Review based on the Finnish translation.) [ My Swordhand is Singing at Amazon.co.uk ]
I tried my luck with the Blog a Penguin Classic site. Like probably many others, I got a book I wouldn't otherwise have read. Toru Dutt is an 19th century Indian author and a poet and this book is the first novel from India written in French. This novel was written in secret and discovered by the author's father after her very early death.
As the title says, it's a diary. Mademoiselle Marguerite D'Arvers is a 15-year old girl, home from her convent education. At home she finds her childhood friends, the young count, his brother and the handsome Captain Lefèvere.
Marguerite loves one of the men, but which one of them loves Marguerite? As you can imagine, the network of relationships is somewhat complex and complicated and finding true love and happiness isn't obvious. Eventually Marguerite is married and begins the domestic life as a wife to man - but which one?
This is not my kind of book, really. I found Marguerite's naïve narration (she's constantly excited! and ecstatic! and thank God for that! Praised be Virgin Mary!) annoying and even though something actually happened in the story, I still found it boring rather than poignant. [ The Diary of Mademoiselle D'Arvers (Modern Classics (Penguin)) at Amazon.co.uk ]
