Trifolia's reading in 2021

Read in 2021

December
40. Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi - 4 stars
39. Het raadsel literatuur by Karina van Dalen-Oskam - 4 stars
38. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk - 4,5 stars
37. Free: Coming of Age at the End of History by Lea Ypi - 4 stars
36. The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi - 4 stars
35. The Promise by Damon Galgut - 4,5 stars
34. Intimacies by Katie Kitamura - 4 stars
33. Il desiderio di essere come tutti by Francesco Piccolo - 4 stars

November
32. The New Silk Roads: The Present and Future of the World by Peter Frankopan - 3 stars
31. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak - 4 stars
30. On the Edge of Reason by Miroslav Krleža - 4 stars

October
29. How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division by Elif Shafak - 4 stars
28. The Walk by Robert Walser - 3 stars
27. The Distance Between Us by Renato Cisneros - 3 stars

September
26. How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue - 4,5 stars
25. Summerwater by Sarah Moss - 2,5 stars

August
24. A Nearly Normal Family by M. T. Edvardsson - 3,5 stars
23. A Start in Life by Anita Brookner - 3,5 stars
22. De wereld gaat aan vlijt ten onder by Max Dendermonde - 3 stars

July
21. The Forbidden Promise by Lorna Cook - 3 stars

June
20. I Am An Island by Tamsin Calidas - 4 stars

May
-

April
19. Il guardiano della collina dei ciliegi (Het jaar dat Shizo Kanakuri verdween) by Franco Faggiani - 4,5 stars
18. Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig - 4 stars
17. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa - 2,5 stars
16. My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout - 3 stars
15. H(A)PPY by Nicola Barker - 3 stars
14. Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben - 3 stars
13. The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee (2015) - 3 stars
12. Solitude: In Pursuit of a Singular Life in a Crowded World by Michael Harris (2017) - 2 stars

March
11. Idaho by Emily Ruskovich - 3 stars
10. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (2019) - 4 stars
9. The Wife and the Widow by Christian White (2019) - 3 stars
8. Autumn by Ali Smith (2016) - 4 stars
7. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (1996) - 3 stars
6. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (2020) - 3,5 stars

February
5. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (2020) - 3,5 stars
4. The German Lesson by Siegried Lenz (1968) - 4,5 stars

January
3. De opgang by Stefan Hertmans (2020) - 3 stars
2. The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas (1963) - 3 stars
1. Pale Blue Ink in a Lady's Hand by Franz Werfel (1941) - 4 stars

I've been following this group all year and planned to join next year. But my reading vibes are so good right now and my connection with this group so strong that I've decided to start a thread now as a kind of internship, so to speak and then see how it goes.
I've posted the books I've read this year above and will also post some comments after that so you can get an idea of ​​the things I like to read.
To situate myself a bit: I am Monica, a Flemish Belgian who lives in Belgium. I have been a member of LT since 2010 but under a different name (JustJoey4 and monicagovers). My reading preferences are international literature from all corners of the world, modern literature and classics. In stressful times I like to reach for detectives and thrillers.
I hope to become an active member of this group that has already given me a lot of inspiration and joy in reading, reviving contacts with old acquaintances and meeting new reading friends.

1. Pale Blue Ink in a Lady's Hand by Franz Werfel (1941) - 4 stars


One day, when he receives a letter from a woman he knew long ago, the complacent Leonidas, a middle aged senior civil servant, realizes that his perfectly balanced life might come to an end.
Packed with satire, humour and compassion, this superb novella about the inner struggle of a man also accurately reflects the zeitgeist and standards of the 1930s in Austria.
Franz Werfel was the third husband of the notorious Alma Mahler-Gropius-Werfel and his wife might have had an influence on this novella.
Although I do not find an English cover here on LT, I'm certain this book has been translated. It's well worth reading.

2. The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas - 3 stars


Beautifully written story, set in a breath-taking Norwegian landscape, about the budding friendship between two girls that ends abruptly and traumatically. Although the setting is magnificent and the language and the style are beautiful, I thought the story and the characters were too flimsy in itself to leave a lasting impression on me.

3. De opgang by Stefan Hertmans - 3 stars

Written in Dutch by the author of War and Turpentine and not yet translated.

A few years ago, the author discovered that he had lived a large part of his adult life in a house in Gent (Belgium) in which a notorious Belgian collaborator, his Dutch wife and his children had lived during the war.
The author goes in search of the story of this house and its inhabitants, using the same method as his previous novels: trying to reconstruct the past and mixing it with his own experiences and thoughts. Although Hertmans definitely is a very good writer, he mixes historical fiction and non-fiction which does not result in either high-quality fiction or non-fiction.
On one hand, the author is not objective enough: he fills in the gaps with (rather dull) fiction, he's selective about his sources and he's omnipresent in his own story. On the other hand, he does not succeed to bring his characters to life and fails to let the readers empathize. His choice to mix two genres results in a disappointment for me, both as a historian and as a fiction-reader. I would have preferred it if Hertmans would have limited himself to one genre and stuck to it. The thing that saved it a bit is his beautiful language use.

That being said, I'm not opposed to mixing the genres. I know a few great examples, HhhH by Laurent Binet probably being the most representative, but it is not easy to make it work.

4. The German Lesson by Siegfried Lenz - 4,5 stars

In the aftermath of World War II and as the son of a Nazi loyal policeman, Siggi, a young man who is in an institution to be re-educated, is assigned to write an essay on “the joy of duty”. When he fails to get something on paper in time, he is punished and obliged to write the essay after all. It eventually becomes the beginning of a book in which he tells his life story and in which duty plays a leading role.

Flashbacks give us a glimpse of Siggi's life and how he ended up in the situation he is now in. Each chapter is a separate scene in which the storyline is rolled out in fine detail. Leading roles are played by the father and a painter who is forbidden by Berlin to paint, but other characters of his family and close-knit community are fleshed out well too.
In addition, Siggi also tells the story of his experiences in the institution, observing his fellow inmates, the guards and the psychologists who observe them and are supposed to cure them. In the end, you wonder who is more in need of healing.

I thought this was an amazing book. It is very well written, with beautifully crafted characters and an interesting storyline. But especially the way in which Lenz elaborates the theme of duty is impressive. Strongly recommended for those who love books to reflect on.

5. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (2020) - 3,5 stars

After The German Lesson, I needed something to unwind a bit and this was the perfect book.
Some elderly people in a classy retirement home meet every Thursday to try to solve old murder cases. But when a real murder happens, they offer their services to the police.
Despite the clichés that you would expect in such humorous stories (the oldies who outsmart the police, etc.), the characters were developed rather well and there were also enough plot twists to remain exciting until the end. A nice book to read in between.

6. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (2020) - 3,5 stars


Things have not been going well for Nora Seed for a while and when she also loses her cat, her job and her connection with her environment, she decides to commit suicide. That plan only partially succeeds because she ends up in a kind of in-between zone, in a library where she can change all the decisions she made in her life. But it all turns out somewhat differently than expected.
Although the book is rather light-hearted and also contains quite a lot of humor and self-perspective, it makes you think about your own decisions, how things could have turned out differently and whether this would have been a good thing. It also shows you that small decisions can have major consequences, not only for yourself but also for others, both in a positive and negative sense. And any book that can make you think about such a thing is worth reading.

7. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (1996) - 3 stars


At first my rationally historically formed mind had difficulties to combine an ancient setting with guns and watches, but after a while, I started to enjoy the story of Gen (Eugenides), a thief who's forced by the king's magus to go on a road-trip to steal a precious stone. But things work out differently than planned.
It's a bit out of my comfort-zone, because I'm not into fantasy and I have not read YA for a while, but I liked it.
It reminded me of The Letter for the King and The Secrets of the Wild Wood by Tonke Dragt that I adored when I was a kid. Apparently my favourite books were fantasy back then... who would have thought...

8. Autumn by Ali Smith (2016) - 4 stars


Usually, I like a solid story, fleshed out characters, a nice plot, a strong theme. This book was completely different. It's a whirlwind of thoughts, facts, impressions, ideas,... and I loved it. The story pivots around the almost but not yet comatose Daniel and his former, much younger, neighbour and friend Elisabeth (with an s) who comes to visit.
Their memories, thoughts and experiences about bureaucracy, brexit, war, holocaust, art, xenophobia, love, friendship, life in general are the backbone, with threads that lead to the Profumo-scandal and Christine Keeler but also to the British female painter and founder of the British Pop art movement Pauline Boty, to the ramifications of Brexit, Charles Dickens, the murder of Jo Cox, etc. The form of the book represents the chaos of the time we're living in.
I wonder if everyone will be able to understand what it is all about, but there was plenty in it for me to make this a very unique and ejoyable reading experience. I'm already looking forward to read the next one of this seasonal quartet.

9. The Wife and the Widow by Christian White (2019) - 3 stars

After he disappears, a wife finds out that her husband has been keeping secrets from her. She goes looking for him on an Australian island. There she meets the other protagonist of this story who has her own family-secrets to deal with. A lot of people have been lyrical about the plot-twist and I must admit it surprised me too. But it was not enough to make me forget the flat characters and the rather weak plot.
I gave it three stars after all, because it did surprise me and because, despite its flaws, I always have a soft spot for this sort of brain-candy.

10. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett - 4 stars

After having been on LT for over 11 years now, I think it's time to make use of the Recommendations generated by LT. Commonwealth has been there for a long time, but I decided to read the more recent book by Ann Patchett that was recommended. It seems LT despreately wants me to read her books. I know it's AI (at least I think it is) and I like to mess around with it, changing the list of books to base my recommendations on. But apart from the messing around, when I let LT make recommendations based on my favourite books, Ann Patchett seems a must-read for me. I did not particularly like her State of Wonder, but I decided to give it a try.

This book is told from the point of view of a younger brother with an older sister who are abandoned by their mother when they were children. They live in a beautiful house but when the father remarries and he dies a few years later, the evil stepmother expells them from the house. We follow the siblings through puberty and adulthood with the house they lost as a constant in their lives. In the end, there are a few plot-twists that I did not see coming and frankly, I don't know if I needed them.
I have mixed feelings about this book. One one hand, I liked the way the siblings and the others were portrayed, the relationship between them, the way the characters evolved and interacted. But on the other hand, I lacked a historical atmosphere. The story starts in the 1950s and spans out over 5 decades, but apart from the odd mention of a date or a name, it's never clear when the story takes place. The characters just evolve, without being affected by the time they are living in.
Maybe that was a deliberate choice of the author, because the book offers enough to think about as it is, but to me it's the difference between a good book and an excellent book.

11. Idaho by Emily Ruskovich (2017) - 3 stars

I already read this book a few weeks ago but I wasn't quite sure why I didn't like this book as much as I had expected. The book, set in Idaho, is about a man whose first wife murdered one child, after which their second child fled and was never found again. The man remarries and the new wife tries to reconstruct the past while the man slips further and further into hereditary dementia.
The book is told from different narrative points of view and with flashbacks that jump back and forth to different stages in the story. That gives the story a confusing impression that correlates well with the man's dementia and the woman's confusion. The author uses a rich and stylish language, but I did not like the fact that she gave her characters no depth, no color. Their voices are all alike. Whether it is the first wife, the second wife, the cellmate and even the husband, only through their actions, you can know who is speaking now. Although the book certainly has certain literary qualities (beautiful language, intriguing story), the characters' lack of personality is a real letdown. I can't help but feel that the author would have better told the story from one point of view, which would have made the whole thing more believable and intimate.

12. Solitude: In Pursuit of a Singular Life in a Crowded World by Michael Harris (2017) - 2 stars

A book about the need for solitude and quiet in a world that is superconnected and always busy. The message is excellent, the package not so much. The author mixes his own experiences with facts and figures, but it's all a bit haphazard. Probably irrelevant for people who are already convinced of the value of solitude and not convincing to people who are afraid to go offline.

13. The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee (2015) - 3 stars


I had this book on my shelf for almost 5 years but it wasn't until my reading-twin Lisa recently bought it and noticed it in my library, that we decided to read it together. RL prevented us (me) from reading it chapter by chapter or even part by part, but we somehow managed to read and finish it synchronically.
This book is the autobiography of a North-Korean girl who, more by luck than reasoning left North-Korea and after some spectacular episodes in China and Laos finally ended up in South-Korea where she met her American husband to be.
This book was a bit too polished and one-sided for my taste, but autobiographies have that intrinsic quality of course. It is a good story though and Lisa apparently liked it better than I did. You can find Lisa's comments on her thread

14. Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben - 3 stars

You can always count on Harlan Coben to clear your head completely and get sucked into an exciting story without having to put in too much effort.
The story: the husband of an ex-soldier and fighter pilot is murdered. Research shows that there is a link with her sister who died in a tragic way a few years earlier. A true page-turner with an ending that even I did not see coming (for once).

15. H(A)PPY by Nicola Barker - 3 stars

I wonder why I read dystopias again and again when I'm not actually a fan of them. Psychologists would undoubtedly have an extensive explanation for it, but the fact is that when I saw this book I was yet again stimulated to read it. It takes place in the future where everything is good and pleasant and people are controlled and guided by artificial intelligence. But suddenly the main character Mira has problems with her wiring and all kinds of unwanted signals come through that refer to a distant past and another continent. In addition to the story, I found the way of writing and the page layout particularly fascinating. The author plays with colors, fonts and shapes and makes them part of the story. I found that particularly intriguing. The fact is that you cannot read this book in an audio version.
In the end I thought the story was a bit too thin to really make it a hit. It definitely pulled me out of my comfort zone, but it still hasn't made me a real fan of dystopias.

16. My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout - 3 stars

This book has been on my reading list for a long time, if only because it keeps popping up in my personal recommendations on LT. The story is about a woman who has to spend several months in hospital and receives a visit from her mother who she has not seen for years. Following this visit, she reflects on her childhood and youth. We are gradually learning more about Lucy. On the one hand, I thought it was a beautiful book, very well written, in a very elegant, sophisticated style, in a beautiful rhythm. But on the other hand, I found the story and the way she presented various themes a little too easy and superficial: she touched them and they were gone. I think it lacked a little depth. Otherwise this book would certainly have reached the level of a classic for me.

17. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa - 2,5 stars

And yet another dystopia. On an island, all kinds of objects disappear one by one. They are banned, destroyed and most people forget about them. But some people are genetically different so they don't forget things. They are prosecuted and arrested by the memory police, after which they are never heard from again. Some manage to go into hiding, but that becomes increasingly difficult as more and more things disappear.
The story builds up nicely, the atmosphere becomes more and more oppressive and seems to lead to a climax, but turned out to be an anti-climax for me. Perhaps this is inherent in dystopias and at the same time the reason why I rarely find them interesting. As with otjher dystopias, I think more could have been done with it.

18. Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig - 4 stars

Ok, I admit, I gave in to a guilty pleasure by reading this book by Matt Haig. I enjoyed his The Midnight Library and as I'm always interested to read how other people cope with the current madness of hyperconnectivity, I could not resist reading this book.
I have read quite a few other books on this theme but what struck me most about this one was the fact that the author has experienced severe depression and panic attacks (still does occasionally) but manages to cope with it in the most uplifting way. He's very open about his mental struggles and shows that despite feeling extremely low at times, life is very much worth living.
This is not a theoretical handbook but a book full of reflections, ideas and suggestions on how to view, tackle or process things. It is light-hearted and optimistic, but also heartbreaking (when he talks about his own experiences) and inspiring. And from now on, thanks to Matt Haig, I will observe the starry sky with even more attention. I can heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to know how that works.

19. Il guardiano della collina dei ciliegi (Het jaar dat Shizo Kanakuri verdween) by Franco Faggiani - 4,5 stars

Apparently, this book has not yet been translated to English yet which is a shame, because it will certainly end up in my list of favourite reads of 2021.
The story is based on a true story of the Japanese boy who was selected to run the marathon at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, but failed to make it to the finish line due to exhaustion and heat. Overcome with shame, he disappeared from the race and was reported missing. More than 50 years later, he still finishes that race.
The Italian author Franco Faggiani dramatizes the story by turning the Japanese boy into an introvert who intensely enjoys nature but succumbs to the pressure of his parents and the expectations of others. After his fiasco and after all kinds of wanderings, he returns to Japan under another name, where he takes care of a forest of cherry trees, sacred trees in Japan. But the shame about his past continues to gnaw, and it isn't until he finishes the marathon decades later that he can free himself from the demons of his past.
This synthesis, however, detracts from the layering of this book and the main character. The story is told in exquisite style and helps the reader to immerse themselves in the beauty of Japanese nature.
A book to cherish. I really hope it gets translated into English soon.

20. I Am An Island by Tamsin Calidas - 4 stars


The true story of a woman who leaves her busy life behind and starts a new life on an island in the Hebrides, Scotland.
A robbery at their home in busy London is the last push Tamsin Calidas and her husband need to make the final move. Rather thoughtlessly, they decide to buy a dilapidated farmhouse on a remote island. The idyllic dream is soon shattered by dour and downright hateful islanders, rough weather conditions and setbacks in the execution of their plans to run a farm. When the husband can't take the pressure anymore and leaves his wife and the island, things get a lot worse. But Calidas perseveres and eventually embraces nature as her ally.

The story is beautifully written and told with warmth and passion but is also drenched in disappointment and bitterness. I can imagine - a criticism she apparently received - that she paints a very negative picture of the other islanders because her expectations did not match those of the other islanders who traditionally inhabit the island and see newcomers as invaders, especially because as a single woman, she does not provide for offspring and thus economic future for the island.

This autobiography not only tells the story of a woman trying to find her space, but also makes the reader pause to consider whether you can really escape your old life and whether the grass is greener elsewhere.

21. The Forbidden Promise by Lorna Cook - 3 stars

In retrospect 3 stars is probably a bit too much for this historical fiction with one story about a young woman who helps a pilot after a plane crash in WWII and another woman who discovers what really happened all those years ago. A bit too shallow with predictable characters but it worked for me on a (rare but) hot summer's day.

22. De wereld gaat aan vlijt ten onder(The world is going down on diligence) by Max Dendermonde- 3 stars


Years ago I read excerpts of this book in high school. I couldn't remember much about it, but the strange title had always stuck with me. When I came across the book recently, I finally decided to read it in its entirety. The story is about the maverick Alex Weatherwood who lives from day to day. His way of life is in stark contrast to that of the family of scientists who settle in a remote place in the Northeast of America to build a laboratory where they can test their strange experiments.
The work is socially critical and although the tone remains light, it is a strong indictment of the dehumanization of society through the exaggerated desire for progress. Although the work is more than 60, almost 70 years old, I found it fascinating how topical the theme of this book is. The characters are a bit flat and cliché, the plot a bit too simple, but the book itself is strangely surprising and charming.

23 A Start in Life by Anita Brookner - 3,5 stars


What a sad book about the life of a young girl growing up in the family with a good-for-nothing father and a former actress of a mother who has had her day. The mother retreats like a diva to her bedroom where she is served by her dowdy housekeeper, while the father divides his time between his wife and his mistress. And meanwhile, the daughter tries to build a life of her own, based on the foundations of French literature. This is Brookner's debut and while I didn't find it as impressive as Hotel du Lac, I really liked the way she portrayed her characters. But oh, what a sad story it is.

24. A Nearly Normal Family by M. T. Edvardsson - 3,5 stars

A curious psychological thriller about a family in which the daughter is suspected of a murder. The mother, a rational lawyer and the father, an emotional pastor, each try to deal with this fact in their own way. The story is told sequentially from the point of view of each of the three characters and through flashbacks you soon discover that there is something more going on besides the usual teenage angst. A nice book, nice as a summer read but it will not end up on my list of favorites because it lacked some depth.

25. Summerwater by Sarah Moss - 2,5 stars

I'm a little disappointed after the rave reviews that seemed to be popping up everywhere about this book at one point. But I don't really understand what everyone was so excited about. The story is quite simple: a number of families who do not know each other are trapped in their holiday home for days due to the pouring rain. Everyone has their own background, concerns and problems. They are described one by one and at a certain moment there is a climax. I thought it was all a bit flat and boring and it didn't really lead to anything. Or maybe it was just the wrong book at the wrong time for me.

26. How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue - 4,5 stars


Finally a book that could surprise and captivate me. More than 10 years ago I started a personal challenge to read a book from every country in the world. Initially it sufficed for me if the book was set in that country, but in the meantime I find it more interesting to choose books written by native authors. And that approach has already yielded a lot of great reading material. Due to circumstances I somewhat neglected that challenge and when I came across a book by Imbolo Mbue, a writer from Cameroon, I remembered that challenge and decided to breathe new life into it. And what a book to start over. It captivated me from the first page and never bored me. It is the story of an African village and its inhabitants that are destroyed by the toxic presence of the American multinational Pexton. When the children get sick one by one and die all too often, the village decides to revolt and take matters into their own hands. I don't want to spoil the reading pleasure of future readers by telling too much of the story, but it is absolutely beautiful. The story is delicately told, with varying points of view, each from a different perspective but all from the side of the underdogs, which gives the whole story much more depth than if the author had opted for the clash between the good and the bad. Added to this is a very beautiful use of language, a very empathetic style, a lot of nuance and a surprising introduction of "the children" as a separate narrator, making the story even more unique and layered. The other characters are also well developed. In combination with the captivating story, all this made it a pleasure to read this book. I'm already curious about the other book by Imbolo Mbue that I definitely want to read, but I'm saving it up for a while because I want to extend my reading pleasure a bit. But this one is highly recommended.

27. The Distance Between Us by Renato Cisneros - 3 stars



This book is a bit confusing because the author, a journalist, starts his story by stating that his book is fiction, when in reality he is the son of the infamous Chilean General Cisneros who is omnipresent in some of the most black pages in the country's more recent history.
When he falls into depression after a broken relationship, his psychologist advises him to look for the life story of his deceased father in order to come to terms with his own past.
Little by little he reconstructs his father's life, but he continues to struggle with this very enigmatic figure: a ruthless, unyielding man who did not shy away from putting his bold statements into practice, but also a man who wrote sentimental love poems and who enchanted women with his charm.
I found the fact that the author also includes the ancestors in the story and shows that a large part of his father’s personality was already ingrained in his genes. I also liked the writing style. But every now and then he faltered a bit too long at certain events. If it is a fiction book, it could have been a little more condensed. But no doubt the author wanted to tell the whole, complex story, including his own experiences.
The unclear line between fiction and non-fiction made it difficult for me to empathize with the story. A difficult book to place, but in a strange way, well worth reading it.

28. The Walk by Robert Walser - 3 stars


A seemingly simple story from 1917 turns out to be an allegory of life: a writer leaves his house with the intention of making a number of visits during the day and taking care of business. He starts his walk in good spirits, but gradually his thoughts run away with him and his encounters with others do not all go as planned.
This is a strange story where you get completely inside the head of the rather gaudy writer. I enjoyed the refined writing style, but I think you should read this book in a short period of time with as few interruptions as possible. Only then will you be able to follow the main character's stream of thoughts.
Unfortunately, I was a bit distracted soon after I started reading so I probably should read this book again to fully enjoy it. But I did not like it well enough to do this.

Btw, I looked at the English covers of the book to add to this review, but thought the Dutch cover best represented this book. If you like the cover, you'll probably like the book too.

29. How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division by Elif Shafak - 4 stars


I read this book after seeing a TED talk with Turkish writer Elif Shafak.

I was very enthusiastic about this talk because I recognized myself in many of the points she made. She refers, among other things, to the frustration you feel as a non-English speaker in expressing yourself and to the increasing entanglement between fiction and politics and the narrowing that this entails with regard to fiction. Although this talk is several years old, I think her insights have become even more relevant today. She touches on how non-Western writers are easily narrowed down to a national stereotypical image and they are not supposed to tell other stories that those which are within expectations.
It is something that has intrigued me for a long time. About 10 years ago, I conceived the plan to “read a book from every country in the world”. But gradually I started to wonder more and more what that exactly means. While I was initially satisfied if the book was set in the country itself, I have since focused more on books that are preferably written by a native author and are "representative" of a country. And while my intent was to get closer to a source, maybe that's what Shafak is warning about. According to Shafak, the stories of authors should be seen separately from politics and nationality and you should not narrow an author to his nationality.
But even if you realize this, there is also the risk that only "representative" books are translated and thus come to our attention, that authors from mainly non-Western countries only translate when they write such a representative book, while Western writers are allowed to cover much more diverse themes. So there is a whole range of authors that do not come into the picture because they simply do not get translated. I read something similar with Tim Parks in his book Where I'm Reading From: The Changing World of Books, but the identity of the author, ironically, makes it that little bit more authentic.

Anyway, I was impressed by Elif Shafak's talk and decided to read her latest book, written in the full corona pandemic. It is interesting to see how this author seemingly effortlessly captures, defines and interprets the collective global feelings of disappointment and bewilderment, concern, anger, apathy. And how in a final chapter she discusses a more correct relationship between information, knowledge and wisdom as a way to get out of that downward spiral.

Allow me to limit my review to stating that I am in the habit of pointing out interesting statements and insights as I read, but that I stopped doing so after five pages because I'd mark just about the entire book. Highly recommended.

N.B. The other TED talks by Elif Shafak are also very worthwhile. So much food for thought.

30. On the Edge of Reason by Miroslav Krleža - 4 stars


When a settled man in his fifties almost accidentally accuses a prominent politician of being a murderer (which he actually is), the consequences are dire. Although he is given several opportunities to admit his "mistake", he decides to resolutely choose honesty from now on and give up his hypocritical existence. Within a week, the group turns against him and he loses all the foundations on which he has built his life.
This sometimes funny, sometimes poignant story is told from the point of view of the protagonist who is ostracized from the group. He is a somewhat strange figure, where it is not clear whether he actually wants to be consistent or suffers from some form of madness. Because through his encounters with others, you get the impression that there is more going on. Or is the peer pressure so great that the individual is crushed anyway.
Despite the fact that it has a limited storyline, I really liked this relatively short novel.

31. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak - 4 stars


The book begins with the death of the Turkish prostitute Leila and the ten minutes and 38 seconds in which she reflects on her life from birth, on her difficult childhood in a small town, her flight to Istamboul, and her further life to the point that she is murdered. In the second part, Leila's friends, who are already introduced in the first part, try to give her a dignified funeral and in the third part the book ends nicely from Leila's perspective.

I have mixed feelings about this book. In the first part, Shafak shows herself to be a great storyteller. Told from Leila's point of view, using scents and spices, she brings to life a story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming in an image-rich language and style. I found the second part a lot less because the story there was rather tragicomic and the characters felt and acted rather cliché. But when Shafak switched back to Leila in the very short third piece, it's all tied together rather nicely.

Despite the lesser second part, I really enjoyed this book. The strength lies mainly in the beautiful writing style and less in the characters who, except for Leila, felt quite flat. Involuntarily I thought of an oriental jewelery box, beautifully decorated on the outside but empty on the inside. But nevertheless beautiful to look at and to enjoy. Very special.

32. The New Silk Roads: The Present and Future of the World by Peter Frankopan - 3 stars


A non fiction book about the rise of the countries in the East. Although written in 2018 it already feels outdated. As a reader in 2021, I could not shake off the feeling that we're living in a different world than the one Peter Frankopan sketches and that the covid pandemic and climate change have shifted the course of our future in ways no one could have foreseen. Although this was a very interesting book, it turns out to be risky to write a visionary book that can stand the test of time.

33. Il desiderio di essere come tutti (The desire to be like everyone else) by Francesco Piccolo - 4 stars

The Premio Strega is just about the most important literary prize in Italy and with such an intriguing title I needed no more encouragement to read it. But contrary to what I had expected, i.e. some sort of philosophical or psychological novel about interaction with others, this turned out to be an autobiography of a man who at a very young age - in a rather unusual way - became involved in the Italian communism and somehow struggled with it all his life.
The book tells the story of political Italy, which may put readers off a bit, but it is above all a very profound, introspective reflection on what it means to belong to a group and thus turn away from others and even from yourself. The book ends hopefully with the insight that he has had enough of the moral superiority that comes with group feeling (of any group) and that we are all human beings who need to keep talking to each other despite our differences and differences of opinion.
A unique book from a unique voice, but I'm afraid it hasn't been translated into English yet. And that's a shame because the situation is very recognizable and universal. The parallels of the populist Berlusconi and the radical right with other politicians and political movements of our time are not so far to seek and the voice of the author is universal.

34. Intimacies by Katie Kitamura - 4 stars

I had this book on my radar for a while due to various rave reviews. This is a strange book about an anonymous woman who starts working as a translator in the International Court of Justice in The Hague. And although there is a clear storyline in it, this does not seem to be the most important part of this book. What dominates is the vague feeling that the main character is somewhere wedged between several worlds and does not really belong anywhere. Not in her work, not in her relationships with friends, partners, family. Although she's present and participating, she doesn't seem to belong anywhere.
I was left with the question whether this is an unconscious choice on her part or a consequence of the fact that as a translator in an international context of an indeterminate origin she finds herself in a kind of twilight zone, an invisible voice that interprets another and fills in the gaps left bij others.
Lots to think about and highly recommended.

Welcome (belatedly!) to CR 2021, Monica!

Interesting reading — there are quite a few books there that I've been reading lately as well and others that I probably should have been. Elif Shafak and Miroslav Krleza are certainly among the writers I keep planning to explore further. And Intimacies is one I'm obviously going to have to read sooner or later, just to find out what it has to say about my home city...

Deutschstunde and Robert Walser's Spaziergang would be on at least one version of my list of all-time favourite books.
The new silk roads is on my TBR pile, and I think the reason I haven't picked it up yet is reinforced by what you say about it.
A nearly normal family was picked for me by my LT Santa last year — I had a similar lukewarm reaction to it to yours.

>37 thorold: - Thank you, Mark!

one version of my list of all-time favourite books... well that piqued my interest.
I took a look at your library and like the diversity and versatility of it. So much to explore there.

It's interesting to see that some people with similar reading tastes love a certain book which others find mediocre. If only we could figure out the algorithm...

Welcome to the madhouse we call home. December is usually a slow month in Club Read - so people will chime in but not as much as earlier in the year (we are downright chatty in January) :)

Some interesting reading up thread.

>39 AnnieMod: Thank you, Annie. I'll be happy to become part of the madhouse. Somehow, I know all about the frenzy in January. That's why I sneaked in in December :-).

I probably don't read and certainly don't comment as much as some other members do, but I find CR very inspiring and I hope to contribute.

Enjoying your reviews

Yay! My reading twin has arrived in Club Read. :-)

>41 baswood: - My pleasure!

>42 labfs39: - Yay indeed :-). I'm glad I finally arrived.

Hi—following along. Nice varied selection, and I look forward to seeing what else you read.

Welcome! I'm way behind with everyone's threads and my own reading, but I can see we've got similar reading tastes.

You managed to catch up with almost a year of reviews in one day! Congrats!
And welcome of course. I've seen some really interesting reviews. A few have particularly caught my eye, for example >6 Trifolia:, >28 Trifolia: and even >30 Trifolia: despite your mixed feelling (I like the cover, so I might like the book!).

Edited to change correct links to previous messages.

I wondered where you had gotten to, but hadn't clued in on the name change, so here you are!

Lots of good reading here, and I really really admire your catch up efforts. December 4th was one busy day!

>44 lisapeet: - Thank you, Lisa. This group is inspiring, so I'm looking forward to it too.

>45 AlisonY: - Thank you, Alison. Yes, the books we have in common are the sort of books I like to read, so it makes sense that we have similar reading tastes. I look forward to explore further.

>46 raton-liseur: - Thank you. I've already looked in your semi-French thread. I enjoy reading your reviews. And it's nice to read French again. It reminds me that I want to read more contemporary French literature.

>47 SassyLassy: - Thank you. I'm touched that you still remember me. It's so nice to see old friends again. I was inactive for a while because real life was taking up too much time and energy and I went into a horrific reading slump. I've been reading for a while now, although much less than before, but the reading pleasure is back and that's the most important thing. It's so good to be back.

>31 Trifolia: Thanks for this post, it gives a lot to think about. I've been thinking about this recently, questionning my choices of books and my thirst for some kind of exoticism and feel-from-the-place (and as I am thinking about a book world tour as you embarked on, this resonate even more).
I read a lot in translation, and really wonder to which extend I get a feel of what is published in a country or what French publishers want me to know from that same country. For example, I read Fires on the Plain by Shohei Ooka a few weeks ago (review not posted yet…) and felt it was “very Japanese”, but how can I say it’s representative from Japan when I know Japanese literature through so many lenses (translation, publisher’s choices, etc.)?
Neither of the books you mention seem to be available in French, but I’ll have to deepen my thinking around those issues, so thanks for pointing those two books to me!

Welcome to CR. Seems you have had a nice reading year.

>49 raton-liseur: - You're welcome. You might want to check out Elif Shafak's talks on TED-talk. It's a topic that's kept me busy too. I'm trying to find the right scope to continue my global readings but there seems to be not one recipe-for-all and we're limited by decisions that are made elsewhere. We just have to keep on reading, don't we, and keep in mind it's just a drop of water in the ocean.

>50 dchaikin: - Thank you. I agree, I enjoyed most of the books I read this year. Some more than others, but all in all I consider it a good year of reading. Thanks for visiting too.

To all visitors so far: I checked out your libraries and noticed that we often have a lot of books in common and have somewhat similar reading tastes (some more than others, but that's ok because one book might lead to the other). I thank you all for the warm welcome and look forward to get inspired and hopefully inspire too.

35. The Promise by Damon Galgut - 4,5 stars


The story begins with the death of the mother of the white Swart family on a farm in South Africa and a promise her husband made on her deathbed to give a small house on their land to the black maid. It is the start of four long chapters, each set in a different decade in which something happens to a different member of the family. The promise of the father runs like a red thread through the story, but it is actually not the most important issue in this book.
In parallel with the personal events, South Africa's history also seeps through: the apartheid, the initial optimism under Nelson Mandela, the growing disillusionment and frustration and ultimately the chaos, corruption and climate impact.
As a reader you look through the eyes of various characters in a kind of collective stream of consciousness. The perspective is constantly changing from one to the other, sometimes even mid-sentence, but while this might be confusing, it works great. It is striking that the black characters are never in that stream of consciousness but always have to watch from the sidelines and are viewed and treated from the white point of view. And that in itself is significant. But the white point of view is anything but unison either. As a reader you do have to pay attention, but it is never unclear whose head you are in.

It is also wonderful how the author manages to sketch a complete character in a few sentences without falling into clichés. There is always something that makes them something unique. They are all people of flesh and blood, often not pleasant people at all, but because of their petty traits and because of what they experience, you can understand their situation (or sometimes not at all).

This is a very mathematical work: four decades, four main characters, four parallel events that unfold in four different ways, etc. Yet it never feels forced. The book sparkles and vibrates, surprises and continues to fascinate until the last page.

This book turns out to be one of the biggest surprises of 2021. There is still so much to say about it and much more to think about, but I don't want to say too much about it so as not to spoil the reading pleasure. Highly recommended.

>52 Trifolia: Your thread is dangerous: too many books that pique my interest... I like Nadine Gordimer a lot, and I plan to read Mother to mother by Sindiwe Magona, that just got translated into French. This seems more contemporary and might be a nice addition to my reading about this country (coming back to the discussion earlier, is South Africa lit only about apartheid?...).
I'll try to find some time to listen to Elif Shafak's podcast, it sounds interesting. (I did not like what I read from her as a novelist, but she seems to have interesting things to tell!).

>52 Trifolia: great review and glad you enjoyed. Interesting point about his reticence with black characters, one prominent one (or was it two?) not getting a name.

>52 Trifolia: For some reason, I was holding off on The Promise, but now I'm sold. Thank you for the enthusiastic review.

>54 dchaikin: - Yes, there are many elements to consider and the racial aspect is certainly one of them. I found the subtle way in which he introduces the ingrained racism of some of the protagonists very impressive. I read your review and notice you listened to it as an audiobook. I can't imagine how that worked with all those different characters and voices, but it might add another dimension too? Some more to explore.

>55 labfs39: - I'm curious why you held off. Needless to say that I recommend it to you wholeheartedly. No pressure :-)

>56 Trifolia: it’s easier on audio because the narrator does all the work of figuring out transitions for you. (Of course that might oversimplify the work and alter the experience. But since I haven’t read it…I can’t say I know that. : ) ) As for “subtle way in which he introduces the ingrained racism” - rich stuff there. I’m immediately, on reading your comment, wondering how that plays with Amor (I don’t know the correct spelling). Amor is, of course, his most sympathetic and least racist character. Still, for all she goes through and what she does and what she gives up…there’s room for a lot of different meanings there, including on race.

>53 raton-liseur: - Ouch, I did not mean to have a dangerous thread (:-)). I only wish to share what I read and if I can inspire others by doing so, I'm happy.

is South Africa lit only about apartheid? ... I'm sure there is someone around here who can enlighten us. Or in a broader perspective: how representative for a country are the books that are translated to other languages and thus become available? And is the novel as an art form an art form in every country or is it more of a niche that meets the requirements of the modern (Western) novel? So much to think about.

I have only read one novel by Elif Shafak and rather liked it. Was it anything specific why you not like her novels?

>58 Trifolia: is South Africa lit only about apartheid?

We had a Reading Globally theme read on Southern Africa last year (https://www.librarything.com/topic/318253), where a lot of books from South Africa were discussed. On that evidence the answer would be that it’s always about apartheid in one way or another, because it’s such a key component of why the country is the way it is. But of course it’s rarely only about apartheid, except for books from the sixties and seventies. Even colonial-era books like Chaka and The story of an African farm or Bosman’s stories turn out to be about how South Africa got to be the way it was when you read them nowadays.

But of course there’s also the point that as an outsider you’re looking for the things that are distinctive about a place. There are obviously going to be writers of South African origin who write perfectly generic fiction that has nothing to do with the country itself, but they aren’t the ones we think of as being South African. And I’m sure there are also younger writers these days who are less explicitly obsessed with history than the older generation — maybe someone like Ivan Vladislavic? Or the Afrikaans writer Riana Scheepers (but I didn’t much like the one book of hers I’ve read).

>53 raton-liseur: hee, I got your meaning; most of the posters hereabouts have dangerous threads, you can lose yourself in the rabbit holes of their libraries (which makes me think I should get to work on mine; just seems like so much work to put so much in!)

>60 thorold: I hear you. We can't just blame the translator and the publisher who sieve the foreign literature we can access. It's also a reality of the country that can transpire sometimes, and also our expectations as readers of foreign literature (apartheid maybe not being the best example as it is so entrenched in the South African society that yes, it's difficult to ignore). I've just been thinking about this more explicitely for the past few weeks, so it's still fairly in process and not that clear in my mind yet and difficult to articulate, so thanks for your post, it gives grist to the mill.
And thanks for the perspective on the South African literature, it's nice to have this time perspective (and some ideas to explore...).

>61 cindydavid4: Yes but isn't it nice to have a nice virtual library of our own? (says the one who is not up-to-date with recent acquisitions...).
And yes, Club Read is a dangerous group indeed! (But I love it!)

>63 raton-liseur: my problem is knowing how in the world Id start? Let alone the books Ive got in my RL library in my home its all the hundreds of books on my tbr shelves from this group!

>60 thorold: Those ever present problems do pop up in Ivan Vladislavic's Double Negative. I need to read more by him. And Other Stories has only sent me one, so I will have to look elsewhere. I've enjoyed your reviews of his books.

>64 cindydavid4: I actually have a separate account here on LT for my list of books I'd like to read, maybe one day... It amounts to around 800 books I think! I write a private comment to remember how I came across the book and why I'd like to read it, but I do not intend to organise too much this pense-bête (literaly "thinking/remembering for the dumb", how do you say that in English, a tickler maybe?).

Sorry Trifolia, we are kind of highjacking your thread for other conversations!

>60 thorold: and building on my own >62 raton-liseur: post... Would we be prone to read books from foreigners talking about our own country? What would be our position towards what they have to say?
I don't know if reading globally has tackled this theme, but that might be interesting (for 2023, as suggestions are close for 2022!). I have no idea how to find books from foreigners who talk about France, but I 'm starting to think I should investigate. Just a random thought...

(And sorry again Trifolia, for deviating from the core of this thread...).

>60 thorold: - Very interesting. It has been a while since I participated in the RG theme reads (if ever I actively participated) but obviously I have been missing out on a lot of useful information.
...because it’s such a key component of why the country is the way it is and But of course there’s also the point that as an outsider you’re looking for the things that are distinctive about a place may be the crux of the matter. The question is therefore whether we as non-native readers would be prepared to read a book that would deal with a non-typical subject or theme. I'd like to think so, but honestly, I don't think so. It would be like going to Africa and eating at pizzerias there. What would be the point.

>66 raton-liseur: - 67 - Hijack away. As long as it's about books or anything book-related, I have no objection. The more the better.

>66 raton-liseur: cant think off hand for an english word, but the first word that comes to mind is the Yiddish mish mosh!

>67 raton-liseur: books from foreigners talking about our own country — We did a “non-Western travellers” theme in 2017 (https://www.librarything.com/topic/254046), that’s a similar kind of idea, although not quite the same thing. It did turn out difficult to find material, although we read a few interesting things.

I’ve read (at least) books by Dutch and Asian writers about Britain, and by British and French writers about the Netherlands, so it certainly can be done. And there are loads of books by British and American writers about, or set in, France. Although many of them are “My house in Provence/the Dordogne” things that will make you grown inwardly. Maybe try Julian Barnes or Robert Louis Stevenson?

>68 Trifolia: whether we as non-native readers would be prepared to read a book that would deal with a non-typical subject or theme

I don’t know — there’s a difference between picking up a book because its topic, design, or whatever appeals to you in general and only then noticing (or maybe even not noticing) that the author is from country X, and picking up a book because you are interested in the culture of country X. I read a book by Anthony Sher that turned out to be all about acting and only mentioned South Africa in passing, for instance, and I wasn’t disappointed, even though i was on a South African tangent at the time, because he’s got interesting things to say about acting, as you would expect.

>67 raton-liseur: "books from foreigners talking about our own country"

Most books people had read about Bulgaria are not written by people from the country. I am kinda used to it and I read them when I find them - although I also very often want to have a serious talk with the author on the topic of accuracy.

"whether we as non-native readers would be prepared to read a book that would deal with a non-typical subject or theme"

Depends on why one reads and what they look for in their reading. For example the 3 South Africa related novels I read in the last years are not connected to the apartheid (Black Diamond by Zakes Mda deals with the much older stereotypes and how they connect to today, Weeping Waters by Karin Brynard is a detective story on the edge of the Kalahari Desert and When the Lion Feeds by Wilbur Smith (if we count him as an author of the country) deals with the beginnings of the country and how the whole mix of people end up there). Each of these are very South African in its own way but especially with Brynard's, it is not something you go to South African authors for usually. :)

Welcome Monica. Good to see you here, and hopefully into the new year. I remember you from several interactions we had (in the 75 group, I think).
Lots of interesting reading. I loved The Ice Palace when I read it several years ago. More recently I read another book by him, The Birds, which I also loved, and I have a couple of other books by Vesaas patiently waiting on the shelf.
I've had The German Lesson on the shelf for years, and your review makes me want to get to it very soon.
I have read Imbolo Mbue first book and liked it, so I have added How Beautiful We Were to the wish list. And for the most part I loved Ali Smith's seasonal quartet. And there were several other of the books you read that I have added to the wish list.
I think I liked Summerwater more than you, and unlike you I don't care for Matt Haig--too simplistic.

>72 arubabookwoman: Thank you, Deborah. We have indeed run into each other in the past as we seem to often read the same kinds of books. I looked at our profile pages and it appears that we "share" no fewer than 287 books and in the "compare books" there are no fewer than 177. That says something about the overlap of our reading interests :-).
I've rediscovered my reading mojo this year and read some wonderful books. You did pick the right ones. I can heartily recommend them to you.
Summerwater didn't catch on with me, but maybe it just wasn't the right time. I'll probably try another book by this author as so many of you liked it. And as for Matt Haig, I see what you mean. But I did find the premise interesting and I'm often a bit more indulgent then.

36. The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi - 4 stars

In my quest to read more internationally, I came across this book by this Ugandan author. It was described as a girl's quest for her absent mother, but although that quest runs like a thread through the story, it is much more the coming of age story of Kirabo who grows up in a village in Uganda with her wealthy grandparents and who is well surrounded by her family. But it is also about the relationship between men and women, between women themselves, the importance and strength of the family, of the clan, the contrast between the countryside where people live from agriculture and the city where people live a Western lifestyle, about the choices you can make as a woman in Uganda (and they turn out to be less obvious than we would suspect with our Western point of view).
It was refreshing to read a book that for once was not about the contrast between black and white, but where the focus was mainly on the customs, traditions and mutual relationships of the Ugandans. Kirabo is a strong main character, but a number of other characters, especially the women, also come out well. This was a wonderful book to read.
Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is also the author of Kintu and apparently that one is also something to look forward to.

>74 Trifolia: First Woman sounds really good. Onto the wish list it goes.

>74 Trifolia: Kintu is on my wishlist (due to a review in this group I think...). The First woman is not yet available in French so I'll wait a bit before reading it, but in the meantime, Kintu is up on my "titles to be considered" list.
Thanks for the review and I repeat myself, but your thread is really dangerous! I hope you'll have one next year as well!

Lisa (labfs39) let me know that in America (and Canada) the title for The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is A Girl is a Body of Water. I find it strange that a book has a different title in another country and wonder what could be the reason for that. And why someone chose that specific title.

>75 labfs39: It deserves a place on your wish list, Lisa. I think you'd like it. And thanks for letting me know about the title.

>76 raton-liseur: Kintu's on my wish list too. So weird to hear that a book that has been translated to Dutch has not yet been translated to French. Translations... I keep trying to find a logic that probably is not there.

>77 Trifolia: I guess it's part of editorial planification... I would be that it will be published in French some time in 2022. For the moment, I have not seen any forerunner...

37. Free: Coming of Age at the End of History by Lea Ypi - 4 stars


A memoir of the Albanian Lea Ypi who was born in 1979 in one of the most isolated countries in Europe. While she, influenced by her teachers and the society that surrounds her, raves about the regime, about Stalin and socialism, her parents and grandmother seem to have the greatest difficulty to hang the obligatory photo of "Uncle Enver" (Hoxha), the then leader of Albania, in their house.
In each chapter we get a better picture of how things evolved in Albania and although the collapse of Eastern Europe initially seemed to skip Albania, the country eventually made the transition to democracy in its own way. Only then does Lea discover that her parents are very different people than she had always thought.

Heaven falls on her head not only on a personal level. She also has to watch how her familiar world changes and experience how the country is plunged into chaos and civil war.
Through gripping anecdotes and introspection, Ypi paints a nuanced, authentic picture of what it feels like to grow up as a child and teenager in a country, first under dictatorship, later in chaos. It is striking that, despite her parents' choices and history she does not really embrace the new democracy because she also sees and experiences the disadvantages of it. It is impossible to describe the richness of this book in detail but through her eyes you get a wonderful and personal picture of an important fragment of the history of Albania. In the end, like so many others, she will leave her country to go abroad to study.

Lea Ypi is Professor of Political Theory in the London School of Economics. The title of her book is probably a nod to the book by Francis Fukuyama, her American colleague who wrote the book The End of History and the Last Man and in which he described the end of the Cold War as the end of the ideological struggle.
This memoir is interesting from several angles: historical, political, philosophical, sociological, etc. It is one of those books that makes you think.
I liked it very much because it gave me an original perspective of a place and period of time I have witnessed as a (slightly older) bystander living in the West and I found it very insightful. Very well written. Highly recommended.

Wow, great review. Immediately went on my wish list.

>77 Trifolia: like the cover work, names are often changed, esp american vs english editions. "Philophers stone' was not used in the first Potter book coz they thought our kids to stupid to look it up so they named it 'Sorcerer's Stone' sigh,

>79 Trifolia: I remember all that happening on the new and was shocked by how much people had gone through (I think Rumania was similar) Nothing like a first person narrative; very much want to read this,)

>79 Trifolia: Definitely a book I need. She was born in an interesting time in Albania, just after the Sino-Albanian split, so it would be interesting to see how things developed then.

>79 Trifolia: Interesting, and from a country I know very little about.

>74 Trifolia: Thanks for this review. I read and enjoyed Kintu earlier this year, and this one is on Mt. TBR. Interesting what titles are deemed appropriate. Also, Kintu is the "first man" in Ugandan myth/legend, and I wonder if titling the book The first woman was an indication that she's now depicting women in Ugandan society.

Free: coming of age at the end of history also sounds fascinating. And it looks like there is a slight title change there - at my library in the US it is cataloged as Free: a child and a country at the end of history.

>80 labfs39: I think you'll like this one, Lisa.

>81 cindydavid4: How odd.
>82 cindydavid4: This is definitely a first person narrative, but not really what I'd expected because of the way Lea Ypi experienced the changes and they were not all so positive.

>83 SassyLassy: Although I heartily recommend this book, I must warn you that it is little about facts and events, but rather about the author's perceptions and personal experiences. But that in itself is very interesting.

>84 raton-liseur: Albania was one of the most isolated countries, so no wonder we knew so little about it. These books are doors to another world and they invite me to explore it.

>85 markon: Also, Kintu is the "first man" in Ugandan myth/legend, and I wonder if titling the book The first woman was an indication that she's now depicting women in Ugandan society.: That can not be a coincidence. All the more reason why it's strange that the title has been changed in the US and Canada because this book is definitely about Ugandan woman. I'm looking forward to reading Kintu.

light title change: why oh why :-)

I hope to finish Drive your plow over the bones of the dead by Olga Tokarczuk later today. It is a strange, enthralling book and so far I am enjoying it very much.

>86 Trifolia: Perceptions can tell us so much - interesting as you say.

>86 Trifolia: Loved Drive your Plow.... Looking forward to your review.

38. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk - 4,5 stars


It seems December is an excellent month because after 4 four stars and 1 four and a half stars here comes my second four and a half stars. And this is arguably the weirdest book of the bunch.
The story is told from the point of view of an elderly lady who lives alone in a hamlet in Poland close to the border of the Czech Republic. When one of her two neighbors is found dead, she becomes involved in the police investigation. Soon more people are killed and this story seems to evolve into a classic whodunit. Anyone who has ever read Agatha Christie will quickly figure out who the killer is. But that's not what this book is about at all. For much more interesting than the plot is the unforgettable character of the old woman who watches and observes everything. It soon becomes clear that she has her own view of things and that she is not afraid to give her opinion either. This often results in funny, but also moving scenes. Slightly maladjusted, but unforgettable and also very recognizable as a character. Added to this is the extremely precise, beautiful, image-rich language that makes this book a joy to read.
I've been quite hesitant to read Nobel laureates until now. They often seem difficult to digest to me. After reading this book I will have to change my opinion, because this is undoubtedly one of the most surprising and enjoyable books of the year (and we are already at the end of December).
Highly recommended.

>88 Trifolia: I could have added this to my wish list based on the title alone, but your review sold it. Your description of the old woman made me think of Baba Dunja, another unforgettable character. Have you read Baba Dunja's Last Love?

>89 labfs39: The title comes from a poem by William Blake. Long story. There is so much to tell about this book but I don't want to give away too much so as not to spoil it for anyone who has not read it yet. It's a gem.

>88 Trifolia: At last! One book where we differ... I read this book a few weeks after Olga Tokarczuk won the Nobel Prize and did not really liked it. But I'm probably the only one!

>89 labfs39: I've read both these books. Without giving anything away, I would say that there are similarities in the two women, but the writing is completely different in the two books. Both are worth reading. I can't say I have a preference between the two, as they are not alike enough for that.

>92 SassyLassy: Interesting. I will definitely look for it.

>91 raton-liseur: Did you write a review? If so, I'll try to find it. I always find it interesting to find out why someone has a different opinion, as long as it is based on something (and I cannot imagine you'll let me down :-)). And I really don't mind if you'd be the only one who does not like the book. You are entitled to your own opinion after all.

>89 labfs39: I have not read Baba Dunja's Last Love but I did put it on my WL after I read your review when your first read it.

>92 SassyLassy: >93 labfs39: - I just finished another book with an old woman as the main character. More about that one later. There's a pattern, here...

39. Het raadsel literatuur (The Riddle of Literary Quality) by Karina van Dalen-Oskam - 4 stars


This book is the result of a research project "The Riddle of Literary Quality" of the prestigious Huygens Institute for Dutch History in collaboration with the Fryske Akademy and the Institute for Logic, Language and Mathematics (University of Amsterdam) that ran from 2012 to 2020.
The aim was to find out to what extent, in addition to cultural and social aspects, there are also formal characteristics that make a text literary or not. The research was broad-based: on the one hand, a large reader survey was organized on the basis of 401 books, and on the other, those 401 books were analyzed by a computer for various measurable characteristics that were compared with each other. Finally, the results of the survey were compared with the results of the computer analysis. And from that came surprising results. For example, genre fiction (thrillers and romance) is often regarded by readers as less literary, while computer analysis shows that a number of books, especially thrillers, often do not differ that much and sometimes even score higher than so-called literary books.
It also appeared that the novels by women in the reader survey systematically scored worse on a literary level than is objectively measurable in the texts. Some texts (particularly by men) were rated higher by the readers than might be expected on the basis of formal characteristics.
These are just some of the insights that emerged from the research, but there is much, much more of course and it is explained systematically and in great detail in this book. But perhaps the most important thing is that there is still no answer to the question of what actually makes a text literary.

The book is unfortunately only available in Dutch but there is a link to the project in English: https://literaryquality.huygens.knaw.nl/?page_id=179 and https://literaryquality.huygens.knaw.nl/? page_id=36

During my search for the links I also came across this message (see 2nd message: Replication of The Riddle in the UK: https://literaryquality.huygens.knaw.nl/?page_id=51

And apparently you can still participate in the UK study: https://nquire.org.uk/mission/the-2020-reader-review/contribute
I don't know if this is also intended for non-Brits, but it doesn't specify that it wouldn't.

As a personal note I can add that thanks to this book, I finally know why I really dislike the books of a specific Dutch author. Although he has been nominated for awards many times and has won quite a few, his language seems to be no different from the one used in chicklit. Perhaps this says more about me (i.e. that I think language is important in a literary novel) than about the author, because he is very successful after all.

40. Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi - 4 stars


During the Christmas season, it's always a little harder to concentrate for long periods of time, so I decided to read a detective story that had landed on my to-read list years ago and of which I was reminded by Arubabookwoman (Deborah) who recently read another book by this author.
It is located in Giverny, in and around the gardens of the Impressionist painter Claude Monet. It all starts with the murder of a wealthy ophthalmologist. I expected a classic whodunit, but it turned out differently. I can't say much so as not to ruin the plot, but the denouement was a very nice surprise that I didn't expect at all, although in hindsight the leads were up for grabs. Recommended for those who want a variation on a classic whodunit. I will definitely be looking for other books by Michel Bussi.

>95 Trifolia: This sounds really interesting. I've bookmarked the pages you link to for future reading.

>95 Trifolia: I also find this intriguing, though I'm glad to have you summarize some of the findings. And I may change the name of one of the categories I read in to Fiction. (I read a fair amount of genre fiction, so need a category for what doesn't fit into science fiction, fantasy and mystery. I called it literary fiction last year, but I don't know that everything qualifies.)

>5 Trifolia: Oh, I read War and Turpentine and will have to look out for a future translation of this one.

>52 Trifolia: Gosh, I've read four Damon Galgut novels but not this one....

>74 Trifolia: Interesting, might put it on my list. I've read a fair amount of African Lit, and 3 or 4 were likely Ugandan. Is it a light read?

>88 Trifolia: That Tokarczuk novel was a terrific book.

Looking forward to following your reading in 2022!

>97 labfs39: - Enjoy :-)

>98 markon: Well, I also find it fascinating to think about how I would define literature. Because there seems to be no unequivocal answer. Yet I would call some books literary, others not. But what I base that choice on is more difficult to explain: layering of the story, complex characters, a beautiful language,...? Can non-fiction also be literary? This book also refers to the view that the qualifier "literary" is also based on cultural and social evolutions and is sometimes used rather gratuitously as a label, when it may not deserve it (and vice versa). Anyway, it's something to think about.
I'm curious to hear if you use criteria to label a book as (non) literary and if so which ones?

>99 avaland: I preferred War and Turpentine over this one, but it's okay.
The Promise was one of my best reads this year. Did you like the ones you read?
Yes, I found The First Woman aka A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi to be a light book but one that made me think. A very fascinating book.
And yes, I also enjoyed Tocarczuk's book.
I'm already looking forward to starting a new thread. There is still so much to read.

>96 Trifolia: I have that one out from the library now. The other two by Bussi which I read and reviewed on my thread were excellent. Those are the only 3 my library has, and I'm not sure if there are any others that are translated.

>101 arubabookwoman: Unfortunately, only two are available in Dutch, but I might read the others in English or French (which probably would make more sense).

I'm closing this thread for 2021.
My presence was short, but I really enjoyed this internship period. Thank you all for your presence here. I hope you'll join me next year. You can find my new thread here

>94 Trifolia: Replying late... I did write a review on Sur les ossements des morts/Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (here). I've re-read it and still agree with what I said! (including le plaisir de la lecture, mais aussi, tout de même, le plaisir d’en avoir fini)...
There are now other books from her translated in French and available in paperback format. I'm considering giving another try and I might, in a distant future...