Your second life begins when you understand that you only have one (Ta deuxieme vie commence quand tu comprends que tu n'en as qu'une) - Raphaëlle Giordano

A feel-good book to begin with, but not much otherwise.  That was my reasoning for purchasing Ta deuxième vie commence quand tu comprends que tu n'en as qu'une, after a colleague recommended this for my French book search (I make it a point to read books in languages other than English, so as not to lose touch...)

This would then be my go-to book for travelling, for evenings when I'm dead tired, in general for occasions when I don't need to think hard about the subject at hand.

What a surprise, then, when I realised that underneath the "light" packaging, this book actually has a lot of substance. I could identify with the main person of this story: I'm at the exact same point in life, I'm going through very similar thoughts, and I get the same type of reactions when I express my worries.

A Man called Ove (En man som heter Ove), by Fredrik Backman

As I get older, I find myself revisiting my younger years more and more often.  Did I lead the life I intended?  have my ideas, my beliefs, my opinions changed?  How has my outlook on life evolved over the years?  Do I get stubborn as I get older? Is life still worthwhile?

Do not worry, dear reader - we all go through such phases in our lives.  We just need to be reminded of the simple pleasures in life to keep our spirit up ...

In A Man called Ove, Backman describes an excellent case in point:  Ove, an - ahem - older man, who cannot deal with his wife's passing.  He can no longer fit in with society's new sets of rules, he can no longer understand how people function... Enter a drastic solution:  he will kill himself.

This is a tragic decision and should not be treated lightly.  And yet, when he fails - miserably - more than once to go through with it, it is with a little smile that I react.  The combination of comedy and tragedy, as well as the true facts about modern life (indeed, they don't make ropes as sturdy as in the past), ensure that this book is not a gloomy account of a lonely life, but rather an account of how such a "misfit" can actually fit in with the rest of society. 

The link:  Parvaneh, an Iranian neighbour - with all the clichés that apply to a "southern" woman:  loud, persistent, family-oriented, making food for everyone (I personally know such an Iranian woman, and I can see where the inspiration comes from...).  Parvaneh enters Ove's life like a compactor and there's no escape.  (I believe she's realised what Ove was trying to do from the very beginning, which makes her get involved even a bit more).  She feeds him, she makes him take on a stray cat, she gets him to drive her to the hospital, where he's also left to care for her daughters... There is no end to all the intrusion and Ove cannot escape!

Slowly, we see a transformation in Ove: from a truly grumpy old man, he slowly agrees to "teach" the new generation how things are done (he's still of a generation of Jack of all trades - something that even I see is missing from the younger generation, and I'm supposed to be only middle-aged).  But not only that:  as many real-life examples show, the older generation can still contribute and enhance the lives of the young ones.  There is enough distance to look at things in a calmer manner (the relationship of parents-children will almost always be problematic, whereas that of grandparents and children is potentially beneficial for both).  And so Ove becomes a surrogate grandfather to Parvaneh's daughters, while he proves he's modern enough to accept and put up a homosexual guy when he's thrown out of his parents' house.  He becomes an active member of his little community.  And the community loves him back.

The book is written in an easy-going style, which is slightly nostalgic.  It brought back memories of elderly people around me who, like Ove, try to find their place in the world and cannot seem to succeed. If you want to read a book that will restore your faith in humanity, this book is one very good choice....

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For the visual interpretation of this book, I also watched the film "A man called Ove".  A very good adaptation, it perfectly complemented the reading!

The Book of Rustem - translation by E.M. Wilmont Buxton

I just love my book club.  The fact that each time the host/ess chooses a book, which we all then read and discuss, gives me the opportunity to get a taste of new genres, authors and countries that I may otherwise not have experienced.

So when our Iranian hostess informed us of the Book of Rustem, and I got to see the beautiful illustrations, I knew I was in for a treat:  a sort of fairy-tale, set in beautiful Persia.

The book reads very comfortably - it helps that I've read the Bible, because the style is comparable.  Continuous repetitions and use of the superlative set the scene and provide the background for the reading experience.

The main character is Rustem and his adventures - but before that, we get a glimpse of his predecessors, who are implicated in a repetitive pattern of family feuds, heroic fights, plenty of courage shown, as is the quest to avenge for any wrong-doing...

Dietland, by Sarai Walker

Dietland was given to me by a friend with the tag "a funny read".  Something between a chick-lit and an airport paperback.  Which was what I needed at that point in time.  I was also intrigued by the subject, being overweight myself.  Sorry, scratch that:  being FAT myself.  One of the first revelations in this book is how fat people perceive themselves:  even when we are aware of who / what we are, we tend to shy away from accurately describing our size and retort to "euphemisms".  No more....

Elizabeth is missing, by Emma Healey

On my latest visit to my favourite book-store, Cook & Book, I stumbled upon a number of books that grabbed my attention.  One of them was this one, Elizabeth is Missing, by Emma Healy, primarily because of its back-cover: how would a person with Alzheimer's disease cope with the enormous task of finding a missing person?

It's the author's début novel, and I was impressed for two reasons: I was almost immediately immersed into the protagonist's world and could thus have read it in one go (but I didn't), and because I felt totally at ease wandering between the past and the present...

Maud - what a lovely little woman... She goes on living her life without a care in the world, oblivious to the fact that she's buying too many peaches, that she's making too many cups of tea.

(Helen, the daughter) won't listen, won't take me seriously...I know what she's thinking, that I've lost my marbles... but it's not true. I forget things - I know that - but I'm not mad...

There's only one worry - she can't find her best friend, Elizabeth.  And she knows Elizabeth is missing, because she keeps little notes on her, indicating when she last saw her, when she last passed by Elizabeth's house, who she talked to about Elizabeth.

Almost from the beginning, there is a sense of determination from Maud's side of things.  She's determined to prove everyone wrong about Elizabeth not missing, as she is determined to prove that there's nothing wrong with her.

And while the latter will bring her in clash with her daughter as well as Elizabeth's son, the former will trigger back memories from a crime committed when Maud was young, creating a double-layer crime plot.

Healy does a wonderful job in describing Maud's world from Maud's own perspective - there's nothing pretentious, nothing "fake" in how Maud lives her life.  She jumps from past to present, from a time when she was little and her sister Sukey disappeared and her encounter with her sister's husband Frank back to the present, when she has to move in with her daughter and her encounter with her granddaughter. One single item can trigger this constant travel back and forth and Healy writes about this effortlessly.

The description of Maud's present state of mind and the things she goes through get at some point repetitive - as would be expected in a person with Alzheimer's - but this alternation with the past crime on her sister provides a twist in the plot and saves the day... (sometimes the past is even more interesting than the present).  The book manages thus to remain compelling and enjoyable to read.

After frantically looking for Elizabeth, after moving in with her daughter and perhaps coming to terms with the lack of ability to do things on her own, the end of the story for Maud is somewhat expected - but nonetheless brings the whole story to a proper ending.  No major drama, but a nice little story to read...

Invisible Love (Les deux messieurs de Bruxelles), by Eric Emmanuel Schmitt

One of the first authors I read in modern French literature, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt remains one of my favourite ones (La Part de l'autre remains one of the books that opened my eyes...).  While French can be slightly complicated when in literature mode, his books remain an easy yet fulfilling read, with content that proves there is still much literary talent in our present day.

In this book, Schmitt deals with the subject of love in modern times.  A series of short stories, Les deux messieurs de Bruxelles found its place in my reading stash primarily because of its title:  anything that deals with Brussels, I have to buy and examine and have my opinion of it heard...

All the stories provide a twist on the notion of "love" - Schmitt goes beyond the caricature and investigates whether any one type of love better/more important than the other is.  The result is an insight into the various facets of our lives, how we deal with this feeling of intense care and how this feeling can influence and change the rest of our lives.

The first story by the same title had the strongest impact on me. And it's good this way, because it kept me yearning for more.   The stark contrast between the committed homosexual couple who will never have a family and the heterosexual couple who will go on to marry, have a family and create a huge mess of it all - it's just not right.... 

The deep love between Jean and Laurent will not be accepted by society.  But that will just not do - instead, they will "crash" the wedding of Eddy and Genevieve and take their own vows just as the young couple is celebrated by all their friends and families.  This link between the two couples will continue for the rest of their lives and will be manifested in financial and moral support as well as something more... The end of the story is wholly unexpected, which makes it even better.  (I have to admit I felt a little better for the future of mankind after reading this story.)

As so go on the short stories about the love for a pet, the love for the wrong partner, the love for one's child... All stories that defy our long-standing traditions, stories that make us (at least me!) look to our lives in a different manner.  Stories that make a point to challenge our perceptions and to change our attitude towards misfortune.  

Schmitt remains a master of short stories (and not only).  His use of the written word is the best antidote to everyday deception, betrayal, submission, apathy.  Because love is a universal theme and, however hard we may try to escape it, it will find us.  And conquer us. Hopefully...

The Classics Club: The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells

I'm back in blogosphere after almost two years of an incredible slump in my reading habits (or any habits in fact, but that's another story...).  

I've started again - baby steps -  to read at a regular pace (at least half an hour in the mornings, when all is still quiet) and I am easing my way into the world of book challenges as well. It is for this reason that I wanted to commence my participation with something easy, with a taste of light reading.  

A classic novella fits this bill perfectly, I believe.  The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells, is a well-known specimen and it will serve nicely as my first attempt in the 2015 challenges!

To rise again at a decent hour, by J. Ferris

Much as I like reading the classics, I also enjoy leaving my comfort zone and experiment with modern literature:  in most cases, I'm surprised either by how good or how bad it can be.  With this book, the jury is still out.  It's so different, I was grasped onto it, and read it voraciously...

In Joshua Ferris' To Rise again at a Decent Hour, we are introduced to the mind of Paul O'Rourke, a middle-aged grumpy dentist.  He's just fed up with everything, disappointed with everyone around him, dissatisfied with his own existence.  We are then invited to listen to his most intimate thoughts...

The Vicious Vet / The Murderous Marriage - Agatha Raisin mysteries, by M.C.Beaton

I came upon Agatha Raisin a while ago, when I needed some comfort reading.  So, when I was half-way through a difficult book for my bookclub (To rise again at a Decent Hour, comments to follow) I found myself at that same phase -- I was so perplexed that I needed some distraction.  Hence, not one but two comfort books, which I read in two days...

The plot of both books is, of course, a murder:  how else would Agatha Raisin keep busy when she's not trying to find love in the Cotswolds?  

In the Vicious Vet, Agatha finds herself with two kitties when a new vet arrives in town.  Pity that when she tries to charm him, she realises that half the village (women) the same idea has...

When the vet, Paul Bladen, is found dead, Agatha will need to pull all strings to find the murderer - together with James Lacey, her neighbour and love interest supreme who proves to be a challenge:

(Agatha) did not like people who suddenly quoted things at you, leaving you feeling unread and inadequate.  In fact, she thought they only did it to show off

The book is incredibly fast-paced, with hilarious moments keeping the interest high.  The "dark" moments are not overpowering and the end result is a pleasant read, ideal for a pick-me-up request.

The Murderous Marriage, on the other hand, is not, in my humble opinion, one of Agatha's better moments.  Already from the outset, the fact that on James' and Agatha's wedding date, we learn of the existence of her non-divorced, non-annuled, perfectly alive and well husband - who basically wrecks the whole ceremony - is a bit far-fetched.  Living in the same country, deserting the husband, and expecting to commit bigamy just like that... meh.  

And then he's dead. And then there's plenty of other people ending up dead.  Which is way too many, if I may say so myself.  For each one of these, Agatha and James  are primary suspects.  Again, too much of a good thing is not always better.  I kept rolling my eyes as to each new incident, where the police would call on the couple - because, of course they continue to live together.

And this is another issue I have trouble with.  Agatha and James have just had their marriage cancelled.  The emotions should be sky-high, and yet they react so rationally that I get upset on their behalf... 

(James): "I think I will always be too sore at you, Agatha, to ever want to marry you.  But the had fact is that we have worked well together in the past and together we might clear this up"

Also, already from the middle of the story, for the first time, I have my suspicions about the murderer and I'm right.  This is the final straw -- if I can guess whodunnit that early, I lose interest...

The Santa Klaus murder, by Mavis Doriel Hay

I picked up this book after reading a review by Margaret at BooksPlease, hailing it as an easy-going, holiday-appropriate piece of literature.  This is exactly what I needed, being in the middle of a difficult book (To Rise again at a Decent Hour, review to follow), which I've abandoned twice until now.  Holiday reads are meant to be relaxing and not much mind-engaging, but nevertheless attention-grabbing and entertaining!  With this in view,  I started reading The Santa Klaus murder by Mavis Doriel Hay (ok, perhaps it was also the title that triggered an interest ...)

2015 challenge: Reading England

 It's time I got my blog mojo back, and there is no better way to ease this transition than a challenge!  
The fact that a reading list has been prepared in advance, plus the feeling of actually achieving a goal are beneficial (at least for me):  without further ado, my first challenge for 2015:  Reading England!
Hosted by O at Behold the Stars, the goal is to travel around England by reading novels (English or not) set in the various counties.  O has been kind enough to already provide a list with some of the more known books and which counties they refer to (including some counties I've never heard of...) so this should make my research easy.

I will not be very ambitious though:  I'm going for level 2, meaning 4-6 books.  I figured that it's better to aim low and get there than not.  This is the list with my intended reading:

• The Tennant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë (Cumbria)
• Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence (Nottinghamshire)
• The Moonstone by W. Collins (Yorkshire)
• Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon (Essex)
• Thank you, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (Dorset)
• The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells (Sussex)

Here's looking at 2015 with a fresh look!  I'll also be interested in learning about each of the counties I'm visiting, so as to better get into the spirit of the novel describing it.  Double the fun...

Cover her face, by P.D. James

I started reading P.D. James fairly recently, when a colleague de-cluttered her house and gave me a box full of books, including several by this author.  I knew the name, but had failed up to that point to read anything relevant (plus, for some reason I always mistook her for A.S. Byatt, but that's another story altogether..).

So,  following the announcement of her death, I thought it proper to write down my thoughts on the first experience I had with P.D. James:  Cover her face, the first of the Adam Dalgliesh Mysteries.

Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Again, a book that I would probably never have read were it not for my book club:  Americanah, a present-day story about growing up without prospects, about how enchanting certain parts of the world may seem, of how race is indeed an issue among us whether we like it or not, and finally, about how blogging may keep people sane (yes...)

I was hesitant to start this book because of the horror stories I've read over time about people forced to seek (political) refuge in new, strange countries and the sacrifices and ordeals they go through for a better life.  

The Return, by Victoria Hislop

I got "The Return" by V. Hislop as a summer present. At 500 pages, I was slightly intimidated whether I would be able to finish it during my holidays. In addition, I was cautious about the content, as I had not really liked her first book "The Island". But then I was intrigued: reading the back cover, I read that the storyline included Spain's Franco and the story of a family during this difficult time…

The Making of a Marchioness, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

I'm always amazed at how some of the themes currently at the height of interest were also touched upon by classic books. Case in question The Making of a Marchioness, by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  Written in 1901, it talks of financial peril, marriage of convenience and death plots for inheritance purposes...  

I came upon it  having watched "The making of a Lady" (I assume because the title of Marchioness is not well-known), a slightly rom-com set in a Victorian context - easy for a gentle afternoon watching, while knitting / cross-stitching / petting your cat, or whatever Victorians would do in the afternoon...

Youth, by Isaak Asimov

Coming back from London on a Saturday evening, the world quietens down on board the Eurostar train.  People close their eyes, contemplate the events of the day, and try to enjoy the peace around them.  This is a time when I enjoy a good read: nothing too elaborate or big - just simple, good writing and a reasonable length to last the journey.

Such a read is Youth, by Isaak Asimov.  Written in the 1950s, it is of the futuristic genre but with no fanfare.  It rather reminded me of the Twilight Zone programme that I so enjoyed in my own youth...

The plot is fairly straightforward:  life in a distant future, where our present and recent past is considered as the "beforethewars" era (I really enjoyed that word, nothing fancy but leaving so much to the imagination...).  The main characters involve two scientists, who try to take up contact with aliens in a foreign planet, with the view to take up trade relations. Already I'm amazed at the little bits of wisdom that I read in between this simple story:

... was it reasonable to destroy almost all their tremendous civilization in atomic warfare over causes our historians can no longer accurately determine?

With them, we get to see their respective sons, longing for a future of their own, preferably in a circus.  They in turn discover some uncommon-looking creatures they think could be their ticket into this wonderful life - so they keep them in a cage and try to take good care of them.

The book is short and more than enough for the 2-hour travel to Brussels.  I really enjoyed the language used, but also some of the messages used.  While waiting for a signal from the aliens, the two scientists start debating about whether the aliens could in fact be hostile.  The pessimist of the two explains why he sees things this way:

The world has been at peace too long.  We are losing a healthy sense of suspicion

Linking it with the Twilight Zone, I came to a point where the twists are non-ending - who's watching whom here:  the scientists the children, the children the little creatures, or the children the scientists who are in truth the little creatures?  One can come to their proper interpretation of the story, but one thing is certain:  for such a tiny size, this book certainly stayed in my mind long after I had read it...   

Pardonable lies, by J. Winspear

Among my discoveries this year, this is one that I think will enjoy during my hectic times ahead. Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs mysteries have all the ingredients to make for a wonderful reading, without asking for too much effort.  Great for the beach, perfect for chilly nights by the fire...

My friend Anna introduced me to these novels and by introducing I mean she handed me 6 logs all at once. If there was ever a danger of overindulging, this would have been it - but no.  Little by little I will savour these books, starting (obviously) with the third book in the series.  I found Maisie to be an Agatha Christie reincarnation - and I mean the real Agatha, not one of the characters she wrote about.  Maisie is a girl of humble beginnings who, by virtue alone, manages to climb high up the ladder,  make herself useful as a nurse during the 1st World War and excel afterwards when we find her in 1929's London as a psychologist and investigator.  Her insight into the harshness of the war, the difficulty to adjust to "normal" life by many of those implicated in it, make Maisie the ideal person to go to lengths in order to solve a mystery.

I've got your number, by S. Kinsella

I'M BACK! after a long, a very long absence to be honest, I'm back. Following a series of exams where the studying took up my entire life (to be a bit melodramatic, but maybe not so far from the truth), I'm back to my "normal" lifestyle, where I read literature again... I must admit I've missed it, and I've missed the interaction with the blogosphere too much for my own good. I promise it won't happen again!

I have devoured a number of books to date, but I'll start with one of the lighter ones, perfect for summer reading: I've got your number, by Sophie Kinsella.

Kinsella is famous for her Shopaholic series, depicting the adventures of a seemingly clueless girl, trying to get through a number of surprises... This book follows in practically the same footsteps, minus the financial disasters!

Poppy has lost her engagement ring and tries to figure out what to do, when she also gets her mobile phone snatched!  Yes, slightly over-the-top beginning, but attention-drawing nevertheless.  What I like about Kinsella's writing is that, while it is seriously unlikely any of the situations described could ever happen - if they did, I would probably react the same way.  So when Poppy finds another phone in a dustbin and speaks with the owner of it, she does agree to help out with the situation at hand (would I sing and dance in front of strangers? probably not...)

The Classics Club - Crime and Punishment, by F. Dostoyevsky

I read Crime and Punishment by F. Dostoyevsky in a readalong organised by  Unputdownables over a period of three months.  This is, in my opinion, the best way to read such a chunk of classic Russian literature - in a rythme that is manageable, with lots of individual perspectives heard on a plot written in a remarkable style and taking place in an era and a society that are mostly foreign to us.  

And yes, Dickens writes about similar circumstances but I find his writing style more "understandable".  Also, the British reality is perhaps nearer my vision of past history in Europe.  In any case, the fact that several people read this at the same time, with different translations (also a great way to learn different aspects of life depending on the translator's sources) and different annotations shedding light to background information, really proved helpful and made such a great book easy to read as well.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, by Maggie O'Farrell

I bought The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell in a book fair for peanuts (I'm not ashamed of my purchasing criteria...).  What a great bargain!  I would never have thought it would prove to be such a good book, and how I would not only enjoy reading it, but thinking about it and about the plot in particular.  You see, I'm always interested in the background work that goes into a book.  I can almost always tell whether an author has carried out serious research for it, which means that this is a subject of interest.  I'm the scholarly type, so obviously I went and researched myself afterwards...

The point in question:  how easy it was up to the early 20th century to have a woman committed to  a psychiatric institution.  

"A man used to be able to admit his daughter or wife to an asylum with just a signature from a GP"