This is one of McEwan’s best books, one that should be read slowly to savour his exceptional writing. In 2014, an acclaimed poet reads a new poem dedicated to his wife on her birthday, at a dinner party in England. But the poem is never published and so is lost. Over the next 100 years, the world undergoes a collapse of civilization with cataclysmic climate change exacerbated by nuclear wars. So in 2119, an academic in a Humanities Department discovers an astonishing clue in surviving archives. Thus a literary thriller about life and love provides profound insight into human nature.
Category: humanity
Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil – V.E. Schwab
Ms. Schwab (author of the fantastic The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue) has created an epic story of three women vampires that unfolds over 500 years! Of course, there is graphic blood lust and killing, but also interesting group dynamics, learned restraint, and conflicted love. Thus there is both monstrosity and humanity; a haunting and worthwhile story about cruelty, grace, jealousy and yes, immortality. Finally, this story of three vampires in contemporary Boston evolves into a pursuit thriller. Truly, a must-read book that I could not put down, so highly recommended.
The Reader – Bernhard Schlink
Some of you may have seen the 2008 film based on this book, starring Kate Winslet. I respectfully submit that this 1995 book is far superior. This is Michael Berg’s book, both reflective and introspective. In 1958, 15-year-old Michael has a short tempestuous affair with an older woman, Hanna. Eight years later, Michael is a law student who learns that Hanna is on trial for being an SS guard responsible for the deaths of many women and children in a World War II concentration camp. The writing raises important questions about how beautiful memories can be shattered in hindsight, along with issues of betrayal, guilt and shame. Overall, the story is a metaphor for the complexity of present-day Germany’s relationship to its Nazi past – highly recommended.
Wandering Stars – Tommy Orange
This is a brilliant follow-up to Orange’s There There with some of the same characters. The first part of the book is historical, the legacies of the Sand Creek massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Industrial School for Indians. Misguided attempts at assimilation by governments and adoptions are devoted to the eradication of Native history, culture and identity. The next section of the book entitled Aftermath is even better, detailing the brutal reality of contemporary life in Oakland for two grandmothers and their three grandsons. When is life more than surviving?
This book is both shattering and wondrous – highly recommended.
Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro
Ishiguro’s 2005 novel is sublime; the writing is exceptional with little dystopian hints and effective use of foreshadowing. It is a story of clones as donors of vital organs, and of carers. And it is a relationship story for Kathy, Ruth and Tommy with existential questions: is a clone fully human or just a consumer resource? Ishiguro is a literary genius; his writing has elements that create melancholy and can be alarming, a nuanced process of revelation.
Runaway- Alice Munro
The recent death of Ms. Munro prompted me to (re)read this amazing book, consisting of 8 single-word-titled stories. Her literary gift is to write about everyday people ( mostly women) in both common and extraordinary circumstances. There is an unparalleled purity of language – she a national treasure.
Britt-Marie Was Here – Fredrik Backman
Britt-Amarie is a 63-year-old who leaves her husband to take a temporary job in a small town, in an attempt to (re)gain some self-esteem. She is a somewhat odd character (think of A Man Called Ove, also by Backman), told that she is passive-aggressive and socially incompetent. What kind of impact can she make in a town of fellow misfits? Backman’s insight into human nature is profound, making this such an enjoyable read. Thans Amy, for giving me this book.
Lord of the Flies – William Golding
A re-read of the classic novel published in 1954. A group of British schoolboys aged 6 to 12 are stranded on an uninhabited island in the Pacific. There is progressive loss of rules and order which is followed by a descent into savagery, chaos and violence. The story is a valuable treatise on the nature of humanity and civilization.
A World Of Curiosities – Louise Penny
This 18th Inspector Gamache mystery is genuinely suspenseful with some eery parts. The complicated but compelling plot combines elements of a cold case with current crimes. Gamache and Beauvoir are revealed to have blind spots, so very human characteristics. There is art, and finally, a strong theme of forgiveness despite considerable darkness. This is one of Ms. Penny’s best Three Pines novels.
What David Read 