A gritty angst-filled guy book set in West Newfoundland. The context – geography and people- is described perfectly. A father and son are paralyzed by grief, so they retreat and psychologically “run away” into a life of drink and anger. The book then becomes a murder mystery with deception and lies and misunderstandings. Annoying behaviour to be sure but the descriptions of the people in a fishing outport trying, usually badly, to have each other’s back is compelling. This is one of Morrissey’s best books.
Category: Book themes
Into The Water – Paula Hawkins
The huge success of The Girl On The Train meant high expectations for Hawkins’ next book, and Into The Water delivers, in my opinion, another well written mystery/thriller. The setting is Northern England, a town with a drowning pool where too many women have drowned over many centuries, usually under mysterious circumstances. Many standard issues are present: lies and deceit and memories that are selective. The key relationship is between two estranged sisters – how did this estrangement begin and how did it evolve? The outcome, aka big reveal, is tantalizing and completely surprising. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Nutshell – Ian McEwan
First, a confession – my opinion on McEwan books runs hot and cold: there are great books (Atonement, Amsterdam, On Chesil Beach) but many are not so great, in my opinion. This new novel belongs firmly in the great category. First, there is a unique point-of-view; the narrator is an 8-month fetus. The description of his acquisition of consciousness is fantastic, and sage commentaries on placenta-filtered wines are provided. And then there is the great prose: “Long ago, many weeks ago, my neural groove closed upon itself to become my spine and my many million young neutrons, busy as silkworms, spun and wove from their trailing axons the gorgeous golden fabric of my first idea, a notion so simple that it partly eludes me now”. Exquisite writing.
The Nest – Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
This is an entertaining story about a dysfunctional family, the Plumb siblings (Johnathan Franzen territory). The core character is the oldest, Leo, a prodigal brother who is charming but dishonest and deceitful. The plot has a number of surprising turns to make this a very enjoyable read. Leo’s siblings are variably desperate and entitled and conniving. This is another amazing first novel that is highly recommended.
May We Be Forgiven – A.M. Homes
Harold has a younger brother, George, who has exhibited psychopathic tendencies his whole life. When George commits an unspeakable act of violence, Harold is thrust into being responsible for George’s two children, a responsibility for which he is woefully unprepared. Initially Harold is very annoying because of poor impulse control resulting in very bad decisions, especially with his relationships with women. However, he slowly grows into his role of protector and confidant. The setting is NY with an interesting excursion into South Africa. This is a very good book about how complex behaviours can evolve. A sub-plot about Richard Nixon is totally entertaining.
The Geography of Genius – Eric Weiner
Weiner previously wrote the very entertaining Geography of Bliss where he related happiness to geographical places: Bhutan = very happy; Moldava = very unhappy. In this book he examines places notable for genius (aka creativity). Some are predictable (Ancient Athens, Florence at the time of Leonardo and Michelangelo, present day Silicon Valley) but some are surprising (Edinburgh, Calcutta). Part of his thesis is that genius is urban and dependent on lively conversations – the importance of formal discussion groups or informal discussions at coffee shops or even pubs (The Inklings discussing writing in an Oxford pub). Therefore, environment is key and genetics plays a minor part. Of course he is selective in presenting studies that support a subjective point of view. Nevertheless, the book is entertaining with much self-deprecating humour. Thanks Mary for this recommendation.
The Conjoined – Jen Sookfong Lee
What if you are cleaning the basement of your family home after the death of your mother, and you find the bodies of two foster-children in a basement freezer who went missing 28 years ago? This is an intriguing book that examines family secrets and the social welfare system. Some of the ideas reminded me of Zoe Whitall’s book The Best Kind Of People where suspicion is directed to “good” people. What is the cost of bringing foster children into a home for all concerned? Highly recommended.
Precious Cargo – Craig Davidson
Davidson usually writes gritty guy-books (e.g. Cataract City) that are fiction. In contrast, this new book is non-fiction, an account of a year spent driving a school bus for five special-needs kids in Calgary. There are some very funny parts, such as the perils of substitute driving a school bus at Halloween, but Davidson takes a thoughtful look at how people with disabilities are viewed by the non-disabled, in school and in society in general. The book also includes an introspective examination of himself as a struggling writer at the time – overall, a very worthwhile read.
Wolf Winter; The Midnight Sun – Cecilia Ekback
I read these two books back-to-back so my comments will be combined. My friend Hilary introduced me to this author, described as a master of Nordic Noir. The best aspect of these two books is time and place. Both books are set in Northern Sweden where Norway and Finland converge. WW takes place in 1717; MS takes place in the same location 140 years later, in 1856. Living in this isolated setting is exacerbated by weather: bitter winter cold in WW and insomnia for one key character in MS due to continuous summer sunlight. In both books, murders are committed and solved by amateurs, the inhabitants (settlers) in WW or visitors in MS. The chief protagonist in WW is Maija, a woman with two children struggling to survive in the absence of her husband. Both books, but especially WW, have a mystical element (the old religion, aka witchcraft) from the wandering Lapp inhabitants of the region (now Sami). Both books are highly recommended.
What David Read 