An astonishing book: the seduction by an evil person, the desperate lives of the displaced and dispossessed. The title refers to a 2012 commemoration of the siege of Sarajevo: 11,514 red chairs were placed in rows, one for each person killed in the siege that lasted for almost 4 years. What is remarkable about this book is that it is an Irish woman, Fidelma, who is the central core to the story which takes place in Ireland and England. Thanks Mike, for this recommendation.
Category: England
Swing Time – Zadie Smith
An un-named narrator tells a story that alternates between two times: childhood in NW London in the 1980s, and adulthood in the 2000s. All the important relationships in the narrator’s life are with women: her mother, her friend Tracey, and her employer Aimee, a Madonna-like rock star. A sub-plot in Africa is especially rewarding. Smith’s prose is insightful, she is an acute observer of the narrator’s world. This is sensational writing, the best of Smith’s books so far.
The Widow – Fiona Barton
This contemporary novel is a very well-written story about a child abduction in Britain. The story unfolds Gillian Flynn-like with an alternating time frame and chapters from different points of view: The Detective, The Reporter … The Widow is a stand-by-your-man wife so her psychology unfolds ever so slowly. Several characters in this book are overcome by obsession. This is a very good companion book to Zoe Whittall’s The Best Kind Of People in that the main focus is on the aftermath of a traumatic event.
The Past – Tessa Hadley
This is a perfect introspective story of family relationships in the present and past. There are secrets, things that are observed but not spoken of. The point of view of the children is most extraordinary – what they observe and what they keep secret. This is a very English story with some surprises – overall a very fine read.
The Girl With All The Gifts – MR Carey
A variation on zombies: a fungus has created the “hungries”. Twenty years after the outbreak, there are very few survivors but this includes some children who have the infection but retain brain function, especially the ability to learn. Not surprisingly, these children are the subject of intensive scientific investigations in a secret army location. The best aspect of this book is the treatment of the sociology of an infection. A major part of the book details a journey with a disparate group of distrustful people who have to cooperate. Overall, a very interesting story.
Slade House – David Mitchell
An imaginative story about soul vampires who lust for immortality. Parts of this book are similar to The Bone Clocks, but the story is much shorter, more like a novella.
Amy notes: David reads so voraciously that I rarely get to say this: I read this book before him!
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
Simonson wrote the delightful “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand“, and this book, only her second, is even better. The story takes place in an English village (Rye, in Sussex) before WWI, with all the snobbery and vicious gossip that characterized Downton Abbey. The description of the limited role of women is particularly well-told in this pre-suffragette era. The book ends with a graphic description of the horrors of trench warfare; belligerent and ignorant troop commanders are particularly odious. This is an excellent read.
A Week In December by Sebastian Faulks
Faulks is a wonderful writer (Birdsong, On Green Dolphin Street) and his latest book is a worthwhile addition. The premise is simple: a diverse group of people are selected to attend a London party, so the book details the back stories. What is fascinating is the diversity: a Polish footballer playing for a new London team; a pot-head son of someone who is receiving an OBE and who needs a crash course in contemporary literature; a greedy hedge-fund manager (so lots about shady banking), and the list goes on – there is a related story of a woman Underground driver, a literate lawyer, and importantly a radicalized British-Muslim young man so a home-grown terrorist attack is planned. There is a wonderful rant about the decline of teaching in schools and so much more. Such rich story-telling – highly recommended.
The Lake House by Kate Morton
This book has been on bestseller lists for a long time so I finally decided to read it, and it is excellent. The story is a cold case mystery covering 70 years, involving a missing boy. The setting is mostly Cornwall with some London interludes, and the story telling switches between 1933 and 2003. The plot progresses in stages, so the slow reveal produces different stages of suspicion. The ending also includes some resolved sub-plots which are a bit predictable, but overall this is a very entertaining read.
What David Read 