Adderson writes perfect novels of time and place, in this case Vancouver in the early 1980s. A group of young people share a home in Kitsilano, and the description of their lifestyle is fantastic. They are preoccupied (obsessed) with concern about war and the nuclear arms race, and their confusion and angst drives the plot. This is an under-rated novel, so highly recommended.
Category: Location / Setting
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 Mandibles – A Family 2029-2047 – Lionel Shriver
Shriver writes impeccable novels about contemporary issues: the obesity epidemic (Big Brother), health care costs (So Much For That), and a mass killing (We Need To Talk About Kevin) and others (Double Fault is a favourite of mine). In this novel, she describes the near future (2029 and beyond) after the financial collapse of America. Her focus is on 4 generations in a family, so the psychological aftermath is even more chilling. This is an excellent read and very relevant post-2008 financial collapse; what if things had progressed downhill even more dramatically .
Do Not Say We Have Nothing – Madeleine Thien
Thien has written some fine books (Dogs At The Perimeter, Certainty), but this new book is her best yet – an epic story of China. The evocative writing describes the agony of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s leading up to the horror of the Tiananmen Square massacre. There are three central characters that are linked by their passion for music.
The coda at the end of the book describes the first time a lost composition for violin and piano is played: “At first, the violin played alone, a series of notes that slowly widened. When the piano entered, I saw a man turning in measured elegant circles, I saw him looking for the centre that eluded him, this beautiful centre that promised an end to sorrow, the lightness of freedom. The piano stepped forward and the violin lifted, a man crossing a room and a girl weeping as she climbed a flight of steps; they played as if one sphere could merge into the other, as if they could arrive in time and be redeemed in a single overlapping moment. And even when the notes they played were the very same, the piano and violin were irrevocably apart, drawn by different lives and different times. Yet in their separateness, and in the quiet, they contained one another”.
This book has great story telling with some transcendent writing – highly recommended.
Mexican Hooker #1: And My Other Roles Since the Revolution by Carmen Aguirre
Aguirre previously wrote “Something Fierce“, about her revolutionary life in South America after the Chilean coup that killed Allende’s socialist revolution. Something Fierce won the CBC Canada Reads competition in 2012. This new book travels back and forth in time between South America and Vancouver, so both before and after her first book. But the central focus of this book is on the aftermath of a brutal and horrific sexual assault in Vancouver when she was 13 years-old. Her rape was a violent and degrading act of power and aggression, not a sexual act per se. I had the privilege of seeing Aguirre act in an ATP play in September 2013. What I learned from this book is that she had attended a parole hearing for her rapist during the run of this play (he was being held in Bowden Prison). This is an extremely powerful and at times profoundly disturbing book and is not for the faint-hearted, but Aguirre eloquently outlines her path to forgiveness (of herself) and reconciliation.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26067164-mexican-hooker-1
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.
Who By Fire by Fred Stenson
This is a very fine book by one of Alberta’s best writers. First the settings of a 1960s farming family next to a sour gas plant in Southern Alberta and contemporary Fort MacMurray are described perfectly, especially the farming story. And second, the complex relationships are rich with nuance: husband-wife, parents-children, siblings, and so forth. This is excellent story telling on an increasingly relevant topic.
Stoner by John Williams
Bill Stoner lives a remarkably passive life characterized by: (a) a disastrous marriage, and (b) a 20-year feud with his University English Department Head. Indeed, the description of University politics is perfect. He has one brief period of passionate love that is doomed by his naivety. The ending of the book has transcendent writing. This is an excellent read; thanks Sarah for this recommendation.
Minister Without Portfolio by Michael Winter
A Canada Reads contender. The best feature of this book is the physical description of place, especially Newfoundland. The main character, Henry, is hard to feel much about, either positive or negative; his actions often seem confused, especially his relationship with Martha. The theme of Canada Reads this year was “starting over”. Henry’s journey involves several transitions but he doesn’t seem to grow or change that much. Overall, a very good book, deserving to be on the Canada Reads list, but not surprising that MWP was the first book to be voted off the competition.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17829329-minister-without-portfolio
What David Read 