Sunday Caught My Interest

It has been a hectic week at my mom’s. I was able to attend her morning book group, an experience I always enjoy. This book group doesn’t discuss a single book – instead each participant shares one book they read that month and if the book is available to share, a sign-up list is created and the books are passed around. It is a great way to find new books and this month the ladies were reading and sharing several good books. Youngest and I spent Thursday at two events for the Dalai Lama in Portland. The first was a interfaith symposium and the second was a talk by the Dalai Lama himself. It was very interesting – fascinating to see someone of his stature. He reminded me in many ways of the character Volya Rinpoche, in Roland Merullo’s novel, Breakfast with Buddha – there was the same fey pleasure in the simple things in life.

Youngest and I did a lot of book shopping visiting three stores in Salem and Powell’s City of Books on the way home this morning. He visited the political section and as my time was limited, I had to be very efficient in the fiction section. I did not get much reading done during the week as I was focused on the NY Times Book Reviews my mother saves for me. But I did finish two books on the ride home. I was a little unsure of The Translation of the Bones by Francesca Kay when I first started it but as I got deeper into the novel, I found it gaining a great deal of strength. The second book was I am the Clay by Chaim Potok.

Here is what caught my interest this week:

One of the things I wonder about writing is how an author who writes a highly successful first novel, ever get the courage to write the second. Chasing Bawa reviewes The Valley of Unknowing by Philip Sington which features such an author – living off the fame of his first novel for the next thirty years. He lives in East Berlin, too complacent to defect, and is just going along with the motions in live. When he is asked to review a manuscript, a “sequel” to his novel, he finds it is both excellent and written by his arch-rival, a young writer who delights in making fun of Krug. Complicating things, Krug falls in love with a young musician from the west who also happens to be involved with the rival. Bawa includes some quotes from the book in her review and they are worth checking out.

kimbofo briefly mentions another book centered around the literary scene, this one set in Belfast during the 1980’s. Jammy Dodger, by Kevin Smith, is the story of Artie Conville who runs a tax-subsidized poetry magazine. However, he and his fellow editor hit a snag when they run out of poetry and are in danger of losing their meal ticket. A scheme is hatched, girls are involved, and the publisher’s description also mentions a giant white rabbit. This one sounds funny and entertaining.

Also containing a literary background is The Whole Wide Beauty by actress Emily Woof. Katherine is the daughter of David Freeman, the director of a poetry foundation who has spent far more time at his work than with his family. Katherine is also feeling stuck in a conventional marriage dealing with husband and family rather than pursuing her passion of dancing. She complicates everyone’s live by falling in love with her father’s protege. Vishy’s Blog has a lengthy review of this book and includes several quotes including this one:

They probably took their dog on the same walk every afternoon. May imagined their lives, conventional, their marriage so faithful and unchallenging. They were perfectly moulded to each other, like two bowls on a kitchen shelf. She could never have chosen a life like theirs, but as she got in her car to drive to Carlisle, she wished for a small measure of their contentment.

Happy reading!

 

 

Finally, Stefanie of So Many Books has an interesting post on Gatsby Mania with some interesting links.

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