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Sis-in-law and me at Hengistbury Head |
It's been over a month since my last
posting, and I have been reading books in various locations around England.
It began with a short sojourn with a set of sibling-in-laws in Dorset, then we enjoyed a road trip to Alnwick in
Northumberland via Lincoln and the Yorkshire Dales! So my blog entry this
time will give a brief account of the three novels I completed on my travels
along with a view of my holiday photos!

I was
very interested to read
Anna Funder's novel,
All That I Am. Following
her non-fiction book,
Stasiland, I
wanted to see how she handled a different genre. The book is based on
research and many of the characters are real people, so perhaps this is
more fact-tion than fiction! Set in
Germany at the time of Hitler's
rise to power, this is an informative read. I learnt a lot about the
inter-war years and the rising tension provoked by the emergent dominance of
Nazism. The main characters are proactive in resisting the pervasive ideology
of the time. The story is told by multiple narrators, weaving a complex
plot from different perspectives. Ruth is the dominant voice, and her character
is, at first, romantic and naive. When circumstances change and she is
forced to flee
Germany
with her husband,she recognises that not everyone can be trusted.
If Ruth is the main voice then Dora is the
tour-de-force of the novel. Her determination and courage drive the plot.
Her personal story of love and political outrage influences the lives of
many of the other characters. Her individual battle against the machinations of
Nazi power are all the more extraordinary by being largely based on facts.
This is a story of complex politics, of
foreign powers ignoring Hitler's growing threat and of personal loves, losses
and betrayal.
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View from Malham's limestone pavement |
My second read was vastly different and begun in the shadow of Lincoln cathedral, continued in the rolling green pastures of the Yorkshire Dales and completed in the bookish Northumbrian town of Alnwick.
Lake House was
an indulgent read. I love
Kate Morton. Her novels are well-constructed, well
written and well plotted. This is not literary fiction, but a good, wholesome
story. So, in essence, it is a relaxing and undemanding novel which
entertains without patronising the reader. The story is set in
Cornwall and is centred
around an abandoned house. The protagonist, Alice Edevane, is a detective who has been asked to remain off
duty following leaks to the press about a case that she was involved in. To avoid
being in
London around the case, she stays with
her Grandfather in
Cornwall
where she stumbles upon Loeanneth House and becomes interested in its past.
The story is well woven, though the ending ties up perhaps a little too
neatly to be fully convincing, but this is not meant to be gritty realism.
It is a book to escape with and enjoy.


And to
round off my fortnight, I read
The
Reluctant Fundamentalist by
Mohsin Hamid. This was
purchased whilst in Alnwick. For those of you who have never visited the
Northumbrian town, there is a slice of heaven in that place.
Barter Books is
a beautiful second hand bookshop which sells antiquarian and collectors' items
and a host of modern titles across the whole range of genre, in both
fiction and non-fiction. It is bliss. Set in the old railway
station, it is vast and evocative. There is a coffee shop/cafe which
sells ridiculously huge portions and serves the food in the old waiting rooms.
The decor is either original or sympathetic, and has quirky additions,
such as the lamp shades being all top hats in the room which dedicates itself
to their very own fat controller. As well as this delightful place,
Alnwick has several charity shops, some dedicated to books, and I confess to
filling an entire bookshelf with my purchases on my return home!

And so to
The Reluctant Fundamentalist; back
to more literary fiction, this indulged my penchant for quirky narrative
voices. The protagonist communicates his whole story in first person and, in
doing so, he constructs a one-sided conversation, building up a picture of the
man to whom he is addressing his words.
How
did I know you were American? No, not by the colour of your skin...nor was it
your dress that gave you away...Instead it was your bearing ..." And so it continues, creating an
image of his listener whilst revealing his own history. His past is
interesting. Raised in
Lahore in
Pakistan, Changez, was awarded a scholarship to study in
Princeton.
Achieving well, he secures an excellent job and continues to outperform
his peers. He meets Erica, a woman who fascinates him, colludes with
him,encourages him, but at the same time remains unavailable to him. The
political background to his American Dream is that of the twin towers and the
subsequent tension and war on terror that resounded throughout the
Middle East. Of particular concern to Changez was the American silence as
India
sought to mobilise against
Pakistan.
The story plays on words and ideas and ideologies. It challenges stereotypes and makes readers look beyond the mainstream news for their facts.
The ending is ambiguous and needs interpretation, but is it also
satisfying and complete. This is a short novel which demands a response.

There...I think you are now up to date!
One final thing before I go...today is A Level results day and I want to
say well done to any of my students who are still dedicated enough to read my
blog! I am proud of your achievements. Number 2 child also got his
results today and did very well indeed. He is going to the city of dreaming
spires. Hats off to him. Hard work, commitment and a dash of genetics has
made a scholar of him! Today I am allowed to be a little bit proud.
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