The Thing About Prague: Review

Author: Rachael Weiss

Genre: Travel, non-fiction

Pages: 377

Originally published in: 2014

Prague. A popular European party capital, a thing of beauty in the heart of Europe, a city based between the east and the west, boasting stunning architecture and rich history. Whatever you think of Prague, you probably wouldn’t mind reading a bit more into it, would you now?

As a person that loves reading about travelling, about people who change their lives forever by moving to a completely different country (hell, I did exactly that when I decided to leave it all and study abroad!), I thought The Thing About Prague would be the perfect pre-summer read for me. Yes, I did enjoy it and I read it quite quickly. No, it is not the best piece of travel writing and I did end up giving it only two stars on Goodreads (this still means “it was okay” so it’s not like it was that bad). Anyway, here is what I liked and what I didn’t about The Thing About Prague.

First of all, the book is written by Rachael Weiss (not to be mistaken with the actress) – an Australian mid-level administrator, who one day decided to leave her job and her home and move to Prague to write. However, the expectations that come with this initial plot summary are not entirely met. For instance, this is not the story of a woman who suddenly leaves it all to go somewhere completely anew: she actually has some Czech blood in her veins and when she makes the move to Prague, she conveniently has her father’s old flat to stay in, lounging around it for a few months. Prague is not exactly unknown to her either since Rachael has already spent some time there earlier and wrote a book on it, too – Me, Myself and Prague.

Without being too picky, in the long run this plot setup should not be such an issue – after all we cannot have it all, and there are plenty of other book that are about people who move into completely new places that are not connected to their family tree. So, let’s get to the good parts.

Rachael’s writing is funny and engaging. I always find it interesting to read those kind of books because they are telling genuine everyday stories – nothing too dramatic, yet immensely entertaining. Let’s blame our love for gossiping on this one – overhearing someone else's conversation if you will. And some of her stories are pretty good and easy to relay to, especially if you are coming from or have lived in Eastern Europe! That is to say, her book reminded me how alike we are over there: from the old socialist buildings, to the way people are so laid back about their work they would need a whole week to do something that should only take them a day. Personally, I caught myself smiling when Rachael was saying how the workers that had to fix the pipes in the bathroom said they will only take a day or two. Coming from Eastern Europe, I can assure you: it is never a day or two. Always add a few days on top. Always.

Also if you are someone who lives abroad, you might find this book pretty enjoyable (regardless of the country you reside in). Sentences such as “when you are an expat, you have no choice but to defend your country” certainly point at what we all have in common. By the way, you will notice how Rachael and her friends always refer to themselves as expats and never as immigrants. Fancy. (N.B expat, short for an expatriated person: = a person who is voluntarily absent from home or country; immigrant = a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence).

Although I enjoyed reading The Thing About Prague, it did leave me feel a bit disappointed. I picked it up mainly because I wanted to read about Prague – you know, the city that is in the title of the book. To my disappointment, there was not much about the actual Prague – in terms of its aforementioned beautiful architecture and rich history, in terms of descriptions of places the locals go to eat/drink/party/shop/hang-around/anything. Instead, the book is mainly about Rachael trying to find a flat to buy (yes, to buy – not to rent) and to find a job, which, surprise, surprise!, is pretty hard for a person who only speaks English – not even a bit of Czech. A little mundane especially since she spends most of the time laying around in her dad’s flat – nothing wrong with this story, but not much of a travel writing? Also, she is very surprised to find out how expensive the nice flats by the river are … just because it is Central Europe does not mean that apartments are cheap as chips, you know?

And finally, what really got on my nerves and I just have to talk about it: her ignorance when it comes to European regulations. Sounds like a weird thing to get annoyed about? Bare with me, I will explain! I do realise that she is Australian and very far away from European issues and politics, but she is being well too self-centred when it comes to things that exist for a reason. For instance, she keeps complaining about the European Union making her life very hard – the poor expat that has to do all this paperwork and get all those documents in order to live in the Czech Republic legally. How dare they change their visa regulations? How dare they have any regulations? Don’t they know she is just a woman who can’t be bothered to deal with passports? And then she even goes on to express her annoyance at the Czech joining Schengen because it means more regulations and paperwork for her – are you kidding me? No, seriously, has she not made her research? All this time she spend in Prague and she did not get to know any of the politics and the international relations going on in Europe? Yes, I am sure they wanted to be a part of the EU and Schengen just to f*ck up the poor expat and that is that. (It’s annoying because she never acknowledges that there just might be some reason for the Czech joining all those unions…)

I can say a lot more about my issues with this but I will stop here. Forgetting my rant for a moment, The Thing About Prague is not such a bad book and it does provide some good insight into an immigrant’s life in the Czech Republic. A chapter during the end that involves a scary fellow expat who sounds like a cannibal is especially good and helps make the book worth it. Take Rachael Weiss’ words with a pinch of salt – it is not a boring book but it does not say that much about actual Prague as one might wish. 

Would you be interested in reading The Thing About Prague? What good travel books have you read lately?

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Twisted: Book Review

Author: Lola Smirnova

Genre: Fiction, dark, drama.

Pages: 314

Originally published in: 2014

A dramatic, dark story about sex work in Europe, Twisted had all the potential to be one of those depressing books that show some of the ugliest aspects of life, following truly disturbing events. Yet, it fails in this mission. Unlike other similar novels inspired by true events that can make your whole day miserable, Lola Smirnova’s Twisted is written with an effortless sense of humour, making the whole reading process an easy ride.

The story is centred on three young Ukrainian sisters – Natalia, Lena and Julia. Each of them completely different from the other two, what they all have in common is lack of opportunities within post-Soviet Ukraine. Dreaming of a better life and a job that can bring them quick money, the sisters set off to Western Europe, where they join the growing sex industry of Luxembourg.

The narrator here is the youngest sister – Julia – and she tells the whole story of how they decided to join the sex trade and what that life brought to them, from her perspective. Needless to say, Julia is not the most reliable of narrators, as she is just a naïve, teenage girl, quick to jump to conclusions. Her likeability is also questionable. I have to say I found it really hard to like her since most of her decisions were rather poor and her character pretty tough to connect with. Some might put this down to her young age, but this is certainly not an excuse of the way she treats other people, even her sisters. Anyway, I am not someone who needs to like the protagonist in order to enjoy the book, so this did not bother me at all.

Now, for the sex work and all the details. Twisted is very (very!) graphic – so, be warned! Smirnova definitely does not shy away from sharing with the reader sexually explicit images, and some of those images are going to be hard to wipe out, believe me! The way she describes the many sex scenes is very natural, making the scenes so alive that you can easily see them in front of you, even if you have never been in a similar position yourself (pun unintended). The descriptions come to live, the characters (the many clients that the girls see) – even more so. You might even get a little scared of visiting Luxembourg in case you run into one of those shady men (but then again, don’t forget that this is a beautiful, little European country!).

However, the strongest point to this novel is its humour. As Julia takes us on this ride, she speaks of all the things that happen to her (some of them truly atrocious) with such an easy-going tone and even self-irony, that she makes you feel as if she is telling you the whole story over a cup of coffee. The humour is what makes the book believable. After all, even in the darkest of times, the human mind manages to find some light. Maybe not immediately, but in time – definitely, by the time he or she, is ready to tell their story.

Finally, Twisted is a very interesting, fast paced book. Personally, I do not think it took me more than a couple of days to finish it – the story is too gripping to be put down. I wanted to keep reading and reading, and see what is going to happen to the girls; where is this life going to take them. Thanks to the easy language and the lightness of the prose, this was an easy task. As long as you know what you are getting into, and you do not mind some quite explicit content, you are probably going to enjoy it. And better make your mind up fast for Smirnova is preparing to turn this one into the first title of a trilogy!

I was kindly sent this book by Kelsey from Book Publicity Services & all opinions are mine. For more information on Twisted go here.

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History of a Pleasure Seeker: Review

Author: Richard Mason

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Adult Fiction

Originally published in: 2011

Pages: 280

"There is no adventure in staying at the same place"

When you want to visit Amsterdam, you book a flight and you go there for the weekend. When you want to see Amsterdam as it was in 1907, during the Belle Époque - things get a bit trickier. The best solution I find to this wanderlust, is reaching for History of a Pleasure Seeker.

The story is about Piet Barol - a young man with humble beginnings, who leaves the Dutch province in order to be a tutor for the son of a wealthy family in Amsterdam. While residing in their mansion, Piet has the opportunity to observe everyone living there - from the servants, to the masters - quietly finding out everyone's secrets, seducing them one by one. His intelligence and his charisma prove to open a lot of doors - an ambitious young man at the dawn of the 20th century, Piet will use all his carefully manufactured qualities in order to succeed in life. Which, for him, means wealth and indulgence.

History of a Pleasure Seeker is wonderfully written by Richard Mason - marvellously witty, it is a combination of humour and erotica, making it a great read for both hot summer nights and chilly winter evenings. Have you ever thought that your usual period drama lacks a bit of sexuality? History of a Pleasure Seeker is the one for you then. It is both a period piece that gives a greatly detailed look into the Dutch society of the Belle Époque, and a deeply erotic story. The characters are developed to a very intimate level - by examining their sexuality, Mason paints a more thorough picture of their true natures. He reflects on the effects of sexual repression, the nature of desire and how one deals with it - as we keep reading, we see that Piet is a man of many pleasures, who is not afraid of experimenting in order to satisfy his wants.

“The adventures of adolescence had taught Piet Barol that he was extremely attractive to most women and to many men. He was old enough to be pragmatic about this advantage, young enough to be immodest, and experienced enough to suspect that it might be decisive in this, as in other circumstances.”

This is the kind of novel that heavily relies on its main character. And what a protagonist we have here! Piet is handsome, intelligent, ambitious and witty - he knows what he wants and seemingly, nothing will stop him on his way to getting it. The world of money and pleasures is his aim, and in pursuing it he becomes less and less apologetic. Even though you might question some of his decisions, there is something to admire in a man who is so strongly driven to achieve his goals.

The book is not for the fainthearted – if you are used to rosy romances, this is not the one for you. The matter of sex is a driving force for this novel, so there are more than one or two erotic scenes, and they are all described with quite the detail. This is what is so great and refreshing about it – just because the story is situated during sexually repressed times, long before the sexual revolution changed the way we talk about sex, it does not mean that people were not having it. And do not think that those moments are just thrown in the book in order to make it spicier or to provoke its readers – on the contrary, these erotic scenes will help you understand the characters more. Reading about it will give you a far better idea of who Piet, Jacobina and Maarten are. Some detail might make you feel uncomfortable, yes, but this is the kind of daring writing that I love – everything feels real: there is no sugar-coating, but no unnecessary brutalities either.

A great read, History of a Pleasure Seeker is the kind of novel that grips you from the start and holds your attention till the very end – it won’t take you a lot of time to finish this one. It is that enjoyable. 

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