The Book Thief: Review

Author: Markus Zusak

Genre: Fiction, historical fiction, young adult

Pages: 560

Originally published in: 2005

By now the majority of us have heard about The Book Thief and a big chunk of people have already reviewed it, too.  An instant bestseller, followed up by the usual adaptation for the big screen, The Book Thief is still enjoying a massive worldwide following…

He stood a few metres from the step and spoke with great conviction, great joy.

‘Alles is Scheisse,’ he announced. All is shit.*

First of all, I will have to start with the fact that the book is narrated by Death. But of course you already know that as this is the first thing every review on The Book Thief starts up with. Also, the book is centred on a young German girl – Liesel Meminger – who is being separated from her mother and sent to a foster family in Molching, Germany. The year is 1939 and Europe is at war, while Liesel gets used to living with the Hubermanns, consisting of Rosa Hubermann, whose main characteristic is that her favourite two words are Saumensch and Saukerl (they literary stand for the German words for female pig and male pig, but are basically curse words, so you catch the drift); and of Hans Hubermann, the loving accordionist. Anything else you need to know plotwise? As Death conveniently points out at the beginning of the book: “Death will visit the book thief three times.” To be honest, considering these are war times, you could be surprised s/he did not visit her more (dark humour, I apologise).

All in all, The Book Thief follows how Liesel settles in her new home in Molching during the Second World War, but it also reflects on the way people were living during that dark period in human history. So, apart from the usual adventures in which young adult heroes get involved in (such as Liesel and her best friend Rudy Steiner stealing apples), there are also scenes including fanatical Germans and hiding Jews. Of course, a main point to the book is how Liesel turns into a book thief and why she turns into one.

Usually I am not into young adult literature. Maybe because I do not like my books to come with an age-specific sticker on them, but mostly due to the fact that YA doesn’t have the same appeal to me any longer (I mean, when you can dive deep into Dostoevsky, why wasting time with vampires and confused teenagers?). However, The Book Thief is one of those books that do not really carry that same “age-specific” feeling to them and can be enjoyed without thinking of it as a YA.

“In years to come, he would be a giver of bread, not a stealer – proof again of the contradictory human being. So much good, so much evil. Just add water.”

Anyway, on to the specifics.  There are quite a lot of things that make The Book Thief a good novel and it is easy to see why it became a bestseller. Personally, I think its main advantage is that it paints a fuller picture of the life of the Germans in Nazi Germany. Do not get me wrong, it is not a historical piece that gives you all the proper details of Germans’ daily lives. As a fictional piece it has definitely benefited from Zusak’s imagination. What I am trying to say is that it is nice to read about well-known events from a different perspective.

Usually WWII novels focus on the more obvious victims – the Jews on the run, the occupied French, the soldiers in Stalingrad, the separated love-birds, etc. As a result, the other victims – those who are largely seen as the oppressors – only get to be the bad guys, save for a few characters here and there who happen to be hiding people on the run. In The Book Thief the main characters are German – breathing, living Germans whose lives were not made easy just because they were living in the Fuhrer’s state. The book manages to illustrate what an important decision people were making by joining the NSDAP – looking at it from afar we are used to seeing everything back then in black and white. As the book shows all the consequences that come by not supporting the party, it becomes clear that whatever people decided for themselves, it was a very conscious decision indeed.

This is mostly in the adult world of The Book Thief but the little thief group Liesel and Rudy join makes up for a good case study on the German nation back in the day, too. As the group needs a new leader to follow, once the old one has left, and no one, as an individual, has what it takes to take the place of a leader, it becomes clear that they are a microcosm of the state: “They liked to be told, and Victor Chemmel liked to be the teller.” Victor on the other hand possesses of the charisma a leader needs, much like the infamous leader of Germany: “…he also possessed a certain charisma, a kind of ‘follow me.’” Looking at those children, it feels like one is looking at their parents and at their choices. After all, this is a well summed up description of how the collective mind tends to work.

Finally, the books. This is where my disappointment came and slapped me in the face. I do not want to spoil anything for you but Liesel does not end up stealing an awful lot of books! Given the fact that this is the title of the novel, I expected more – I was looking forward to finding out what kinds of books she was stealing, what she was learning from them, and of course finding out if I have read any of the mentioned books. I was looking forward to the adventure, to the tons of books The Thief was stealing, the appetite he had for them – I was expecting a book after a book after a book. Instead I got a Liesel that kept rereading the same three books over and over again (and no, I haven’t read The Grave Diggers Handbook, thank you very much).

I loved Markus Zusak’s writing style and I loved the story. The characters I loved also. What I did not love is how Death had to go around, hitting me with massive spoilers in the face. Yes, I get it, I know this is a narrative tool and it is nothing new under the sun. But come on, what happened to the good old surprise ending? Having a narrator who likes to tell you or foreshadow everything way in advance, is not exactly my cup of tea, and I think if Zusak stayed away from this, The Book Thief’s ending would have had an even greater impact on its readers.  Having said that, I did enjoy the book immensely and I read it quite fast as I found it pretty addicting. Lovely read, will recommend. 

Have you read The Book Thief yourself? Hope you enjoyed my review, I tried to change it up a bit so it is different from every other review on the book, by focusing on a few key points. Let me know what you think!

*You did not expect this quote, did you?

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Rodin: Book Review

When I visited Musée Rodin on a warm spring day last year, I instantly fell in love. I knew that would be the kind of place I would like, but I did not know it was going to turn into one of my favourite museums in Paris (and as we know, there is quite a big competition in this artful city). Truth is, Hôtel Biron is simply stunning, surrounded by gorgeous gardens perfect for strolls in the sun while admiring one man’s undisputable genius.

Although it is undisputable today, Rodin’s genius was not always recognised – on the contrary, some of his work, including his Monument to Victor Hugo raised quite a lot of eyebrows and proved to be among the more controversial sculptures of the time. Indeed, there is a lot more to his work than the eternal embrace in The Kiss.

“Instinct and personal genius were what conducted to the originality which placed his work above and outside its time.”

Author: Bernard Champigneulle

Genre: Art, Non-fiction, Biography

Pages: 288

Originally published in: 1999

Bernard Champigneulle’s Rodin is a well-written and very informative book on the sculptor – it studies his life from early childhood to his final days, reflecting on his relationships with women, family, friends, and other influential figures of the time. From who commissioned some of his most famous works to who hated them and criticized them, this is a great read for anyone who wants to learn more about Rodin.

Make no mistake, Champigneulle’s book is not a novel, or a dramatized retelling of a famous person’s story. This is non-fiction, part of the World of Art series of illustrated books on art and therefore it provides quite a lot of detail into the sculptor’s life – both in the atelier and outside of it, as everything played some part in his working process (isn’t that true for all creators?). However, this does not mean that Rodin is a dry textbook that cannot be enjoyed by anyone who is not after an art degree. It is a great book as long as you are someone interested in sculpture, art in general, influential figures of the 19^th-20^th century, artists who used to work in Paris, European artists, and so on, you get the idea.

The book is set out in chronological order so it follows Rodin’s rising without making needless time jumps and getting ahead of itself and of its readers – something that is quite helpful for a first time reader of anything on Rodin. Furthermore, this is the time to point out that Champigneulle’s book makes for a perfect first read on the sculptor – it provides enough insight into his life to be enough on its own, but it also manages to put a good start to the conversation: it gets the subject out there and invites you to read more into it, to further your knowledge. The book covers some intriguing episodes of Rodin's public life that are full of drama and competition, but it is his love life that probably intrigues most people - indeed, there is time for the great love of his life in this one, too.

As Bernard Champigneulle was the vice president of the Association de Critiques d’Art, it feels like he is just the right person to start you on a journey in art history. He does comment quite a lot on the subjects he discusses and is not afraid to express his opinion on various characters who made an appearance in Rodin’s life – this might feel out of place in other art books, but not in this one as his opinions are not forced but rather feel like gentle remarks and suggestions.

Anyway, apart from the author’s comments, descriptions and retellings, the book is also full of illustrations and pictures of Rodin’s work as well as some of his correspondence – I have always found a biography is not full without a peek into the subject’s letters. After all, how can you get a proper idea of that person otherwise? Isn’t it in their letters where we often find something about them? In the way they refer to others, in the way they talk about what they love, in Rodin’s case – in the way they talk about their creations?

“It needs to be said, and said loudly. This work, which people have laughed at and tried to make fun of because they cannot destroy it, is the end product of my entire life and the very hub of my aesthetic. I was a changed man from the day I first conceived it. I developed along radical lines, forging links between the great traditions of the past and my own time – links which grow stronger with every passing day.”

…As we walked out of Musée Rodin and into its gift shop, I was still haunted by Rodin’s world – its gentle simplicity found in a lovers’ kiss and its quiet genius lingering in every small detail of each and every bust. Oh joy, there is at least one book that has an English Edition sticker on it! I am still working on my French, until then I walk away with this translated copy of Rodin, into the freshly washed by the rain streets of Paris, and with a heart full of happiness that I am bringing a part of this eternal peace with me.

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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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The Miniaturist: Review

Author: Jessie Burton

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adult Fiction

Pages: 424

Originally published in: 2014

“True love was a flower in the gut, its petals unfurling inside out. You would risk all for love – blissful, never without its drops of dismay.”

It is mid-October, 1686, when eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin her new life as the wife of wealthy merchant Johannes Brandt. However, instead of an exciting fresh start next to a loving husband, she is presented with a big, dark house in the middle of the city – her husband absent, and his sister acting as the already established lady of the house. As she gets as a wedding gift from Johannes a cabinet-sized replica of their home, Nella begins feeling more and more as a child and less as the woman, she was ready to become. Her only hope for a change in her lonely days is to focus on decorating her new cabinet. So, she gets in touch with a mysterious miniaturist, paying him to make her just a few tiny figures. However, soon Nella realises she is going to get a lot more than she originally bargained for, and as the miniatures keep coming, so do the surprises from her new family.

The Miniaturist is a brilliant debut novel from Jessie Burton and sets the standards really high for her upcoming work. Beautifully written and with an exquisite attention to detail, this is a book that has the power to haunt you until you get to its end. The characters are very well-written and excellently developed throughout the novel, and as the narrative unravels, so do the character’s deep secrets.

As far as historical fictions go, this is one of the better ones. With the ease of an experienced novelist, Burton takes you from your modern daily life and quickly shoves you in the middle of 17^th century Amsterdam. Her descriptions are so detailed, yet effortless, that you can easily keep up with the story without feeling the burden of an old-fashioned or confusing language. She sets the mood from the start, each description utterly understandable, making you feel as if this old Amsterdam is part of your world, and you can almost smell the freshly baked olie-koecken, almost feel the chilliness of the cold Dutch wind.

What sets apart The Miniaturist from other books of the genre, are the rich comparisons that definitely have the potential to turn into a trademark of Burton’s style in the future. Here are just a few examples: “A few drops fall from the spout, spreading in the cloth like Virgin Islands on a map.” “The waters are gold and crisped to perfection and the rosewater mingles with the warming ginger.” “The sky is a deep river of indigo, the stars pricked like lights in its flowing stream.”

There is some very traditional feeling to the whole novel that derives from the approach taken with the writing. Truth is, a lot of traditional symbolism can be found in The Miniaturist. For instance, the long-established opposition of darkness and light in classical literature has found its rightful place on the pages of this novel, too. When Nella and Cornelia go to the maid’s old orphanage, its building is in a narrow, dark alley, away from the busy, lively street immediately setting the tone of her sad, lonely childhood. This is then, put in an opposition to the liveliness and noisiness of the streets of Amsterdam, where “light” represents happiness and easy life: “the noise of the shoppers in the Kalverstraat is now muffed by the tight walls of the passage,” “but the maid is already walking back up the passage, towards life and light and noise.”

Further in the book, when Nella is disappointed by Johannes’ lack of interest in her and his coldness, she longs for the light outside: “Night has fallen fully. She looks at the lights of the smaller boats, and feels completely alone.” Here, the fall of the night, and with that of darkness, coincides with the “night” in Nella’s own marriage. She is in one of the bigger, more luxurious boats. However, the small light from those smaller boats speak of liveliness, of warmth, and of love. None of which is present where Nella is, resulting in a complete sense of loneliness.

An important theme to historical fiction based at the same time period is usually sexual repression. Indeed, in The Miniaturist this is an issue that has an impact on all its characters. From the very beginning of the book there is some unmistakable, though indescribable as well, sexual tension. Ultimately, unfulfilled desires reign over all characters. Even though that might not be the main focus to the book, it is there through the whole novel, behind every little accidental noise, or escaped gaze. In the end, it is definitely what has its effects on the whole story.

“Madame says love is best a phantom than reality, better in the chase than caught.”

The Miniaturist is about all the difficulties that come with life in a country as religious as the Netherlands in the 17^th century. About the lives of the rich merchants, about selling sugar, and about the mysterious miniatures that suspiciously resemble real people with the greatest of details. However, apart from being a brilliant mystery, The Miniaturist is also about love. Nella comes to Amsterdam ready to love her husband and be loved in return. She often questions herself about the meaning of being a woman, and how much of it is connected to being loved or inlove.  With the progress of the story, it turns out she was not the only character longing for love, but she is the safest one. For the rest of them are quite ready to go great distances for love.

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The Husband's Secret: Review

Author: Liane Moriarty

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit

Originally Published in: 2013

Pages: 406

"People thought that tragedy made you wise, that it automatically elevated you to a higher, spiritual level, but it seemed to Rachel that just the opposite was true. Tragedy made you petty and spiteful. it didn't give you any great knowledge or insight. She didn't understand a damned thing about life except that it was arbitrary and cruel, and some people got away with murder, while others made one tiny careless mistake and paid a terrible price."

Based in Australia, The Husband’s Secret tells the story of three quite different women, whose fates are bound to meet due to one significant event.

Cecilia might be seen as the typical housewife – mother of three, heavily involved in the school’s committee, busy taking care of the whole household, popular among the whole community. One night, however, she finds an old envelope in her husband’s writing, which reads “to be open only in the event of my death.” Of course the problem is her husband is still very much alive. So, Cecilia begins to wonder what could be in that letter and should she open it anyway?

Tess is happily married to Will, has a cute little boy, and her own company with her husband, and cousin Felicity. That is, until one night Will and Felicity admit that they are in love with each other. Ouch.

Rachel is the oldest out of the three and the least happy one. She has lost her daughter when she was brutally killed at the tender age of 17, she has lost her husband a few years later, and now her only happiness in life comes from her little grandson Jacob...Until one night her son and his wife, present her with the news that they are all moving to New York.

Yes, all these women’s lives completely change due to events that happen on the same night, but what is going to bring them together eventually is the husband’s secret. John-Paul’s secret is so great it has the power to impact a lot of people’s lives. So, when Cecilia opens the letter she has to make the greatest decision of her life – to stick to her principles, or to save her family.

The plot of the book is quite intriguing. However, “the husband’s secret” is not that hard to guess once you are a few pages in the book. So, the novel turns out to be quite predictable although there are a few surprises here and there.

A book and a dessert for breakfast!

What the book lacks, however, is a great literary style. Moriarty is not a bad writer but there is definitely space to improve. There is some repetitiveness and the style as a whole needs some polishing. It is not great literature by any means, but for a chick lit – it is still one of the better ones as it is quite funny, yet sad and compelling. A common theme that goes through the whole novel is also the fall of the Berlin wall. It might sound a bit strange and as if it does not make any sense but it somehow works as often different people's lives can be marked by the grand event of the days. Even if they do not realise it at the time.

I have to admit it is quite catchy and despite its flaws, I could not put it down and read it pretty fast. So, although it is predictable, the story manages to also be quite engaging, mostly due to its characters. A lot of readers might not find them exactly likeable but this does not prevent a book from being enjoyable. Personally, I thought they all had their good sides and eventually found myself caring for them. Plus, the book reflects on some quite dark matters such as loss and murder – the way its characters deal with them is the novel’s biggest strength, and where its humanity lays. The choices some of this characters make can be sometimes questionable and yet they feel very much real and believable. Especially when dealing with any kind of loss, there is rarely a right or wrong way to deal with it, which makes some of these people's mistakes easier to comprehend, if not to excuse.

Ultimately, The Husband’s Secret is a good read as it offers some interesting ideas on life and marriage. Even though it lacks in some departments, it is still a book that you can easily enjoy in your leisure time.

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Emma: Book Review

Author: Jane Austen
Genre: Romance, Fiction, Classic
Originally published in: 1816
Pages: 474

“Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.”

Emma Woodhouse is a young, beautiful and rich woman – the perfect match for any gentleman in search of a wife. However, Emma has decided that she will never marry, never fall in love – 'I never have been in love; it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall.' Instead, she wants to dedicate her life taking care of her father and using her ‘matchmaking skills’ for the good of the others – because, of course, Emma knows best when it comes to the romantic lives of the people around her! Busy arranging a suitable match for her very own protégée Harriet, Emma will often get herself and the objects of her aforementioned skills in complicated and bemusing situations. Add to that the much wiser Mr Knightley, the chatty Miss Bates, Frank Churchill, everyone’s favourite charmer, and a whole bunch of colourful characters, residing in the village of Highbury, and you might get the fuller picture.

“I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like”

Was Jane Austen right! Emma Woodhouse is probably one of the most unlikable protagonists you are going to have the pleasure of knowing. She is more often than not quite self-centred and selfish. Not only is she pretty narrow-minded and arrogant, but she is also openly dismissive of people’s qualities if they do not belong to a high social class. It is not helping that her reading of people (and especially of men) and their intentions is the worst of any self-proclaimed matchmaker. Add to that her naïve best friend (or should I say best project) Harriet, and Emma manages to lure another human being into her terrible misjudgements of character. So bad is her reading of common situations that she turns into a very unreliable narrator. And here it gets good.

Yes, Emma is deeply flawed, and this is what makes the novel great. The narrative keeps changing – at moments we see everything through Emma’s eyes, refracted in the prism of her own mind, and yet, at others, the narrator is distant again. As a result, not everything that you see is necessarily true. Just like when you are in a social situation, involving a lot of people, and you happen to misread someone’s remark, you might find yourself, reading, misunderstanding completely a character’s intention, just because of the way Emma has already read it for you. Quite different from what we get in Pride and Prejudice, but a great concept nonetheless.

It is important to point out, that although Emma is highly unlikable at the beginning-to-the-middle of the novel, she does eventually grow on you. With the unravelling of the story, she changes for the better – with each awkwardness, with every confusion, Emma grows up to be the woman she thinks she is at the start of the book. She never was stupid at the first place, but she outgrows her naivety, and with that stops looking like a spoilt little brat.  

As for the story, this is one of those novels where it does not feel like much is happening. Some people get married, some do not, there are a few balls here and there, and lots of little meetings in between, but nothing major. At first I thought the novel really dragged at points – how many times can you possibly read about Emma visiting Miss and Mrs Bates, or sitting in the drawing room giggling with Harriet? But then I realised what made this book such a great piece of literature on the first place. Actually, what makes all Austen books classics? They are a biting social commentary, showcasing women’s dependency on good marriage in Regency England. And when you put Emma into the concept of Jane Austen’s work everything is crystal clear – when you remove all the humour and masterful satire, what Austen is showing us quite clearly is that this was all there was to show! For a woman in Emma’s position – a young single girl of good means, living in 19^th century England, there wasn’t much more to do. Apart from occasional visits to the neighbours, organising a ball maybe once a year, and having a picnic when the weather allows it, there were not a lot of things and places available to her. The novel feels a bit claustrophobic at moments – 400 pages and such a limited space, makes you feel for Emma – especially looking at her life from the perspective of your own time. At first glance, the book might seem limited at its scope, but is in fact illustrating what would have been a woman’s whole world.

Lastly, the characters are, as per usual with Austen, very versatile and utterly believable. It is impossible not to recognise yourself or people from your own family in those characters. And this has to be the best part to Emma – without all those types of everyday people, this look into English society would not be full. At the end, regardless of where you are, you realise that people are not that different. Plus, add to that the usual heavily romanticised English gentleman in the face of Mr Knightley.

To sum up, I do like Emma and would recommend it. It is not my favourite Austen piece, but it is a good piece nonetheless. A clever satire, a masterful look into English society, and a great character study, Emma is not for everyone, but if you stick to the end, you might just enjoy it. 

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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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Gone Girl Review

Author: Gillian Flynn

Genre: Thriller

Originally Published in: 2012

Pages: 463

Surprise, surprise! Guess who read Gone Girl and loved it. You might be tired of hearing how good that book is, but truth is stuff like that should not remain a secret. So, here I am joining the massive fan base that Gone Girl is enjoying today…

Important Note One: Usually, I am one of those snobs who prefer to read the book before they watch the movie. You know the ones: we prefer to be a step in front of everyone else so we can point and laugh at them. So that when we walk into the cinema, we know what we are getting ourselves into. And, of course, we are, thus, able to criticize the film adaptation on a whole more knowledgeable level – you know, we have read the book, and this entitles us of a certain opinion. However, in this case I watched the film first. That is due to the fact that I didn’t even intend to read the book – truth is, the moment I first watched the trailer, I was immediately hooked and could barely wait till the release date. Add to that David Fincher, Rosamund Pike, and a better-than-usually Ben Affleck, and my excitement was getting out of hand. Once I saw the movie…a different story.

Important Note Two: You read a book you love from start to finish. You:

       a)      Immediately write a review on it for your blog

       b)      Take a few days to carefully write a very honest and informative review, full of quotes and witty remarks

       c)      Rave about it for ages, keep postponing reviewing it, finally doing it in a month.

Answer: C, definitely C.

First things first, reviewing books like Gone Girl is a bit tricky since it is pretty easy to spoil them. That is, when there is a twist after twist, you can’t just go and talk about it with people who haven’t yet read it, because you will ruin the whole experience for them. So, I will keep this short.

It is the morning of the fifth anniversary of Nick and Amy Dunne’s wedding, when Amy suddenly disappears. The police’s prime suspect is Nick as everything points to the fact that his wife was growing scared of him. Although he denies it, his charming smile when posing next to the poster of his beautiful, missing wife, is not helping him. So, what really happened? Where is Amy?

The story is gripping – there is a reason I keep seeing people on the underground reading it. Once you start it, you just cannot put it down. What makes it so addictive is not just the mystery element to it, but the characters themselves – they feel real and utterly believable. What Gillian Flynn does in this book is a very honest portrayal of marriage and human nature. It is easy to put yourself on the place of these characters and ask yourself how you would act in such a messed up situation. Would you even put yourself in such a situation? Nick and Amy eventually fall in the traps of daily life – they turn into clichés, into stereotypes – but is that all they are? Sometimes turning into a cliché is what scares us the most and drives us into doing things we wouldn’t believe we would normally do.

“I was the embodiment of every writer's worst fear: a cliché.”

At the end of the book, I find myself understanding all of the characters involved – especially Nick and Amy. You get the feeling that everything comes into place, and even if you didn’t expect such an end – it somehow feels like the only real ending to their story.

Apart from the brilliant psychological side to the book and the very serious matters it reflects on, the story, as a whole, is entertaining. I found myself laugh on more than a few occasions – especially at Amy’s witty remarks. The book definitely did not make me cry, but it made me laugh. A lot. And it made me think about characters. Take the idea of the Cool Girl, for instance. I would not say this is just a description created purely for fictional reasons – the idea of a Cool Girl very much exists in our society. Here are just a few lines from her descriptions and tell me she does not sound familiar: “Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and anal sex, and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she’s hosting the world’s biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because Cool Girls are above all hot. Hot and understanding.”

Another major issue in the book, is the media. In Gone Girl, the outcome of Amy’s disappearance hugely relies on the way the media portrays her, her husband, her parents, her friends and neighbourhood. During the course of the book, you can see both people and police falling in and out of love with Nick, hating him, then admiring him – all depending on the way he is represented in the news. Now, this is what makes the story even more believable and causes you to think about the media age we live in today. For is that not the way we shape our opinions nowadays? Especially when it comes to huge criminal cases: what you see on the news, is what you usually end up thinking.

I recommend Gone Girl to anyone who loves a good thriller, or just a good modern book in general. If you need a break from reading the classics – read Gone Girl. If you need a break from your marriage – read Gone Girl. I am not saying that everyone will love it. What I am saying is this: the book works on many levels and gives a very poignant portrayal of society today, of men and women, and their roles in it. I am pretty sure you will find something for yourself. I do not promise you will like that something.

Did you see my top 5 quotes from Gone Girl? Also, if you have read the book, let me know what you think of it and let's get this discussion going...

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Sunday Brunch: Benedict Cumberbatch

Sometimes you just need a different kind of book...and sometimes you just find something with Benedict's face on it...

A few months back as I walked into my local library, I decided to check out the 'New In' section. And can you imagine my surprise when I saw this lovely book! Obviously I did not waste another minute and immediately got it, the first person in the library to get her hands on it! Undoubtedly,  Being Benedict Cumberbatch is the ultimate Sunday book for every (excuse my language) Cumberbitch.

It is full of pictures of our favourite actor (more than 85 of them to be exact) plus some interesting trivia from his life. It is also pretty up-to-date as it was released earlier this year. Not only does it include facts dating back to when he was just a Cumberbaby, but the style of the writer (Joanna Benecke) is quite laid-back and humourous. It is not your traditional biography, written with a tiny font, consisting of a lot of chapters, discussing its subject's inner struggles with a serious tone. On the contrary, it reminds me a bit of a magazine - with shiny photographs and witty remarks; it does not take itself too seriously, which is a breath of fresh air. It is also a book that is obviously targeting Benedict's fangirls - so if you are one of them, this is the book for you.

Personally, I found this to be the perfect book for me between my reads - I was reading some serious novels at the time, so a light read like that one was the perfect balance in my day and in my reading routine. It is also a fast read, so you can go through all 140 pages quite quickly. Basically, if you are a Cumberbitch - you will like it a lot.

It is not an official biography but is hugely enjoyable and I am sure all fellow admirers of him would like reading it, as it offers a good insights into Benedict's life. You can find it here.

What do you think? Would you read something like that?

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The 13th Juror: Review

Author: John Lescroart

Type: Crime drama

Originally published in: 1994

A court drama that will keep you guessing till the very end.

You might have already heard of John Lescroart as he is a New York Times bestselling author. For the rest of you: his crime novels have been quite popular ever since he wrote Sunburn in 1981. So, I am quite happy I stumbled upon him as I was looking through my mum’s books – I can see why his work turns into an instant bestseller, and here is why.

The 13th Juror is the story of a woman, Jennifer Witt, who is accused of murdering her husband, her son, as well as her first husband, some nine years earlier. Dismas Hardy is the lawyer who takes on her case with the heavy task of proving her innocent when all evidence are against her. But the hardest task is to convince the 13^th juror – the judge.

Now, The 13^th Juror is the fourth book including Dismas Hardy as a main character, but this does not mean you need to be familiar with the first three books in order to understand this one. On the contrary – I would not even guess there were other books with him till after I finished this one, and I researched the author. This is, if you do not have the time to read a series of books, you could easily just pick up on of them, and your reading experience will not suffer. Or if you really like it, then there are 15 books with Dismas as the main protagonist, waiting for you.

The 13^th Juror is a page turner. There is no other way to say it – it is an easy read, and thanks to Lescroat’s understanding of the legal system, everything is well described and explained. As a result, even if your knowledge of American laws and court practise is not so good, you will still understand all the processes followed in the book.

However, why I thoroughly recommend this book, is due to the delicate subject it touches – domestic abuse. The 13^th Juror is a gripping story of a woman, who has been physically abused by both her husbands. This book goes deeper than just describing her sufferings – it examines her mental stability, her very nature. It does not just show the consequences of abuse on a person’s mind, but also how Jennifer has grown up, and what could be the long-term effects of growing up in an abusive home on a young girl’s mind.

Give this one a read if you are on the hunt of a good crime thriller.

Have you read any of the John Lescroart’s novels?

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What to read: Books about Paris

I consider this as quite a popular type of post. Personally, I have read numerous articles dedicated to the best books situated in Paris, or more generally in France. However, I must admit I am purposely on the look for those kind of lists as reading about France has always been close to my heart. Unsurprisingly, one of my all-time favourite books is Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo – it is a classic, and if you have never read it, make sure you find the time – I thoroughly recommend it (do NOT rely on watching some Hollywood movie version of it as they like to completely alter the plot). I am definitely going to dedicate a post specifically for classic French literature as it is among my favourites. This is not that post. Here I offer some titles that you might have not heard of, but are still worthy of your attention if you want to read about Paris. Some of them are better in quality than others but all of them are good in their own means.

1.   The Girl at the Lion d’Or by Sebastian Faulks

Starting with the one of the highest literary quality. The name of Sebastian Faulks might ring a bell? That is due to his popularity because of another one of his novels – Birdsong. The Girl at the Lion d’Or has that same feeling of a timeless classic that you might get from his other work – it is a beautifully written story, full of utterly believable, engaging characters.

Set in a little French village between the two world wars, the story is about a passionate love affair between a young girl, whose life is marked by abandonment, and a rich married man, a veteran from the Great War. Both of them have been affected by the war in two very different ways, and in their eternal struggles they find another person to care for. Faulks is great when it comes to historical fiction and this is not an exception – the narrative is so flawless, it removes the ideas of time and space, and suddenly rural France in the 30s feels like the most natural and well-known place that the reader could find himself in. The descriptions of the people, the landscape, the tiny streets of Janvilliers, all of it comes to life under the hand of a masterful artist – Faulks paints the perfect picture of a time, when people are still trying to come in terms with the greatest war they have seen – yet, the feeling of a new threat is on the horizon, and there is still some air of uncertainty about the future.

The perfect read if you want to know something deeper about France – not just the prettiness of Versailles, but the history that defines a nation.

2.    The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Keeping it in the past with the second novel I highly recommend: The Paris Wife is set in the best time a book about Paris could be set in – the roaring twenties! The times when Paris is more in than ever – everyone wants to be there and run into the great bohemians of the age in a charming café in the Latin Quarter. And this book is dedicated to no other wife, but Ernest Hemingway’s first wife – Hadley.

Paula McLain beautifully writes this from first person – so, as a result the reader witnesses everything from Hadley’s perspective. We are there to meet Hemingway for a very first time, we are there being besotted by his persona, we are with him when he moves to Paris. But most of all, through Hadley, it is easy to see all the struggles that come with being a genius – a literary master, whose books are today sold in millions around the world, but whose beginnings were quite humble. This is the perfect read to get to the heart of his story – through his first marriage, it is easy to gain some idea of his character and even to understand more thoroughly, why decades later, he would be the man to take his own life. Furthermore, the book offers a wonderful insight into the period when Hemingway was writing The Sun Also Rises, making this a valuable read for literary buffs. But above all, this is a story about Hadley – a woman that might be overlooked when considering Hemingway’s life, but who should definitely not be easily forgotten.

3.    Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard

Fast-forward to Paris in the 21^st century and you get Elizabeth Bard’s Lunch in Paris. Now, this is a more practical read as it gives you the idea of the Paris of today (plus some insight into the places to visit). I rank this book very highly as it is a perfectly charming read that can easily transport you to the city of lights due to the lightness of the language, and the effortlessness of the narrative.

In this book, Bard tells us her very own story of meeting her French husband, and deciding to completely change her life by moving to Paris with him (honestly, who can blame her?). What makes the book utterly delicious is the inclusion of French recipes at the end of each chapter – duck, goat cheese, sardines, trout, scallops, macaroons – there is something for everyone. But what really makes this book a must is that it proves to me that a modern author can write a beautiful, true story set in Paris, full of emotion. That is, in an age where we are constantly bombarded by chick-lit of low quality, and constantly reminded that the authors are usually women…it is quite refreshing to know there is a woman who can write in such a beautiful way without falling into the clichés of the trade. Give Lunch in Paris a read and you won’t regret it.

4.    The Art of French Kissing by Kristin Harmel

And here is something that definitely falls in the aforementioned category of the chick-lit. The Art of French Kissing is for the women who want a quick escape to Paris but have no time for it, or the ones who are, indeed, going to Paris in a few weeks, and want some more ideas into places to eat and drink. No, this is not a guidebook, but yes – it gives some good insight into where to go to enjoy the best coq au vin or tart tatin in Paris (the characters visit quite a few restaurants and bars along the pages of the book, and their whereabouts are conveniently shared with the reader).

As for the story, it is nothing ground-breaking in the chick-lit genre – a good-looking American girl just loses her fiancé, her job and her place in the matter of a couple of days, so she jumps into the opportunity to visit an old friend who lives in Paris. There, she is included in her small PR company, handling a new big French rock star. The story is charming, but the author does underestimate her readers – for me, the ‘big’ twist is visible from miles away, even without wearing glasses. Nevertheless, you can easily enjoy this short novel for what it is – charming, easy to read and fabulously set in Paris. 

My favourite quote from The Art of French Kissing - spot on

And what is your favourite book set in Paris/France?

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