Posts

#57 A Brief History of Seven Killings, by Marlon James

Image
  Booker Prize :    WINNER 2015 Plot Time and Place :   From 1976 to 1991, Kingston, Jamaica and New York City, USA. Opening sentence :     "Listen. But the dead never stop talking and sometimes the living hear." Plot summary : The novel spans several decades and explores the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in Jamaica in 1976 and its aftermath, through the crack wars in New York City in the 1980's, and a changed Jamaica in the 1990's. Review :   At first it was a slow burner. It seemed too long, and it was hard to keep track of who was speaking, with all the different narrators, times and places. Then it kind of grows on you and it is very realistic and hard, like something from Tarantino. No holds barred. Interesting to learn about the crooked politics, poverty in Jamaica, and the gang life.  Rating :  4/5
Post a Comment
Read more

#56 Amsterdam, by Ian McEwan

Image
  Booker Prize :    WINNER 1998 Plot Time and Place :   90's, London, Lake District, Amsterdam Opening sentence :     "Two former lovers of Molly Lane stood waiting outside the crematorium chapel with their backs to the February chill." Plot summary :  Horrified by how their late friend Molly lost her mental independence before dying, Clive and Vernon make a suicide/ euthanasia pact. They vow that if either ever begins to lose their mental faculties, the other will arrange a legal mercy killing for them. Soon after, both men face crucial moral dilemmas that pit their professional ambitions against their ethics. Review :   I enjoyed the characters, the writer is really good at showing each character's inner lives and thoughts. The book is humorous and at the same time exploring some dark themes, like jealousy, moral dilemmas and revenge. Rating :  4/5
Post a Comment
Read more

#55 The Ghost Road, by Pat Barker

Image
  Booker Prize :   Winner 1995 Plot Time and Place :   During World War I, in France, Britain and a remote island in Melanesia. Opening sentence :     "In deck-chairs all along the front the bald pink knees of Bradford businessmen nuzzled the sun." Plot summary :  Officer Billy Prior has recovered from shell shock and chooses to return to the Western Front in 1918. Army psychiatrist William Rivers remains in England treating severely traumatized men. He remembers his past anthropological fieldwork on Eddystone Island. Review :   I enjoyed the depiction of what it was like in the battlefield. The characters felt very real, like real people. However, I didn't really get what was the author's purpose in throwing the Eddystone Island part into the mix. I felt it didn't have anything to do with the rest of the story. Overall, a very human book against war. Rating :   3/5
Post a Comment
Read more

#54 10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World, by Elif Shafak

Image
Booker Prize :   Shortlisted 2019 Plot Time and Place :   Istanbul, present day. Opening sentence :   "Her name was Leila." Plot summary :  Leila has been murdered and lies in a dumpster, but the brain still works for 10 minutes after death, so she remembers scenes from her life and her friends. Review :  Great. This book is a sensitive and beautiful portrayal of life for women and girls in a conservative society; a love letter to the city of Istanbul; and an ode to friendship. Rating :  4/5
Post a Comment
Read more

#53 Eileen, by Ottessa Moshfegh

Image
  Booker Prize : Shortlisted 2016 Plot Time and Place :  1960's, a small town in New England Opening sentence :   "I looked like a girl you'd expect to see on a city bus, reading some clothbound book from the library about plants or geography, perhaps wearing a net over my light brown hair." Plot summary :  Eileen Dunlop, an unassuming yet disturbed young woman, is trapped between her role as her alcoholic father's carer in his squalid home, and her job as a secretary at the boys' prison, filled with its own daily horrors. When the charismatic Rebecca Saint John arrives on the scene as the new counsellor at the prison, Eileen is enchanted and unable to resist a miraculously budding friendship. But this new affection is about to cost her dearly.  (from thebookerprizes.com) Review : I loved this. Eileen is a fascinating character, so flawed, unhappy, trapped in a miserable life. And I liked the noir atmosphere, the suspense, and the writing. I identified with Ei...
Post a Comment
Read more

#52 Offshore, by Penelope Fitzgerald

Image
  Booker Prize:   WINNER 1979 Plot Time and Place :   Present day, on the Thames, London, England. Opening sentence :   ""Are we to gather that Dreadnought is asking us all to do something dishonest?" Richard asked." Plot summary : " The shortest novel to win the Booker Prize, Fitzgerald offers a delightful glimpse into the workings of the eccentric London community living on houseboats." (from thebookerprizes.com) Review :   I enjoyed the writing and the characters, it was a nice read. Rating :  3/5
Post a Comment
Read more

#51 The Public Image, by Muriel Spark

Image
  Booker Prize:   Shortlisted 1969 Plot Time and Place :   Rome in the 1960's Opening sentence :   "It was the middle of Friday morning". Plot summary :  This story is about a famous actress who worries a lot about her public image and people's perception of her. The men around her (her husband, her manager, her friend) all try to control her, but she fights back and regains some agency. Review : I enjoyed the feminist angle, but the story is just not that interesting.  Rating :  2/5
Post a Comment
Read more