the read feed

Chez Moi by Agnes Desarthe trans. by Adriana Hunter

Chez Moi by Agnes Desarthe, translated from the French by Adriana Hunter, 272 pages.

A book I recommend - perfect for the Lost in Translation challenge of 2009. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Myriam is a mess. On a whim she decides to open a small restaurant after cooking for a traveling circus. She was also a wife and mother not so long ago, but her past comes to light gradually, interspersed with the current day to day of starting a business. Currently she's winging it with the help of her florist neighbor, a gangly but smart waiter, and a farmer with choice produce. What makes this story shine are the descriptions of cooking that are so luscious you can smell and taste them. Myriam's life surges with passion and regret, and the story naturally ebbs and flows in accompaniment. While at times it is difficult to feel sympathy for Myriam, I appreciate a flawed, yet honest character. She doesn't hold anything back, even her disgraces are laid bare.

What this book suffers from may be attributed to improper marketing. It looks like it is going to be a light, almost chick lit type book (from the back cover explanation). Truly, it reminded me of Joanne Harris' Chocolat and I have also seen it compared to Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate. So just don't expect a fluffy story of a woman opening a restaurant - Chez Moi is far more magical and unpredictable. And you may find your mouth watering too.

4 stars

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Here's another review:

http://www.mostlyfiction.com/world/desarthe.html

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, 465 pages.

Having so thoroughly enjoyed Child 44, I thought another international thriller would make for a great beach read. Wow. This one was intense. And not just international in setting (Sweden) but translated from the original Swedish. Translated books makes for another discussion altogether, don't you think?

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist has just come out on the losing end of a court case that destroys his professional reputation. So when Henrik Vanger contacts him with a proposition to uncover the truth behind his niece Harriet's disappearance  - a 40 year old mystery - he has nothing to lose.  Mikael is given free reign, living amongst the Vangers and uncovering their secrets. Meanwhile, street smart and uncoventional hacker Lisbeth Salander, having already investigated Blomkvist, joins him in his quest to find out what happened to Harriet. Lisbeth is unlike almost every heroine I've ever read about - she appears to have no emotions, yet is endearing with a combination of wisdom and a childlike quality . I can't remember where I heard or read that Lisbeth has characteristics of someone with Asperger's Syndrome, but it seems like an apt description.

There were only two things that continue to bother me:

1. An intensely horrific rape scene, that you can see coming and I wish I'd skipped it. (pages 198,199, 201,202) ick. You aren't missing any necessary plot here...

2. And for all Mikael's professional integrity, his promiscuousness was a major character flaw in my eyes. ick again.

The end of the book leads to a questions of sequels...author Steig Larsson passed away shortly after delivering his book to the publisher. The good news for readers, is he also delivered the next two books in the series, the second is scheduled for US publication in 2009. Please don't let me scare you off, it's a worthwhile read. (It is a bit slow in the first 60 pages or so.)

Anyone have experience with Scandanavian literature and would like to comment? Feel free.

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Here is an interview with Sonny Mehta of Knopf.

Other reviews:

Beattie's Book Blog

1 More Chapter

Jen's Bookshelf

The Book Lady's Blog

My rating: 4- stars (I'm wavering b/w 3.5 and 4)

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The Likeness by Tana French

The Likeness by Tana French, 480 pages.

This book picks up six months after In the Woods ends, and Detective Cassie Maddox is still recovering from the intensity of that investigation having transferred out of the Murder Squad. But when one of her old undercover identities ends up stolen and the girl murdered, she is compelled to become Lexie Madison again.

A much different story than the previous psychological thriller, The Likeness still suffers from too much detail and long, unnecessary passages. But the characters are more developed here, and the story is stronger.  I found I was holding my breath on a few occasions while Cassie, as Lexie, continues to play a dangerous game - becoming housemates with the suspects while trying to figure out if they are involved and why.You may be a more patient reader than I, so the extra length may not bother you. I still say it's worth a read - there are some interesting twists and turns and overall I was very satisfied. It is rare that I like a second book better than the first. I can only think that the next one will improve upon what is a very creative addition to this genre.

4 stars

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Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

You already know, I'm not a well versed student of the short story. So if you are like me, this would be an excellent place to start.  I liked EVERY story in this collection. From the first page, each story feels like the beginnings of a novel, but then you realize the sweet payoff is in getting to the end quickly. As soon as I wondered what would happen...the story was finished.  And very satisfying, not in a trite happy ending sort of way.

She is a genius, masterful in her ability to communicate deep human longings through the lens of an immigrant. Each of her characters straddle the cultural line between old and new while desiring connection and understanding, and in some cases you are able to see how this impacts the next generation and their choices.

In this collection, there are 8 stories that are more like novellas than shorts. I must say having read both her novel The Namesake and her other collection of stories Interpreter of Maladies, her gift is truly in writing shorts. And developing characters that are relatable regardless of how or where you grew up. This is the closest to perfect storytelling that I've read.

I'll be curious to see how Jill likes this one, she being my short story reading analysis mentor.

Bravo.

5 stars.

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The Sound of Language by Amulya Malladi

The Sound of Language by Amulya Malladi, 256 pages.

An Afghan refugee and a Danish widower are brought together in an unlikely friendship as they work to overcome tragedy and grief.  Raihana is learning Danish and living with her cousins having fled Afghanistan under the Taliban. She is matched with Gunnar, a widowed beekeeper, in an apprenticeship of sorts, designed to help her become fluent. Their friendship starts slowly and each chapter begins with an entry from Gunnar's wife Anna's beekeeping diary. This is an absolutely lovely book about two cultures, shared pain, hope and redemption. I HIGHLY recommend it. 4.5 stars

Is there a word for the feeling you get when you find an author you like and you find they have written more books? Stoked just doesn't seem quite right. Neither does excited. What do you think?

www.amulyamalladi.com

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