Friday, December 28, 2007
Sida för sida...
Monday, December 17, 2007
En ny människa!
Tack till alla som lyckönskat via sms, telefonsamtal och ombud. Det värmer! Nu ska vi njuta av ledigheten tillsammans med pappa Fredrik och återhämta oss i lung och ro.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Sharp Objects
Author: Gillian Flynn
Phoenix, 2007 (2006)
Wow! In this creepy debut, Twin Peaks meets James Lee Burke and the mix is an ever increasing fear factor without gory bodies or post mortems. Chicago reporter Camille Preaker is sent back to her Missouri home town to write about two child murders. But as the story moves along, it turns out that what is truly scary in Wind Gap, Missouri is not the two murders so much as Camille's mother Adora and thriteen-year-old sister Amma. The story unravels at the same pace as Camille does and this particular crime genre should be called Sicko Suburbia. Read it!!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Bokhyllan som identitetsmarkör
Själv tillhör jag den minoritet som gärna uppehåller mig vid bokhyllan när jag är på besök hos folk, utan att för den sakens skull vara snar att döma ut folk efter innehållet; så länge bokhyllan faktiskt innehåller böcker och speglar en viss läsglädje känner jag mig lugn och trygg som gäst. Bokhyllor som innehåller annat än böcker, eller en total avsaknad av böcker överhuvudtaget gör mig dock misstänksam och får mig att tänka på de människor som med missklädsam stolthet säger att "jag har minsann aldrig läst en bok i hela mitt liv och det har gått bra för mig ändå". Jag kan inte annat än att erkänna att jag ser på människan med ömkan och medlidande.
Är inte detta elitistiskt kan man ju fråga sig. Jo, det är det säkert. En god vän har dessutom kommit med den rätt insiktsfulla kommentaren angående bokhyllor att de är skrytbyggen folk använder för att annonsera sin egen förträfflighet med, vilket det säkert ligger en hel del sanning i. Tänker jag närmare efter går ju böcker i vuxen ålder att ersätta med annat. En passion för musik t.ex. eller film eller resande. Poängen är väl att det är rätt sunt att vidga sina vyer; att inte glansögt, apatiskt svälja bara det som finns rakt framför näsan på en. Då får jag väl vara elitistisk då, för kom inte och säg att människor vars referensramar förnöjsamt begränsas till Trellehulla, Expressen och Idol är lika intressanta som människor som vill möta allt spännande världen har att erbjuda och dela det med andra.
Friday, December 7, 2007
The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Diane Setterfield
Orion Books, 2007 (2006)
This is a novel where good old story-telling is the centerpiece. Not language, or narrative tricks or media hype. Thus, it is something to save for Christmas, something to cosy up with in a big armchair with a huge cup of tea and just let the pages carry you off into a different time and a different world. Which they will.
Enigmatic and celebrated author Vida Winter has lied to and misled journalists about her background throughout her splendid career, but as her life is coming to a close, she is ready to tell her story - the thirteenth tale - to a biographer she has chosen herself. This biographer, Margaret Lea, is invited to Winter's reclusively situated Yorkshire estate, to hear her story. But Margaret will find that history is not something that is just unfolding in the past, it is very much a part of the present. Read it!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Att föda
Författare: Gudrun Abascal
Månpocket, 2006
I början av graviditeten läste jag om förlossningens förlopp i ett par andra böcker och fick lite intrycket av att det var en rätt så komplicerad historia. Sedan lade jag alla sådana tankar på hyllan och bara var gravid. Så här mot slutet har jag efter flera rekommendationer dock läst valda delar av Gudrun Abascals bok och hon är en väldigt förtroendeingivande följeslagare i den här frågan. Utan att summera eller skumma över ger hon en tydlig, intressant och lättfattlig bild av både "normala" och mer ovanliga förlossningar, spädbarnet och allt annat som kan förknippas med förlossningsupplevelsen. Skulle jag gjort om det här för första gången igen, hade jag struntat i de andra böckerna och bara använt Abascals som referensbok.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Månadens böcker - november
Monday, December 3, 2007
A Xenophobe's Guide to the Swedes
Author: Peter Berlin
Oval Books, updated version 2007 (1994)
This could have been funny and I think a non-Swede would have done a better job than an ex-Swede. There is a none too subtle tone of criticism and one can see Berlin congratulating himself on having escaped such a place as Sweden. He pokes fun and makes jokes but without tenderness or even a wink.
Some things I can relate to though: we are a bit square, for instance, something that becomes very obvious when you live close to Denmark at least, and punctuality is important to us - at least to me! But don't tell me we don't queue in Sweden; we are as good as the English! One thing that becomes clear when reading a book like this is that we are all individuals and that in a world where boundaries and borders (to Westeners) are erased by increased travel and the Internet, it becomes more and more difficult to pin down specific nationalities.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Author: Bill Bryson
Black Swan, 2004 (2003)
It took me a while but I finally got through it, and I'm happy to announce that it was well worth the effort. From being a science imbecil, I have now evolved, thanks to Bill Bryson, and feel as if I would actually be able to hold my own in, at least, an ill-informed, sketchy, generalistic discussion on the subject. Victoria may need more to prep for the Nobel prize dinner, but this would certainly make a good start.
Bryson covers indeed, nearly everything: the very big (cosmos) and the very small (the atom), as well as the history of the universe, our planet and its inhabitants. This is the perfect book to read alongside something else. It is not as wildly funny as Bryson's other books, but on the other hand the subject matter is more interesting on its own behalf, as opposed to say, the queing practises of the English which might need a bit of humor to engage the reader.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Oönskade stackars böcker
PS. Sambafotbollsboken är nog Fredriks...kanske måste fråga honom först.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Love in the Time of Colera
Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Vintage, 2007 (1988)
He's a Nobel Prize winner and I have been known to appreciate Magic Realism before but somehow Marquez just does not do it for me. I tried One Hundred Years of Solitude earlier this year and was, quite frankly, bored. I have now given him a second chance (on the urging of my friend Daniel) and I am, unfortunately, still bored.
This love story is pointless, tiresome and decidedly not sexy. The only fun character is Fermina Daza and Marquez keeps leaving her to her own devices. If someone sees me trying Marquez again, have the good sense to stop me. The world is filled with novels that are more up my alley.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Trösta dig med Jane Austen!
Jajamen. I ett samhälle där det passionerade, utsvävande sexuallivet (som beskrivet i kvällspressen med fontänorgasmer och hela baletten) hyllas, samtidigt som det är den duktiga kvinnan - hon som klarar allt från att inreda hem och kocka ihop snitsiga bjudningar till att förhandla fram ekonomiska avtal och leda företag - gärna iförd stilettklackar a la Condi Rice - som premieras och lyfts fram så är det lätt att bli förvirrad och undra vad som egentligen förväntas av en. Då är det så skönt att plocka fram Austen och läsa om en tid när allting i våra ögon verkade vara så mycket enklare. Fontäner handlade alltid om vattensprutande trädgårdsornament och inget annat, och var du duktig och ordentlig så fick du en finfin man och hans kungarike på slutet. Det är väl inte konstigt att detta scenario ibland kan tilltala dagens kvinnor?
Friday, November 23, 2007
Ultimate guide to understanding literature!
Author: M.H. Abrams
Harcourt Brace, 1993
This dictionary was on my reading list at some point during my time in Lund studying English, and I still hold it dear. It has been invaluable to me upon several occasions in the past years and will be in years to come I have no doubt.
This user-friendly dictionary gives comprehensive yet fathomable explanations to most literary intricacies that people who are interested in literature as more than a casual past-time will come across, such as "sream of consciousness", "transcendentalism in America", "new criticism" and "epic similes" to name a very few. It is the ulitmate companion for those of us would like to understand the art of writing or be able to explain it to others.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Vi som aldrig sa hora
Författare: Ronnie Sandahl
W&W Pocket, 2007
Tonåren, dvs. högstadie- och gymnasieåldern är en tid i livet som har sina egna regler. Man tillåts vara ballare, bängare och sjukare i huvudet än under någon annan period i sitt liv. Men Gud nåde den som inte tar sig där ifrån, vidare, mot det riktiga vuxenlivet, bort från barnsligheterna.
Den här romanen handlar om de som stannar kvar. Samma vänner, samma språk, referensramar, fritidssysselsättningar och känsloliv. De är patetiska och djupt tragiska. Frippe är den som har mest att tjäna (på ett väldigt ytligt plan) på att inte utvecklas. Hannes försöker bryta sig loss och skapa sig något annat men finner sig själv tillbaka på ruta ett. Kristian är den officielle losern av de tre, men de andra kan bära det epitetet med lika stor rätt. En mörk roman som man måste vara lite på humör för att svälja.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Grass is Singing
Author: Doris Lessing
Flamingo Modern Classic, 1994 (1950)
When talking about this year's Nobel Prize Winner, I kind of got the feeling that she was a bit boring. Stuffy. Well, if she is now, she wasn't when she started out. This is her debut and it's brilliant: if you haven't read it: do, if you have: do it again!
This South African novel starts in the middle of nowhere, with the murder of a poor farmer's wife. The killer is her servant - a black man. As we go back in time and get the full story of this woman, who turns out to be almost a freak of humany - someone who has abdicated from her emotional life altogether - the nature of the unforgiving landscape haunts us as it does her. This is a chilling tale; it made me dream of water snakes, circling me.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Mycket är vackert!
Om det är så att folk när den kommer eller till jul (eller om detta t.o.m. sammanfaller) vill komma med gåvor till den, ibland är det ju på det viset, så finns här en liten önskelista till höger som man kanske kan ha användning för. Den fylls av och på allt eftersom.
En annan viktig fråga är bloggen. Jag när en from förhoppning om att det kan vara okej att inte bara bokblogga utan även bebisblogga lite när den tiden kommer. Därför har jag öppnat en liten omröstning för detta. Svara ärligt - vill ni hellre läsa om Moody, Oates och Lessing och betackar er för allt som rör stormande föräldrakänslor och en och annan bebisbild så skriv det! No offence taken.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Grabben i graven bredvid
Författare: Katarina Mazetti
Alfabeta, 1999
Den här frodiga romanen har jag alltid gillat. Kanske känner jag mig en aningens mer skeptiskt inställd till slutet nu än vad jag gjorde för fem år sedan, men berättelsen är varm och bjuder på många skratt. Den är väl värd en omläsning, särskilt med tanke på att det tar ungefär fem röda.
För alla er som missat både bok och film: den strama bibliotikarien Desirée träffar mjölkbonden Benny och de drabbas av den stora passionen. Två i grund och botten väsensskillda människor försöka hitta ett sätt att dela sina liv på riktigt, men övervinner verkligen kärleken allt?
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The Gathering
Author: Anne Enright
Vintage, 2007
Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2007. Ireland. Pain and strain. Child molestation. Well, I don't mind reading about Ireland. The other things, however, are features overused in literature if you want to know what I think, especially sex crimes against kids. It seems to be the favoured excuse of everyone who wants to write a gripping tale of how very difficult life can be, and to me that is a bit speculative and sensationalistic.
It is still fairly good (especially if you are the masochistic type). The narrator is an Irish woman who has just lost her favourite brother, Liam. Before the large family gathers to take their farewells of Liam, we accompany her as she slowly unravels as she tries to come to terms with his death.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Mer från läsboken!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Magnifika biografier!
- Albert Speer - His Battle with Truth och Cries Unheard - The Story of Mary Bell, båda av Gitta Sereny. En del personer har levt så rafflande liv att nästan vem som helst skulle kunna skriva en intressant biografi om dem; andra är inte lika lättillgängliga och kräver en skicklig biograf. Gitta Sereny tillhör den senaste kategorin. Hennes känslighet och insikt resulterar i biografier som lever kvar länge hos läsaren.
- Fanny Burney av Claire Harman: en av upplysningserans mer obskyra kvinnliga författare får här sitt rättmätiga utrymme. Det som stannat kvar hos mig är dock beskrivningen av Burneys hysterektomi - utan bedövning.
- The Mitford Girls av Mary S.Lovell: Mitfordsystrarna är som gjorda att skriva biografi om! Även Cecilia Hagens dito är läsvärd. Lovell har även skrivit Bess of Hardwick som jag recenserade tidigare i år. Hon är vass!
- The Six Wives of Henry VIII av Alison Weir: den här historiska dokusåpan hade jag nog kunnat läsa om hur många gånger som helst. Weirs version var den som väckte intresset för spoken hos mig och hon är en otroligt produktiv biograf.
- Samuel Pepys [pi:ps] The Unequalled Self av Claire Tomalin: killen levde samtidigt som den stora branden i London, Cromwell och Charles II; han älskade sin fru men var förtjust i töser av alla de slag och han skrev dagbok under hela sitt liv. Dessutom hamnade hans liv i en förstklassig biografs händer. Omöjligt att misslyckas!
- Katarina den stora av Henri Troyat: shit pommes frites vilken brud. Liten tysk prinsessa kommer till bamse-Ryssland och gifter sig med halvknäpp tronföljare - och tar över hela kalaset!
- Nikolaus och Alexandra av Robert K. Massie: döttrarna, den blödarsjuka tronföljaren, den tyska tsaritsan, Rasputin och slutet i källaren i Jekaterinburg; här finns alla ingredienser för en fantastisk historia.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Hemma hos Martina
Författare: Martina Haag
Piratförlaget, 2004
Nämner man Martina Haag kan man få rätt så olika reaktioner. En del tycker att hon är en ytlig tramsbrud som borde ignoreras och andra anser att hon är ett komiskt geni. Själv kan jag väl tycka att geni vore att ta i men jag är alltid nära att pinka på mig av skratt när jag läser henne. Och det är för mig ett betyg så gott som något.
I denna får vi följa hennes graviditet med det sista barnet och tiden därefter. Hennes drömmar om organisation och flärd kommer gång efter annan på skam och hon står kvarlämnad med ett stökigt hus där spisen är paj och karlen stjäl hennes heliga, nyinköpta glamourstrumpor. Om ni någon gång känner för ett "billigt" skratt - köp och läs. Man får vara ytlig ibland.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Faction poll
So, I can safely conclude that faction is an appreciated genre, even though I have been recently disappointed by one such novel lately (see the previous post). Happy reading, folks!
Poll results:
-Faction is boring: 4 votes
-Faction is potentially dangerous: 1 vote
-Faction is interesting: 8 votes
-Faction is confusing: 2 votes
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The Castle in the Forest
Author: Norman Mailer
Abacus, 2007 (2007)
In the poll on the left, 61% of the votes indicate that this genre is interesting and 30% say that it is boring. In the case of this novel the genre's fans will be disappointed. On the other hand, the few worriers who fear the novel might be confusing or potentially dangerous, need not man the barricades in outrage, as this review will calm them.
The idea was interesting: a novel focused on Hitler's childhood during which he is guided by one of the Devil's minions who is also the narrator. It's a pity that the execution of the idea is a meandering, nasty morass. My expectation was that Mailer would make the fictional Hitler come alive, unbound by the restraints of historical fact. The only characters who come close to this are Hitler's parents and older siblings. Hitler the child, is still a hazy figure, fogged in by those close to him.
The only controversy Mailer introduces to Hitler's life is the taint of incest and sexual escapades of various sorts and Hitler himself is actually innocent of these shenanigans. It is his father and older brother who are the actors here. Furthermore, there is no doubt in my mind that these frequently sordid elaborations are figments of Mailer's dirty old mind, and has nothing whatsoever to do with historical fact. As I said, I do not get a clear picture of Hitler, but I do get a very vivid image in my head of Mailer himself, sitting at his desk writing, with a licentious leer on his face as he describes how the 13-year-old Alois Hitler Junior gets a blow-job from a urine-smelling beekeeper. I was impressed by The Naked and the Dead. I am not impressed by The Castle in the Forest.
PS. I have just learnt that The Castle in the Forest has been nominated for Literary Review's award "Worst Sex Scene of the Year". I rest my case.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Månadens böcker - oktober
- The Secret History av Donna Tartt - denna minns jag med absolut störst nöje av månadens böcker, och det var den jag läste först. Smygande, rysligt, kallhamrat. Läs den om ni inte gjort det: skit i att baksidestexten är vag - det löser sig!
- The Echo Maker av Richard Powers - med visst avstånd ner från ettan placerar jag denna. Intressant om hjärnans virvelgångar och suggestiv miljö.
- Gilead av Marilynne Robinson - på nästan samma placering som ovanstående kommer denna, en stark berättelse om att göra upp med det liv man levt.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Marley and Me
Author: John Grogan
Harper, 2007 (2006)
I really like dogs. I like their attitude to life, their antics and pranks. This is especially true of big dogs, real dogs. I'm not much for the small, poochie kind. And maybe that is why I appreciated this memoir so much. It is the memoir of Marley the dog really, told by his loving owner John, who got Marley with his wife, started a family and raised it during Marley's lifetime. Marley has a larger-than-life personality and he reminds me of the dog my au pair family had when I stayed there - Phoebe! No manners, eats everything and loves you to death! For everyone who loves dogs this is an easy, amusing read - except at the end when, I admit, tears poored down my cheeks. Because, well you know how all good dog lives end eventually... Read it and laugh - and weep!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Bloggens föregångare
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Rösta i faction-frågan!
English: Don't forget to vote on the faction issue! Faction is a genre where the made-up story is based on real events and real people. Joyce Carol Oates novel about Marilyn Monroe (Blonde) that came out a few years ago is a good example. This book was based on the life of Monroe but Oates had used the riveting truth as a basis for further speculation of her own. Do you think this is and interesting type of literature, or is it just confusing? Vote in the poll on the left!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Outsiders
Author: S.E. Hinton
Puffin Books, 1997 (1967)
This true teen classic has probably been used a gazillion times in classrooms across the United States and Europe. It is dramatic with its two gangs of kids - rich and poor - and characters you can warm to, be they arrogant abusers or hounded deadbeats. The focus is on the kids from the wrong side of the track and they have all the trademarks usually found there: social strife, money troubles, and academic difficulties. But there is also kids who break this mold and above all, integrity, lojalty and love. My experience when reading it in class, is that teenagers can still relate to the issues brought up in the novel and appreciate it. And for those who are inclined towards cinematic experiences there is also the movie where Tom Cruise has a fantastically adventurous set of teeth!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Gilead
Author: Marilynne Robinson
Picador, 2005
This Pulitzer Prize Winner takes concentration on the reader's part, otherwise it is just bland, which I noticed when I tried to read it in a state of zonkyness one night. An old Bible-belt preacher has been informed by his doctors that he does not have long to live. The year is 1947 and he sits down to write a letter to his young son, who is only seven. It is a kind of closing of the accounts of life as the old man tries to come to terms with death as well as life's unfinished business.
The novel is decidedly pro-religion even if it deals with doubt to a certain extent. I don't mind it, since I don't feel it is art's responsibility to be politically correct. Also, it is enriching to view life from a completely different standpoint once in a while. If anyone is interested in reading a novel that presents religion in a more problematic way: try Robinson's first novel Housekeeping, which is also very good.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
And Then There Were None
Author: Agatha Christie
HarperCollins, 2003 (1939)
The fact that this classic whodunit has sold over 100 (one hundred!!) million copies speaks for itself. It may also be an indication that no review is necessary because you have all already read it. Well, nevermind, any reason to clutter up the web is good enough for me. Basic intrigue: ten people, all individually responsible for someone's death and unpunished for it, arrive at secluded island and one by one they are killed off by the elusive U.N. Owen.
This is the third or fourth time I read it with students. Most of them like the story; some find the language a bit old-fashioned and difficult to penetrate; others manage it just fine. And always, the question is raised: why did they have to rename it??!! A perfect entry point for those of us amused by that particular discussion which I am, from time to time. Enjoy!
Saturday, October 27, 2007
The literary globetrotter!
But, then I thought, why feel bad when I have no immediate desire to have the runs ( I have ulcerous colitis - I know the runs!), or sleep on cots with friggin' scorpions crawling beneath my uneasy dreams? I enjoy my supercomfy bed, my sofa in the morning and our temperate climate. Therefore, I decided to wallow in my geographically stale state and make a map that will make me the most well-travelled person ever: where have I travelled using the means of literature (instead of shabby Russian planes)- and if I want to spice things up - when have I travelled? This amazing new blog feature will take some work of course, but boy oh boy, will you weary wanderers be impressed when you see it!
Friday, October 26, 2007
80 romaner för dig som har bråttom
Författare: Henrik Lange
Kartago förlag, 2007
Idén är god och det var med stora förväntningar jag började bläddra i den här lilla historien. 80 romaner vardera sammanfattade till en seriestrip på fyra bilder kunde ju blivit alldeles, alldeles underbart. Men, det blev det inte. Romanerna är reducerade sönder och samman till skuggor av sina forna jag och några nyckelhändelser och en tillstymmelse till intrig är (i bästa fall) allt som finns kvar. Lange har inte lyckats fånga känslan eller stämningen i verken vilket jag ändå tycker borde vara möjligt. Detta är 80 romaner för dig som har bråttom, vilket författaren själv verkar ha haft för han har nog inte tagit sig tid att läsa och begrunda dem som han borde.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Notes from a Small Island
Author: Bill Bryson
Black Swan, 1995
Parts of Bryson's non-fiction trip through Britain are fantastic, for instance when Bryson makes a case for Britain's eminent suitability as a Communist state: "It has long seemed to me unfortunate ... that such an important experiment in social organisation was left to the Russians when the British would have managed it so much better". (p.68) And after hearing him out, and almost wetting myself, I agree. The British stiff-upper-lip approach to life would have served them well in a totalitarian state.
However, the book is uneven, and the hilarious parts are not seldom followed by mediocre ones. But, hey, you can skip a few pages here and there. Bryson does not seem to be the sort of fella who would mind!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Datorns lockelser...
Jag får tyvärr ta och hålla med. Bloggen får överleva och photoshoppandet har jag redan dragit ner på. Och kanske kräver facebook någon slags gräns - bara två inloggningar om dagen - eller något i den stilen. Msn får jag helt enkelt avinstallera innan jag träskat ner mig alldeles. I denna nya andas tid, ska jag hem och banne mig läsa ut Notes from a Small Island så att jag blogga den imorgon. Daniel får helt enkelt vänta på mitt nya drag i Scrabulous (fabulous facebook application!)!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Seinfeld literary dialogue!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Faction friction!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Hatchet
Author: Gary Paulsen
Macmillan Children's Books, 1996 (1987)
This is an exciting novel for young people! Brian Robeson a 13-year-old American kid who is going to visit his father in Canada over the summer, when the pilot of the small plane which is to take him there suffers a fatal heart-attack. The plane crashes in the middle of the North American wilderness. As a puny, modern Robinson Crusoe, Brian, the typical city boy, has to fend for himself and survive in the dense woods.
I use this book for the English A-course and as a bonus to all teachers, this story is rife with passages where you can test the students' ability to read between the lines! Also, for the kids who really take a shine to the book, there are sequels!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Century - libra fantastica!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Läsning - en unisexhobby?
Saturday, October 13, 2007
What is the What
Author: Dave Eggers
Penguin Books, 2006
I loved Dave Eggers first novel, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, which, incidentally, also had one of history's best titles. How a true story about losing both your parents to cancer (within three months of each other) and being stuck raising your kid brother can be wildly funny, I'll never know but it was. His second book, You Shall Know Our Velocity! was too depressing to finish, and his third went ignored by me.
Therefore, I started his fourth book feeling hopeful but a bit wary. I need not have worried. It is based on the true story of Valentino Achak Deng, a Sudanese refugee, living in America. Since I know very little of the conflict in Sudan this is an interesting read merely because of its subject matter. To make the experience even more worth while, Edders is a good writer and a tender biographer. Deng's voice is present at all times, without compromising the literaryness of the work. Definitely worthy of people's attention!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Doris Lessing - reading tip!
In this slim volume Lessing introduces a young couple eager to start their life and family together in their newly purchased, rambling Victorian house. The first child, however, gives mother Harriet reasons to worry while still in the womb, and her fears are realised when it turns out that the boy, Ben is indeed - dare we say it - born evil .
The family grows, as do the problems with Ben and the family is emotionally torn asunder while trying to cope with him, each in their different ways. The novel is interesting for taking on life when you're dealt cards you did not expect and because it raises the very taboo question of children who seem evil. Harriet's own theory to explain her son's' behaviour is extraordinary, but that's a nugget I'll leave for you to discover.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Tydligen måste man jobba...
Idag är det ju dessutom dags för Svenska Akademien att avslöja årets Nobelpristagare i litteratur. Spännande. Det må vara hänt att det är dags för en lyricist, men jag är ju prosaälskare så mina förhoppningar ligger där. Blir det Philip Roth får jag dock stora toktuppjucket. Maken till mansgris är svår att hitta... även om det finns en del att välja på. Den som lever (kl. 13.00) får se!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Uppdrag: familj
Redaktör: Karin Salmson
Månopocket fakta, 2006 (2005)
Uppdrag: mamma var mestadels rolig och kanske speglar det hoppfullheten och den gränslösa glädjen som (förhoppningsvis) råder när man nyss satt ett litet barn till världen. Uppdrag: familj är avgjort mörkare. Här har vardagen hunnit ifatt föräldrarna vi mötte i den förra samlingen. Barnen har blivit större, fler - och föräldrarna jobbar, ofta något rent kopiöst verkar det som. Flera inlägg är trots detta vackra, som det om mannen som i vuxen ålder lärde sig leka när hans son kom till . Vilken värld de upptäckte! Och andra artiklar är naket självutlämnande, som det om den ensamstående mamman som försöker köpa sig fri från skuld - och misslyckas. För att muntra upp mig själv när jag läst färdigt, säger jag till mig själv: går det åt helvete så är vi i alla fulla fall tillräckligt många pumpgångare för att bilda stödgrupp.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
The Echo Maker
Author: Richard Powers
Vintage, 2007 (2006)
This novel was the National Book Award Winner of 2006, and that's no surprise! Some books can be about anything because a supreme language and narrative voice can make any story interesting. The Echo Maker has that, but the plot still transcends its form. Here, the brain and its myriad meandering ways is the real protagonist.
A young man ends up in a coma after a mysterious high-speed car crash. His only living relative, his beloved sister, rushes to his side, but when the man wakes up, he thinks she is an imposter posing as his sister. The sister calls in a famous neuro-scientist to help her brother, but eventually, they all end up disoriented as to who they are. The story is set in Nebraska and the migrating cranes of the region serve as a parallell to the three characters' sense of loss. Any drawbacks? Could be shorter. But, then again, I almost always say that.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Poll - what kind of format is preferable?
I will have to think about a question for a new poll that interests more than nine people though. Any suggestions will be happily accepted. The Jane Austen poll is the top one so far with 17 voters. My next goal is to have 20!
Friday, October 5, 2007
Knus - bästa läshörnan!
Varje dag är det ny fantastisk soppkreation med gott bröd till. Denna veckan har potatis- och purjolök-, lins- och majssoppan avsmakats. Alla delikata! Musiken är bra (lite retrosoul kanske man kan kalla det?) och spelas på resonabel volym och här finns inga horder av skräniga ungdomar. Lugnt och skönt med andra ord. Ta med gott mod med din bok eller lite gott sällskap och njut av godsakerna. Lite klassisk radiokaka med smaskig latte till är ju inte helt fel som efterrätt nu när vädret börjar bli lite ruskigare.
Pax för platsen på bilden!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Sex and the City - Kiss and Tell
What does the book contain? For all SATC-freaks, the book is a memento. It encompasses the first four seasons and there is a short guide to every episode and a lot of behind-the-scenes information, which to me is the most interesting, because it explains how the series came to be so extremely well-made. There is a later (less fancy) version of this book that covers 5½ seasons. I may get it one day.
People tend to either love or hate the series. How do you explain this? Well, I think that people who has seen the series from start to finish are bound to love it, or at least to recognise certain qualitites that would appeal to anyone who enjoys television as an artform. However, if you have just seen a few isolated episodes, especially from the earlier seasons, I can understand that it would look like a poor excuse for soft porn, or that people would have a difficult time identifying with the girls. The developement when they fleshed out the three supporting roles was remarkable. The series went from being a sit-com about, well, sex in the city to being a cut-up movie about friendship.
Is it feminist, really? I could definitely see that it would feel groundbreaking and feminist to an American audience in the 1990s, and that's the context in which it was made. I don't know if things have changed because I haven't been to the States for 7 years, but back then, mainstream culture certainly supported the notion that the greatest happiness for a woman, involved a diamond ring and a cheesy engagement story. Charlotte, admittedly, agrees with this, but the other women represent choices and feelings that are diametrically opposed to society's norm and, furthermore, what is really the most important thing to all of them, is their friendship with each other. However, I can also see that Swedish women did not feel the show was feminist, because we already felt that we had those other choices (at least to some real extent).
Could you give an example that illustrates this? Yes, in the final hour-long episode, before Mr. Big is heading off to Paris to fight for Carrie, he meets her friends in the coffeeshop to gain their approval. He says (something along these words): "You are the loves of her life, a guy is just lucky to come in fourth (place)". And that is exactly the point. The show, seen as a whole, is about friendship and how the security of having good friends gives you the opportunity to embrace life, make mistakes and always be welcome back to the fold.
So, is there any point in buying the book? It will sure be a sweet walk down memory lane, if you are a die-hard fan. If you haven't purchased the series itself yet, though, I would use my money for that instead.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Cover Her Face
Author: P.D. James
Penguin, 1989 (1962)
For those who pine for a classic whodunit from time to time, this one is as good as any. We have the country house, set in the appropriate English village and we have all the appropriate characters: the maid, the housekeeper, the lady of the house, the vicar, country doctor and so on. The novel is quite well put together and doesn't leave the reader wanting. What you see is what you get. No more, no less.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
The Secret History
Author: Donna Tartt
Penguin, 1993 (1992)
The ingredients for this smashing compund are as follows: a liberal dollop of the classic themes of the Greek tragedy: death, deceit, retribution, guilt and unrequieted love. This is thouroughly blended together with the brash, inane, shallow features of the American college campus: rich kids, drugs, nutty professors and Thirsty Thursday. Tartt has mixed these two genres with great gusto and the result is thrillingly appetizing. Despite its +600 pages it does not make you full and the only weakness, really, is the somewhat flat "love story" between Camilla and Henry which doesn't quite has the ring of truth to it. Thank you Björn, for making me read this novel!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Månadens böcker - september
- På västfronten intet nytt
- Storm över Frankrike
Nummer ett är ju en klassiker och jag har nog läst den ett tiotal gånger eftersom jag använder den i undervisningen där den funkar bra. Är det någon som inte läst den så sätt igång. Som krigsskildring är den oöverträffad. Nummer två är en av de bästa skildringar av människan som varelse jag har läst. Nog får man erkänna att mycket känns igen och återkommer inte bara i den svåra situation karaktärerna befinner sig i (ockupation) utan även i vår kära vardag.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
The printing press error
In any case, I expect this will make me immensely rich. But I shall have to inform my bookies (I have chosen to give the word new meaning, i.e. the one meaning book dealer) so they won't go selling more copies, devaluing mine!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Dress Your Family in Corduroy...
Author: David Sedaris
Abacus, 2005 (2004)
In this novel, Sedaris tells us stories from his childhood (they are the best) and onwards. The stories are loosely tied together by chronology but could easily be read as individual short stories as well. My first impression when reading Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day) was annoyance and mild amusement. After hearing him being lauded as a genious and hilarious, I thought I had to try again. It's good that I did, because he is actually a lot of fun!
The humor is all in the language which is low-key, but he manages to evoke instant recognition in the reader with just a perfect turn of phrase. Naturally, he seems to have an abundance of stories from his family to draw on and I find myself thinking what luck it is for him to have been brought up in such a freaky, weirdo family. Until it hits me: don't I have "fun" stories based on the characters in my family which I frequently tell to amuse others, and which could easily be considered just as freaky as Sedaris'? Don't we all? And maybe this is the greatest thing about reading this novel: I realise that, really, we are all freaky weirdos; all the rest is just pretending.
Tomorrow: the Sedaris story is not over. Find out how a serious printing error in the novel above prevented me from finishing it, and how it will make me supremely rich some day soon!