2666

Title: 2666
Author: Roberto Bolaño
Picador, 2009 (2004)

Ladies and gentlemen, I advice you all to steer clear of this behemoth of macho intellectualism. As always, I am wary of lengthy novels but wanted to give this one a chance due to all the rave reviews. I shouldn't have bothered. I finished the first three parts (of five) and while I don't mind the post-modern, the intellectual or the challenging novel, it still has to be interesting and engaging. This was mostly boring. And - if a woman had written a novel so exclusively about women as Bolaño writes about men in 2666, it simply would not have been considered significant.

Furthermore, apart from boring me, too often, in parts one and two, the third part contained a scene where a woman (yeah!) did not reach true climax until she was gang-banged simultaneously (mouth, vagina, anal) by unknown assailants (eeuwwww!) Since the last two parts of the novel seemed to be headed for the story of the abduction and murders of hundreds of women in Mexico, I just did not feel comfortable letting Bolaño take me down that particular road. So, in conclusion, spend your time on other books and the next time a man waxes lyrical over 2666 - give him a wide berth!

The Temple-Goers

Title: The Temple-Goers
Author: Aatish Taseer
Penguin/Viking, to be released March 2010

This debuting author has been called the Indian Bret Easton Ellis, which does indeed point you in the right direction. However, expect more Less Than Zero than American Psycho. The setting is Delhi and the main character a young man returning from studies abroad to a life of wealth and leisure. However, lack of any real challenge in life, has left him alienated and slightly numbed. As he tries to create meaning for himself, by structuring his daily schedule, a second character, a foil, emerges.

Aakash is his personal trainer and the initial description of him is high comedy. But this flamboyant, even clownish, persona turns sinister as cracks in the facade reveals a rage that lashes out at potential adversaries. The two central characters and their strange relationship is the true value of this reading experience. The female lead is far from as well drawn, and the city, Delhi reveals herself in glimpses but does not come alive as I think she was meant to.

The Children's Book

Title: The Children's Book
Author: A.S. Byatt
Vintage, 2010 (2009)

I usually think 600-page books are too long, but although this one could have been dieted down a bit, there actually is a certain point to its heft. It reflects the time and the characters of the work in a rather interesting way: the laborious ornamentation of the fin-de-siècle and the soon-to-be-pointless artfulness and intellectualism of the grown-ups.

The story takes place from 1895-1919 and centers on a group of families bound together by their political ideas (Fabianism mainly) and family ties . But for all the beautiful and worthy principles they claim in theory, in practise thay are self-involved and narcissistic. The children bear the legacy and the Great War serves as a narrative full stop to all the fine ideas. What is left is something like distilled humanity.

Byatt makes the turn of the century feel close enough too lick, and the characters are both interesting and engaging. The first half is the sharper one though, as the story-telling becomes somewhat blue-eyed towards the end. How many women really do become pregnant the first time they have sex? I admit it is a good trick to put a spin on a story, but you are only allowed to use it once per novel, I think.

Man in the Dark

Title: Man in the dark

Author: Paul Auster

Picador, 2008

Paul Auster is a clever author. Post modern, in control. Something for the reader who might like to think of him- or herself as part of an intelligent, educated audience. Well, for once, it struck me while reading him that he might have hade some actual fun writing this. It is not perfect, but this is part of its charm. Auster lets the story grab him by the hand and see where it takes him. It's an Auster I like.

The plot? August Brill, an old bed-ridden man invents a parallell world, in order to escape insomnia and a cruel reality. There, America has been plunged into civil war (due to the 2000 elections) and the main character is sent off to murder Brill since he is the creator of all the chaos.

The Kite Runner

Title: The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini

Bloomsbury, 2004 (2003)

This famous novel about a young, wealthy Afghani boy and his servant friend will be remembered as one of the great novels of the decade. After using it in class (English B-course and Swedish A-course) many times, I have still not tired of it. The way Hosseini plaits the story of Amir's and Hassan's lives, their past, and their futures, gets me everytime. Some things will truly be too late: words you should have said, actions you should have taken. But, it is never to late to seek atonement though self-reflection and change.

Submarine

Title: Submarine

Author: Joe Dunthorne

Penguin, 2008

This debut novel has been likened to The Catcher in the Rye by several prominent reviewers, and the spirit of Holden Caulfield certainly lives on in the character of 15-year-old Oliver Tate. It certainly tickles my funny bone on more than one occasion, and I guess it is the teenage combo of sure-fire cockiness and monstrous insecurity that endears me so to a lanky youth who gets wildly drunk, breaks into his hot mother's supposed lover and punctures holes in said lover's heart-shaped hot-water bottle. Sad, sure, but oh so genious!

The only catch is, I have never known such linguistically astute, quirkily smart teenagers in my life. Where are they? Do they exist? And although I do know about promiscuous youngsters (isn't that a fun word?), I just don't buy a formerly bullied fat girl, now thin, gyrating against our lucky hero, screaming "I want you right up inside me" and "That's it - lick my tits!". Come on.

How to be Good

Title: How to be Good

Author: Nick Hornby

Penguin, 2001

Some people find this novel funny. I think it is the darkest novel by Hornby to date. The novel is based on the premise that if you have the means to do good, you should. And, I assume, for people who find this idea preposterously bizarre the novel will appear humorous. The kind of humor that makes you laugh when people fall on their asses. I just feel the heaviness of Western, middle-class, privilege on my shoulders. In the end, Hornby recues the reader with a final message: first, you have to take care of yourself and the people close to you, then you can start bothering about saving the world. So, I better get cracking on my loved ones.

It was a bit too grown-up for the students. The intricasies of marriage, age and complacency is not something that immediatly speaks to you when you are 17 going on 18 And maybe it shouldn't.

Tenderness

Title: Tenderness

Author: Robert Cormier

Puffin Books, 1998

I have had my students read this novel a few times on the B-course. No major complaints have been heard of so I expect many think it is at least okay, if not fantastic. I quite like it myself. It is a bit quirky and I like the idea of a psychopath teenager's plans of murder and mayhem being foiled due to his one un-selfish act in life. 

Six Suspects

Title: Six Suspects

Author: Vikras Swarup

Black Swan, 2009 (2008)

I remember not being impressed by Swarup's last novel, Q&A. But, since that novel is now a smash hit on the silver screen (with the new, cooler, name Slumdog Millionaire), I decided to give his latest creation a chance. Well, I shouldn't have bothered. It's clumsily structured and plods on and on and on, with no end in sight. So, what I've learnt is this: maybe shitty novels can have a second life as brilliant movies, since the opposite is so often true.

Kept -A Victorian Mystery

Title: Kept - A Victorian Mystery

Author: D.J. Taylor

Vintage, 2007 (2006)

It's been a while since I enjoyed this well-crafted historical novel and for anyone who has a thing for mad women in attics, London slum and sly, sinister men, this is well worth a read. From a genre that has exploded in recent years, and quite often aims for the bodice-ripping side of things, this is a gem!

The Sorrows of an American

Title: The Sorrows of an American
Author: Siri Hustvedt
Sceptre, 2009 (2008)

This novel is about a pair of siblings who are coming to terms with their heritage and the death of their father. It has a distinct post-modern air: pretentious, smart, with a touch of the surreal. Thankfully, it is not just about showing-off Hustvedt's considerable literary skill, but it has that one redeeming quality that saves it all: it is interesting, and in stead of making me feel left out it includes me in its edgy world. Thoughts and images pop into my head and make me feel alive. I think, therefore I am.

Life Class

Title: Life Class
Author: Pat Barker
Penguin, 2008

Arty youth in the year of 1914 discover love and sex in the shadow of the Great War. It is mildly interesting for someone who is hung up on the era and the theme (i.e. me!) For anyone else, get Barker's Regeneration Trilogy about the war. It surpasses this watered down novel as well as most things written on about this interesting historical period.

Vernon God Little

Title: Vernon God Little
Author: DBC Pierre
faber and faber, 2003

I finally got around to reading the Man Booker Prize Winner of 2003, and it says 'Snap, Crackle and Pop' in a big way. Vernon Little is a weirdo whose only friend, Jesus, blows his own head of after murdering a bunch of his class mates. Now, Little gets the blame! The language is hilarious, bull's-eye Starburst-commerical fun, without the sugar but with all the bile!

Lee Burke, Kureishi and Chabon

I was lucky enough, in some respects, to catch a really bad cold, because it gave me some time for reading! I found Two for Texas by James Lee Burke in the book case and really enjoyed it. Two convicts, the American frontier wars and impeccable style is here for the taking. Sidle up to a sneezer and enjoy!

For some reason, I just can't warm to Hanif Kureishi's writing. I've tried (twice before) because his usual subject matter - East meets West in England - appeals to me. However, his style, which I find contrived, does not. I will now stop trying. For a while.

Michael Chabon's last novel, The Yiddish Policemen's Union, really impressed me. Therefore, my expectations may have been running high when I tried this one, Gentlemen of the Road. The story is simple, two adventurers fight wars and save ladies during the 10th century, but the language is not. It is quite difficult at times, but for no real purpose (if there ever was a good one). It is not clever, beautiful, evocative or thought-provoking. Just tough to get through. If you are interested in trying Chabon, any one of his other novels will beat this one. By a clear margin.

God is Dead

Title: God is Dead

Author: Ron Currie

Picador, 2007

Interesting dystopia about what the incontestable death of God (disguised in the body of a Sudanese woman) would do to humankind. It is quite wild and maybe the dystopic predictions are not always probable. I don't think Currie is trying to be just that though and his novel is wonderfully unpretentious, tongue-in-cheek, straight up fun. Even though I find myself choking on my laughs at times, which I think Currie did try to make me do. Definitely worth the time and effort.

The Uncommon Reader

Title: The Uncommon Reader

Author: Alan Bennett

faber and faber/ Profile Books, 2008 (2007)

What would happen if Queen Elisabeth II became a book worm? This novel gives an intelligent answer to this question. The novella is sharp and thoughtful without placing itself above sit com humor, which stories of this kind are so perfect for. But, there is nothing here for the gossip lovers. The Duke makes an occasional appearance, but no other Royals are present to chock us with their excentric ways. Also, this shortie offers good, if not completely solid, commenting on the role of the Monarch and what this role does to impair the Queen's relationship to people in general. Well worth the effort, especially since the effort is limited to one hour at the most.

The Yiddish Policemen's Union

Title: The Yiddish Policemen's Union

Author: Michael Chabon

HarperPernennial, 2008 (2007)

What if the state of Israel did not exist? What if, instead, European Jews had been offered temporary sanctuary after WWII in Alaska , to be returned in 60 years? Chabon handles this scenario with gusto and great attention to detail. He makes Sitka, the home of the Frozen Chosen, come alive and the ultimate fate of its inhabitants, diaspora, certainly sheds new light on the question of Israel.

The story starts with a murder, only two months before the reversion of Sitka to the U.S.A. Detective Landsman and his half Indian partner Berko Shemets investigate the case which presents an abundance of obstacles. The style is reminiscent of Chandler and I would say this novel is one of the best, and certainly one of the most interesting I have read this year.

Engleby

Title: Engleby

Author: Sebastian Faulks

Vintage, 2008 (2007)

I have only ever thought of Faulks as a writer of historical fiction (probably because I have only ever read Birdsong and Charlotte Gray.) Even though I have thoroughly enjoyed his novels, Birdsong in particular, and felt that he is very competent and talented within this genre, this pigeonholing has been unfair, I now discover. Because Engleby, a portrait of a man who slowly discovers who he is and what he has done, is sharp, dark, beautiful handiwork. The creepy unravelling of the man and the surfacing of his crime could be a bit shorter (then again, I always feel that novels could be shorter; it's my thing), but other than that, Faulks could not have done a better job. To my immense delight, there are quite a few novels by him that I have yet to read. Lucky me!

Flickorna från Riyadh

Titel: Flickorna från Riyadh

Författare: Rajaa Alsanea

Månpocket, 2007 (2005)

Den här romanen handlar om fyra rikemansflickor från Saudiarabien som inom hederns gränser försöker träffa män, blir förälskade och gör annat som unga tjejer överallt ofta lockas av. De lyckas väl i slutänden rätt bra får man säga och boken är ett intressant dokument om en kultur som länge varit stängd för västerlänningar. Berättelsen spelas upp i email-form, vlket väl är okej, men annars upplever jag språket som rätt tillgjort och styltat. Bra sommarläsning. Skulle kunna funka i klassrummet.

Falling Man

Title: Falling Man

Author: Don DeLillo

Picador, 2008 (2007)

I often get bored with pretentious novels (maybe that just means I am stupid, but I believe that is what they are designed to make you believe) so I have avoided Don DeLillo until now. Well, he is pretentious, but although he won't become my favourite author, he knows his craft. The last chapter of the novel will stay with me for a good long while and the time structure of the story is genious.

I admit the subject matter is what attracted me to this novel first and foremost: 9/11. As far as I can judge it must be one of the first big fictional attempts to get really up close and personal with that event. Into the towers, into the planes and into the minds of the people who were there. Authors have kept an appropriate distance so far. This is quite a feat to pull off without becoming speculative and gory. It must be said: DeLillo has a nice, light touch and makes the reader feel present without the nasty, shameful sense of being the curious, awestruck bystander.

And some of the high-brow, philosphical dialogue did, in fact, add something worthwhile to the understanding of the subject. So maybe I am not that stupid after all.