Cynical, snarky; a bit of Office Space meets Fleabag with some clever commentary on corporate culture and capitalism. But it sacrifices real characterCynical, snarky; a bit of Office Space meets Fleabag with some clever commentary on corporate culture and capitalism. But it sacrifices real character development for a punchline, and while I think she does a good job at making a point, I would've preferred a bit more depth from the narrator, personally....more
A balance of memoir and history. Enriquez describes her various trips to cemeteries all over the world covering about 25 years of her life.[3.5 stars]
A balance of memoir and history. Enriquez describes her various trips to cemeteries all over the world covering about 25 years of her life. It’s the kind of book you can dip in and out of; I read one chapter a day for a few weeks and enjoyed the experience! It inspired me to look out for cemeteries to visit on my future travels....more
Riffing off of Orlando by Virginia Woolf, Jacqueline Harpman's Orlanda imagines what would happen if the soul of a 35 year old woman, Aline Berger, thRiffing off of Orlando by Virginia Woolf, Jacqueline Harpman's Orlanda imagines what would happen if the soul of a 35 year old woman, Aline Berger, that had been repressed since she was 12 were to split in half, with the more reckless and uninhibited parts entering the body of a 20 year old man. Thus we get the titular character, the liberated lothario who goes on to show Aline the parts of herself she's kept hidden from her oppressive mother, society, and even herself. But when their reliance on one another becomes akin to a drug addiction, a decision must be made in how they will move forward with one soul in two bodies, if they can at all.
Harpman takes Woolf's premise and flips the genders. Doing so, she asks big questions about society, like at what point do certain members of it begin to alter themselves for more palatable public consumption? Or what happens to a woman who learns to keep quiet the louder (more masculine) inner voice that would typically get her labeled 'bossy' or 'rude'? And what if she let it out?
There is a recklessness and inherent sort of 'act before thinking' that Orlanda, in the man's body, is allowed that Aline spent the last 20 years controlling. Without that part of herself, nothing for Aline has really changed, until she sees the externalized elements of herself she's learned to ignore in the form of Orlanda. From then on she must wrestle, as we all do, with the age old question of "Who am I?" Especially considering half of herself is in another body. That level of observation, to have made manifest your inner private thoughts in the form of another human being, lends itself to some interesting discussions of gender, identity, ambition, and thought versus action.
I found this book to be a perfect balance of plot and commentary. Aline and Orlanda's stories bounce back and forth in a very satisfying way that compare and contrast their very different lived experiences; and through that Harpman can say a lot about how society expects certain people to behave and how that affects their psyche.
A big theme in this is the psyche, the androgyne (from Plato's Symposium), as well as Proust's In Search of Lost Time, and of course Woolf's Orlando. I don't think you have to have read all of these, but Woolf's novel is most critical to fully engaging with this text and understanding its deeper meanings.
The ending blew me away. I thought it was so clever, simple but profound, and a sort of inevitable conclusion. Harpman's insertion of herself as the narrator from time to time mirrored Woolf's own writing in the source material, and added a levity and cheekiness I appreciated....more
So assured of itself, the novel has so much to say and does it with crystalline, sharp prose that evokes the bleakness of winter as you wait for sprinSo assured of itself, the novel has so much to say and does it with crystalline, sharp prose that evokes the bleakness of winter as you wait for spring’s thaw.
It asks of the reader, which is more important: being right or being good? And is it easier to be good when you are in a position of power or in a role that requires obedience? How, if at all, do our strivings corrupt us?
Many layered. Chilling. A story worth visiting and revisiting. It’s easy to read but hard to digest. I’m impressed. ...more
Simply named ‘the child’ and ‘Grandmother,’ the two main characters of this novel-in-vignettes live in the wake of loss. The recent deaths [3.5 stars]
Simply named ‘the child’ and ‘Grandmother,’ the two main characters of this novel-in-vignettes live in the wake of loss. The recent deaths of Grandfather and the child’s little brother, as well as the absence of her parents who are dealing with their grief on their own, leaves the two protagonists to navigate life together.
Told in 84 small chapters ranging from a single paragraph to a few pages long at most, Tamangur calls to mind Tove Jansson’a The Summer Book. Semadeni is a poet and the prose reflects that sensibility: strong images leave lasting impressions in very few words, turns of phrase that surprise & delight, and powerful sentiments about life wrapped in tiny moments between a grandmother and her granddaughter.
A melancholy pervades the text due to the grief they grapple with but it’s peppered with moments of laughter, revelation, and awe at the complexities of life. We see through young and old eyes, and meet an eclectic cast of townspeople in their small alpine village. You can smell the forest and taste the mountain air.
I don’t know what else I wanted from this story, perhaps just a bit more story? The non-linear structure and brevity in each scene felt more like prose poetry than a novel, and while I found many of the chapters affecting, others felt disconnected from the overall narrative and could perhaps have been replaced. Nonetheless, a beautiful and evocative read that took me somewhere new and left me with lingering thoughts about life and death. ...more
Set in a town beset forest fires, this debut novel follows Iris, a hotel owner, who gets mixed up with a mysterious woman and her young daughter who aSet in a town beset forest fires, this debut novel follows Iris, a hotel owner, who gets mixed up with a mysterious woman and her young daughter who arrive at the hotel in search of a place to stay.
The town is under extreme heat and fire warnings creating a smoky and shadowy atmosphere which is rendered excellently by the author (and translator). Iris is an interesting character with a past as well: her single mother was often ridiculed and criticized by her grandfather, from whom she inherited the hotel.
When she suspects Dori, the newly arrived woman, to be on the run from her husband, her sympathies allow her to stay in secret as they work through what she will do to survive, while the town simultaneously battles the fires going on in the nearby forest.
Sharp and clean writing makes this 160 page story incredibly readable and engaging. You feel trapped in this hotel, stifled by the rising temperatures and falling ash outside, along with these characters. But I found overall the plot to be a bit predictable and plain, and the characters had glimmers of interesting moments but overall were not explored enough to make them super memorable. I truly just think this book was too short, it didn’t go deep enough for me to get a real chance to know them....more
“I mean, I guess the question of understanding isn’t about intelligence, it’s about feeling, about entering into contact.” - Clarice Lispector in a 19“I mean, I guess the question of understanding isn’t about intelligence, it’s about feeling, about entering into contact.” - Clarice Lispector in a 1977 interview, months before publishing this novel and then dying
A book to be experienced. And from the feelings derive meaning. A story that resonates and refracts—light, life, beauty, death. It was beautiful in the way that a skull is beautiful; hollow and frightening and reminds you that life was once but no longer is.
—
Book quotes:
“As long as I have questions and no answer I’ll keep on writing.”
“One way of getting is not looking, one way of having is not asking and only believing that the silence I believe to be inside me is the answer to my— to my mystery.“
“I swear this book is made without words. It is a new photograph. The book is a silence. This book is a question.”
“I’m sure of one thing: this narrative will deal with something delicate: the creation of a whole person who surely is as alive as I am. Take care of her because all I can do is show her so you can recognize her on the street, walking lightly because of her quivering thinness.”
“(Some people have got it. And some people don’t. It’s very simple: the girl didn’t. Didn’t have what? Exactly that: she didn’t. If you see what I’m saying, fine. If you don’t, that’s fine too. But why am I bothering with this girl and what I want more than anything is purely ripe and golden wheat in summer?)”
“Since life’s like that: you press a button and life lights up. Except she didn’t know which button to press.”...more
Unfortunately I just didn't get on with this style of writing and storytelling; but I think it was executed well for what it was. I struggled to get aUnfortunately I just didn't get on with this style of writing and storytelling; but I think it was executed well for what it was. I struggled to get a hold of pretty much anything going on in this story. The narrative is very free-flowing, playful and whimsical at times.
But the parts that stuck out to me were the moments where the narrative focused on the main character's past and her struggle with grief and loss, especially as she got older and had to sort of rediscover and reclaim her identity. I can see this working well for the right audience, but that just wasn't me.
Please don't take my personal rating as an indication of this novel's merit. If this sounds good to you, I suggest you give it a shot!...more
Pulling off an earnest and sentimental story without feeling cliche or cheesy can be difficult, but Satoshi Yagisawa continues to do so (with the excePulling off an earnest and sentimental story without feeling cliche or cheesy can be difficult, but Satoshi Yagisawa continues to do so (with the excellent assistance of translator Eric Ozawa) in his cozy novels set in Japan. This time, rather than the Morisaki Bookshop, we follow the lives of characters connected to a coffee shop tucked away in the Yanaka district of Tokyo.
This novel is made of up of 3 parts - each telling the story of a different character who works or frequents the titular Torunka Cafe. We have Chinatsu, a young woman coming to Tokyo seeking a reunion with someone from her past; Hiro, an older man living with some regrets from a former love gone sour; and Shizuku, the cafe owner's daughter who, at 17, is finding a sense of self and still mourning the loss of her older sister six years before.
While the stories overlap in setting and with some characters, each tale stands on its own in a way that creates a beautiful tapestry highlighting the need for community, which they all find in some way at the cafe.
I loved spending my time with these characters, and if Yagisawa continues to write in this world, I'd gladly pick up whatever he puts out next. He has an ability to craft simple, but profound stories that remind the reader of the beauty of something as simple as a well made cup of coffee.
[Thanks to the publisher for an early review copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.]...more
Centered around a fictional tennis match between Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and Spanish poet Francisco de Quevedo, Sudden DeathCentered around a fictional tennis match between Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and Spanish poet Francisco de Quevedo, Sudden Death bounces the reader back and forth like a tennis ball--across time and space, even across genres within the text.
The chapters are quite short and propulsive, never lingering for too long before volleying you into the next. There are occasional fourth wall breaks where the narrator (presumably the author) interjects thoughts and opinions about the subject matter, that being the history of tennis. But this isn't just a sports book, or even really one at all. It's a book about history. About who gets to tell it, how it gets to be told, and what is remembered versus lost in the telling of it over centuries.
It's vividly imaginative and very clever, but that cleverness, for me, only went so far before I became a bit lost and detached from what was happening. It's a book with a LOT of information, and because of the nature of the storytelling I didn't always feel invested in what was happening and thus lost interest here and there.
After having read Alvaro Enrigue's You Dreamed of Empires recently (which focuses on Hernan Cortes who also oddly features fairly prominently in this story), I can see he's a very intelligent and creative author. I enjoy his boldness, even if it doesn't always land with me. And I look forward to seeing what he does next!...more
In 1519 Hernan Cortes arrived in Tenochtitlan to meet with Moctezuma II. In this novel, Alvaro Enrigue reimagines the goings-on of this meeting and thIn 1519 Hernan Cortes arrived in Tenochtitlan to meet with Moctezuma II. In this novel, Alvaro Enrigue reimagines the goings-on of this meeting and the surrounding events of that fateful day. He combines realism and surrealism in a playful style that felt like a drug trip at times, reflected in Moctezuma's own reliance on magic mushrooms and cactus. As his kingdom is threatened from the outside, Moctezuma must navigate the diplomacy of meeting with the Spaniards and securing the legacy of the Aztec empire.
Enrigue plays with time and language, even inserting himself at one point into the novel and breaking the fourth wall for the reader. He's less concerned with historical accuracy and more with playing around in the sandbox of 'what ifs' to look at how the entire country of Mexico might have had a different history had the results of this pivotal meeting between Cortes and Moctezuma come out differently.
While I struggled at the start of this novel, the farther in I got the more invested and intrigued by the characters and their machinations I became. In ways it felt like Game of Thrones: with multiple players all doing their own things but watching how the novelist moves them around like chess pieces until we get to the final stand-off between the 2 lead characters. It's more playful and subtle than a true fantasy book, but in a way it's a fantasy all its own in that it takes something real and writes into it a dream, a question of how the world could be if things were slightly different. ...more
What really sold this book for me was the main character, Natsuko. Her voice felt so authentic, and her exploration of womanhood, adulthood[4.5 stars]
What really sold this book for me was the main character, Natsuko. Her voice felt so authentic, and her exploration of womanhood, adulthood & authorship felt oddly relatable considering I am in no way similar to her as a person. That’s the mark of a good novel for me; one in which I feel seen and can also see how markedly different our experiences are at the same time. In fact there’s a sort of parallel I saw between Natsuko’s work as a writer and her interest in procreation: this act of creating something outside yourself, your desire to meet it—whether book or child—and simultaneous fears of what it can become once out of your hands. Following along on her journey as she ambles between conversations with her sister and niece, her editor and writer friends, and the acquaintances she makes during her research into donor-conception, I enjoyed the naturalistic dialogue Kawakami wrote paired with the almost dreamlike reveries Natsuko occasionally succumbs to. It was disorienting and yet full of very visceral sensory language. The descriptions of everything brought me back to Japan, and also made me feel like I was really living through these experiences with Natsuko. There was a strong theme of nostalgia and grief over childhood memories, many very difficult and full of sorrow for her and other characters, that struck a chord as well. I can see this not working for someone who wants more structure and plot, but if you enjoy more character focused and philosophical litfic especially tackling topics of becoming a parent, I highly recommend! ...more
[Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025]
Having recently read and loved Albert Camus's The Stranger, it was interesting to read a more co[Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025]
Having recently read and loved Albert Camus's The Stranger, it was interesting to read a more contemporary French novel also by a philosopher that explored similar ideas in a tone that reflected the near absurdity of life, of being a human, all through the eyes of a seemingly detached and off-putting narrator.
The story follows a woman who works for the French navy monitoring the English Channel/La Manche at night. She's often tasked with responding to distressed calls from immigrants attempting to cross the channel to seek refuge in the UK.
On one particular night, based on real events in November 2021, a raft of 29 immigrants meets its end. Their deaths are presumably due to the lack of urgency and consideration by the narrator who claims that help is on the way, though it is not. And her cut and dry attitude is in stark contrast to public sentiment about her perceived culpability in their undoing.
What Vincent Delecroix delivers here is a philosophical thought experiment in a stunning three-part novella that will cut you to your core. He doesn't write off the narrator's thoughts & feelings, but weaves them seamlessly into the prose in a way that forces the reader to read between the lines and consider one's own opinions and, most importantly, actions.
Each section of this book took a surprising turn. I'll avoid spoiling anything because at only 110 pages this book is one you will find hard to keep reading but not want to put down, discovering it for yourself in quick bursts. It was purposefully uncomfortable and in my eyes incredibly effective. I think this is a book that should be required reading, and one that I can definitely see winning the 2025 International Booker Prize....more
It was thought provoking and moving and beautifully written (and translated).
I got this back when it was long listed fI loved this book. Simply put.
It was thought provoking and moving and beautifully written (and translated).
I got this back when it was long listed for the International Booker Prize but when it didn’t make it to the shortlist it slipped off my radar. For #WomenInTranslation month I decided to finally get around to it and I’m so glad I did.
There’s so much to unpack in this relatively short story: the legacy of a land and its people; their close connection to language and landscape; a look at media and who gets to write and shape history.
I found the alternating chapters and viewpoints to balance each other perfectly with little interludes into other minor characters or random people bringing an even fuller picture to the narrative.
And that ending. Wow. It came full circle and is haunting in a way I won’t soon forget.
If you haven’t picked this one up yet I highly, highly recommend it. It’s one I will be thinking about for a long while....more
Sadly I found this collection of stories to be lackluster. They all started to feel very similar by the end, both in what they were saying [2.5 stars]
Sadly I found this collection of stories to be lackluster. They all started to feel very similar by the end, both in what they were saying and how they were written. It’s cool to see a book written in Kannada get translated and recognized for a major prize, I just wish I had connected with the stories a bit more. Not bad but not my type of story collection. ...more
Maybe I’m being too harsh but this started off with such a good premise and had some really interesting things to say about language, identity, nationMaybe I’m being too harsh but this started off with such a good premise and had some really interesting things to say about language, identity, nationality, borders, etc and then by the end I was just like “huh??” It just felt random and nothing fully connected enough to make the journey worth it for me sadly. ...more
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