“Death and the Penguin” by Andrey Kurkov (Ukraine) Favourite Quote He had, it seemed, divined the secret of longevity. Longevity depended on peace. Peace was the source of self-assurance, and self-assurance allowed one to cleanse one’s life of needless upsets, twists and turns. Self-assurance allowed one to take decisions for the prolonging of one’s life. Self-assurance led to the future. Synopsis Viktor is an aspiring … Continue reading Death and the Penguin
“Nervous Conditions” by Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe) One of Nicola’s 100 Best Books for Inspiration in the 21st century! Book Club Favourite of Season 10 Review From the opening sentence, readers were carried along by the story of Tambu and her family, especially the other female characters in her life, namely her mother, her uncle’s wife Maiguru, her cousin Nyasha and her mother’s younger sister Lucia. … Continue reading Nervous Conditions
“Lost City Radio” by Daniel Alarcon (Peru) Review Most readers found the story both sad and moving, and felt that the author successfully maintained the sad tone throughout the whole book. His use of language evoked the tension and fear created by the conflict. There were mixed feelings about the characters, with some readers finding them well portrayed and likeable, albeit their duality, whereas others … Continue reading Lost City Radio
“The Blood of Flowers” by Anita Amirrezvani (Iran) Review Describing it as a rich book, readers liked the setting of the story (both time and place) most of all. They were absorbed by the detailed descriptions of the rug making, the preparation of the meals, the cleansing rituals at the hammam and life within the family home. They felt the city of Isfahan, with its … Continue reading The Blood of Flowers
“Too Loud a Solitude” by Bohumil Hrabal (Czech Republic) One of Nicola’s 100 Best Books for Inspiration in the 21st century! Extract and Comment … I pick up a book, and my eyes open panic-stricken on a world other than my own, because when I start reading I’m somewhere completely different, I’m in the text, it’s amazing, I have to admit I’ve been dreaming, dreaming … Continue reading Too Loud a Solitude
“The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga (India) Book Club Favourite of Season 10 Review From the opening pages of the book, readers were drawn into the tale Balram is telling to the Chinese Premier by the humour and irony he uses. It had them laughing from the start. Although not all the readers warmed to Balram, most found him a compelling character. They felt the … Continue reading The White Tiger
Members of the Summer Reading Group 2009 reacted both positively and negatively to the selection of books this year, loving some of them and disliking others. They did notice some commonalities between the stories: writers or would-be writers, books and literature, and funnily enough… alcohol! They voted “Broken Glass” by Alain Mabanckou the Best Summer Read 2009. This is the second novel to appear in … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2009 – Broken Glass
“The Siege of Krishnapur” by J.G. Farrell (U.K.) Review Although it took some readers a little while to get into the story as they felt it necessary to adapt to a literary style that required their full attention, overall everyone loved the book. They loved the detailed descriptions of various scenes, such as the social gatherings, the philosophical/religious discussions and the battles, though some readers … Continue reading The Siege of Krishnapur
Nicola's Book Club 