“Tracks” by Louise Erdrich (U.S.) Review Most readers had mixed feelings about the book having found it a difficult read. They liked the historical setting, though they felt the story was very bleak. The winter scenes gave them a sense of the coldness and hopelessness of the situation the characters found themselves in. Some readers found that the split narrative between Nanapush and Pauline broke … Continue reading Tracks
“Ali and Nino” by Kurban Said (Azerbaijan) Review Readers enjoyed the book immensely. They liked the historical, political and cultural context of the story and the different perspectives of East and West, Muslim and Christian. One reader particularly felt how the protagonists were trapped by these contexts. They found the descriptions of the places colourful and vivid, bringing the different scenes very much alive for … Continue reading Ali and Nino
“A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers” by Xiaolu Guo (China) Review Readers enjoyed the book, with some preferring the first half to the second. They liked the humour and the clever use of language as it evolves from poor to better English during the course of the story. They found the point of view from a Chinese perspective of English and Western society interesting. They … Continue reading A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers
Members of the Summer Reading Group really enjoyed the selection of books this year, pointing out the exceptional quality of the writing styles and also noting the common themes of war/dictatorship and the immigrants’ life in each one. When time came to voting for the Best Summer Read 2008, an unusual event occurred: 3 of the books tied for first place, confirming the overall high … Continue reading Best Summer Reads 2008
“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood (Canada) Book Club Favourite of Season 7 Review Most of the members who attended the Book Club had read this book before. When it was first published in the 1980s, its feminist theme came across predominantly. Reading it now at the beginning of the 21st century, the themes of religious fanaticism, tyrannical societies and even fertility issues were strongly … Continue reading The Handmaid’s Tale
“The Dragon Can’t Dance” by Earl Lovelace (Trinidad & Tobago) Synopsis Trinidad, 1970s. Calvary Hill – poverty stricken and rubbish-strewn – is home to a community of people who come together during the joyful yearly town Carnival, becoming larger-than-life versions of themselves. But when it ends, and the strains of day-to-day life grow large, what happens to the peoples’ hopes, and the feeling that ‘all … Continue reading The Dragon Can’t Dance
“Clear Light of Day” by Anita Desai (India) Review Interestingly, there was a clear divide between readers whose first language is English and those for whom it is a foreign language. The native English speakers loved the book, whereas the non-native speakers did not enjoy it overall. This was largely due to the style of writing, choice of words and sentence structure (long complex sentences). … Continue reading Clear Light of Day
“Ancestor Stones” by Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone) Favourite Quote Have you ever wondered what it is that makes people do terrible things? I have. Since that day, I have set my mind to it many times. (…) So, where does it come from, the fury? A thousand indignities, a thousand wrongs, like tiny knife wounds, shredding a person’s humanity. In time only the tattered remnants … Continue reading Ancestor Stones
Nicola's Book Club 