The Holocaust is a common topic in Booker listed picks, but Alison Pick's 'Far to go' manages to find a new way in to this oft-told tale. Her central characters, the Bauers, are secular Jews in Czechoslovakia. Observed through the eyes of their Gentile nanny, Marta, Pavel Bauer fights more for Czech independence than for his Jewish culture; his refusal to leave his homeland is a stubborn representation of his idealistic view of Czech unity.
The tale reveals the many small ways in which people seek their own fortune in hard times, often betraying those close to them in an attempt to make some small gain, be it financial, emotional or self-worth. The Bauers find themselves battling not just the known enemy of the Nazi invaders, but the more sinister enemies of people's everyday fears and greed.
Interspersed with this are flash-forwards to modern day Montreal, where a character draws together research on the Kindertransport, trains which rescued many young Jewish children from the stricken European mainland and placed them with British families. We learn, from letters, that Pepik, the Bauers only son, was one such transported child. The story concertinas inward, as in the modern day sections the reader aches for news of how he fared; in the wartime tale, we are anticipating the moment when Pepik is finally relinquished to the train, which could prove to he either blessing or cruel lesson in the ways of the world.
Pick's tell is beautifully interwoven, and the simultaneously insightful and naive character of Marta provides an unintrusive yet engaging narrator. Despite the ability to foresee a number of the twists in the tale (some by design, others by lack of suspense), I found myself hooked until the end.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
On Canaan's Side, Sebastian Barry
At what she sees as inevitably the end of her life (for what is worth living now her beloved grandson has died?), Lilly Bere recounts her memories, and the many tragedies she has borne throughout her life. She looks back on those loved and those lost, and builds a portrait of a woman both strong and practical, providing there is a reason to go on.
As Lilly's memories flow across the pages, you start to understand her ambivalence to life now. Her adulthood was thrust upon her as she and her sweetheart are forced from Ireland, and events take a turn to force her to mature quickly, but to always keep one eye looking over her shoulder as she ploughs on determinedly.
The format of the novel bounces between modern day and the sequential reliving of Lilly's past, allowing a clearer empathy with the aged storyteller. As the gap closes between then and now, we come to understand the bond Lilly held so dear with her grandson, and appreciate the severe loss of the last living connection one has with the world. When your line is done, what is left? 'On Canaan's Side' is a gently told tale, and can at times ebb too slowly. There is also a little incredulity in the sheer berth of historical significances mixed up in Lilly's life, but there sideline status makes them bearable. A story quite beautifully told, with characters that engage.
As Lilly's memories flow across the pages, you start to understand her ambivalence to life now. Her adulthood was thrust upon her as she and her sweetheart are forced from Ireland, and events take a turn to force her to mature quickly, but to always keep one eye looking over her shoulder as she ploughs on determinedly.
The format of the novel bounces between modern day and the sequential reliving of Lilly's past, allowing a clearer empathy with the aged storyteller. As the gap closes between then and now, we come to understand the bond Lilly held so dear with her grandson, and appreciate the severe loss of the last living connection one has with the world. When your line is done, what is left? 'On Canaan's Side' is a gently told tale, and can at times ebb too slowly. There is also a little incredulity in the sheer berth of historical significances mixed up in Lilly's life, but there sideline status makes them bearable. A story quite beautifully told, with characters that engage.
Monday, January 16, 2012
The Stars in the Bright Sky, Alan Warner
Told via conversation and neutral observation of their actions, 'The Stars in the Bright Sky' introduces the reader to six young women meeting at Gatwick Airport for a spontaneous trip. Five of the characters carry on from a previous Warner novel (which I haven't read, nor do you need to in order to get the story). Ava is new, and provides a good vehicle for familiarisation with the rest of the group as she gets to know the other girls.
The girls spend a lot of time trying to prove how grown up they are, all the while demonstrating their general lack of knowledge of the 'real world'. For the most part these are young, small town girls with young, small town concerns. They talk about drugs, drinking, who's kissing who, and suffer from class envy and insecurity. This is all played out against the backdrop of Gatwick and surrounds, as various mishaps prevent them from actually moving to a larger arena. The restricted, manufactured environment of the airport reflects, in many ways, the experiences of the girls to date; they are so close to being able to access a wider frame of reference, but struggle to take that step.
The characters are all flawed, making them fairly realistic. As we only access what the girls are willing to tell their group of friends, our knowledge of them is at once candid, and carefully screened. The depth to which characters are understood is heavily affected by the other characters involved in the conversation, and we are encouraged to view and seek manipulative behaviour in many of the girls. We are often left feeling like we don't really know them, or their lives: sometimes this is because their shared past means there are some things that don't 'need' explaining; other things it is clear they are not willing to tell even these close friends, and so we must wonder at their unrevealed secrets.
To be honest, the novel frustrated me; it was mostly a blow by blow account of drinking and bitching. Set in 2001, a year of great change in the world, this is entirely deliberate on Warner's account, as it juxtaposes the frivolity of first world problems against the bigger issues. But for me, it just didn't drag me convincingly enough from the real world, and felt lacking in substance. Because I had no alliances to characters, I found them all irritating, and had to push myself to finish. The 'twist' at the end occurred with no follow up, and while I could appreciate the effect of using it as a sudden crash to end the novel, it also seemed hollow to my mind. An ok read, but I can see why it didn't make the Shortlist.
The girls spend a lot of time trying to prove how grown up they are, all the while demonstrating their general lack of knowledge of the 'real world'. For the most part these are young, small town girls with young, small town concerns. They talk about drugs, drinking, who's kissing who, and suffer from class envy and insecurity. This is all played out against the backdrop of Gatwick and surrounds, as various mishaps prevent them from actually moving to a larger arena. The restricted, manufactured environment of the airport reflects, in many ways, the experiences of the girls to date; they are so close to being able to access a wider frame of reference, but struggle to take that step.
The characters are all flawed, making them fairly realistic. As we only access what the girls are willing to tell their group of friends, our knowledge of them is at once candid, and carefully screened. The depth to which characters are understood is heavily affected by the other characters involved in the conversation, and we are encouraged to view and seek manipulative behaviour in many of the girls. We are often left feeling like we don't really know them, or their lives: sometimes this is because their shared past means there are some things that don't 'need' explaining; other things it is clear they are not willing to tell even these close friends, and so we must wonder at their unrevealed secrets.
To be honest, the novel frustrated me; it was mostly a blow by blow account of drinking and bitching. Set in 2001, a year of great change in the world, this is entirely deliberate on Warner's account, as it juxtaposes the frivolity of first world problems against the bigger issues. But for me, it just didn't drag me convincingly enough from the real world, and felt lacking in substance. Because I had no alliances to characters, I found them all irritating, and had to push myself to finish. The 'twist' at the end occurred with no follow up, and while I could appreciate the effect of using it as a sudden crash to end the novel, it also seemed hollow to my mind. An ok read, but I can see why it didn't make the Shortlist.
Half Blood Blues, Esi Edugyan
This book beautifully evokes the bittersweetness that comes from a combination of heady youth and soul consuming jazz. Sid and his bandmates clearly live and breathe music. They are young, they are talented, and they have the bravado to feel invincible, despite the risks associated with being young black men, playing a banned music style, in a racist and fearful society. While the Second World War is a constant backdrop to their lives, it seems far less terrifying than never quite laying the perfect track, or getting that one elusive girl, or, worst of all, realising that your musical talent simply isn't Good Enough.
Sid is a gentle character, and the story is told through his eyes, ebbing back and forth between present day America and Europe, and his regret-tinged memories of younger days in Paris and Berlin. We feel Sid's passion and compassion, and care about his connections to his bandmates, to his sometime-lover, to music itself. But as we oscillate between time periods, Sid's emotions seem less innocent; there are things he is hiding: from his friends; from the reader; perhaps even from himself. We can't help but wonder if this soft spoken man is really a protagonist in whom we should place our trust.
The present day sections opens a window into Sid's past, and suddenly the way he once seemed to tersely protect his emotional fragility appears more callous. Accusations are thrown from Sid's friends, from strangers, are even drawn from Sid's own secret heart of hearts. The past is often best kept buried, but this novel also teaches us that we must first make friends with it, rather than simply ignore it, as it has a way of catching up with us. A beautifully told story which will easily capture a musically inclined audience, and hook in many others as well.
Sid is a gentle character, and the story is told through his eyes, ebbing back and forth between present day America and Europe, and his regret-tinged memories of younger days in Paris and Berlin. We feel Sid's passion and compassion, and care about his connections to his bandmates, to his sometime-lover, to music itself. But as we oscillate between time periods, Sid's emotions seem less innocent; there are things he is hiding: from his friends; from the reader; perhaps even from himself. We can't help but wonder if this soft spoken man is really a protagonist in whom we should place our trust.
The present day sections opens a window into Sid's past, and suddenly the way he once seemed to tersely protect his emotional fragility appears more callous. Accusations are thrown from Sid's friends, from strangers, are even drawn from Sid's own secret heart of hearts. The past is often best kept buried, but this novel also teaches us that we must first make friends with it, rather than simply ignore it, as it has a way of catching up with us. A beautifully told story which will easily capture a musically inclined audience, and hook in many others as well.
Whoops
So normally when I write a 'whoops' post, it's to do with the fact that I have neglected the blogging project for some time. This is somewhat accurate in this case, and somewhat selling my efforts a little short. I had a massive reading spree, and borrowed lots of Man Bookery novels, and read a lot of them. But then I had so many more to get through that I didn't blog them, I just kept reading. Then it was report writing time. Then I moved house. Then Christmas, then New Year, then this blog post. Whoops. I am writing up blogs for a number of books I have read, but I must admit I am a little hazy. They were books read some months ago. I hope the entries don't entirely suck. Whoops.
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