Review: La Vagabonde ~ Colette

Review by Shellie for: La Vagabonde ~ by Colette (audio)

A classic feminist translation from French that’s a “romantic” story told by a heartbroken performer named Renee, who must choose between freedom and love during Victorian times.

About:  Published in 1910 this is a short book that is supposedly a semi-autobiography from the interesting bohemian author – Colette. The story is told in first person by Renee Nere, the main character who has divorced her wealthy, philandering, artist husband after eight years of emotional torture.  Damaged, much wiser, yet lonely, she has managed to support herself as a dancer and actor in Paris. Although not considered an acceptable profession for her social standing, it never-the-less gives Renee a sense of independence which is hard earned during a time when a woman’s independence was not common and, indeed, shunned.

When a wealthy gentleman falls in love with Renee and promises her the moon, and the dancer attempts to decide between marriage and independence - that is when the reader gets a glimpse into why this book is considered a feminist classic.

Thoughts:  I truly enjoyed this book in audio, with its UK-English accented reader and its esoteric French phrase usage. (I speak 4 words of French and received horrible grades for it in high school, so did not understand most of it). Yet the English part of the book is descriptive and pleasant, if slightly long winded at times. At one point Renee travels the French countryside, and the letters Renee writes her would be lover are sweet indeed.

When doing research about the author, I found Colette to be an intriguing subject. Living a life that was not standard, she broke many social rules including affairs with a tabooed family member and women.  Although this book does not have LGBT elements, it’s still feminist in nature and is not your happily-ever-after romance.  But I think that is where its value lies, in a “realistic” example of a woman who goes against the social norms of the times and lives her life to the fullest.

I give this wonderful short novel (especially in its audio version) a 4-star rating and recommend it highly for those interested in anything French, Victorian classics, and feminist fiction.

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Unabridged; read by Johanna Ward; translated by Charlotte Remfry Kidd; Blackstone Audio, Inc; 6 hours, 22 minutes; Sep 5, 2006.

For more information on Colette, see her English Wikipedia site. There is loads of juicy details about her well lived life there: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colette

This book review will be included in the Fill in the Gaps challenge.

Giveaway: Shadow Blizzard ~ by Alexey Pehov

Giveaway ~ We have five copies for US addresses on offer from the publisher of Shadow Blizzard ~ by Alexey Pehov; Tor Books; April 24, 2012.

It’s the latest adventure from “Russian Master of Fantasy”, Alexey Pehov, and is book three of the bestselling and translated - Chronicles of Siala. Link to check out the book trailer!

About the book: 

Shadow Harold’s quest is almost at an end: he and his companions have fought long and hard to make their way to the tomb Hrad Spein, in search of the magic horn that is their only hope to defeating The Nameless One. The journey was perilous, and many in their company did not survive. Together, however, they have come further than anyone else ever has—but their struggle isn’t over just yet…

Pehov has already proven himself as the fastest growing young fantasy writer in Russia. Shadow Prowler, the first of the Chronicles of Siala, became one of Russia’s most successful and unexpected debuts when released in 2002, and overall, the series has sold over a million copies in total and received the Russian fantasy community’s highest professional honor, the Silver Kaduzei. Video games based on the series are now in development. Tor is proud to offer the series in English for the first time and translated by Andrew Bromfield.

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You do not need to be a follower to enter this giveaway but please fill out the Google form completely.

 

Winners will be chosen randomly via random.org. Your address will only be used for the purpose of this giveaway and will be deleted once the winners have been chosen. Promise.

If you liked this giveaway become a reader of Layers of Thought since we have more books that you can win coming up soon. Here are your options to keep up to date:

1. Google: via the blog’s side bar (I will follow back if I can find your blog.) or
2. Facebook: for updates in your feed there - add me as a friend. or
3. Your Email Box. or
4. Twitter (I will follow back, if your account is not protected.) or
5. Feed Reader.

Good luck!

Review: The Faster I Walk, The Smaller I Am ~ by Kjersti A. Skomsvold

The Faster I Walk, The Smaller I Am ~ by Kjersti A. Skomsvold; translated by Kerri A. Pierce

A “literary tragicomic” that is translated from Norwegian. It’s a short but challenging read  which is at times brilliant, heart-wrenching, sadly funny, and with some interesting bits which require mathematical knowledge to fully understand their references.

About:   It is told in the first person by an aging woman Mathea Martinsen. She is a cerebral individual, currently obsessed with death, and perhaps possessing a social anxiety disorder. She stays in her apartment with little desire to connect with anyone other than her husband. With no children, her life consists of the television and going to the store, while simultaneously trying to avoid and connect with her neighbors.

When she finally realizes something is missing from her life – that she wants to be and feel important - she attempts to set things right in a dilapidated series of too-late actions. It seems the harder she tries to be someone, and to connect with others, the worse things become. While she remains oddly positive, as the title suggests she only feels smaller. As her muddled attempts become more desperate, her descent leads to a culmination which is not entirely expected and completely heartbreaking.

Thoughts:   One of the reasons I love translated literature is that it helps me to think differently. This book definitely did, and then some. It pushed me to re-read passages, research references, and to do quite few “Googles”. I would even say that with so many looking up of references while reading this ARC, it felt like it was not completely finished.

However, many of the analogies were brilliant and curious. The author has a variety of these interesting tidbits scattered through the story line coming directly from Mathea’s thoughts and actions. An example is that Mathea puts many thing into numerical concepts and theories, speaking to her connection with the world and her relationship to her husband – his nickname and even the title is a reference to a numerical theory.

So, I was a bit conflicted about this book. But remembering it is an ARC I will be searching for a finished copy to compare the two. Perhaps footnotes for the Norwegian cultural references and math connections would help? I don’t always want to stop reading to find an answer to a question.

Recommended for readers that enjoy translated fiction, mathematical logic, and for those looking for a much deeper read. I give this short and intellectually intense book 3 stars as it is in its ARC format; more if my concerns have been addressed in the finished copy.

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112 pages; Dalkey Archive Press (October 25, 2011)

Kjersti A. Skomsvold was born in 1979 in Oslo. The Faster I Walk, the Smaller I Am is her first novel.

Kerri A. Pierce is a translator focusing on German, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Norwegian, and Swedish. She is the translator of Lars Svendsen’s A Philosophy of Evil, Mela Hartwig’s Am I a Redundant Human Being?, Kjersti A. Skomsvold's The Faster I Walk, the Smaller I Am, and other novels.

Dalkey Archives Press’ The Norwegian Literature Series is supported by the Royal Norwegian Consulate Generals of New York and San Francisco, and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington D.C. The series began after Dalkey Archive had already identified major writers in Norway who were being overlooked in the English speaking world, such as Jon Fosse and Stig Sæterbakken. Funding for this Series will allow for multi-year planning and marketing initiatives to bring books in the Series to a broad range of readers throughout the English-speaking world.

Thanks for reading.

Review: The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine ~ by Alina Bronsky

 

Review by Shellie for The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine ~ by Alina Bronsky  (translator Tim Mohr)  

A dark modern fable translated from German. It is a literary novel that is tragic and blackly humorous, told by a narrator who is definitely misguided and “unreliable”.

About:  Set in Russia in the 1970s, The Hottest Dishes is told in the first person by the self-centered Rosa. It starts with Rosa’s daughter Sulfia becoming pregnant in her early teens and not willing to disclose who the father is. Understandably Rosa is not delighted with the situation, but claims her “troublesome” granddaughter Animat as her own and attempts to mold her into an image of what she believes a child and a Tartar should be (Tartars are descendants of Genghis Khan or “mountain people”).

As the reader is lead though the changes, deaths, and difficulties during the deterioration and dissolution of the Soviet Union (most historical details are easy to miss due to the extensive family drama), the tale culminates in a family visa finagled through some twisted means by Rosa from a German native who is researching Tartar Cuisine.

My Thoughts:   Rosa is an intriguing character who is definitively an unreliable narrator, possessing a vision of herself that is unreasonably high. She navigates her life with a positive flair that ignores the perspectives and feelings of her family, creating situations which are painful and heartbreakingly sad. All the while she downplays the difficult reality in her world and country, which is more than a bit askew. Although her ability to get by in a harsh world is at times mildly admirable, in the end I was left asking myself the questions: How far would you go to get by or survive? What would you be willing to sacrifice for a chance at a better life for yourself and your family?

This is a short novel but one which I would consider a “chewy” read; it took me some time to finish due to its denseness. The text was not difficult, and the translation is excellent, but due to Rosa’s complexities and the unusual family dynamic she inadvertently creates it took a bit longer than normal. I had to stop to digest what it was about Rosa that I empathized with and what it was that I had a hard time understanding, and why her horrific opinions were in fact humorous. In the end I decided that at her best she is an extremely misguided “mother hen”. But as the adage goes “when does the means justify the end result”?

In conclusion I think that the story can be seen as dark fable for those who “do way too much”, providing lessons on what not to do even though one may think they know what is the best for everyone. Rated at 3.5 stars I enjoyed this translated story, and recommend it for readers who like literary fiction, unusual and complex characters, black humor, or those who would like a lot to think about. This is another book which would be perfect for a discussion group, as there could be so much to talk about.

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Paperback: 304 pages; Europa Editions (April 26, 2011)  US|UK|Canada. 

• For more information see our incoming books section which includes The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine.
• Link for praise from Publisher’s Weekly.

Its good to be home.

Review: Seven Years in Tibet ~ by Heinrich Harrer

 

Seven Years in Tibet ~ by Heinrich Harrer (Translation by Robert Graves) – reviewed by John

A fascinating autobiographical account of Harrer’s time spent in Tibet and the forbidden city of Lhasa, during the reclusive country’s final years of independence.

Harrer was an Austrian mountain climber who was returning from a trip to the Himalayas when the Second World War broke out. He and his colleagues soon found themselves in a British prisoner-of-war camp in northern India. While conditions there were very reasonable, Harrer was determined to escape, and decided that the best route was to head north into Tibet (which was neutral) and then try to make his way via China or Burma to the Japanese lines.

After some false starts he and a colleague (Aufschnaiter) did manage to escape and made it to the Tibetan border, high in the mountains. At the time Tibet was a mysterious country which spurned attention from the rest of the world and did not welcome foreigners, but the two Austrians were hoping to rely on Tibet’s neutrality in the war as they tried to pass through heading to the east.

And so began a grueling two year trek travelling hundreds of miles through the Tibetan mountains heading for the forbidden city of Lhasa. Having no entry permit or official travel documents, they were always under threat of being kicked out of the country and had to rely on their guile and the kindness of strangers to help them progress. After many adventures they eventually made it to Lhasa, cold, bedraggled, hungry and penniless.

Despite their condition they were again able to rely on the Tibetan’s natural kindness and hospitality. Although always under threat of being expelled, they gradually were able to establish a network of friends and contacts, helped in part by the local’s curiosity about these strange westerners. Harrer and Aufschnaiter tried very hard to fit in, bending to the local customs and always striving to be helpful. They succeeded, to the extent that Harrer eventually became a kind of tutor and friend to the young Dalai Lama – the spiritual leader of the country. They stayed in Lhasa for five years, and left only when the country was invaded and overrun by the Chinese army, which ultimately led to the Dalai Lama’s exile from Tibet.

The book is full of fascinating insights about this simple reclusive country, its Buddhist-dominated culture and its friendly people. In many ways Tibet was like a throw-back to several hundred years ago – it shunned virtually all technology, relied on the power of prayer and superstition, had a strong feudal foundation, believed in the God-like power of its young leader, and was almost totally cut off from the rest of the world. The country and its people charmed the two Austrians, and they in turn were able to help in many ways.

Sadly this simple society has been crushed and has been forced to change beyond all recognition. Ironically the very seclusion that Tibet yearned for turned out to be its worst enemy – when it needed help to ward off the impending threat from its large neighbor, it had no-one it could turn to for help. Not only is the book an interesting read, but it also serves as a valuable historical record of a culture which no longer exists and which remarkably few outsiders ever experienced. I’d rate the book 4 stars and thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning about foreign cultures or who likes good travel-oriented biographies.

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US|UK|Canada; originally published 1953; 368 pages; Tarcher (August 20, 2009)

Purchased at a local junk store this copy was pilfered by John from Shellie’s teetering TBR pile. As always John will be addressing any comments on this review, so please don’t forget to check the follow up box to get his response.

Have a great Thursday… and remember it’s just a short hop till Saturday and there's always a strong cup of English tea to get you through till then.

Review: Enough About Love ~ by Hervé Le Tellier(translated by Adriana Hunter)

 

Enough About Love ~ by Hervé Le Tellier (reviewed by Shellie)

A dryly humorous and intellectual literary story about the fickleness of human love and all its entanglements.

About:  Set in contemporary France we have Anna, who is a doctor, and Louise, an attorney. Anna's therapist falls for Louise, and Anna falls for a writer. Both women are beautiful, intelligent, Jewish and of very comfortable means. They also look so similar that they could be the same person or sisters. As these two women with loving families and husbands find romantic entanglement with different men (not their husbands), we see the complexity of their feelings, the inevitable consequences of their choices, and some of the inner workings of their lives – complex and mundane.

Creating a story which is  – “enough about love”.

Thoughts:  I enjoyed this literary novel partly because it’s not your ordinary romance and because it was perfect to read around Valentine’s day. As is often the case in real life romance all the character’s lives are intertwined, overlapped and connected.  Labeling each chapter with the character’s names, Le Tellier tells us about their daily lives as they connect throughout the story.

The author also offers the reader elements with heart wrenching depth such as a glimpse inside the Jewish psyche – one an incredible metaphorical link, inside a legal speech given by Louise about the holocaust; another gives a view inside the daily workings of a woman’s mind. Le Tellier’s attention to details is intriguing - for example he lists the clothing purchases of one of the main character’s - where he cleverly juxtaposes the heavy (as in the holocaust speech) and the light (represented by the gorgeous descriptions of each item such as lingerie and shoes).

It is a quirky novel which is often the case with translations - which is why I adore them. I was challenged and did not understand every little element; I was shocked, amazed and laughed. I give this realistic novel 3 stars. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy translations, like an intellectual read, are intrigued by the French, or are looking for a large step away from fluffy romance.

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Enough About Love ~ by Hervé Le Tellier  US|UK|Canada. For more about the book – see our giveaway post for Enough About Love.

This book will be linked in various challenges – to be determined.

Thanks for reading!

Incoming Books ~ (a mash up blend of genres)!

 

Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes. ~ Hugh Prather

I am making some simplifications – or at least attempting them for sanity and clarities' sake. Our book Previews will now be called the very original and thought provoking - Incoming Books. *kidding*  I have been putting off this needed change for far too long.

Incoming Books post will have book covers, purchasing links, a short descriptive snippet, and publisher stats for those we have in line for review. I hope this is a better format for everyone, and easier for me.

Here they are, a mix up of genres for your general bookish enjoyment and perusal. I just love lists of books with covers - so much fun!

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The American Girl ~ by Monika Fagerholm (translated by Katarina E.Tucker)

In 1969, a young girl makes a trip from Coney Island to the swampy coastland on the rural outskirts of Helsinki, Finland. There her death will immediately become part of local mythology, furnishing boys and girls with fodder for endless romantic imaginings.

Paperback: 528 pages; Other Press; (February 16, 2010) US|UK|Canada.

The Glitter Scene ~ by Monika Fagerhom (translated by Katarina E.Tucker) 

Set in Finland, Johanna hears the local lore about the American girl and the tragedy that took place more than thirty years ago, and begins to question how her parents fit into the story. A mystery that explores the roles of truth and myth, reality and fiction, and the repercussions of family secrets.  (This story is a stand alone sequel to the above, both are translated from Swedish).

Paperback: 500 pages; Other Press (August 9, 2011) US|UK|Canada. – (pre-purchase)

Mr. Chartwell ~ by Rebecca Hunt (magical realism)

In this original, funny, and exuberant novel, Rebecca Hunt explores the key character - Mr. Chartwell. He is Winston Churchill’s ‘black dog’, with motives far darker and deeper than they at first seem.

Hardcover: 256 pages;  The Dial Press (February 8, 2011)  US|UK|Canada.  UK and Canada covers are different (and so much nicer).

 

The Book of Tomorrow ~ by Cecelia Ahern (magical realism)

Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, the gatehouse is a world away from Tamara's childhood.  In her new home Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin. When a travelling library passes through Kilsaney Demesne, Tamara finds a mysterious large leather bound tome locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its core.

Hardcover: 320 pages: Harper (January 25, 2011) US|UK|Canada.

Wither ~ Lauren Destafano  (young adult sci fi)

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

Young Adult (ages 14 and older) Hardcover: 368 pages:  Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; (March 22, 2011) US|UK|Canada. –  pre-purchase

Moondogs ~ by Alexander Yates (fantasy)

An effervescent novel pivoting around the disappearance of an American businessman in the Philippines and the long-suffering son, jilted lover, slick police commissioner, misguided villain, and supernatural saviors, who all want a piece of him.

Hardcover: 352 pages: Doubleday (March 15, 2011) US|UK|Canada.  – pre-purchase 

 

The Promises She Keeps ~  by Erin Nealy (magical realism)

Promise, a talented young vocalist with a terminal illness, is counting on fame to keep her memory alive after she dies. Porta is an aging witch and art collector in search of the goddess who will grant her immortality. 

Paperback: 352 pages; Thomas Nelson; Original edition (February 8, 2011) US|UK|Canada.

The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine  ~ Alina Bronsky  (translator Tim Mohr)  (dark humor- general fiction)

This is the story of three generations of women - the highly opinionated Rosa, the slightly stupid Sulfia, and Aminat, a child supposedly conceived by Sulfia in a dream.  This is a quirky novel with an unreliable narrator told in the author’s distinctive and translated from German prose.

Paperback: 304 pages; Europa Editions (April 26, 2011)  US|UK|Canada.  - pre-purchase.  For praise from Publisher’s Weekly.

Radio Shangri-La ~ by Lisa Napoli  (non-fiction memoir)

A burned out journalist from Los Angeles, Napoli had a friend of a friend with connections to the Himalayan country of Bhutan who launched a new youth radio station. She accepts and tells her experience in part travelogue and memoir where the reader gets insight into this tiny country, its culture and why it is considered the happiest kingdom on earth.

Hardcover: 304 pages; Crown (February 8, 2011) US|UK|Canada.

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady ~  by Elizabeth Stuckey-French  (dark humor- general fiction)

Seventy-seven-year-old Marylou Ahearn is going to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs come hell or high water. In 1953, he gave her a radioactive cocktail without her consent as part of a secret government study that had horrible consequences.

Hardcover: 352 pages; Doubleday (February 8, 2011) US|UK|Canada.

Hawkmoon: The Runestaff  ~ by Michael Moorcock (fantasy)

The latest re-release in the Moorcock Hawkmoon series. For more information on the other books recently re-released by Tor in this series link to our preview for the series.

Paperback: 208 pages; Tor Books; First Edition edition (December 7, 2010) US|UK|Canada.

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Our first group of Incoming Books for the year, and they are colorful – perfect for a late winter pick me up. Most have a touch of the speculative. 

Which would you read first? Thanks for reading!

Giveaway and Release Day: Enough About Love ~ by Hervé Le Tellier (translated by Adriana Hunter)

 

It’s release day for Enough About Love ~ by Hervé Le Tellier, and we have it for giveaway courtesy of Other Press.

Translated from French, it is the perfect book for those wanting to read about love for up and coming Valentine’s Day.

Here is a bit more about the book:

Any man—or woman—who wants to hear nothing—or no more—about love should put this book down.

Anna and Louise could be sisters, but they don’t know each other. They are both married with children, and for the most part, they are happy. On almost the same day, Anna, a psychiatrist, crosses paths with Yves, a writer, while Louise, a lawyer, meets Anna’s analyst, Thomas. Love at first sight is still possible for those into their forties and long-married. But when you have already mapped out a life path, a passionate affair can come at a high price.

For our four characters, their lives are unexpectedly turned upside down by the deliciously inconvenient arrival of love. For Anna, meeting Yves has brought a flurry of excitement to her life and made her question her values, her reliable husband, and her responsibilities to her children. For Louise, a successful career woman in a stable and comfortable marriage, her routine is uprooted by the youthful passion she feels for Thomas.

Thought-provoking, sophisticated, and, above all, amusing, Enough About Love captures the euphoria of desire through tender and unflinching portraits of husbands, wives, and lovers.

If you cannot wait to win a copy – link to US|UK|Canada. 

About the Author:  Hervé Le Tellier is a writer, a journalist, a mathematician, a food critic, and a teacher.  He is the author of more than twenty books. His latest publications include the short-story collection, The Sextine Chapel, and a novella, The Intervention of a Good Man, which earned him the Prix Guanahani.

The Translator:  Adriana Hunter studied French and Drama at the University of London. She has translated over forty books and has been short-listed for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize twice. She lives in Norfolk, England.

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Contest Info:

This contest is for the US and Canada.  To enter please fill out the form below (you may have to link to the blog if you are viewing this post via email).

You do not need to be a reader/follower to enter.

You must leave your email in the form below.

For optional extra points  ~ you can do any, all or none of the below for 1 entry point each:

1. Be a subscriber of Layers of Thought – google or facebook. (I need to be able to see you! For facebook to get our blog updates in your feed - add me as a friend otherwise it does not count.)
2. Friend on Twitter
3. Friend on Goodreads

Contest ends Sunday February 27th, 2011 at 12 pm US Pacific time. Winner will be posted and notified on Wednesday March 2nd, 2011. 

 

Like our new forms?  I am so happy, since now my life is that much easier for our giveaways. Find out how to do yours from this post… which I found via Bloggiesta!

We use random.org to determine our winners. If you have a question or a concern (a typo or bad link or a problem with this form) please email me via my profile – Shellie.

Thanks for entering and good luck! 

Review by JD: Voltaire’s Calligrapher ~ by Pablo De Santis (translation by Lisa Carter)

 

A very strange historical mystery thriller, set during the time of the Enlightenment in pre-revolutionary France. It mixes real historical characters and events with fantasy and steam punk (or some variant thereof).

About:   The story revolves around Dalessius, who has been trained in the ancient but dying art of calligraphy. The opening of the novel finds him an outcast, an ocean away from France and recounting the strange events of his life. Orphaned when he was young, he found himself in the care of a disinterested uncle who sent him off to study calligraphy upon finding out that writing and creating alphabets seemed to be his only useful talents. After finishing school and an unfortunate incident during his first career in the courts, Dalessius finds himself sent off once again, this time to a far-flung corner of France to work for the brilliant but ostracized Voltaire.

No fan of much of the establishment (be it religious, legal or social), Voltaire is outraged when an innocent man and his family are arrested and tried for the murder of the man’s own son. Especially so, as the church and religious zealots are stoking the fires of public discontent by making ridiculous claims - the man being a Huguenot who has allegedly killed his son for wanting to convert to Catholicism. As Voltaire is not welcome in many circles and is too well known to be able to travel secretly, he sends Dalessius on a mission to find out what really happened and to try and help save the condemned family.

So begins a strange journey where Dalessius will encounter weird and wonderful things; plus many people and things which are anything but wonderful. As different religious factions jostle for influence and power, Dalessius becomes wrapped up in a plot involving automata – mechanical people who are almost undetectable amongst real people – and the genius who creates them. And calligraphy and master calligraphers are also central to the plot.

John’s Thoughts:  This is a complex and intriguing story, pitching light against dark, technological advancement against tradition, and wit against brute strength – all within a 150-page novel which fairly zips along. De Santis cleverly mixes a fantastic plot with a solid basis of real characters and events to make for a satisfying story. He creates some nasty monsters, though the monsters are all people and not the automata, who are innocents and tools of their masters (well, mostly).

This is an odd book in the sense that condensing it down into 150 pages gives it a lot of pace and momentum, while at the same time I was sometimes craving for a bit more explanation and detail. I’m still not entirely sure that I “got it” and have a funny feeling that I missed some of the subtleties of the plot. I almost want to re-read it to try and tie up some lose ends that seem to be dangling. Nonetheless it’s intriguing and highly imaginative. Its a fine story that I’d rate 4 stars.

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• Voltaire’s Calligrapher ~ by Pablo De Santis
• Original version 2001; translation published 2010 (ARC copy reviewed)
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; Original edition (October 5, 2010)
• Historical Thriller (Steampunk)

For further information on the book – publisher’s blurb and author bio please see Layers of Thought’s preview for Voltaire’s Calligrapher.

Amazon purchasing links for US|UK|Canada.

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A note regarding the covers:  The top cover is from the UK edition and the second is for the US with the US cover being similar in style to De Santis’ The Paris Enigma – both featuring stylized faces. This first book was published in the US at the end of 2009 and is also a historical thriller. Amazon purchasing links for it are US|UK|Canada.

We are currently working on a short interview with the author and are very excited to feature him here on our blog. Please stay tuned.

This book will be included in the Steampunk Challenge, New Author Challenge, The 42 Challenge and perhaps one more.

Thanks for reading!

Speculative Previews ~ Betrayer of Worlds; Salvation City; Voltaire's Calligrapher; The Reapers are the Angels; Sabine Dolls;The Wedding Gift; and The Scrubs

 

The Never Ending Book Collection ~ This post has been created just in case you don’t have enough books to read.  Because if you’re like me, it’s not possible to have too many books to read.

A note on previews: These are our recent speculative fiction books which have been received for review. No opinions yet; just book blurbs, author info, some purchasing links, and perhaps a little snippet from yours truly – Shellie.

 

Books included in this Preview: 

• Betrayer of Worlds ~ by Larry Niven and Edward M. Learner
• Salvation City ~ by Sigrid Nunez
• Voltaire's Calligrapher ~  by Pablo De Santis
• The Reapers are the Angels ~ by Alden Bell
• Sabine Dolls ~ by Sandy Hyatt-James
• The Wedding Gift ~ by Kathleen Mckenna
• The Scrubs ~ by Simon Janus

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Betrayer of Worlds ~ by Larry Niven and Edward M. Learner

About: Fleeing the supernova chain reaction at the galactic core, the cowardly Puppeteers of the Fleet of Worlds have---just barely---survived. They’ve stumbled from one crisis to the next: The rebellion of their human slaves. The relentless questing of the species of Known Space. The spectacular rise of the starfish-like Gw’oth. The onslaught of the genocidal Pak.

Catastrophe looms again as past crises return---and converge. Who can possibly save the Fleet of Worlds from its greatest peril yet?

With a mixed bag of characters and their own competing agendas, their hopes and fears, dreams and ambitions are about to collide. And the winner takes . . . worlds.

The prequel to the amazing Ringworld series.

Author Bios: Larry Niven is the multiple Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of the Ringworld series, along with many other science fiction masterpieces. He lives in Chatsworth, California.

Edward M. Lerner worked in high tech for thirty years, as everything from engineer to senior vice president, while writing science fiction as a hobby.  Since 2004 he has been writing full-time, and has written various novels including this first to the grand space epic Fleet of Worlds series – which are Ringworld prequels. 

 

Hardcover: 320 pages

Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (October 12, 2010)

Science Fiction

Amazon pre-purchasing links for US/UK/Canada.

Layers of Thought:  This is apparently the first in a series to be created by the authors.  John has picked this one up and has read 50 pages already. So a review will be coming soon!

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Salvation City ~ by Sigrid Nunez

A provocative novel set in the near future, about what happens when the whole world falls apart.

After a flu pandemic has killed large numbers of people worldwide, the United States has grown increasingly anarchic. Large numbers of children are stranded in orphanages, and systems we take for granted are fraying at the seams. When orphaned Cole Vining finds refuge with an evangelical pastor and his young wife in a small Indiana town, he knows he is one of the lucky ones. Sheltered Salvation City has been spared much of the devastation of the outside world.

But it's a starkly different community from the one Cole has known, and he struggles with what this changed world means for him. As those around him become increasingly fixated on their vision of utopia - so different from his own parents' dreams - Cole begins to imagine a new and different future for himself.

Author Bio: Sigrid Nunez is an author of five novels including her debut, A Feather on the Breath of God, Naked Sleeper, Mitz: The Marmoset of Bloomsbury, For Rouenna, and The Last of Her Kind. She often addresses class and violence in her novels. She chronicles a time period, such as the 1960's, socially, politically, and intimately in the eyes of women, and is perceptive about character and opinions. Find out more on her web site. 

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead (September 16, 2010)
• Apocalyptic

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada.

Layers of Thought:  Nunez was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for First Fiction, which is awarded annually to a novel or book of short stories by an American author who has not previously published a book of fiction.

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Voltaire's Calligrapher ~  by Pablo De Santis

About:  Dalessius is twenty when he comes to work for one of the Enlightenment’s most famous minds, the author and philosopher Voltaire. As the great man’s calligrapher, Dalessius becomes witness to many wonders—and finds himself in the middle of a secret battle between the malevolent remnants of the all-but-dead Dark Ages and the progressive elements of the modern age.

The calligrapher’s role in this shadowy conflict will carry him to many perilous places— through the gates of sinister castles and to the doors of a bizarre bordello; toward life-and death confrontations with inventive henchmen, ingenious mechanical execution devices, poisonous fish, and murderous automatons. As the conspiracy to halt the Enlightenment’s astonishing progress intensifies, young Dalessius’s courage—as well as Voltaire’s unique cunning and wit—are put to the ultimate test as they strive to ensure the survival of the future.

Bio:  A journalist and comic-strip creator who became editor in chief of one of Argentina’s leading comics magazines, Pablo De Santis is the author of six critically acclaimed novels, one work of nonfiction, and a number of books for young adults. His works have been published in more than twenty countries. He lives in Buenos Aires. 

Paperback: 160 pages

Publisher: Harper Perennial; Original edition (October 5, 2010)

Historical Thriller (Slipstream)

Amazon pre-purchasing links for US/currently available in UK and Canada.

Layers of Thought: This book is a translation from Spanish and is almost a novella at 160 pages. The historical connection is interesting and what better way to get your history than via a speculative novel. I love the UK cover, which is with the tattooed woman.

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The Reapers are the Angels ~ by Alden Bell

God is a slick god. Temple knows. She knows because of all the crackerjack miracles still to be seen on this ruined globe.

Older than her years and completely alone, Temple is just trying to live one day at a time in a post-apocalyptic world, where the undead roam endlessly, and the remnant of mankind who have survived, at times, seem to retain little humanity themselves. This is the world she was born into. Now one vengeful man is determined that, in a world gone mad, killing her is the one thing that makes sense.

Author Bio:  Alden Bell is a pseudonym for Joshua Gaylord, whose first novel, Hummingbirds, was released in Fall '09. He teaches at a New York City prep school. He lives in New York City with his wife. Macmillan has a page with an audio and written interview, and this is a link to Joshua Gaylords’s web site.  

Paperback: 240 pages

Publisher: Holt Paperbacks; First Edition edition (August 3, 2010)

Horror/Post Apocalyptic 

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada. 

Layers of Thought:  I have seen some positive reviews on this zombie novel, but have not read any yet. What a creepy cover!

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Sabine Dolls ~ by Sandy Hyatt-James

About:  Think of a beautiful planet where nobody has to work or worry about money. There is such a place called Tynai, sixty thousand light-years away. However, Tynai women can’t bear children and procreation is done in a laboratory. Five Earth women, stolen by Tynai men eager to produce children naturally, reluctantly find themselves living on this alien planet. What follows is an explosion of sexual tension between Galbryn, the enigmatic leader of the alien men and Branca, our feisty Earth heroine. When this gives way to passionate love, hatred, revenge and war follow. 

Taste and touch the experiences of the five Earth women, but also feel the disappointment of the indigenous women. Be charmed by the spurzots: androids programmed only to please, but be wary when they are re-programmed to kill. Most importantly, be right there as the two main characters exchange sublime moments as only true lovers can.

Author Bio: Sandy Hyatt-James was born in England.  She studied literature in college but became a Social Work Manager. She has given up work to devote more time to writing. Now living in Bulgaria with her husband, two dogs and a cat.  When she isn’t writing, she teaches English Language part-time.   

Sandy is a Goodreads author, connect with her there, on her blog, you can also read an excerpt from Sabine Dolls on the publisher’s web site.

Paperback: 346 pages

Publisher: Bluewood Publishing Ltd (July 15, 2010)

Science Fiction/Romance

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada.

For ereaders who need an other than Kindle format purchasing link to the publisher for various ebook formats.

Layers of Thought:  I discovered this book on Goodreads through a friend who gave it 5 stars. What a great cover!

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The Wedding Gift ~ by Kathleen Mckenna

17 year old Leeann Worthier is the perfect girl in town - or so she says. George Willets is the heir to a booming petroleum business. When they announce their engagement, George's controlling mother is unimpressed, and Leeann absolutely refuses to live with her mother-in-law. So George gives his new wife a house as a wedding gift.

Thirty years before, the same house hosted a grisly scene: George's uncle and cousins were all slaughtered and his aunt Robina accused of both murder and suicide. When the ghost of Robina begins to haunt Leeann, she realizes she's made a huge mistake ....

About the author:  Kathleen Mckenna is a transplanted Alaskan who spent twelve years on her first paragraph and now lives and writes prolifically in the opposite kind of desert in New Mexico. 'The Wedding Gift' is Kathleen's third novel, the first of a supernatural trilogy. The second in the series, 'The Comeback', will be published by Night Publishing in late 2010.

 

Paperback: 210 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace (August 27, 2010)

Horror

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK–Kindle only/Canada.

Layers of Thought: This is a paranormal horror story written by a follower of this blog, and is perfect for the Halloween season.

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The Scrubs ~ by Simon Janus

James Jeter, the notorious serial killer with a sixth sense, holds court inside London's Wormwood Scrubs Prison. He's the focus of the "North Wing Project." Under the influence of a hallucinogen, Jeter can create an alternative world known as "The Rift" containing the souls of his victims. Pardons are on offer to inmates who'll enter “The Rift”.

Michael Keeler has nothing to lose and little to live for. He's sent into The Rift to learn the identity of Jeter's last victim. It's a mission where the guilty can be redeemed, but at a price...

Author Bio:  Simon Wood is also Simon Janus, and is a California transplant from England. He's an ex-competitive racecar driver, a licensed pilot and an occasional private investigator. He shares his world with his American wife, Julie. Their lives are dominated by a longhaired dachshund and five cats. Here is his website for more information.

Format: Kindle Edition

File Size: 141 KB

Science Fiction/Horror

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK in Kindle format, and Smashwords.

Layers of Thought:  This is a sci fi/horror story.  It is only 99 pages and is in ebook format. (There are versions which are available for printing via Smashwords).  Interestingly, this prolific author writes under Simon Janus when it is horror and Simon Wood when he’s writing within other genres.

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These books have been received for review from various sources. A big thank you to each of  the publishers, publicists, and authors who have sent Layers of Thought these copies for review.

We already know which book John has chosen. Which one would you read first?

Thanks for reading.

Review by Shellie: The Unit ~ by Ninni Holmqvist

 

A translated novel set in a futuristic and twisted democracy, it borders on horror with a realistic feel making it all the more terrifying.

Set Up:  A story taking place in Sweden at some undisclosed time in the future, where there has developed a truly warped social system.

The main character is a single women turning fifty. She has no family connections and is struggling financially. Dorit is required to enter a governmentally mandated enclave called “the unit”.  A place where all persons – men of sixty years and women of fifty - move to if they are deemed “dispensable”. That is if they do not have anything which is considered of economic value to give. In turn they live a life of luxury yet must submit to medical testing and donate vital organs.

My Thoughts:  I really enjoy dystopian novels and this one appeared to have an unusual twist with a character to whom I could easily relate – a middle aged women with bohemian tendencies. There are a number of things that I liked about the book.

It felt like a translation and I love translations. You can explore the locale and psyche of another country through the text with its unusual language nuances. This book was no exception with its lovely description of the local plants, landscape, and weather, as well as subtle differences in its cultural perspective.

There is a secondary plot line which could be described as a romance. I particularly liked that the few unusual sex scenes included are not like your standard fare, which I usually skip over or laugh at.

There are a few political topics which come up in the novel such as ageism and a subtly twisted version of feminism, which make for great for discussion topics.

The novels I enjoy the most leave me with questions, and The Unit poses a few good ones. What kind of a democracy would value economic growth so much that it would sacrifice its older members? Is the nature of democracy only about growth?  How could a political system purportedly concerned with freedom develop like the one which is represented in this book? 

A fairly short novel it starts out slowly yet picks up considerably where it becomes both illuminating and heart wrenching. It summarizes a few subtle elements of human experience in enlightening and relatable ways. And the best part is that it was just plain scary. It is because of these things it will be placed in my favorite’s list - on balance 4.5 stars.

• The Unit
• by Ninni Holmqvist  (translated by Marlaine Delargy)
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Other Press (June 9, 2009)

Amazon purchasing links for US/UK/Canada.

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For more information about the author, translator, The Unit, and other titles please link to the publisher - Other Press.

This particular book was read in digital format and rented from our local library. It is my second novel published by Other Press.  I have enjoyed both immensely.  A Map of Home by Rhanda Jarrar was the first.  John also highly recommends Mitchell Kaplan’s By Fire, By Water which is also published by this small press.

This novel will be included in the following challenges: Woman Unbound, The Speculative Fiction Challenge, The 42, New Author Challenge, and The Basics.

We love Fridays – Have a great weekend! 

Review by Shellie: The Song of the Whales by Uri Orlev

 

A sweet and mostly realistic tale, with touches of the magical. The story  addresses connections to loved ones after death.

Mini Synopsys:    This is a translated work which is a sweet and fantastic tale about a young boy whose family moves to Israel from New York to care for his aging and dying grandfather. Michael, his American name, is a loner of a child and prefers adult company to that of children. He is comfortable with this move since he does speak fluent Hebrew.

Upon arrival to Israel, he meets his grandfather and they become very close. Over their time together his grandfather shares his knowledge of his special gift, that Michael also possess. Only Michael doesn’t realize how special he really is.

My Thoughts:   I enjoyed this tale with its many interesting themes, such as addressing dreams, death, respect for the old, thinking about rebirth, reincarnation, sharing past lives, vegetarianism, morality and recognizing special gifts.

Several problems I had with the book is that it did not feel completely translated in a few small areas; there were bits which could be confusing for an American reader. I imagine that this was remedied since the copy that I read was an ARC – advanced read copy.  Another is that one of the characters, Michael’s grandfather’s housekeeper/girlfriend, was portrayed as a difficult person. My problem was that although she cared for his grandfather, his grandfather’s home, did all the cooking, and after a move did these things for Michael's family as well, she was treated with disrespect by the entire family. Not a great role model for a child.

All in all, I adore translations and when looking beyond the annoyances mentioned above, I give this book 3.5 stars. I liked it a lot.

For more information about this title, the author, purchasing links from Amazon - it was released in April, please see Layers of Thought’s preview for The Song of the Whales.

This review is for the Once Upon a Time Challenge. It will also be included in a number of other challenges; The New Author Challenge, The Basics Challenge, and The Speculative Fiction Challenge.

Thanks for reading Layers of Thought.

ARC Review by Shellie: The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight – A Novel by Gina Ochsner

 

   

Synopsis:    Within a current day setting in Russia, with all its difficult economics and  “shell shocked” population, a number of diverse individuals relay their lives via an omnipresent narrator in separate yet interrelated chapters. They all live in the same dilapidated building where the plumbing has been non existent for several months. They are coping, but it seems there is nothing they can do about the situation. Most significantly the group experiences a death of one of their fellow residents via suicide. Because the “dead guy” is not buried properly in contravention of the demands of his Muslim tradition, he haunts the others with hilarious, heart wrenching, and smelly results.

Layered within this story are the difficult and sadly comical experiences of each of the individuals. Each leading lives with a shared, conflicted yet accepting, desperation. All with differing perspectives due to varying ethnicity, age, and gender. Each are both thoughtful and dark.

As the characters are developed, the story starts to revolve around several American museum facilitators of “Russian Extraction” who will visit and determine if they are to help the Russian group and their local “handmade” museum. It is a promise of a monetary donation, but as the residents try to meet the Americans’ exacting standards and try and plan out a reasonable way of showing the donators that their museum is worthy of support, that they lead normal and sane lives, havoc ensues.

My Thoughts:   The above description of this book unjustly simplifies it, since there is so much more complexity within the book than can be described within three paragraphs. There were so may wonderful examples of complex and unusual word usage. I found myself laughing and amazed. The most fun aspect of the book is the way that the author seamlessly incorporates folktales, knowledge and tradition from each of the respective religious backgrounds. “Magical realism” melded with the reality of life - heartbreaking yet hopeful. The book is a linguistic mix of metaphor and imagery.

Key concepts which I found interesting within the book are the nature of truth and how cultures define what they choose to relay to the population through the media, what they hide, and who it is that decides what is shared. It is here that we see that Russians as indirect by cultural default. But we also see how frustrated and powerless they feel about their country’s conflicts. Here is a wonderful example where the main character Olga struggles with her job of translating for a local newspaper, where she is required to create euphemisms for the public to read:

Through the snow Olga trudged, dimly aware that in faraway places people spoke with purer words of unvarnished meaning. Or maybe not. Maybe at other news agencies in other countries people simply told more palatable lies. And as she rounded the corner and climbed over the remains of the broken stone archway that marked the entrance to the courtyard, she felt despair sliding down her throat, setting up quick residence in her stomach. Language was, after all, just word shaped stains, simply another way to evade and obscure the truth.

As I read, I felt the cultural angst. It was a fascinating glimpse into the Soviet psyche which I now understand is more complex than many of us realize. We find that the country has residents of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian background – all with their generalized terms and stagnant beliefs about themselves and others, not unlike the US or any other country for that matter. Here the author sums up human character via Olga:

Olga wagged her head slowly from side to side. It never ceased to amaze her what the human animal was capable of. What great great acts of generosity and cruelty. And how a human could harbor the inclination for both within the same heart! She wished she could say it was beyond her. But it wasn’t, because she felt it, too: compassion and rage, love and hate. Even good people could – and did – commit acts of cruelty. Even people like Olga.  How many times had she wished Afghanistan and everyone in it would simply fall off the map?

There are many other examples in the book which exemplify its wonderful language as well as its important concepts. It is a lovely and complex book which was originally published in Great Britain in 2009. The version I read had language appropriate for the area, and will be changed for the American audience. The quotes reflect the UK version. It did feel like a translation, however I could find no evidence of it being one.

I loved this book, and recommend it for people who enjoy unusual and creative language, metaphor and imagery, slipstream/magical realism, as well as art, art history, and cultural perspectives. I rate it at 4.5 stars. I will be looking for a hard copy of this book for my personal collection and I have also included Gina Ochsner on my list of authors to watch.

For more information on the book, the author, as well as purchasing links please see Layers of Thought's preview for The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight.

Here is a link for an article I recently found regarding the lack of complete information disclosure within Russia - here.

This book will be included into several challenges – New Author Challenge 2010, The Speculative Fiction Challenge, Woman Unbound Challenge, and Once Upon a Time IV Challenge.

Thanks for reading Layers of Thought!