I was at the local library, desperately searching for something interesting to read. I found a copy of Michel Laub’s Diary of the Fall and I was attracted by the concept: Three men from different generations, each facing different problems (and yet with an underlying similarity). Sounded interesting for someone who likes literary fiction, right? Well, that’s what I thought too. But, unfortunately, as this review of Diary of the Fall will reveal, sometimes all the ingredients are there but the recipe is a failure.
The art cover of Diary of the Fall is very similar to this stock photo. But here’s a little problem: Despite the author’s (and the protagonist’s) efforts to convince the reader the fall described in the story was some sort of threshold, the result is thoroughly unconvincing.(more…)
Albanian literature is not something I’ve been exposed to a lot. Indeed, this review of A Girl in Exile, by Ismail Kadare, is not only the first opportunity for me to review a novel of Albanian literature, but also the first time I even read one.
The story seems deceptively simple. According to the book description:
During the bureaucratic machinery of Albania’s 1945–1991 dictatorship, playwright Rudian Stefa is called in for questioning by the Party Committee. A girl—Linda B.—has been found dead, with a signed copy of his latest book in her possession. He soon learns that Linda’s family, considered suspect, was exiled to a small town far from the capital. Under the influence of a paranoid regime, Rudian finds himself swept along on a surreal quest to discover what really happened to Linda B.
At first glance, A Girl in Exile seems like a mystery thriller with political aspects. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Albania is a fascinatingly mysterious country, and the world of A Girl in Exile reveals that marvellously. (more…)
Writing a review of The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce, by Paul Torday, is an exhilarating experience. I get to talk about the brilliance of the novel and the hopeless mediocrity that surrounds us.
Indeed, it’s interesting to give you a quick briefing of how I discovered The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce.
I saw the book at the local library. As I sometimes do with authors I haven’t read before, I took a quick look at Goodreads reviews. The average rating of The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce is (at the time of this review) 3.49/5. The thing is, I have the experience to know that if a book (or a film) features bad ratings by the social masses, it might mean it’s actually good.
Taking a look at one or two reviews, I felt certain it was a book I wanted to read. People complained that there was no resolution to the story. Others gave the book 2 stars because… the protagonist was in denial.
The level of ignorance and mediocrity is appalling, when it comes to unsophisticated readers.
And so, let’s see what I thought about Torday’s novel. This is a review of The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce. It’s also another chance for me to express my dismay at the social mediocrity that has enthralled the world. Ironically enough, the two processes are metatextually related as you will see.
