I Heart Crumbling Estates

When I was posting about The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters in November, I looked again at the Amazon review of that book, to confirm that it really did have spoilers.  The next time that I went to Amazon, it told me that since I had recently looked at The Little Stranger, I might also like The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.  Now Amazon has led me astray with shaky recommendations in the past, but since The Thirteenth Tale was sitting in my nightstand waiting for me to read it, I checked out the editorial reviews to see what they said.  Based on those reviews, I was a little worried that The Thirteenth Tale would turn out to be an earlier, better version of The Little Stranger that I had somehow missed.  They said that The 13th  was a ghost story, set in a "haunted ruin of a house" in England, and was full of family secrets.  Does that sound a little familiar to you?

After reading The 13th, however, I have to disagree.  The 13th is not a ghost story, nor a mystery, nor a fairy tale, but instead is a crazy blend of the three.  It is certainly set in a crumbling estate in rural England, like The Little Stranger, but where the Ayers family in TLS was eccentric, the Angelfield family in The 13th is mentally ill.  The story teller in The 13th is Margaret Lea, who although she is our narrator, is actually reporting the story that she is hearing as The 13th unfolds.  As in TLS, there is a kindly housekeeper, who understands the family and their problems perhaps better than the family itself does, and a doctor, who races to misdiagnoses.

Margaret hears the story of the Angelfield family when she is hired to write the biography of a reclusive writer who has attained celebrity status.  This writer knows how to keep Margaret and the reader interested by doling out little morsels of truth, which in this case are more interesting than any fiction. 

If you are a fan of a true ghost story, this book may be a disappointment to you.  However, if you liked The Little Stranger, like I did, and want to read something else along those lines, The 13th  is a great find.  And now I have a new "mini-genre" to follow, which I didn't even know I liked three months ago - 20th century stories set in crumbling estates in rural England and the crazy families that inhabit them.

Next Up on CD:  Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey
Next Up in Book Form:  Enemies of the People by Kati Marton

Something Worth Fighting For

Almost a year ago, I was at a party with some friends, Dave and Brooke, and we were talking about great books that we had read recently.  They could not stop talking about one, so I asked them to write down the name, so that I wouldn't forget it.  Dave handed me a note later that said:

A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin

Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin

Everything Mark Helprin has ever written

 So, I put Soldier on my TBR list, and figured that I would eventually get to it.  That time has come.

A Soldier of the Great War  is the story of an Italian man, Alessandro Giuliani, and his struggle to survive World War I, with his self respect intact.  The story begins with Alessandro as a dignified old man helping a young man, who is a stranger to him.  The two wind up going on a long walk together, during which Alessandro tells the young man, Nicolo, the story of his life, and challenges and expands Nicolo's view of the world. 

Alessandro's profession is the study of beauty, and that he is able to make a living in this field is an amazement to all.  According to Alessandro, La Tempesta by Giorgione is the reason for war and the reason for peace. The painting, which is at the top of this post, depicts a soldier going off to war, and leaving a naked woman and a nursing child behind.  The message being that the only thing worth leaving a wife and child behind for is to fight for their continued way of life, and a better future for the child.  Although he joined the war as a single man, Alessandro carries this image with him, and it helps him through difficult times. 

One interesting detail that I noticed in Soldier is that although the author is American, the United States is not mentioned at all during the story of the war - no mention of American soldiers, prisoners of war, or even participation. America is only mentioned toward the end of the book as a place to visit or move to after the war is over.

From the beginning, there was something about Soldier that reminded me of Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.  There are many similarities before one even opens either book.  Follett and Helprin were born within 2 years of each other (1949 and 1947, respectively), the books Pillars and Soldier were published within 2 years of each other (1989 and 1991, respectively), and both books are massive, with Pillars having 1008 pages, and Soldier having 792 pages.  Both novels are set in Europe, and another strange similarity is that they are the only novels that I have ever read with scenes in a rock quarry.  But more than that, the stories feel similar in the tone and voice of the main character.  However, the plots themselves are completely different.  Pillars takes place over several decades in the 1600s, and the story is the struggle to build a great cathedral.  Soldier takes place between 1915 and 1919 in the flashback, and for 2 days in the 1960s.  I guess my point is that if you liked Pillars, you will like Soldier too.

Next up:  Enemies of the People by Kati Marton

Still Listening to:  Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

It's Olive's Fault

I am so not excited about posting for the third time in a row about a book that I didn't really like.  What a downer.  This time though, it's not my fault.  It's Olive's.  And Elizabeth Strout's. 

The last book that I read by Elizabeth Strout, Amy and Isabelle, was not one of my favorites.  Amy and Isabelle is the story of a woman who became a mom as a teenager, and her struggles to raise her daughter, and keep her from also becoming a teenage mother.  The mom, Isabelle, is hard to like, but I would have liked her a lot more if Strout had done a better job of reminding me that Isabelle was only 33 or 34 while she was trying to deal with her 16 year old daughter.  So that one is Strout's fault.

Olive Kitteridge, also by Strout, came out to great fanfare, and even won the Pulitzer Prize in 2009.  I liked the idea of several short stories all set in Maine, and all tied together by one person, Olive Kitteridge, who plays lead, supporting, or cameo roles in each story.  So, I decided to give Strout another try. 

Like Isabelle, Olive is a very hard person to like.  She is abrasive and hostile to those closest to her, but reveals a tender side to virtual strangers.  As her husband, Henry, says, she does not ever apologize.  This seems to be because she feels deep within her being that she is always right.  She is also quick to lay the blame on others for her problems, always saying that what is wrong is someone else's fault. 

So, if you are in the mood for a cheerful tale, this is not it.  But if you are preparing to go home for the holidays, and dreading dealing with your mother or mother in law, Olive Kitteridge might be the book for you.  After reading about Olive, your family members will look kind and thoughtful.

As for me, I'm done with Elizabeth Strout.  I think she'll muddle along without me.

Post Script:  After sleeping on this post, I have to concede that Olive Kitteridge is not a bad book.  It is interesting how you learn about each character through the eyes of the others, and the differences in character that each shows when with their own family versus when they are with acquaintances.  Additionally, there is light at the end of the tunnel, in that the book ends optimistically, with the hope for change and growth.  Olive's son, Christopher, is a more resilient character than he first appears, and while she only admits it grudgingly, Olive does learn from him.  I appreciate that Christopher does not allow himself to be damaged by his past, but instead works toward a better future.  But I still think I'm done with Elizabeth Strout.


Next Up on CD:  The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Still Reading:  A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin