bookswelike

Books reviewed by Denise Lewis

A Heart so White by Javier Marias

The suicide of a young bride launches a brilliant examination of the nature of relationships and the obligations and coercions that they inevitably bring. Marias considers the effect of secrets, the quality of instigation and complicity, the impossibility of knowing the truth, the corrosive power of knowledge and anxiety as well as the evanescence of human experience. His discursive and philosophical style may not suit all, but if you like authors who take a thought for a walk, you'll love this!
(bwl 74 Autumn 2014)

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Mixed feelings about this overlong, repetitive and at times unrealistic view of ongoing child abuse and its repercussions, the coping mechanism of self harm and the endurance of male friendship. I certainly can't rave like the critics, but Yanagihara's main character is (with reservations) masterfully and memorably drawn and her writing so compelling that the pages flew by and I will definitely read her next book.
(bwl 80 Spring 2016)

A Passage to India by E M Forster

The story centres around the question of what really happened when a Muslim Indian accompanies a young British woman on a visit to the Malabar caves. Superficially the theme is colonialism and the prejudiced attitude of the British during the Raj. But it is also about religion, mysticism, the idealistic view of humankind as a single, unified whole, and how friendships can be threatened by cultural or religious barriers. Not an easy read, but I found it a rewarding one.
(bwl 106 Autumn 2022)

An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears

Set in Oxford during the Restoration, this intellectual whodunit centres around a murder and the young woman convicted of the crime. Four different narrators tell their version of events, each with an axe to grind and so possibly unreliable. I was absolutely engrossed, especially because of the insights into the state of politics, religion, philosophy and medical science during this tumultuous period. The characters are both real and fictional and the ending is brilliant.
(bwl 97 Summer 2020)

At the Existentialist Cafe: Freedom, Being and Apricot Cocktails by Sarah Bakewell

This successful blend of biography, memoir and history traces the roots of French existentialism in German phenomenology, gives fascinating insights into the lives of Sartre, Beauvoir, Camus, Heidegger et al and assesses the relevance of existentialism to the world today. An excellent introduction and explanation of a philosophy which is notoriously difficult to define. Heavy going at times, however Bakewell's erudite but anecdotal style is a pleasure to read. Just as good as her wonderful book about Montaigne. (How to Live a Life - bwl 61)
(bwl 80 Spring 2016)

Atomised by Michel Houellebecq

I'm not sure if I can call this a "book-I-like". It paints a perceptive and provocative portrait of society during the second half of the 20C, particularly the effects of liberal individualism. His philosophising tends towards gross generalisations and simplistic conclusions but I admired his intellect and breadth of ideas. Bleak and depressing, yes, but also fascinating, courageous, haunting and very different. It's like nothing I've ever read and definitely not for your maiden-aunt. Read at your own risk!
(bwl 60 Spring 2011)

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

Does Yann Martel succeed in his objective of presenting the Holocaust in a new and meaningful way? His allegory, presented within the novel as a play written by a taxidermist in which the leading characters are a donkey and a howler monkey, is clever and memorable. The skilfully constructed autobiographical story explains the eight year gap since Life of Pi (bwl 17). But a success? I'm not sure, but jolly glad I read it!
(bwl 57 Summer 2010)

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Inspired by an actual historical incident, this remarkable book tells the story of a woman haunted by the daughter she murdered rather than be returned to slavery. Part ghost story, part realistic narrative, the novel examines the mental and physical trauma as well as the lingering damage caused by slavery. In prose both stark and lyrical, Morrison addresses the importance of family and community, individual and cultural identity and the very nature of humanity.
(bwl 60 Spring 2011)

Broken April by Ismail Kadare

Set in the highlands of Albania in the 1930s, Gjorg, trapped in a blood feud, lies in wait for the man he must kill. He knows his own life will end thirty days later because the ancient law of the Kanun demands it. A honeymoon couple visit the area. He views the Kanun objectively. She feels nothing but visceral horror at the endless chain of killings. A fleeting glimpse of Gjorg produces devastating consequences. The writing is powerfully stark and the ending fantastic. I loved it!
(bwl 68 Spring 2013)

Censoring an Iranian Love Story by Shahriar Mandanipour

Under the guise of writing a love story in present day Iran, the author produces a metafictional satire on the immense difficulties confronted by artists living under repressive regimes. Referencing western and Arabian literature, he highlights how a culture condemns artistic masterpieces as great evils. There's humour, history, magic realism and of course a sad ending, because it is really a story about the love the author feels for his country, in which he finds it impossible to live. Highly recommended.
(bwl 82 Autumn 2016)

Colonel Chabert by Honoré de Balzac

If you're looking for a short read (80 pages) but one that stays long in the memory, this is it! Chabert, a colonel in Napoleon's army, was left for dead on the battlefield. After years of amnesia he returns to find that France's aristocracy is again in power, his wife has remarried and that he has lost his money, his reputation and his name. A haunting story about the importance of identity.
(bwl 59 Winter 2011)

Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov

Sergey and his frenemy are the only inhabitants in a tiny abandoned village in Ukraine’s Grey Zone in the Donbas region. Under constant bombardment, with no electricity and very little food, Sergey, a simple, kindhearted man, decides to take his bees away from the shelling so they can fly safely and pollinate in peace. Although set in a war zone and addressing the history and politics of the region, for me it was magical, because it was so gentle and uplifting.
(bwl 110 Autumn 2023)

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

Artistic license is an essential element in historical novels but when the facts are few, imagination is key. Maggie O'Farrell puts the focus entirely on Shakespeare's wife in telling the story of their love affair, marriage and death of their son, aged eleven. It becomes a study of love, compromise, separation, motherhood and grief. The prose is beautiful and the character and intimacy the author creates are so masterful that I was utterly convinced. Brava!
(bwl 97 Summer 2020)

House of Exile: War, Love and Literature from Berlin to Los Angeles by Evelyn Juers

Focusing on the dislocated existence of the émigré and exile in all its forms, Juers combines serious historical research and inspired creative writing in this collective biography of a group of European intellectuals centred around Heinrich Mann and his brother Thomas, including Bertolt Brecht, James Joyce, Franz Kafka and Virginia Woolf, all connected by their temerity to go on writing under extremely difficult circumstances. Full of anecdotal details, it reads like a novel. Fascinating!
(bwl 75 Winter 2015)

If This is a Man & The Truce by Primo Levi

In these two books, published together, Levi tells of his time in Auschwitz and his journey back to Turin. The first, despite its appalling subject, is not dispiriting. What emerges is a sense of dignity, fought for and maintained against all the odds. In the second, his sense of hope and renewal burst forth on every page. He tells his story not with anger or recrimination but with thoughtful, serenely beautiful prose.
(bwl 60 Spring 2011)

Imperium by Robert Harris

I'm not a big fan of Robert Harris or political novels in general, but I really enjoyed this. Narrated by Tiro, Cicero's secretary, the huge amount of research and wealth of detail bring the characters and the Republic to life. I found the political intrigues thrilling and can now understand why Cicero is known as one of the greatest orators of all time. It ends just as Cicero becomes Consul, so I've started the second in the trilogy which I'm enjoying just as much. (Denise)
Ed Note: the second is Lustrum and the third Dictator
(bwl 83 Winter 2016)

In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust

If you've ever been tempted to take the plunge but been daunted by the length or the seemingly endless meanderings, please think again! I read this epic novel during a six week holiday this summer. It had long been an ambition so despite an aborted attempt years ago I decided to try again. But this time my approach was different; I did not expect pace, plot or character development, was prepared for some tedious passages but was also prepared to give it up again if I wasn't really enjoying it. And my summer holiday became a wonderful, memorable journey. I soon enjoyed drifting along with his incredibly long sentences, found his prose achingly beautiful even when describing ugly things, was amazed at his meticulous observations of all aspects of human nature, loved the sheer pomposity of his language and laughed out loud many, many times. Why doesn't anyone ever mention Proust's humour? So, if you're tempted, all I can say is that, for me, the reward far outweighed the time invested, though I was lucky to have two things: several hours every day to devote to reading . . . and my Kindle!

P.S. (Thank you Jenny for allowing me more than 75 words to review 3,500 pages and apologies to James that I didn't do it all in one sentence!!)
(bwl 62 Autumn 2011)

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Born in Somalia and raised as a Muslim, Ayaan Hirsi Ali endured FGM, escaped an arranged marriage and fled to Holland where she became an MP. Intelligent and open minded, she questioned her religion and culture, finally denouncing Islam after 9/11. As an outspoken activist, she collaborated with Theo van Gogh and made a film about the oppression of Muslim women for which he was assassinated in 2004. This is a remarkable book, by a remarkable woman. Watch her on YouTube and be amazed!
(bwl 93 Summer 2019)

Instrumental by James Rhodes

Each chapter is structured around a piece of classical music - pivotal in his life and provided online - giving relief from his raw, visceral story of child rape, self harm, mental breakdown and the ongoing reverberations of trauma. His dedication to becoming a concert pianist against all odds and bringing classical music to a wider, younger audience is remarkable. I laughed and cried, often at the same time. A wonderful victory for free speech and a very brave man.
(bwl 77 Summer 2015)

L'Assommoir by Emile Zola

Recently arrived in working-class Paris, Gervaise is a young mother who struggles to provide for her family and find happiness for herself. She manages to build a successful business as a laundress, only to lose everything because of her desire to impress and her eventual addiction to alcohol. The characters and powerful descriptions of the poverty and squalor in which they live are totally convincing and utterly memorable.
(bwl 59 Winter 2011)

La Bête Humaine by Emile Zola

This riveting story of passion, greed and murder is a serial novel about a potential serial killer, and a railway novel which takes a novel look at railways. Zola believed in atavism and Jacques is cursed with 'an awful hereditary disorder' which drives him to sexual possession and murder. He lives in a society governed by technological progress where some, driven by greed, kill in cold blood. Should we accuse or excuse? As atmospheric and memorable as Germinal (bwl 64).
(bwl 70 Autumn 2013)

Landscape and Memory by Simon Schama

In this fascinating book Schama writes about the great forests, mountains and rivers of the world and their importance through the aeons of time to myth, history, art and to us. His narrative prose and unashamedly colourful style create the impression of reading a novel while he weaves this huge tapestry of literary art. Beautifully illustrated, and over 600 pages, but definitely not a holiday read - it's so heavy you need iron wrists to lift it!
(bwl 68 Spring 2013)

Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered by Dianne Hales

The most recognised face in the world, but who was she? The author's research to discover the real woman is a biography of the artist, the model and the painting itself, a social, political and cultural history of Florence during the Renaissance and a memoir of the years she spent walking the city's streets where Lisa lived. The book is written with pace and passion and I found it absolutely fascinating.
(bwl 98 Autumn 2020)

Nana by Emile Zola

Nana (daughter of Gervaise - L'Assommoire) grew up working as a prostitute on the streets of Paris. Her beauty propels her onto the stage and she becomes the Second Empire's Helen of Troy. However, she represents Zola's belief that heredity, environment and the dynamic momentum of a particular period determine personality and is therefore portrayed as a disease, infecting and destroying everyone she touches - a symbol for his denunciation of moral corruption in society as a whole.
(bwl 59 Winter 2011)

Negotiating with the Dead by Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood's six essays, based on her 2001 Cambridge lectures, examine the writer's moral responsibility to, and relationships with, his readers, society and forerunners. She illuminates these issues through the ages from ancient myths to contemporary writing using numerous eclectic quotes and references as well as fascinating personal anecdotes and relates it all to today's 'entertainment industry'. A profound and erudite analysis, a joy for all who love reading and a special treat for Atwood fans.
(bwl 57 Summer 2010)

Not Everybody Feels the Same Way by Jean-Paul Dubois

This short novel won the Prix Goncourt in 2019. Paul Hansen, an unassuming everyman, is in prison for an unknown crime and shares his cell with a violent Hell’s Angel who is terrified of mice. Paul reflects on his ordinary life, from childhood with his eccentric parents, falling in love and the death of his wife, and finally to the reason for his imprisonment. He knows he should feel remorse, but simply cannot. Heartbreaking but wonderful.
(bwl 108 Spring 2023)

Plainsong by Kent Haruf

Set in a small town on the edge of the Colorado Plains this simple, heartbreaking but hopeful story is beautifully told in bare, unsentimental prose reflecting the unadorned melody of the title. As well as a coming of age story, it's about the austerity of life, loneliness, the search for love and the changing nature of families. The characters are so well drawn that they live on well after you've finished the book. A wonderful read!
(bwl 78 Autumn 2015)

Platform by Michel Houellebecq

Just finished this second Houellebecq - never want to read another! Please remind me I said that when the English translation of his latest, The Map and the Territory, which won the Prix Goncourt, comes out.
(bwl 61 Summer 2011)

Runaway Horses by Yukio Mishima

The second novel, 'Runaway Horses' is more philosophical and could be called an elegy for the samurai tradition. It explores the spiritual beliefs that make life meaningful and the glory of dying for such beliefs as well as the Buddhist conception of reincarnation. Although I found it a little difficult to relate to a character with such an obsession with death, I have to admit the author is convincing in his depiction of youthful, extreme idealism.
*Yukio Mishima was nominated three times for the Nobel Prize and within days of completing the last novel of the tetralogy, he committed suicide by ritual seppuku (or harakiri)
(bwl 66 Autumn 2012)

Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima

The first novel in the 'Sea of Fertility' tetralogy is a tragic love story set in the early twentieth century and focuses on the conflicts in Japanese society caused by Westernisation. It is a haunting story of impassioned but controlled sensibilities told in delicate and lyrical prose with wonderful details of the culture, dress and even hairstyles of the period. It can be read as a single novel.
(bwl 66 Autumn 2012)

Still Life by Sarah Winman

A chance meeting during WWII in Florence between a sexagenarian, art historian and a young British soldier has unexpected repercussions for the next forty years. The prose is atmospheric, the dialogue pacy, and the characters full blown. There's art appreciation, history, comedy, the love of family and friends and tragedy too, but overall, it's so uplifting, because no matter what happens we can be grateful there's still life so why not enjoy it. A pandemic panacea!
(bwl 103 Winter 2022)

The 'Rabbit' Tetralogy - Rabbit Run, Rabbit Redux, Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest by John Updike

Never having read Updike, I intended to try the first but just had to read all four and now understand why Julian Barnes reveres him. Written ten years apart from 1950 these novels capture the zeitgeist of small town, middle-class America. Harry Angstrom, flawed but endearing, attempts to escape the constraints and responsibilities of marriage and family life. With his unique prose style, Updike's portrayal of the human condition is utterly convincing. He said he was attempting "to give the mundane it's beautiful due". Bravo, Mr Updike!
(bwl 64 Spring 2012)

The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni

In the face of adversity, during the terrible years of Spanish rule and the plague that struck Milan in 1630, a young couple are trying to get married. A deeply spiritual work, with many subsidiary characters based on real people, it's main theme is the struggle between oppression and the subjugated Italians' longing for justice and freedom. Published in 1842 it expressed Manzoni's moral, social and political support of the Risorgimento. Understandably Italy's most famous and widely read novel.
Ed's Note: Verdi's Requiem was written for the first anniversary of Manzoni's death
(bwl 65 Summer 2012)

The Book of Evidence by John Banville

Desperate for money to repay a loan, Freddie, a gifted scientist, visits his family home in the hope of retrieving some valuable paintings, only to find his mother has sold them to a friend. He decides to steal one, is disturbed by a maid and brutally kills her with a hammer. Awaiting trial in prison, he writes this astonishing confession as a meditation on evil and guilt. The prose is Nabakovian - poetic, compelling and darkly comic. Unforgettable!
(bwl 110 Autumn 2023)

The Child in Time by Ian McEwan

A trip to the supermarket, a moment's inattention and Stephen's three year old daughter disappears. Superficially a story of loss, guilt, grief and the redeeming power of love, it becomes an exploration of how attitudes to child rearing have changed over time, the nature of childhood and the dangers of trying to recapture it, memory, reality, the parental role of government, the fluidity of time itself and how a lost child still lives within us all. I loved it.
(bwl 90 Autumn 2018)

The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber

In the light of a previous review and the tv series, would just add that I loved all the elements of the Victorian novel, even the mad wife in the attic, and Faber's attention to detail. The initial caricatures became well rounded, convincingly flawed and memorable characters. The enigmatic ending reminded me of John Fowles's 'The French Lieutenant's Woman'. The pacey writing keeps the (824) pages turning. A good holiday read.
(bwl 68 Spring 2013)

The Disappearance of Adele Bedeau by Graeme Macrae Burnett

Successfully paying homage to Simenon, characterisation takes precedence over plot in this psychological study of the awkward and repressed protagonist and the detective, haunted by past failures, who investigates the case. Because of his social ineptitude, Manfred becomes a suspect when a waitress he hardly knows disappears. Is he involved, and why does the suspicion torment him so much? I found the characters believable, the story compelling, and the writing masterful so thoroughly enjoyed it.
(bwl 104 Spring 2022)

The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford

This sad story, told by the definitive unreliable narrator, is about the differences between appearance and reality, and about human willingness to see events in a light that best suits the viewer rather than as they really are. Perhaps the author is also saying that the protagonist is not merely representative of a particular character type or social class, but of Europe itself: decadent, complacent and oblivious to impending catastrophe? I loved it!
(bwl 67 Winter 2013)

The Hamilton Case by Michelle de Kretser

Set in the author's native Sri Lanka in the years before its independence in 1948, the story centres around a murder. Sam Obeysekere, a Ceylonese barrister whose 'veins run with Bovril' hopes to make his name by having an Englishman convicted rather than the victim's black servants. In prose that I found exquisite, the author explores the effects of colonialism, racial inequality and ethnic tension and proves how narrative influences our perception of truth. Highly recommended.
(bwl 84 Spring 2017)

The House of Sleep by Jonathan Coe

Unputdownable - hate the word but have to use it! A story about love and loss that begins at university and is taken up ten years later. The characters are vividly drawn and all linked in some way by sleep disorders. The writing is pacy, often hilarious and sometimes chilling, the plot intricately woven and the smallest details turn out to have deep significance. The final pages complete a wonderfully satisfying jigsaw puzzle.
(bwl 57 Summer 2010)

The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas

Set in a rural community in Norway, this story of an unlikely friendship between two eleven year old girls seems simple, almost a fairy tale. But there is a dark secret that cannot be shared and one girl disappears in the middle of winter with a devastating impact on the other, and the fairy tale becomes a psychological nightmare. I read it in an afternoon but it haunted me for days. Magnificent.
(bwl 94 Autumn 2019)

The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Little

An extraordinary exploration of evil and culpability recording actual events and characters narrated as a memoir by an educated, cultured but fictitious senior SS officer. If ordinary men, through a sense of duty, loyalty and ambition, desensitised by war, participate in organised systematic genocide, what happens to a psychologically damaged man in the same situation? Is the seed of evil within us all and how would we act in order to survive, personally and as a nation? A harrowing and disturbing masterpiece!
Winner of Le Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française and the Prix Goncourt in 2006
(bwl 76 Spring 2015)

The Last Waltz: The Strauss Dynasty and Vienna by John Suchet

The story of the Strauss dynasty, full of family dramas, tensions, triumphs and disasters set against the backdrop of the fall of the Habsburg Empire. It's a fascinating saga told in Suchet's enthusiastic, anecdotal style so the narrative is always informative and entertaining. He relates personal lives, the politics of the day and musical history in such a beguiling way that prior musical knowledge is absolutely not necessary. Highly recommended.
(bwl 90 Summer 2018)

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Satan and his cohorts visit Moscow and cause havoc; Pontius Pilate examines his conscience about the crucifixion of Jesus and Margarita pledges her soul to the devil to save her lover. Three stories masterfully interlinked with humour, satire and a great deal of magic realism. Cowardice is the worst vice and imagination and the free word will triumph over terror and oppression, whether imposed by Caesar in the time of Jesus or Stalin in Soviet Russia. Mesmerising!
(bwl 64 Spring 2012)

The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane

I was captivated by this exploration of ancient paths as diverse as the Icknield Way, The Broomway, sea 'paths' throughout the Hebrides, wanderings along disputed areas in Palestine, the Camino in Spain and the sacred peak of Mount Kailash in Tibet. Macfarlane weaves literature, history, geology and cultural anthropology into his lyrical descriptions as well as a moving memoir to his grandfather and a brief but poignant biography of his spiritual guide Edward Thomas. Unforgettable! Have bought my first pair of walking boots!
(bwl 72 Spring 2014)

The Only Story by Julian Barnes

Paul, 19, falls in love with Susan, 48 and married. Paul believes their love will last forever, and with all the intensity, egotism and bravado of youth, decides to live with her. Their relationship lasts decades, including years of decline. The repercussions last forever. If this is his attempt to understand and define love, Barnes concludes 'Perhaps love could never be captured in a definition; it could only ever be captured in a story.' Painful but beautiful: I loved it.
(bwl 88 Spring 2018)

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

". . . it's always an imprudence to step between a man and the reflection of his own cleverness" which is exactly what Atwood does in this wonderfully witty, down-to-earth retelling of the ancient Greek myth. Penelope is brought to life and tells what is was like to live for twenty years without her husband, coping with in-laws, suitors and a teenage son, while the twelve hanged maids have their say, burlesque style, in the background.
(bwl 57 Summer 2010)

The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell

Published in 1937, Section 1 reports on the working and living conditions of miners during the Depression and explores the roots of class distinction in England. Section 2 is an urgent call for Socialism to defend the West against Fascism. Despite Orwell’s hyperbolic style and dubious claims, could his Big Brother today be in the form of internet data collection, cctv cameras and propaganda regarding LGBTQ+, wokeism, cancel culture, racism, children being allowed to identify as cats etc? Highly recommended food for thought.
(bwl 109 Summer 2023)

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

A compelling story told in later life about relationships formed when young, the relevance of history, the ambiguity of the written word, the fallibility of memory and the consequences of immature emotional reactions. Because of its unsettling denouement, the book demands a second reading (only 150 pages) to fully appreciate Barnes's skill. As finely crafted as a poem, almost every word carries multiple layers of meaning and the impact of the whole resonates long in the mind. Brilliant!
(bwl 63 Winter 2012)

The Snow Kimono by Mark Henshaw

A complex recounting of the lives of a retired French inspector, a Japanese professor of law and his friend, a brilliant, immoral novelist. All have experienced tragedy and loss, and each chapter adds more details to their individual stories, more pieces of an intellectual puzzle. With the masterful denouement comes the realisation that it's really about the nature of storytelling, the sifting of details changed by memory to find truths, and how telling and living with lies changes lives.
(bwl 78 Autumn 2015)

This is Happiness by Niall Williams

Under the guise of how electricity comes to a small village in Ireland during the 1950s, Williams combines a heart wrenching story of guilt and regret, a poignant coming of age story and hilarious anecdotes about the villagers and everyday life. Steeped in nostalgia, his prose is sublime and his characters unforgettable. If you want to be instantly transported out of present worrying times, this is the book to do it!
(bwl 96 Spring 2020)

To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara

A long, complex, alternative history of America set in three cleverly linked time frames. 1893 when people live and love as they please, 1993 during the Aids epidemic, and 2023, a dystopian future, governed by totalitarian rule, devastated by climate change and ongoing pandemics. Throughout all of this, is love enough to protect against discrimination, be it on grounds of sexuality, race, politics or social position? Sounds bleak, but it’s engrossing and unforgettable and I loved it.
(bwl 108 Spring 2023)

Troubles by J G Farrell

WWI has just ended and an English Major arrives in Ireland to visit his fiancée. Her father owns the once grand Majestic Hotel, now dilapidated and in need of urgent repair. The Major finds himself in charge of running the hotel and coping with its eccentric, long term inhabitants. There are many funny and memorable incidents but the claustrophobic atmosphere is imbued with the escalating tensions of the Troubles occurring on the fringes of daily life. Brilliant!
(bwl 99 Winter 2021)

Unreliable Memoirs by Clive James

This is the funniest book I have ever read. Clive James's memories of growing up in Australia say as much about the country as they do about him and, being a near contemporary Australian, this was a real nostalgia trip. 'Unreliable' they may be, but so much is true. My English husband read it as well, and we were both still laughing days later. Has to be the perfect antidote to COVID gloom and lockdown blues.
(bwl 99 Winter 2021)

Voltaire Almighty: A Life in Pursuit of Freedom by Roger Pearson

This has to be one of the best of all possible biographies! Although revered in his day, Voltaire was an outspoken critic of religious intolerance and persecution and his barbed wit and commitment to reason led to him being jailed twice and eventually banished by the King. His personal life was as colourful as his intellectual one and Roger Pearson's witty and erudite tribute is an eminently enjoyable read. Highly recommended.
(bwl 59 Winter 2011)

Waterland by Graham Swift

Swift writes in the Introduction that he created his protagonist Tom Crick, a history teacher, in order "to explore the whole mystery of 'history' (local, personal and global) - its meaning...its distinction...from mere 'story'." Atmospherically set in the Fens, spanning 200 years and two interconnected families, it involves land-reclamation, relationships, sexual awakenings, mental incapacity, incest, murder, abortion and the life-cycle of eels. Full of suspense, all is explained by the cyclical nature of history. Brilliant!
(bwl 86 Autumn 2017)