Hear the wind sing by Haruki Murakami
19 Jul 2011 19 Comments
in FIRST NOVEL, Japan Tags: 2011, Asian fiction, JAPANESE LIT, Murakami, TRANSLATIONS
Source – library
Translator – Alfred Birnbaum
Haruki Murakami’s debut novel like pinball 1973 which i read earlier ,it is quite hard to get hold of ,only being published in Japan in english translation ,this is also the first of the rat trilogy ,which includes pinball 1973 and wild sheep chase .
well this book focus on the meeting of the narrator and the rat ,the narrator is a young man who is stuck in limbo between adulthood and teen years meet the “rat” the nickname of Nezumi in j’s bar ,he is slightly older than the narrator and is a drop out ,the bar is focus of most of the book it is run by j a chinese man and is what might be called a spit and sawdust pub in the uk ,a place’s full of the dregs and drifters of life .So these to start a friendship that carries on through the other books in the series .there is also a thread about a fictional american writer called Derek Heartfield ,this is writer seems a mix of some sixties writers a sci-fi writer another thread is the narrators relationship with a women this from in a triangle of relationships like in some of his later books .the book covers a period of about three weeks .
I first meet the rat three years before in the spring .We’d both entered university that year , and the two of us had gotten pretty bombed .So I have absolutely no recollection what could have possibly thrown us together for that ride after four in the morning , in the rats shiny black Fiat 600 .I guess we had a friend in common .
The narrator remembering first meeting with the Rat .
Well what to say about this book I so wanted to read the first two books of Murakami not sure why ,to complete his books maybe ,or to see why they are not available in english .I m still not sure why there both available more widely in English .Well I m still not sure ,ok there not top-notch Murakami ,but on the other hand there not as bad as Murakami thinks they are ,this is a little more over the place than pinball 1973 was ,the fact names are missing and you tend to jump from situation to situation can be a bit jarring at time ,the fact you know how these two meet and a bit more info about the rat is handy as he crops up in the other two in the series and also in dance .dance ,dance .If you want to see how Murakami started on his path as a writer I would read this, if like me you want to complete his works read it .Like a number of earlier books Birnbaum is the translator he is a good translator ,whether his later translator Jay Rubin would be able to work his magic on this I don’t know if it is needed .the book is only a 120 pages and in full size print would maybe be 80 pages so an evening s read .I will be reading wild sheep chase next to complete the trilogy of the rat .
Have you read this book ?
Young Hitler by Claus Peter Hant with James Trivers and Alan Roche
29 Apr 2010 8 Comments
in books from, EUROPEAN FICTION, FIRST NOVEL, germany Tags: german lit
Young Hitler Claus Hant
NOTES-
Claus Peter Hant is a tv writer from Germany that worked for many years on der bulle von Tolz a german police series set in bad Tolz the clips i watched were a bit like pie in the sky .He has had access to the most complete collection of material relating to the life of hitler in the institut fur zeitgwschitche in Munich and has used a number of years research to compile the material for this book ,which he has written with the help of two english writers (James Triver and Alan Roche) in english ,as he would struggle to get it published in germany .
The book -
We start of with the young hitler in wien (vienna) as a struggling artist ,with what would seem an opened mind but as we progress we see his standpoint become narrower and narrower as things happen to him and he starts to fail as an artist and not be taken seriously ,also you hear about the idea for a supreme Reich of german speakers the tattooing of the arms of gypsies is mentioned ,then one day he just disappears and sells his books ,next time we meet him is on the eve of the first world war he is in the army and is a lance corporal he has to do some menial jobs like paint the officers mess and is disgusted by his fellow solders loose morals and the way pets are being eaten ,he then wins an iron cross for his bravery ,which he thinks is tainted by how it was awarded .The last time we catch up with hitler is post first world war in a mental hospital for his nerves and extreme views that seem to have wildly change ,he is released and travels to munchen (Munich) which is utter chaos with warring on the streets as political movements struggle ,he joins a group devote to honouring the old northern european tribes that happen to have a swastika as their symbol .
Dolferi was fixated on this “Reich” the fantasy Reich instilled in his mind by his favourite history teacher in school ;an empire that would unite germanic Austria with Germany .
“tattooing a number on the forearm of gypsies “said elephant “would make it far easier identify them as with automobiles “.
two quotes from the first part of young hitler in pre world war one vienna the ideas that made nazi party were being planted .
My view -
This book worried me when i first got it ,but was heavily compelled to read it to see what turned hitler in to the monster he became ,i also saw it as a wonderful bookend to the film downfall which i enjoyed almost completing the circle of a life .Hants writing is wonderfully clever and transports you to pre war vienna ,through the war and the horror of the trenches to the chaos of post war Munich .There is a wonderful insight in to the time and the making of a monster its like a huge jigsaw puzzle you can see the parts slipping into place ,the appendices and research for this book are vast you can see the time taken to make this as realistic as possible a truly special be of narrative non fiction writing .
Links -
The queen of palmyra by minrose gwin
26 Apr 2010 4 Comments
in american fiction, FIRST NOVEL, U.S.A Tags: NEW BOOKS, NEW VOICES
The Queen of Palmyra by Minrose Gwin
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Minrose Gwin is the professor of english at North Caroline ,she has publish numerous non fiction books mainly about the women’s role in the south of america and southern writing also editing the literature of the american south .she has also done a lot on the civil rights movement in the sixties .This is her debut novel and is out on harper perennial this week .she grew up in a small town in Mississippi in the sixties .so tackle some of the ground that is in the novel
The book -
the book follows florence Forrester and one summer in 1963 ,Flo ’s home life is rocky a disappointed mother Martha who is the towns cake lady making wonderful smelling cakes the wonderful lemon cake is her specialty .there is Flo’s bigoted father a burial insurance salesman and a racist that has rub off a little way on his daughter , Flo escapes at her grandparent and with their servant Zenie thus named after the queen of Palmyra ,Flo spends time with zenies family then one day a catalyst arrives in the form of Eva Green a relative of Zenie ,Eva studies and is educated and works for naacp ,this causes stirrings in the town and Eva is attacked in a graveyard ,the police are unwilling to help .Flo and Eva grow close and Flo escapes the trauma of every day life with the stories of Zenie and love she gets from her .all this against major even ts in mississipi itself .
My view -
Minrose has written a truly wonderful book you can sense that Minrose herself must have walked in Flo’s shoes at some point and have had friends from both sides of the town she grew up in ,she is amazing with details describing Martha cooking the cakes the wonderful lemon cakes they just float of the page and left me wanting to taste this masterpiece of a cake .The violence is handle just right not over the top but enough to make you realise how hard it was from african americans in the south in the sixties ,I think everyone should have a copy of this on their bookshelves to sit next to kill a mockingbird and why the caged bird sings ,it is that good unbelievable for a debut novel to be so complete and well written .
Links -
postcards from a dead girl by kirk farber
01 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
in favourites, FIRST NOVEL, U.S.A Tags: NEW BOOKS, NEW VOICES
This is kirk Farber’s debut novel and what a novel to debut with .It is a long time since i ve read a book that has so engrossed me ,i read this in one day .the novel centres on Sid Higgins ,a call centre worker what may be called a McJob .He starts getting post cards from an ex that he thought had died Zoe ,they come from all over europe with short messages like “wish you where here ” .This leads to a acquaintance with the local postal employee Gerald ,who turns out to have a crafty wife and be a survivalist .A secondary storyline evolves round Sid’s possible brain tumour under going a battery of tests and cat scans ,Sid also idles away at his McJob carrying on his disheartening cold calling whilst trying to please, his boss his life at work controlled by the randomizier pull the random numbers he cold calls .
Kirk Faber’s style is short chapters and a large dose of humour you will laugh out loud at places ,with this book if you’re a fan of Magnus Mills or Dan Rhodes you will love this book .
i decide to give Gerald the post office guy another try at explaing my postcard mystery .I think he might have been rushed last time .I find my place in the line .content to watch other customers as they drop off packages or collect stamps ………….
This is one of Sid’s first meetings with Gerald.
this book is published by harper perennial
the girl with glass feet by Ali Shaw
24 Feb 2010 3 Comments
in books from, FIRST NOVEL, U.K Tags: 2010, NEW VOICES
this is a great first novel it so reminded me of the irish folklore books my grandparents had when i was young the story of Ida as her feet turn to glass and Midas a lonesome photographer .the story centres on st haugland an island where there are wonderful and deadly jellyfish mad little cows with moth wings .as the story progresses Ida gets more glass ie cold and you start to see the uptight midas warm a little .they hunt for a cure or explanation of what is happening to Ida .
there is many echos of classic folk-lore here the magical island ,Midas’s name ,horrific consequences for venturing somewhere your not meant to .Shaw describes this magical place beautifully with bogs swamps it could be anywhere on the atlantic coast from Cornwall ,Scottish island the north-west coast of island .A lovely book for anyone that likes dreamy folksy tales it is a great read it manages to not via into fantasy or comedy which given the subject matter is very easy .
do you like folk story type novels ?
