WOW, I’ve never gone for a whole month without posting! I’ve read plenty of great books these past weeks, but I guess it’s just been so busy that I haven’t had time to write. So here is a very brief summary of each book and my thoughts on them…
After Dark by Japanese author Haruki Murakami is set in Tokyo and follows one young woman over the course of one night. Mari Asai is sitting alone reading at a Denny’s restaurant after midnight when she is approached by a man claiming to know her sister. He invites himself to sit and they begin talking, leading to a night of unexpected encounters, while her sister appears trapped in some sort of strange sleep/dream. This was a really interesting book, not my usual type of reading material, but unusual and compelling. I would recommend this to anyone who is in the mood for a poetic, trance-like read.
Audition by American author Katie Kitamura opens with the meeting of two actors in a Manhattan restaurant. The main character is an aging actress who is meeting this much younger, very attractive male actor, but the nature of their relationship is not clear until much later in the book, and even then, there’s still some questions left unanswered. This short book was like a cross between Edward Albee’s play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Ian McEwan’s The Comfort of Strangers. And I was thankful that it was so short, because, as compelling as the story was, I found it incredibly difficult to read and understand. Still, it was very, very interesting and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys character-driven novels that explore complex relationships, and thought-provoking books that leave readers with more questions than answers.
We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Japanese author Syou Ishida reads like a collection of short stories all connected by the Nakagyō Koroko Clinic for the Soul in Kyoto, where troubled people go to find help. This unusual clinic doesn’t require an appointment and seems to be on a street in a building that is not easy to find, nor is it visible to everyone, only those who need it most. The nurse is cold and detached and the doctor, after listening to the most basic facts about the problems the patient is experiencing, instead of prescribing medication, says “We’ll prescribe you a cat.” The patient is handed a cat in a carrier, a bag with the most basic of essentials and a sheet of instructions, and sent home. According to the doctor, most every problem can be solved with a cat, and these patients discover this to be true, although there’s an interesting, bizarre, fantasy element with a very sad backstory, and, like After Dark and Audition, there is no clear ending when all threads of the story are wrapped up neatly and explained. This book, described as an “award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel that has become an international sensation” (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/763041/well-prescribe-you-a-cat-by-syou-ishida-translated-by-e-madison-shimoda/) was certainly interesting, and I’m so glad I read it, but I don’t think I’ll read the sequel, We’ll Prescribe You Another Cat, at least not right away (although I agree that most problems can, indeed, be solved with a cat!).
The Berry Pickers by Canadian author Amanda Peters, set in the early 1960s, opens with a Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arriving in Maine to pick berries, as they’ve done every summer for years. When the youngest child in the family, four-year-old Ruthie, goes missing after her older brother Joe leaves her sitting on a rock, the family begins to fall apart, especially the brother, Joe, who bears the guilt and responsibility for her abduction. As he lay dying, Joe relates his experiences after Ruthie’s abduction, and it’s clear that his guilt has a significant impact on the decisions he makes and the actions he takes over the next five decades. There is also a parallel narrative from Norma, who is growing up in a middle-class white family in Maine. Norma is troubled with vague memories of another woman she thinks is her mother, as well as older siblings, although her mother tells her they are just dreams, and that she’s an only child after many miscarriages. Norma grows up with the weight of these dead babies on her shoulders, as her mother rarely lets her out of her sight and never allows her to do anything that might be even slightly risky. As she grows up and begins to make decisions for herself, we see the impacts living with this family has on Norma, and begin to understand how this abduction (I’m not giving anything away here!) has changed the lives of all of Ruthie’s and Joe’s family members. This novel, which thankfully has a very clear ending where all questions are answered, explores family relationships, grief, guilt, and attitudes towards Indigenous people in the 1960s. This debut novel, which was a book club selection for my Friends’ Book Club, was excellent, and we all enjoyed it.
And finally, The Dictionary of Lost Words, another debut novel by Australian author Pip Williams, follows main character Esme, daughter of one of the men responsible for writing the Oxford English Dictionary, over four decades as she experiences the writing of the dictionary, the fight for women’s rights, and the First World War. This historical novel was a selection for my Volunteer Book Club, who met yesterday, and we all loved the book. Williams included many accurate historical facts and followed the actual timeline of the OED, so we all felt that we learned so much while also enjoying a wonderful reading experience. I’m not a fan of historical fiction, but this one was amazing! Who knew that the history of words and the dictionary could be so compelling?! I would highly recommend this novel to just about anyone.
WHEW! That’s all for today. Hopefully I’ll have more time to write again soon and tell you about more great books. Take care, stay warm and keep reading!
Bye for now…
Julie
