September 17, 2003 at 11:05 pm
· Filed under Books
The reader / Bernhard Schlink ;
translated from the German by Carol Brown Janeway
London : Phoenix, 2002 [reissue of 1998 edition]
216 p. ; 19.5 cm.
ISBN: 0753804700
The Reader, written by the German Bernhard Schlink, is a novel that delves into a myriad of themes: coming of age, relationships, and the Holocaust. This is a Holocaust novel unlike any other that I have read. The story loosely follows the life of the central character, Michael Berg, from the age of 15. The novel is in two parts, before and during Michael’s relationship with Frau Schmitz (Hanna) and after. It is the second part of the novel that takes the reader through a post war reflection of the Holocaust.
Schlink has a superb writing style, succinct yet sensitive, unambiguous but touching. His words affect both your mind and your heart, as the author deals with material that is both erotic and philosophical. Upon completion of the novel, the intrusive intensity of the themes within this book leaves the mind of the reader in a state of disrupted yet reflective melancholy.
Compelling reading.
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September 9, 2003 at 1:27 pm
· Filed under Books
Self-made man / Poppy Z. Brite
London : Orion Books , 1999
ISBN: 0753810174
Short stories
Having finally finished Coetzee’s “Youth” and made it through a reading rut, I decided to plough on through the stack of books on my bedside table. I picked up “Self-made Man” on Monday morning and finished it off Monday night (keep in mind I had to go to uni and work in between reading time).
On the bus I wrote down a list of words that came to mind when I’d finished one of the stories…
Disturbing
Enthralling
Compelling
Enticing
Seductive
Alarming
Gruesome
If you’ve read and ‘enjoyed’ other books by Poppy Z. Brite, then I strongly recommend you get hold of it and read it now! If you’re quick I’ll lend it to you before I take it back to the library. I’ve probably infringed copyright regulations by photocopying one of my favourite stories from the book “King of Cats”. Let me know if you want to borrow it.
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September 7, 2003 at 3:57 pm
· Filed under Films, Me
after yesterday i have become the proud owner of a rice cooker, some new towels, a toaster, a new wok and some cutlery. hoorah! i also put that lovely bed on lay-buy from freedom.
last night mum and i went out for dinner and to see a film. we ended up seeing ‘very annie mary’, it was hilarious, but also quite sad. i recommend it wholeheartedly.
it’s almost 4pm now, and the weather is reasonable. i think it’s time to go for a walk somewhere.
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