Published 2017
“On the day of the new president’s inauguration, when we worried that he might be murdered as he walked hand in hand with his exceptional wife among the cheering crwods, and when so many of us were close to economic ruin in the aftermath of the bursting of the mortgage bubble, and when Isis was still an Egyptian mother-goddess, an uncrowned seventy-something king from a faraway country arrived in New York City with his three motherless sons to take possession of the palace of his exile, behaving as if nothing was wrong with the country or the world or his own story.”
So begins Salmon Rushdie’s latest novel, and it continues in like manner throughout the book, weaving the story of Nero Golden and his three sons, Petya, Apu, and D (for Dionysus) who have left their home in India for a mansion in New York City, with current events including a change in administration at the end of the above mentioned president’s two terms. Our narrator, Rene’, lives with his academic, left-leaning parents in Greenwich Village and becomes friendly, and in some cases, intimate with the Goldens while he pursues a career in documentary film making. Much of what we see is framed by the author in screen shots he hopes to create at some point later on. Of course the names are all fictitious but it takes several chapters to understand why they have changed them and left or fled their home country. Shady doesn’t seem to be quite the right word for Nero Golden, yet he is very human in his love for his sons.
This book is a good read. Salmon Rushdie as usual, is ‘out there’ with his comments on current events and telling it as he sees it.
Book Reviews
The Lost Art of Gratitude, by Alexander McCall Smith
Published 2009
What a sweet little story this is. It begins with Isabel Dalhousie lying in bed considering things because she is a light sleeper. As her mind progresses through the disjointed thoughts of all those who awaken in the wee hours of the morning, she reaches some astonishing truths about the human condition before falling back to sleep at last. The next morning she hears her two-year-old, Charlie, in the next room. While dressing Charlie she begins to plan her day, a Friday, one of her favorites so that she, her son and his father, Jamie, can have lunch together in town, town being Edinburgh. While at lunch Isabel is delighted to hear Charlie speak his first word, which is ‘olive’. But no sooner does Charlie begin to speak than an acquaintance of hers appears in the café. Isabel invites Minty Auchterlonie and her toddler son Roderick to sit with them even though she has doubts about Minty. While the lunch seems to have been entirely by chance, it turns out that Minty has designs of her own. She invites Charlie to Roderick’s birthday party coming up in a few days, and then while at the party she enlists Isabel’s help in dealing with a former lover, Roderick’s father, but not Minty’s husband, whom she says is blackmailing her. The man apparently wants custody of or at least visiting rights for his son. Isabel, always trying to be helpful, commits to doing what she can. Meanwhile Isabel has to defend herself against her nemesis, the previous editor of the Review of Applied Ethics, the position she now holds. Professor Dove has accused Isabel of plagiarism, which threatens her reputation and her employment. So Isabel has her hands full, with Charlie and Jamie, Professor Dove, her niece, Cat, and Minty Auchterlonie’s affairs. There’s also the regular visitor to the garden, Brother Fox, whom Isabel has been feeding roasted chicken, much to the dismay of all those who regard Brother Fox and his kin as varmints.
Alexander McCall Smith tells his tales deftly. There is a quietness to it all and I particularly like Isabel’s rambling into wordplay, which happens throughout the book, not just in the wee sleepless hours of the morning. This is the first book I’ve read in the Isabel Dalhousie series, but I certainly will add it to my list of good reads.
Vicious Circle, by C. J. Box
Published 2017
Joe Picket is in a small aircraft looking for a presumably lost hunter as part of his job as Game Warden in Wyoming. What Joe fears is that Dave Farkus, the hunter in question, is running for his life in the woods that he knows so well. Farkus had left Joe a message regarding a man whom Joe had put behind bars, but who has come back to Saddlestring in the last few days. Farkus sees Dallas Cates with two other men and a woman in a bar he frequents. Dave has been trying to hook up with the bartender, Wanda, for years now, but to no avail. Joe knows that Farkus isn’t lost; he knows the woods too well. But his camping buddy reported him missing when he arrives at camp, a cold beer still in the arm rest, and Dave’s gun left behind, like he left in a hurry. What happens next lets Joe know that he, his family and friends are all in danger now that Cates is back in town.
Joe can’t blame the man for wanting to get revenge. It was all because of Joe that Dallas lost his career as a rodeo star, ending up in prison. But Dallas also blames Joe for the death of his father, his brother, and for sending his mother to the pen as a quadriplegic. Joe feels somewhat guilty about all of that. It was self-defense, but nevertheless, he can see the man’s point of view. When Joe’s daughters are threatened he knows he will do whatever it takes to save his family from Cates’ revenge.
Meanwhile, Joe is looking for a well-organized ring of poachers. For months now he’s gotten reports of animals killed out of season and without permits but so far he hasn’t caught up with them. By the time he reaches the site all that is left is tire tracks and kill guts.
This book was a quick read because I kept wondering what would happen next. Lots of action in this tale of the wild, wild west. This is the first of CJ Box’s novels that I’ve read, but will definitely read more.
The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss
Published 2007
I really enjoyed reading this book. It reminds me of reading Heinlein when I was younger, and the Dune trilogy. Mr. Rothfuss does not mind taking his time in the telling of his story, which is fine, since it’s a good one. It’s a very imaginative tale about Kvothe (sounds like ‘quothe’) who is at the time we meet him the owner of The Waystone Inn. He goes by the name ‘Kote’ and seems to be trying to leave his former life behind. But it comes searching for him in the form of a spider-like beast which attacks one of the townsfolk, killing his horse. When the man staggers into the Inn after the attack, Kote knows that there will be more of the monsters and prepares for battle. All the while, he keeps what he knows about them to himself. Shortly afterwards a traveler known as ‘The Chronicler’ arrives at the inn and confronts Kote with his past. But all Chronicler wants is his story, and is will to play along with the disguise, a harmless innkeeper in an out of the way place in the Commonwealth, to get it.
Of course it’s magical. Another world dreamed up by Rothfuss. With shades of Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings, it’s set in another world altogether. Kvothe grew up as part of a travelling minstrel troupe, his father being the head of it. At a very young age, his first teacher, Abenthy, Ben for short, joins the troupe. He was what they call an ‘arcanist’ which I guess is a combination tinker, doctor and magician all rolled into one. As they travelled from town to town Ben taught Kvothe much of what he had learned at University, finding him an extraordinary pupil. So much so, that he suspends his training after Kvothe tries some spells which almost kill him. Ben leaves the group shortly afterwards and a good thing too, since very soon, the Chandrian attack while Kvothe is away, killing everyone and burning the campsite with their tell-tale blue flames. Kvothe returns and is almost killed too, but the Chandrian retreat, leaving him alone in the burned out forest camp site. Kvothe, an orphan and utterly alone, makes his way to the streets of a nearby town, Tarbean, where he manages to survive by pickpocketing, stealing, and staying away from the law and the gangs who are his enemies as well. After three years of living on the streets a bit of luck brings enough money to get him out of town, and on his way to University himself, where unfortunately, more enemies await. His goal since the death of his parents has been to find out about the Chandrian, whose name he has known all along as part of childhood rhymes and songs, but about whom no one has any real information. Why did they attack his troupe in particular, and not others? Kvothe will study at the University, developing his skills as an arcanist and finding out whatever he can about the murderers.
Most of the story is told by Kote in the form of narration to the Chronicler as they sit in the deserted Waystone Inn. It’s a long book, over 650 pages, and the story doesn’t really end there. Searching Rothfuss’ website I see there are 2 other books in the series. I look forward to reading them both.
The Moth Catcher, by Ann Cleeves
Published 2015
Characters: Vera Stanhope, detective
Holly and Joe, her asssistants
Lizzie Redhead, a young offender whose parents live in the converted farmhouse near where the murders take place
Percy, a local man is driving home from the pub when he stops to answer the call of nature. Off the side of the road he finds the body of a young man, a house-sitter for the big house, Gilswick Hall, whose owners are visiting Australia where they are about to become grand-parents. Vera Stanhope arrives on the scene and then takes Percy to the home he shares with his daughter Susan. She goes into the big house once a week to clean and has a key, which Vera takes, and with Joe they head to the house itself for clues to the identity of the deceased. They let themselves in through the kitchen and explore the area, only to find the body of another, older man in the apartment where the house sitter lived. Both of these men turn out to be avid students of moths and at first the team can find no other connection between the two. The nearest inhabitants to the crime scene are some retired couples who live in an old farm house that’s been converted to modern apartments. Lizzie Redhead’s parents live in one apartment and they are anxiously awaiting her return home from prison. Lizzie had served time for attacking a young woman with a knife and her parents are understandably uneasy about having her back home with them, although they love their daughter, they don’t know how to handle her. She was locked up when the murders took place, but she may have known the killer.
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
Published 2013
This is a long story, over 700 pages, which takes place in New Zealand during the time of the gold rush. As one might imagine there’s plenty of wheeling and dealing and added to it are some tales of the opium trade, its origins in China and a few of the men, both English and Chinese, who were caught up in it there. In this story they brought the trade with them to New Zealand.
What a tangled web the lust for gold is in Catton’s story. Walter Moody, a well-educated young man from England, is newly arrived on the coast and has had a very rough crossing, one so rough he feels lucky to be alive. Still stunned by the ordeal and by a man, phantom or real, he still can’t make out, he makes his way to the smoking room at the Crown Hotel. Unbeknownst to him, a dozen local men have gathered for a meeting about the death of Crosbie Wells, a local hermit. At the same time the wealthy prospector Emory Stains has disappeared and is feared dead. On the same day Anna Wetherell, the most popular whore in town is beaten so severely she collapses and ends up in jail, which it turns out is a far better place to be than the local hospital. A fortune in gold is found Crosbie Wells’ cabin after his death, and a smaller amount of gold is found sewn into the seams of Anna’s dress. Moody learns bits and pieces of the story and gets drawn into it further by relating that he was brought to shore by a ship captained by Francis Carver, who was Emory Staines’ business partner. The characters are inviting and the story kept me looking forward to my next chapter.
Ms. Catton includes in the book illustrations and mentions of astrological signs and meanings that I admit were completely lost on me. I know that for someone who keeps up with astrology more than I do, the novel would take on a whole new depth of meaning, but I managed to enjoy the book immensely without it.