october 2022 books…

The Treasure Hunt (Andrea Camilleri): As I’ve previously made clear, I’ve read a LOT of Inspector Montalbano Mysteries and, having watched the entire TV series (twice!) during lockdown (I think there are 35 episodes!), so you won’t be surprised that I knew who the murderer was from very early on in the novel. Despite this – and the awfulness of the horrific crime – it was an intriguing and, bizarrely, frequently very amusing plot… involving a perplexing treasure hunt set by an anonymous challenger, inflatable dolls, Montalbano’s perception that (at 57) he’s getting too old and, of course, food! Another enjoyable relief from the real world of depressing Tory politics.
Eventide (Kent Haruf): This book is the sequel to ‘Plainsong’ (which I read last month) – both books have been recommended to me by my good friend Charlotte. First published in 2005, this novel is again set in a small town, Holt in Colarado, and recounts the lives of individuals who share little else than belonging to fractured families – including the two old bachelor rancher brothers and the young mother they gave a home to; a couple struggling to keep their heads above water and their children out of care; and two young friends finding solace away from their troubled homes. As with the first book, the writing is magical, almost poetic. The individual stories offer an unflinching depiction of the hardships of small town life but I came to love some of the central characters and the quiet, understated gentleness and decency that Haruf is able to describe so beautifully. A very special book. I loved it.
What Just Happened? (Marina Hyde): Look, it’s no secret that I LOVE Marina Hyde! This book is a collection of her Guardian articles written over the past six years. Obviously, I’ve previously read them all (either via newspaper or online), but it’s still acutely depressing to be reminded of the absolute mess of a nation we’ve become since we cast our referendum votes in 2016. As you will no doubt appreciate, this book/her articles cover a wealth of subjects and individuals – from Johnson, Trump, Billionaires, Royal Family, politicians in general and, of course, not to mention the government’s handling of a global pandemic, partygate and a whole lot more. Hyde is hilarious and yet still able to sum up situations with withering effectiveness… she has an amazing ability of being able to describe situations/people’s actions (and inactions) in a brutally potent way and, often, using references from popular culture to make her points (eg. her astounding knowledge of films). Surprise, surprise… she’s also brilliantly intelligent. Oxford University must be hugely relieved that not all their graduates are in the ‘Liz Truss’ calibre bracket! This book frequently made me laugh out loud… and shake my head in frustration and anger at some of the things our politicians have put us through over recent years.
Frankenstein (Mary Shelley): This is our next Storysmith bookgroup book (‘something scary’). It’s the sort of classic (first published in 1818) that I’d long promised to read but never had, until now. I think most people are vaguely aware of the plot – the story of Victor Frankenstein, who plunders graveyards to create a new being from the bodies of the dead… but whose botched creature causes nothing but murder and destruction. Actually, the novel (written by 18 year-old Shelley after a nightmare) was somewhat different to what I’d imagined. I’d anticipated that much of the ‘action’ would be taking place in the laboratory and involve the intricacies of building a new being when, in fact, it features Frankenstein in the Arctic - pursuing the monster he’d created - meeting up with an explorer (who had earlier reported seeing a 'gigantic figure' crossing the ice). Over a period of days, Frankenstein tells the explorer his long, complicated and tragic story… and his disgust and sense of guilt about creating the monster (who ended up murdering several innocent victims) in the first place. A truly Gothic novel (very much of its time), but one which, frankly, I was relieved to have finished/put behind me. Not exactly my ‘cup of tea’… and there were several times when I just wanted to scream in frustration at the Frankenstein character (eg. he frequently gained people’s sympathy and attention about his horrendous experiences, but always managed to stop mid-explanation - refusing to go into details!).
The Diary of a Provincial Lady (EM Delafield): This is our next Bloke’s Books book. It’s a long book in four parts (first published in 1930) and, because some members of the group are rather ‘reticent readers’(!), Ed (who proposed the novel) suggested we should just read Part One (although I’ll certainly read the other three parts in due course). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was beautiful funny and a perfect antidote to current UK politics (and the like). The book’s Introduction describes it as “a proper English treat, like a cream tea after a long, muddy country walk” and I think that sums it up perfectly. It’s a satirical diary of a social climber trying to make an interesting life for herself in the English countryside. The provincial lady faces the problems of never having enough money, an unruly house and garden, never well-read enough, never attractive enough, and her children never quite well-enough behaved. The book very much reminded me of EF Benson’s ‘Mapp+Lucia’ novels. Like them, I found this an absolute joy to read.