The Patience Of The Spider (Andrea Camilleri): I came across two more Montalbano books in ‘The Last Bookshop’ the other day, and here’s the first of them. Yes, I know, escapist stuff to avoid Trump, Brexit etc – but it’s helped a little! Yes, all somewhat predictable: Montalbano’s ongoing cynicism of authority and rule books, Sicily, sunshine, food, beautiful women, crazy characters, lots of humour… but also a pretty clever plot. The formula works for me!
Optimism Over Despair (Noam Chomsky): I’ve blogged separately about this book so, rather than repeating myself, it’s probably easier to check out my blogpost, if you’re interested. Given my own current sense of desperation and hopelessness about what’s currently going on in our world, I came across the book in our wonderful local bookshop, Storysmith Books, and thought I definitely needed to read it! On the cover of Chomsky’s book were the following words: “We have two choices. We can be pessimistic, give up, and help ensure that the worst will happen. Or we can be optimistic, grasp the opportunities that surely exist, and maybe help make the world a better place”. In the event, although it’s an absolutely fascinating and thought-provoking book, it hardly addressed the matter of “Optimism Over Despair” at all and, ultimately, I was left feeling disappointed (and it relates to interviews conducted from late 2013 to early 2017, so hardly touches on the ‘Trump era’ at all – which, for many of us, has limited our reasons for optimism even further!).
Rounding The Mark (Andrea Camilleri): This is the second of my latest Montalbano books (comments as for the previous one above!). I think part of the attraction for me is that I could readily change places with him and sit on his veranda, drink a glass of wine and stare out across the sea. Amongst other things, the plot revolves around refugees making perilous journeys to Italy on overcrowded boats and, in particular, the trafficking of immigrant children. There was a sobering footnote at the end of the book which referred to depressing statistics on the illegal immigration of minors into Italy shown on a 2002 edition of ‘Panorama’ (ie. sobering for me that such issues had been continuing for such a long time)(the book’s English translation was first published in 2007). But, although some of the story contains such sinister references, it also includes the usual ‘farcical ingenuity’ (in the words of the New York Times critic) that I love.
Climbing Days (Dan Richards): I freely admit that I’m petrified of heights… but I do love reading books about mountaineering and mountains! This is rather lovely, engaging, affectionate book was inspired by the author’s great-great-aunt Dorothy/Dorothea Pilley Richards (1894-1986), a prominent and pioneering mountaineer of the early 20th century (and coincidentally, a contemporary of fellow mountain-lover Nan Shepherd 1893-1981 – author of ‘The Living Mountain’, that I recently read). By chance, Dan Richards came across her 1935 memoir (also called ‘Climbing Days’) and this, in turn, led him on a journey to discover more about this rather remarkable lady. In some ways, the book has similarities with “Wrestliana” by Toby Litt (I read it earlier this year): Litt’s great-great-great-great grandfather had been a champion Cumberland and he decided to write about the man, his family and his sport. Dan Richards explores (in a gentle, wandering way) some of the places linked to Pilley, including the rather wonderful Pinnacle Club, Snowdonia, (formed in 1921 and the first climbing club founded by women for women alone), people who’d met Dorothy (or their relatives), mountain guides, her family and friends. She was obviously a very determined, independent lady who rebelled against the conventional, limiting, chaperoned roles frequently identified for women of the time. In 1928, she made the celebrated first ascent (with her husband Ivor Richards) of the north/north-west ridge of the Dent Blanche, Switzerland. Although the author never knew her, he re-traces some of Dorothy’s old destinations and routes (from her book and her diaries) – including actually climbing Dent Blanche for himself, via the ‘straightforward route’ – in what turns out to be an intimate pilgrimage of discovery of family history, of new friendships and of the restlessness of the human spirit. Beautifully and entertainingly written. I loved it.
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