Kathy Hamilton Here we are in another new month! I have a couple of really good books to share with you from my “What I’ve Been Reading Lately” pile. This month started with two books that were quick reads, but very though provoking and ended with a book I’ve enjoyed taking my time over. It’s funny how that happens with books isn’t it?
Hotel Silence by Adur Ava Ólafsdóttir
Jonas feels like his life is over. His wife has left him, his mother is slipping deeper into dementia, and his daughter is no longer who he thought. So he comes up with a foolproof plan: to buy a one-way ticket to a chaotic,war-ravaged country and put an end to it all. But on arriving at Hotel Silence, he finds his plans – and his anonymity – begin to dissolve under the foreign sun. Now there are other things that need his attention, like the crumbling hotel itself, the staff who run it, and his unusual fellow guests. And soon it becomes clear that Jonas must decide whether he really wants to leave it all behind; or give life a second chance, albeit down a most unexpected path…
A quirky little book . I am fascinated by Iceland and their literary culture (I even wrote a blog post about it!) and I loved this one from Adur Ava Ólafsdóttir. She always manages to take a potentially sad topic and turn it around into a life affirming novel. If you enjoyed “A Man Called Ove” I think you’ll like this one. Jonas is a man who has reached middle age without really achieving much in his life. He has been happy, but when his wife leaves him his certainty in the mundane activities that make up daily life are rocked.
I found Hotel Silence to be a deeply interesting look into the way men deal with their mental health. As the name hints at, so much goes unsaid that often I wanted to shake characters by the shoulders. Ultimately though, this is a slightly dark but amusing book which reaffirms the little things in life, that are really the big things, family, friends and home. Like her previous book “Butterflies in November“, Adur Ava Ólafsdóttir quietly takes readers on a journey of discovery. A lovely book.
The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck
The Moon Is Down explores the effects of invasion on both the conquered and the conquerors. Occupied by enemy troops. A small, peaceable town comes face-to-face with evil imposed from the outside. And betrayal from within the close-knit community. As he delves into the motivations and emotions of the enemy, Steinbeck uncovers profound and often unsettling truths both about war and human nature.
Originally published at the height of the Nazi Regime, this book was intended to persuade a reluctant America to join the War. I am always fascinated by books which are written during the moment. Without the benefit of hindsight. In this case, Steinbeck’s rousing tale of one town’s resistance to Nazi occupation feels all the more gripping because the author didn’t know what the outcome of the war would be.
A deceptively small book, the Moon is Down really gets you thinking. I read this quickly. And I think I would benefit from re-reading it again. I’m sure I’ve missed some of the subtleties. However, having never read anything by John Steinbeck before (I know!) I can definitely say he’s jumped up my list of authors to read in the future.
Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope
After the death of old Dr Grantly, a bitter struggle begins over who will succeed him as Bishop of Barchester. And when the decision is finally made to appoint the evangelical Dr Proudie, rather than the son of the old bishop, Archdeacon Grantly, resentment and suspicion threaten to cause deep divisions within the diocese. Trollope’s masterly depiction of the plotting and back-stabbing that ensues lies at the heart of one of the most vivid and comic of his Barsetshire novels, peopled by such very different figures as the saintly Warden of Hiram’s Hospital, Septimus Harding, the ineffectual but well-meaning new bishop and his terrifying wife, and the oily chaplain Mr Slope who has designs on Mr Harding’s daughter.
Since I read two books quickly in the first half of the month I was in the mood to slow down the pace for the latter half. For anyone who is sceptical of Victorian Literature I can’t recommend Anthony Trollope enough. Despite, and perhaps in spite, of a dry subject matter (Clerical reform anyone?!) this book comes packed with wry, witty prose that has you laughing out loud at times. I’m not joking!
Barchester Towers stands out as an example of its genre. I love Anthony Trollope’s style and the way he plays with the reader. He guides you throughout the story with his distinct narrative style. This is the second book in his Barchester series, however, I do think it works on its own. So if you’re in the mood for a good old fashioned story about people and how they react to one another, this is the one for you. Brew up a pot of tea. Settle down in a comfy seat. And take a trip to Barchester…you won’t regret it.
And so we come to the end of a another What I’ve Been Reading Lately!
What were the best books you read in April? And have you read any of the books I read? I’d love to know.
