APRIL 2007 - BOOK REVIEWS
Short Stories, Epic Tales, and Engrossing Novels | |
 
| | Winter in Madrid
By C.J. Sansom
For some reason, the Spanish civil-war era has exploded into mainstream arts and literature. Perhaps this is due to terrific works of fiction like Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s Shadow of the Wind and this new novel by C.J. Sansom. Winter in Madrid perfectly captures the brutal, bleak, chaotic and treacherous years during Franco’s regime at a time when his political affiliations with Hitler brought Spain to the brink of joining the Nazis in World War II. The book explores the devastating impact of the Spanish civil war on a country and its people, and the unforgiving struggle to survive in its immediate aftermath. Click on the image to buy now!
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| | Kafka on the Shore
By Haruki Murakami
Murakami is the literary equivalent of acid. Japan’s bestselling contemporary author has an uncanny ability to disorient your world, make you believe in the impossible, and move you with the absurd. I know of no other writer who can so masterfully string together remarkably surreal characters, extraordinary scenarios, and unthinkable narratives. Kafka on the Shore is his latest novel, and in true Murakami fashion, it sends you spiraling into a world of talking cats, soul-stealers, and a boy named Crow. Murakami is part Franz Kafka, part Lewis Carroll, and part Bret Easton Ellis. He is Miles Davis with a pen, a man who can seduce you and scandalize you, charm you and confuse you, and leave you begging for more. Click on the image to buy now!
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| | Restless
By William Boyd
Imagine your mother, a quiet, unassuming woman and vigorous gardener, telling you out of the blue that she is another person altogether? So begins William Boyd’s riveting World War II novel. When Ruth Gilmartin’s mother tells her that her real name is Eva Delectorskaya, she begins to unravel, bit by bit, the story of her training and experience as a spy gathering and disseminating information for the British Government. Now, decades later, the spy needs her daughter’s help for one final assignment. One of Britain’s best contemporary writers, Boyd combines masterful storytelling, intricate characters and lush details to weave an irresistible tale. Click on the image to buy now!
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