I have not settled to anything much recently. I have just been working through my pile of stitching and reading.
I read Graeme Macrae Burnet's His Bloody Project, and was moved by it. It is an intense character study set in the harsh days of crofting in the north west of Scotland when the poor were treated like beasts, and lowly creatures even in their own eyes. This novel tells the story of how people under stress can deal with themselves and others.
I was so impressed by the novel that I immediately went on to read Macrae Burnet's previous and first book: The Disappearance of Adele Bedeau. I finished it last night. Set in Alsace, France in an indeterminate present we follow the parallel then intersecting lives of two men living in a small town. Once again we examine how circumstances can shape how individuals interact within a society equally shaped by circumstances. I enjoyed the latter book in the way that I enjoy those French films which quietly, slowly, show us intricacies, seemingly banal details stitching together a life, lives; a microscopic view which illuminates a history. I shall be looking out for Graeme Macrae Burnet's next novel.
I have many books queued up on my reading list, but I'm still not sure what I need next. A couple of short stories will doubtless help me decide.
Meanwhile I am busy juggling spaces in the freezer for all the cooked tomatoes, courgettes, and aubergines from the greenhouse. It really is a bonanza this year.
I've just put both novels on my list of books to get when I get back to the UK. Thanks, Olga.
ReplyDeleteI hope that you enjoy them Eirene.
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