lunababymoonchild

The Iliac Crest, Cristina Rivera Garza

At 91 pages this is a very short story. The book is a hardback and sewn together, it has expensive feeling paper and contains full colour artwork by Max Neumann, and QR codes that link to the percussive music of Szilveszter Miklós scored for each chapter. László Krasznahorkai is becoming one of my favourite authors not least because he's not afraid to release material like this. That said, I don't think that the art relates to the story in any way and I'm absolutely certain that the music doesn't (and I like drumming). I found it distracting to have to put my book down to listen to the music but I'm sure that someone else would arrange that better. The prose, however, is amazing and the story engaging. The story is set somewhere in Europe (I'd guess the Eastern Bloc) and is about someone who is on the run. The reader does not know from what or from whom just that the narrator is escaping what the narrator calls certain death and he (I'm going to assume the narrator is a man, but it's not clear) is concerned only with the here and now, who it is that hunts him and where they are. It does make some very philosophical points, too. Absolutely gripping. This is what's known as a chase narrative. Highly recommended.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Chasing Homer, László Krasznahorkai

Set in Austria in 1914 just before the first world war this is the story of Anton Hofmiller and the one mistake that he makes which leads, ultimately, to tragedy. And it was a very easy mistake to make so I'm not entirely sure that he could have been expected to take responsibility for it, in the 21st century things are very different indeed. This is billed as Zweig's greatest work and I can see why. It's a towering work of fiction detailing human emotion and a study of guilt and pity and what that can do to a person. Hofmiller is trapped by his guilt and his pity and even though he makes several attempts to break free he doesn't manage it until he seeks the help of his commanding officer, having become a cavalry officer. During his journey to freedom the ruler of Austria and Hungary is assassinated, which leads to World War I and he is deployed to fight in it. Before he leaves to take part in the war he is informed of the consequences of his leaving, predicted by the family doctor (of the person he is pitying and feels guilty about). Hofmiller survives the war, much to his surprise, and emerges as a war hero, much to his chagrin. His guilt and pity, however, have been brought into perspective at the end of the war and the reader is left with the impression that Hofmiller will, at last, live in peace with himself. Highly recommended.

Chasing Homer, László Krasznahorkai ETA Chasing Homer, László Krasznahorkai has QR codes that, when scanned, lead to music written especially for the book. It also features art drawn especially for it. It's only 96 pages long so it won't take me long to read and listen to it. But first, my current read...........

Life Time: The New Science of the Body Clock, and How It Can Revolutionize Your Sleep and Health by Russell Foster

Impatience of the Heart, Stefan Zweig

The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight

China Miéville is one of my favourite authors so I'm not very good at criticising him. King Rat is his first book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a re-telling of an old story that is pretty much told to most, if not all, children: The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Miéville makes a very good job of telling the tale in his way and it's not immediately obvious that that is the tale he's telling. So, Saul Garamond comes home late one night and decides not to speak to his father, with whom he lives, and goes straight to bed. He is rudely awoken the next morning by the police hammering on his door and is arrested for murdering his father, about which he knows nothing. Then the story gets weird after that. Not to mention very interesting. China Miéville is a stunning writer with an imagination that is incredible. I always enjoy his books and this one is as much out of the ordinary as the other ones I've read. Nobody does it like China Miéville Recommended.

I still don't know what to do.

I cannot tell you how it was, But this I know: it came to pass Upon a bright and sunny day When May was young; ah, pleasant May! As yet the poppies were not born Between the blades of tender corn; The last egg had not hatched as yet, Nor any bird foregone its mate. I cannot tell you what it was, But this I know: it did but pass. It passed away with sunny May, Like all sweet things it passed away, And left me old, and cold, and gray. May by Christina Rossetti

King Rat, China Miéville. Much more my style.

Have abandoned The Strudlhof Steps: The Depth of the Years by Heimito von Doderer 'cos I found that I don't want to read it.

The Strudlhof Steps: The Depth of the Years by Heimito von Doderer, as part of a Goodreads group read.