Books Read in July 2012
Yes – I’m still behind, but I’m running to catch up before I take some time off later this month. (What have I been doing until now, you ask, if not taking time off? Well, I’ve been busy with non-bookish things – and reading, of course.)
It took me ten days to get through Jane Eyre, so my reading list for July is pretty slim, and since it’s been over two months since I read any of these, my comments are short, if not sweet.
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Even though this Giller Prize short-listed novel opens in western Canada, the story is international. For into what part of the globe have the email scams that originate in Nigeria not penetrated? Here’s my review. 4 stars
The Sense of an Ending 
Widely reviewed, and winner of the 2011 Booker prize, this is hailed as a “novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single setting(.) The Sense of an Ending has the psychological and emotional depth and sophistication of Henry James at his best, and is a stunning new chapter in Julian Barnes’s oeuvre.”. I dunno – maybe I expected too much. I couldn’t warm to the protagonist, and his discoveries just didn’t shake me. 3½ stars
Jane Eyre 
Too bad I missed this classic in my early teens – I would have loved it then: the romance, the period detail, the discovery of words. Now I think, “Attempted bigamy & gross deceit, and too many words.” 3½ stars
The Flight of Gemma Hardy
Modern retelling of Jane Eyre. Sure, the basic plot was determined for Livesay but I give her points for the Icelandic connection. And it didn’t take a week to read. If you like Jane Eyre, you’ll probably like this too. 3½ stars
An Unmarked Grave
by Charles Todd
The latest in the Bess Crawford mystery series, which I enjoy rather much. Bess is a nurse in WWI France, in this book dealing with (and falling temporary victim to) the Spanish flu. The period details seem spot on and the mystery was tight – a much better read than the authors’ previous outing in this series. 3½ stars
Falling Into Green
An ‘eco-mystery’, read on my Kindle. (How appropriate!) You can read my review here. 3 stars
Amazon links for For Canadian readers:
419
The Sense of an Ending
Jane Eyre
The Flight Of Gemma Hardy
An Unmarked Grave
Falling Into Green
Kindle editions:
The Sense of an Ending
Jane Eyre
The Flight of Gemma Hardy
An Unmarked Grave
Falling Into Green
I’m trying to keep my expectations lower for A Sense of An Ending. I hope I like it more than you did.
I hope you do, too, Mrs. J.!
I remember reading JE late at night so I could write a paper on it. I hated it. And I was in my twenties. I didn’t like Wuthering Heights either. Those Bronte girls are not for me. :<)
I have the Barnes book, and will read it sometime. I'm not always wild about the way older men look at life, but we'll see.
I never read Wuthering Heights, Nan, but I saw it performed on stage. As my husband (who accompanied me) said: a steaming pile of misery.
I shouldn’t bias you before you start but I suspect that you won’t like the Barnes book. But it’s short, so at least you won;t have put two weeks of life into it. 😉
I had the same feeling about Barnes’ book, after having read it… but still, he is among my favorite writers.
What else have you read of Barnes, Ally? Thanks for stopping by!
Well, maybe not any great books but at least they were all good.
I suppose they weren’t bad, Lisa, but I’m getting late in the year and I haven’t found that *wow* book yet…
I really want to read Sense of an Ending, but I’m afraid too that I have high expectations.
Athira, high expectations aren’t necessarily bad – and maybe yours will be met. It just didn’t do it for me.