Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan | Book Review

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Published by Faber & Faber, 2021
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Set in the run up to Christmas in 1980s Ireland, this understated yet powerful little novel looks at the ideas of compassion and secrets; those we cannot see and those we choose not to.

We follow Bill Furlong, a coal merchant working hard to provide throughout the harsh winter for his wife and five daughters. After inadvertently uncovering a distressing truth about the goings on within the local Magdalene Laundry, he must wrestle with the reality of complacency and wilful ignorance within the Catholic Church. His discovery also prompts a re-evaluation of events from his own childhood, emphasising the idea of cycles repeating themselves throughout time, unless someone is brave enough to defy the status quo.

Keegan’s prose is deceptively simple. With few words, she paints vivid pictures of a very specific time and place within Irish history. The dialogue also feels authentic and considered, with just as much importance lying in what remains unsaid. Indeed, she chooses to forgo any hint of sensationalism, the true horrors inferred without the need for gratuity.

Sad yet full of hope, Small Things Like These perfectly captures the feelings of charm, nostalgia, melancholy, and longing that so often go hand-in-hand during the festive period. It’s a tender ode to the resilience of the working classes, and the quiet yet vital heroism of those who choose not to turn a blind eye.

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Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion | Book Review

Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion
Published by Simon & Schuster, 1970
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This relative fever dream of a novel opens with our protagonist, former actress and model Maria, institutionalised following a breakdown. We are then taken through a series of visceral snapshots from throughout her life, exploring the misogynistic and toxic nature of life in Hollywood, and the impact of her own self-destructive behaviour. Much of this is driven by mental illness, life’s many knocks, the betrayals of men, and the yearning she feels to be with her hospitalised daughter, who is suffering from an unspecified illness of the brain.

The book is kaleidoscopic and alienating, but in a way that serves its central themes and characterisation. Scant on plot in the traditional sense and jumping erratically back and forth through time, Maria’s story is presented in a way that feels suitably fragmented, chaotic, and lacking in direction. Many have also argued that her story is relentlessly bleak. While this is mostly true, I do think there’s a faint yet important glimmer of hope to be found in her eventual acceptance of help, rejection of old acquaintances, and determination to reunite with her daughter. Sometimes to simply carry on living in the face of misery is in itself a victory, and Didion explores this idea to poignant effect.

I also have huge admiration for how bold and unashamed the book is in its tackling of subjects which continue to be taboo now, let alone when Didion was writing about them.

The prose itself is sharp and deceptively powerful; Didion’s eye for human observation providing keen insight into her anti-heroine’s psyche. I do, however, think it’s worth flagging up the unchallenged use of some outdated terms that would now be considered slurs. A product of the book’s time, their use never feels malicious, but it’s inevitable that many modern readers will find them jarring. Still, this was never enough to detract from the impact of this perceptive, brutally honest portrayal of a woman in crisis. It’s an attack on the vapid systems that exist to build women up, only to tear them back down; a notion that sadly still resonates more than 50 years after the book’s initial release.

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Endless Night by Agatha Christie | Book Review

Endless Night by Agatha Christie
Published by Harper, 1967
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Though this doesn’t seem to be one of Christie’s best-known or most talked about books, it quickly became one of my favourites. Hugely compelling, it has many of the hallmarks you’d expect from a classic Christie novel, including a central element of mystery, well-drawn characters, fantastic dialogue, and an intricate tapestry of clues that leads to a startling truth. Where this stands out among the rest of Christie’s work, however, is how heavily she leans into the conventions of gothic literature – complete with a grand, imposing house, and whispers of the supernatural.

We follow Mike and Ellie, a young couple from opposite ends of the social spectrum who set out to build their dream home in the country. Unfortunately for them, not all the locals are welcoming; the plot of land they’ve chosen rumoured to be subject to a historic curse. It soon becomes clear that someone or something wants them to leave.

As readable as ever, Christie builds a sense of brooding tension incredibly well, the subtly sinister undertones bringing to mind the work of Daphne du Maurier. There’s also some fantastic social commentary concerning class divides – both the freedoms and the trappings that come with money.

I won’t say much else as I don’t want to risk spoiling the experience of this little gem. Perfectly paced, the story plays out in some truly surprising ways, with Christie keeping me on my toes as much as ever. As I continue to gradually make my way through her back catalogue, I’d be thrilled to uncover some more that blend crime with elements of psychological horror as seamlessly as this.

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Love and Fury by Samantha Silva | Book Review

Love and Fury by Samantha Silva
Published by Allison & Busby, 2021
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This stunning novel serves as a love letter to the genius of pioneering feminist and writer, Mary Wollstonecraft, while also painting a picture of the very real, sensitive woman behind the legend.

Sticking true to historical events and paying suitable homage to the strength and lyricism of Wollstonecraft’s own work, Silva’s stunning prose evokes the time period to great effect, with much of the action taking place against the brutal backdrop of the French Revolution. Wollstonecraft’s life is a fascinating one full of bittersweet contradictions; an abundance of passion, joy, defiance, success, ridicule, and heartbreak packed into her much-too-short life.

Silva does an excellent job of celebrating her subject’s sharp intellect and early push for equality, exploring issues of gender, class, and sexuality with nuance and grace, as Wollstonecraft strives to resist a system structured to keep women down. That said, the book never feels like an academic text or a dot-to-dot biography. Wollstonecraft was a leader in many respects but she was also a human being, susceptible to the same flaws and tragedies as the rest of us. I think Silva handled the balance of reverence and honesty in portraying her heroine with aplomb.

Structured as a dual narrative, the story jumps between Wollstonecraft’s own retelling of her life, and her midwife Mrs B’s perspective of the days immediately following the birth of Wollstonecraft’s second child. This baby, of course, is none other than Mary Shelley, who would go on to secure her own legacy as a boundary breaking writer, but whose life would be marked by equal sorrow and strife. With most readers likely aware that their lives overlapped by just 10 days or so, the structure adds a further dose of poignancy, as the timelines edge closer together and inevitable tragedy looms.

Still, Wollstonecraft’s story is not without hope. We see moments of genuine happiness won through her determination to live freely. With the birth of her daughter, destined to become a legend in her own right, and the powerful impression she makes on Mrs B in her final days, Wollstonecraft’s place in history is secured; her role in women’s emancipation undeniable.

Whether familiar with Wollstonecraft yet or not, this is a gorgeous, evocative read; a character study that is equal turns inspiring, captivating, and moving.

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Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy | Book Review

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
Published by Flatiron Books, 2021
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Charlotte McConaghy blends powerful eco-fiction with the intrigue of a thriller in this stunning look at human nature.

Environmental biologist Inti Flynn has just arrived in Scotland. The head of a controversial rewilding project, she is tasked with overseeing the release of wolves throughout Cairngorms National Park. Fearing for their livestock, the surrounding community of rural farmers is immediately resistant, and their hostility reaches a fever pitch when a man is found dead. Inti is determined to absolve the wolves of blame — and thus spare them from a brutal culling — but to do so means proving there’s a killer in their midst.

McConaghy’s prose is gorgeous, without ever feeling overwrought. She paints vivid pictures of Scotland’s rugged landscape, contrasting its beauty with the inherent dangers of living and working on such harsh terrain. The nuance of her writing is such that, though the novel is a gripping page-turner, it also delves deeply into the psyche of its characters, as more and more secrets bubble to the surface.

You can find my full review over on BookBrowse. To go alongside it, I also wrote a piece about efforts to rewild Scotland.

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The Atlas of Reds and Blues by Devi S. Laskar

The Atlas of Reds and Blues by Devi S. Laskar
Published by Counterpoint, 2019
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Laskar’s debut opens boldly, as her narrator, an American born Bengali woman, lies bleeding on her own driveway, having been shot by police during a raid. In a series of non-linear vignettes, her mind then wanders through the memories of her life, which has been shaped from the off by systemic racism.

The novel could potentially be criticised for falling into the “once you’ve read the blurb, you’ve read the book” category. By this, I mean that beyond the bold concept, there’s little in the way of overarching plot progression or deeper theme exploration. Instead, the series of snapshots paints a picture of an entirely normal domestic life in all its simple joys and quiet heartbreaks. This is also the book’s strength, however. There is nothing special or extraordinary about our protagonist; her story is not unique and her perspective reveals nothing that most of us aren’t already well aware of. As such, it’s no coincidence that she and her family remain nameless; their lack of identity emblematic of how easily their experiences of prejudice can be applied to virtually all people of colour living in modern America, and the way white society tends to see skin tone over and above anything else.

In many ways, the book is simple yet powerful, elevated by Laskar’s gorgeous prose, which often takes on a suitably ethereal quality as her narrator’s mind glides through space and time, ebbing and flowing towards her inevitably tragic end. Much remains unanswered, and while it will frustrate some, this too feels deliberate. What, after all, could possibly justify such baseless persecution?

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Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa | Book Review

Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa
Translated from the Japanese by Stephen Snyder
Published by Vintage, 2011
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This fascinating little novel is not always easy to stomach, but Ogawa is incredibly skilled at crafting the kind of hypnotic atmosphere that makes it impossible to look away, no matter how uncomfortable you are. We follow Mari, a 17-year-old who helps her mother run a hotel in a quiet Japanese seaside town. She meets a much older man who lives on a tiny island off the coast, and the two soon strike up a bizarre relationship. Mari’s unnamed suitor is charming and affectionate when they venture out together, but he subjects her to a series of physical, emotional, and sexual humiliations whenever the two are alone at his home.

Due to the nature of the subject matter, there’s no denying this won’t be for everyone, with some truly graphic scenes of what many would categorise as out-right abuse. But here, Ogawa presents us with the novel’s core themes, many of which are concerned with the dichotomies of our lives: the often fine lines between pleasure and pain, passion and torture, excitement and fear. There’s no denying that what Mari is subjected to is morally repugnant, but she is both consenting and welcoming of much of his actions; her sense of worth so low she seems to revel in being demeaned. Indeed, to me the book is primarily a look at loneliness, with both characters using their toxic relationship dynamic to process misplaced guilt and grief from their pasts – but while Mari punishes herself, her suitor punishes others.

Something about Ogawa’s pin-sharp prose just totally draws me in. The characters and setting feel so clear, but not a word goes to waste, and the author’s trademark sinister undertones bubble throughout.

At once an unnerving, thought provoking, shocking, tender, and sad read; love it or hate it, you won’t forget Hotel Iris in a hurry.

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The Secret Talker by Geling Yan | Book Review

The Secret Talker by Geling Yan
Translated from the Chinese by Jeremy Tiang
Published by HarperVia, 2021
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

A good literary novel tends to wow with its linguistic prowess and the depth of its social commentary. A good thriller serves as a captivating page-turner that draws you in. When the two are brought together in perfect harmony, the effect can be fantastic. In many cases, however, aiming for a literary thriller dooms the book to underwhelm somewhat on both fronts; being neither thematically rich nor quite captivating enough to please lovers of either genre. Sadly, The Secret Talker feels like a prime example of this for me.

The concept is great. We follow Hongmei, a Chinese woman living in America, who finds herself drawn into an increasingly intimate and all-consuming correspondence with an anonymous stalker who seems to know her every move. Though undeniably creepy, their conversation brings to the fore how much her relationship with her husband is failing. As their conversation deepens, both Hongmei and her stalker feel increasingly drawn to each other; compelled to unpack long-held secrets on both sides.

While the stalker set-up will undoubtedly appeal to fans of a good thriller, the novel is in fact a largely character focussed look at relationships, communication, identity, and the need to feel seen and heard. There are a few twists peppered throughout (the most important of which I saw coming a mile off), and I was certainly intrigued throughout, but I did feel we were moving in circles at times.

Despite being hampered by this uneven tone and an occasionally confusing timeline, the book did keep me engaged. Its look at the anonymity of the internet and the thrill of the unknown worked well, and I’d be happy to see the author tackle similar themes within a framework that allowed for greater depth. Given the rise of technology and social media since the book’s original Chinese publication back in 2004, I think there’s lots she could draw on.

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Thank you to the publisher for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Everywhere Antennas by Julie Delporte | Book Review

Everywhere Antennas by Julie Delporte
Translated from the French by Helge Dascher
Published by Drawn & Quarterly, 2014
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This unique graphic novel follows a young woman suffering from a rare hypersensitivity to electromagnetic radiation – generated by power lines, phones, the internet, and suchlike. Plagued by illness and frustrated by a lack of understanding and belief in her condition, she feels increasingly compelled to seek out ever-rarer “white zones” (remote areas undisturbed by radio waves). But in a society typified by a need for constant connectivity, this isolation will inevitably impact her relationships and career.

In terms of the prose and visuals, the book reads very much like a diary. The loose, fragmented style is sparse on detail and structure, with large jumps of time between certain entries, but it feels raw and unguarded in its expression. This informal, choppy, yet vibrant approach says a lot about our narrator’s mindset despite the book’s brevity.

Offering insight into a rare condition and an excellent depiction of the anxiety and fatigue that can come with modern life, this is at once a window into a specific viewpoint and a sweeping look at the consequences of irreversible urbanisation. It asks us to consider those who, for whatever reason, may be pushed aside in our quest for unchecked technological advancement, and at what cost we should prioritise our own health.

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The Yogini by Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay | Book Review

The Yogini by Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated from the Bengali by Arunava Sinha
Published by Tilted Axis Press, 2019
Rating: ⭐ ⭐

The more time I take to mull this one over, the more I come to realise it’s a novel I wanted to like more than I actually did. There are lots of great ingredients in the mix: a strong opening scene; a great initial concept; a flawed, interesting heroine; a focus on the idea of fate versus freewill; critique of the roles women are expected to fulfil; and solid prose. The trouble for me was the execution, which felt too contrived for me to ever feel drawn in.

In terms of plot, we follow Homi, whose seemingly stable life begins to fall apart when she becomes aware of a yogi; the figure of a man, visible only to her, who stalks her every move and claims to be a physical manifestation of her fate. This is a striking concept, and I was certainly intrigued enough to want to know how her story would culminate. Sadly, too many scenarios and exchanges of dialogue felt manufactured to conveniently steer the book forward. It was neither believable enough to feel real, nor strange enough to stand as outright magical realism or fantasy; landing instead in an odd sort of limbo that ultimately left me feeling underwhelmed.

I enjoyed enough of the elements at play to keep an eye out for more of the author’s work, and requiring just two sittings to get through, it was certainly a pacy read. That said, after such a strong setup, I can’t help but wonder how much more haunting the book could have been had I clicked with it stylistically.

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