The Help

As you know, when I do 3 for 2 at Waterstones, I usually pick at least one new author. This time was no exception. I bought two books by favourite authors and then I picked up The Help, a first novel by Kathryn Stockett. The Sunday Times describes it as 'The other side of Gone with the Wind - and just as unputdownable.' I haven't read Gone with the Wind, but The Help was definitely unputdownable. It was superb. I was unsure whether I would enjoy it because the subject matter is about the working and private lives of Black maids in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962, and in particular about their relationships with their white bosses. I was wary because the book is written by a white woman, so I wondered how realistic it would be. But her acknowledgements, at the end of the book, gave more details of her background and how she attained her knowledge and that made the story more believable. It was good to read it after reading the whole book. The book itself, is a narrative, told by three people - two black maids and one of the white children, now grown-up. In places it is hard to read, but not gratuitously so, and it is also warm and surprising, and so tender. It is a beautiful book and one that I cannot recommend enough.

A Spanish mystery

I loved The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, so I was delighted when The Angel's Game was published. I enjoyed this almost as much, although I was surprised by the ending. Personally, I had a different ending in mind. But, it is a highly complex story, and perhaps I need to read it again, to understand the chosen ending. The story is superb and completely captivating, although a little scary in places. So much is implied and I think that adds to the fear element. Barcelona sounds so full of passion, life and history, and the characters in the story were so full of drama. I couldn't put this book down. It centers on the life of a writer and his relationship with a kindly bookseller who encourages him from an early age to read and then write his own stories, and his wealthy mentor, also a writer, but not on the same scale. The story tells of betrayal, secrets, lies, madness, love, and desperate deals to prolong life, made with mysterious and fearsome publishers. It is beautifully written; a complete treasure; unputdownable.

Latest readings...

My mother-in-law left a Maeve Binchy for me to read, Quentins. It was a lovely story, set around a restaurant in Dublin and focused on several people. It was quite dramatic in places, with extra-marital affairs, fraud, but also love, friendship, everything required to make al lovely read.

I have also read another of Elinor Lipman's books, Isabel's Bed, which, although it wasn't as good as my favourite, was sufficiently entertaining. It also had my dream job, ghost-writing, by the sea...actually, anything by the sea would be good.

I caught up with The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the fairytale book in Harry Potter, written by JK Rowling. It was very interesting because each story was followed by commentary by Professor Dumbledore. Very inventive.