Lockdown Readings
by
Cecily Lynch--
Literature
I have read during Lockdown (2020)
All
are translations from the original versions.
Ten
Thousand Sorrows, by Elisabeth Kim, from Korea/America
The
story of a poor Korean girl whose mother was murdered and who was
adopted by an American Christian Fundamentalist family.
In
my opinion it was a very tragic story of cruelty and rejection. The
child was abused and mistreated, but survived and gained
independence.
Fair.
The
Angel of Grozny, inside Chechnya, by Asne Seierstad, from Norway
A
traumatic read. The author, a journalist, visits families after the
war in Chechnya and reports what they told her of murders,
executions, kidnappings and torture.
It
makes grim reading. It has extended my knowledge of how the people
suffered and are still suffering in that part of the world.
Very
good.
Europa
Blues, by Arne Dahl, from Sweden
Set
in Sweden. A murder mystery, involving werewolves who chew up a drug
addict. To my mind, it was over the top. It was dark and morbid. The
murders were graphic and there were too many of them.
The
only thing I liked about it were the street names; they were quite
poetic. The repartee between the detectives was also good. There are
good descriptions of the physical beauty of Sweden, in contrast with
the horrible ending of so many lives.
Fair.
The
Chosen, by Kristina Ohllsson, from Sweden
Another
dark story. Another murder mystery set in Sweden. A mysterious killer
called the Paper Boy kills a teacher and kidnaps two nine-year old
boys.
This
story is calmer and more believable. Descriptions of the weather in
Sweden add to the tense atmosphere. The personal lives of the
detectives is well portrayed.
Fairly
Good
The
Legend of Redenta Tiria, by Salvatore Niffoi, from Italy
This
one was set in Sicily. It was witty and outrageous and completely
over the top. The blurb told us that it was the most popular book of
the year in Italy.
The
story was impossible, and told in an ironic fashion. It was about a
remote village where all the inhabitants got the call to kill
themselves. Young and old committed suicide the minute they heard the
voice in their heads saying Kill Yourself Now.
It
was quite funny, being so crazy. I must have missed the joke or the
satire though; I am not Italian.
Good
Auntie
Poldi and the Fruits of the Lord, by
Mario Giordano, from Germany (parents from Sicily)
Auntie
Poldi is an elderly lady who prides herself on her detective skills.
She is determined to solve crimes in her own shambolic way. It is
quite amusing, but quite mad.
I'm
sure it was a skit. There are in-jokes not obvious to the outsider. A
good picture of unpredictable Sicilian society.
Good
The
Isle of South Kamui , by Kyotaro Nishimura, from Japan.
Themes
of crime and detection. But beautifully done and with sympathy There
is moral awareness in the stories. The author has won well-deserved
prizes.
Excellent
short stories. Well crafted.
Lost
Souls, Sacred Creatures, by Juko Nishimura, from Japan
A
great collection of short stories. Animals feature prominently.
Lovely attitude to people and animals. Animals are considered sacred.
The
Japanese author was extremely good, excellent. I was not surprised to
hear that he was a prize-winner in his own country. I enjoyed his
short stories very much.
Fair
Norma, by Sofi Oksanen, from Finland
Norma’s
mother is thrown under a train. Norma has electric hair which warns
her of danger. Norma discovers a lot more about her mother who seems
to have been involved in a drug gang.
It
seems to be a feminist book. I could not quite follow the plot and
the huge amount of characters.
Unbelievable.
Life
Begins on Friday, by Iona Parvulescu,
from Rumania
Set
in the late 19th century. A rollicking love story, involving duelling
and intrigues, with a flavour of Rumanian joie de vivre.
Very
humorous and quite good.