Do the A-Z author challenge

Julie Otsuka -When the Emperor Was Divine
This was a VERY quick read. I finished it in one night, which is nice since I haven’t actually finished a book in ages. I liked the matter of fact tone. It made the last chapter stand out since you could really feel the father’s anger.

When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka

Was all right- quick read, interesting perspective, and some striking insights. But overall I didn’t feel any great connection with the characters or the situation.

A Backward Place by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.

Quite a quick, light read… you can choose to ignore any political ex-pat commentary on life in India after the Empire or not… but the characters are quirky and some are likeable. Though thouse that aren’t so likeable are a bit more interesting and make for a quicker read.

Suite francaise Irene Nermirovsky

It started very very very slowly. Very slowly. but got quite better by about half way through the book. What I found most interesting, however, were the appendices which had a series of correspondance from the Nemirovsky family at the time of her being taken into a concentration camp… a snippet of reality that spoke much more eloquently than the novel… though that was good too, by the end.

In Her Absence Munoz

Interesting perspective into the way the mind works, especially when befuddled by a relationship. I really enjoyed the first chapter when the setting and the themes were presented with a great deal of obscurity.

Antonio Munoz Molina – In Her Absence
Very interesting…not sure if Blanca is settling or finally appreciating what she has with Mario.

Haim Lapid – The Crime of Writing
Well I kept reading this hoping for an exciting ending. That didn’t happen. The author gives away the secret pretty early on with all his clues.

The Historian Elizabeth Kostova

Intriguing, if slightly annoying with its myriad coincidences, with an altogether predictable and unsatisfying ending.

Deafening Fracis Itani

Was okay… the first part (in their youth) was a bit slow, but once the book got moving then it was quite captivating.

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

Much much much better than I imagined this could be. I first wanted to read it because I knew a guy who had only eve read one book in his life, this one, and he felt that that was all he needed in life.

I’m not sure that I agree with that line of thinking, but it certainly builds up the book. And, I felt, it definitely met expectations. A brilliant allegory with a numbero f thoguht avenues to explore. Hurrah!