Disclosure: Confirmed Brunetti fan speaking! "Unto Us a Son Is Given" is yet another proof that Donna Leon can keep me up until the wee hours, waitingDisclosure: Confirmed Brunetti fan speaking! "Unto Us a Son Is Given" is yet another proof that Donna Leon can keep me up until the wee hours, waiting for Guido to dig out just enough information, piece together just enough of the puzzle, understand just how today's world mirrors that of the Greek and Roman stories which recount man's capacity for cruelty - and pull it all together to illuminate a complex truth. This time it's the death of a deaf-and-dumb "boy" which is the trigger for Brunetti's excavations. And of course, good food, good wine, family life, class differences, immigrant workers, and the dancing light of Venice are thrown in for good measure. Love? that too. The real - and the false - and the cynical. And yet, and yet....la vita e bella....more
Normally not my thing, but this story is a page-turner from beginning to end! Pick it up and you'll be hooked. And...it's all true. Almost unbelievablNormally not my thing, but this story is a page-turner from beginning to end! Pick it up and you'll be hooked. And...it's all true. Almost unbelievable...but true....more
My first encounter with Modiano, and I enjoyed it: the evocations of life in and around Paris, the characters both believable and not (although doubtlMy first encounter with Modiano, and I enjoyed it: the evocations of life in and around Paris, the characters both believable and not (although doubtless real), and the author's rambling and discursive descriptions of his early life as told by a later self. There were moments when I felt myself "there" with the young Modiano and his brother. A book to trigger reflections. ...more
Disclosure: I met the author once...and have followed him since then. Not literally, of course
Now...this book. Thin, dense, imaginative, full of fun, Disclosure: I met the author once...and have followed him since then. Not literally, of course
Now...this book. Thin, dense, imaginative, full of fun, and—ultimately—of wisdom. I found myself laughing aloud at some points, and commiserating at others...and then saying aloud, "Luke Winter, you wouldn't dare! I mean! really! that bit about the fish!!!!" But it all worked.
My much more serious husband enjoyed it too- which surprised me no end, but I suppose it shows that the story taps into some kind of universal appeal.
Edith Wharton's classic story of a young Midwesterner who heads to New York in hopes of becoming a writer is filled with elements that her fans will rEdith Wharton's classic story of a young Midwesterner who heads to New York in hopes of becoming a writer is filled with elements that her fans will recognize at once. The great themes of love, renunciation, and bittersweet reconciliation play out against a New York peopled with families who embody old money, the commercial instincts of cynics, the resignation of the talented who've lost faith. And through it all, we see the artist's development, the moments of despair—and inspiration.
Dense, satisfying and intriguing, this slim volume (really) limns the technique, life. and influence of singers from the worlds of music in the easterDense, satisfying and intriguing, this slim volume (really) limns the technique, life. and influence of singers from the worlds of music in the easter tradition. Using the word Diva may sound like an expropriation - but read on! These are powerful artists whose tradition and lasting impact deserve to be better known. A helpful list of links to recorded performances is enormously helpful to anyone who wants to learn more. ...more
What a portrait! Charming, sexy, unscrupulous, amoral, Bel-Ami is both irresistible and repugnant - but in the end, everyone falls for him. You probabWhat a portrait! Charming, sexy, unscrupulous, amoral, Bel-Ami is both irresistible and repugnant - but in the end, everyone falls for him. You probably will too. Is resistance futile? Mmmmm....quite possibly. Brilliantly-written, thoroughly engaging, a page-turner from another era. Don't miss it....more
An unbeatable opening line! Gazdanov is famous for his short stories, but here he shows his mastery of the longer form, blending moments mysterious anAn unbeatable opening line! Gazdanov is famous for his short stories, but here he shows his mastery of the longer form, blending moments mysterious and banal, in a kaleidoscopic set of scenes reminiscent of Rashomon. ...more
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