Autumn 2007
edition of the BOOKLOFT NEWSLETTERAutumn 2007
edition of the BOOKLOFT NEWSLETTER
Staff Favorite
ARTHUR AND GEORGE by Julian Barnes
This intriguing novel follows the lives of two English boys growing up at the turn of the 20th century. George is the son of the vicar of a small village. His family is close and they lead a quiet life. He grows up, studies law and eventually establishes a very unexciting routine of taking the train to a nearby town to his law practice and returning home to continue to live with his parents. Despite a period of time in his youth when his family received hateful and threatening anonymous letters, he is satisfied with his place in life.
Arthur lives his early life in Edinburgh. His father suffers from a variety of mental ailments and is eventually sent away to a sanitarium. His mother is a strong woman and provides a decent though poor upbringing for Arthur and his sisters. He becomes a physician, though finds his fortune as the creator of Sherlock Holmes. He becomes wealthy, marries a woman he loves and they start a family.
The two men's lives intersect after George is wrongly imprisoned for atrocities done to animals in the vicinity of his village. Arthur puts his detecting skills to work to try to undo the wrong done to George. In the process, they form a bond which lasts through the rest of their lives. Presented with great detail and reflecting all of the quirkiness of the late Victorian times, this novel gives us a look at the moral and psychological as well as social lives of two men. $14.95 Vintage
LUMBY LINES by Gail Fraser
It's sometimes hard to find a book for a customer looking for a good read that isn't full of the violent, traumatic or otherwise heartbreaking aspects of life. Yet it's good to escape to a happy place when reading.
So, here's a good one for those who enjoy the Mitford books and the stories from Lake Wobegon. In this case, the town is Lumby and it is full of the requisite eccentric characters along with lots of just regular folks getting through their lives as best they can. It's a small town somewhere in the northwest and just as in many small towns, your business is likely to appear in the local paper, in this case The Lumby Lines.
A couple from "back east" have moved into the area and are renovating an old monastery outside of town. Through their eyes we get to know the town's residents and their histories and prejudices. There are hidden scandals, but Lumby is basically a nice place and the novel was a pleasant read. The author has had some success with this book and there will be several more.
$14.00 New American Library
For something a little different there is THIRTY-THREE TEETH by Colin Cotterill. Set in Laos in the late 1970s, this novel is the second one featuring Dr. Siri Paiboun, the national coroner. Postwar Laos is chaotic, disorganized and struggling to move from old traditional ways to the new Communist government. Dr. Paiboun has no affiliations with parties or politics and at his advanced age, can take an independent look at whatever situations he is called upon to investigate. With a wry humor and appreciation for the oddities of his country's situation, he becomes involved in everything from conferences of shamans to wild animals on the loose in the city. Are recent deaths being caused by supernatural forces or political affiliations unwisely chosen? With the exotic setting, clever dialogue and intellectual powers of a witty new character, the author has created an interesting new series which will appeal to fans of Sherlock Holmes or Alexander McCall Smith. $12.00 Soho
A SUSPENSION OF MERCY by Patricia Highsmith
Considered a classic noir novelist and the author of The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patrician Highsmith has written dozens of books. Currently several of her works are being reprinted. This one is a great example of her ability to delve into the dark realms of human imagination. Sydney is a writer of thrillers potentially for use as television series. He and his wife Alicia have recently moved to the countryside of England where they hope to live an idyllic life, gardening, writing and painting. But when marital tensions increase, Alicia decides to take a break from Sydney before their difficulties escalate into violence. She leaves to go to stay with her parents for a while. Sydney, in the meantime, has been working on his stories and has been playing out in his mind the possible scenarios his character might follow if he was trying to murder his wife. When Alicia never turns up at her parents and cuts off communication with Sydney, the situation changes into a possible homicide. Highsmith explores what can happen when the real world and that of our imagination collide in this most intriguing and unpredictable story. $11.00 Norton
THE WHITE GIRAFFE by Lauren St. John
The night Martine turns 11, there is a terrible fire in her house and
her parents are killed. She then learns she has a grandmother who lives
in Africa and that Martine must go to live with her. She arrives at the
wildlife preserve where her grandmother lives, and before long she meets
various local people who live nearby and work at the preserve. From them
she hears of a legendary white giraffe. It is said that whoever befriends
the white giraffe will form a special bond with all of the animals. She
tries to adjust to her new life and school. When one night she actually
sees the white giraffe her life changes. She hears about poachers preying
on the animals in the preserve and becomes involved in dangerous activities
trying to stop them. Through her cunning and bravery, she learns why her
grandmother's existence has been kept a secret and the true significance
of the white giraffe. $16.99 Dial Books
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