Katharine Davis / Author

Several serious reader friends recommended this novel to me so I put it on my list for Santa. Great House was a National Book Award finalist and came with high praise from the literary community. So, what did I think? The writing was beautiful and this book has lingered for me over several weeks. Claire Messud said that Krauss’s last novel, The History of Love” was “affecting” and I think that word fits this novel perfectly. The story drew me in entirely and I had to finish the novel. Did I love it? Not completely. Did I sometimes feel lost? Now and again, a little like reading with dark glasses, I had the feeling I wasn’t totally “getting it.” Was it a bit strange? Yes. It’s not a simple domestic drama. The threads were at time confusing and at the end I realized I would have to reread this novel to understand it more completely. Still, I had the impression I was part of something truly fine, something worthy, a novel with staying power.
I often go back to the world of painting when thinking about fiction. Nicole Krauss is not an impressionist read, something lovely, or an easy pleasure on the eyes. I think I’d compare her to a Rothko painting –dark, rich, mysterious, and mulit-layered. I know when I read this book again I will be duly rewarded.

Onward with the theme of old age! On a scrap of paper, or in some little notebook I had written down this title and quickly snatched up a copy when I saw it in paperback this fall. William Trevor is an older writer and his recently published collection of his many stories has received well deserved acclaim. Love and Summer is his most recent novel. His fiction is usually set in Ireland and for the first few pages of this novel I felt a comfortable familiarity-then, ah ha! I had already read this book. I slowly remembered the story, but I had to go on. Thus, I indulged in the pleasure of rereading a book and I wish I took the time to do this more.
Love and Summer is a captivating story, quiet, yet moving. Trevor’s writing reminds me of a Vermeer painting, exquisitly clear, all about light and beauty, simple, but deep. When I read a book for the second time I am able to take in the details and enjoy the story in a whole new way. I pay more attention to the setting, the nuances of character, and the language itself. All in all this is a lovely novel, the first time you read it, and the next.

In my last post I said that I enjoyed reading novels with older characters. This memoir by Diana Athill falls under that category for sure. Diana Athill is in her nineties and she reflects on this stage in life in this wonderful book. Athill was a book editor for many years and began writing later in her career. Her writing is sharp and poignant and as she tells about her life you feel like you are sitting down with a good friend having an honest and heartfelt conversation. I look forward to reading her earlier work, four other memoirs and one novel.

The Three Junes is still my favorite of Julia Glass’s novels but The Widower’s Tale would have to follow close behind. Glass tackles the question of privilege, parenting, love later in life, relatiohships, and the ususal human dramas that draw us to read novels. This was one of those novels I enjoyed picking up, an interesting world, complicated characters, and just enough tension to keep me wanting to turn the pages and see what’s coming next. Now and again, I felt there was a little too much going on, but in the end I liked the way she brought it all together. I especially liked the oldest character, Percy Darling. I enjoy books with older characters and I wish more writers tackled issues of mature people- okay – old age!

I bought this novel last summer and only just got to it a few days ago. The bottom line is that the book is pure pleasure. It was predictable from the first page- even the cover illustrated that it was a love story, a love story with a happy ending. But, predictable in the best way- like a gorgeous piece of cake that you eat slowly, knowing that it was lovingly made with only the best ingredients, a piece of cake that does not disappoint. Do not miss this novel –a perfect mixuture of sweetness, charm, social strife, family difficulties, and loads of humor- that wonderful wry British humor. I salute Helen Simonson on a terrific debut and I can see why she broke out of the pack! This novel is fresh and a joy to read!

We are in the midst of the busy holiday season and maybe a good time to turn to a collection of stories when reading time is more limited. I find it a great pleasure to to finish reading a story in one sitting and come away with some kind of feeling or truth that stays with me.  Amy Bloom is a fabulous writer and these stories will keep you thinking.  Her characters are real and emotionally complex.  The theme is love in all its many forms.  These stories are poignant and at times heart wrenching.  The stories are connected, though each stands alone.  Just when you think -oh that was amazing, so real, so intense –you turn the page and the same characters are there, pulling you in once again.  An excellent collection!

Some readers want to read novels with likeable characters.  I agree it’s satisfying to enter a story, care deeply about the outcome for this or that person, even cheer for the protagonist.  The married couple in By Nightfall are not particularly likeable people.  I can imagine many readers describing them as self-absorbed and spoiled.  They work in New York, have jobs in the arts, and have precious lives complete with a loft in SoHo.  But Cunningham is a master of language.  He has an astute sensibility, a way of creating interior lives with the power and lyricism comparable to Virginia Woolf, the writer he emulted so brilliantly in his novel, The Hours. Peter, the main character, is on the cusp of ruining his life, his marriage, his family.  I certainly did not want to cheer for him.  However, the underlying angst, the deeply psychological struggle, and the odd pull of sexuality, made this a riveting book.  This novel has a haunting quality and like a fine foreign film, the images will linger long after the closing scenes.