THE FRIEND, by Sigrid Nunez

 The Friend is  moving novel about the themes of mourning, loss and writing that is based on an unusual device - the "friend" in question is both the narrator's close writer friend who has recently committed suicide and his dog, a comically huge Great Dane that scarcely fits into her tiny NYC apartment, whom she is "willed" to take care of. Based on this setup, the story could have turned sentimental or even silly, yet the story is fiercely honest and emotionally raw.  The story is narrated directly to her dead friend, reflecting on their past relationship and her current feelings, which are heavily oppressed by trying to deal with his suicide. It's a heartbreakingly transparent view of the narrator's grief. The canine "friend", though, plays a role in her grieving and coming to terms with the tragic loss of her friend, who was certainly no angel while alive and with whom she had a complex relationship that gets described little-by-little. The third theme, writing, is very interesting. The book is a real-time reflection on the power of writing to help the grieving process (or not). Descriptions of her interactions with other writers and with her students in the creative writing classes she teaches leaves the whole neo-romantic notion of the healing power of writing unresolved. It's a wonderful book and was very favourably received by critics.

For a review of the book from NPR, click here: https://www.npr.org/2018/01/23/579233885/the-friend-is-no-shaggy-dog-story

LOST FOR WORDS, by Edward St. Aubyn

 Lost for Words is an entertaining satire by acclaimed British author Edward St. Aubyn. In this novel, he sets his sights on the world of literary awards, masterfully poking fun at the whole concept and process of award-giving for literary achievement. We are introduced to the rag-tag set of judges for a fictitious literary award, each with their own foibles and shortcomings and complicated relationships with each other. The excerpts of some of the listed books are the most fun - ridiculous in the extreme, they are great send-ups of the sort of novels that are often hyped by the publishing establishment (e.g., pseudo-exotic "The Mulberry Elephant"; supposedly gritty "Wot u starin at?"; lame thriller "Roger and Out"; "All the World's a Stage, updated Shakespearean theme written from Will's own perspective). Although intelligent and insightful,  it sometimes borders on slapstick (e.g., the awards ceremony), At any rate, it's great fun to read.

For a review of the novel from The Guardian, click here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/may/11/lost-for-words-review-edward-st-aubyn-review-prize-satire

Eat the Document, by Dana Spiotta

 Eat the Document is the story of a '60s radical, implicated in a bombing plot gone awry, and her attempt to escape justice by reinventing herself completely into a new person. Although this idea has some romantic resonance, the reality, as illustrated by the author, is psychically debilitating. The novel traces the protagonist, who moves through several invented identities as she tries to obliterate her past self. Parallel journeys are suggested in that of her boyfriend at the time, and other minor characters. The novel is engaging and subtle in its telling of the psychological toll of living a life of lies and never being able to be truthful to anyone. There is also, later in the book, a parallel story of the discover of the protagonist's true identity by her teenage son. All-in-all, it is a powerfully written book and worth reading.

For a review of the book by NY Times, click here: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/03/books/a-radical-on-the-run-determined-to-escape-the-past.html

NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS, by Patricia Lockwood.

 I was familiar with Patricia Lockwood only from having read her warmly comedic 2017 memoir "Priest Daddy", which is an enjoyable window into growing up in an absurd family situation - her father was a "married priest" and her family life not exactly "the norm". No One is Talking is centered on the culturally overwhelming phenomenon of the internet, called "the portal" in the book, and the addictive and negative effects of its overuse (basically a universal phenomenon). The book is divided into two parts - the first is a fragmented trip through the "portal", or more accurately, through the mind of a person who is immersed in the internet. Much of it describes outrageous mems and the kind of toxic interaction among users that substitutes for social discourse these days. The style of the book, disconnected fragments usually with no apparent connection, mimics the internet experience well. The perversion of language and of humor are constant themes, but it's essentially plotless. In the second half of the book, an event occurs that blasts her virtual existence into reality - her sister has a child who is severely disabled. Coming to terms with the heartache of the situation and the real, raw emotions makes the virtual world recede from its occupation of her soul. The book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2021, and is a very interesting critical look at the subtle, colonizing, addicting phenomenon of the internet and its effects, and in the second half, a raw and agonizing look at an impossible situation. Although the narrator's sister's mother says at one point in the story, "I can't see anything good in this", at least the emotions are real and pure, liberated from internet influence.

For a review of the book from the Guardian, click here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/feb/12/no-one-is-talking-about-this-by-patricia-lockwood-review-life-in-the-twittersphere

ANNIHILATION, by Jeff VanderMeer

 I don't mind a good dystopian story, so I picked up Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer as it was getting quite a lot of buzz recently. After reading it, I found out that it had been made into a movie, and that fact confirmed my reaction to it. I felt, as I read it, as though I was watching one of the seemingly infinite number of low-budget Sci Fi films on TV in which a small number of characters work their way through a claustrophobically small set and get bumped off one-by-one by an unknown (or known) force/monster/ boogieman. That pretty much sums up the book. Set in the not-to-distant-future, this "eco-nightmare" takes place in "Area X" - somewhere in Louisiana evidently, where there is some sort of major psychic/ecological disruption taking place. The government (?) periodically sends exploratory parties into the area and all meet with some sort of disaster, usually a combination of physical and psychological trauma. The novel follows the 11th expedition into the area. Consisting of five women, we only know the characters by their functional names (archeologist, linguist, psychologist, etc.). They discover a "tower" not on the official maps of the area and explore it, finding a creature of interest. There's also a "lighthouse" where relevant action takes place. The novel is the 1st in the 3-book "Southern Reach" series. The writing is good, basically mimetic fiction with some weird stuff thrown in. Although not a bad piece of writing, I'm skipping the rest of the series.

For a review of the book from The Washington Post, click here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/annihilation-by-jeff-vandermeer/2014/02/25/0a52a03a-9d82-11e3-b8d8-94577ff66b28_story.html

For a review of the movie based on the book from Variety, click here: https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/annihilation-review-natalie-portman-1202706321/

Mr. Loverman, by Bernardine Evaristo

 I recently heard that Barack Obama has recommended Booker Prize winning British author Bernardine Evaristo as an author worth reading. I totally agree. Her novel "Mr. Loverman, is her 7th book. Although the premise is rather "tragic" - the story of a long-dysfunctional marriage between two Jamaican immigrants living in London, it is written with great heart and even has a positive resolution to the seemingly intractable domestic conflict at the heart of the book. The novel's protagonist, "Mr. Loverman", is 76-year old dandy Barrington Jedidiah Walker Esq, otherwise known as Barry. It so happens that the love of his life is not his wife of 50 years, but his gay lover who he has known since adolescence back in Jamaica. The backstory of Barry's connection to Morris, his wife and the intervening years get told in a series of flashbacks. Barry, by no means a spotlessly character morally, suffers from living his double life and it turns out that his wife Carmel has a few secrets of her own over the years. Both characters are treated very warmly and humorously, and the book is a joy to read.

For a review of the book from The Guardian, click here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/aug/31/mr-loverman-bernardine-evaristo-review

The Twilight Zone, by Nona Fernandez

 "The Twilight Zone" is a National Book Award finalist novel about the turbulent and sometimes surreal recent history of Chilean politics told through a narrator who lived through it as a girl, a young women and an adult in the 1970s through current times. She uses many elements of pop culture from those 50 years, including the central metaphor of the Twilight Zone TV show brought bizarre and darkly ironic stories into our living rooms and embedded themselves into our consciousness. The story's anchor is an interview read by the narrator of a self-confessed killer and torturer who implicated himself in many of the dark deeds that occurred during the long period of oppression under the Pinochet regime. The killer, usually referred to as "the man who tortured people", had a crisis of conscience and provided evidence of the killings, kidnappings, disappearances, etc. that sometimes had links to the narrator's life (a classmate murdered, familiarity with some of the henchmen, etc.). The novel is translated by Natasha Wimmer, who also translated Roberto Bolano's "The Savage Detective" and "2666". It's a harrowing and depressing story, but the strangeness of Chile's rebuilding is perfectly reflected in the Twilight Zone metaphor and it's well worth reading.  

For a review of the book from the NY Times, click here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/16/books/review/nona-fernandez-twilight-zone.html