Book Review
Nov. 20th, 2002 10:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ventaOK, so I'm about five years behind with "the book it's cool to be seen to be reading right now":
(Anyone know what the book of the moment is, at the ...er... moment?)
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow - Peter Høeg
I picked this up in a second hand bookshop, mostly because I remembered a lot of people talking about it. It was translated from Danish. And that's pretty much all I knew about it.
For some reason, I was incredibly surprised to discover it was basically a whodunnit. Maybe because crime novels rarely get hailed as great literature.
I'm very bad at reading modern crime novels. Give me a nice locked-room, four-people-and-the-butler style whodunnit and I'm fine. But anything with a vaguely 20th-century realistic approach to crime, and I'm all at sea. They always seem to involve a ferociously large cast of characters, at least four continents and bewildering police procedure.
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow does hop about a bit, both geographically and temporally, but does so with sufficient clarity that it's not at all confusing. I did occasionally lose track of who was who, but I think that's just because I'm very bad at keeping track of characters. The police, thankfully, are barely involved.
To be honest, I'd have enjoyed it without the overarching plot (which is actually rather good). Firstly, there's the snow. This book does what it says on the tin. Central character: Miss Smilla. And she has an uncanny feeling for, and ability to read, snow. And ice. And other cold stuff. You know snow, the white stuff that hangs about in winter ?
No. It's much more than that. Smilla is part-Greenlander, and talks as someone who's lived both a Western lifestyle, and a traditional Greenlandic lifestyle. And provides endless, and fascinating, commentary on the snows and ices around her, mixing up meteorology, geology, folklore, the crystal structure of the stuff, and the practicalities of living with it.
Then again, I'm a sucker for listening to someone being enthusiastic about their own subject.
Secondly, there's Smilla herself. Høeg has written a heroine who is compelling, intriguing, and who had my sympathy with her all the way - despite not actually being desperately likeable in some ways. Not that she's nasty, or does unpleasant things, she's just someone who you can't imagine being an easy person to be around. And one of the most thoroughly drawn, and convincing, characters I've read in a while.
This isn't a nice, fluffy winter feelgood book. And it requires you to think occasionally. But it is very fine.
Available to borrow as of now :)
(Anyone know what the book of the moment is, at the ...er... moment?)
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow - Peter Høeg
I picked this up in a second hand bookshop, mostly because I remembered a lot of people talking about it. It was translated from Danish. And that's pretty much all I knew about it.
For some reason, I was incredibly surprised to discover it was basically a whodunnit. Maybe because crime novels rarely get hailed as great literature.
I'm very bad at reading modern crime novels. Give me a nice locked-room, four-people-and-the-butler style whodunnit and I'm fine. But anything with a vaguely 20th-century realistic approach to crime, and I'm all at sea. They always seem to involve a ferociously large cast of characters, at least four continents and bewildering police procedure.
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow does hop about a bit, both geographically and temporally, but does so with sufficient clarity that it's not at all confusing. I did occasionally lose track of who was who, but I think that's just because I'm very bad at keeping track of characters. The police, thankfully, are barely involved.
To be honest, I'd have enjoyed it without the overarching plot (which is actually rather good). Firstly, there's the snow. This book does what it says on the tin. Central character: Miss Smilla. And she has an uncanny feeling for, and ability to read, snow. And ice. And other cold stuff. You know snow, the white stuff that hangs about in winter ?
No. It's much more than that. Smilla is part-Greenlander, and talks as someone who's lived both a Western lifestyle, and a traditional Greenlandic lifestyle. And provides endless, and fascinating, commentary on the snows and ices around her, mixing up meteorology, geology, folklore, the crystal structure of the stuff, and the practicalities of living with it.
Then again, I'm a sucker for listening to someone being enthusiastic about their own subject.
Secondly, there's Smilla herself. Høeg has written a heroine who is compelling, intriguing, and who had my sympathy with her all the way - despite not actually being desperately likeable in some ways. Not that she's nasty, or does unpleasant things, she's just someone who you can't imagine being an easy person to be around. And one of the most thoroughly drawn, and convincing, characters I've read in a while.
This isn't a nice, fluffy winter feelgood book. And it requires you to think occasionally. But it is very fine.
Available to borrow as of now :)
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no subject
Date: 2002-11-20 03:26 pm (UTC)Book of the moment is, I guess. the new Donna Tartt - "The Little Friend". I do actually have this one (although I haven't finished it yet), although that's mostly because I read her last one (The Secret History) five years late and was impressed enough to pre-order the new one. I'm enjoying it enough to be scarily virtuous and skip the synopsis in the Guardian Editor. :)
Alternative book of the moment is probably the new Umberto Eco, Baudolino, which I know absolutely nothing about. But it's Umberto Eco, so I'll probably read it sooner or later anyway - he's reliably good, in my view.
no subject
Date: 2002-11-20 11:24 pm (UTC)I have heard some really bad reviews of the new Umberto Eco so I am actually rather nervous about reading it as I am a big fan of his work. I shall probably get it over Christmas so will be able to give a review in the New Year (if you havn't read it yourself before then).
Thing du Jour
You see, for maximum pretentious trendiness the Thing du Jour can never be by the same person twice. White Teeth has been and gone, so you can't 'discover' ZS anymore, since everyone knows who she is !
<wink>
Ill met by moonlight?
Date: 2002-11-21 06:54 am (UTC)Let's: draw a triangle between Oxford, London and Coventry, and find the centre point. Hopefully it will be in the middle of nowhere, conveniently proximitous to a blasted oak, so we can meet clandestinely and pass brown paper parcels of books around in the dark.
Re: Ill met by moonlight?
Date: 2002-11-21 01:51 pm (UTC)Knowing my luck it would probably end up being some boring New Town!!!
Re: Ill met by moonlight?
Date: 2002-11-22 08:58 am (UTC)I estimate that this place would be Mursley, which does indeed look like the kind of two horse village that has lightning struck trees.
See map of Mursley HERE.
Learn more about the fascinating history and geography of Mursley HERE
The nearest place with a train station is Aylesbury and from there you catch the number 66 or 666 bus (no really) to Winslow, which is a short walk from Mursley.
Yep, it has indeed been a boring day!!!
Re: Ill met by moonlight?
Date: 2002-11-25 05:29 am (UTC)If so, I'm up for it... the number 666 bus sold it to me :)
(are you still reading this,
Re: Ill met by moonlight?
Date: 2002-11-25 10:30 am (UTC)We could compromise and go to a pub at Winslow (which involves a train and a bus but a shorter walk) or at Aylesbury.
It may ahve to wait until the new year now though!!!
Re: Ill met by moonlight?
Date: 2002-11-25 10:35 am (UTC)Re: Ill met by moonlight?
Date: 2002-12-01 04:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-11-21 02:46 am (UTC)Never mind book of the moment, Alabama 3 have a new album out, "Power in the Blood".
So you aren't even listening to the sweet pretty acid house country and western music of the moment.
no subject
Date: 2002-11-21 06:37 am (UTC)Only just got round to "Exile on Coldharbour Lane". And I'm still busy being excited by the fact that it's got a cover of "The Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" on it.
no subject
Date: 2002-11-21 07:11 am (UTC)It's pretty good, on a scale of rubbish to Exile (which is absolutely fantastic and nothing short of genius).
Whose is the original of Speed of the Sound of Loneliness? And what style of music is it? And is it any good?
no subject
Date: 2002-11-21 09:16 am (UTC)I have no idea... I only know it as a song wot gets sung in folk clubs occasionally.
Google suggests it's written by John Prine, recorded by Nanci Griffith. If you go here (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006J3WF/qid=1037898782/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/202-5007793-8303046) to Amazon, you can listen to a clip.
Then tell me, because I don't have realplayer installed :)
no subject
Date: 2002-11-21 09:21 am (UTC)Don't have Realplayer installed?
Luxury!
I don't have a sound card on this PC.
You kids don't know you're born etc etc.
I'm a big Nanci Griffith fan...
Date: 2002-11-21 01:04 pm (UTC)It's on the album 'Other Voices, Other Rooms', which I don't think I have, but I'm now tempted to get since I have the Alabama 3 song.
I saw her when she came to Oxford last, ages ago, with
It's on the album 'Other Voices, Other Rooms', which I don't think I have, but I'm now tempted to get since I have the Alabama 3 song.
I saw her when she came to Oxford last, ages ago, with <ljuser=ealuscerwen>. She's getting old and her voice is failing, but she's still one hell of a singer.
If either you or Steve want to borrow some albums, feel free. Her best songs are probably on <i>Storms</i> or <i>Late Night Grand Hotel</i>.