Short reviews

Have not had much time to review, so I thought I will make a few short reviews of some of the books I have read for April, May and June. Here we go.

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

"For the last twenty years, George Saunders has been teaching a class on the Russian short story to his MFA students at Syracuse University. In A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, he shares a version of that class with us, offering some of what he and his students have discovered together over the years. Paired with iconic short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, the seven essays in this book are intended for anyone interested in how fiction works and why it's more relevant than ever in these turbulent times."

Interesting insight into analysing the Russian masters. You read the short story and Saunders provide an analyses. Interesting and I think you can always learn something. I found some of the stories rather boring, while others were very interesting. The analyses followed suit. An interesting book though if you want to learn more about going into details of a story. 

The Girl With the Golden Eyes by Honoré de Balzac

The last of the trilogy of which I have earlier read Ferragus and La Duchesse de Langeas. They cover different aspects of French society at the time. I preferred the two first books to the last one.

Kapet av Skåne by Ingvar Bengtsson (NF)

A nonfiction book about the turbulent times in the south of Sweden in the 17th century when the southern provinces were taken from Denmark and became part of Sweden. Very interesting.

Eftertankar by Finn Bergstrand (NF)

A memoir written by a former colleague at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We never worked together, but his memories made me think back of this part of my life. Many forgotten memories came to the surface, which was very nice. 

Kalmarunionen, En nordisk stormakt föds by Dick Harrison (NF)

A nonfiction account of the Kalmar Union which lasted from 1397 to 1523 and united in a union (what is today) Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Harrison is a well-known historian and writes very interesting books, so a pleasure to read and learn.  

Konungens sändebud by Tua Burlin

A historic fiction, by a debutant, covering the turbulent times in the beginning of the 16th century. 

Dackefejden, Det stora upproret by Tomas Blom (NF)

A peasant rebellion in the 16th century, the biggest rebellion ever in our history. I grew up in Småland (where the rebellion originated) and it is said that the leader, Nils Dacke, hid himself in a cave at the lake. We used to go there as kids and it was always a little bit spooky we though. Here are deep forests and nothing else. 

It Had To Be Murder/The Boy Cried Murder/För återstoden av livet  by Cornell Woolrich (Short stories)

I read this for the 'read a book, watch the movie' event, but never got around to watch the movie. Although I have of course seen it several times. Rear Window is based on It Had To Be Murder by Woolrich. I have never heard about either the book or the author, but liked his writing very much. Very noir. 

Tio rivjärn (Kymmenen rivinrauta/Ten Shrews) and Livet är kort, Rytkönen lång (Elämä lyhyt, Rytkönen pitkä ("Life Short, Rytkönen Long") by Arto Paasilinna 

Two hilarious books by Paasilinna, of which I liked the first one better. He has a sharp eye for what is going on in society and highlight it with his satirical writing. Always a pleasure to read. 

'Priset på vatten i Finistère' and 'Så gör jag, Konsten att skriva' by Bodil Malmsten (NF)

A famous Swedish author which I have not read before. This is a sort of memoir about the time she lived in a small place in France. Funny and witty. Found her book about writing so added this as well. She writes in a style of her own, no fuss and straight on. 

Kära Agnes, Carambole, Flugan och evigheten and Halvmördaren by Håkan Nesser

Four books by Håkan Nesser that I found in a second hand shop. None of them are van Veeteren books, but freestanding. Although there is a murder in each one of them, it is not a traditional who dunnit book. In each of the books we follow the culprit and what he/she has done. Nesser nears his protagonists in a psychological way and tells their story up until the end. Of course, being Nesser the end is not always what we expect. 

Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen

A classic play by Ibsen. "Hedda Gabler portrays an unhappily married woman who is unable to break free from the conventional life she has created for herself, with tragic results for the entire family." I liked A Doll's House better than this one. Ibsen is a master in portraying seemingly strong women who in the end fail due to ... yes, what? Fear of the future? Risk of loosing what they have? Unable to make a wise decision for themselves? Or, just with Hedda Gabler, not being able to break free. 

The Overcoat and Other Short Stories by Nikolaj Gogol

Nothing much to say. I only know one thing. I don't like Gogol's writing. 

Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid

I read this for a book club, and liked it very much. 

"Lucy, a teenage girl from the West Indies, comes to North America to work as an au pair for Lewis and Mariah and their four children. Lewis and Mariah are a thrice-blessed couple--handsome, rich, and seemingly happy. Yet, almost at once, Lucy begins to notice cracks in their beautiful facade. With mingled anger and compassion, Lucy scrutinises the assumptions and verities of her employers' world and compares them with the vivid realities of her native place. Lucy has no illusions about her own past, but neither is she prepared to be deceived about where she presently is.

At the same time that Lucy is coming to terms with Lewis's and Mariah's lives, she is also unravelling the mysteries of her own sexuality. Gradually a new person unfolds: passionate, forthright, and disarmingly honest. In Lucy, Jamaica Kincaid has created a startling new character possessed with adamantine clear sightedness and ferocious integrity--a captivating heroine for our time."

Although not always being able to understand the actions of Lucy, I liked her story. Her upbringing, her problems with her mother and how that affected her life. Although, the problems was not entirely understandable. How her background affected her new life in New York and the new people she met. She is a very strong person and did manage to become independent. There was an underlying anger in her attitude which was not always clear to me. A different kind of character and I enjoyed reading about her. 

Ödesmark by Stina Jackson

This is Jackson's second book and the story takes place in the north of Sweden, as does her first. She writes about small northern villages, where everybody knows each other. People seem trapped, not able to get out of their surroundings. It is claustrophobic to say the least. There are old, stubborn people, young people with various kind of problems. Liv lives with her old father and her teenage son. She has tried to get away but managed. In small doses we get to know her background story and why she stayed. The father is stubborn and unfriendly to everyone, including his family. Then one day something happens to change it all. 

Stina Jackson is a master in psychological writing, where there is always an undertone making you wait for disaster. She is good in building up the characters and the story. Once the story ends, in a way you did not expect, the novel stays with you, because of the strong characters.