Almost nothing makes me happier while traveling than reading books that pertain somehow to the place I am visiting. Before I left, I sat down and did some research about what I wanted to read where. Here's what I've been reading on this trip:
Enchanted April
by Elizabeth Von Arnim
This is a well known story of 4 British women who rent a villa in Italy. Of course they discover much about themselves, etc, but the true gems of this book are the lush descriptions of Italian gardens and food. A great book for me, as I had just left the cold Minnesota winter behind, and I was really relishing in seeing green spaces again. And of course, eating pasta. :-)
A Room with a View
by E. M. Forester
More inhibited, class-obsessed English people who are liberated by a stint in Tuscany, lol! I found this book would put me to sleep instantly for the first half, then I couldn't put it down during the second - so there you go. Some brilliantly eloquent passages and memorable characters, but I'd say you have to be just the right mood for this book.
More inhibited, class-obsessed English people who are liberated by a stint in Tuscany, lol! I found this book would put me to sleep instantly for the first half, then I couldn't put it down during the second - so there you go. Some brilliantly eloquent passages and memorable characters, but I'd say you have to be just the right mood for this book.
Italian Hours
by Henry James
I originally got this book with the intention of reading James' memoirs of his time in Italy from front to back. However, as you may expect from James, it is quite wordy and after a while you can find yourself feeling quite swamped - and so I have found it much more pleasant to use the section headings and index to find the relevant passages and read them as a I travel to those places myself. Since it was not written chronologically in the first place and is really a collection of essays and observations which was later compiled, this works well. In the end I don't know that I can say that I have read every single page, but I can say it was a delightful companion to me throughout our travels in Italy.
I originally got this book with the intention of reading James' memoirs of his time in Italy from front to back. However, as you may expect from James, it is quite wordy and after a while you can find yourself feeling quite swamped - and so I have found it much more pleasant to use the section headings and index to find the relevant passages and read them as a I travel to those places myself. Since it was not written chronologically in the first place and is really a collection of essays and observations which was later compiled, this works well. In the end I don't know that I can say that I have read every single page, but I can say it was a delightful companion to me throughout our travels in Italy.
The White Castle
by Orhan Pamuk
The perfect cross-over novel, as we passed from Italy to Turkey. This book (by the award winning Orhan Pamuk, Turkey's most famous writer) features two men - one Venetian and one Istanbulite - who are spitting images of each other physically and become entangled in a complicated and tumultuous relationship that blurs the lines of their identities, and respective roles - one is a slave, the other his master. The plot twists and turns as their futures and even their pasts become intricately linked.
Birds Without Wings
by Louis de Benieres
This was a book I had never heard of, but was recommended to me by a friend whose taste in books I highly respect (even though we sometimes disagree!). Descriptions of it don't do it justice, as it is not a simple story of a person, or a couple, or even a family. It is the story of country or two, of religions, and ethnicities, of tolerance, of hate and division. It is a story that spans generations, and wars, devastation and unlikely reunions. It is historical and true, and other times completely fantastical and comical. An epic piece of writing. Probably the best read I've had all year.
This was a book I had never heard of, but was recommended to me by a friend whose taste in books I highly respect (even though we sometimes disagree!). Descriptions of it don't do it justice, as it is not a simple story of a person, or a couple, or even a family. It is the story of country or two, of religions, and ethnicities, of tolerance, of hate and division. It is a story that spans generations, and wars, devastation and unlikely reunions. It is historical and true, and other times completely fantastical and comical. An epic piece of writing. Probably the best read I've had all year.
The Bastard of Istanbul
by Elif Shafak
Complete and utter disappointment. I was intrigued because of the attention this book got in the press, and I had listened to a TED talk by this author and found her interesting. The story followed the lives of two girls in mirror-image families, one Armenian and the other Turkish. A course of events follows in which they meet and become friends etc and etc... Need I go on?
Complete and utter disappointment. I was intrigued because of the attention this book got in the press, and I had listened to a TED talk by this author and found her interesting. The story followed the lives of two girls in mirror-image families, one Armenian and the other Turkish. A course of events follows in which they meet and become friends etc and etc... Need I go on?
Sweet Waters: An Istanbul Adventure
by Harold Nicolson
Written by a former diplomat to Turkey, this story takes place in early 20th century Istanbul, and it really does harken to the time, with stunning descriptions of the Bosphorous and various neighbourhoods around town. It is said to mirror Nicolson's own experience living in Constantinople in a time of war - in fact, he apparently lived in Cihangir, where we were living as well. It was not a page-turner, despite being lauded as a "thriller" in some reviews, but it was pleasant enough.
Written by a former diplomat to Turkey, this story takes place in early 20th century Istanbul, and it really does harken to the time, with stunning descriptions of the Bosphorous and various neighbourhoods around town. It is said to mirror Nicolson's own experience living in Constantinople in a time of war - in fact, he apparently lived in Cihangir, where we were living as well. It was not a page-turner, despite being lauded as a "thriller" in some reviews, but it was pleasant enough.
Austerlitz
by W. G. Sebald
This leads us to the final book of our travels - after discovering that the closest major train station to our apartment in Paris was L'Austerlitz, Ozayr remembered this book, and I hurried through Sweet Waters on the plane, in order to begin this book during our short stay in France. So far, very cleverly written and architectural... but not finished. The last remaining book of my reading list. I am savouring it :-)
This leads us to the final book of our travels - after discovering that the closest major train station to our apartment in Paris was L'Austerlitz, Ozayr remembered this book, and I hurried through Sweet Waters on the plane, in order to begin this book during our short stay in France. So far, very cleverly written and architectural... but not finished. The last remaining book of my reading list. I am savouring it :-)
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