Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Shape of Water- Andrea Camilleri





Of all the books, murder mysteries are the hardest to resist. More so if the blurb talks of ‘wit’,’ high-comedy of corruption’, ‘the landscapes of Sicily’, and ‘delicious meals’. I have set you up for the ‘but’; so now I can talk of other things.


The story- Crime- murder of the powerful Luparello, found in a disgraceful condition in a disgraceful part of the town.

The detective- The honest and street smart cop, Mountalbano.

Suspects- None as the corner’s verdict death from natural causes.

The detective smells something fouler than fish and sets on the trail of truth. There are the usual clutch of corrupt officials, false clues and true testimonies. The story is interesting but not great- this is the first but and the second one - final twist is not really a surprise.

The other buts are that the characters are just a shade above stereotypes and the motives are pedestrian. Oh and the book is a bit too, er, earthy for my palate.

Verdict- Definitely not Christie, read if you want a quick, not entirely boring , murder story.

© Maya,

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society- Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows




How could you resist a title like this? I couldn’t and I am glad I succumbed. It was delightful to read an epistolary novel after such a long time. There- that is the first and obvious thing about this reading experience but it needed to be said. Now I can move on.


The bonus is that it is written with wit, elegance and lightly worn erudition.

Briefly- It is 1946 and author Juliet Ashton is in search for a subject for her next book. A chance letter from Dawsey Adams of Guernsey leads her to the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and its members. Soon Juliet gets involved in the lives of its members and moves to Guernsey, where she finds not only the subject for her next book but also her destiny.

The characters are charming and original- there- I found a good substitute for the over used quirky- and the story is heart warming. This is perhaps one of the rare stories of the war which is about human beings in the war and their everyday life where even the darkness is treated with a light hand.

Read it- This is a book that is filled with hope and joy. It touches you without being maudlin. and you will go back to again and again. I already did.

© Maya