Alone in Berlin - Hans Fallada

Alone in Berlin
Hans Fallada
Penguin
Otto and Anna Quangle, law abiding, simple working class couple living in a Berlin, have always done their very best to stay out of trouble. When they receive a letter informing them that their only son is killed in the war, something breaks in them and they turn their anger and grief into an extraordinary act of defiance against the Nazis. Ignoring the dangers, the Quangles drop anonymous postcards denouncing Hitler in busy buildings throughout the city.
The postcards soon reach the attention of the Gestapo and the ambitious inspector Escherich who makes it his personal endeavor to catch their author.
Based on real life characters, Hans Fallada weaves an intriguing and vivid portrait of life under Nazi Germany. The totalitarian system that spread paranoia, fear and torture moved to crush any opposition to it with swift, brutal violence. Most of the previous literature I’ve come across about this period tend to concentrate on persecution of Jews by the Nazis or the war itself. Alone in Berlin, is the first book I’ve read that gives an insight into the scale of fear spread by the Nazis throughout Germany and the treatment of those who dared to defy them.
For me the great importance of this story is in the characters’ moral integrity. Despite the great danger to their lives and those around them, they remain loyal to their values, refusing to bow down to the threats of an unjust regime. It mattered little to them how effective their campaign was because in Otto’s words ‘The main thing was you fought back.’ 4 stars

Love in The Time Of Cholera

Love in The Time Of Cholera
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Penguin
This highly acclaimed Latin classic has long since been a source of curiosity to me. Written lovingly and with great care for the characters, Marquez weaves a tale of unrequited love spanning half a century between Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daze.
Following the accidental death of the prominent doctor Dr Juvenal Urbino, Florentino seizes his chance to re-declare his love to the doctor’s widow. As teenagers, Fermina rejects Florentino’s love choosing instead to marry the famous doctor. Spurned but not disheartened, Florentino takes refuge in the arms of numerous lovers while secretly continuing to love Fermina from a distance. In their seventies, and after the death of Dr Urbino, Florentino hopes to kindle in Fermina the passion he had long since held for her.
The long drawn-out sentences coupled with a lack of pronouns, makes reading Love at the Time of Cholera, an arduous task. Florentino with his refusal to move forward borders on pathetic. His insipid moaning and scampering into the arms of other women, is both tedious and sad. The story redeems itself only in the last pages when the two main characters set off on a river cruise. Having to endure the 400 previous pages, the last scenes came too late to leave any lasting favourable impressions. 2stars

God Of Small Things - Arundhati Roy

God Of Small Things
Arundhati Roy

Like ripened fruit Roy presents her tale in delicate segments, gently pulling apart each piece to reveal the mystery enclosed at its core. In truth I struggled with this book and twice nearly gave up. It was not till 2/3rds into it that I finally fell in love with the narrative. The following quote marks the pivotal moment when The God Of Small Things stops being a string of beautifully constructed sentences and turns into narrative that I identify with.

'In the great stories you know who lives, who dies, who finds love, who doesn't. And yet want to know again. That is the mystery and their magic.'

The strength of this book lies in its originality. With poise, wry wit and sharp intellect, Roy creates a narrative based around her flawed, blemished characters. The result is a cleverly created plot, teased out in a shuffle of interlocking chapters. The last chapter is possibly the most beautiful narrative I have ever read on human frailty, love and loss.

The God of Small Things is a rare and highly ambitious tale that has stayed with me long after the last page. 4.5 stars

Mao's Last Dancer - Li Cunxin

Mao's Last Dancer
Li Cunxin
Viking


The sixth of seven boys, Li is born into a poor yet proud Chinese peasant family. At 11 he is selected by Madam Mao's men searching the countryside for children who can be developed into ballet dancers. Knowing nothing of the arts, Li leaves his small village and moves to the Beijing Dance Academy where he spends the next seven years perfecting his art. On a scholarship to Houston Li defects, greatly angering the Chinese government. Battling heartache, loneliness and guilt, Li rises to eventually become one of the most celebrated leading men in the world of ballet.

Peppered with Chinese parables, anecdotes and fables that add authenticity, Li retells his story with care, poise and balance. His love and respect for his parents throughout the book adds a touching note which I personally found particularly moving.

Full of grace, dignity and gravity, Mao's Last Dancer is an inspiring story of a remarkable man who risks everything to achieve his dream. 4 Stars

Lovesong - Alex Miller

Lovesong
Alex Miller
A&U

Sabiha and John's love affair begins unexpectedly when John, seeking shelter from heavy rain takes refuge in Chez Dom, a small Tunisian cafe Sabiha runs with her aunt in Paris. Despite their deep love and affection towards one another, over the years a shadow begins to fall over the couple's lives. Whilst John longs to return to his native Australia, Sabiha refuses to leave until she has a child. Unable to conceive and desperate to have a daughter of her own, Sabiha makes a decision that changes the course of their lives.

Years later in Melbourne Ken, an aging writer is intrigued by the sadness in the eyes of the beautiful Tunisian woman who has opened a pastry shop in his neighbourhood. Befriending her husband, Ken slowly learns of John & Sabiha's story. Lured by their tale, Ken sees in the couple, the possibility of one last novel.

Lovesong marries the deepest, smallest emotions hidden in a person's heart with the clarity and subtlety of a well constructed novel. I love this book and would recommend it to all lovers of good story telling.

Mr Rosenblum's List - Natasha Solomons

Mr Rosenblum's List
Natasha Solomons

Jack and Sadie Rosenblum escape Hitler's Germany and land on the shores of England knowing know one, with very little money and heartsick at having left their loved ones behind. Desperate to regain a sense of belonging Jack immerses himself in becoming a proper English Gentleman, much to his wife's irritation. He follows the guidelines on manners, customs and habits of his new home as set out in the 'helpful list' for immigrants. Overtime he adds to the list his own observations, until he reaches his last point: English Gentlemen play golf.

After repeated requests to join various golf courses are rejected, Jack decides to build his own. Selling their home in London and moving to Dorset, Jack throws himself full heartily into building his golf course. Meanwhile Sadie spends her days remembering her lost family by baking towering cakes that taste of sadness and tending to her rose garden.



Filled with a cast of ecentric characters Mr Rosenblum's List is a quaint tale that leaves the reader with a warm feeling in the stomach and a breezy smile. I liked the idea that for all of us in exile there are corners in the world where we can regain our sense of belonging.

Wonders of a Godless World - Andrew McGahan

Wonders of a Godless World
Andrew McGahan

As a writer still finding my voice, Andrew McGahan provides me with the inspiration to stick to an art that gives me as much heartache as pleasure. Original, eclectic and talented, McGahan deserves far more attention, adoration and awards as other heavy weights in Australian literature.

On a warm night, a stranger, a foreigner, with no name or identity is washed ashore on a small tropical island and delivered to a rundown hospital for the mentally ill. From this point McGahan takes the reader on a unexpected journey with one eye on the imaginary world and another on the real. The mysterious catatonic patient is suspected of causing havoc, as the patients start behaving erratically, at times with disturbing consequences.

This is a book that will not disappoint. With its artful arrangement of words and plenty of twists, Wonders of a Godless World best suits a reader who is not merely interested in a straight forward plot but enjoys an unexpected journey. Like a rose that leaves its scent on the hand so is the effect of Wonders of a Godless World on the appreciative reader.