Erebos (Erebos) - Ursula Poznanski

Nick is surprised when some of his classmates seem to be very interested in some mysterious CD going around school, all exchanging it very hush hush. Not only so, but some of them are skipping classes and even the basketball training, and it seems it is because of this CD. Nick, our 'cool young hero', tries to find a way into this mysterious world, and finally he does, when one of his classmates gives him a copy of the CD. But it is not a music CD, but a video-game... and playing it will change Nick's life forever... "Erebos" is an entertaining YA novel, where a mysterious game seems to be taking over the lives of some high school students with dangerous consequences. It is all light enough (well, there are some not so light moments in the book but they are not really dwelt into) and in general the story is quite simple and nothing becomes too complicated. Poznanski does an OK job in developing the story and the characters, and in making the plot engaging, even if one has to wonder why our 'hero' takes some of the decisions he takes, because in many cases his character (and some of the the other characters in the book) development is rushed and clumsily handed. And the book also expends too much time in the 'game' world. But it never becomes boring, and you will turn the pages waiting to see what will happen next. Don't go expecting anything that will change your life, but an entertaining book that will fill a couple of summer afternoons and you will be in for a threat. The best: easy to read; it becomes addictive, like the game; the mysterious atmosphere The worst: the writing; there doesn't really happen much; poor and superficial character development; too many pages expended on the "Erebos" world by Nick and the author The skinny: YA for the summer, without much depth or complications Other options: I've seen many people comparing it to "Ready Player One"; as I haven't read that one, I can't say anything about it; I think "The Hunger Games" series or "Harry Potter" are way better YA than this one, and with way better characters. 6.5/10 (Catalan Translation by Carlota Vallès Ferré & Michael Steinmetz )

Метро 2033 (Metro 2033) - Dmitry Glukhovsky

This is a disappointment. A futuristic, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi novel where the only survivors seem to live in the metro of Moscow could make for a thrilling read, right? Oh, you would be wrong... "Metro 2033" tells the story of Artyom, who gets the mission to get to Polis to alert of a non-very-clear danger that can kill everyone that lives in the Metro, the poor, lonely survivors after everyone else died in a kaboom end of the world full of nuclear bombs, where soldiers were always calling home to ask about their wives and daughters and the only hope was to hide and survive in the stations underground... These poor souls still alive eat mushrooms and pigs (?), survive on filtered water (really?) and have some kind of electricity and the economy is based on the exchange of cartridges. Artyom has this very difficult mission to cross different metro stations walking (cough cough) given to him by Hunter, you know, cool name, because the 'Dark Ones' are invading his station and probably the whole world. Cue Artyom saying, yeah, why not, and going to the next station with a group of people trying to put a telegraph between both stations (bear with me). Pretty soon a dark and mysterious sound almost kills everyone and only Artyom can save them. The group ends getting to the station where another random character tells Artyom to join him to go to another station. End of the story. Or it could end here. Because Glukhovsky's lame attempt at a novel is based on this pattern: Artyom meets a person in a station, they walk from one station to another and along the way a mysterious, dark and magical force tries to stop them, but they finally get to the next station, where, for some mysterious reason, Artyom parts with his previous partner to join forces with another for the next trip to another station where... A loop. A boring, lame loop where it is all always the same. Ironically Glukhovsky thinks he is making some groundbreaking novel where the metro represents the real world because he talks about Communism or Socialism or Nazis that have taken over some of the stations. But instead of the book showing, the characters developing and things happening, all goes: shoots, this group is blah blah blah because, I, the author, is telling you so, and they represent blah blah blah... It is a mess, it is boring, it is repetitive. And that without getting into the absence of female characters (like, just one, close to the end of the book) and the constant messages about them being wives and daughters and the need to protect them (hu?). Horrible. Worse than the metro at rush hour (I know, lame; like this novel). The best: well, I have a soft spot for sci-fi, but here... The worst: everything: character construction and development, plot development, that women are 'wives and mothers', the 'I meet someone, problem, we part, I meet someone, problem, we part' way the novel develops, the idea that humanity would have changed so much in so little, no one could believe that anyone would have survived in a so poorly organized metro, the magical elements, the sci-fi elements, the militarism, the in-your-face messages that the author telegraphs and writes to show how deep the story is... I could go on and on for ever... but it's almost 2033. Oh, and the poor translation, littered with spelling and grammar mistakes. Instead of this: Read "Dune", "The Forever War", "Stranger in Strange Land", "Cryptonomicon", "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch", "The Handmaid's Tale"... If you want some funny and silly sci-fi, try Shinichi Hoshi's short stories. There are too many options to lose time with this one. 3/10 (English translation by Natasha Randall)

終着駅(ターミナル)殺人事件 - Kyōtarō Nishimura (西村 京太郎)

Another Nishimura novel; it must be that time of the year when I want to read about train timetables. "終着駅(ターミナル)殺人事件", or "The case of the murder at the terminal station", is your quintessential Nishimura novel: Totsugawa and Kamei (here Sakurai or others don't have more than a passing mention) investigating some mysterious deaths that have a lot to do with trains. Here, it is a group of seven friends from Aomori who get killed one by one, the first one dying at Ueno Station just before the start of a trip of the group together back to their hometown. Kamei, who is also from the north, is one of the first policemen at the crime scene and pretty soon Totsugawa and the team are investigating the case. Curiously, though, in this case we get little of the investigation, as Nishimura expends a lot of time with the group of friends, starting from the very beginning of the book, when we get the chance to see them meeting again, getting on the train, etc. It is a very good start to the novel and shows that Nishimura knew how to create fleshed out and interesting characters. Unfortunately for the reader, this doesn't translate through the length of the novel, as we get bogged down with too many unnecessary conversations and too many pages around the speed of trains, or the stops a train makes along the way. This is your basic problem with a Nishimura novel: if you don't like trains, you will hate him. He expends always too much time talking, describing, contemplating trains, time tables, ways to go from point A to B to explain the mystery, instead of expending time developing characters, making a good mystery or making things thrilling. For example, there is a moment when there is a possible 'closed room murder'. Instead of dwelling onto it, he goes back to his trains. This doesn't mean the novel is boring, no, because it is one of his best, starting with the group of suspects/victims and following with our policemen Totsugawa and Kamei. But knowing that he can create amazing set-ups, it is a pity that he seems to be unable to deliver on the expectations he himself creates. The best: it is not your average Nishimura novel with hundreds of conversations about train tables (I mean, it is, but not as much as others); it is also not so repetitive as some of his other novels; the beginning, as always, is great, and introduces the mystery and the characters nicely; Totsugawa, Kamei and company are always fun to be with The worst: it is still about trains; the answer to the mystery... well, it is not much of a mystery Alternatives: any of his other novels if you like this one or anything like this; you have other options in Japanese mystery novels: Higashino Keigo, Kirino Natsuo, Miyabe Miyuki, Kishi Yusuke, Akimitsu Takagi or the grand Edogawa Ranpo; you can also go to other languages and places like Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie or more modern ones like Val McDermid, Camilla Läckberg or Henning Mankell. Options, too many options... 6.5/10 (Original Japanese Version)

La mort del pare (Min kamp #1) - Karl Ove Knausgård

A book about a guy rambling and mumbling about his past, where he talks about trying to date girls, smoking, getting drunk and his relationship with his family. For almost 500 pages. This is a recipe for disaster in the making, one would think, a boring, self-indulgent, vacuous work. Happily for us, even if "Min Kamp" volume 1 has a little bit of all of this, Karl Ove Knausgård does an amazing job of making his life, his musings and his story with his family a very interesting one. Even if he is actually not telling much. The story is autobiographical and tells the author's life in his youth till, well, the death of his father and his relationships with friends and family. It goes for pages on end about an end of the year party or dwells into his relationship with his brother. It explains his failure in becoming a famous musician. Or how he wakes up early to go writing. It all will look kind of familiar. One, because it may remind the reader of their family one way or another. Two, because this is a story of death, booze, violence and, in some ways, redemption. So, why is this any good? First, because it is engaging. Even if Karl Ove Knausgård is not saying anything special, he tells it in a way that even going to the funeral parlor becomes interesting, all the little details making each of the moments, story and situations he tells interesting. You may not like the 'hero' of the story, but you will be not bored while entering into his mind and seeing his actions, fears, and interactions. Second, because, at least in this Catalan translation, it is beautifully written. How close it is to the original is difficult to know, but the use of language and the way the story is developed is great, with some moments, as the moment Karl Ove visits his father and drinks with him just, plain and simple, great. This is not a book about a mystery, thrills or people finding treasures. But it is as much interesting and enjoyable as if it was. "Min Kamp" volume 1 is a book that fulfills its mission of creating a relatable character and it leaves with a desire for more. Well, there are five more volumes. The best: the writing, the way the story develops and envelops the reader in its world The worst: it can be seen as another booze-violence-rebellion kind of story Other options: not that I have read many of this kind of books, but Lucia Berlin, for example, would be an option 7/10 (Catalan translation Anna Llisterri based on the English one)

Djevelen holder lyset (When the Devil Holds the Candle) - Karin Fossum

A couple of teenage friends, Andreas and Zipp, are bored, without much to do. They go around bullying immigrants, stealing purses from women going on a stroll with their babies and breaking and entering in old ladies' houses. One of the last goes wrong and silly things start to happen. All the while the police and its detectives do nothing. That is basically the plot of lame and silly "When the Devil Holds the Candle" a novel just because the cover says it is a novel. It is 230-pages-long of stupid plot and character decision after stupid plot and character decision. None of the motives of the characters make much sense, and even if Karin Fossum tries to infuse them with lives and motives and justify bad decisions, it all ends up being risible, laughable, a bad joke. Even if the book is short, it could actually have been one forth, because there is so much padding and stretching without end that it makes things crawl to a stop. This is no crime/mystery novel. This is just a sad excuse of a book. The best: how the author tries to make the characters human The worst: everything else: it's a mess, the character's decisions make no sense, the plot is silly and worth of a rubbish bin, there is no mystery, there is no point to the whole proceedings Other options: any other mystery novel; if you want one with actual character development you can have Agatha Christie and Miss Marple; if you want them from the cold, you can pick from Camilla Läckberg to Henning Mankell; you can go Japanese and pick Miyabe Miyuki or Natsuo Kirino... Anything else but this. 1/10 (English translation by Felicity David)

Isprinsessan (The Ice Princess) - Camilla Läckberg

The first book of the Fjällbacka series introduces the characters of the long standing mystery series set in a little town of Sweden where too many deaths seem to happen. Young, pretty and a little snobbish Alex is found dead in her house at Fjällbacka. Her old friend Erica, a non-fiction writer, is one of the first to find the corpse, and decides to investigate (or put her nose into other people's lives) to see what was behind the killing. Not only her, policeman Patrik Hedström is also trying to find the killer of Alex. Cue your typical whodunit where Erica and Patrik go around trying to find clues and the truth behind the death of Alex. It is your typical story with lots of conversations, and with little tidbits that advance the story. Läckberg doesn't go for the Sherlock Holmes mold of analyzing clues and little details and lots of mental work, but more into the Miss Marple of the 'heroes' going talking around trying to find the truth in their interrogations. Actually, the feeling I got is that it is not a book that cares a lot about the mystery per se, and more about the world construction and the development of the characters. The reader will enjoy being with Erica and Patrik and seeing them investigating and their relationship and their interactions with others. But they will have more problems with the mystery per se, as the author throws new information out of the blue just to further the plot and the reader can't really know what happened and who is the killer based on the information that appears in the story (maybe closer to the end of the story, but not from early on; there is no change for the reader to play detective). As a mystery story it lacks in real mystery. Isprinsessan (The Ice Princess) is an entertaining book that the fan of mysteries will enjoy (even if they will not be very surprised by it). A perfect reading for those free afternoons (with a coffee and some pastries). The best: the characters interactions; there is way more than just the mystery; it is easy to read and engaging The worst: no chance to play detective; the mystery isn't great; the new information out of the blue just to further the plot; the resolution is just ok Further Reading: Any book of the series would be a good option, probably, but I have just read "The Drowning", which was entertaining but had a weak ending; Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes if you want oldies; Yusuke Kishi, Keigo Higashino, Miyabe Miyuki,Ranpo Edogawa or Natsuo Kirino if you go for Japanese mysteries; maybe "Gone Girl" for a different kind of 'mystery' novel or "Fever Of The Bone" by Val McDermid. 6.5/10 (English Translation by Steven T. Murray)

Death and the Penguin (Смерть постороннего) - Andrey Kurkov

A man, a penguin, and mysterious deaths. What could go wrong? Well, nothing goes wrong, but nothing goes particularly well either in "Death and the Penguin", a quirky, dry and sometimes humorous novel by Andrey Kurkov. The story goes around writer Viktor, a writer of short short stories who just keeps on living without much purpose on his life, his only companion his penguin Misha. But one day he finds a job writing obituaries for a newspaper, a job that sparks a change in his life. What we get from that moment is a dry and detached criticism of a society and of an era, while adding some little attempts at humor that normally fall flat. The novel never seems to have very clear what its purpose is, and the tone is flat and uneven, changing from one page to the other. Sometimes it brings a smile to the face of the reader or even touches some interesting human commentary. But in general it is so dry and cold that the reader will feel they are reading the book through plastic film. And its social criticism is just your typical people from the cold of Europe drink a lot, are corrupt and can only open up with alcohol in their blood. It is a little bit repetitive. It doesn't help that Viktor is not a particularly compelling character and that the penguin, Misha, seems to be an afterthought. Also many of the events of the book seem to happen just to fill pages, without much purpose or interest. "Death and the Penguin" is an easy enough to read novel. But nothing to call home about. The best: some human commentary The worst: the same 'lots of alcohol in ex-Communist European countries'; the same 'lots of corruption in ex-Communist European countries'; the weird relationship between Viktor and Nina; its tone is uneven; it has no clear purpose or objective, its journey just going around in circles; too dry (just in case I hadn't made myself clear) Further reading: read Dostoyevsky if you want a better look into human hearts from the cold, or you can read "Entanglement" by Zygmunt Miłoszewski, a mystery novel from Poland; "The Master and Margarita" is another interesting option 5.5/10 (English Translation by George Bird)

山椒太夫・高瀬舟 - Ōgai Mori

Well, if you know about Japanese literature/movies, you have probably heard of "Sansho the Bailif" or "山椒太夫" in its Japanese original. Well, this book includes this famous story of two children sold into slavery and what happens to them afterwards. It is just one of many in this varied compilation. Because, even if it is the most famous of the stories that can be read in this volume, it is basically forty pages long. So, what have we got here? A little bit for everyone. From stories of samurai having to commit suicide for different reasons, to the story of two children of a good family that become slaves, to a thief not much of a thief, going to the last story, the trip on a boat of a man that has been condemned by killing his brother. And what can we say about the collection? First, that it is good. Mori knows how to write and how to make his characters human. You will care about the two small children that have become slaves, or about the samurai with death in their future. Mori is clearly interested in (self-)sacrifice and also in patriotism and what makes a Japanese be a Japanese (clearly shown in the in-your-face way he writes about the reaction of a French character to Japanese samurai committing suicide by 'seppuku'). He is good in creating a vivid world and in making the reader feel immersed in the story. He also does a good job in the more humorous moments, as with the not 'very good thief' story. The obsession in this volume with characters killing themselves for different reasons, though, makes one think about the limits and the sacrifices one is willing to make and why some sacrifices are seen as justified and others as wrong. Mori seems to be in awe of the 'seppuku' ritual, and this raises interesting questions to the whole of the book and on his views about patriotism. It is not a perfect compilation though. The language has become stiff after more than a hundred years since his works were published, and in the samurai stories there is so long a list of names and so repetitive they are that it becomes a drag sometimes to read and reread them. Don't be surprised if you happen to disconnect from the story while your head curses on the long names Japanese samurai seemed to have in their era. Because, how many times you want to read 10-kanji-long names of samurai and of whom is helping them to commit suicide by cutting their heads? Interesting, fascinating, a little bit slow on parts, and a look on how Japanese literature created a world around the image of the samurai during the Meiji/Taisho era. The best: the look on another era; the "Sansho the Bailif" story, the thief story and the last one; Mori raising questions about self-sacrifice, suicide or the relationship between country and its inhabitants; samurai? The worst: the long list of names of samurai; it irks a little bit Mori's fascination with suicide Further reading: you can read "Kwaidan" to have a look on Japanese famous old stories, or Jun’ichirô Tanizaki or Natsume Sôseki for Japanese literature of the era; Shusaku Endo to have a different look on old Japan; and if you want blood, Ranpo Edogawa is your man. 6.5/10 (Original Japanese)

Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf

This is a book very difficult for me to review. I loved Woolf's look into her character's minds, how she looks into Dalloway's or Septimus's inner world. But at the same time there was no moment where I felt comfortable reading her jumbled writing style, where one character is thinking something, the next moment some other character is thinking something else, and then there is a description of something else and before you know we are back to the first character; but no, because now we are on a third, but back to the first, then second, then fourth... It becomes tiring, and, worse, it becomes very easy to disconnect. "Mrs. Dalloway" is a novel the understanding and enjoyment of it would probably be heightened by reading it at least a couple of times (with some months or at least weeks in between), but why would anyone go back to a book that is like one's own mind, when one moment you are thinking about what went wrong today, to then start thinking about what you need to prepare for lunch tomorrow, and afterwards to what is gonna happen when you are old and all by yourself? It may be realistic, and have some moments of brilliance, but it is also tiring and not particularly engaging.

The best: the way Woolf's gets into the character's minds; some more or less (not much) subtle social criticism

The worst: the writing style is a mess, and it is so easy to disconnect from one jump to another that it makes all jumbled and purposeless; it may be needed to be read four (ten?) times before one starts to get the gist of it

Further reading: "A Room of One's Own/Three Guineas", even if non-fiction, is way better than "Mrs. Dalloway"; the same could be said of Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" or "The Blind Assassin". You could also read Lucia Berlin or Jane Austen. For a touch of male's inner worlds, Yasunari Kawabata or Kenzaburo Oe... So many options.

6/10

(Original English)

愛と死 (Love and Death) - 武者小路 実篤 (Saneatsu Mushanokouji)

This book is a compilation of different works by Saneatsu Mushanokouji of which the first, "愛と死" (Love and Death) is probably the most famous. It is an interesting and entertaining compilation, but nothing that you haven't seen before.

The books consists of seven stories. The first and the one that gives the title to the story is the love story between two young people, and the connections to the author's own life seem pretty clear in the story (like Lucia Berlin's short stories, for another example of someone I have read lately). It is one of those cute, telegraphed stories where you know everything that will happen, but that it still holds the interest of the reader (on top of offering a view of another era). It is good but not particularly memorable.

The other stories contain some works for the stage, the tale of a first love, or the author and his relationship with his grandson (probably the best one, with the quiet, relaxed writing style of someone who has seen a lot). As with the first, they are all interesting enough, and if you are a fan of the author, they offer a look into different of his works. But none of them is a great work of art (and the 'older' writing style make them a little bit difficult to read for nowadays tastes). There is also the problem that there isn't any kind of connection within the different stories and the tonal shifts in the book are great (not that this will stop the reader from enjoying one or another story). There is also some ambiguous nationalistic comments, that can be taken on a more positive light (we can all learn from different cultures) or a more negative (Japan doesn't have to envy anything from anyone, Japan is the best).

All in all, not the best book if you want to get into Japanese literature. But not a bad one either.

The best: the humanism; they are small, cute stories; trying to offer a look into a person's fears and desires.

The worst: The compilation is all over the place; none of the stories is groundbreaking; the ambiguous 'nationalistic' tone

Further reading: "友情" (Friendship) by the same author is a more well rounded work in my opinion, but both come from the same mold. If you like one, you'll probably like the other. Soseki or Tanizaki are other authors that are not so far away in style and topics.

6/10

(Original Japanese)

人生がときめく片づけの魔法 (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A simple, effective way to banish clutter forever) - 近藤 麻理恵 (Marie Kondō)

Some years ago I got across Marie Kondô's rise to fame through the Internet. I thought all a little bit silly, but the other day at the library there was her book, calling to me, and, well, after seeing that it was quite short, I decided to check what all this 'new age tidying' was about.

And what is all about? Well... It is an interesting read, and it has a couple of nice ideas, but it is far from being anything great or ground-breaking. Basically, Kondô's method goes around a couple of basic points: have things that you enjoy having, and don't have things just for the sake of having them. If you do so, your life will change for the best. So, if you have a book for twenty years without reading it, you'll probably never read it, so throw it away (or sell it/give it, whatever). It is all good enough, but, at the same time, it is a little bit simplistic in her approach. For example, going back to the books, she says to throw away books that have been there for a couple of years without reading: their job was to be bought, and it's been done. Well, of course, a book should be read. But sometimes I bought something and got to read it five, ten years later. And I love the author (hello, David Gemmell) or the topic ("The Iliad"), but I just needed to find the right moment to read it. Of course, this is different from having a piece of clothing in your wardrobe for fifteen years without using it, but sometimes it's difficult to put a time limit for something. She is completely right, though, with some cases of people just having for the sake of having (like having 100 pens that never come to be used, the ink drying); of course, this is without taking into account other psychological reasons behind having the 100 pens in the first place. Maybe, basically, her approach can be too simplistic, sometimes. But, again, it is true that just having what is necessary and is enjoyed is way better than becoming a slave of random pamphlets and discarded socks. I also found interesting her very Shinto approach to things. I am not very Shinto myself, but I understand, again, the need to give a purpose to the things, even if they don't have a soul (I found hilarious, though, the 'placebo' idea that they will make you thinner or have better skin if you 'release' them, though, Kondô-sama).

So, basically, get rid of things before you clean your place. Having fewer things will make you freer. Hmm... Where have I heard this before?

The best: the ideas about just having what you want/need; the ideas about the importance of using what you have and enjoying it; it is short, like really short

The worst: in the translation, she comes as a very 'proud' (and sometimes annoying) person (I should check the Japanese version); the comments about being feminine being the same as having 'cute' clothes (uh, like, really?); the image of someone throwing away 200 bags of things

Further reading: I don't know many books about tidying... ok, none. So I will recommend, "A Manual for Cleaning Women" by Lucia Berlin. It may have little to do with the book at hand but it is a good book and it has 'cleaning' on the title.

5.5/10

(English translation by Cathy Hirano)

Sethe and her daughter Denver live by themselves and their terrible past in an old and forsaken house when a man from Sethe's past, Paul D, comes back into her live.

"Beloved" is a book difficult to describe. The story is quite straightforward: woman with a past, the fears, the limitations, the terrible things that happened that brought to that past to be... But Morrison doesn't take the easy way out and creates a book where the atmosphere and language play a role as huge or more than the characters and the plot.

Once you start reading it is pretty easy to see that this story about a woman of color living in the 19th Century USA has so many layers it will take a while to delve into all the topics Morrison brings to the story. It delves into race, gender, freedom and so many other topics that it may not make for easy reading. However, even if we take into account all of this, it is not a in-your-face, aggressive way of telling you a story. It is touching, it is in some moments slow, but it is a very smart look into the minds of people and why they are the kind of persons they are, and the decisions they take and what opportunities there are for change or forgiveness and what that forgiveness may cost (don't worry, there are negative feelings in it too).

It is all deep and powerful stuff. However, I got the feeling, as the story advanced, that this book would have been better as a short story than the almost 300 pages long book that it is. Maybe it is me, but I felt that some moments were a little bit repetitive, and didn't add to the story.

Otherwise, this is a really good book to read.

The best: the atmosphere; the writing style once you immerse yourself in it; the feelings it brings to light

The worst: the writing can become quite messy in some places; repetitive at moments; the characters arc is short

Further Reading: Not an expert on the topic, so... One would think there would me more books of this kind, and most probably there are, but I haven't gotten across anything but academical writing (Kimberle Crenshaw, bell hooks...). Of course, the day is young and I still have time to find more books like this.

6.5/10

(Original English Version)

Le Rire : Essai sur la signification du comique - Henri Bergson

This short book of essays is an interesting introduction to some ideas around what is laughing, what is the role it plays, why some things/people/situations make us laugh but not others, but it never transcends its basic ideas, and ends up being more of a curio of its time than anything else.

Bergson here tries to explain why we laugh, but he does so in an overwrought style that only shines when he centers on examples and on keeping things simple. Many times he over-stretches himself and becomes over-convoluted and repetitive as, for example, when he keeps talking about rigidity, flexibility or mechanization. It is not that the ideas may be wrong, it is that, as with many other works of non-fiction that go around sociology/philosophy or similar topics, repetition sets in and two paragraphs of information and one of examples turn into 50 pages of rambling (one of the biggest problems of academic writing).

Again, some ideas of how what is different, or break the rules, or the relationship between the unreal and laughing may be interesting, but much of it is lost in the over-repetition that can't overcome an average explanatory style (far from the sarcasm of Virginia Woolf, for example). On top of that, some of the examples can feel really 'insulting', like when he says everyone laughs at people falling down (not really) or an example about people of color which nowadays feels really out of place.

The best: the examples; some ideas of the role laughing plays into our lives and as a a tool to organize society; the relationship he makes between the lack of empathy and feelings with laughing.

The worst: some of the examples look so out of place nowadays it's cringing; some of the ideas about what makes us laugh says more about how we (and Bergson back on his day) are socialized than anything else; it is quite superficial

Further reading: hmm... a difficult one; the role of laughter in Japanese society in "笑いの日本文化―「烏滸の者」はどこへ消えたのか?" by Higuchi Kazunori, for example; "Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity" by Richard M. Rorty to see a little bit about language/society/people; or "A Room of One's Own/Three Guineas" by Virginia Woolf to see some of the ways society is controlled, organized, compartmentalized? And then you have a lot of articles to check if you can pay them or are a member of a university.

6/10

(Spanish Translation by María Luisa Pérez Torres)

東京奇譚集 (Tokyo Legends/Tokyo Mysterious Stories)- 村上 春樹 (Haruki Murakami)

One of those typical, quirky, dreamy works by Haruki Murakami, this compilation of short stories plays to the strengths and weaknesses of the author, delivering a work easy to enjoy, particularly by his fans, but that doesn't break any new ground and that, for some of his fans, may seem repetitive or empty of significance.

The stories of this short book are just five, and all have a length of around 40 pages. There is the piano tuner and the causalities that abound in his life, there is the mother of the surfer that keeps going back to Hawaii after her son's death, there is the writer and his 'second' love, there is the woman that keeps forgetting her name, and there is the wife whose husband suddenly disappeared.

All have Murakami's trademark style of reality infused by dreams, of quirky situations and of characters that take random events as totally normal. It is all charming enough, and Murakami does a great job of introducing the reader to his world and making the reader believe what he is reading (maybe the last one, the "品川猿", is the one where things make less sense and the story is stretched thinner). But at the same time, even if his writing style and the way he develops the story entrances the reader, the delivery, the ending seem always to be a little bit half-baked, and that takes some of the strength from the stories. It is an interesting enough reading, but probably better for fans.

The best: the writing style; the dreamy world; it is very easy to feel immersed in the stories

The worst: normally the endings are a little bit forced; "品川猿" is the weakest by far, with a resolution that seems out of bar conversation about how to create silly stories, surprise for the sake of surprise has a limit

Further reading: I am not the number one fan of Murakami, so I can just recommend "Sputnik Sweetheart" (not the biggest fan of "Norwegian Wood"). In this case "Infinite Jest" is for sure a recommendation, even if their worlds and writing styles are really different. Maybe "The House of Nire" by Morio Kita would be an interesting companion, or "Jo confesso" by Jaume Cabré, an author with some similarities to Murakami.

6.5/10

(Original Japanese)

Seven-X: Terror to the Seventh Power - Mike Wech

Well, be scared... Or not really. "Seven-X: Terror to the Seventh Power" is an entertaining enough short novel, with an interesting enough premise that, unfortunately, fails to deliver on its promises.

And all starts well enough. We have reporter Eddie Hansen, who is investigating some death row victims who seem to have been shipped to a secret institution, even though officially they have been executed and their bodies disposed of. Eddie got the information from a friend that went to investigate the place and disappeared and he thinks he can make loads of money with this investigation. Pretty soon he seems to discover secret dealings in the place, and strange things seem to be happening, while the 'owners' of the place keep telling him they are dealing with demon possession. Till here, all good. A mystery, a place out in the middle of nowhere, some demons (maybe)...

However, the delivery lacks and the plot is weak. After the good introduction, and Eddie's arrival to Uphir, we just get Eddie doing silly things, making risible mistakes, and shouting for no apparent reason at every corner.

The problem is that there is no clear character development. Forget all the secondary characters that are just there to further the plot. Center on Eddie Hansen. It is difficult to believe his journey, because there is no clear explanation of why what happens, well, happens. We see him shouting, or fighting, getting angry, but not why, and his explosions of anger make little sense if we don't really see why they should be happening. It all seems quite random, just to further the plot. And the demons... Don't start with the 'demons', because there is not a moment you will believe there are demons in the story, apart from reverend Billings telling you once, twice, or a million times, that there are demons in the story.

A big part of the problem resides in the writing. Mike Wech tries to make all easy to read and fast-paced, with videos, audios, blogs, and phone conversations to further the plot. However, along the way, the author has forgotten that just conversation a book don't make, and that we need some description, even some actions and situations. The book is basically Eddie talking to himself or to people, but with conversation that are shallow and have little meaning. Instead of Eddie analyzing the situation or describing things, it is Eddie saying: 'I'm gonna get lots of money, there is a secret here'. Once, it's fine, it's acceptable. But when he says the same thing on page 5, 24, 50, 57, etc., it becomes also repetitive.

On top of that, some moments it seems the book is preaching to the reader. Instead of making the reader wonder and discover, there it comes a sentence of the bible or some long diatribe by reverend Billings about demons. It makes the reader detach from the story and it feels like being hit on the head with a book... Hmm...

The best: the start; it is easy to read

The worst: the plot is non-existent; I like my novels with some character development; does Wech know what description means?, this looks like a script, not a novel; it all becomes repetitive after the umpteenth moment Hansen is seen shouting or scared.

If you like the genre: read Stephen King; his writing can be a little bit long-winded, but he is almost always fun (hello, "It") and he has a very particular writing style that can be quite seductive; Natsuo Kirino is actually more mystery, but her books have that touch of grotesque this one lacks (like, cough cough, "Grotesque"; English edition censored); "The Terror" by Dan Simmons or "The Ruins" by Scott Smith are also entertaining options, even if far from great. Or watch any episode of "Supernatural" which is a great show.

5/10

(Original English Version)

The Novels of Park Jiwon (Translation of Overlooked Worlds)

A compilation of short stories by Park Jiwon (Bak Jiwon), this book is a curio that will be difficult to appreciate but by experts on the topic. For the average reader it is an interesting look on the era in Korea and of some of its problems/philosophies but not much else.

Bak Jiwon was an important Korean philosopher and an advocate of the 'silhak' movement, that thought the Korean philosophy was becoming disconnected from the real world and its innovations, becoming stilted and trapped in the past. This book offers some of his stories, where he develops little theories or criticizes some behaviors or ways of thinking.

It is interesting enough, but it is all so much a part from another era and place that it is difficult to understand much of what goes on. There are many names that will make no sense for the regular reader (in particular in this English edition that is focused on English readers) and many of the theories and problems that may have looked so important back then make not much sense nowadays. Some of his ideas, though, are timeless.

It doesn't help the translation, which has two clear problems. First, the language, the rhythm, of the translation may be quite literal, but make the reading of the texts slow and difficult. Second, the author has decided to ditch any explanation of the texts but puts hundreds of footnotes that sometimes just complicate things further, as it is difficult to know what he is talking about. If you are an expert in the topic, probably all will make better sense, but if you are just a curious reader or have superficial knowledge of the era in Korea (or the region in Asia) it will be quite difficult to follow through.

Just for experts on the topic.

The best: it offers a glimpse into another world

The worst: the language of the translation is stilted and can't overcome the problems of translating an old source; instead of so many footnotes it would be better to have had little explanations of the texts and its main points, the footnotes becoming many times repetitive, obscure or unnecessary.

Further reading: this is a difficult one, I'm no expert on this kind of texts; "The Art of War" is the closest I can come with; maybe some old texts of Confucianism, Buddhism or old European philosophy could come close; you can also read manga like "Ikkyu" that offer glimpses into old East Asian culture.

6/10

(English translation & introduction by Emanuel Pastreich)

The Elfstones of Shannara - Terry Brooks

Here we are, back in the world of Shannara, of the elves, trolls, dwarves, humans and gnomes... with an extra ration of demons.

The Ellcrys tree is dying... and this means the demons are going to be back into the world. Allanon, back from his Druid nap, wakes up and teams up with the latest of the Ohmsford, Wil, in a quest to find the last of the Chosen ones, Amberle, and help her in her quest to bring the Ellcrys back to health and stop the demons from conquering and destroying the world...

"The Elfstones of Shannara" picks up decades after the first one and offers a new threat to the world Terry Brooks created. That he has to stretch his own world's background a little bit to fit this story doesn't seem to matter much, but, ok, we will buy it. We can accept that this book is just entertainment.

However, what is difficult to accept, is the lame and lazy work Brooks has done with this book. The story repeats itself and is boring as hell: characters team up, have to go to a place, and things happen along the way. It happens, in a big way, because Brooks does little to create interesting situations and almost all that he can think of is to throw a demon or a little threat to the characters in their quest. Here, you got to the river, Amberle and Wil, let's put a demon so you can fight it.

The characters, by the way, are as shallow as they come. Wil or Allanon have a little bit of life in them, but little, and almost all the others are cartoon heroes. And that without going into Wil's two female companions: we have Amberle, the shy one, and Eretria, the independent, sassy one. Of course, both of them with more than a passing interest in the 'hero' (if you can call a cardboard character as Wil a hero).

And if the story is not original, and boring, and the characters are also shallow... What is left? Well, Brooks unnecessary need for stretching the story thin and his penchant for writing 10, 15 pages long chapters around the big fights between elves and demons, between armies. Fights that are just descriptive and done in a very poor manner, like if Brooks put some toys in his dinner room and then put into paper his adventures playing with the toys. Fights or wars can be nicely written in a book, but here is just, A kills B, group C is bigger than D, but D counterattacks and survives, but C keeps pushing, but A from group D, goes into the fight and helps his companions. Very, but very poor writing.

A boring book, just for fans of Brooks's world.

The best: Allanon is back and offers more Allanon'ess, the ending is better than expected

The worst: the endless and boring fights between the armies, the shallowness of everyone involved, the book forgets all other races to just center on elves, the shy girl/feisty girl duality

To read: heck, it is not as if there are no other options (and way better); from the original behind this fantasy craziness, "The Lord of the Rings", to Robert Jordan's books, George R.R. Martin (less fantasy, more plotting and violence and people eating; and it may never end), Stephen R. Donaldson, Robin Hobb or less known compared with others but really amazing in character and world creation David Gemmell... The list of fantasy writers is endless, and almost all of them write better and have better plots than Brooks. Even the first book in the series is better than this one, even if it follows the 'chosen one-team creation-go to the bad guy's lair' model.

5/10

(Original English Version)

The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood

"The Blind Assassin" is another great novel by Margaret Atwood, a novel that mixes reality and fiction (within its world) to weave a story of sadness, love, betrayal that will stay with the reader after they turn its last page.

The story centers on sisters Iris and Laura. At the beginning of the novel we learn of Laura's death (probably a suicide). Her older sister, Iris, is the one that tells the story, one that starts before both sisters were born and that develops little by little, letting us know why each of them got the point where they are at the beginning of the novel. While telling her story, Iris takes us down a path of darkness, family betrayals, money problems and desperation, with the Second World War as its background.

It is a beautiful novel, that starts amazingly and has a great ending, and where Atwood does a great job in mixing styles and timelines. We get the past, the present and the 'parallel world', a place where two characters develop sci-fi/fantasy stories, a world that we will discover little by little how it relates to the rest of the story (even if at the beginning it may be a little bit jumpy, the cuts from one story-line to another, as the novel advances it all becomes fluid and relatable). And if the plot is really interesting, with all its twists and creaks, the characters are also really interesting, Atwood creating a couple of sisters that will enrapture and delight the reader, getting all their attention in the process. Laura is a more black/white character, but still, Atwood does a great job in that department too.

The writing style is also amazing, Atwood a master in the use of English to tell the story. Some images are so beautiful/sad/disturbing (etc.) that you feel like bowing to her constantly. In a second, in a paragraph, there is she, creating a beautiful world with a great use of vocabulary and sentence construction. It is a work of art.

Really interesting, with great characters and an engaging story-line, "The Blind Assassin" is another treat from a great author.

The Best: The use of English (language and sentence construction), Iris as a character, the sci-fi/fantasy stories, the look into what makes us 'human beings', Atwood doing a great job in creating believable characters.

The Worst: After a great beginning the story feels a little bit on a shaky ground for the first 100 pages, difficult to see/follow with all the jumps and changes in characters/plot/story-lines. A couple of slow moments close to the end.

Read More: Well, you have "The Handmaid's Tale", of course, by the same Margaret Atwood (which I feel it is a more well rounded novel). Stories with females characters there are many, as "姉妹" (ok, if you read Japanese), or "Sense and Sensibility" (quite different world, though). If you feel in the need for good sci-fi, "Dune" is an option (the greatest option) or "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" by Philip K. Dick. And "Infinite Jest", always "Infinite Jest".

8/10

(Read in English)

姉妺 -

姉妺 by Fumi Kuroyanagi (畔柳 二美)

After reading "A Room's of One Own/Three Guineas", "姉妹" appears to be the perfect companion: it tells the story of a couple of sisters in Japan, an older, Keiko, reserved, Christian, with a very conservative view of things; and a younger one, Toshiko, the real hero, independent, always asking questions, and not very happy that, because she is a woman, she has not the same options as her younger brothers (she can only study 10 years instead of 17, she cannot be a career woman; etc.).

The story is set in Japan, close to the end of the Taishô era, and it is set in Hokkaido and a little town around a power plant. The heroes are Keiko and Toshiko, the two older sisters of a family of five siblings (the other younger boys). It is a very realistic novel, based on the author's life, and it is pretty easy to see so, as there are many little details that ring true. In that respect Kuroyanagi does a great job, because everything feels real and close to the reader. She develops the novel by telling little stories, where the two sisters life and character gets developed by little things and situations. All the stories last around four pages, and in them, Kuroyanagi introduces a topic (as the uncle that likes to party too much or the girls running from school to watch movies) and tells a little situation in a very easy writing style. If at the very beginning everything may sound very alien and distant, pretty soon the life of Keiko and Toshiko becomes very real. It shows clearly the limitations that money, social position or gender had in the Japan of the era (even if, ironically, in some respects, people seemed freer than nowadays; probably that is the image because things haven't changed so much as maybe they should have). Toshiko, but also Keiko, have to suffer because of being women, and Kuroyanagi does a great job on not hitting us in the head but of showing us how and how come this comes to happen. It is a very interesting novel, short, easy to read, and that will bring the reader to another era.

The best: the realist tone; the clash between worlds and views; both sisters are quite interesting; the plot doesn't get over-convoluted.

The worst: you have seen all of it a hundred times before, like the young rebel against the old-style older sisters; the Japanese can sometimes be difficult to understand because of some dialect.

Further Reading: well, you can get into reading more about women in Japan (very different, and set in modern Japan, but for example "グロテスク" (it has an English version, "Grotesque", that, sadly, is censored) by Natsuo Kirino or "モンスター" by Naoki Hyakuta) or women in general (like "A Room's of One Own/Three Guineas" by Virginia Woolf (non-fiction) or "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen (fiction)). You can also read a Japanese novel set in the past, as the historical fiction tofu story, "あかね空" by Ichiriki Yamamoto). And, of course, "Infinite Jest" (no, really, it's really good; it just doesn't have anything to do with this book; or maybe everything has to do with "Infinite Jest".

7/10

(Japanese Original Version)

(with a short afterword by Ineko Sata)

Girl Divided by Willow Rose

An entertaining but shallow reading, "Girl Divided" is a book that you will be able to read in a couple of warm afternoons, right by your window, while you enjoy the peace and the singing of the birds.

Something, Jetta, the hero of the story, won't be able to.

Jetta was born the daughter of a couple of black parents in the USA. But, to the surprise of everyone, her body was half-black, half-white, a line in the middle separating both halves. And pretty soon both her parents are killed by white supremacists. Jetta is taken care by her grandmother, who protects and hides Jetta, believing her to be possessed or a demon. And when Jetta starts her teenage years, a war between white and the rest start, with concentration camps, killings, betrayals...

It all sounds interesting enough (and more than difficult to tackle). And Willow Rose does a great job in setting the premise of the story, of creating a world and in creating interesting characters. It is easy to see she knows how to write and she writes well, with an easy to read and engaging style. However, the same cannot be say about the plot, where we encounter a story that sometimes moves a little bit slowly and sometimes it advances brusquely. Because of that, the world that Rose has created suffers, and it is difficult to believe some of the situations. The book starts quite nicely but around midway decides to take an unnecessary turn for the Gaiman-esque that does zero favor to the story. Maybe is this, a little bit sudden, change of pace, which took me out of the story a little bit. It does not make the book bad, but it makes it feel a little bit of a disappointment.

It is also difficult to have a clear opinion on the author's decision to pit a world between white and the rest, but where the rest are called black and all the other persons of color disappear and become invisible. It is a decision which I cannot agree with, however it may be helpful for the author to simplify things; it is lazy and, in my opinion, a mistake. It would be better to create a more varied world, more like a rainbow. Also, because of all of that, the characters don't have a very clear arc, and some of their personal characteristics become diluted in the overall plot.

Entertaining reading, but it could have been way more.

"A Room of One's Own / Three Guineas"

It seems fit to start this page with Virginia Woolf. I hope this time I stuck to it and continue blogging about books. In the past I have shown myself to be easily distracted, so let's see how this time goes.

In any case, as I was saying, Virginia Woolf seems the best way to start a blog. And why? Because "A Room of One's Own" and "Three Guineas" are, probably, some of the best non-fiction work ever done in English. In particular "Three Guineas" is in a league of its own (it probably has its own room there).

And why are those two works so important? Because of their relevance to the world we live in. Many of the arguments Woolf uses are still very much relevant, and we still need to look on our own shortcomings and the mistakes we make if we want to change anything at all.

When I was doing some research into masculinities (the things one has to do in their life; kidding, it is actually very interesting) one name kept popping in many of the articles I was reading: Virginia Woolf. And one of her works: "Three Guineas". Curiously, I never got to read it while writing my essay, but when I found it in the library my hands took it before I had noticed.

And what can I say? It was the best decision I have taken in respect of a book since my never very obedient hands took "Dune" from a similar self almost twenty years ago. Because "Three Guineas" (and to a lesser extent "A Room of One's Own") are magnificent.

Let's start with a "A Room of One's Own". Here Woolf talks about the need of having your own space to be free and be able to develop your own ideas. She is talking about women writers, but it could be about anyone. Her line of thought is as follows: if you have to take care of others, cook for others, or if you don't have your own money to do with it as you wish then you are not independent, and even your ideas are imprisoned and become slaves to the one that holds the power over your life. It is pretty easy to see how having to depend economically on others will limit your freedom of speech and of thinking (let me use the word freedom here, even if Woolf pokes fun at it more than once). It is also easy to see how if you have to cook for others (who are not cooking), wash for others (who are not washing), etc. etc. you won't be able to write what those others who have so much free time on their hands can write (or travel, read, see...). It is a very interesting read, with lots of information, eye-opening and easy to follow.

But if "A Room of One's Own" does a great job in introducing the reader to those ideas, "Three Guineas" obliterates any discourse around power, masculinity-femininity and war (and much more) and now I understand why it was so important for me to read it. In here she relates patriarchy, power, nationalism, and much, way much more in a text with so much 'power' that will leave the reader breathless. It is relentless in its explanation of the 'civilized' world shortcomings and how easily we fall into believing that some things (that curiously give us power) are right and 'natural'. It is just impressive how she plays on dress codes, the relation between men, power and nationalism or how she points to us how similar are the laws, rules and words all that want to keep in power use (be them dictators or fathers). Ironically, her message of becoming an outsider seems to have been forgotten. She criticizes (and rightly so) how much money and interest is put into sports and awards and titles and how those things are things of men and power. However, instead of taking her advice we have done the opposite and now we have also awards, titles and women competitions. More than ever. Woolf is saying that we shouldn't compete so much. Instead, nowadays (in everyday life) there is more competition than ever (from likes on social networking to olympic games, including books or movies). And she warns of women playing the same role that men play, and that they should try a different way to do things. It seems no one was listening. That's why I wonder how she would react to words like "women also kick...". Maybe she would change it to "no one should kick nothing". I would, at least. But, hey, I am a pacifist.

Her style here is great, even if long-winded and repetitive and there is so much sarcasm (in the text and the notes) that can be felt from meters away. It is also very interesting to see Woolf's constant 'attacks' on the word 'feminism' and other words with power that seem to have a hard time to stop dominating the general discourse, becoming more important that what should be the center of attention. It should not be forgotten, of course, that she was not allowed to many of the things she criticizes, and that influences a discourse (she centers on topics close to her and there is not much talk about colonialism or England's role in violence; we had to wait to, for example, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw to read about the double oppression non-white women suffer). Of course, this two stories where written way before second or third waves of feminism, before the work of bell hooks or others developed many of the ideas and shortcomings of the movement. In particular how the first waves had been particularly 'mono-colour'. Nevertheless it is something global, as the Japanese book I am reading right now: ”姉妹” ("Sisters"), show: the book talks about women in Japan and how a couple of sisters grow up. Many of the things Woolf talks about appear in the book (from the father being angry at her younger daughter wanting to do 'men's work' to the subtle ways control is exercised on the other. And it is surprising the way many of the topics Woolf touches seem to be still very relevant nowadays. It is hilarious (and scary) how much of what she says could be written today and no one would raise an eyebrow or be surprised. Of course, some of the vocabulary is date and it is also possible to feel some anger in her words, even if they are correct. 

The book also contains an introduction by Michèle Barrett, an excellent introduction that helps the reader to be acquainted with Woolf's world and work and it is not one of those black and white introduction that seem a love letter to the writer, but an in deep look that raises interesting questions.  

It had been years since I had had so much fun reading a book that also made me think. I am against the word 'compulsory' when it comes to anything (of course, we need to take some medicines, and sleep, etc., etc.), but if there was a list of text that should be read and talked about in school, "Three Guineas" (and to a lesser extent "A Room of One's Own") should be in it.

Bibliography: (Because, you know, some people need it; kidding, sometimes it helps to get more info)

Crenshaw, K. W. (1991) Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color, Stanford Law Review, 43 (6), 1241-1299.

Kuroyanagi, F. (1954) 姉妺. Tokyo: 偕成社.