Ok – here is my snapshot summary of the books I have either read or listened to since leaving home on Dec 5. These are intentionally short.
Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry – Audiobook – I really wanted to like this book, but it just felt like a story that never got going and then when it did it didn’t go anywhere. That may be harsh, but I struggled to stay connected. I have been meaning to read Berry after hearing so much about him from friends, but every time I attempt him I seem to lose energy quickly. I have been told I should read him rather than listen to him – so will try that next time! 5/10
Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides – a moderately interesting ’thriller’ with a couple of twists however the writing itself is dull. I stuck with it only because it was reasonably short. 5/10
Demon Copperhead – by Barbara Kingsolver – another audio book, although I did have the advantage of having read it a few years back. Kingsolver is a brilliant writer and every sentence seems to carry meaning and energy. But the real winner in this was the narration. It is cast as a modern day David Copperfield, and set in the Oxy epidemic of rural USA. It’s a hard gritty read – and it’s looong- but so worth it! After the drab prose of the Silent Patient this was like a long cold drink. 10/10
Eden by Mark Brandi – Audio via Spotify – a relatively short story of a man released from prison who is trying to find his way and ends up being recruited for some nefarious activities by his new workmates. He has to choose which way he will jump. The narration is very flat which possibly made this harder going than it needed to be. We gave up on it at the 50% mark and only came back because we were out of mobile signal range and had it downloaded . 5/10
The Hiding Place -by Kate Mildenhall – This one I actually read… the story of 5 families who together purchase an old village complete with pub. The whole story is about their first weekend there where these wholesome, politically correct middle class Australian people discover they are much darker than they are willing to admit. I found the actual events of the weekend a bit difficult to believe – but the point was made that the distinction between ‘good’ people like us and those ‘other nasty’ people may not be as wide as we think. The wrap up to the weekend is punchy and the story has a good ‘message’ if you could call it that. An easy read 7/10
Die with Zero by Bill Perkins – I started this, got half way thru and gave up. I didn’t like his assumption that we should ‘die with zero’ as it seemed to be implying that our goal ought to be that of using all of our earthly wealth to purchase experiences and things that will satisfy us now. It may have a redmptive arc, but it felt a bit like simple hedonism to me. ‘You can’t take it with you so spend it now (on you)’ 4/10
Maybe give Berry’s short stories (A Distant Land) a go. They are typically character instead of plot driven. Or try his poetry or essays.