Winner of the 2017 Man Booker International Prize, Israeli author David Grossman has written an intriguing novel.  Dov Greenstein, a 57 year old stand-up comic, has invited a childhood acquaintance who happens to be a retired judge to view his performance that takes place in a small town in Israel.  His routine is part jokes, part memoir and part philosophical digressions.  Throughout Dov’s performance, the reader gains insight into his life as well as the judge’s.

A Horse Walks into a Bar is not an easy read.  Greenstein’s monologue takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster.  It is the type of book I don’t enjoy reading, but when I have finished, I am happy I have read it!

 

A quiet, lovely book about an older married, Irish couple on vacation in Amsterdam.  Stella, a devout Catholic, is married to Gerry, a nonbeliever and an alcoholic.  Stella, unbeknown to Gerry, has planned their trip so she can investigate a possible option for her future.  While there, Gerry’s drinking problem is revealed and Stella’s religious fervor becomes more apparent.  Knowing her life is nearing the end, Stella is unsure if she should do what would make her happiest or what would make her spouse happiest.

There are few novels written about long lasting marriages, perhaps because authors feel they are without drama.  Bernard MacLaverty proves them wrong!

Every summer I read a classic that I have never read before, and since I’m planning to visit Southwest England soon, I felt I should read a novel that takes place there.  Descriptively written, with romance and suspense,  Hardy portrays Tess as a beautiful, young woman born in poverty with a title that ends up doing her more harm than good.  Tess, at the start of her tale, is moral, hard-working and loving, and through no fault of her own, she is forced to face hardship and tragedy.   Hardy demonstrates what can happen to an innocent, trusting girl in a man’s world.

If you want a quick, light read, Tess of the d’Urbervilles is not it.  However, if you’re looking for a beautifully written novel that captures life in rural England about 150 years ago, give Tess a try.

A friend told me to read this short, stirring novel, and I’m very happy I did.  Translated from Italian by Jhumpa Lahiri, author of Interpreter of Maladies and several other outstanding reads, Ties is the story of a marriage and the impact it has on each family member.   Twelve years after they marry, Aldo leaves his wife, Vanda, for a younger woman.  Told through the voices of Aldo, Vanda, and their two children, Starnone brilliantly illustrates how this long term affair affects everyone, even forty years later.

Ties is a very emotionally charged book.  Although there is very little action,  Domenico Starnone manages in 150 pages to put a number of ideas, feelings and symbols into his novel.

The Less of the title refers to Greer’s main character, Arthur Less.  Just shy of turning fifty, Less travels practically around the world to avoid attending the wedding of his long-time gay lover, Freddy.  With jobs, award ceremonies and/or teaching assignments in New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Morocco and Japan, Less also stops off at a retreat in India to edit his fourth work of fiction which was harshly criticized by his agent and publisher.

The travels, the back story and the people Arthur meets as he goes from country to country are fun and interesting, but the crux of the novel is Arthur Less.  While trying to avoid the big 5-0 and news of his ex lover’s wedding, Greer depicts him as a man of contrasts-self-effacing but willing to be daring, wanting love but avoiding involvement, not wanting to think about the past but afraid of the future.  Arthur Less, his life and his journey, make for a bittersweet story.

 

If you’re looking for an easy summer read with a fairly predictable plot, The Address might be right up your alley.  The address in the title is The Dakota, the famous apartment co-op where John Lennon and Yoko Ono lived.  The story follows two residents:  Sara Smythe, the manageress of the apartment building when it was first built in 1884 and Bailey Camden,  a young woman just out of rehab working for her wealthy cousin who is a resident of The Dakota in 1985.  Both women have their share of problems. not least of which is living in the world of the wealthy while they have practically nothing.

This is not my kind of novel, but I think some will find it enjoyable, especially if they are fans of historical fiction.

Anton, a nine year old boy, has been locked in his apartment with the windows sealed shut and the outside door locked during a heat wave.  His mother left to see her drug dealer a week ago and has not returned.  Anton breaks a window with a chair and jumps out.  Fast forward several years.  Anton has been adopted by a rich, powerful, loving family who lost a son in an auto accident.  He has all the advantages and love any child could hope for.  Anton thinks his mother readily gave him up for adoption when she was in prison, but that was not the case.

There are no heroes or villains in Umrigar’s sixth novel; just individuals who want to do what they think is best for a boy they love.  The question is:  What is truly best for Anton Coleman?

Known for her easy to read historical fiction, Allison Pataki has teamed up with her brother to give us a tale of The French Revolution with heroes, villains and beautiful, strong-willed women.  Andre Valiere, a soldier in the French Army, was born a noble but during the Reign of Terror tries to hide his wealthy beginnings.  However, when he falls in love with General Murat’s niece, he has angered the general so much that her uncle has Andre imprisoned and tried for treason.  Valiere’s lawyer, Jean-Luc St. Clair, argues for the young soldier’s  against the most despicable lawyer in Paris.

I realize that I have made this novel sound like a Harlequin Romance, and although most of the character’s are either all good or all evil,  the Pataki’s provide an entertaining read about a chaotic era.

Author of the 2012 bestseller, You Know When the Men Are Gone, Fallon again writes about the wives of military men.  This time her work centers on two very different women living in Jordan.  Cassie is realistic, even a bit cynical, lonely and childless and has been living in Jordan for a while.  Margaret has just arrived in Jordan with her husband and young son.  She is idealistic, naive and lonely.  Cassie takes on the roles of mentor and friend as she tries to teach Margaret the proper way to behave in a Middle Eastern, Muslim country.  After knowing each other for four months, Margaret asks Cassie to stay with her son while she clears up a matter at the local police station.  Waiting for her friend to return home, Cassie finds Margaret’s journal, reads it and begins to understand who this young woman really is.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Confusion of Languages.  Both main characters are complex, yet identifiable.  There are many themes running throughout this novel which would make it good for book group discussions.

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In this lyrical novel, Alexandra Fuller has proven that she can write fiction as well, if not better, than nonfiction.  Quiet Until the Thaw tells the tale of three generations of Lakota Native Americans living in South Dakota.  Ironically,  most of these individuals are not related by blood, rather they are men and women who feel responsible for the well-being of abandoned children.  Some of these children become role models for future generations, others turn to drink, drugs and violence.

Told in very short chapters, Quiet Until the Thaw takes a while for the reader to discern what exactly is happening.  However, if you keep on reading, everything becomes clear, and you will be richly rewarded.  I think this would be a wonderful read for a book group.