I started this book of short stories called "I'd Like" late on Saturday and finished it early Monday, which probably tells you how much I enjoyed it.
As the author, Amanda Micalopoulou, states in her afterword, instead of a general anthology; she ended up writing "stories that would read like versions of an unwritten novel", and indeed they do. That is not to say that the stories themselves are not self-contained, they all are, but there is a - sometimes bewildering - series of motifs and themes that occur throughout this book (often of the visceral type: a red beret, a broken little finger, bloodied feet, theft from corpses etc). Yet this fragmentation works, especially as there is a central core of two sisters called Stella and Christiana who interlink this loose narrative (despite the timescales of the stories meaning that these cannot be the same characters throughout the book as a whole). And of course the other constant is the author herself (not necessarily Amanda herself) who pervades this works with a touching sense of self doubt about her own writing. That particular device reminded me a lot of Kurt Vonnegut's appearances in his own fiction (under his own pseudonym of Kilgore Trout).
I am probably making this book sound complex and difficult, and it isn't. The stories are honest, fresh and interesting, funny and poignant, - and the overall sense one gets is of a profound awareness of the shared human condition with just a glimpse of redemption (although the short story "Story for fools" puts that squarely in our own hands rather than any wider God).
My one gripe? Well, this is more about shedding light on being human, as opposed to being Greek! That said, there are some great descriptions of Greece both rural and urban, but at the end of the day this is a fascinating collection by a Greek author who demonstrates that - at least in a European context - our national psyches are not so different.
Which makes my next port of call particularly interesting. The work is another set of short stories by a female author: 'Ledra Street'. However this work is set in divided Cyprus (i.e. divided between Greece and Turkey). The setting of Ledra Street is particularly interesting, as this is a street which is divided in two within Nicosia - which is itself a unique example of a city divided between the two states since the Turkish intervention in 1974.
As such, this setting forms an interesting bridge between Western and Eastern 'Europe', (as well as a suitable destination en route to Turkey from Greece) and I shall update this blog once with my humble thoughts, once I have finished the book.
Monday, 12 October 2009
Saturday, 10 October 2009
From Vatican City to Malta
Well, I finished with the Vatican City on 2nd October and have to say my initial thoughts (as per my previous post) were borne out. I won't spoil things for those intending to read this, but it is probably fair to say that this worked - for me - much better as a means of gaining a sense of understanding the working of this tiny city-state, rather than shedding further light on the motives of the killings which form its main focus. With that proviso, I would certainly recommend it.
And so on to Malta...a tiny (but heavily populated) and sun-drenched archipelago in Southern Europe with strong historical links to the UK. I have never visited this place in person, and was very grateful to Margaret Callus (Assistant Librarian, National Library of Malta) who was very helpful in suggesting a suitable work.
The book suggested was 'Family Photos' by the native writer Petra Bianchi. I found this book interesting in that it follows two narratives - one set in 1861 and one in 2005, each involving families who are loosely connected. The purpose of this dual narrative seems to be to highlight the significant differences between these generations, and the sad fact that people in the contemporary age are often oblivious to, and antipathetic to, their own heritage. This is used here as a metaphor for the loss of heritage in Malta as a country - and the contrast between the rustic, communal settings of 1861 Valleta is stark in comparison with the Sliema of the 21st century, in which Malta appears to be in a state of constant flux and redevelopment; its skyline dominated by "towering cranes". This is reflected on a personal level by the character of Helen Manta, the matriarch of the contemporary family who is pressured to leave her family home for a modern apartment, as developers seek to turn her old house into... modern apartments.
As such, this book does give an interesting insight into modern Maltese life, although I feel the author has almost been too successful in highlighting the generational differences...as much of the book reads like two entirely different novels (set in 1861 and 2005 respectively), and there is not enough sense of linkage between these two. Furthermore, the plethora of characters who come and go can be hard to keep up with - especially in trying to work out generational linkages - and many of the chapters, especially the contemporary ones, are more isolated vignettes rather than sections that move the narrative along in a conventional sense, and plots and characters are often introduced and then discarded with no progression...
That said, this was probably the intention of the author - to highlight the gulf between contemporary society and its history, which is often sadly taken for granted and disregarded (and this is certainly not just true of Malta!). The strongest illustration of this idea here, are the 'Family Photos' of the title. One is led to expect that the modern day protagonist, Paul Manta - a journalist, will discover and connect with his heritage through these. The fact that this never really happens is the most striking illustration of the book's theme.
What this book did deliver was a sense of Malta as a country in a state of flux, a place of rapid modernisation which - whilst forging its own identity in C21st Europe - is perhaps in danger of losing a sense of shared history among its diverse inhabitants.
All in all, an enjoyable read and an insight not just into modern day Maltese family
life, but also its colonial history (of which I was sadly unaware... another example of how so many of us are sadly disengaged from our historical past).
Next: a trip across the water to Athens, Greece, with a selection of interlinked short stories ("I'd Like" by Amanda Michalopoulou).
And so on to Malta...a tiny (but heavily populated) and sun-drenched archipelago in Southern Europe with strong historical links to the UK. I have never visited this place in person, and was very grateful to Margaret Callus (Assistant Librarian, National Library of Malta) who was very helpful in suggesting a suitable work.
The book suggested was 'Family Photos' by the native writer Petra Bianchi. I found this book interesting in that it follows two narratives - one set in 1861 and one in 2005, each involving families who are loosely connected. The purpose of this dual narrative seems to be to highlight the significant differences between these generations, and the sad fact that people in the contemporary age are often oblivious to, and antipathetic to, their own heritage. This is used here as a metaphor for the loss of heritage in Malta as a country - and the contrast between the rustic, communal settings of 1861 Valleta is stark in comparison with the Sliema of the 21st century, in which Malta appears to be in a state of constant flux and redevelopment; its skyline dominated by "towering cranes". This is reflected on a personal level by the character of Helen Manta, the matriarch of the contemporary family who is pressured to leave her family home for a modern apartment, as developers seek to turn her old house into... modern apartments.
As such, this book does give an interesting insight into modern Maltese life, although I feel the author has almost been too successful in highlighting the generational differences...as much of the book reads like two entirely different novels (set in 1861 and 2005 respectively), and there is not enough sense of linkage between these two. Furthermore, the plethora of characters who come and go can be hard to keep up with - especially in trying to work out generational linkages - and many of the chapters, especially the contemporary ones, are more isolated vignettes rather than sections that move the narrative along in a conventional sense, and plots and characters are often introduced and then discarded with no progression...
That said, this was probably the intention of the author - to highlight the gulf between contemporary society and its history, which is often sadly taken for granted and disregarded (and this is certainly not just true of Malta!). The strongest illustration of this idea here, are the 'Family Photos' of the title. One is led to expect that the modern day protagonist, Paul Manta - a journalist, will discover and connect with his heritage through these. The fact that this never really happens is the most striking illustration of the book's theme.
What this book did deliver was a sense of Malta as a country in a state of flux, a place of rapid modernisation which - whilst forging its own identity in C21st Europe - is perhaps in danger of losing a sense of shared history among its diverse inhabitants.
All in all, an enjoyable read and an insight not just into modern day Maltese family
life, but also its colonial history (of which I was sadly unaware... another example of how so many of us are sadly disengaged from our historical past).
Next: a trip across the water to Athens, Greece, with a selection of interlinked short stories ("I'd Like" by Amanda Michalopoulou).
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Vatican City
Well, I am two thirds of the way through my stint in the Vatican City.
As I was unable to find a book by a native author (hardly surprising in a tiny state with a population of 800 and a penchant for secrecy), I turned to John Follain's true account of a triple murder among the Holy See's Swiss Guard in 1998. The main event regards the murder of Col. Alois Estermann, commander of the Swiss Guards, the Vatican force that protects the pope, who was found shot dead in his apartment inside Vatican City, along with his wife. Also shot dead in the room was a young Swiss guardsman, Cedric Tornay. Three hours after the bodies were discovered, the Vatican released a statement naming Tornay as the killer, his motive a "fit of madness." Hmmm.
My impressions so far are that this has formed a useful insight into the inner workings of the Vatican, although Follaine is frustrated in really getting to the higher eschalons of this city-state; relying instead on a procession of second hand witnesses and - frankly - dubious contacts. I have not yet finished this book so cannot comment on his conclusions but he does seem to be drifting towards a general sense that the Vatican investigation jumped the gun and was sloppily done, but was probably not far from the truth - save for a supression of a possible homosexual relationship between Estermann and Tornay (hardly a journalistic coup: this IS the Vatican we are talking about).
Still, a well written insight into the workings and paranoia of both the Vatican City and the Swiss Guard (and I now finally know why this Roman enclave has guards exclusively from Switzerland!). I will sum my thoughts up when I finish, which will be in the next few days...after which I shall be heading to Malta.
I now have a full round the world route mapped out, and am continuing to seek future destinations. You can find these listed at: www.webspinners.org.uk/roundtheworld/future_plans.htm - any suggestions for filling in the blanks, or comments on my chosen books are more than welcome!
As I was unable to find a book by a native author (hardly surprising in a tiny state with a population of 800 and a penchant for secrecy), I turned to John Follain's true account of a triple murder among the Holy See's Swiss Guard in 1998. The main event regards the murder of Col. Alois Estermann, commander of the Swiss Guards, the Vatican force that protects the pope, who was found shot dead in his apartment inside Vatican City, along with his wife. Also shot dead in the room was a young Swiss guardsman, Cedric Tornay. Three hours after the bodies were discovered, the Vatican released a statement naming Tornay as the killer, his motive a "fit of madness." Hmmm.
My impressions so far are that this has formed a useful insight into the inner workings of the Vatican, although Follaine is frustrated in really getting to the higher eschalons of this city-state; relying instead on a procession of second hand witnesses and - frankly - dubious contacts. I have not yet finished this book so cannot comment on his conclusions but he does seem to be drifting towards a general sense that the Vatican investigation jumped the gun and was sloppily done, but was probably not far from the truth - save for a supression of a possible homosexual relationship between Estermann and Tornay (hardly a journalistic coup: this IS the Vatican we are talking about).
Still, a well written insight into the workings and paranoia of both the Vatican City and the Swiss Guard (and I now finally know why this Roman enclave has guards exclusively from Switzerland!). I will sum my thoughts up when I finish, which will be in the next few days...after which I shall be heading to Malta.
I now have a full round the world route mapped out, and am continuing to seek future destinations. You can find these listed at: www.webspinners.org.uk/roundtheworld/future_plans.htm - any suggestions for filling in the blanks, or comments on my chosen books are more than welcome!
Saturday, 26 September 2009
San Marino - a brief visit
Firstly, I should acknowledge Mr Colin Leckey from Lancaster, an who individual took it upon himself to visit the 7 smallest locations of Europe and - in doing this - saved me from a huge headache in having no representation of San Marino during my sojourn in Italy.
Colin's book is a very worthwhile tome if you can find it (Grosvenor House Publishing books are more available online than in Waterstones). His book basically does what it says on the tin - he is an English guy visiting Europe's five smallest states and 2 self-governing territories, and is very eloquent in doing so (although with - perhaps overly-high - English expectations of service!).
As for San Marino.. well, due to a quirk of weather during Colin's visit it remained shrouded in fog and his over-riding impression in the gloom was of a plethora of tourist shops, although he made a spirited attempt to circumnavigate the citidel's towers in the gloom...I note that this was the shortest chapter in the book and get a sense that Coin did not really engage with the place. Which is not a criticism of Mr Leckey - indeed I get a sense from other research that San Marino is not interested in engaging itself with outsiders as a tourist trap as, say, Monaco does...which no doubt explains why its entry in my global trip is restricted to a single chapter in a book by an English foreigner!
I shall leave the summary of this tiny state to Mr Leckey: "The streets of San Marino town are twisting and narrow, and if you were to scrunch up your eyes and allow your thoughts to wander a little, you could imagine life here in medieval times, the landscape not having changed all that much down the centuries. Eye-scrunching and thought-wandering are very necessary, however, as... contemporary San Marino is overwhelmingly the preserve of tourists, shopping for keepsakes from an astonishingly large number of souvenir shops. There scarely seemed to be any other shops at all, just mile after mile of emporia stocking all kinds of tourist tat."
Oh well. At least this account is nearer than I've ever got to the City State in the flesh, and its location within Italy led neatly on to an equally landlocked and locked-off state on my journey: the Vatican City.
Again, Colin never really got anywhere near to this tiny state; but let's face it - that is the experience of most tourists... And his chapter on the City also formed a nice introduction to the "Vatican City: City Of Secrets" book by John Follain.
Colin's book is a very worthwhile tome if you can find it (Grosvenor House Publishing books are more available online than in Waterstones). His book basically does what it says on the tin - he is an English guy visiting Europe's five smallest states and 2 self-governing territories, and is very eloquent in doing so (although with - perhaps overly-high - English expectations of service!).
As for San Marino.. well, due to a quirk of weather during Colin's visit it remained shrouded in fog and his over-riding impression in the gloom was of a plethora of tourist shops, although he made a spirited attempt to circumnavigate the citidel's towers in the gloom...I note that this was the shortest chapter in the book and get a sense that Coin did not really engage with the place. Which is not a criticism of Mr Leckey - indeed I get a sense from other research that San Marino is not interested in engaging itself with outsiders as a tourist trap as, say, Monaco does...which no doubt explains why its entry in my global trip is restricted to a single chapter in a book by an English foreigner!
I shall leave the summary of this tiny state to Mr Leckey: "The streets of San Marino town are twisting and narrow, and if you were to scrunch up your eyes and allow your thoughts to wander a little, you could imagine life here in medieval times, the landscape not having changed all that much down the centuries. Eye-scrunching and thought-wandering are very necessary, however, as... contemporary San Marino is overwhelmingly the preserve of tourists, shopping for keepsakes from an astonishingly large number of souvenir shops. There scarely seemed to be any other shops at all, just mile after mile of emporia stocking all kinds of tourist tat."
Oh well. At least this account is nearer than I've ever got to the City State in the flesh, and its location within Italy led neatly on to an equally landlocked and locked-off state on my journey: the Vatican City.
Again, Colin never really got anywhere near to this tiny state; but let's face it - that is the experience of most tourists... And his chapter on the City also formed a nice introduction to the "Vatican City: City Of Secrets" book by John Follain.
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Leaving Italy.... well sort of.....!!
I have finished my Italian visit today, i.e: "The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana" by Umberto Eco.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.. to be fair this was more about WWII-era Italy (through the memories of a 21st century Milanese bookseller in a coma) but I cannot complain. If this is - as reports suggest - the last ever novel by Umberto Eco, then I am delighted that it came along at just the right time to represent Italy.
Of course Italy is a bit more complex than that! It also emcompasses two of Europe's tiniest states: San Marino and the Vatican City...
I was really struggling to find a representative work for San Marino and was very lucky to come across a book called "Dots on the Map" - a book by a certain Lancastrian called Colin Leckey, who travelled recently to the 7 smallest states of Europe.
Having finished with Italy I was delighted to have this tome to allow me to travel on to San Marino... though I also made the effort to read the chapters on my previously visited "Andorra" and "Monaco" countries; and found both of these chapters added a huge amount to my knowledge gleamed from the books relating to these countries that I read earlier on in my travels.
This book is a very engaging travelogue and - as well as being the sole representation of San Marino - it will serve as an additional resource to the later small 'states' I intend to visit (Vatican City, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands)
In fact, without the inspiration of this book, Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands would not have featured in my list of places to visit, so many thanks to Colin for that also!
I'll catch up after my sojourn in San Marino!
Cheers
John
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.. to be fair this was more about WWII-era Italy (through the memories of a 21st century Milanese bookseller in a coma) but I cannot complain. If this is - as reports suggest - the last ever novel by Umberto Eco, then I am delighted that it came along at just the right time to represent Italy.
Of course Italy is a bit more complex than that! It also emcompasses two of Europe's tiniest states: San Marino and the Vatican City...
I was really struggling to find a representative work for San Marino and was very lucky to come across a book called "Dots on the Map" - a book by a certain Lancastrian called Colin Leckey, who travelled recently to the 7 smallest states of Europe.
Having finished with Italy I was delighted to have this tome to allow me to travel on to San Marino... though I also made the effort to read the chapters on my previously visited "Andorra" and "Monaco" countries; and found both of these chapters added a huge amount to my knowledge gleamed from the books relating to these countries that I read earlier on in my travels.
This book is a very engaging travelogue and - as well as being the sole representation of San Marino - it will serve as an additional resource to the later small 'states' I intend to visit (Vatican City, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands)
In fact, without the inspiration of this book, Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands would not have featured in my list of places to visit, so many thanks to Colin for that also!
I'll catch up after my sojourn in San Marino!
Cheers
John
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Thank you to the National Library of Estonia
Just a quick note to give thanks to the National Library of Estonia - in particular Mari Kannusaar (Chief Specialist, International Relations) and Maire Liivamets (Maire Liivamets, Literary Consultant) - who kindly replied to my request for a representative book for Estonia - which obviously has a thriving literary movement.
They have suggested a number of interesting books and as a result I have a shortlist for Estonia, which I will decide on nearer my time of arrival there on my tour...I am looking forward to it!
They have suggested a number of interesting books and as a result I have a shortlist for Estonia, which I will decide on nearer my time of arrival there on my tour...I am looking forward to it!
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Still in Italy!
Just an update to let you know that I'm still here!
Well, still in Italy for the purposes of this blog...although the amnesiac protagonist has moved from Milan to his childhood home in Solara to try to reconstruct his lost memories through the eclectic literature of his childhood.
Along the way we find out as much about the schizophrenic nature of life in fascist / monarchist life in Italy during WWII, as his own personal life...
I have to say it is fascinating for me personally as, whilst I was taught the usual British / US / French / German perspectives of the second world war, I have never really had an insight into the Italian experience... and Eco is an ideal writer to sensitively introduce one to the human experience of these dark times..
Also, his narrative device of a 21st century individual delving through his 30s/40s mementoes is a highly effective way of examining modern Italy in the light of how the events of 50 years ago shaped it...an ideal choice to represent Italy on this trip, in my opinion.
And I have good news re: San Marino! No native writer has emerged I'm afraid, however I have found a very useful little book called "Dots on the Map" by UK writer Colin Leckey who travelled to Europe's five smallest states (Liechtenstein, San Marino, the Vatican City, Monaco and Andorra), and two smallest self-governing territories (the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar).
As a result I now have a representative text for San Marino and shall add the Faroe Islands & Gibraltar to my journey. I have already been through Andorra & Monaco, and I have books lined up for the other states listed; but I shall read the chapters from this book alongside those works, and will make a retrospective note on the relevant sections on this blog...
Still struggling to find a book for Montenegro though!!
Well, still in Italy for the purposes of this blog...although the amnesiac protagonist has moved from Milan to his childhood home in Solara to try to reconstruct his lost memories through the eclectic literature of his childhood.
Along the way we find out as much about the schizophrenic nature of life in fascist / monarchist life in Italy during WWII, as his own personal life...
I have to say it is fascinating for me personally as, whilst I was taught the usual British / US / French / German perspectives of the second world war, I have never really had an insight into the Italian experience... and Eco is an ideal writer to sensitively introduce one to the human experience of these dark times..
Also, his narrative device of a 21st century individual delving through his 30s/40s mementoes is a highly effective way of examining modern Italy in the light of how the events of 50 years ago shaped it...an ideal choice to represent Italy on this trip, in my opinion.
And I have good news re: San Marino! No native writer has emerged I'm afraid, however I have found a very useful little book called "Dots on the Map" by UK writer Colin Leckey who travelled to Europe's five smallest states (Liechtenstein, San Marino, the Vatican City, Monaco and Andorra), and two smallest self-governing territories (the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar).
As a result I now have a representative text for San Marino and shall add the Faroe Islands & Gibraltar to my journey. I have already been through Andorra & Monaco, and I have books lined up for the other states listed; but I shall read the chapters from this book alongside those works, and will make a retrospective note on the relevant sections on this blog...
Still struggling to find a book for Montenegro though!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)