Books I read in January

Case study by Graeme Macrae Burnet Set in the 1960s, it consists of a fictional biography of Arthur Collins Braithwaite, a radical psychoanalyst with a practice in north London, mixed with notebooks allegedly “found” by one of his cousins ​​and “found” by one of his cousins. author. The patient believes that Braithwaite is responsible for the death of his older sister, Veronica, and acts like Rebecca Smyth to find out more about him. Like the Booker Prize with His Bloody Project, Burnet demonstrates his perfect storytelling skills to present the story as a true source. There are many satires depicting Braithwait’s rivalries with his contemporaries, reminiscent of Ryan O’Neill’s biographies of Their Brilliant Careers, while asking the right questions about the nature and identity of reality while looking for “Rebecca’s” answers. “Case Study” is another notable novel by one of my authors.

Seashaken Houses by Tom Nancollas It is the story of eight lighthouses built on reefs off the coast of Great Britain and Ireland. Each chapter focuses on a specific lighthouse and a different aspect of their history and architecture, such as how they were designed and built (this was not at all unheard of especially for the first ones built centuries ago), a technology developed in Blackwall. In London, and the lives of lighthouse keepers, their roles have been overshadowed by automation. In the final chapter, Nancollas spends his time at the Fastnet Lighthouse on the south coast of Ireland. The isolation of the rocks from the lighthouses is noticeable but appealing, and Nancollas is very adept at spending time in them conveying what it really is, as well as their symbolism as a light of hope in difficult conditions (yesterday’s images of Storm Eunice). were a good example of this). His enthusiasm for the subject is evident in this fascinating book, which is suitable for a general fiction reader with no prior knowledge of lighthouses.

Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara It’s one of my most anticipated books of 2022. His third novel consists of three episodes set in 1893, 1993, and 2093, all featuring different characters named David Bingham in an alternate version of New York. The first part dates from the 19th century. It is set in the late 19th century, where New York is part of the Free States and same-sex relationships and marriages are accepted as the rule. David’s wealthy grandfather has arranged an arranged marriage with Charles Griffith while he is attracted to David Edward Bishop. The second part is about AIDS and has a relationship with Hawaiian-born David Charles, with flashbacks to David’s father’s life, and the third part about the 21st century. It is about the impact of some pandemics during the twentieth century. The novel was already well-developed by the time COVID-19 arrived, and as a result, the second part probably feels less speculative than it intended. Although the links and motives are repeated in each of the three parts, the very different settings mean that I find it more appealing to consider the book as a single novel. Although I wasn’t entirely convinced that ‘To Paradise’ is coherently put together as a single novel, Yanagihara’s prose is consistently excellent and explores some interesting topics that ultimately lead to what it means to be free. Thanks to Picadori for submitting a copy of the review via NetGalley.