One of the chief actors in the novel, though he doesn't get any dialogue, is God, who provides miracles as and when required. Ursule's godfather, old Dr Minoret (NOT Mirouët - a bit confusing!), is a rational man who is not to be brought to the Catholic faith by mere persuasion. God discreetly demonstrates his existence, and Minoret is hooked.
Ursule represents the chief obstacle to those of old Dr Minoret's family who, were she not the favourite, would expect to inherit by default. Their avarice and scheming are the chief interest of the novel. Despite everything that is ridiculous about Ursule Mirouët, I think I enjoyed it more than any other Balzac novel I've read. I'm not sure I can explain that. Anyway, Dr Minoret makes plans to frustrate the inheritors' schemes and set up Ursule in comfort with her intended, but his plans go awry. Ursule shows great stoicism vis-à -vis the money, but suffers personal insult and injury by the machinations of people who want to marry her off, and her intended, to random people for gain.
A little bit of detective work by the old men, helped by some miraculous evidence provided by you-know-Who, and voilà , Ursule's fortune is recovered and the chief of the villains gets his comeuppance. One thing I found unsatisfying was that Ursule, who cared nothing for wealth or retribution, was granted both. That seemed unnecessary. She got the young man, a viscount by the way, which is all that really mattered to her, but she is swanning about with her lover in a fine carriage and hobnobbing with wealth and nobility. Don't be jealous says Balzac, for they have suffered....more
An earnest, well-meaning sort of book, well researched but the data is patchy. Reading it felt like being given a guided tour of the wrong side of a hAn earnest, well-meaning sort of book, well researched but the data is patchy. Reading it felt like being given a guided tour of the wrong side of a huge tapestry. Indigenous Americans generally appear only in the peripheral vision of those creating the historical records, and what exists is usually distorted, through ignorance, prejudice, or to suit agendas unrelated to those observed. This book is a brave attempt to navigate the considerable difficulties this presents. Two things were impressed on my mind by reading On Savage Shores, the first being a much more nuanced image of Spanish colonial rule. There were loud voices in Spain arguing the case of conscience about colonial exploitation, and many indigenous Americans, generally the aristocrats of American nations that had sided with the Spanish, were treated with respect in Spain, often marrying into the Spanish aristocracy � there are still venerable Moctezuma-descended families in Spain today. The second thing was the omnipresence of indigenous Americans in Europe from the 16th century forward. They arrived as slaves, wives, petitioners seeking royal largesse, seekers of justice, explorers (or tourists), traders, and so on, and many stayed, blending into the population in a generation or two, their origins soon forgotten. Not a book that will knock your socks off, but still a worthwhile read. ...more
Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town'! Seriously? It was a set text for English when I was in high school in Western Australia way back in the 1960s. The EngliThornton Wilder's 'Our Town'! Seriously? It was a set text for English when I was in high school in Western Australia way back in the 1960s. The English curriculum included several US titles (but not one Australian title - the 'culture cringe' was a real thing). Encountering James Baldwin (The Fire Next Time) and Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman) was exciting, even cathartic, but 'Our Town' was a squib, one long yawn (despite the novelty of the play's 'metatheatrical' features). And yet, for Ann Patchett it's practically a sacred text : "I thank Thornton Wilder, who wrote the play that has been an enduring comfort, guide and inspiration throughout my life." (Author's Note). Patchett's narrator, Lara, explains that New Hampshire people feel about Our Town, which is set in New Hampshire, as other Americans feel about the Constitution or the "Star Spangled Banner". It's evidently an American thing that teenage boys in Australia cannot be expected to relate to. I will take another look at it. I could conceivably have misjudged it. Anyway, Patchett spins this straw (or whatever it is) into gold. This novel is a real charmer, if somewhat insular in its social scope. It's very much about decent, polite, well-educated, politically liberal people leading quite comfortable lives, thank you. Lara's family are all together getting in the harvest at the family's cherry orchard, while she tells the story of her past. I'm not sufficiently au fait with Chekhov to understand the significance of this Cherry Orchard, but there is no way it's not salient. The novel is about family, honest work, stewardship of land, and theatre. It's an attractive mix, but I think that it is a blinkered view of an America which has much about it that is far from attractive....more
A book in a similar vein to Douglas Stuart’s novel Shuggie Bain: Glasgow and an alcoholic parent. Barnes writes like a person to whom writing does notA book in a similar vein to Douglas Stuart’s novel Shuggie Bain: Glasgow and an alcoholic parent. Barnes writes like a person to whom writing does not come naturally, but his slight awkwardness highlights the authenticity of his words. Albert Facey’s writing has a similar quality. Barnes arrived in Australia as a £10 pom in 1961, the same year I arrived on the same scheme. I’m happy to say the sewerage system on our ship did not break down, and we had a pleasant voyage. I was sent to school in the country as soon as we arrived, so I didn’t experience the migrant hostel system which was by all accounts pretty awful. My mother did, but our absence must have made things a little more bearable. And like Barnes� family, we arrived in high summer so the Nissan huts would have been truly miserable. There was plenty of work around, but the principle of equal pay for work of equal value did not become law in Australia until 1972. My mother’s constant employment didn’t make us prosperous, but at least the money wasn’t pissed away at the pub. My brother and I got into bother with the police, but violence was never part of our experience. I’m thankful for that. Barnes achieves a delicate balance by telling a story of quite extreme awfulness without excessive bitterness. He can see beyond his father’s violence to the circumstances that made him what he was, and expresses love for his parents despite their failings. He sees their love despite everything and acknowledges it. It’s apparent how difficult the writing must have been. Family trauma, whether violent or not, leaves children with a terrible burden of shame and social dysphoria. ...more
This the 2nd volume of Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet, is largely the story of Lila’s unhappy marriage with Stefano, then her departure into a life of This the 2nd volume of Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet, is largely the story of Lila’s unhappy marriage with Stefano, then her departure into a life of grinding poverty, but on terms of her own choosing. As a counterpoint to Lila’s descent, Elena’s star is on the rise. She gains admission to a university in Pisa where she excels academically, and ultimately she has a novel published to considerable acclaim. It is to Lila, by dint of the sheer force of her personality, that Elena continues to defer. It is as if Elena studies but Lila lives, and whatever flair Elena may occasionally display for life she will find upon reflection to have been learned from watching Lila. The witness-narrator as medium for telling the story of another more important character was a not uncommon narrative technique in 19th and early 20th century fiction. Nick Carraway telling Jay Gatsby’s story comes to mind. Ferrante has created in Elena a narrator who is at once more and less than a Nick Carraway. Nick is somehow always himself, while there is an absence in Elena which she feels, but an absence that makes her (at least for me) a more interesting character. Paired with Lila, it is as if Lila’s life is somehow more authentic, more original, braver, and more passionate. Lila comes across as a force of nature. Again and again different characters called her ‘a pain in the arse,� which makes me wonder what was the phrase in the original Italian. It might come in handy if ever I revisit Italy....more
I like to read Italian books in Italian if I can, but since my wife gifted me this English translation it would have been silly (and churlish) to insiI like to read Italian books in Italian if I can, but since my wife gifted me this English translation it would have been silly (and churlish) to insist. I'm not a fast reader, even in English, so my finishing a novel in 4 days says something positive about it. I enjoyed it.
Reflecting upon what it was that appealed to me, I thought most of Italian neo-realist cinema, the verismo of Giovanni Verga, and even of Thomas Hardy's Wessex novels. The social milieu of My Brilliant Friend bears but a faint imprint of modernity. I love the clarity and simplicity of such narratives. In Verga's fiction the brutality of daily life is entirely a product of the will to survive. Ferrante’s fictional world is a little more distant from the abyss, but there’s still a frisson of danger. Does Elena Greco’s ‘brilliant friend� Lina (‘Lila�) Cerullo, child of a boot-repairer, have the necessary moxie to extricate herself from the labyrinth of the life into which she was born? Elena lives in hope.
This is detective fiction in the hard-boiled mode, and quite well done with corrupt cops, corrupt politicians, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and illicit guThis is detective fiction in the hard-boiled mode, and quite well done with corrupt cops, corrupt politicians, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and illicit guns. Corris' detective, Cliff Hardy, has had major heart surgery, but he is still game for fisticuffs with bikies when the occasion arises. I suppose it's meant to make him more interesting, but it comes across as implausible and unnecessary. For all that, the narrative is well-paced and engaging and the mystery not so convoluted that I felt out of the loop for most of the novel, as sometimes happens with mystery fiction....more
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