Hello Gentle Reader
There is a sad melancholic dearly departed whisper to the end of two-thousand and eleven. It has been an interesting year of literature and personal struggles and gains – though every year is a year of good literature, interesting awards, and personal triumphs and struggles.
Let’s look at some of the great books of two-thousand and eleven.
A personal favourite of mine was “The Strangers Child,” by Alan Hollinghurst – it will most likely be the only novel on this list that I had actually read, may I add. The reason for me choosing this novel, is because it was just a honing and showing of his skill, and flexibility, as an author. It was a wonderful novel to watch the passage of time, to see the characters age, and mature. At times horribly sad, to watch how much they had aged, and to see how the passage of time, and to just notice a character had died – be it suicide, heart attack, cancer, or whatever else, may have killed them. It’s a novel of a love triangle, but also a novel about the decline of the British Empire.
“There But For The,” by Ali Smith, is also one of the many novels, that has been named one of the best books of two thousand and eleven. Ali Smith’s novel caused a bit of stir, when this year The Booker Prize, did not even mention it on the long list. It was a bad year for the Booker Prize, for its controversy, over readability over quality. Whether she wanted to or not, Ali Smith and her novel, became one of the novels focused, on the outrage that was not included on the Booker Prize Long List. But with an intriguing plot and some sly and witting humour, Ali Smith’s satirical novel, has been named one of the best books of the year.
Whether anyone enjoys it or not Julian Barnes “The Sense of an Ending,” the winner of this year’s Booker Prize, had guaranteed a spot on the Best Books of 2011. Unfortunately this not much I can say on this book, because there was no real controversy surrounding this book, and I haven’t read it either.
“In Zeiten des abnehmenden Lichts,” or “In Times of Fading Light,” by Eugen Ruge, is a debut and a award winner (winning the German Book Prize for two-thousand and eleven). It is a family chronicle, which watches the separation of Germany and its unification. A novel that certainly maybe of interest to western readers, and might soon be in translation for Western Countries.
“1Q84,” by Haruki Murkami had caused quite hype in its publication in Japan, and its hype seen in the west had also been seen. However here in Canada the cover itself, was a sad site. With a tissue paper, cover it could only cause one to shake their head, and that silliness. I would love to buy the book, but I won’t because of the horrible, cover, of tissue paper, cover, which will easily rip and become a mess. However it still remained on the bestseller list for weeks.
An American novelist Jeffrey Eugenides new novel “The Marriage Plot,” his third novel since his first novel “The Virgin Suicides,” published back in nineteen-ninety three, has been called a best book of two-thousand and eleven, did not meet up to its predecessor “Middlesex,” however it still has been called a good novel, though not his best.
The last book that I will name personally from two thousand and eleven, that I had enjoyed, will be from the Canongate Myth Series, from Dame A.S. Byatt’s novel “Ragnarok: The End of the Gods,” is a new novel of the Canongate Myth Series, and a new novel from Dame A.S. Byatt. Dealing with the end of the Norse God’s and World War II, and the relation the two had to each other, in the child’s eye. Full of beautiful imagery and carefully painted landscapes and scenes, this novel was a delight.
The list could go on, to include many novels. But these ones will have to do.
A Happy New Year to All.
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
*And Remember: Downloading Books Illegally is Thievery and Wrong.*
M. Mary
