Segu (Maryse Condé)

Maryse Condé
Segu

Another book selected by my work book club, this for Africa Day, which is great in introducing me to authors I've not heard of. It's a bit of an epic over time and family which is the kind of novel that I like and this lives up to that range. The stories of the main family over the generations and geographies are engaging and interesting especially with the wide subject matters of slavery and religion integrated with narrower matters around family relationships, support and betrayal. A fascinating read. However, one thread which I didn't like was the underlying attitude to women which whilst I understand that the story probably fairly well represents it's setting there are a couple of times where pre-teenage girls who are raped fall in love with their violent rapist. This is a common representation of rape which is truly awful. If it was written by a man I would have wondered as to their attitude but it was written by a woman and I guess I don't have her experience and view of the world. I note this was written back in the 1980s.

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World (Elif Shafak)

Elif Shafak
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World

A recommendation from someone at work which is her favourite book. It's a novel premise which I won't spoil with someone who has fallen into a life on the edges of "respectable" society in Istanbul. That's in quotes as most of what is viewed as respectable society has no respect for others who are different to them whilst those outside it seem to have much more empathy and respect for those who are different. The first half of the book is the main character's story and we are introduced to those who she now counts as her closest friends. The latter part is more adventure with comic moments whilst encased in tragedy. It's a good read, once I settled into it, with serious messages put over well. Like a lot of books I read now I feel that something is missing and in this novel it's getting to know the 5 friends in more depth and to read about their adventures together rather than passing references to them. Each character here could have a book to themselves. I guess I have more time to read than many others do and more than I did when I was younger. Picking up massive novels in my 20s I thought life's too short to read such a big book. Now life is shorter for me ironically I'm happy to spend ages reading long novels. Maybe I should give Moby Dick another try. If Moby Dick the whale was Ahab's nemesis then Moby Dick the book is mine. Although I find the plot pretty distasteful someone trying to exact revenge on a whale which attacked him hardly surprisingly as he was trying to kill the whale. Yes I must read again. Sorry, I digress from the review of Elif's book which is beautifully written with lovely descriptive passages and left me wanting more which I must search out.

Headspill (PriceyPoet)

PriceyPoet
Headspill

Found on bench in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park I guess left by the author PriceyPoet. A short volume of poetry, published by Amazon so I assume self published, mostly about mental wellbeing, or not, particularly during the Covid Lockdown. Some interesting verse and sketched drawings. All very thought provoking.