Year of the Monkey (Patti Smith)

Patti Smith
Year of the Monkey

A strange and lovely book of a year in Patti's life with both personal and societal trauma. This edition has the start of the Covid epidemic and lock downs. It's a mix of autobiography (albeit just a year or so) with dreams and fiction and fantasy thrown into the mix so you're not too sure where you are but it doesn't matter as it's readable and what's going on in Patti's head anyway. I wonder how the last 18 months have been for her.

Night Boat to Tangier (Kevin Barry)

Kevin Barry
Night Boat to Tangier

A book I bought for Simon as we'd spent time in Algeciras in the 1980s waiting for a ferry to Maroc. We weren't there for the same reason as these guys and were taken under the wings of 4 Moroccan guys who on the other side of the waters helped us negotiate travel between the Spanish enclave and Morocco proper. And one then took us to stay with his family in Casablanca. Such hospitality. For that little adventure see here: https://sites.google.com/site/funkingpunker/home  Anyway Barry's story is of two guys waiting at the port looking out for a certain girl whilst reminiscing about their lives which have been, umm, let's say interesting but you wouldn't've wanted to be part of their lives. Well I wouldn't've. No more spoilers as it's a compelling and fascinating read darkly funny at times. As they are the same age as me, give or take, a lot of the cultural references are of my time which makes it more readable. This edition has an extra short story Old Stock which is more descriptive than a plot but nonetheless enjoyable. 

The Mill on the Floss (George Eliot)

George Eliot
The Mill on the Floss

Epic tale of morality and the conflicts between differing views of that nebulous and changing concept. And with a bit of love and lust thrown in for good measure to mix it up and confuse the outlook of the main characters. There are many strands throughout the story running alongside our main character the beautiful and troubled Maggie. Bookmarked by the power of water firstly being under the influence of man and lastly of a higher power. This edition is part of The Great Writers Library and it certainly meets the criteria.