A Post of Two Novels

Another jam-packed week prevented me from reading as many books as I would have wished. There’s so much going on at work that I got completely absorbed, and I suspect that it won’t be the last time. I did manage a couple of novels though, and good ones at that.

The first was actually a recommendation from a senior manager in the city I work for. Our brief book discussion led me to The Coffee Trader by David Liss. This historical suspense tale takes place in 17th century Amsterdam and focuses on the Portuguese Jew Miguel Lienzo and his circle of acquaintances, business partners, lovers and enemies. Readers will feel tension over whether or not he will get away from his creditors and succeed in his plot to profit from coffee, a good recently introduced into the city. This novel is brimming with history, love, betrayal, scheming, and, of course, the rich dark beverage, which you should have on hand if you plan to read this volume.

When I read this book, I was reminded of both Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier because of the Dutch and partly domestic setting, and The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holmes because of its night-time machinations and seedy relationships. If you want other books set in the Netherlands during the same time period, you can look into Gregory Maguire’s Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, or the excellent Tulipomania: the Story of the World’s Most Coveted Flower & the Extraordinary Passions it Aroused, by Mike Dash. I appreciated the fact that The Coffee Trader doesn’t focus on the tulip as most books set in the same place do, although it does discuss the workings of the Exchange. This book is recommended.

I’ve been working on Salman Rushdie’s Shalimar the Clown in its audio format for a couple of weeks now. This is not an easy text, especially to listen to, but it is rich in language and demonstrates profound storytelling talent on the author’s part. Set largely in Kashmir over the course of several years and two generations, each character’s narrative is woven together, a tapestry of passion, strength, love, revenge, politics, and history. The narration by Aasif Manvi is also excellent.

I haven’t read any others of Rushdie’s books (embarrassing as this is to admit), but I really should at least get to Midnight’s Children. Soon, like every other book I suppose. It’s time will come.

Comments

[Quillhill]

Most of his books are fine and not to be missed.

[Quillhill]

Rushdie, that is.