May Reading Recap
June! How have six months gone by? As summer begins in earnest, I am excited to share with you my May Reading Recap. There were a couple of standouts and a few dislikes. It was quite a mixed bag. Two that I haven't stopped thinking about were Kevin Wilson and Ocean Vuong’s new books. I couldn't recommend them more. Please let me know if you've read them so we can unpack these splendid stories together.
Eurotrash by Christian Kracht Translated by Daniel Bowles
Longlisted for the International Booker Prize
Quick Synopsis: After coming to the realization they are awful people, Christian and his 80-year-old wealthy mother go on a road trip to give away their fortune.
Strong/Weak Points: This is an odd one. It felt off like maybe something was lost in translation.
Eurotrash is semi-autobiographical, which makes sense since the main character shares the same name as the author, Christian Kracht. The dysfunctional relationship between the mother and son is based on Kracht's own relationship with his wicked yet sometimes loving mother. I'm not sure which parts of the mother were exaggerated because the fictional mother was such a vile character, spewing nastiness to anyone she encountered. At times, these cheeky remarks were entertaining. But most of the time, I wondered if the reader is supposed to find the vodka-fueled bitchy banter funny? Is the reader supposed to connect or care about these characters? Because I certainly didn't.
There's also this bizarre dance between Christian and his mother being ashamed of their generational wealth from their nazi-sympathizing ancestors (yes, this part is also biographical). Still, in other parts, they took pride in their family and past. Is the reader supposed to be impressed by how well-connected his family is? However, I do enjoy reading about uber-wealthy people who have no concept of money.
My last gripe about this story is that the setup before the actual story detracted from the book. There cannot be 48 pages of rambling that doesn't have anything to do with the story before we actually get to the present day and for the story to take off. I don't care about the main character's family lineage when the reader hasn't been introduced to the main character yet. This should have been scattered throughout the book instead of being all in the first quarter.
I think it's safe to say I will not be reading the first book in this series.
Writing Style: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Plot: 3/5
Flow/Pacing: 2/5
Overall Rating: 2.5/5
Not Recommend
For Fans of: Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, and Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq
The Gentleman from Peru by André Aciman
Quick Synopsis: A group of friends are stranded at a luxury resort in Italy while waiting for their friend’s boat to be repaired. The group invites a mysterious older gentleman who is also staying at the resort to have lunch with them and is wowed by his wisdom.
Strong Points: After reading My Roman Year, I have been wanting to read more of Aciman’s beautiful writing. While shopping at Foyles with my mom, we decided to pick up a book that both of us could read and then talk about on our weekend getaway to Bath. I’m so happy that we selected this one. It’s the perfect short vacation read. I mean, just look at that cover. Doesn’t it just scream vacation? My husband and my stepdad also ended up reading it that weekend, and we all loved the writing so much that each of us cited our favorite passages. This is a book that could have just hit me at the right time, but isn’t that what is so great about books? I love that a book can remind you of the memories that are associated with where you were when you read it and what you were feeling.
Aciman’s writing is elegant and effortless, and his storytelling is creative and whimsical. While there is a little bit of magical realism, which I’m usually not the hugest fan of, it was easy to read. It didn’t require me to analyze the rules of magical realism or make me feel like it was ridiculous. It felt natural.
The ending was also excellent. It didn’t necessarily tie the story up in a neat bow but left the reader to interpret what they thought was going to happen. Which led to another good discussion among my family.
Weak Points: Nothing of note
Consider this for your next vacation read.
Writing Style: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Flow/Pacing: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5
Highly Recommend
For Fans of: Intermezzo by Sally Rooney, Orbital by Samantha Harvey, The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor
Quick Synopsis: On the cusp of WWII, on a small island off the coast of Wales, 18-year-old Madon is hired as an interpreter for a couple of English anthropologists.
Strong/Weak Points: This was a smash hit last year. I’ve been on my library’s waitlist for months, and finally, it fell to me. However, I must admit that I was a little disappointed. Although I enjoyed it, I think my expectations were a bit too high. So, keep that in mind while reading this review.
A few things I loved about it:
The setting of a small fishing village on a small Welsh island during the start of WWII was comfy. Give me a book set in a remote fishing village, and I’m in. It wasn’t heavy on plot, and the writing and character development did the heavy lifting.
I liked how the whale that washed up on the beach and slowly decayed symbolized the island's population dwindling and “decaying” as the next generation of teenagers fled to the mainland, away from the small island life and daily grind of fishing. The English couple that came into town didn’t respect the whale, much like they didn’t respect or appreciate the village’s culture, by taking parts of the whale to use for their own use back on the island without consulting the villagers.
The main reason I was disappointed:
It reminded me of a watered-down version of The Colony by Audrey Magee. While I enjoyed Whale Fall enough, I don’t think it’s very memorable. Its plot (or lack thereof) wasn’t exciting. I was a little bored halfway through. There weren’t any stakes. The ending just petered out. It was also lacking the haunting quality of The Colony.
Again, my expectations were too high, and I got caught up in the hype. Had I stumbled upon this one myself, I think I would have enjoyed it more.
If you’re looking for a good book in the same vein, check out The Colony by Audrey Magee instead.
Writing Style: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Flow/Pacing: 3.5/5
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Eh, recommend
For Fans of: Clear by Carys Davies, The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden, and Held by Anne Michaels
Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico Translated by Sophie Hughes
International Booker Prize Shortlist
Quick Synopsis: A young expat couple, Tom and Anna, live a dream life in Berlin in a beautiful apartment filled with beautiful things. They have it all, well, so it seems from their masterfully crafted social media pages.
Strong Points: It was originally published in Italy three years ago. And within just the first month, it had already sold as many copies in the UK as it had in all three years in Italy. Maybe the Italians didn’t appreciate this one, but I sure did. It was fabulous! When I first flipped through and saw there was no dialogue, I was a little nervous. (Latronico said dialogue is not his strong suit, so he made the conscious decision to forgo it.) How is the reader supposed to connect with the characters? Was the story going to be too descriptive and dull? It turned out to be quite the opposite.
The characters were kept at arm’s length because the reader didn’t need to be privy to their conversations or inner feelings. The two characters, Tom and Anna, were a package deal. You didn’t need to know their different personalities because they were to be viewed as one. They weren’t supposed to be unique but instead embody the basic idea of a millennial.
The commentary on reality vs the perfect picture we paint and present to people isn’t anything new. In fact, Perfection is based on a 1965 novel called Things: A Story of the Sixties by Georges Perec, where a young couple searches for “the good life” through material things. 60 years later, this theme is still relevant. Latronico also drew inspiration from his own life, as he, like the couple in the story, moved to Berlin in 2008, encountering some of the same roadblocks to authenticity.
Weak Points: A minor nitpick, but the synopsis on the back cover was misleading. It’s not so much about politics (that only takes up about 20 pages) but more about the couples’ search for meaning in their lives.
I think this deserved the International Booker Prize win.
Writing Style: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Flow/Pacing: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
Recommend
For Fans of: Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, and Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami
Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
Quick Synopsis: After losing their mother/wife, a human-size crow helps a father and sons grieve.
Strong/Weak Points: I really, really, really wish I could have gotten into this book. I desperately wanted to like it. I got what it was going for and loved the concept, but something didn’t click for me. It couldn’t get into the style of his writing or the story. I’m going to need another read-through before I can thoroughly review it. If someone has read it and would like to talk about it, let me know!
Fun fact: Max Porter was a judge on the panel for the International Book Prize this year.
Writing Style: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 2/5
Flow/Pacing: 2.5/5
Overall Rating: 2.5/5
For Fans of: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, and Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Quick Synopsis: Fennell is a journalist who is writing a story about the people who repair the fiber-optic cables that carry the world’s internet. After there’s a major fracture in one of the lines, cutting Africa off from the rest of the world, Fennell hops aboard a ship with the repair crew.
Strong Points: The concept of the internet is wild. It’s information in the form of electricity that passes through glass tubes encased in wires that sit at the bottom of the ocean. The fact that the first cable connecting North America and Europe was laid in 1858, which then evolved into telephone signals running through those cables in the 1950s, to over 750,000 miles of fiber-optic cables today that provide the internet to people worldwide is truly remarkable. Something as simple as basic cables connect the whole world to each other with the help of people whose sole job is to monitor and ensure that breaks in the wires are fixed quickly. I’ve always wanted to read a book about this. After reading this unique synopsis, I was excited to dive in. The first act was exciting and a page-turner. I liked reading about Fennell and his journey of getting this story. However….
Weak Points: …I had issues with some of the story’s structure. The flashbacks didn’t flow or connect to the present storyline. They felt forced and unnecessary. I think we could have learned more about the character’s past in a more natural way. Maybe over a dinner they talk about their pasts, or there’s a scene that reminds Fennell of a pivot time in his life. Just randomly flashing back to a moment that has nothing to do with the present storyline felt jarring and discombobulating.
I wasn’t a fan of the pacing in general. The first act was great. I was loving reading about Fennell’s adventure and meeting the crew. Then the story came to a screeching halt in the second half and picked up a little in the third. The main storylines were finished and pretty much wrapped up, and I saw I still have 30 pages left. How?!
Contrary to the title, there’s not much of a twist.
Writing Style: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Flow/Pacing: 2/5
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Eh, recommend if you’re interested in reading about internet cables and mysterious men
For Fans of: Audition by Katie Kitamura, Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and The Antidote by Karen Russell
Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
Quick Synopsis: Mad's dad walked out on her family, leaving her to help her mom take care of the farm. After a man shows up at her doorway, claiming to be her brother, they head out on a road trip to find their other siblings and track down their dad.
Strong Points: If you haven't read anything by Kevin Wilson, you absolutely must. Nothing to See Here is my favorite. His writing is as comfortable and funny as an early 2000s sitcom or a Saturday morning cartoon. His stories are wild and entertaining. The characters are quirky and unapologetically themselves. There are always a few thought-provoking lines in each of his books that I write down to return to later. Oh, and did I mention he's the cutest Southern man ever?
Wilson is also the king of Easter eggs; each of his books uses something from a previous book, which makes reading them that much more enjoyable. In Now is Not the Time to Panic, there's a character who writes Nancy Drew-type books, but before she started writing that genre, she talks about how she unsuccessfully wrote a book about a man who had kids with different women but named all of the daughters the same name. The oldest daughter takes a road trip to pick up her long-lost siblings to attend their father's funeral. Wanting to explore this story, Wilson wrote Run for the Hills.
The story has many peculiar twists and turns, making it both entertaining and heartfelt. The way the siblings develop throughout the book makes the story that much richer. The story also explored several deep themes, including what it means to be a family and how our parents' choices can significantly shape the person we grow up to be, perpetuating that cycle.
Weak Points: Sure, there are some cheesy moments, but that's also his style of writing and storytelling, and I didn't mind it.
Weak Points: Nothing of note
If you're looking for a light, fun story, this one is for you.
Writing Style: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Plot: 4/5
Flow/Pacing: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
Recommend
For Fans of: My Friends by Fredrik Backman, The Names by Florence Knapp, and The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Quick Synopsis: Hai becomes a caretaker for an older widow who is battling dementia after she saves him from jumping off a bridge.
Strong Points: Okay, based on the synopsis, you’re probably telling yourself that this book is setting you up for a big bag of depression. But trust me on this, it’s one that you don’t want to miss. It’s one of the most beautiful books I’ve read.
Vuong is a bit of a blind spot for me. I’ve only ever read his poetry collection, Time Is a Mother, which I enjoyed. (His other book, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, is sitting on my bookshelf, begging for me to tear into it.) I was excited to get my hands on his new book, The Emperor of Gladness, quite possibly one of the most anticipated publications of the summer, the day it came out. And let me tell you, I ate it up! I could go on and on about the writing (beautiful), the characters (I want to hug them all), or the storytelling (I couldn’t put it down), but I want to focus on the themes the most.
The overarching theme of kindness is so beautiful. During his press tour for this book, Vuong discussed growing up in a poor community where neighbors lacked the financial means to support one another and help improve each other’s lives. Still, instead, they showed up for one another. When kindness is shown, knowing there isn’t a payoff, Vuong calls this “kindness without hope.” He uses a specific example of working at Boston Market, where he worked for years to support his family, and a coworker received a call while they were all closing up for the night that her brother had overdosed. She rushed out to the hospital, and after cleaning up and turning the open sign to close, they all sat there and held vigil. Instead of going home and moving on their evening, they waited to see if she needed them. This is kindness without hope.
For these characters, there is no change. There is no upward progress. It’s a generosity mindset vs every man for himself and the pull yourself up by the bootstrap mindset that conservatives love to spew.
It was refreshing to read a book where the characters don’t necessarily win the lottery or get a big promotion at work. But also not reading about characters who are constantly punished. There is a theme of continuous suffering in the world, which is matched by a constant mystery and beauty. Drawing inspiration from his upbringing, this story felt authentic and lived-in. The emotions and experiences are ones only someone who has gone through them could write about in such a personal and in-depth way.
I’ve been following his press tour for this book and have been falling more in love with his soft-spoken wisdom. However, I don’t care for his take that he will only publish eight books. (He’s a Buddhist and lives by the Nobel Eightfold Path, with eight being a holy number of sorts.) I guess we’ll just have to savor the ones he publishes.
Weak Points: Nada
This quiet book had A+ storytelling, character development, writing, plot, and pacing.
Writing Style: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Flow/Pacing: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5
Highly Recommend
For Fans of: Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt, Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson, The Names by Florence Knapp
"But don’t be afraid of life, son. Life is good when we do good things for each other." -The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
