Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet

As I mentioned earlier, I am finally finished with my degree. Because of my passion for books I have studied literature for three years, but I haven’t had the time to read books that I want to read. Reading one book a week for my course was time consuming enough next to writing essays and dissertation, but this week I decided to read a book that I wanted to read. I have to admit that it felt amazing; I have really missed reading for pleasure. And I loved the book and thought it was about time for a book review again.

Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet is a beautiful story written my Jamie Ford. It is his debut novel and he tells the reader a story that is emotionally connected with a physical place and a state of mind that is both bitter and sweet.

Source

The story starts when the reader is introduced to Henry Lee in 1986. He walks past the Panama Hotel in Seattle, which has been boarded up since World War II. He discovers that the new owner has found several boxes in the basement of the hotel, boxes that contain personal items that belonged to Japanese families who were evacuated to internment camps during the war. These boxes take Henry back to his childhood, leading the reader into the main storyline that is set in 1942. Henry is 12 years old then, a Chinese boy who is sent to go to an all-white school. Pearl Harbour is here a fresh memory for the American people and several of them thinks that Henry is Japanese and does not treat him well. Because of this, his father makes him wear a button that says “I am Chinese”. His life is not easy, and a less than perfect relationship with his father does not make it easier to be Henry.

Henry works in the school cafeteria and one day a Japanese girl named Keiko starts working with him. He knows that he should not make friends with her, but as he is the only Chinese student and she is the only Japanese at their school, they identify with each other and became true friends.

This is the start of a forbidden friendship that is the main framework of the story. It continues to reveal how it was like to be Chinese and Japanese during the war and the consequences that emerged.

I absolutely loved this book; I really did not want it to end. It is beautifully written and you cannot help but to fall in love with the characters and their dreams and hopes. The story gives the reader a vivid picture of what it was like to live in America at this time. The only thing I have to complain about is that Ford gives Henry thoughts and feelings beyond the maturity level of a 12 year old. But he writes it so well that it seems believable, which in my opinion is saying a great deal about the fantastic writing style of this novel. I absolutely recommend it, it is one of the most beautiful books I have read in a long time.

Narnia

I have been a huge fan of this series for years and to think that its popularity is still growing so many years after it was written is extraordinary. I used to be stuck to the TV when I was a kid during Christmas as a Norwegian TV channel would send the Narnia series and I absolutely fell in love with the story. When I found out it was based on books I simply had to have them and fell even more in love with this. C.S. Lewis’ fantasy is amazing and stories like this is not written anymore with the same dedication and spirit and in my opinion the Narnia series should be classified as classics.

Source

To be able to open a door no another world is every child’s dream. At least it was my dream and to find out that it is not possible can make the sanest person angry. It is over 60 years since the first Narnia book was published, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It has touched so many, both children and adults, and I think it is the astonishing fantasy that is the main source.

The story is rather simple; it is ordinary children who are being presented to a magical world where Father Christmas makes an appearance and the lion Aslan is a saviour who dies and then rises again. Greek mythology is also present and also the legend of King Arthur sneaks in. For children this is a story that has fantasy that they had never even dreamt of imagining but for adults it has history and mythology and hidden secrets.

The universe of Narnia is a place I do not regret crawling into and the books are truly fantastic on so many different levels. It can bring joy to kids of all ages and I believe that its popularity will continue to grow with the years. But if you are ever tired of this world or need a break you can always crawl back out of the wardrobe and join our world again. Just make sure you are not too old the next time you try to enter and that you keep the little child within you.

Sherlock Holmes

-         a true crime fiction hero

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a Scottish physician and writer and he is most famous for his stories about the notorious detective Sherlock Holmes. In the crime fiction genre Doyle is one of the most famous authors because of the adventures Holmes is involved with. Next to crime fiction he also wrote science fictions stories, historical novels, plays and romances, poetry and non-fiction.

Sherlock Holmes is a detective in London and he first appeared in publication in 1887, featured in several short stories and novels. This arrogant yet confident character was famous for his ability to take almost any disguise and his use of forensic science skills to solve difficult cases were flawless. He has good help from his friend and chronicler, Dr. Watson, who is also the narrator of the stories. Often in crime fiction novels these stories are not told by the detective himself but by a close friend or co-worker.

Although Holmes is a messy character who you might question his work methods from time to time, he really does know what he is doing. He is not afraid of anything and he has knowledge to absolutely everything.

A good crime fiction story has a duality: the story of the crime and the story of the investigation. One cannot exist without the other and the stories about Sherlock Holmes are a perfect example of this. Towards the end of each story we as the reader receive an explanation of how the investigation was happening in order to understand the actual crime. The stories Holmes comes up with and the explanations are truly remarkable and you cannot help but to fall a little in love with this big-headed detective.

I read The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes a couple of weeks ago for my crime fiction class and I was pleasantly surprised over how good it was. It is well written and exciting and the stories are truly original. It is written quite a while ago but the language is fairly easy but cleverly written. This book was actually the reason why I chose crime fiction as one of my classes and I really liked it. Crime stories these days are of course slightly different but this is the ultimate crime detective that no one can beat.

The notebook

It is almost Valentine’s Day so I thought I could share one of my favourite love stories; The Notebook. It is a beautiful romantic novel written by Nicholas Sparks in 1996. It is a story of everlasting love and it shows the many obstacles love can go through. But if it’s real than it is worth everything.

Source

The story begins with Noah, an 80 year old man, reading a story from a notebook to a woman in a nursing home. The story takes them back to 1946 to the beautiful town called New Bern, North Carolina. And this is where a beautiful adventure begins, when Noah Calhoun meets a young woman called Allie Nelson. They fell in love very quickly and the summer went by too quickly. But as the summer comes to an end, Allie must move back home and leave Noah behind. Noah is devastated but he refuses to let her go. He writes a letter each day for a year, but with no reply.

Seven years go by without them being in contact with each other but the memories from their summer together are still strong. After Noah’s father dies he decides to restore his plantation-style home, a gorgeous house that gets a picture in the paper. And that is when Allie sees Noah for the first time. He had promised her to restore the house and she could not believe he had actually done it.

They then meet, for the first time since their summer romance, and the memories and feelings are quickly coming back. But of course there are complications. Allie is seeing someone else and her parents don’t want her to be with Noah, a poor farmer boy. Questions of whether they should be together causes troubles and the story from the notebook takes some unexpected turns as the woman in the nursing home is trying to remember what the story is really about.

I absolutely love this book. It is so beautiful, sad and romantic and very well written. I have to admit that the first time I heard about this epic love story was when I saw the film The Notebook. I completely fell in love with it and when I found out it was based on a book I had to read it. The film and the book is actually very different and I found that as I was reading the book I kept comparing it to the film. Usually it is the other way around for me; I compare the film to the book so this was a new experience for me. But I actually love them both. The book is fantastic and if you’re looking for something to read this weekend then I recommend this book.  

Tysteren, av Jan-Erik Fjell

Jan-Erik Fjell er bare 28 år og har nettopp utgitt sin første kriminalroman, Tysteren, som har blitt ekstremt populær i Norge. Krimdebuten ble belønnet med Bokhandlerprisen 2010, og han er da den yngste forfatteren som noen gang har fått denne prisen. Tysteren ble utsolgt fra lagrene før lanseringen og boken er nå trykket i fire opplag som totalt utgjør 17 000 eksemplarer. Boken har fått masse god kritikk, og Stavanger Aftenblad kom med tittelen ”Flytt deg, Jo Nesbø”. Og blir man sammenliknet med denne krimkongen, da er man på rett spor.

Tysteren er en parallellhistorie som begynner i New York på 1960-tallet. Vincent Giordano blir medlem av den beryktede mafiafamilien Locatelli og i sitt første oppdrag må han drepe en tyster. I nåtid i Fredrikstad blir byens rikeste mann drept, og det er grunn til å tro at drapet var økonomisk motivert.

Anton Brekke fra Kripos er overbetjenten som får i oppgave å løse dette mordet, men han er ikke den typiske politibetjenten. Han er frekk og spydig og med drag på damene, men hans store lidenskap er pokerspill. I hælene i denne etterforskningen har han politistudenten Magnus Torp, og etter hvert tar etterforskningen en annen vinkel. De to parallellhistoriene blir flettet sammen, og Brekke begynner å rulle opp flere historier som viser seg å ha en sammenheng med hverandre.

Jeg likte denne boken veldig godt og da spesielt karakterene. For meg virket det som om Anton Brekke var en person du absolutt ikke kom til å like, men gjorde det allikevel. Han hadde noe med seg som gjorde at du var på hans side og ville vite mer om han. Språket er veldig bra og flyter fint gjennom hele historien. Det var andre halvdel av boken som vant meg over og jeg kunne da nesten ikke legge fra meg boken. Jeg anbefaler virkelig Tysteren, det var en glimrende kriminalroman og jeg gleder meg til Fjell har skrevet ferdig bok to og den kommer ut i bokhandlerne. Da skal jeg løpe ut og kjøpe den, og jeg føler meg ganske sikker på at den kommer til å hakket bedre enn den første. 

Kilder: http://www.dagbladet.no/2010/09/06/kultur/litteratur/bok/jan-erik_fjell/13244910/, http://www.juritzen.no/nor/pages/195-janerik_fjell, og min egen leseropplevelse

Bildet: http://www.juritzen.no/dynamic_image/341/350x536/tysteren_med_bokhandlerpris_baand_hoyoppl..jpg

Mofongo

Til jul fikk jeg et par bøker, og Mofongo av Cecilia Samartin er en av dem. Mens jeg var på Oppdal så slukte jeg denne boken, for jeg har blitt veldig fascinert av Samartin og hennes måte å skrive på. Hun vet hvordan hun skal bruke ordene for å fange sine lesere, og dette er noe hun klarte igjen da hennes fjerde bok ble publisert høsten 2010. Jeg har tidligere skrevet om de tre andre bøkene hennes, og de kan du finne her om du er interessert.

Boken handler om lille Sebastian på 10 år, men han er ikke som andre barn på hans alder. Han ble født med en hjertefeil som gjør at han ikke kan løpe og spille fotball sammen med andre barn og dette er hans største drøm i livet. Med en meget overbeskyttende mor er det ikke lett å prøve å leve et normalt liv, spesielt når hun glemmer både sin mann og datter. Som om ikke livet hjemme var vanskelig nok, så blir han i tillegg mobbet på skolen. Sebastian syns ikke livet er lett, men etter at hans mormor fikk slag ble livet hans annerledes. Hun er en sta, gammel dame og bestemte at hun skulle bo hjemme og Sebastian besøker henne da hver dag etter skolen. Plutselig blir det da et lyspunkt i hverdagen hans, nemmelig det å besøke sin bestemor og lære å lage mat fra hennes hjemland; Puerto Rico.

Jeg likte boken veldig godt, men syns kanskje ikke det er den beste boken til Samartin. Men hun skriver veldig flott og interessant og som sagt så kan hun å fange sine lesere. Språket er lett, men vakkert, og Sebastian fanger hjerte til leserne på en nydelig måte. Det jeg likte best med boken er karakterene. De er vel skrevet og ekte, noe som jeg syns er viktig i en bok. Det å skrive karakterer som leserne forelsker seg i, er en kunst i seg selv, og alle bøkene til Samartin har dette. Jeg anbefaler virkelig bøkene hennes, de er eventyrlig nydelige. 

Picture from: http://torbis.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/mofongo.jpeg

Dan Brown

Dan Brown is one of my favourite authors so it really was about time that I wrote about him. If there is one author out there who deserves to be acknowledged for his fantastic novels, it is Mr. Brown.

I got The Da Vinci Code as a Christmas gift from my parents many years ago and I absolutely loved it. I had never read anything like that before and I was instantly hooked. To this very day I am still amazed over how well-written Brown’s books are and I’m waiting and hoping that he will publish a new book soon.

About a year ago, his newest novel The Lost Symbol came out and I knew what I wanted for Christmas. My parents know how much I like to read and they told me when I opened up my present that they had bought the book for me before I had even told them I wanted it. Just proves that they know me, and it was very difficult putting the book down. I believe that The Lost Symbol is my favourite Dan Brown book.

What makes Brown’s book so special is that they are set in a 24-hour time period and they are featuring the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes and conspiracy theories. The chapters are small, sometimes as small as one page, but you can’t put the book down as each chapter ends with a question or an episode that you as the reader want an answer to.

Brown has written five exciting novels in the thriller fiction category. The Da Vinci Code was the fourth book he wrote and also the book that made him world known. His books has later on been translated into over 40 languages and sold over 80 million copies. His books are as follows:

 

 Digital Fortress, 1998 – published in Norway in 2005

Angels & Demons, 2000 – published in Norway in 2004

Deception Point, 2001- published in Norway in 2006

The Da Vinci Code, 2003 – published in Norway in 2006

The Lost Symbol, 2009 – published in Norway in 2009

The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons have also been adapted into films, but they have left out quite a lot from the novels so I would recommend that you read the books next to seeing the films.

I think his books are fantastic and definitely some of the best books I have ever read. In Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol we are following the lead character Robert Langdon and I almost fell in love with him while reading these books. He is so smart and so well written about that you feel like you’re in the room with him while reading Brown’s novels.

As Brown is a very well known author these days I’m guessing that most of the people out there have read one of his books, but I can’t help but emphasize just how amazing they are. I recommend all of his novels, but my personal favourites are Angels & Demons and The Lost Symbol. 

Sources: Wikipedia and Bokklubben

Pictures: http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2010/07/everybody_writes_like_dan_brow.php and http://www.ioffer.com/si/dan%20brown

Stieg Larsson – Millennium trilogy, Part 3

The Girl who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest

(original title in Swedish: Luftslottet som sprangdes. “The Air Castle that was Blown Up”)

Stieg Larsson changed his name from Stig to Stieg in his early twenties in order to avoid confusion with his friend Stig Larsson. His friend was a well known author long before Stieg himself but when he changed his name they were both amateur photographers and none of them had published a book. It was then just a dream, a dream that came true.

The Girl who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest is the third and final novel in this trilogy. Continuing directly from The Girl who Played with Fire, the novel starts with Lisbeth Salander being flown to the hospital. She is only to be visited by the police, doctors, nurses and her lawyer, Annika Giannini, who happens to be Mikael’s sister.

The new enemy of this novel is called “The Section”, which is a secret division who are trying to silence Mikael and Lisbeth. Mikael is then investigation this division in order to publish an expose on them and their crimes. It turns out not to be as easy as he thought.

More murders, conspiracies and problems to solve happen and it all ends with the most exciting trial. Mikael are really trying to clear Lisbeth’s name and prove that they are the victims.

This novel is the perfect ending to the best crime trilogy written. When you’re finished you sit there wanting more, but it truly is sad knowing that this is it. The book you read after this one will seem poor compared to Larsson’s trilogy. Like I said about the previous book, I remember very well the feeling I had when I had finished this one and I was sad. Sad knowing that I had finished the trilogy and that the relationship I had made with the characters was over. I have read many books since I read this trilogy, many great ones as well, but these books have a special place in my heart and I am hoping that you will feel the same after you have read them. Good reading! 

Picture from http://mymoviecinema.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/watch-the-girl-who-kicked-the-hornets-nest-movie-online/

Stieg Larsson – Millennium trilogy, Part 2

The Girl who Played with Fire

(original title in Swedish: Flickan som lekte med elden)

Stieg Larsson is famous for his crime fiction novels, but his first fiction writing efforts was in science fiction. He was active in the Scandinavian SF society, where he was both a board member and chairman. In 1978-1979 he was president of the largest Swedish science fiction fan club, Skandinavisk Forening for Science Fiction (SFSF).

The Girl who Played with Fire is the second novel of the millennium trilogy and we meet Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander again. The two of them have not had contact since they tried to solve a mystery in the first novel, but Lisbeth is in constant contact with him through hacking his laptop. This is of course without his knowledge.

Mikael is approached by a young journalist named Dag Svensson and he is telling Mikael about his thesis about sex trafficking in Sweden and those in high office who abuse underage girls. Mikael immediately throws himself into the investigation, and Lisbeth keeps track of this investigation through hacking his hard drive. While plotting the punishment of these people Lisbeth finds herself in some serious trouble and to avoid being captured she disappears. Mikael finds out about Lisbeth and are desperately trying to clear her name and what he finds out during his investigation is rather shocking.

The second book of this trilogy is even better than the first one and you are left shocked with the ending. The third book is a direct continuation to this novel. You are left with more questions than answers and you will only be able to find the answers by reading the third novel. You will not be disappointed by reading this book, even though the first one was as amazing as it was. It is a couple of years since I read this trilogy and I can still remember the feeling I had after finishing this book. I cannot emphasise enough just how well written this book it. If you haven’t read it and it is not on your Christmas list this year, then it should be.  

Picture from http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/reviews/The_Girl_Who_Played_With_Fire.html

Stieg Larsson – Millennium trilogy, Part 1

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

(original title in Swedish: Man som hatar kvinnor. “Men who hate Women”)

Stieg Larsson was a Swedish journalist and writer and he is most known for his bestselling trilogy about the journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the intelligent hacker Lisbeth Salander. Larsson died in 2004 and left manuscripts of three unpublished but completed novels that he did not intend to publish until just before he died. Unfortunately Larsson did not live to see just how famous his novels would be, and in 2008 he was the second best-selling author in the world, behind Khaled Hosseini. And by March 2010, the millennium trilogy had sold 27 million copies in more than 40 countries.

The Swedish film production company Yellow Bird created film versions of these novels where the first film opened in Scandinavia in early 2009. All three films have been very well received, and in 2011 a Hollywood adaption of the first novel will be released with Daniel Craig as Blomkvist. Why Hollywood needs to remake these films are a question many people are looking for an answer to and time will show if they will be just as good as the Swedish ones.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first novel in this trilogy and we here get to know the main characters, Mikael Blomkvist, Lisbeth Salander, Henrik Vanger and Erika Berger. The story revolves around the journalist Mikael who is hired by Henrik Vanger to solve the “cold case” of the disappearance of his great-niece Harriet. She disappeared 40 years ago, and Mikael is asked to write the Vanger family history in exchange for information. This information will help him with a court case that claims he has published a story based on false facts about billionaire Hans-Erik Wennerstrom and this will save Mikael’s career.

Next to Mikael’s life we read about the antisocial but very intelligent Lisbeth Salander. She is a hacker and researcher, specialising in investigating people. Next to having a photographic memory, she does not have an easy life with a guardian who rapes and tortures her. She is a strong and independent person and she is determined to prove that she is the victim in her life. Being a hacker she manages to hack into Mikael’s computer and that is how the two of them meets and the real story begins.

Lisbeth and Mikael start working together in order to solve the mystery of Harriet Vangers disappearance. It is not an easy case and they encounter several obstacles as they are getting closer to the truth and what really lies behind the history of the Vanger family.

I cannot express how amazing this trilogy is. It took my breath away and it is without a doubt one of the best novels I have ever read. You are on the edge of your seat from beginning to end and you simply have to buy the second book of the trilogy the minute you’re finished with the first. The language used in this novel is fairly easy but cleverly written as you have no idea what will happen next. There will be sleepless nights when you start reading this book as you cannot put it down until you have finished it. If you haven’t already read the books, then I suggest you go out and buy the first one; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I promise you will not be disappointed. This is a trilogy that everyone should have as this is art of first class. 

Pictures from http://www.lydbokforlaget.no/node/1874, http://www.boiseweekly.com/Cobweb/archives/2010/04/06/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-opens-friday-at-flicks and http://libcom.org/blog/girl-dragon-tattoo-directed-niels-arden-oplev-04102010

Dystopian Fiction – Fahrenheit 451

Yesterday I wrote about A Clockwork Orange, which is a typical and very famous dystopian novel. Today I’m going to continue with another novel that we read last week, because there is something funny about this one if you compare the film to the book and you live in my neighbourhood. The name of this novel is Fahrenheit 451 and it is written by Ray Bradbury in 1953.

Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which book-paper catches fire and burns. And by reading this first sentence you catch the essence of this novel. Books are forbidden in this dystopian world, and the firemen there do not put out fires like they do in our world, they burn books. No one is allowed to read or own books, but some people try to hide some in their houses, but they usually end up with their houses burned down. The mechanical hound of the fire department is tracking down those who are trying to preserve and read books in the society, and no one escapes this hound. No one but the main character Guy Montag, who is a fireman himself. He is extremely unhappy and is tired of the state trying to control everyone, and he is the narrative of which we read the story.

This novel is very dystopian, because of the way the state is. They are trying to control everyone no matter what, and by burning books they are sure that no one will be able to understand how it used to be, and how it should be. The state wants to be much smarter than the average joe, and this is a very scary concept as we today cannot imagine what it would be like to be told what we can and cannot do. This novel makes us realise some intimidating questions about how we should prevent this from happening to us, and perhaps makes us realise how privileged we are for being able to read and collect knowledge.

As a dystopia is rather negative, I found something really amusing when we were looking at the first part of the film based on this book during our lecture. Youtube is brilliant in so many ways, and you can actually watch films here, and Fahrenheit 451 is one film you can watch in 18 parts. So during the first part, after about two minutes, you get to see the firemen going out on a call to a dystopian neighbourhood. Well here is the funny part; the neighbourhood that is shown in this film is actually the neighbourhood I am living in now. So apparently I live in a dystopian neighbourhood where I am not controlled by the state, but are actually having a pretty amazing life. I could not help but laugh when we saw this and I just had to share it here. So enjoy the book, or the film, or both, and perhaps we are all living in a dystopian neighbourhood to some extent.

Dystopian Fiction – A Clockwork Orange

Those of you who know me knows that next to studying journalism I’m studying English Literature, and this year I have a module called Dystopian Fiction. I can’t really figure out if I really like it or not, but we do read some interesting novels. The last one we read was a rather interesting and famous novel, called A Clockwork Orange, written by Anthony Burgess. I’m sure lots of people have heard about the film, and this is the book that the film is based upon.

The book was published in 1962, but the film came in 1971. The film was banned for a few years, and that is one of the reasons why you can say that this famous story has become a cult classic. 

Malcolm McDowell, playing Alex in the film

For those of you who do not know what a dystopia is: an imaginary place or state in which everything is extremely bad or unpleasant. It is also set in the future, and in most of the novels we have read this year the characters do not know how our time was but is extremely interested in knowing. Or our time is their time. It is not a good place to live in, and the state is controlling everything. A Clockwork Orange is perhaps one of the most famous dystopian novels there is, and that is why I’m choosing this novel to be the first one I’m writing about.

The novel is about 15 year old Alex and his “droogs”, or friends, and how they are enjoying ultra violence, rape, drugs and Beethoven’s Ninth. They are all rampaging through their dystopian world where they are hunting for terrible thrills. They fight, they steal, they rape and they enjoy everything about it. The police are almost non-existing, so there is really no one to look after London, which is where the story is set. After a series of unfortunate events, at least for Alex, he’s convicted for murder and something changes inside of him. He finds himself at the mercy of the state and becomes quite close to the governments psychologist, and he then discovers that the fun he used to have is no longer the order of the day.

The use of language in this novel is rather extraordinary, and quite a great achievement. It is very strong, and you can understand the characters by the way they are written about and the way they talk. The film has managed to translate this to the screen very well, with both the language and the music written about. In my opinion you either love or hate the way it is written.

Then, brothers, it came. Oh, bliss, bliss and heaven. I lay all nagoy to the ceiling, my gulliver on my rookers on the pillow, glazzies closed, rot open in bliss, slooshying the sluice of lovely sounds. Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeosity made flesh. The trombones crunched redgold under my bed, and behind my gulliver the trumpets three-wise silverflamed, and there by the door the timps rolling through my guts and out again crunched like candy thunder.

This is a passage from the book, and as you can see the language is quite special. The language used here is turning the experience into poetry, and that is something you cannot find anywhere but in the novel.

I would recommend this book if you are interested in literature and the written language, but not if you’re looking for something fun or easy to read.

Øya, av Victoria Hislop

Alexis har alltid fundert på hva fortiden til sin mor er, og alt hun vet er at hun vokste opp på en landsby på Kreta før hun flyttet til London. Alexis bestemmer seg for å dra til Kreta på ferie og oppsøke plassen der moren bodde for å se og lære mer om hennes fortid for å selv forstå seg på sin egen framtid. Sofia, som da er hennes mor, gir henne et brev før avreise som Alexis skal gi til en gammel barndomsvenninne.

Etter en lang reise ankommer Alexis Kreta og den lille landsbyen Plaka, og der møter hun morens venninne Fortini. Alexis får bo hos henne og hun lærer fort at byen ligger bare et steinkast unna den lille forlatte øye Spinalonga. Spinalonga var Hellas tidligere koloni for spedalske og Alexis begynner fort å forstå at denne øya har en spesiell rolle i forhold til morens fortid.

Mens Alexis bor hos Fortini får hun høre historien om sin mor og sin oldemor. Hun får høre om familier som ble rammet av spedalskhet og hvordan de igjen ble revet fra hverandre da de spedalske måtte flyttes til Spinalonga.

Dette er en meget rørende bok hvor vi som leseren får et godt innblikk i hvordan familier måtte leve med tragedie, krig, kjærlighet, tap og lidenskap og hvordan livet som en utstøtt var. Victoria Hislop bruker et nydelig, men enkelt språk når hun beskriver følelsene til menneskene vi leser om og hvordan det var å leve på øya. Hun har flettet sammen historie og det vanlige hverdagslivet i en fantastisk fortelling, noe som gjør karakterene og boken svært troverdig og gripende. Dette er absolutt en ’pageturner’ og ettersom du leser vil du vite hva som skjuler seg på øya og hva som er dets hemmelighet. En bok jeg anbefaler på det sterkeste, og som er både lærerik og passer for begge kjønn.

Cecilia Samartin

Cecilia Samartin er en cubansk-amerikansk forfatter, og hun har slått stort gjennom som forfatter med sine bøker. Så langt har hun skrevet fire bøker og i tillegg en kokebok. Hun bruker et nydelig, men enkelt språk i bøkene sine, og man blir lett fanget inn i hennes verden med sorg, kjærlighet og historie.

Señor Peregrino

Denne boken fikk jeg av Kjell Steinar i julegave sist jul. Den ble fort en av mine favoritter, og det er en bok det er vanskelig å legge ifra seg. Den er ærlig, trist og vakker, og etter å ha lest denne får man kanskje et annet syn på seg selv og andre rundt seg.

Senõr Peregrino handler om vakre Jamilet som er født og oppvokst i fattige Mexico. Men hun skjuler en hemmelighet. På utsiden er hun som en engel, men under klærne har hun er grusomt fødselsmerke over hele ryggen. Dette er noe som har hjemsøkt henne hele livet, og noe som har gjort at hun føler seg ganske ensom. I håp om et bedre liv flykter hun til Amerika til tanten sin, og drømmen om et nyt liv begynner. Får å tjene penger får hun seg jobb med å ta seg av gamle Señor Peregrino, og det skulle vise seg å bli den forandringen hun trengte. Han forteller om sin pilegrimsvandring til Santiago de Compostella, og med denne fortellingen forandres alt i livet til Jamilet.

Denne boken er ærlig og forteller at man skal sette pris på andre uansett ytre. Til syvende og sist er det hva slags menneske vi er som er av betydning, og Samartin har skildret dette på en nydelig måte. Dette er en bok jeg anbefaler på det sterkeste, og kanskje den jeg ville ha lest først av hennes bøker.

Drømmehjerte

Denne boken anbefalte min mor til meg, og det var den første boken jeg leste av Samartin. Jeg ble ikke skuffet. I likhet med Señor Peregrino er den ærlig og vakker, men også vidunderlig og hjerteskjærende.

I boken følger vi Nora og hennes kusine Alicia. De er født og oppvokst i Cuba, der de får oppleve påkjenningene fra en brutal revolusjon. Som en følge av revolusjonen flykter Nora og hennes familie til Amerika, mens Alicia blir igjen i sitt kjære land. Gjennom brev holder de to kusinene kontakt, men en dag får Nora den fryktelige nyheten om at Alicia er syk og hun bestemmer seg da for å reise fra sin trygge tilværelse og tilbake til Cuba. Mye har skjedd siden hun flyktet, men hjertet hennes er det samme. Hun føler at deler av det som ble revet i filler sakte men sikkert blir satt på plass da hun kommer tilbake til sitt hjemland. Tårer blir felt og slutten kan overhode ikke gjettes fram til.

Dette er en nydelig bok som blir skildret på en fantastisk måte med de ordene som forfatteren har brukt. Man kan nesten si at boken er en skildring av et vakkert bilde som du ikke kan ta øynene fra. Boken minnet meg litt om ”Drageløperen”, skrevet av Khaled Hosseini. Jeg syns kanskje ikke ”Drømmehjerte” var like bra, men absolutt en bok som bør leses.

Salvadoreña

Dette er da den tredje og siste boken som jeg har lest av Samartin. Hun følger mye av de samme elementene som hun har skrevet om i de tidligere bøkene, men det gjør den ikke noe mindre spennende eller interessant.

Ana flykter fra borgerkrigen i El Salvador og havner i et kloster i USA. Hun får seg så jobb som barnepike hos familien Trellis, en rikmannsfamilie fra California. Historien er skrevet med en blanding av nåtid og fortid, og sakte men sikker finner vi leseren ut hva som har skjedd. Det er en bok om valg, og at noen valg må tas uten at man tenker på konsekvensene. Den er meget spennende i den første halvdelen av boken, men taper seg litt i den siste delen. Til tross for dette har Samartin et vakkert språk som skildrer et dystert tema og du sitter igjen med et godt inntrygg av boken. Dette er også en bok jeg vil anbefale.

Mofongo

Dette er hennes siste roman, og jeg har dessverre ikke lest denne. Dette er en bok jeg absolutt vil lese og den står på ønskelisten min til jul. Jeg håper å få lest den i juleferien og kan da komme tilbake med min vurdering av den.

Shantaram

Siden jeg er en liten bokorm tenkte jeg at det var på tide å skrive om en bok som jeg totalt forelsker meg i. Denne sommeren leste jeg en bok som rørte meg og som fikk en helt spesiell plass i mitt lese hjerte. Denne boken heter Shantaram og er skrevet av australske Gregory David Roberts.

Jeg fikk høre denne boken av kjæresten min Kjell Steinar, som igjen hadde fått anbefalingen fra sin stefar. Jeg nølte ikke med å kjøpe den da jeg så den i butikken, og jeg bestemte meg for at jeg ville ha god tid til å lese og ta inn de 900 sidene basert på forfatteren sitt liv. Et valg jeg er glad jeg tok, for dette er en bok du ikke klarer å legge fra deg. Jeg ble glad, sint, forundret og trist i løpet av disse sidene, og jeg kan fortsatt ikke begripe at en person har opplevd alt som er skrevet.

 

Gregory David Roberts ble dømt til 20 års fengsel i 1978, men to år senere klarte han å rømme fra fengselet, midt på lyse dagen, og ble da Australias mest ettersøkte mann. Han rømmer så til New Zealand der han videre med falske papirer kommer til India, der den meste av historien utspiller seg. Noe som fascinerte meg med en gang er hvordan en rømt fange kan utgi en bok der han åpenlig beskriver hvordan han brøt seg ut av et fengsel og skriver om alt det gale han har gjort, men han har sonet ferdig straffen i senere tid. Dette forklarer da utgivelsen av boken.

I Bombay i India skjer det mye i løpet av den tiden han er der. Han bor blant annet i slummen, noe han beskriver som om er den mest fantastiske plassen å bo. Med tanke på at hans fortid inneholder å miste det viktigste i livet sitt til å begynne med bankran, heroinmisbruk og andre ulovligheter, er det kanskje ikke rart at slummen var paradiset for han. Han skaffet seg venner og bekjente som brydde seg om personen han er, og ikke den han var. Men han la heller ikke skjul på at hans lille idyll er både farlig og en prøvelse om liv og død for de fleste.

Roberts befinner seg i Bombay i flere år, og i boken beskriver han hvordan han opplevde kjærlighet, hat, berømmelse, svik og takknemmelighet i løpet av denne tiden. Han forteller leseren hvor viktig et menneskets valg er og hvor mye makt vi har, og hvor viktig det er å bruke den.

Etter å ha lest ferdig boken satt jeg igjen med et sterkt inntrykk av denne gripende fortellingen. Roberts bruker et vakkert språk for å formidle sin historie til lesere verden over, og denne kampen om det gode mot det onde er helt ulikt noe vi har lest før. Det er nesten som om du er i India selv, og du kan kjenne og lukte slummen rundt deg mens du leser.

Jeg anbefaler denne boken på det sterkeste. Det er en bok som bør stå i alles bokhyller i alles hjem. Den er stor og krevende, men inntrykket du sitter igjen med når du har lest siste siden er enorm. Enhver bok du leser etterpå blir liten i forhold til denne. Jeg vil uten tvil si at det er den beste boken jeg har lest i år. 

Shantaram skal også filmatiseres med Johnny Depp i hovedrollen.