Monsignor Quixote

Monsignor Quixote by Graham Greene
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

As the title suggest a story based on M. Cervantes book.
A extremely honest and naive catholic priest and his friend, deposed city mayor with communist conviction, travel around Spain.
Place and time of action - Spain, around year 1980.
Timing is quite significant. In 1975 general Franco, autocratic ruler of Spain died and the country tried to move in democratic direction. The move was observed closely in Europe.
Now, 40 years later, very few people remember these events. Another point are changes in Catholic Church in early 1960 of which even less people are concerned now.
And one more - communism - ideas and political system almost forgotten.
As the result, quite substantial part of the book might be completely alien to many readers.
What remains? Humanly personality of main characters and few funny encounters. Not much.



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The Confidential Agent

The Confidential Agent by Graham Greene
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the Introduction to the book Graham Greene mentions, that he wrote it only for money while his main project at this time was The Power and the Glory.
To increase productivity he wrote the book in rented flat and under influence of Benzedrine.
The effect was obvious, he managed to write 2,000 words a day while his normal output was 500 words. Benzedrine took its toll. Late afternoon he returned home feeling very tired and smallest thing could upset him. He feels that in long term it was a main factor in his marriage breakdown.
But then, a next day came, he took a morning pill, sat in front of the blank page and the words started flowing on the paper.
The final effect? Graham Greene was so disappointed with the book, that his first idea was to publish it under different name.
My judgement is quite opposite, I prefer The Confidential Agent over The Power and the Glory.
The book was written in 1939, aftermath of the Spanish civil war. Graham Greene mentions, that the Munich Agreement of 1937 was also affecting his thoughts.
The book - Mr D. an agent of a revolutionary government of the country in the state of civil war comes to England to buy coal, which is essential to his government survival. From the very start he is plagued with innumerable misfortunes, troubles and oppression. Some imaginary, some real.
He reaches London where he meets his local contact and realizes, that nobody trusts him and that he cannot trust even people nominally representing his government.
Finally he arrives at the meeting with coal mines board of directors, negotiates a feasible deal and then discovers, that somehow his credentials disappeared, have been stolen. The contract is taken over by anti-government opposition.
This is too much, he converts into a hunter thirsty for blood of his oppressors. His hunt turns into a comedy of errors. He resigns and resorts to the last resort - meet coal miners' trade union and appeal to their solidarity with working class of his country.
The result is predictable.
And then, when everything failed, he is miraculously rescued.
I think, that the effects of Benzedrine are obvious - enormous density of actions and counteractions and the miraculous ending. On the other hand I liked the book, main reason was the main character fighting and ready for an ultimate sacrifice for a cause which is alien to him.

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Stamboul Train

Stamboul Train by Graham Greene
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I am glad that G. Greene first books I read were The Heart of the Matter and Our Man in Havana. If I had started with Stamboul Train, there is a chance I wouldn't finish the book and did not look for other books by this author.
My very first impression was that most of the characters in the book did not look realistic to me. Actually only Miss Warren, a very dynamic journalist, looked to me as a person with blood and bones.
Second strong impression and surprise was emphasis of Jewishness of one of the main characters.
In many reviews of this book I found comments about antisemitism of the author.
I do not share this opinion, actually my opinion is opposite.
Firstly it is gentiles who somehow recognize that Mr Myat is Jewish and it sends a signal , that this person should pay extra tips and charges.
Secondly, Mr Myat is shown as a generous person, somehow accepting, that he has to pay more.
In my opinion it shows the rising of antisemitism in Europe of 1932.
I wonder what was the aim of G. Greene? Was antisemitism so obvious in Europe, that he felt obliged to address this issue?
The story. I have to admit, that due to my disappointment with all the characters in the book I was not very interested with the plot. It was my loyalty to the author whom I rate very high, that I read the book to the last page. And then, retrospectively, I thought that it was quite well designed plot with typical "Greenesque" twists of motives and actions of main characters.

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Bieguni - English title Flights

Bieguni by Olga Tokarczuk
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Looks to me as a random collection of less or more interesting facts, memories and stories.
Professional critics try to prove that they see some deeper meaning in this maze.
Definitely not my idea of reading books.
I ended my efforts around page 120 and immediately forgot what I read in preceding pages.

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Rachel and Leah

Rachel & Leah by Orson Scott Card
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am familiar with biblical Jacob's story. First of all from Joseph and his Brothers, a monumental book by Thomas Mann. Thomas Mann was most interested with complicated relations of Biblical characters with God, women were left in a background.
So I welcomed Rachel and Leah as a worthy addition of woman's point of view.
I was quite pleased with first few chapters, different characters of two sisters, daughters of Laban, Jacob's uncle. I welcomed addition of Bilhah and Zilpah, two women with unfortunate childhood, but with strong characters.
I enjoyed witty dialogues with gentle humor and bits of spite.
But there remained few hundred pages to read, will all be just a lighthearted banter?
No, author introduced a significant element - reading holy books, the word of God.
It looks to me like an author's invention, there is no mention in the Bible of any books passed between Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Another point is Jacob, the book pictures him as a man of great depth and faith, it rather contradicts the biblical story.
Anyway, I do not mind some deviation from the biblical path, but as for me there was too much about influence of holy texts on Leah character.
Finally we come to the climax of the story - wedding of Jacob and a daughter(s) of Laban. I was very interested how the author solved this puzzle? Well, again he resorted to God, faith and love. On one hand I do not see any other peaceful solution, on the other it was choosing an easy way out.
Summarizing - I read this book with some interest, but I will not read other biblical stories by this author.

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Cadence

Cadence: Travels with music — a memoir by Emma Ayres
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I remember Emma Ayres very well as ABC morning music presenter.
Not so long ago I've been to his (Eddie's) presentation of his latest book - Danger Music. I found this book very interesting, but at the same time I was very frustrated with descriptions of life in Kabul and hopeless struggles of Afghani musicians.
I just received from Goodreads a summary of my readings this year. A very saddening summary - 35 books read, average rating 2.3. Most of books written by writers I respect and such a disappointment. I got a feeling of time lost and hesitated to start another book.
It looks that the last glimpse at books in my local library was a kind smile of the fate - Cadence by Emma Ayres - her life, musical experiences, adventurous bike ride and reflection on selected pieces of music.
I suppose for everyone who remembers Emma and her music programs it will be a most welcome return of a good friend.
For those, who do not remember Emma? Still I think it should be interesting story of a brave girl fighting for finding her place on earth.

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Richard Flanagan - The sound of one hand clapping

The Sound of One Hand Clapping by Richard Flanagan
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

A very depressing story, a very depressing book.
Wasted life of refugees employed in early 1950-ies at building the dam and electric station at Butlers Gorge in Tasmania.
Author tries to connect hard memories of Slovenian refugees with the harsh climate of Tasmania and here he goes over the top. In the opening chapter one of main characters leaves her home at night, it is cold, windy and snowing, which "...brought back painful memories of forced labour camps in the Urals and Siberia".
Tasmania and Siberian winter - it sent me the warning - there will be lots of exaggeration and demonizing Tasmania.
Another point related to the same paragraph in the book: "... she knew it wasn't Stalin's USSR. Knew it wasn't Kolyma or Goli Otok or Birkenau".
I personally found this sentence very disturbing .
Couple of facts - Goli Otok was a Yugoslav concentration camp on Adriatic. Communist Yugoslavia broke any cooperation with Stalinist USSR in 1948.
Birkenau. Yes, there is relation of Birkenau and Stalin's USSR. This notorious German concentration and extermination camp has been liberated by the Red Army in 1945.
It is only page 4 of the book and I was warned - the author feels free to play tricks with facts and history.
I appreciate R. Flanagan's great writing style, but throughout the book I felt it excessive and false.
Another point is ironic, sarcastic view of Tasmanian hydro-scheme. It is written definitely from the perspective of current day environment protection activists and does not fit atmosphere of years 1954 or 1957 depicted in the book.
And here comes the story - I find it extremely depressing. I know that the author being married to a Slovenian must have good knowledge of migrant fate and stories, but this one was for me impossible to accept. I just paged through large sections of the book to find whether it leads to some feasible end.
Well, on hand there was some relief. Hate and cruelty ends. On the other hand idyllic finale does not fit anything of what was told in the preceding 390 pages.

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