I only managed to complete 150 pages of _Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell_ before I had to return it to the library. While I've been waiting for a friend to finish with his copy, I've read a couple of interesting things:
_An Evening of Long Goodbyes_, by Paul Murray
This novel, which was shortlisted for the Whitbred, has a strange disconnect between style and content. It is written as a farce, but examines the class system in Ireland and what it means to be actively engaged with the world.
_The Monk Downstairs_, by Tim Farrington
This is a gentle, grown-up love story about a relationship between an ex-monk and a single mother. It has religious themes, some of which I understood (the contemplative life vs. the active life) and some I'm not sure I did (the nature of God and faith).
4 comments:
Welcome, Kate!
I read An Evening of Long Goodbyes in the fall, and I enjoyed it, but it felt unwieldy--I felt like I was missing something. But I'll look forward to Murray's second novel, should there be one.
I'll look out for The Monk Downstairs. Is Farrington English?
You know, I got about 100 pages into JS & Mr. N and let it go. I wasn't in love. Maybe it was a mood thing, because Gina loved it. Maybe I should try again. I do own the dang thing.
It was all about the language for me, with JS&MN. I loved the language and I loved the footnotes, which I understand turned off a lot of people.
And Tim Farrington sounds like the name of an Englishman like the Mark Darcy-reindeer-sweater-wearing character as played by Colin Firth in the Bridget Jones movie.
All roads lead to Colin Firth.
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