85 Book Review
FINDING FRIENDS - OLD AND NEW
Harry Potter is back! If you haven’t already heard, he will be hitting the stage and the page almost simultaneously. The next and 8th
instalment of his life -
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - will start in The Palace Theatre in London on 30 July. The ‘script book’ published by Little Brown Book Group will arrive on the bookshelves the next day and no doubt Harry will still be working his magic with his friends and fans, even if not with me. As usual there is a veritable feast of books to be had
at the moment. I get that ‘kid in a sweetie shop’ feeling amongst those shelves filled with books labelled ‘ best-seller’ and ‘new releases’ and at this time of year I’m looking for something gripping, substantial and which takes me away to somewhere new and exciting. The Little Red Chairs (Faber
& Faber) by Edna O’Brien was recommended to me by a bookseller in Exeter who hailed it as ‘ the book of the summer.’ The author is no newbie - 85, with over 20 books to her name, though this is her first novel in a decade. She has been dubbed the doyenne of Irish literature, though I’m ashamed to say that this is the first of her books that has made it onto my shelves. Many of the critics claim her latest is her true masterpiece “that reminds you why you read books in the first place” (Julie Myerson, Guardian) The story centres around a mysterious Balkan
war criminal who arrives in a small coastal Irish village whilst masquerading as a faith healer. The community and in particular one woman fall under his charismatic spell. It’s a very human story, both profound and haunting with themes of deception and betrayal weaved in with the very current subjects of displacement and immigration. On a lighter note I highly
recommend The Improbability of Love (Bloomsbury Paperbacks) by Hannah Rothschild. This is an easy read and an intriguing story/ mystery/romance about a girl, Annie, who unwittingly finds a lost art masterpiece in a junk shop. The book tells the story of the picture’s dramatic past, its part in history, as well as the way it affects
Annie’s future. The author introduces a number of entertaining, satirical characters along the way whilst considering the subject of the true value of things - art, friendships, family and of course love. If you want a really engrossing and substantial
holiday read why not take a look at My Brilliant Friend and the other 3 books in The Neapolitan series (translated by Ann Goldstein and published by Europa
by Emma Jones
Editions). They’re not fresh out on the shelves (and ignore the cheesy, 80s romance cover) but they’ve really gained momentum in the ‘word of mouth’ publishing circles recently - not least as they are written by Italy’s great mysterious storyteller, Elena Ferrante. The saga starts in 1950s Naples and follows the twists and turns of friendship between two girls, Elena and Lila as
they grow up and fight to escape poverty. The page- turner is an evocative and moving portrayal not just of a friendship but also of a community and country reacting to change and upheaval. And I leave the last word
to my most loyal friend of all, the Labrador. Recently out in paperback and published by William Collins this is a book by presenter, adventurer and long-time lab-lover Ben Fogle. It’s a social history about Labradors interspersed with personal experiences and anecdotes of Ben’s much loved dog, Inca. It’s not necessarily a holiday read but light, entertaining and surely a must for any owners of the world’s and arguably Devon’s most popular dog.
NEW BOOK BY DEVON AUTHOR Devon crime writerr and By The Dart’s own motoring correspondent Nick Fletcher, whose books feature a tough hard-hitting private eye, shows his softer side with the publication of a book of love poems, one of which describes a romantic incident at Brixham’s Berry Head lighthouse.
The book, Lost Avenues (published
September, Classic Books, £4.99) also features a cover illustration by Bodmin-based landscape photographer Helen Hotson. Nick, who lives in Brixham, says: ‘I’ve
spent many years reporting crime and writing crime thrillers but I’ve always had a deep-seated ambition to write poetry about love and relationships and Lost Avenues, my second poetry book, explores these themes, capturing situations or sometimes even just moments of love which I feel most people will relate to. “Several of the poems were inspired by the beautiful
Devon scenery, especially the seascapes and I was delighted to be able to use a cover illustration by Bodmin- based Helen Hotson, who is noted for her stunning and atmospheric landscape photography.” For further information and/or comment:
Nick Fletcher 01803 856201 or 07900 82 79 83 Email:
mail@nickfletcher.co.uk
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