The Reading Life Review- June 2022

 

The Reading Life is a multicultural

book blog, committed to Literary Globalism 

Short Stories, Irish literature, Classics, Modern Fiction, Contemporary Literary Fiction, The Japanese Novel, Post Colonial Asian Fiction, The Legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and quality Historical Novels are Among our Interests

June Authors

Column One

1. Ivan Bunin - Russia to Paris - Noble Prize 1933
2. Ann Leckie - USA- highly regarded Fantasy writer -first appearance on The Reading Life
3. Nicolai Levkov - Russia - classic 19th century works 

Column Two

1. Alexander Pushkin - Russia 
2. Nuala O’Connor - Ireland - featured numerous times on The Reading Life
3. Ovida Yu- Singapore- author numerous novels and stories- first appearance on The Reading Life

Column Three

1. Kermit Pattinson- USA - author Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeletons and the Origins of Humankind - a marvelous work of narrative nonfiction- first appearance on The Reading Life
2. Neil Gaiman - UK - very highly prolific highly regarded S/F author- first appearance on The Reading Life
3. Ken Liu- USA - highly regarded S/F writer - first appearance on RL

In June we posted on six works by men, three by women. Three of the authors, Russians all, are deceased. Five writers were featured for the first time in June.

Home countries of June Authors

1. Russia - 3
2. USA - 3
3. Singapore-  1
4. Ireland- 1
5. UK - 1

Blog Stats

There has been 6,723,686 pages views since inception.

There are currently 4090 posts online.

The top most viewed posts in June were all on short stories.

Top Home countries of visitor for June 

1. USA
2. India
3. The Philippines 
4. The Netherlands 
5. Canada
6. The UK
7. Morocco - first time in top ten 
8. Russia 
9. Germany 
10. Indonesia 

Short Stories I Read in June upon which there is no 

Post 

1. BOILED BONES AND BLACK EGGS by NGHI VO published in The Year’s Best Dark Horror & Fantasy: Volume 1. Copyright © 2020 
2. The Newlywed’s Window by Husnah Mad-hy - published in The 2022 Mukana Press Anthology of African Writing
3. The Cannon by Kelly Link - published in her collection Magic for Beginners - 2006
4. Haunt by Carmen Macado - included in The Year’s Best Horror and Family- 2020
5. Troll Bridge by Terry Pratchett - included in The Modern Book of Classic Fantasy - 2020
6. Stag by Karen Russell - 2022

I also read Bicycles, Bloomers and Great War Rationing Recipes: The Life and Times of Dorothy Peel OBE Kindle Edition by Vicky Straker.

I also read An Empire Called Memory by Arkady Martine, the 2020 Hugo Award Winner.

In July I will post on a few books or stories set in Paris 

Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeletons and the Origins of Humankind by Kermit Pattison. - 2020 - 534 pages- Narrative Nonfiction

Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeletons and the Origins of Humankind by Kermit Pattison. - 2020- 534 pages- Narrative Nonfiction 

Fossil Men tells the story of the discovery of the fossil remains of human ancestors over a million years older than Lucy, dating back 4.4 million years.

In 1994 a team lead by a maverick genius among fossil hunters Tom White, lead a team in the Afar region of Ethiopia, a dangerous harsh region full of tribes that hated outsiders.

Radiometric dating of nearby rocks indicated the resulting skeleton, classified as Ardipithecus ramidus—nicknamed “Ardi”—was an astounding 4.4 million years old, more than a million years older than the world-famous “Lucy.

White and is team spent 15 years in secrecy researching the finds. His team found many more discoveries. Teaching at the University of California at Berkeley, White was embroiled in bitter disputes with other paleontologists, including the Leakys.

When White at last went public with his findings, they strongly challenged fifty years of orthodox academic doctrine about the origins of humanity. Orthodox paleontologist fought back.  We learn a lot about academic squabbling.

Ethiopian officials made fossil hunting difficult with regulations designed to keep all fossils in Ethiopia.  

Pattinson goes into how we came to walk upright, how we developed nimble fingers and who our ancient ancestors were descended from.  In the process we learn about the evolution of Gorillas and Chimpanzees, their ties to humans.

Pattison brings on stage lots of interesting paleontologists.

Anyone interested in the ancestry of humans will find this book fascinating, as I did.

“Kermit Pattison is the author of Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind. He has written for the New York Times, GQ, Inc. and Fast Company. Fossil Men is his first book. He lives with his family in Minnesota.”   https://kermitpattison.com/

This is my first time participating in the Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by The Intrepid Reader.  The rules of the challenge are here

http://www.theintrepidreader.com/2021/12/historical-fiction-reading-challeng.html

Mel Ulm

 

THE STEEL FLEA The Tale of the Cross-Eyed, Left-Handed Gunsmith from Tula and the Steel Flea by Nikolai Leskov - A Short Story - 1881- included in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and other Stories by Nikolai Leskov - 2020- with an Introduction by Donald Rayfield - translated by William Edgerton

 

THE STEEL FLEA The Tale of the Cross-Eyed, Left-Handed Gunsmith from Tula and the Steel Flea by Nikolai Leskov - A Short Story - 1881-  included in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and other Stories by Nikolai Leskov - 2020- with an Introduction by Donald Rayfield - translated by William Edgerton 

Nikolai Leskov

Born February 4, 1831 in Oryol Oblast, located in Western Russia 

Died March 5, 1895 in St. Petersburg, Russia 

He lived for eight years in Kiev where he began to write for Ukrainian and Russian publications.  His wife was born in Kiev.

The collection also includes The Enchanted Wanderer and today’s story  as well as three other works besides Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.

Last month I read Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, a work of great depth about meaningless murders  caused by sexual jelousy. Leskov’s The Steel Flea could not be more different, an amazingly creative story that amazed and delighted me as I think it will many others.

Set in the early 19th century, as the story begins we are on a tour of England with Emperor Alexander the First and his Entourage.  The English want to convince him that they have the best of everything.  His assistant Pavlov wants to go back to Russia, missing his family and his farm.  He tells the Emperor everything is better back in Russia.

The English show Alexander a nearly microscopic steel flea. It is an operational miracle, the product of incredible English craftsmenship.  From this Lekhov takes us back to Russia, with the steal flea where Russian craftsmen try to duplicate the flea.

The  creation of the steel  flea is just so original.

This story is just a pure delight.

If you wish to expand your reading of 19th century Russian literature beyond the best known writers this collection of Leskov’s works would be good start.

Mel ulm

Nora: A Love Story of Nora and James Joyce by Nuala O’Connor - 2021 - A Novel - The One Dublin One Book Winner for 2022

 

Nora: A Love Story of Nora and James Joyce by Nuala O’Connor - 2021 - A Novel - The One Dublin One Book Winner for 2022

Narrated by Nora Barnacle Joyce, set from 1904 to 1951, this is historical fiction at its finest.

James Joyce

Born Rathgar, Ireland - February 2, 1882

The Dubliners - 1914

Portrait of The Artist as a Young Man - 1916

Ulysses - 1920

Finnegan’s Wake - 1939

Married to Nora Barnacle Joyce - 1931 to 1941

Died - January 13,1941 - Zurich, Switzerland 

Nora Barnacle Joyce - 1884 to 1951

Nora Barnacle, from Galway, at age 20 while working as a maid Finn’s Hotel in Dublin, fell in love with James Joyce at first sight.  They developed a deeply passionate affair.  Never did she dream of the relationship she would have with an incredible literary genius, taking her to Austria, Italy, and Paris.  They started out with him teaching at a Berlitz School in Ternitz, Austria barely being able to pay rent and lucky to have food.  When Joyce got paid, far too  often he spent the money on drinking with friends.  In this marvelous novel their early years are brought vividly to life. Joyce ends up moving to Rome to keep teaching.

Nora knows Joyce is a unique person even though she cannot read his work.  I could not help but smile when I learned she never made it past page 11 in Ulysses.  

One of the numerous factors that made Nora so exciting was looking forward to the results of publications of Joyce’s great works.  O’Connor shows us the difficulties Joyce had with prospective publishers, through the eyes of Nora. 

With the publication of Ulysses, with Joyce and Nora and their two children, Georgie and Lucia, living in Paris, their financial fortunes totally change.  Joyce receives  a very large grant plus royalties.  Of course if he gets 100,O00 pounds he spends it all.  We meet Slvia Beach, Ezra Pound, Peggy Guggenheim and other wealthy  socialites. Nora, a maid from Galeay, is mixing in high Society.  Finally after years they get married.  Everybody, including Joyce, is convinced of his genius.

One of the worst aspects of the life of Nora and Joyce was the terrible mental problems of his daughter.  Joyce’s vision 

problems became increasingly serious.

I have read several biographies of James Joyce.  I felt Nora gave a very strong feel for what living with James Joyce was like.  

I highly endorse this book to everyone interested in James Joyce.  There is much more in Nora: A Love Story of Nora and James Joyce by Nuala O’Connor than I have mentioned.

“Nuala O’Connor was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1970, and lives between Counties Galway and Leitrim.

Her fifth novel NORA (Harper Perennial/New Island, 2021), about Nora Barnacle, wife and muse to James Joyce, was recently published to critical acclaim in the USA, Ireland, the UK, and Germany, and is forthcoming in other languages.

NORA was named as a Top 10 2021 historical novel by the New York Times and was the One Dublin One Book choice for 2022. Nuala curated the Love, Says Bloom exhibition at MoLI, on the Joyce family, for #Ulysses100.

She is editor at flash fiction e-zine Splonk.”  From https://nualaoconnor.com/

Included is a list of books on Joyce and Nora, an interview and a note for book clubs.

Mel Ulm

 

The Primer of Love by Ivan Bunin - A Short Story - 1915. - translated by David Richards - 1984 - included The Gentleman from San Francisco and other Stories by Ivan Bunin

The Primer of Love by Ivan Bunin - A Short Story - 1915. - translated by David Richards - 1984 - included The Gentleman from San Francisco and other Stories by Ivan Bunin 

Ivan Bunin

October 22, 1870 - Born Voronezh, Russia

March 28, 1920 - moves to Paris where he Will spend The rest of his Life, with countryside interludes

1933 - first Russian to win the Nobel Prize

November 8, 1953 - dies in Paris 

The Primer of Love” is considered one of Bunin’s three greatest works, along with “The Gentleman from San Francisco” and “Chang’s Dreams”.

Today’s story begins with a journey through the Russian country side.   The story begins with a trip

“Ivlev was travelling once at the beginning of June over to the far side of his province…Ivlev gave himself over to that calm and aimless watching the world pass by which goes so well with the rhythm of hooves and the tinkling of halter-bells.”

He was staying at his brother-in-laws estate.  He loaned Ivlev a three horse cart with a driver.  The driver is concerned about not tiring the horses out too much.  They make a stop at the home of a countessa.  The driver waits out in the rain, Ivlev enjoys tea with the countess.  

“The countess was wearing a flowing pink tea-gown, which revealed her powdered neck. She was smoking, inhaling deeply, and constantly adjusted her hair, baring her firm round arms to the shoulder. Inhaling and laughing, she kept bringing the conversation round to love and amongst other things spoke about her near neighbour Khvoshchinsky, who, as Ivlev had known since he was a child, had all his life been unhinged by love for his maidservant Lushka who’d died very young.”

His destination is the home of now deceased Lushka, he has been thinking about her since childhood.  When they arrive Ivlev meets her only child,a man in his late teens.  He tours her house, stopping at the library which he says he might buy.

He finds a hundred year old book, The Primer of Love, full of advise on all aspects of a man’s love for a woman.  Ivlev reads much of the advise.  It ends up being the only book he buys.

This story deals with the power of love to control lives, with the simple pleasures of existence as well as a celebration of late Czarist Russia.

There are 17 works in collection, including a novella.  I will, i hope read them all.  

Mel Ulm

The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovida Yu - 2017- A Novel

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The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovida Yu - 2017- A Novel

Historical Fiction set in Singapore in 1936 with the English Still in Control but trouble coming soon.

Shu Li has just graduated from a Mission School. She is her late teens, her parents are deceased , she was raised by her grandmother and uncle.   Her uncle wants to marry her to one of his business associates, she wants no part of that. Her dream is to become a journalist. They get her a job with the Singapore Police Inspector as Housekeeper.  

 The Police Inspector gets her a job working for the acting Governor.  He has a 17 year old daughter with the mentality of a seven year old.  His son, his sister and his second wife, the first passed, also live in the Governor’s Mansion.  Charity, the daughter’s helper just died in a fall from an upper story window.  The Inspector General has been called in to investigate.  She has a cut in her side that arouses his suspicion.  From this a complex web evolves.

The novel deals directly with the attitudes  of native Singaporians of Chinese descent and the British to each other.  A good feel for colony life is devloped.

The ending is very exciting with Sin Li barely escaping being murdered.

The mystery drew me in.  My guesses about who the killer was were wrong.   

“OVIDIA YU

Ovidia Yu is one of Singapore's best-known and most acclaimed writers. As well as award winning short stories and a children's book, she has had over thirty plays performed and is author of the Aunty Lee books, featuring a crime solving Tai Tai, and the Colonial Crime series set in Colonial Singapore” from Goodreads 

Mel Ulm

 

“Troll Bridge” by Neil Gaiman - A Short Story - included in Snow White, Blood Red- A Fairy Tale Anthology - edited and introduced by Terli Windling and Ellen Datlow - 1993

 

“Troll Bridge” by Neil Gaiman - A Short Story - included in

Snow White, Blood Red- A Fairy Tale Anthology - edited and introduced by Terli Windling and Ellen Datlow - 1993

I have known for a long time I would probably enjoy reading a Fairy Tale by Neil Gaiman.  A few days ago I was streaming my favorite TV series, The Big Bang Theory, and he appears as himself in an episode in the comic book store.  So now I really wanted to add him to the writers featured on The Reading Life.  

The stories in Snow White, Red Blood are inspired by old fairy stories.  Trolls, of course, were lurking under many a bridge in the Fey Landscape.

As story begins a boy of seven is on a stroll.  He encounters a traditional looking very large scary troll under a bridge. The troll tells him he wants to eat his life.  The boy tells the troll he has just begun to live, let him go and he promises to come back in a few years.  At age forty, married with children he has his final encounter with the troll.

“Neil Gaiman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including Norse Mythology, Neverwhere, and The Graveyard Book. Among his numerous literary awards are the Newbery and Carnegie medals, and the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Will Eisner awards. He is a Professor in the Arts at Bard College.” From Amazon

Mel Ulm