We need to talk about about Kevin (Lionel Shriver)

This is a book about a young boy who kills eleven people in one day. The story is told through a series of letters written from Kevin’s mother to his father. Through these letters she is able to tell him about her “unspeakable” feelings towards the boy as he was growing up.

This was supposed to be a thought provoking book on the age old debate “nature versus nurture” but in my opinion it fails terribly. The book is pretentious and childish. I would have thought it more the work of an immature school girl who thinks motherhood is out of fashion and that it’s “cool” to say she doesn’t like children.

There is a film coming out shortly, hopefully it will be better than the book!

This book has won the Orange Prize

House of Stone: The True Story of a Family Divided in War-torn Zimbabwe (Christina Lamb)

Although a lot of books written about Zimbabwe may end up repeating the same story, Christina Lamb tells her story differently. In the past books would be about the black man and how much pain the white community had inflicted on them, then the white community started being under attack and the same stories were told but with the black community being the enemy. Today all Zimbabweans, black and white are victims of the power hungry government. Christina Lamb tells the story of Aqui (a black Zimbabwean) and of Nigel (a white Zimbabwean). In House of Stone you are presented with two sides of the same story.

If you don’t know much about Zimbabwe, this is a great place to start.

                                      

Watch a film about it:

The Godfather (Mario Puzo)

This is the book that inspired the much acclaimed Godfather films directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The script for the films was co-written by Coppola and Puzo so it is no wonder the reader gets the feeling he/she is watching the Godfather in writing. It is impossible not to think of the actors while you’re reading.

Puzo invented the most romantic gangsters in literature. For the few of you who have not watched the Puzo/Coppola masterpiece; “The Godfather” is the story of Vito Corleone, born of a poor Sicilian family, Vito is sent to New York to escape certain death. There he grows up and becomes Don Corleone (the godfather) who through an astute exchange of favours becomes one of the most powerful men in the United States. Whereas most gangsters have no scruples, the godfather never forgets a favour and honours his word. To Don Corleone the family always comes first, he doesn’t believe on cheating on women or neglecting your family duties, he is fair, he delivers justice.

A wonderful thrilling book!

The film's official trailer:

                              

The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Alexander McCall Smith)

The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is the first of a series of very funny books written by the Rhodesian born (now Zimbabwe) Alexander McCall Smith.

The book is set in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana and describes the adventures of Mma Ramotswe, the only lady detective in Botswana. 

The narrator starts by telling us of how Precious Ramotswe grew up without her mother and how her father, who had become very ill through working in the mines in South Africa, looked after her. In a very light hearted way, McCall Smith describes the harsh conditions the miners had to suffer. The lady who looks after Precious after her mother had died is an aunt who had been “returned” to her family by her husband for not being able to bear children. The description of Precious Ramotswe’s early life gives a brief account of what life is like in the rural areas of Botswana and how the traditional extended family relations work.

We also learn about Note Mokoti, the jazz musician whom Precious married against her father’s advice and turned out to be a very big mistake. Note serves to explain why Precious Ramotswe is not married and is without children despite her belief in the traditional order of things. 

The rest of the book (and indeed the following books in this series) describes the cases Mma Ramotswe is asked to investigate, some serious bloodcurdling ones; such as the case of the missing boy who is suspected of having been used for traditional medicine and some funny and cheerful ones; such as Happy’s impostor daddy and the womaniser whose wife thinks innocent. Very sweet, upbeat books that tell us stories of an Africa no one writes about anymore, very far from the typical AIDS and poverty stories that have now come to symbolise the African continent! 

                     



Watch a video about Botswana:


                                                                                                                                                  

              

Watch a trailer:

     

Or explore on amazon:

                                                                      

and visit Alexander McCall Smith at: http://www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/