Friday, June 23, 2017

***The Windfall by Diksha Basu

LibraryThing.como Early Reviewer

The Windfall is a lighthearted comedic satire that has some fun portraying the social absurdities and ironies that can make up neighborly life – primarily the need to keep up with the Jones’, but in India. With technology manufacturing overnight millionaires, the protagonist being one of them, financial dreams are achieved, but unexpected –self-imposed - difficulties ensue and chaos dominates the family’s newly acquired moneyed life. Expectations are key to the family’s relative problems.  In the end, the impulse to compete and put on social airs is relatively overcome, moral and psychological truths are realized and life achieves some semblance of balance. The Windfall is a humorous story wrapped up in the comfort of familial and neighborly bonds.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

*****Aracoeli by Elsa Morante

•Translation Literature - Italian
•Translated from the Italian by William Weaver
•First published in 1982; 1985 published in English
•Author's final novel (1912-1985)

Complex dreamlike imagery fills this lovely novel, as does the author's beautiful use of language. Kudos, too, to the translator for capturing Morante's breathless narrative.