Hurrah, it's that time of year again, when I skip these shores for a couple of weeks of rest, relaxation and reading.
First up are a couple of books I wrote about a couple of weeks ago: 'Offshore' by Penelope Fitzgerald and 'The Librarian' by Salley Vickers. Next is 'Returning to Riems' by Didier Eribon. This was first published a few years ago but has just been reprinted in this fine Allen Lane version. It is a book which influenced Edouard Louis when writing 'The End of Eddy' in that it concerns Eribon, a respected writer and academic, returning to his small-town working class roots to survey what has happened to his people since his departure and how his own separation has affected him and his relations with them.
Of course, there may still be additions and substitutions to the list before I finally get on the plane…after all, what is a holiday without an Agatha Christie?
P.S. A day to go and, yes, another slender tome added to my haul: 'Parfums' b y Philippe Claude. I stumbled across this a while ago in a bookshop, attracted by the pretty cover…and intrigued by the premise: 'In sixty three elusive episodes we roan freely across the countryside of Lorraine, north-east France, from kitchen to farm to a lover's bed.' 'Recognising the bittersweet nostalgia of a scent that slips away on the summer breeze', these episodes have intriguing titles: 'Mist'; 'Cellar'; 'Cemetery'; 'Communal Shower'; 'Umbellifers'; 'Prison'; 'Waking Up' and 'Old Age' to select just a few.
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2 Responses to Holiday Reading!
I'm very interested in reading The Librarian too. Have a lovely holiday and happy reading!
Oh, thank you for taking the time to read my piece! I've been meaning to read The Librarian for a while, having been attracted to it by the glorious cover (the lovely painting is by Aleksandr Aleksandrovich), and was lucky enough to find a copy in a charity shop…not sure whether that is a good or bad omen? Looking forward to reading it in the sun!