Tag: literary fiction

Books Read in 2015 – 54. The 100 Year Flood – Matthew Salesses

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Genre: Literary Fiction, Magic Realism51HTxer-rdL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_

Narrative Style: Third Person from different perspectives, non-chronological

Rating: 4/5

Published: 2015

Format: Kindle

Synopsis: Tee is living in Prague when the floods come. He is trying to find a new identity for himself and a new home. When he is asked to model for artist, Pavel, his life begins to change. Little does he realise exactly how much of his identity will be washed away when the floods come and he finds himself back in America.

It has to be said that Prague is the perfect setting for a story that is full of magic and legends. The city is beautiful and has an air of wonder about it that I have never experienced in any other city. Salasses certainly does justice to the setting with this tale of love, identity and wonder. The city is almost like another character, adding its own personal touch to the story.

The action shifts between Tee in America in hospital with no memory and his life in Prague after he meets Pavel, the artist and his beautiful wife, Katka. Tee immediately falls in love with the older woman and soon they are having an affair. Katka seems almost magical herself, spinning stories of her childhood and of the legends of the city.

As they only meet when it is raining, it makes sense that when she finally leaves Pavel, it should be at the start of the flood. However, when the pair ignore the warnings about evacuating, things start to take a darker tone.

This was one of those books where I wanted to start it over again immediately so I could try and recapture some of the magic and wonder that was destroyed by the horror of the ending. I could not put this down and felt bereft at the end, a sign of how powerful the characters and the story were. An excellent debut.

Books Read in 2014 – 43. The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike

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imagesGenre: supernatural, magic realism

Narrative Style: Third person, chronological

Rating: 4/5

Published: 1984

Format: Hardback

Synopsis: In a quiet Rhode Island town, three divorcees join forces to create a powerful magical force. When Darryl Van Horne arrives in their town, the balance between them is disturbed and all hell breaks loose.

I was surprised to enjoy this quite so much. I wasn’t a big fan of the film although it was a long time ago that I saw it. But I recently inherited a lot of John Updike books and I thought a familiar storyline was a good place to start. Having said that, the story really didn’t ring any bells which might be because I can’t remember it or it may be that the film is completely different.

The story starts with a description of the three witches and their various talents and powers. It is true that their power does seem to rest with their sexuality or with nature – typically feminine forms of power. This was a bit of an irritant but I found that Updike’s rich prose and stunning description kept me reading regardless of any issues I may have had with stereotypical representations of women.

The arrival of Darryl Van Horne in Eastwick has a profound effect on all three of the women and he nurtures their talents as well as inviting them to his house for long sexy baths. He may have been conjured up by their collective longing or he may be the devil come to check on their powers. Either way, he upsets the balance of power between the women and in the town in general and things start to take a darker turn. What is also certain is that his powers are really no match for theirs and when he fails to gain what he wants, he dematerializes as suddenly as he came.

This is a fabulously, abundantly written book with almost too much to take in one every page. Updike never misses an opportunity to satirize small town life and the small ways people try to gain power for themselves. The details are nothing if not convincing even in amongst the supernatural happenings. I will certainly be reading more Updike and I wish I had not waited so long to read my first one.