This review appeared on Visual Bookshelf yesterday, it made me happy as the reviewer is most erudite and well-read:
An excellent read. For me, even though the main theme is one character's illness, this is a novel with much more to say about life. In observing the details of day-to-day existence, the wit is sharp and the insight acute. The narrative hops deftly between styles and keeps its pace and focus right to the end. In particular, the passages on loneliness and loss are movingly portrayed. The praise in the reviews is thoroughly deserved.
And I got a lovely letter today from the daughter of my old French teacher - I had sent her a copy of TSoM a couple of weeks ago after receiving a card from her to say he had passed away. He was in his late eighties, I guess, a lovely man, and we had been exchanging Christmas cards for the last eight or nine years, he'd got in touch after seeing a letter of mine in the press in reply to a GP who was slagging off people with ME. I think he would have liked the novel and in fact there is a reference to an incident which actually happened, concerning the main character mispronouncing 'une guêpe' (means wasp). That was me in fourth year and I said 'gweep' and my teacher was almost crying with laughter. Little did I know that almost thirty years later I would be sending a copy of my book to his daughter (whom I do not know), with 'gweep' in a chapter.
Happy New Year, everyone, when it comes.
An excellent read. For me, even though the main theme is one character's illness, this is a novel with much more to say about life. In observing the details of day-to-day existence, the wit is sharp and the insight acute. The narrative hops deftly between styles and keeps its pace and focus right to the end. In particular, the passages on loneliness and loss are movingly portrayed. The praise in the reviews is thoroughly deserved.
And I got a lovely letter today from the daughter of my old French teacher - I had sent her a copy of TSoM a couple of weeks ago after receiving a card from her to say he had passed away. He was in his late eighties, I guess, a lovely man, and we had been exchanging Christmas cards for the last eight or nine years, he'd got in touch after seeing a letter of mine in the press in reply to a GP who was slagging off people with ME. I think he would have liked the novel and in fact there is a reference to an incident which actually happened, concerning the main character mispronouncing 'une guêpe' (means wasp). That was me in fourth year and I said 'gweep' and my teacher was almost crying with laughter. Little did I know that almost thirty years later I would be sending a copy of my book to his daughter (whom I do not know), with 'gweep' in a chapter.
Happy New Year, everyone, when it comes.
7 comments:
Happy new year to you, Nasim. I hope next year we can meet again in beautiful Edinburgh, over haggis, wine, coffee. I was just about to say what a shite year 2008 has been and then remembered that for you it has been very good because of the publication of your book. So that's something to celebrate.
Definitely, Signs, it is a date. My book was pretty much the only good thing that happened (to me) this year, and wonderful as it was/is it has been a shitty year in quite a few ways, things that I don't necessarily blog, but here's to 2009!
oh and obama getting in, that was good for everyone, just hope it pans out to be as good as we all hoped.
What a lovely review...
Happy New Year! It's already an hour into 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere. The fireworks are over and it's time for sleep.
I thought that 'gweep' bit rang true!
I'll be sure to tell you if gweep shows up as a word ver. In fact I wouldn't be entirely surprised if it has already at some point.
I like the circularity, if that's a suitable way of putting it, of receiving that letter from your teacher's daughter.
Oh, and Happy What I've Already Wished You :-)
Happy new year Nasim. I have loved your blog this year, and of course the book. So thank you x
p.s. and "gweep" made me laugh (though please do tell how it is pronounced - my french is rubbish)
Happy New Year from here, too, sweet cyberfriend, and everyone else here gathered, too - we're over an hour into 2009. I look forward to seeing you. I've a good feeling about 2009 for us all. x
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