What are you reading now?

[richardfinegold]

I do, yes and like his period detail. At a guess, I'd say Kerr was probably influenced by HH Kirst. Kirst himself, though, is something different. I first read his books way back in the 1960s and just love the psychological insight into the German mind under the Nazis. The dialogue is full of catchy one-liners that I guarantee will stay in your mind for years.

The Wolves is something of a masterpiece in my view. Centred on a town in East Prussia from 1933 to 1945 where some of the population, notably Alfons Materna, take a delight in taking a pop at the arrogance of the local Nazis. It's got some very funny episodes but is, as we reach 1945, inevitably tragic. You can see the potential for a good TV series or film in this book. I first read it in 1969.

Sadly, the Kirst offerings on this side of the pond are scarce. I did manage to download one to my e reader and started it last night. It is called Officer Factory. I do agree that it appears as if Kerr was influenced by Kirst.

[richardfinegold]

The Neruda Case, by Chilean Author Roberto Ampuero. A detective novel set in the early 70s in Chile,Cuba, Mexico and East Germany.

[aeolium]

Going to the Dogs, a sharp and sardonic story written in 1931 by Erich Kästner and set mainly in Berlin of that time. The principal character, Fabian, seems to have been loosely based on Kästner, who would two years later watch his own books being burned by the new regime.

[Radio64]

Tim Parks Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo.

As a fellow expat in Italy, I always enjoy reading Parks' views of our adopted country (see also Italian Neighbours, An Italian Education) as they often reflect my own experiences and I can relate to much of what he describes.
I do often wonder if these kind of books are just as interesting to 'outsiders'.

[Stanfordian]

Frederick Taylor's book 'Dresden - Tuesday 13 February 1945' such amazing detail about the Allied destruction of the Saxon capital by bombing.

[richardfinegold]

Frederick Taylor's book 'Dresden - Tuesday 13 February 1945' such amazing detail about the Allied destruction of the Saxon capital by bombing.

I enjoyed that book. I found it to be a very even handed.

[Honoured Guest]

The Radio 3 Forum.

[antongould]

The Radio 3 Forum.

How sad are you....

[Warwick]

On Amazon, Mary Tudor and the Lost Kingdom, Robert Neville. This is a novel with a surprising perspective on the short reign of Mary Tudor and wich splits the action between events in England and in Central America set in 1556. and the search for Eldorado. a fascinating read.

[Pianorak]

Just finished: Saul Bellow - Seize the Day. A day in the life of Tommy Wilhelm. Stream of consciousness à la V. Woolf's Mrs Dalloway. Just started: Philip Roth - The Human Stain, set in the 1990s.

[Stanfordian]

I'm totally engrossed in the book:

'I, Maya Plisetskaya' by Maya Plisetskaya and Antonina W. Bouis on Yale University Press.

A prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi, Plisetskaya is of course the wife of composer Rodion Shchedrin.
This is a wonderful description by Plisetskaya of the pain and struggle of working with the awful restrictions of the Soviet Union.

[DracoM]

'A Spot of Bother' / Mark Haddon.
Don't.

[Pabmusic]

A pretentious and boring book by someone-or-other.

But I have recently finished Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer, which was quite good, with an endearing main character.

[DracoM]

Fine crime writer, Ms Bauer

[Tevot]

Tevot has now caught up with the 21st Century and has availed himself of a Kindle

Finished "The Tragedy of Liberation" by Frank Dikotter which chronicles the establishment of The People's Republic of China up to 1957. Unsurprisingly many in China soon became disillusioned by what went on...

While I'm persuaded by the book, I found it more anecdotal and indeed polemical than Dikotter's earlier "Mao's Great Famine" which made powerfully objective use of official records to detail what went on between 1958 and 1962.

Am currently reading Max Hastings' "Catastrophe" mentioned in other threads about The Great War. A gripping read which debunks many of the myths about 1914 - and deeply moving too in its even handedness about the human cost of war. Highly recommended.

Best Wishes,

Tevot