Monday, July 2, 2007

Monday reading: Ghengis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

This one has been sitting on my shelf for a while and recently I decided to forgo the usual chick-lit (a recent obsession) and try a little history. The author is Jack Weatherford. So far, I love it. Ghengis Khan and offspring were much more than I ever realized. I have only just begun the book but so far I find it compelling, though a little dry in the narration. But I am assuming the dryness has more to do with my recent selections of bouncy fiction than any real problems of Weatherford's writing style.

As soon as I finish it, I will give it a more thorough review.

A more recent novel is from Japan. Out a novel by Natsuo Kirino is amazing. Tension and enui amazingly combined. The main characters are a group of 4 women with a backdrop in a factory making boxed lunches. I was amazed at how I could simply hate their actions and be compelled to continue reading. The mystery is not so much a mystery, but the consequences of one action that continues to cascade throughout the book. The writing borders more on gothic, with a hypnotizing darkness that I loved. I am looking forward to other translations of this author.

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