Welcome to our Reviews
Trust
Hernan Diaz
Review by Justin Edgar
“Trust”, Hernan Diaz’s second novel and long listed for last year’s Booker Prize, is a particularly cleverly structured novel which essentially becomes a collection of four manuscripts conveying different narratives of the tale of a Wall Street investment mogul (think J P Morgan) through the 1920s up to and including the market crash of 1929 and the ushering in of the Great Depression.
“Trust” works as an astute observation of the power of the narrative and who’s version of events becomes the “established facts of the matter”. To this reader, it speaks enormously to contemporary times and the significant events played out over the past few years where mass censorship (note the extraordinary revelations of the “Twitter files”) and cancel culture reflect ever increasing authoritarianism governing our day to day lives. In Trust, one who has the greatest financial capital and clout ultimately dominates the accepted truth.
It appears that Diaz has an astute understanding of the fallibility of us, as humans, to reliably deceive ourselves as we quickly accept a version of events to be true based either on faith in the authorship or because it is the version we simply take greatest comfort in.
There is prospectively also something of a commentary of the shortcomings of prioritising socio-cultural constructs over the truer nature of our beings. For instance, the chapter titles, “Bonds” and “Futures” make for a clever interplay between the vagaries of financial markets and the work of fiction the book fundamentally is. Or when one of the characters (Ida’s anarchist father) mutters to himself, “Money. What is Money? Commodities in a purely fantastic form.”
The author’s choice of time period is particularly apt were one to wish to bring a contemporary relevance to this novel. The Gilded Age of the robber barons, the roaring 20s and President Coolidge’s assertion that “The business of America is business”, among other things, heralded the beginnings of philanthro-capitalism that successfully ensures the world’s most financially wealthy are also the most politically and institutionally influential, for good or ill.
“Trust” is a truly engaging read that is satisfying both in the sense of providing an interesting story and challenging one to reflect, should they choose to do so.
To order, click here.
We All Want Impossible Things
Catherine Newman
Review by Justin Edgar
We All Want Impossible Things, set for a December release in New Zealand, is Catherine Newman’s first adult novel. She has previously published parenting memoirs and children’s books typically centred on skill building and personal development. This novel is staged around the intimate friendship of two lifelong middle-aged friends – Ash and Edi - where Edi is in an advanced stage of terminal illness and living out her final weeks in hospice. Perhaps reflective of Newman’s previous writing exploits and voice, she achieves the near impossible: a book about death that is also sensitively infused with genuine humour and wit. The lemon wedge upon the pound cake on the book’s cover is emblematic of one of Edi’s dying wishes but also acts as a significant metaphor for the bittersweet nature of the time of passing that is upon her. The hospice provides fertile ground for some particularly tragicomic moments which help shield the reader from the greater heartbreak of the moment. Newman tenderly evokes the nature of what great friendships mean and how they take shape. In places it is excruciatingly heartbreaking, reminding us both of the preciousness of life and the inevitability of confronting our own passing, the timing of which is suitably beyond our control. At its heart, this book is an invitation to celebrate what it means to be human, to truly value our relationships and connections to others, for they are what provide the greatest colour to our lives. It may even help us approach death a little more bravely.
To order, click here.
Demon Copperhead
Barbara Kingsolver
Review by Justin Edgar
Demon Copperhead is the latest novel by Women’s Prize winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Barbara Kingsolver. It is a rich and rousing call for greater social justice in contemporary society, shining a spotlight on issues of poverty and opioid addiction.
The inspiration for this book comes directly from one of England’s most celebrated classics: “David Copperfield” by Charles Dickens. Kingsolver expresses her gratitude to Dickens and acknowledges living for years “with his outrage, inventiveness, and empathy.” David Copperfield was a deeply personal book for Dickens, as close to approximating an autobiography of anything he published. There is even a lovely homage to Dickens from Demon himself, as he praises an author he discovered in school. Charles Dickens, he says, is “one seriously old guy, dead and a foreigner, but Christ Jesus did he get the picture on kids and orphans getting screwed over and nobody giving a rat’s ass. You’d think he was from around here.”
Rather than the reworking of a classic, Demon Copperhead stands authentically on its own; a searing critique of significant societal challenges confronting the western world – the ever-widening gap between the haves and have-nots, the brushing away of the “dregs of society”, lack of humanity displayed towards drug addiction and the psychological effects of poverty (in its many senses), the institutionalised thinking and responses from institutions fundamentally incapable of genuinely and authentically meeting the needs of people.
The titular character, Damon Fields, known as “Demon” and nicknamed “Copperhead” for his red hair is born to a drug-abusing solo mum and deceased dad. He and his family stand out as poor, even amongst the poverty he is born into. “You get to a point of not giving a damn over people thinking you’re worthless,” he says. “Mainly by getting there first yourself.”
The art within these pages comes in the endearing humour and doggedness of the orphaned Damon (Demon), leading a life where he’s presented with little choice but to grow up fast. In one poignant moment in the book, a kindly lady tells Demon he needn’t feel responsible for everything, that he should “just be a little boy”. Demon’s response, “Weird, I’d not had that job before.”
The narrative speaks powerfully and scathingly of the enormous tragedy of opioid addiction in the US, underpinned by strength and influence of big pharma which continues to rear its ugly head. It becomes a rallying cry for societal reform; prioritising humanity over the worst excesses of corporate lobbying and profiteering. To this reader, it also shines a light on centralised institutions, in the case of Demon Copperhead, the US Child Protection Services but also institutionalised education, medical care et al which so regularly fail those “cut from different cloth”. A truly compelling read from a writer at the very top of her game.
To order, click here.
Shrines of Gaiety
Kate Atkinson
Review by Justin Edgar
Shrines of Gaiety is the latest instalment from multi-award winning, Kate Atkinson, returning to a narrative form for which she is renowned and revered. Atkinson is often credited with writing with a certain Dickensian flair and that is certainly on show in this wonderful book set in early 1920s London: the roiling and vaguely hedonistic aftermath of the “war to end all wars”. The novel is set amidst the thriving Soho nightlife, both glamourous and seedy in equal measure, and hinges around the nightclub empire of Soho’s matriarch Nellie Coker (whose character is broadly based upon real-life impresario Kate Meyrick (who also featured as Ma Mayfield in Brideshead Revisited for those that know their classics!). The cast list is wide and varied, with the multitude of unlikely and chance encounters amongst them reminiscent of a Victorian serial, such is the fabric of life. All empires rise and fall and we fall in with some nefarious characters intent of bringing down Ms Coker and assuming the mantle of her clandestine empire, that operates as much as possible to the side of fair society, for themselves. Equally, we have a straight-shooting, stiff-lipped police inspector intent on bringing an end to the moral turpitude, and a cast of “innocents” prospectively tragically caught up in such power struggles. Shrines of Gaiety colourfully captures the essence of post-war London as its inhabitants railed against the collective trauma and ushered in the roaring 20s. The prose is both colourful and incisive and the narrative will sweep you along at a pace that echoes the hedonism of the era.
To order, click here.
Lucy by the Sea
Elizabeth Strout
Review by Justin Edgar
Lucy by the Sea is the latest instalment from American novelist and Pulitzer Prize winner, Elizabeth Strout, picking up on the life of the stoic and reflective Lucy Barton. Strout is nothing short of masterly with her inimitable and trademark style. Her prose is at once succinct and direct while also conjuring an intimacy and delicate regard for the inner workings of the human heart. One feels so intimately involved and connected to the titular character of Lucy. It is as though we are sharing in her memoir; we seem to spend equal time both in the happenings of the moment and within her deeply reflective mind. The narrative follows a divorced couple (Lucy and William) who find themselves cohabiting a cottage on the Maine coast, having fled New York City in March 2020 as the ‘virus’ sends the city into lockdown. I, for one, have very mixed feelings as pertains to the past couple of years of our human existence - some of the less positive feelings threatening to take hold as I read this fine book. However, that particular subject matter is handled with such a deft touch, that there remains room for everyone’s understandings and perspectives to be reflected and honoured. Ultimately, I believe it evoked in me a recollection of many of the better experiences of failed lockdowns - more time spent intimately with immediate family, reminders of the value of a slower pace of life and the genesis of profoundly ludicrous idea of opening a book store! Lucy by the Sea reunites a cast of characters that will be familiar to earnest readers of Elizabeth Strout. However, enough of their back stories are shared with us, that this novel can be greatly enjoyed irrespective of whether you’ve read her previous novels which include, My Name is Lucy Barton, Oh William! and Olive Kitteridge.
To order, click here.
Isaac and the Egg
Bobby Palmer
Review by Justin Edgar
As a debut novel, Isaac and the Egg, is nothing short of extraordinary. It presents one of the most original narratives of grief and its effect I’ve ever read. Eponymous character, Isaac, has endured some significant recent trauma, which is only slowly revealed to us as the story unfolds. Instead, we intimately and sensitively share the ride of his psychosis in a profoundly tragicomic way. We are a long way into the novel (and deep into the mind state of Isaac) before it is made entirely clear to us, the nature of the trauma. And black outs along the way not only keep Isaac out of kilter, but work to blur the unveiling of reality to us as well. Oh, and then there is the ‘imaginary friend’. As the relationship between Isaac and the two-foot tall, fluffy-coated, spaghetti-armed egg, imaginatively named “Egg”, develops, the chronic impact of the trauma and associated grief slowly subside one shared baked-bean meal at a time. It is as heart-rending as it is heart-warming, written in such a clever narrative form that it is genuinely funny and entertaining whilst entirely sensitive to the power of grief to subsume the mind, leaving Isaac entirely depleted. For instance, amidst the despair, there is a game of baseball between Egg and Isaac that results in the entire contents of his fridge shattered and splattered across the kitchen. Or the moment where Isaac winds up covered in funerary remains.
To order, click here.
Rugby Head
Greg Bruce
Review by Justin Edgar
Described as a heady and idiosyncratic mix of sports, humour and personal essay, “Rugby Head”, written by Herald and Canvas journo Greg Bruce, is a book about rugby but, also not about rugby. It’s about mental health and wellbeing but, also not about mental health and wellbeing. It is an incredibly brave biography that speaks to what it means to be a bloke growing up and living in New Zealand, a proud nation that, for many, has historically defined its collective wellbeing by the success or failure of the All Blacks on the world stage. One need only take note of increased incidence of domestic violence when the All Blacks lose to acknowledge the truth of this. In a very self-deprecating and honest “warts and all” narrative, the book invites Kiwi blokes, actually all Kiwis more generally, to be okay with embracing our softer sides, accepting the inevitable frailties of the human condition. There is plenty of humour in the book also. In fact, having hosted Greg’s somewhat informal book launch this week, his self-effacing wit and humour echoes the phenomenally funny Stephen Merchant (Ricky Gervais’ collaborator in “The Office” and “Extras”). A stand out of the evening was how much the evening was enjoyed by both sexes in attendance. As we say, this is both a book about rugby and…NOT about rugby. From the tough-as-nails tradie to the latte-supping metrosexual, there’s plenty to enjoy in this very humane biography. And a thing or two to learn about ourselves as well!
To order, click here.
Lessons in Chemistry
Bonnie Garmus
Review by Justin Edgar
“But surely you’re not suggesting that humans can fix the universe.”
“I’m speaking of fixing us, Mr Roth - our mistakes. Nature works on a higher intellectual plane. We can learn more, we can go further, but to accomplish this, we must throw open the doors. Too many brilliant minds are kept from scientific research thanks to ignorant biases like gender and race. It infuriates me and it should infuriate you.”...Those who purposefully close the door to others using self-serving, outdated cultural notions are not only dishonest, they’re knowingly lazy.”
Meet Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant - albeit maligned and subjugated - chemist, seeking a career as a working woman in 1950s and 60s America. Perhaps echoing the life of Mileva Maric (“Who?”, you say) - Einstein’s wife and talented physicist in her own right, Ms Zott does as much for women’s rights, via a TV cooking show no less, as Germaine Greer’s burning of the bra.
Though, to me at least, this book is so much more than an exercise in women’s libertarianism. Ms Zott’s recurrent mantra that “chemistry is change”, speaks to the truism that change is the only constant in one’s life. From there, the opportunity to evolve in healthy, positive ways pervades, however that might look like for each of us.
It is at once funny (laugh out loud so), heart-warming and wise. Nigh on every page contains some witticism or anecdote that invites deeper thought. As a debut novel, it is phenomenal. The characters are richly developed. In fact, the depth of Ms Zott’s character is so beautifully constructed one is left wondering as to whether she is vaguely (or overtly) Aspergian or if her matter-of-fact nature and frank forthrightness merely a coping mechanism to shield against the petty ignorance and injustices foisted upon her by out-dated societal and cultural norms? You are left to decide for yourself.
This one has been on the shelves for a while but if you haven’t yet indulged, please do…you’ll be glad you did. And ladies, get the blokes to pick it up too (after their latest WWII biopic or sports biography), not for a morality lesson, but because it’s that much fun!
To order, click here.
The Lions of Fifth Avenue
Fiona Davis
Review by Justin Edgar
The Lions of Fifth Avenue is a charming story infused with inter-generational intrigue and two strong protagonists who champion independence but, ultimately, recognise the redemptive value of love and connection.
Set in New York, the story unfolds travelling between the 1910s, where Jack and Laura Lyons seek to establish themselves in the literary world whilst residing in a cozy apartment nestled within the stately New York Public Library, and the 1990s, where Laura’s granddaughter, bookish Sadie, curates and tends to the library’s rare and collectibles section.
A series of thefts of significant literary treasures gives cause for Sadie to delve into the murky legacy of her grandmother, who happened to be a force of nature, championing the rights of women in the heady and challenging days of the suffrage movement.
If you’ve previously enjoyed Sarah Winman’s Still Life, Nicola Harrison’s The Show Girl or Therese Anne Fowler’s Z, A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald or the writings of Marie Benedict, we suspect this will be up your alley!
To order, click here.
Butler to the World
Oliver Bullough
Review by Justin Edgar
“Butler to the Word” is Oliver Bullough’s feisty follow-up to “Moneyland” (2018). Extensively researched, Bullough shines a very bright light on Britain’s less than proud position as a servant to oligarchs, kleptocrats, and gangsters. The city of London and the UK’s satellite tax havens provide the world’s finest laundering services.
With clever and pointed references to “Jeeves” – the inimitable butler who was constantly called upon to mop up ol’ Bertie Wooster’s messes – this formidable work carefully unpacks the means by which the UK transitioned from “empire builder” to a service sector economy where anyone’s business is welcome.
The book commences with the forced handing back of the Suez Canal to Egypt in 1956 and the ultimate final nail in the coffin of the British Empire – a moment in time when then US Secretary of State, Dean Acheson quipped, “Britain has lost an empire and not yet found a role.”
The role established though reflects the UK’s deep understanding of what it takes to rule an empire and they’ve been happy to provide services to those aspiring to conquest ever since. In fact, as Bullough succinctly details, few countries have done more to frustrate global anti-corruption efforts.
This is a compelling read and definitely one for those that have enjoyed Bill Browder’s Red Notice and Freezing Order.
To order, click here.
The Midnight Library
Matt Haig
Review by Justin Edgar
The Midnight Library, Matt Haig. With much already written of this popular title (some good, some indifferent), the sheer popularity should suggest readers are connecting with it and, I sense, it is relatively easy to understand why. Taking on big concepts like quantum reality and the field of infinite possibilities and delivering a narrative that is easily accessible and genuinely enjoyable to read is no mean feat. There is undoubtedly a slice of wisdom (large or small) available to all readers of this charming tale. And in a world of seemingly increasing dissatisfaction, that wisdom has never been more important…attaining a greater acceptance for what is, orienting oneself towards the joy and wonder of life!
To order, click here.
I Am A Drug Lord
Anonymous
Review by Justin Edgar
I Am A Drug Lord, Anonymous. An autobiographical account of an unwitting drug lord operating in Ibiza over three decades. The tales told are quite literally stranger than fiction. Far from glorifying the seedy and sinister world, “he” (for he remains anonymous to us for fear of real world reprisals) is given little choice in his initial foray into trafficking and drug dealing. And once in, ruthless individuals make it nigh on impossible to exit that world. With links and interesting biographical accounts of the Spanish Civil War, the utter corruption of the Franco police state to the hedonism of Ibiza, alongside the anonymity of the author, this book has the hallmarks of a cult classic. Will it or won’t it?
To order, click here.
The Secret History
Donna Tartt, Pulitzer Prize Winner
Review by Inness Chapman
Everyone who’s read Donna Tartt’s debut novel raves about it for good reason. It’s got it all: a seductive premise about an elite group living outside the rules most of us abide by, a sophisticated but accessible prose style packed with literary allusions, and thought-provoking questions of morality. A wave of imitators followed in Tartt’s wake but none has surpassed this chilling, haunting modern classic. In store now!
To order, click here.
Elizabeth Barnes
Julian Barnes, 2011 Man Book Prize Winner
Review by Justin Edgar
This is certainly a novel for the “high lit” crowd - at once thought provoking and subtly teasing much like the title character - Elizabeth Finch - a London university philosophy lecturer. For the central protagonist, Neil, EF is an “advisory thunderbolt”, creating starbursts in his head.
A prevailing theme is that history is ‘not something inert and comatose’ but instead ‘active, effervescent, at times volcanic’. Within the notion of how we, as humans, have an all too common habit of "getting our history wrong” - both in terms of taking the wrong fork in the road and using distorted/revisionist notions of the past to justify reckless manoeuvres in the present.
It may be that the author fully intends that this novel gets us thinking about matters entirely distinct from the content on its pages and the extraordinary actions currently being undertaken around the globe which, by and large, is exactly what EF would have us do!
We suspect 10 different readers will have 10 very unique experiences with this one! In store now!
To order, click here.
Tiepolo Blue
James Cahill
Review by Justin Edgar
A brilliant debut novel - modern British fiction at its best!
Set in 1990s Cambridge and London, esteemed Cambridge professor and art historian is consumed by a book he is writing about the skies of Venetian master, Tiepolo. Not unusually, his academic brilliance belies profound inexperience in the world of love and feeling. An explosive piece of contemporary art is installed on the lawn of his college, setting in motion his departure from comfy, familiar halls of Cambridge for a South London museum.
He befriends a young artist and is drawn into the freewheeling, anarchic 90s British art scene and wild nightlife...an experience both liberating and extraordinarily life changing. In store now!
To order, click here.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Shelby Van Pelt
Review by Justin Edgar
If you’re looking for a genuinely heart warming read, a tonic to take your mind off whatever madness or travails currently pervade your life and, a full restoration of your faith in all that is good and wonderful in our lives and the world, this may very well be the book for you!
A great setting - contemporary Pacific Northwest coastal US - combined with an interesting and quirky set of characters, who slowly reveal a number of life’s wisdoms. I’d defy anyone not to fall in love with Marcellus!
For a truly uplifting and entertaining read without flake or cheese, this debut novel deserves to picked up and savored. In store now!
To order, click here.
The Appeal
by Janice Hallett
Review by Justin Edgar
Check out this very creatively composed “whodunnit”, murder mystery from debut author Janice Hallett. Composed in the form of email and text communications between the novel’s characters, the reader is “invited” to unravel the mystery alongside two would be sleuths.
Almost bizarrely, one feels as though they really know the characters almost more intimately than if we’d been invited into their present lives. A slow reveal…a genuine page turner.
