Trespass - Rose Tremain

I feel so lucky in my reading choices lately - virtually every book I have been picking up I have been connecting with straight away and just loving (it has been difficult to put the books down and keep turning up for work each day really!). I largely have to thank the Man Booker Prize 2010 long list for my reading success of late as most of my reading has been coming from this selection with the latest fantastic read being Trespass by Rose Tremain.

Trespass is set mainly in the Cérvennes region of Southern France (not an area I have ever been to physically but through Tremain's brilliant descriptions I certainly feel as though I have been there, at least in spirit, now).

Aramon Lunel is a lonely alcoholic man who is haunted by the deeds and memories of his past life and is looking to sell his family farmhouse and land - the Mas Lunel. Aramon's sister, Audren lives in a small bungalow on a piece of the family land given to her by her father when he died and she is devastated and terrified by the thought of the property being sold into a strangers hands.

The possible stranger in question is Anthony Verey, a wealthy English man who is trying to escape some failures in his life in London by moving to France to be closer to his beloved sister, Veronica or "V". Anthony is staying with V and her partner Kitty - who makes little secret of the fact that she can't stand Anthony (and in particular the focus he takes away from her in the eyes of Veronica) and it is in this context that Anthony starts to look for his own property and comes to the Mas Lunel through a real estate agent.

The two brother and sister combinations in the novel are explored through their past and current relationships with each other and their parents - particularly their mothers. The idea of trespass is explored through the many different ways in which a trespass can occur - against a person, their body, their land, their ideas, their relationships and their future - I thought the weaving of the title and the theme of trespass was woven so well throughout the whole book.

This novel was above all else for me a wonderful story of characters and how the choices they make - and the choices that are made for them - can affect their whole lives. I was brought into the story from the very beginning but I did not see just how complex and interwoven the story would become at that time. I thought that the book was clever, shocking and absorbing and I was sad to finish it - I am definitely on the lookout for more Rose Tremain books now - any suggestions for where to go next?

The Painter From Shanghai - Jennifer Cody Epstein

The Painter From Shanghai is a book that was chosen by a new book club/group I have been invited to join by one of my best friends and her sister-in-law. It's been a while since I have been a part of a book club and I am looking forward to having an arena to discuss literature face-to-face again but I think my favourite part of belonging to a book club (just as in being a part of the book blogging community) is discovering books that otherwise might have completely passed me by.

The Painter From Shanghai is one such book. I had definitely heard of it and seen it's gorgeous cover before but nothing really jumped out to say "read me". The book is a fictional biography of the Chinese painter Pan Yuliang who came to prominence with her daring and creative work (especially her nude portraits of women) in the early twentieth century. The author's website displays some of Pan Yuliang's work and also goes into the story about how she came to write about the artist which I found set the tone for my reading of the book beautifully. The book covers Pan Yuliang's early life and childhood and the turning point in her young life when she is sold to a brothel by her uncle. The early parts of the book are painful to read but they also clearly demonstrate Yuliang's strong spirit and even the early development of her artistic talent.

The relationships Yuliang becomes connected in and with during her life are fleshed out - particularly her relationships with men - both the ones she is forced into and the ones that she chooses. The economic and political times of both China and the western world are inter weaved into the book with ease and the author always makes you feel informed without going into too much detail that would detract from the main focus of the book.

I loved the narrative flow of the book and the way that Yuliang's own voice is developed and strengthened throughout the novel in conjunction with her painting skills. A beautiful book that has made me want to seek out more of this artist's work.

The Winter Ghosts - Kate Mosse

I have had a bit of a hit and miss experience with Kate Mosse's books in the past. I quite enjoyed the first book of hers I read, Labyrinth, but the second, Sepulchre was not a great reading experience for me at all.

I still thought I would give her latest book, The Winter Ghosts, a go. Partly, I will be honest, for it's gorgeous cover design (if I had a dollar for every time I got sucked into reading a book through this way...) and also because it is quite a short book so I figured if it was not great the pain would be over quite quickly.

The Winter Ghosts is told from the perspective of Freddie Watson, a man in his early 20's who was, and is, grief stricken after the death of his older brother, George, in World War 1. The book starts in 1928 when Freddie is travelling around France after the death of his parents - Freddie is still unclear as to whether he wants to remain in the world of the living himself and it is a heartbroken, destroyed man with no hope who we first meet. During his journey Freddie has a car accident during a brutal winter storm close to a village where he seeks assistance. It is here that the real "action" of the book begins when Freddie attends a village fair one evening and meets a young woman by the name of Fabrissa who shares with Freddie her own story of personal loss.

The book reads very much like a type of fairytale or moral fable - the language and story line is quite simple and even the emotions and intentions of the characters are clearly described as opposed to simply being indicated in some subtle way for the reader to ascertain for themselves.

I noticed at the end of the book that Mosse actually wrote an earlier shorter version of this book as part of the 2009 Quick Reads initiative aimed at adult emergent readers. This helped me to understand why the book had been written in the way that it was.

This book certainly didn't blow me away but it was a nice, quick read.

French Milk - Lucy Knisley

French Milk is a cross between a book, journal, travel memoir, comic and graphic novel - you get so much for your money!

I first heard about this book from (I think!) Iliana and although it sounded delightful I couldn't track down a copy in Australia. But, then on a trip to Sydney a few weeks ago for work I found a copy hiding in the travel section of Dymocks in the city - so I grabbed it quickly!

Through this book Knisley has shared the experience of 5 weeks living in and exploring Paris with her mum as they help each other to celebrate their Birthdays. The book is made up of drawings, quotes, journalling and photos which makes for a great, and varied, experience for the reader. I loved the way Knisley was so honest about her experiences and her thoughts - it really was like sneaking a look inside someones journal. The author was a little self-indulgent at times - but that's what being in Paris in your early 20's is for surely?? It didn't detract from the book for me.

As I am going to be in Paris for the first time myself in only a couple of weeks it was a great way to get me in the mood for this amazing city.

Fire in the Blood - Irene Nemirovsky

When you're twenty love is like a fever, it makes you almost delirious. When it is over you can hardly remember how it happened... Fire in the blood, how quickly it burns itself out.

I actually finished Fire in the Blood a while ago now so my memory being what it is means my recollection of it has faded somewhat - not ideal for writing a review!

I do remember that this book seemed way too short - I wanted so much more, not that I felt it ended unfinished in any way.

I first discovered Nemirovsky's writing in Suite Francaise - a book I completely devoured - and when I saw a practically perfect copy of Fire in the Blood in a local second hand bookshop I picked it up quickly.

Fire in the Blood is set in a rural French town in Burgundy and it follows the deceptively simple but increasingly complex story of Silvio and his extended family. At first I thought this book was going to be a reflective story of this family - but it takes an unexpected turn and goes down (what was for me) a completely different path.

The writing was elegant and helped me to develop a clear picture of each character while at the same time allowing parts of them to be kept hidden until the right moment.

Another beautiful Nemirovsky book for me - have other people read any of her other work?

Valley of Grace - Marion Halligan

I had seen Valley of Grace on bookshop shelves around town and was drawn to its wispy, dreamy cover of French terrace houses. I then heard the author, Marion Halligan, speak on the ABC Radio National Book Show program and I decided to give this one a go based on this interview and the cover - two of the factors I often take into account when deciding whether or not to read a book. My friend Tamara has also read and reviewed this one and her review tempted me even further to see what this book was all about.

Valley of Grace is a series of interconnected short stories - connected through the characters and their various relationships and contacts with each other, and the setting of a particular area of Paris and surrounding suburbs.

The characters are also connected by their longings for certain things in their life - children, security, love and a sense of family being some of the main themes explored.

I found the writing direct and clear while at the same time very lyrical. I enjoyed the setting of the stories and even though I have never visited Paris (as yet!) I felt that I had a vivid picture of where these stories were taking place. I particularly enjoyed the scenes in the antiquarian bookshop - I want to go there!

I would recommend this book if you enjoy reading about characters inner lives - their thoughts, dreams, hopes and fears. I loved this one and would love to see a sequel developed as well so I could follow the characters some more.