And Some More Books...

The Price of Water in Finistère / Priset på vatten i Finistère by Bodil Malmsten - I'm very ashamed to admit this is the very first novel of this lovely Swedish author I've actually read. What can I say to make this book justice, it's so beautifully written, like floating poetry. Far from a tame kind of poetry, this is verse with an edge, with justified social criticism that make the eyes fill with tears. This is life, this is love, this is prosaic, this is poetry in motion. And I will so read her other works now. And how beautiful isn't this title, of one of her books; Hör bara hur ditt hjärta bultar i mig / Listen, how your heart is beating in me

I must also add that Malmsten is one but few writers that can actually handle the blogosphere - countless are the writers that really sucks, for lack of a better word, at writing a blog. Well, all of them aren't very skilled writers to begin with, but that's another story... - only in Swedish

Oranges are not the only fruit by Jeanette Winterson - Winterson is one of my favourite authors ever since I sort of stumbled over Powerbook years ago. The way she floats between reality and dreams, truth and fiction, it's simply amazing. It's sensual, it's passionate, always imagination stirring. Truly wonderful, this kind of writing certainly makes me turn more than slightly green, so to write...

Somehow I didn't find her book Lighthousekeeping all that good, but I sort of suspect that might have had something to do with my mood at that time rather than the story and the way it's written. However this one, oranges, I loved. I know it was published the first time over 20 years ago - and then I was most definitely far too young to have been able to appreciate it the way I did now - but I don't think it has been available in Sweden, again, until recently. Partly autobiographical, partly beautiful fairytale, partly dryly very humorous, partly completely sad. And entirely exquisitely written.

The Right Attitude To Rain by Alexander McCall Smith - I know, I rave about this Sunday Philosophy-series, I adore them, in their seemingly uncomplicated simplicity there are layers and layers of witty intelligence, thoughtfulness not to mention brims with charm - and Scotland, oh Scotland!

I just discovered there'll be a fourth book in the series, The Careful Use of Compliments, oh the bliss! Yes, it was kind of sad to say goodbye to the caring sleuth Isabel Dalhousie in this third book I thought. Even though the ending was well told. In fact so well told I did the one thing I never ever *honestly* do when opening a book, read the last few pages first...

Shame on me, but I just had to with this one, and what I found was so surprising I had to begin reading it immediately. Loved the book - I know I have overused this poor worn, lovely word a bit in writing these Piaic book reviews, but in lack for a better, more just word since all these books have given me immense pleasure reading... - the only itsy bitsy thing that was annoying was ms Dalhousie rather grandiloquent way of expressing her feelings towards her longtime friend, now, at last, younger lover. Slightly too matronly, to put it mildly... However, the series is just stupendously well worth reading all in all!