October Miscellany
The blog has taken a bit of a backseat in October, mostly due to some health issues, which did not affect my reading, but meant that I wasn’t in much of a mood to post.

I am trying to take these kind of breaks in my stride, because, let’s face it, life can get in the way and sometimes other things have to take priority.
As a consequence, my RIP challenge petered out a bit and I am incredibly behind in my reviews, but am hoping that November will be a better month.
In good news though, I did still get a lot of reading done this month, so here are my thoughts on a few of the non-746 books that I read last month.
The Narrow Land by Christine Dwyer Hickey
Continuing my fascination with books about art and artists, The Narrow Land explores the relationship between Josephine Nivison and her husband, Edward Hopper, over one summer on Cape Cod.

It is 1950 and 10-year-old Michael, a concentration camp survivor and orphan, is sent by his adoptive parents to stay with a friend Mrs Kaplan, on Cape Cod. He does not get on with Mrs Kaplan’s grandson Richie and instead, strikes up an unlikely friendship with Josephine and Edward who are staying at their summerhouse close by, Richie’s aunt Katherine is dying of what we must assume is cancer and both Michael and Edward become entranced by her.
This is a fine and thoughtful novel, told from multiple perspectives but always with an eye to the whole canvas. There is a beautiful balance of character and tone and Dwyer Hickey asks much from her reader without the book becoming difficult. She depicts the marriage between Josephine and Edward in all its painful, conflicting glory, allowing Josephine’s hurt at having her own art overlooked for that of her husbands to drive her actions. Themes of loneliness, parenthood and loss are dealt with subtly and the book is carefully paced to culminate in a party – a fantastic set piece of over 100 pages – after which all the characters will be changed by what has occurred.
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
What more can I say to add to the discussion around this wonderful book and that controversial Booker decision?

I was both delighted that Evaristo won the prize and gutted that her win was overshadowed by the bizarre decision to have her share the award with Margaret Atwood. I haven’t read The Testaments, so I can’t comment on its worth as the Booker winner, but there is a real sense that the award was given, erroneously, for a body of work rather than for one novel.
None of which should take away from the staggering achievement that is Girl, Woman, Other, a dizzying and delightful journey around the lives of twelve different women, all connected, whether they know it or not. Evaristo excels at creating warm, well-rounded characters that the reader comes to care about in a matter of pages and the subtle links between these women never come across as gimmicky.
I was completely undone by the revelation that occurs in the Epilogue and it is testament (if I can use that word!) to Evaristo’s talent that I felt like I could have read about another 12 or 24 of her creations were it possible. Girl, Woman, Other will undoubtedly make my end of year Best Of list and I hope her win, however controversial, will bring many more readers to her work.
You Should Have Left by Daniel Kehlmann
You Should Have Left is a fabulously creepy novella that takes all the tropes of the traditional haunted house tale and turns them on their head, without forsaking any scares in the process.

An unnamed narrator has taken his wife and four-year-old daughter to an isolated rental house in the mountains, where he hopes to complete the screenplay that will be a sequel to his hit movie Besties. He is under pressure to deliver his manuscript, there are tensions within his marriage and the day-to-day business of child rearing distracts from his writing.
Structured as the protagonist’s diary, the novella wastes no time in introducing strange goings on. The narrator discovers some odd sentences written in his diary that he cannot remember writing and which make no sense. Pictures that he could have sworn were not on walls appear and then disappear again. Bad dreams start and Kehlmann does for baby monitors what Stephen King did for hotels.
The haunted house clichés are all here. The house has a troubled past. Someone in the village below warns then to get away and get away quick. The family have a chance to get away, yet do not take it and then the ghosts appear. Kehlmann acknowledges these tropes and reminds the reader of why they are, in fact, still so effective. A sense of dread pervades everything here and Kehlmann keeps his narrative wonderfully open-ended. Like The Shining, which also places a writer within a confined space, there is a suggestion that our writer is losing his mind due to the stress of his work and his failing marriage. There is also a hint of science fiction in the mix, involving time-travel and a parallel universe, all of which are sketched with enough detail, but also leave enough space to keep what happens open to interpretation.
At 100 pages, this is one short book, but Kehlmann uses his words wisely and creates an atmosphere of terror and dread that marries the psychological and the paranormal in the way that the best ghost stories do.

This Brutal House by Niven Govinden
This month I had the pleasure of attending a reading by Niven Govinden as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival, talking about his new book This Brutal House. I first became aware of Govinden when I read his stunning short story Animal Heart in Tramp Press’s collection A Kind of Compass.
The sub-culture of the black and Latino vogue balls, with their caricature of glamour and hard fought “walks” have broken through to the mainstream before, mostly courtesy of Madonna. Recently though, from Ru Paul’s Drag Race to Pose, through to Joseph Cerrara’s The House of Impossible Beauties, New York’s ball culture seems to be having a moment.
This Brutal House removes the glitz and makeup of this world to explore the lives beyond the spotlight and to focus on the loving, yet controlling ‘Houses’ in which these boys lived, led by their house ‘mothers’. The book opens as five of these ageing mothers mount a silent protest on the steps of City Hall, protesting the disappearance of some of their children and the fact that the City has not taken their disappearance seriously.
Written in the first person plural, the writing style evokes the pain of parents everywhere when they feel that their children have not been properly cared for. It is an intense and claustrophobic style, broken up by chapters narrated by Teddy, a child of these mothers who now works for City Hall. He finds himself between two worlds, that of his everyday work and his need to support the people who helped him when he needed it most.
The plot of the book peters out somewhat – the mystery of what happened to the missing Sherry being abandoned about two thirds of the way through – but this is not a book where the plot is primary. This is about style and characterisation, while the stunning passages told in the words of the vogue caller at the balls, and a painful set piece set in the Chanel department of a posh department store are stellar. Govinden is definitely one to watch.
Tangerine by Christine Mangan
Billed as The Talented Mr Ripley meets Single White Female, Tangerine is the book that has charmed George Clooney into buying the film rights with Scarlett Johansson slated to star, but I am afraid it didn’t really charm me just so much.

It is 1956 and Alice Shipley has just moved to Tangiers with her rather unpleasant new husband John. He adores the place, vanishing into its streets every day while Alice stays at home, too scared to leave their house. Unexpectedly, her old college roommate and one-time best friend Lucy Mason, shows up unannounced on her doorstep and despite not parting on good terms, Alice lets Lucy back into her life.
Through flashback and told from each woman’s alternating viewpoint, we learn of their relationship at college in Bennington and what drove them both to find solace in one another. There is a mysterious accident that is constantly alluded to, but Mangan makes us wait before divulging its details.
Obviously echoing Tom Ripley, Lucy is a selfish and devious character who, like Ripley, has sexual feelings for Alice that are not reciprocated. Alice is a void of a character and once the revelation of what drove them apart at college is revealed, the question of why Alice would let Lucy in to her house, let alone into her life again remains unanswered.
There are shades of Hitchcock and Highsmith here and Mangan captures the essence of Tangiers wonderfully, however the characters are painted with such broad strokes that their motivations are unfathomable. The plot relies on a series of implausible coincidences that do not entirely gel and Lucy is a rather colourless villain. Characters like Tom Ripley succeed because, despite their heinous actions, they are still portrayed as intelligent and charismatic. Lucy Mason is not one of those characters.
Where these criticisms are limitations to a good read, I can imagine the film version of Tangerine being one of those rare occasions where the movie is better than the book.
Looking on to November, I am going to take part in Nonfiction November, but rather than tailor my posts to the weekly plan, I’m just going to read some non-fiction books that have been languishing in the 746 and I’ll post a list tomorrow.

I am only a handful of books away from getting the 746 down into the 400s, which was my goal this year, so that’s my main focus for the rest of the year.
Monthly Miscellany Reading Roulette #nonficnov bernardine evaristo Booker Prize chirstine mangan christine dwyer hickey daniel kehlmann irish literature miscellany niven govinden RIp Challenge
Cathy746books View All →
I am a 40 something book buying addict trying to reduce the backlog one book at a time!
I’ve put the Daniel Kehlmann on order: sounds fab!
I’m relieved to learn I’m not the only one who was less than entirely persuaded by Tangerine.
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Ah, glad it wasn’t just me then. It had all the right ingredients but just fell a bit flat. The Kehlmann is fun and properly creepy!
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I hope your feeling much better, Cathy! The Narrow Land sounds excellent and I’m going to look for a copy. Be well!
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Thank you Peggy 😘
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I’m so glad you enjoyed the Dwyer Hickey, Cathy. I’d hoped to see it more prominently on prize lists. Such an interesting take on both art and the effect on a relationship when one partner’s talent eclipses the other’s. I was also impressed by the Kehlmann. Very clever!
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Yes, I’m surprised The Narrow Land hasn’t been on more long and shortlists. It was a lovely piece of work.
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I had tried to read “Blonde Roots” by Evaristo a couple of years ago, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to get into it, although the premise seemed very interesting. “Girl, Woman, Other” has been lauded by everyone so much that I think I might give it a chance, despite my unfortunate first encounter with her writing.
Your October books all seem so very interesting. I’ll be looking forward to your November posts. I hope your health has already started to improve! 🙂
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I’d never read Evaristo before Akylina, but I really loved this one and would highly recommend. Thanks for your good wishes x
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Sorry you’ve been poorly, but glad it didn’t get in the way of the reading! Hope you feel better soon! 😀
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Nothing gets in the way of the reading 👍😘
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I can’t believe I’ve known you long enough to see your 746 drop from different hundreds! So exciting, Cathy! I hope you’re doing better now, health-wise.
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Added The Narrow Land and This Brutal House to my TBR! Both sound brilliant. So glad you enjoyed Girl Woman Other too – I still need to read that but I’m convinced I’ll love it, and I’m still irritated about the Booker fiasco.
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You will love it. I promise 😎
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I’m glad you’re back:)
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😘
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I’m glad to hear you enjoyed Girl, Woman, Other so much! I’d definitely like to check it out at some point, and it’s heartening to see reviews recognising its worth beyond the bizarre legacy it will always share with The Testaments.
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I think you’d like it Callum, it’s beautifully structured and felt very joyous to me. A real celebration of life in all its forms.
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Sorry to hear you’ve not been well, Cathy – hope things are settling down for you again now, or will soon. I wasn’t blown away by Tangerine either, but I did enjoy the Daniel Kehlmann story!
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Glad to hear I wasn’t the only one underwhelmed by Tangerine!
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I’m keen to read the Dwyer Hickey. Everything I’ve ever read by her I’ve loved. I had a serious reading block for about 6 weeks thanks to a new job but am pleased to say I’m getting back into it again… hope you’re feeling better 😘
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I loved The Narrow Land Kim and hope to read more of her work now. Hope you are well settled in the new job 🥰
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I hope you’re feeling better, Cathy. Glad you’re reading, even if posting gets put on hold. I’m adding several of these to my list of books to watch out for. Good news that the 746 is almost into the 400s 😀
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Thanks Rose, any reduction in that pile of mine is worth celebrating 🤣
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I had to return Girl, Woman, Other to the library before really getting far into it. Now of course there is a long queue of people who want to read this now it is the winner. Might be some time before it gets back to me….Does it feel like 12 separate stories or are they integrated in some way?
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They are all linked – sometimes in obvious ways and sometimes in more subtle ways. It’s expertly structured.
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Well done on getting the 746 down, and I’m not sure I fully realised that some of the books you read aren’t from that original list (how did I not grasp that?).
Anyway, on Girl, Woman, Other – “I was completely undone by the revelation that occurs in the Epilogue” – yes! I shouted out loud and had to message Ali, who was the only other person who I knew had read it at that stage!
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I sobbed Liz. I really properly cried and had to put the book down and compose myself so I could finish it 🤣
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I shouted, “Well played, Bernadine, well played”!
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Hope you’re feeling much better Cathy.
A lovely lots of books here, I’m very tempted by The Narrow Land and of course Girl Woman Other. Not so much by Tangerine, which a few bloggers seem underwhelmed by. As you say, maybe it will work better as a film.
Congratulations on nearly hitting the 400s – what an achievement!
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Oh I don’t know that it’s such an achievement – it’ll take me another 10 years at this rate 🤣🤣
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