Books that captivate with their exquisite prose and unforgettable storytelling. Perfect for readers who appreciate the art of language.
On Beauty
Zadie Smith, 2005
445 pp.
September 2007
Somewhere in the middle of this book, a character wonders "was anyone ever genuinely attached to anything?"
She hits on the problem readers may encounter: it's hard at first to feel "genuinely attached" to this book—because none of the characters seem to love anything or anyone, least of all themselves. Ironically, that question became the tipping point for me. From then on it was impossible to put On Beauty down.
Hotel du Lac
Anita Brookner, 1984
184 pp.
August 2007
One of Brookner’s earliest works, and some think her finest, this slender book contains some very beautiful and very funny writing.
Edith Hope, a romance novelist, who writes “under a more thrusting name” (Oh, that is so good!), finds herself exiled to a posh but sedate Swiss hotel. She has committed a serious social infraction, though we don’t learn exactly what till about three-quarters of the way through.
The Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini, 2003
400 pp.
July 2007
This book is a top club read, many claiming it as one of their favorites. And for good reason.
The story follows the plight of two Afghan boys. Raised without mothers, the two were fed at the same nursemaid’s breast, creating a bond of brotherhood that was to last a lifetime. Of course it doesn’t.
The Bone People
Keri Hulme, 1985
464 pp.
Book Review by Molly Lundquist
June 2007
This a powerful, gripping book, with sharply drawn characters who tug at every heartstring. But I need to insert a disclaimer here: it’s not an easy book, and it's not for everyone.
Hulme’s long-windedness, her strange flights of prose or poetry, feel excessive at times. There is also a violent episode which is particularly disturbing though it is critical to the plot.
Life of Pi
Yann Martel, 2001
348 pp.
May 2007
What do you do with a 450-pound Bengal tiger?
Sounds like the old 800-pound gorilla joke, and the answer is pretty much the same—give it whatever it wants, especially if the two of you are sharing a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Young Piscene Patel is the son of a zookeeper in Pondicherry, India...