littlebird

Three book that i have read recently that i thought i might share with you. Firstly Zadie Smith, On Beauty, which, as always with Smith, is wonderful. I love the way she observes human nature in all it's flawed, weird, contradictions and weaves ordinary yet inventive tales. The second choice was a case of judging a book by it's cover, i was attracted by the cover illustration by Mary Evans. Mikhail Bulgakov's The Heart of the Dog, is a parody of the Russian revolution, retold as a witty, poignant tale.

And last but by no means least is the tremendous. The Moon is Down by the incomparable John Steinbeck. It is a "story" of the military occupation of a small village set in a fictional land but with strong overtures toward occupied Norway during WW2. It was published and circulated in secret through out Nazi occupied Europe and became a beacon of hope and a symbol of non-violent defiance. It is an awe inspiring novel and proof, if ever it was needed, that the pen is truly mightier than the sword!

These three i picked up recently in charity shops. I love old penguin novels with their colouful spines,  (all of these are orange) Again it is the cover illustrations that attracted me and i'll be glad to add them to my ever growing collection. The Little Man from Archangel dates back to the late 50's and the other two late 80's. 

Rebecca is one of my all time favourites so I was especially thrilled to find it, 

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."