Another world-class mystery by the master. Her stories are an excuse to display her magnificent use of the language. I went to one of her readings once and she was quite unpleasant, which was refreshing. No audience ass kisser, our Elizabeth. Sir Thomas Lynley is back, somewhat changed, and so is my favorite EG character, [...]
August, 2009
Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A haunting book about a book. Set in Barcelona in the 1950’s, the central character is Daniel, a boy whose father owns an antiquarian book store. He spends years looking for a book called Shadow of the Wind by a mysterious one-book author named Julian Carax. He finds that every copy of the book has [...]
Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
An unsympathetic look at ageing and at how the elderly are treated by cooing institutional workers. Our protagonist has lived his life in the circus, which of course no one knows or cares about at this stage of his decrepitude. A wonderful inside experience in the daily life of a travelling circus with all of [...]
The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson
Something truly different. The protagonist is a sardonic character who worked as a porn actor before becoming severely burned in an auto accident. He goes through the rest of his life as a “monster.” A mysterious woman named Marianne attaches herself to him and takes him home to live with her after his long hospitalization. [...]
Kyuquot, British Columbia
This is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Tall, first-growth cedar forests, ferns, salal, wildflowers, and a grey/blue bay before my cabin door. The eagles are squawking in the trees (a disappointing sound for such a magnificent bird), the kingfishers are zipping by and the crows are at war over bits of shellfish.
There’s [...]
Village Fiesta – San Antonio Tehuitz
This took place a few months ago, in June. Deb U. and I drove to Guillermina’s house in San Antonio and she and her family accompanied us “downtown.” She lives with one of her four daughters and her daughter’s daughter. Another of G’s daughters, also with daughters, lives nearby. We took the kids on the [...]
Jaunt to Teabo and Mani
On Sunday, I was planning to take my friend Guillermina to her parents’ house in Teabo, so they could repair some of my old hammocks. I prefer cotton hammocks the nylon ones being sold now. (You can find cotton, but it’s getting harder.)
Before I left to pick up Guillermina in [...]
Jaunt to Dzitya
Lorna Gail and I took off at about noon and drove up to Progreso and turned west before we hit town. That way we could go over that incredible new bridge with the magnificent views. It’s got to be the highest spot in northern Yucatan. After driving around this flat countryside, it is a great [...]
Crime in Yucatan
Yucatan apparently has the lowest crime rate of any Mexican state. However, things do happen.