The Stranger

Camus' The Stranger is a classic of existential lit and has no doubt been read by just about everyone who has ever been an undergraduate at any university in the world.

For anyone who hasn't read it, The Stranger is a compact tale about a young French-Algerian, Meursault, who serves as narrator and the literary embodiment of existential philosophy (although Camus never considered himself to be an existentialist). At the outset of the novel, Meuersault's mother has died and he travels to the nursing home she lived in to see to her funeral. Afterward, he returns to his normal life, normal job, and normal pursuits. He strikes up a relationship with a young woman and befriends a shady man who invites him to the beach. During this trip, a seemingly random encounter with some Arab men leads to murder, and Meursault finds himself in jail awaiting trial.

The crux of the novel is Meursault's realization of the absurdity of life and his belief that the end is the end and nothing that happens really matters. His belief system and seeming lack of remorse or concern about his own fate paints him in an unflattering light before the members of the judicial system. Still, it is not the crime he has committed that condemns him in society's eyes; rather it is his ambivalence towards the death of his mother that society cannot understand or allow to go unpunished.

The version of The Stranger I read is not the classic English translation from Gilbert, but an American translation from Matthew Ward that appeared in 1988. Camus had written that he had intended The Stranger to be written in the 'American' style of James Cain or Dashiell Hammett with short compact sentences and an overtone of though guy swagger. Ward's translation attempts to capture this style, and for me, is successful.

The Stranger is a quick read for a rainy day. I'd also recommend The Plague by Camus.

Fingersmith

Sarah Waters' Fingersmith is about as engrossing as a novel can get for me. It is set in the Victorian Era, features a terrific mystery, and has plot twists that actually caused me to gasp out loud once or twice.

Our initial narrator, Sue, is an orphan who lives with a group of thieves in London. Mrs. Sucksby has raised her from infancy after her mother was condemned as a murderess and hung. The dashing ne'er-do-well Gentleman convinces Sue to help him run an elaborate con. Maud Lilly is a young heiress and orphan who will come into wealth once she marries. She is isolated at her strange uncle's house in the country and Gentleman has found a way to weasel himself into the household. Sue is to take a commission as Maud's maid in order to help convince Maud to marry Gentleman. Once the marriage is complete, they will arrange for Maud to be committed to a madhouse and share her fortune.

I won't discuss the plot in any more detail than this as the surprise elements are important to the enjoyment of the novel. There are enough twists and turns to satisfy any fan of the genre. The depictions of the squalor of London and the icy country house are top notch and the plot is riveting. Definitely plan on devoting some uninterrupted time to this one if you choose to read it.

Highly recommended for those who enjoy a good twisted mystery. This novel was shortlisted for several major awards.

The Lambs of London

The Lambs of London is a slim novel based somewhat on historical fact. The author, Peter Ackroyd, is an author noted for not only his fiction but his biographies of Dickens, Blake, Shakespeare and others. Here Ackroyd blends fact and fiction as he utilizes the stories of real people Charles and Mary Lamb and William Henry Ireland.

The novel focuses first on Charles, a young man who lives with his family and works for the East India company. Charles is an aspiring writer, a lover of Shakespeare, and quite often, a drunk. His older sister Mary is socially awkward but is also infatuated with the 15th and 16th century dramatists. They live with their parents: their mother, a somewhat bitter woman, and their father who has been mentally incapacitated following some kind of a stroke years previously.

Into their lives comes Ireland, a very young man who operates a bookstore with his father. Ireland has met a mysterious benefactor who allows him to go through her departed husband's extensive collection of papers. Ireland recovers a will and other legal documents that are verified to be Shakespeare's. Scholars and enthusiasts are excited, but nothing prepares them for the day Ireland shows up with the draft of an unknown play. Again, experts verify it as Shakespeare's, although there are some who disagree. Ireland decides to mount the play, and his burgeoning romance with Mary Lamb seems to make his life complete. However, Mary's shaky mental health, William's relationship with his opportunist father, and questions about his benefactor and the veracity of the play begin to cause everything to fall apart.

As a novel, I found this to be somewhat anti-climactic. While it is well-written, it never fully engaged me. Much more interesting are the actual histories of these characters. All of them were real people, but there is no evidence that any of their paths actually crossed. Charles and Mary Lamb wrote a well-known book of Shakespeare for children, battled against mental health issues, and experienced family tragedy. You can look at the story of William Henry Ireland here, but I won't go into detail as it would act as a plot spoiler.

Ackroyd did a great job in coming up with the premise of this historical fiction, but the execution leaves it a little flat. Still, this would hold interest for any Shakespeare enthusiast.

The Blind Assassin

Margaret Atwood was another author I'd heard a lot about but I hadn't gotten around to reading one of her books until I picked up The Blind Assassin. Apparently, Atwood has been labeled as a science fiction writer, a label she bristles at. I remember one of her books, The Handmaid's Tale, was made into a well-received movie a few years ago.

The Blind Assassin is a story within a story within a story. If that puts you off, don't let it. Although there are parts of this story that unwrap mysteriously, it is the author's intent and not just a confusing structure to the novel. It contains elements of mystery, tragedy, drama, and, yes, science fiction.

The novel (which won the Booker Prize 8 or 9 years ago) centers around Iris Chase Griffin, a Canadian woman whose family were once preeminent manufacturers of gloves and other garments until the depression and hard times caused a slow slide from wealth. Iris and her sister Laura are left to be raised by their father and servants after their mother's untimely death. As the narrative of the sisters' lives unfolds, we are introduced to a story within the story, a tale of two lovers meeting in clandestine locations, the man in the relationship improvising a science fiction story that has kept the woman enthralled for months.

Iris' sister Laura dies in a car accident and shortly afterward, her husband is found dead in a sail boat. Are the two incidents related? And who are the lovers in the story 'The Blind Assassin' (revealed to be a posthumous work of Laura's)?

Atwood is a brilliant writer. The plot was well-planned out and engrossing. She is able to skillfully weave the narratives from the 1930s and 40s into the present day as well as including the cut-aways to the story within the story. A tale of identity, secrets, trust, and family, I had a hard time putting this down. This novel was deeply satisfying, deserving of its accolades, and an excellent way to while away a couple of afternoons.