Tuesday 26 October 2010

Recommended reading: Miss Garnet's Angel


Death is outside life but it alters it: it leaves a hole in the fabric of things which those who are left behind try to repair.
This is the opening line of the novel where Salley Vickers has created a wonderful character
- Miss Julia Garnet  -
a very proper retired schoolteacher, who decides to winter in Italy (what a dream!).

The story is set to the beautiful and ethereal background of Venice where Julia - the uptight English rose - is transplanted into the culturally rich soil of Venice and begins to blossom. This anti-heroine is so down-to-earth and dignified, and yet so very naive. But she is believable and  delightful, as she discovers each new experience and her confidence grows. She embarks on a journey that leads her through the three F’s of her life: fear, faith, and friendship. Julia overcomes her fear of the unknown, and she develops deep and meaningful friendships during the seven months in Venice  - more than she ever did in her entire life in England.

Vickers has given the book an excellent cast of characters and an interesting story full of death, love, myth, faith, truth, hate. Yet, it is a very gentle book.

Among other things, the novel challenges us to think about how we interpret the world around us.

3 comments:

  1. Hei!!Tror du denne er oversatt til norsk?? Jeg leser engelsk, men det går ganske sent. Så hyggelig at du likte eplekaka!! jeg tror det er yoguerten som gjør susen!! jeg laget den en gang, skrev opp på en lapp, men mistet den. Laget den igjen og det var den oppskriften jeg la ut!! Hilsen Annekari:-)

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  2. Hei Annekar! Har ikke funnet den pa norsk, men ser at Tanum har den pa dansk og tysk.

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  3. Høres ut som en veldig fin bok! Jeg har dessverre ingen oppskrift på sammenhekling av ruter, men et google-søk gir det tusenvis av forslag tror jeg :)

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