Books from and about all the airts and pairts this week.
On the top of the pile there is Warwick Collins' novel The Sonnets.
In 1592 while under the patronage of the youthful Earl of Southampton, William Shakespeare "found himself embroiled in the political and sexual intrigue of the Earl's unorthodox household. In the three turbulent years which followed, Shakespeare is widely believed to have written the majority of his great sequence of sonnets".
With 32 of the sonnets woven into the text, this will be an intriguing interpretation of a literary mystery, all the more interesting to me on the back of my reading of Christopher Rush's Will.
Next is a debut novel with a wartime setting. Rosie Alison's The Very Thought of You is likely to appeal to anyone who loved The Go-between (that's me) or Atonement.
When eight-year-old Anna is evacuated with other children to a large Yorkshire estate, she soon gets drawn into the unravelling relationship of the couple who live there and becomes "part-witness and part accomplice to a love affair, with unforeseen consequences".
Lastly, some American historical fiction. Nina Vida's The Texicans begins in San Antonio, Texas, in 1843 and - according to Publishers Weekly - is a "vibrantly atmospheric and emotionally dense [story] spanning 12 years in the lives of many engaging characters, who come to life on every page".
This is a time and place I know nothing about but reviews suggest I'll learn much and get great pleasure from reading it.
Karen:
For an interesting coincidence, take a look at this blog
http://howpublishingreallyworks.blogspot.com/
... third or fourth item down (guest article dated May 27, "How Book Design Affects Readability") and you'll see The Sonnets.
Posted by: Maggie Dana | 29 May 2009 at 01:34 AM
I just got Warwick Collins' book as well and can't wait to read it. I've never read any of Shakespeare's sonnets I'm sorry to admit (mayne in high school, but if I did it's all a blur now. The other two books sound good, too. Just curious--did you not like The Atonement? I really need to read The Go Between, too.
Posted by: Danielle | 29 May 2009 at 03:42 AM
...or Atonement (sans The) as the case may actually be...
Posted by: Danielle | 29 May 2009 at 03:43 AM
Danielle, I may be the only person in the world who hasn't read it (or any Ian McEwan, come to that!)
Posted by: Cornflower | 29 May 2009 at 08:47 AM
Maggie, how interesting! The interior design of The Sonnets is beautifully clear with plenty of space, and it does invite the reader in.
Posted by: Cornflower | 29 May 2009 at 09:16 AM
If you were the only girl in the world ...
Well then I'm the only boy! I haven't read Atonement or any book my Ian McEwan either.
Posted by: Dark Puss | 29 May 2009 at 09:24 AM
Thanks, Karen. I thoroughly enjoyed designing The Sonnets, and was happy to be able to use a lovely font called Zapfino for the chapter headings. Since the bulk of my design and typesetting work is academic, legal, and medical, it was a pleasure to indulge in a little creative fantasy with this one.
Posted by: Maggie Dana | 29 May 2009 at 11:28 AM