A last look at the latest new arrivals, and there are some famous names beside less familiar ones.
Michael Ondaatje needs no introduction, but I have yet to read him so I have his best known book, The English Patient, with which to remedy that.
Next, "Finnish wit as sharp as the Arctic weather", a long-time bestseller in its native country and in France, this is Arto Paasilinna's The Year of the Hare. A disillusioned journalist runs into a young hare on a country road; he goes in search of the creature and "this small incident becomes a life-changing experience as he decides to break free from the world's constraints ...and travels in the wilds of Finland with his new-found friend".
Another Nordic book, and one which has been on my wishlist for a while, is Tarjei Vesaas' award-winning The Ice Palace. A young girl disappears on a visit to the 'ice palace', a strange and beautiful frozen waterfall. This story, told in prose of "lyrical economy ... ranks among the most memorable achievements of modern literature."
Back to Britain and another writer I'll be reading for the first time, Justin Cartwright. His novel To Heaven By Water is just out and it is the "touching and hilarious" story of the Cross family as they come to terms with loss and secrets. Cartwright's writing has been described as beautifully observed, perceptive and dramatic - that's good enough for me!
