Cornflower Blues 2011: part 3 - more fiction

 

    When I drafted this post I wrote a long rigmarole about criteria for inclusion, giving what I thought might be helpful analogies and definitions of 'best' as it applies to my choices here.  On reflection I've scrubbed all that as we can do without it, so following on from Friday's first batch of fiction, here's my choice from the second half of the year, listed in the order in which I read them:

 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - original, fresh and beautiful, this superb re-telling of the story of Achilles and Patroclus is a stunning novel.

The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas - lush, romantic fiction, an escapist treat of a book.

Drowning Rose by Marika Cobbold - a novel about guilt, but one which brings light and warmth to the subject; perceptive, compassionate, atmospheric, optimistic and highly readable.

Ghastly Business by Louise Levene - stylish, witty and great fun!

The Translation of the Bones by Francesca Kay - a work of great poise, sensitivity and intelligence about faith, belief, loneliness and love.

The Double Shadow by Sally Gardner - ingeniously complex, dark and richly imagined, a novel for older teenagers and adults.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt - for me, the best of the book group books this year.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday - this novel hasn't had a post of its own (though its author has), but it's laugh-out-loud funny, very sad, most cleverly structured, and enormously entertaining.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - no post yet for this one either, as I finished it only yesterday and feel quite lost without it now. A beautiful, magical book - thoughts on it soon.

Comments

[Elizabeth Buchan]

Lovely selection thank you very much. Did you look at Louisa Young's My Dear I Wanted to tell You? Excellent and intense.

[Elaine]

I have TheSnow Child to hand and am half way thorugh. It is, as you say, beautiful and magical.

I read Salmon Fishing in the Yemen when it was first published a few years ago and simply loved it. Witty and amusing and yet, surprisingly, moving in places

[Cornflower]

I haven't read it yet but I have it waiting - many thanks for the recommendation.

[Cornflower]

I was so sorry to reach the end of The Snow Child as I just wanted it to go on - lovely book.
In amongst all the humour, Salmon Fishing is very moving, isn't it.

[Rhys]

I dare you to choose just three for the year!!

[Cornflower]

Oh, Rhys, that's too hard! So many good things would then be overlooked ...