Book of the Month - December 2011 - Timbuktu

The Book

Timbuktu is a short novel about the life of a scruffy mutt (dog), Mr Bones and his dying master, a vagabond called Willy G. Christmas. The story begins with the last journey of Willy and Mr Bones to Baltimore, as Willy searches for his mentor, Bea Swanson, who he was last in touch with over 20 years before.
After Willy's death, Mr Bones must fend for himself and his life changes irrevocably. After the deep bond he has shared with Willy, Mr Bones' comes into contact with a young Chinese boy, Henry (although Willy advises him to steer clear of Chinese restaurants and children!) and then a family (Polly, Dick, Alice and Tiger) where Mr Bones suffers the ignominy of the chop and becomes a 'dandified' dog.

The title refers to the concept of the afterlife, as proposed by Christmas, who is a self-styled poet, who believes that it is a beautiful place called 'Timbuktu'. The question is will both Willy and Mr Bones be reunited in this heavenly place?

This is a book that examines finding one's purpose in life and has been described as being a meditation on late 20th century America. It is a highly inventive, creative book where we see the world from the perspective of a dog. It raises many questions such as whether animals have souls and the nature of love in society.

The Author
Like his character, Willy G. Christmas, Auster himself is an American of Jewish, Polish decent. Born in 1947, Auster written a number of novels including The New York Trilogy (1987), Moon Palace (1989), The Book of Illusions (2002) and the The Brooklyn Follies (2005). His works are a mix of absurdism, existentialism, crime fiction and searches for identity and personal meaning.

More Information

View Paul Auster's website at http://www.paulauster.co.uk

Book of the Month - November 2011 - We need to talk about Kevin

The Book

This a highly topical, dark, psychological novel published originally in 2003 which was recently turned into an acclaimed film directed by Lynne Ramsey in 2011.

The story is told exclusively from the viewpoint of a mother, Eva Khatchadorian, entirely via a series of letters. It explores the fractious relationship between a mother and her son, as she attempts to come to terms with her son's murderous actions in committing a school shooting.

Shriver consummately explores the intricacies of marital and parental relationships and also whether an individual's character is determined by nature or nurture.

This is a controversial book, which poses many questions about ourselves as people and as a society.

The Author

Lionel Shriver is an American author and journalist, who was originally born Margaret Ann Shriver in 1957 in North Carolina. She now lives in London and is married to a jazz drummer, Jeff Williams.

Shriver was awarded the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2005 for "We need to talk about Kevin" which she considered her 'make or break' novel.

Shriver's other novels include "Double Fault", which charts the relationship breakdown of two low level professional tennis players and "The Post Birthday World" which takes a 'Sliding Doors' type approach to imaging the life of one woman living two possible lives in parallel imagined stories.

More Information

Shriver's publishers are Harper Collins - http://www.harpercollins.com/author/microsite/About.aspx?authorid=27687

A trailer of the film version is available at - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLRgAe2jLaw