When a novel states a fact that ties into another fact and another and another, as the chain goes on the events begin to seem more and more extraordinary, and the characters take on a chiaroscuro effect without grays, and the melodrama builds, most people reading the novel will think it糖心传媒檚 a bunch of lies, and that such things are impossible in real life. And the truth is exactly the opposite: if you just write down the characters and the 糖心传媒減ermutations糖心传媒� you can find in a city like ours 糖心传媒� right here in Barcelona . . . Believe me, there糖心传媒檚 no need to wait for a dark, sensational crime, the kind that scare concierges stiff when they read about them in the newspapers. These splashy, absurd crimes and criminals are not at all important, you see. But, if you could look within high society gentlemen and ladies who appear to live perfectly gray and proper lives, whom no one would ever suspect of anything, who appear incapable of a violent gesture or of any slightly spectacular and interesting act . . . If you could follow in their hideous footsteps, you would have more plots than you could ever know what to do with.

The irony of this quote is that the speaker is one of these 糖心传媒渉igh-society gentlemen糖心传媒� who happens to be partially responsible for a shocking event involving an acquaintance. While this gentleman has been involved in some sketchy business in the past, people would never suspect that he would have anything to do with the events that transpired that very night. Even though he may not have legally done anything wrong, his actions earlier in the novel began a chain of events resulting in the death of this acquaintance.

In Private Life, Sagarra follows the footsteps of the speaker and his associates, and he certainly does find more plots that one could ever know what to do with. In fact, after spending most of the first half of the book focusing on the Lloberola family, Sagarra introduces a bevy of characters just as questionable as the speaker before returning to them. Instead of interrupting the main storyline, though, Sagarra actually manages to weave the different plot strands into a rich tapestry equivalent to the one that the family糖心传媒檚 patriarch, Don Tom脿s de Lloberola, was forced to sell.

Don Tom脿s is not the only one with money problems, though: His oldest son, Frederic, is always trying to get himself out of financial trouble. An acquaintance of Frederic糖心传媒檚, Antoni Mates, also known as the Baron Falset, is willing to give him a loan to help him pay some debts, but only if he can get a co-signer. Frederic tries to get his father to help, but Don Tom脿s refuses. As if things weren糖心传媒檛 bad enough for Frederic, he and his wife are on the brink of a divorce, and his children don糖心传媒檛 care too much for him either. Instead of trying to improve matters, however, he just prefers to ignore them until things come to a head.

Meanwhile, Don Tom脿s糖心传媒檚 younger son, Guillem, is involved in some shady business with the Baron, his wife, and a seamstress who brings them together. When Guillem learns that the Baron can help Frederic with his financial problems, he interferes despite that fact he 糖心传媒渃ertainly didn糖心传媒檛 have any feelings for his brother糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒渒ept his distance from him, just as he kept his distance from his parents.糖心传媒� After a while, though, Guillem takes things too far. Eventually, his interference in Frederic糖心传媒檚 affair leads to consequences that are both tragic and ironic.

But as mentioned before, Private Life isn糖心传媒檛 just a story about the Lloberolas and their problems and schemes: It糖心传媒檚 about a society dealing with the changes that come during the end of the Restoration and the beginning of the Second Spanish Republic. Toward the end of the book糖心传媒檚 first half, the older Lloberolas find themselves even more estranged from the city糖心传媒檚 aristocracy and begin to recede into the novel糖心传媒檚 background. In their place, socialite Hort猫nsia Portell puts together an 糖心传媒渆clectic crew,糖心传媒� a crew that worships Josephine Baker over the Virgin of Montserrat and includes one of the dictator糖心传媒檚 generals. Later, characters with minor roles start to become more prominent; these include Conxa Pujol, the Baron糖心传媒檚 widow who ends up in a kind of power struggle with Guillem, and N铆obe Casas, the gypsy dancer who is a 糖心传媒減owerful magnet for devotees of communism and transcendental nonsense.糖心传媒� Also, as Frederic糖心传媒檚 children, Maria Lu茂sa and Ferran, become adults, they connect with some of their father糖心传媒檚 old associates, including Rosa Tr猫nor, Frederic糖心传媒檚 on-again, off-again lover; and Robert 糖心传媒淏obby糖心传媒� Xucl脿, his former friend whom he had a falling out with. As a result, Rosa and Bobby find themselves tangled in the lives of the next generation of Lloberolas.

As intriguing as the lives of these characters and their connections to each other are, though, what really makes Private Life a compelling read are Sagarra糖心传媒檚 vivid details of this crumbling society and his keen observations about it. Sure, they糖心传媒檙e not always pretty, especially since many of characters have a tendency to neglect not only their dilapidating properties, but their physical appearances and moral upbringings. Then again, any novelist who begins with scene where a man wakes up to the sight of a stuffed dog isn糖心传媒檛 going to marvel about how beautiful life can be. Still, thanks to Mary Ann Newman and her sparkling translation, Sagarra糖心传媒檚 masterpiece is finally available in English.

(We love you, Wakefield!!!)

Here’s the beginning of Chris’s piece:

In Joris-Karl Hyusmans糖心传媒檚 most popular novel, 脌 rebours (Against Nature or Against the Grain, depending on the respective translated edition), there is a famous scene where the protagonist, the decadent Jean des Esseintes, starts setting gemstones on the shell of a tortoise. The tortoise, of course, is defenseless to Esseintes, who attaches so many gems that the creature cannot move. Eventually, their weight causes the tortoise to die, and the scene shows how the rich can use their wealth to crush the poor.

In A Dilemma, which was first serialized soon after the publication of 脌 rebours in 1884, Huysmans once again gives us a satirical look at this cruel power. This time, however, the victim is not an animal but a poor, unmarried, pregnant woman named Sophie, the unlucky mistress of Jules糖心传媒攗nlucky because Jules died without marrying her or leaving behind a will. Now, Jules糖心传媒檚 father (Monsieur Lambois) and grandfather (Ma卯tre Le Ponsart) will do anything to protect their fortune and reputation from this woman, who only asked them for a little money just to get by.

For the rest of the review, go here.

In A Dilemma, which was first serialized soon after the publication of 脌 rebours in 1884, Huysmans once again gives us a satirical look at this cruel power. This time, however, the victim is not an animal but a poor, unmarried, pregnant woman named Sophie, the unlucky mistress of Jules糖心传媒攗nlucky because Jules died without marrying her or leaving behind a will. Now, Jules糖心传媒檚 father (Monsieur Lambois) and grandfather (Ma卯tre Le Ponsart) will do anything to protect their fortune and reputation from this woman, who only asked them for a little money just to get by.

Legally, Sophie is not entitled to anything. She糖心传媒檚 also not much of a threat to the two men, but that doesn糖心传媒檛 stop them from waging war against her. After all, Lambois and Le Ponsart have spent their lives chewing up women and spitting them out, so why should they treat Jules糖心传媒檚 mistress any differently? In fact, they糖心传媒檙e not convinced that Sophie糖心传媒檚 some na茂ve, innocent girl. In one scene, Le Ponsart, a notary who does most of the dirty work, goes through Jules糖心传媒檚 desk to look for a will. Sophie doesn糖心传媒檛 know how to handle him, but Le Ponsart takes her silence for scheming:

糖心传媒淕oodness!糖心传媒� thought Ma卯tre Le Ponsart, 糖心传媒渢his cheeky little hussy is tough; she糖心传媒檚 afraid of compromising herself by opening her mouth.糖心传媒� He turned his back to her, his belly before the table; he began to feel exasperated, trying to decide where to begin; given the mean he presumed that this woman had adopted, he would have to dot every i, grope his way forward, haphazardly attack an entrenched enemy lying in wait for him. 糖心传媒淐ould she have a will in hand?糖心传媒� he asked himself, his temples suddenly damp with sweat.

The irony is that despite his ability to make people fear him, Le Ponsart has a weakness for certain types of women. In one of the novella糖心传媒檚 more amusing scenes, he spurns the advances of a prostitute but then changes his mind when she decides to go with a younger man. He doesn糖心传媒檛 like to lose to anyone else, yet after all is said and done, the prostitute ends up robbing him.

Meanwhile, Sophie turns to Madame Champagne, a so-called 糖心传媒渉elper of the poor.糖心传媒� (It糖心传媒檚 no coincidence, by the way, that she shares her name with an alcoholic beverage: throughout the novella, there are plenty of references to drinking and the artificial good-feelings it can sometimes bring.) Champagne, who thinks her gift of gab and ability to keep track of gossip makes up for a lack of business sense, isn糖心传媒檛 much help; in fact, she takes on Sophie糖心传媒檚 cause more to serve herself rather than to truly help the woman in need.

Even though the novella is just under 80 pages, it is packed with venom. Although Huysmans糖心传媒檚 main target is the bourgeois, he also shows how Champagne糖心传媒檚 tactics糖心传媒攁nd her ignorance of people like Le Ponsart糖心传媒攐nly end up making things worse. He also exposes the folly of people in Champagne糖心传媒檚 circles, such as Madame Dauriette, who 糖心传媒渂ore the classic characteristics of a leech糖心传媒� and reveres her benefactor as much as she does the Virgin Mary. Even Sophie糖心传媒檚 parents, who are only mentioned in passing, and Sophie herself, who ends up placing too much faith and trust in Champagne, are not spared.

Yet, what糖心传媒檚 rather surprising is that Hyusmans糖心传媒攚ho, according to translator Justin Vicari, 糖心传媒渢hrived on irascible contradictoriness糖心传媒澨切拇綌tries to balance his attack on Le Ponsart and Lambois with psychological insight into their motives. He also shows how these men, who live in the country, are products of the dog-eat-dog culture that thrives in Paris. For example, as a young man, Le Ponsart started his career in the city and learned that to save money, you have to be cleverer than other people. Later, his son-in-law, a former hosier, lived by the cutthroat ways of the Parisian political system.

It糖心传媒檚 this contrariness that makes this novella such an intriguing work, and as Vicari points out in his introduction, set Hyusmans apart from his contemporaries like Gustave Flaubert, who preferred a more journalistic approach to his subjects. Its viciousness may not be for everyone, but for a lesson on how powerful greed can be糖心传媒攁 lesson that is still relevant today糖心传媒攐ne should definitely pick up A Dilemma.

Here’s the beginning of Chris’s review:

In 1899, Maurice Ravel wrote 糖心传媒淧avane pour une infante d茅funte糖心传媒� (糖心传媒淧avane for a Dead Princess糖心传媒�) for solo piano (a decade later, he published an orchestral version). The piece wasn糖心传媒檛 written for a particular person; Ravel simply wanted to compose a pavane (a slow procession) that a princess would have danced to in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Even though it糖心传媒檚 an elegant piece of music, Ravel has claimed that the title is meaningless: According to a story that appeared in the Rocky Mountain News in 1970, he told someone, 糖心传媒淚 simply liked the sound of those words and I put them there, c’est tout.”

Korean novelist Park Min-Gyu was obviously inspired by Ravel糖心传媒檚 work, but he糖心传媒檚 not offering a strict interpretation of it. Unlike the French composer, Park writes about a time he lived in (the mid-1980s), a time when people in his country were beginning to get wealthier (thanks to the housing boom and the stock market), but didn糖心传媒檛 know what to do with their new wealth. It was also a time when women, regardless of whether they were beautiful or ugly, were exploited for business purposes. In fact, his novel looks at society糖心传媒檚 obsession with beauty by pairing a good-looking narrator with a love interest糖心传媒攖he 糖心传媒減rincess糖心传媒� in this story糖心传媒攚ho is 糖心传媒渆xtraordinarily ugly.糖心传媒� The result is a haunting (albeit flawed) love story, as well as a commentary about our obsession with money and beauty.

For the rest of the review, go here.

Korean novelist Park Min-Gyu was obviously inspired by Ravel糖心传媒檚 work, but he糖心传媒檚 not offering a strict interpretation of it. Unlike the French composer, Park writes about a time he lived in (the mid-1980s), a time when people in his country were beginning to get wealthier (thanks to the housing boom and the stock market), but didn糖心传媒檛 know what to do with their new wealth. It was also a time when women, regardless of whether they were beautiful or ugly, were exploited for business purposes. In fact, his novel looks at society糖心传媒檚 obsession with beauty by pairing a good-looking narrator with a love interest糖心传媒攖he 糖心传媒減rincess糖心传媒� in this story糖心传媒攚ho is 糖心传媒渆xtraordinarily ugly.糖心传媒� The result is a haunting (albeit flawed) love story, as well as a commentary about our obsession with money and beauty.

The nameless 19-year-old narrator was not among the wealthy, but he did inherit the good looks of his father, a D-list actor who one day abandoned him and his mother. The narrator gets a job at a department store, where he falls for an ugly co-worker. 糖心传媒�What is this?糖心传媒� he writes. 糖心传媒淚n the same way I糖心传媒檇 have sat stunned before the TV, I stood in that office, transfixed by her. I had seen quite a few unattractive girls, but I糖心传媒檇 never seen a woman this ugly before. Just as the world糖心传媒檚 most beautiful woman, the world糖心传媒檚 ugliest woman is no less powerful in completely disarming a man.糖心传媒�

Though, as we later learn, the woman experienced a lot of pain growing up because of her ugliness. Despite being a great student and a hard worker, not many people want to hire her. In fact, an employer refuses to give her a job, even though she receives a recommendation from one of her teachers. Later, when she gets a promotion, she only gets it because the manager figures she糖心传媒檒l never leave her job because she糖心传媒檒l never get married. At other times, co-workers tell her to leave because she糖心传媒檚 scaring the customers.

It糖心传媒檚 this pain that causes the both of them to be uncertain of each other. However, their friend and co-worker, Yohan, who spends a lot of time observing the foolishness of human beings (especially rich ones) over beer and junk food, gives the narrator advice about love:

When someone糖心传媒檚 light is lit, she糖心传媒檒l look beautiful. The stronger the lightbulb, the blurrier the curves of the light and the shape of the bulb. Most women糖心传媒攖hose women who look so-so or aren糖心传媒檛 too attractive糖心传媒攁nd most men, for that matter, are like dim lightbulbs. Once they糖心传媒檙e lit, though, anyone can shine, and that is more beautiful and marvelous than any lightbulb that has lost its light. That糖心传媒檚 love. Humans are basically electric cords with a single charge running through them. And when two people meet, they light up each other糖心传媒檚 soul.

At first, readers may be surprised that someone who lives alone and who is considered 糖心传媒渨eird糖心传媒� by one of his co-workers would be able to give this kind of advice, but Yohan ends up taking on a much more significant role. Unfortunately, though, this role convolutes the ending. As a result, the reader cannot help but feel somewhat cheated, since Park uses a device akin to making the whole story seem like a dream, an unnecessary tactic in a novel that would have been better without it.

Another problem with the novel is that, at times, the myriad references to Western pop music overwhelm the story. For example, in the chapter called 糖心传媒淪trawberry Fields Forever,糖心传媒� lines from the Beatles糖心传媒檚 song weave in and out of the narrative so much that it becomes a distraction. Later on, Park does the same with Roberta Flack糖心传媒檚 糖心传媒淭he First Time Ever I Saw Your Face糖心传媒� and Bob Dylan糖心传媒檚 糖心传媒淏lowing in the Wind.糖心传媒� Sometimes, though, the references seem to serve no greater purpose other than to remind the reader of when there is a shift in time (e.g., Britney Spears糖心传媒檚 糖心传媒�. . . Baby One More Time糖心传媒� during the few scenes that take place during the late 1990s.)

That said, Pavane for a Dead Princess still has a lot going for it. It糖心传媒檚 a pleasant read in the vein of Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami糖心传媒檚 classic love story set during a period of great change. The characters are appealing enough that readers will want to follow them on their journey to adulthood. And like his Japanese counterpart, Park shows that regardless of the dark that surrounds us, true love can shine a light.

Here’s the beginning of Chris’s review:

Last year, NYRB Classics introduced English-language readers to Catalan writer Josep Pla with Peter Bush糖心传媒檚 translation of The Gray Notebook. In that book, Pla wrote about life in Spain during an influenza outbreak soon after World War I, when he was a young law student and aspiring writer. Readers got to meet many of the colorful characters who inhabited both the town of Palafrugell (where he was from) and the city of Barcelona (where he went to school). While Pla socialized with many of them, he preferred to spend time alone, especially along the Rambla in Barcelona. Even though Pla could be both ironic and pessimistic, he would write about humdrum moments in his life in such amazing detail that the reader couldn糖心传媒檛 help but want to follow him along his journey.

Now, fans of that book can continue the journey with Life Embitters, the second of Pla糖心传媒檚 works to be translated into English. Like the first book, Life was translated by Peter Bush, who has not only captured the spirit of Pla but has maintained a consistent quality over more than 1,200 pages. Life contains many of the hallmarks mentioned above, but it has some noticeable differences, too.

For the rest of the review, go here.

Now, fans of that book can continue the journey with Life Embitters, the second of Pla糖心传媒檚 works to be translated into English. Like the first book, Life was translated by Peter Bush, who has not only captured the spirit of Pla but has maintained a consistent quality over more than 1,200 pages. Life contains many of the hallmarks mentioned above, but it has some noticeable differences, too.

For starters, Life Embitters consists of self-contained stories (most of which take place after the events in Notebook) rather than chronologically arranged anecdotes. Although Pla revised much of the material that made up The Gray Notebook decades after he had first composed it, he kept the diary-like format of his original writings. For example, one day Pla would write about a day at the beach, and the next he would give an opinion about another Catalan writer糖心传媒檚 work. As a result, while it糖心传媒檚 still highly recommended, Notebook can at times be an overwhelming read.

Life Embitters doesn糖心传媒檛 feel as overwhelming because this time the writing is more focused. For example, in the first story, 糖心传媒淭he Central Tavern,糖心传媒� Pla writes about an event that took place in the title location that involved the owner, Sra Vincetita (Pla refers to many of his characters formally), whom he describes as 糖心传媒渁 vivacious, middle-aged woman with rather glazed, artificially rejuvenated features.糖心传媒� And even though her monologues are 糖心传媒渆ndless糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒渘onsensical,糖心传媒� she probably could have given Pla plenty to write about. Instead, though, he concentrates on Sra Vincetita糖心传媒檚 relationship with the dubious Sr Vinardell.

Pla prefaced the story by saying that his doctor had recommended a stay in Cerinyola, the town where the Central Tavern is located, because of its dry climate and its quietness. However, even if his doctor hadn糖心传媒檛 suggested it, he would have eventually ended up there anyway, since it becomes apparent that Pla likes to travel. While in The Gray Notebook, he wrote that he was 糖心传媒渇ated to be a wanderer,糖心传媒� in Life Embitters, he truly proves it, as he rambles through different parts of Europe, including France, Italy, England, Portugal, and Germany. Once again, Pla gives some dazzling糖心传媒攁nd occasionally surprising糖心传媒攐bservations; for example, here is what he wrote during a train ride to Portugal:

The lower reaches of the Tagus are astonishing. It is a broad, fatherly river with a gentle flow. The land is moist and flat. River barges glide by on the horizon hoisting square sails tinged with nicotine or orange juice hues. The appearance of these vessels amid the fields makes you wonder: 糖心传媒淲here are we? Are we in Holland? Are we in the Po valley, with Venice as its grand finale?糖心传媒� No. It糖心传媒檚 not Holland. Holland is even greener, softer, and spongier. It糖心传媒檚 a watery, feathery pillow. There is a similarity with Venice. I think the European landscape most resembling what we know generically as Venetian is the lower stretch of the Tagus.

Of course, a book titled Life Embitters isn糖心传媒檛 going to be simply a travelogue or collection of amusing stories. As mentioned above, he was a pessimist, and there are plenty of moments where he shows the dark side of human nature. For example, during his stay in Portugal, he writes about a man who became addicted to gambling after his doctor recommended it as a way to forget about the pain in his tooth. Later, while in Nice, Pla writes again about gambling and the effects casinos have on people: 糖心传媒淎nyone standing in front of a gaming table automatically ages ten years.糖心传媒� And gambling isn糖心传媒檛 his only target: While visiting a zoo in England with a friend, he observes a penguin eating an innocent sparrow and considers it a lesson in justice. In addition, some of the tales, especially the ones that make up 糖心传媒淭he Berlin Circle糖心传媒� toward the end of the book, show just how bitter life can be.

Yet, despite this tendency, Pla tries to understand the people he encounters or reads about on a much deeper level. For example, in the story 糖心传媒淎 Death in Barcelona,糖心传媒� Pla witnessed most of the events in the story, but not the final scene between two men walking down the Rambla after leaving a boarding house. Even though he may have added the dialogue decades after the event took place, he gives the story an appropriate conclusion. Besides filling in gaps in his own stories, Pla also dedicates entire chapters to the 糖心传媒渏ottings糖心传媒� from his friend Albert Santaniol, who has had some pretty interesting adventures of his own. Pla most likely modified these, but once again, he probably did it to better capture the spirit of his friend. Finally, he retells an old Scottish tale about St. Mungo, the founder and patron saint of Glasgow, with the same kind of irony found in his other stories.

That said, if you糖心传媒檝e read The Gray Notebook and enjoyed it, then you糖心传媒檒l definitely want to read Life Embitters. If you haven糖心传媒檛 read either, it may be worth your time to read both books. It sounds like a lot, but like all great works of literature that make considerable demands on a reader, these works demonstrate that Pla is not just writing about life糖心传媒攈e糖心传媒檚 trying to make sense of it as well.

Snow day! We’re still recovering, mentally as much as with street parking. Hope everyone’s staying warm. Here’s the beginning of Chris’s review:

One hundred pages into Birth of a Bridge, the prize-winning novel from French writer Maylis de Kerangal, the narrator describes how starting in November, birds come to nest in the wetlands of the fictional city of Coca, California, for three weeks. While this may seem insignificant in a novel about the construction of a $3-billion project contracted to an international consortium, it actually plays an important role in the novel (more on that later). The birds also serve as a metaphor for Coca itself: Unless you were born and raised there, you stay just long enough to get the job done and leave.

For the rest of the review, go here.

Maylis, with the help of translator Jessica Moore, makes this clear a little later in the novel:

Coca promises the high life. People come here from all over, bodies impatient, pockets holding just enough to get by for a few days; constant turnover of people and desires, burning cheeks and boiling pupils, fast streets like centrifugal motors and skyscrapers opening onto a sky that dispenses good fortune: the power of territory in action. Here you come into contact with everything that concrete and the violent scansion of hearts immersed in a common turbulence. Yet the secret of this incomparable flow that makes the blood pump harder in the arteries and sweat pearl in the small of the back, this secret is no secret to anyone, it circulates through all possible networks like breaking news: don糖心传媒檛 come to Coca unless you糖心传媒檙e ready to join the hustle! Don糖心传媒檛 lay down roots here, and certainly don糖心传媒檛 come for fun or for some rest. Approach it like an ambitious wild beast, breathe deeply and kick open the door, show up without waiting to be announced, without checking in, go ahead and put your plan into action.

The last line in the above quote can certainly apply to the earliest settlers, who made a lot of sacrifices in order to own a piece of this land, which consists of a plateau and a valley with a large, mysterious river running through it. If they survived the naturally harsh conditions or the wildlife that preyed on them, then they had to battle the natives. Ironically, the descendants of those settlers are now trying to protect their land (or somehow make money) from a new group of people who are showing up 糖心传媒渨ithout checking in糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒減utting their plan into action糖心传媒�: those who work for Pontoverde, the consortium of French, American, and Indian companies that is charged with constructing the bridge.

Engineering this project is Georges Diderot, who acts as a 糖心传媒渂ridge糖心传媒� between the motley crew of workers and the executives. Not only does Diderot糖心传媒檚 no-nonsense approach and experience with major construction projects all over the world qualify him for the job, but in a way, his lack of attachment does, too. 糖心传媒淭hey describe him by turns as an engineer without a homeland, a mercenary of concrete, and a patient clearer of tropical forests . . . the laconic cowboy, from nowhere, bent on his without a single wasted gesture.糖心传媒�

Katherine Thoreau, one of Diderot糖心传媒檚 subordinates, is in a different situation: She and her family are always moving, but they糖心传媒檙e also distancing themselves from each other. By working on the bridge, she糖心传媒檚 just trying to keep her family together. Ever since her husband, Lewis, became disabled during an accident at work, she糖心传媒檚 been the sole breadwinner, struggling to pay the bills. As if she didn糖心传媒檛 have enough to worry about, she also has to deal with her husband糖心传媒檚 anger and his inability to properly help her with their very demanding children. Fortunately, she gets some respite from Diderot, who eventually becomes more than just her boss.

Katherine isn糖心传媒檛 the only bridge worker with dysfunction in her life. One of the others includes Summer Diamantis, whose abandonment issues cause her to be an overzealous concrete manager. Then there糖心传媒檚 Mo Yen, who went through great lengths to flee the Chinese mining town where he grew up. Finally, Soren Cry was in a relationship that ended badly, and now finds himself mixed up with some locals who want him to atone for past sins by bringing an end to the whole project.

These locals are not the only ones who want to sabotage the construction or even cause harm to those who work on it. Early on, Diderot is confronted by Jacob, who, despite being known as 糖心传媒渢he professor糖心传媒� among some of the locals, uses violence to try to get his point across. Opposition also comes from a group of ornithologists, who successfully shut down the site for three weeks so birds will be allowed to nest in the nearby wetlands. Being three weeks behind is bad enough, but Diderot also has to deal with workers who want to be paid in case the site shuts down for good.

The action in this novel (de Kerangal糖心传媒檚 first to be translated into English) is fast-paced with long sentences that sparkle and flow like that under the sun; just as the characters in the story occasionally mingle, so do references to nature, artifice, and culture. For example, the narrator follows Diderot on a bike ride: 糖心传媒淏ike along slowly, first rolling alongside the river, then for two miles follow the black paved path that weaves back and forth beside the frozen river, solid and intense as Chinese ink against the uncertain murk of the static waters, pass the juvenile financial district, effulgent, bristling with cranes that are too red . . .糖心传媒� In such passages, the reader never feels bogged down because of the passion and intelligence she displays in her subject, as well as her inventive use of language. In addition, Moore糖心传媒檚 translation manages the impressive balancing act of maintaining the originality of Kerangal糖心传媒檚 French prose while making it accessible for non-French readers. Overall, unlike the characters that constantly move from place to place, Birth of a Bridge will stay with readers long after they finish it.

Chris is a regular reviewer for Three Percent, and happens to be taking the next month off to participate in NaNoWriMo. We wish him endurance and good writing juju!

Here’s the beginning of Chris’s review:

From the late 1940s to the early 1950s, Egypt was going through a period of transition. The country糖心传媒檚 people were growing unhappy with the corruption of power in the government, which had been under British rule for decades. The Egyptians糖心传媒� performance at the 1948 Summer Olympics didn糖心传媒檛 help bolster nationalism: of the 85 athletes who participated, only five won medals. Meanwhile, a group of Egyptian officers, including future Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, formed the Free Officers Movement. Originally organized to reinstate institutions removed by the government, the movement grew in strength糖心传媒攁nd ambition糖心传媒攄uring the Arab-Israeli War. By 1952, the officers not only overthrew King Farouk, but they ended the British occupation and established Egypt as a republic.

Egyptian writer Sonallah Ibrahim lived through the period leading to and following the revolution, and he has written about the effects it has had on his country. His first novel, That Smell (1966), was written 12 years after Nasser糖心传媒檚 rise to power, and according to an article in the New Yorker, which called Ibrahim 糖心传媒淓gypt糖心传媒檚 oracular novelist,糖心传媒� anticipated Nasser糖心传媒檚 fall: a year after it was published, the Israelis defeated Egypt during the Six-Day War and took control of the Sinai Peninsula. Ibrahim wrote That Smell after spending five years as a political prisoner; it was during that time when, according to an article in the National, he conceived the idea for Stealth, which was originally published in Egypt in 2007.

The period of history leading to the revolution forms the backdrop of Stealth; however, it isn糖心传媒檛 so much a political novel as it is a coming-of-age story. The narrator is an 11-year-old boy who closely observes the actions of adults, including his father, Kahlil, a retired military officer, whom he lives with in a dirty, bug-infested apartment in Cairo. The boy spends a lot of time spying on his father, as well as his friends and acquaintances. If he糖心传媒檚 not peeking through keyholes to spy on their private, intimate moments, then he eavesdrops on their conversations. In fact, he seems much more interested in the world of adults than other children, as he only seems to play with other children when he糖心传媒檚 forced to.

For the rest of the review, go here.