Book Summaries: Around the World in 120 Days, Week Four, Day One

Introduction: Around the World in 120 Days, Week Four, Day One

This is the fourth week, day one of the book summaries for Around the World in 120 Days for The Invisible Mentor’s Virtual Literary World Tour. Last week, we stopped our Tour in the United Kingdom with The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe. We pick up the pace of the Tour this week as we cover many countries.

For Day One of Week Four of Around the World in 120 Days, in my opinion, the toughest book to read is Knut Hamsun’s book, Hunger.  Although, The Bookseller of Kabul is written by Norwegian journalist Asne Seirstad, she lived with a family in Kabul for four months so we are given a realistic look into Afghanistan – what life was/is like there, and how women are treated.

Around the World in 120 Days, Week Four, Day One

1. Two Pints, Roddy Doyle, Ireland
2. The Bookseller of Kabul, Asne Seirstad, Norway
3. Hunger: A Novel, Knut Hamsun, Norway
4. Out Stealing Horses: A Novel, Per Petterson, Norway
5. The Laughing Policeman (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard), Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, Sweden
6. The Shooting Party (Penguin Classics), Anton Chekhov, Russia

Two PintsThe Bookseller of KabulHunger: A Novel (FSG Classics)Out Stealing Horses: A NovelThe Laughing Policeman: A Martin Beck Police Mystery (4) (Martin Beck Police Mystery Series)The Shooting Party (Penguin Classics)

Book Summaries: Around the World in 120 Days, Week Four, Day One

Two Pints by Roddy Doyle

Two Pints by Roddy Doyle is politically incorrect, and many will find the language used very offensive. In another life, a mere five years ago, I would have been very offended by this book. With Roddy Doyle’s play on words, meanings are very different from what we are accustomed to, and I found myself laughing hysterically. Before I purchased the book, the sales associate in the bookstore read portions of the book aloud so I could get a sense of what to expect.

Two Pints by Roddy Doyle cover the period May 24, 2011 to September 4, 2012. The story takes place in a pub in Dublin, spaced over the period mentioned, where two friends talk about life, love, friends, family, current events, world politics and more, over two pints. They acknowledge the problems in the world like the Euro crisis, politics and of course they have their take and often what they think the solutions should be.

Kobo in Conversation: Roddy Doyle

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These two men love football, and they talk about David Beckham and Victoria (Posh Spice). They are devastated when a number of celebrities die: Whitney Houston, Donna Summer, Davy Jones (member of the Monkees band), Maeve Binchy (Irish novelist), Anthony “Tony” Scott (British film director and producer), and Robin Gibb (member of the Bee Gees).

While reading Two Pints by Roddy Doyle you can clearly see that the book is inspired by news, not just in Ireland, but also in the wider world. Interestingly enough, Roddy Doyle was awarded the Man Booker Prize 1993 for his novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. Some universities are studying his works as a way to look at contemporary Irish literature.

The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad

Published in 2002, The Bookseller of Kabul by Norwegian writer Åsne Seierstad, tells the story of what life was like in Kabul before and immediately after September 11, 2001. This is not an easy book to read, especially for a woman living in a Western country. The story follows the life of an Afghani bookseller, Sultan Khan. We learn about the Soviet Union’s and Taliban’s occupation of Afghanistan and we also see women losing the few rights they have. Boys are valued more than girls, and parents will sacrifice the livelihood of family members so that the boys, especially the eldest might thrive.

History Book Review: The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

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I find that although the culture in Afghanistan is very different from North America, try as I might, I couldn’t like Sultan Khan. Being head of the household is one thing, but being mean and acting like the school yard bully is another thing. Sultan ruled his family, including his mother, with an iron fist. The only thing he cares about is making money, and he lacks compassion. The only person he seems to have a soft spot for is his much younger second wife. He forces his sons to work in his bookstores and prevents them from getting an education. When he was wooing Sonya, he used his advantage and money to sleep with her before the wedding – the classic case of do as I say but not as I do.

In The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad, Sultan is arrested for the kinds of books he sells. He has an entrepreneurial spirit, but he also exploits others to get ahead. This is a true story, Seierstad, a journalist lived with the Khan family for four months, and she allows them to tell their stories in the book. We get a snapshot of the realities of the people who live in Afghanistan – the negotiations for marriage, shattered hopes and dreams, crime and punishment.

Hunger by Knut Hamsun

Have you ever gone through a period in your life when you didn't have enough food to eat and went to bed hungry? There was no money and job prospects were dim. You wanted to work and you were able to work, but few options were open to you. You are dodging from your landlord because the rent is overdue. You get accustomed to half-promises, hearing “No,” and become disillusioned.

There was a period in Knut Hamsun's life, when he was in such a position. His book Hunger, is semi-autobiographical, was first published in 1890, when he was 30. Fast forward to today, according to the World Hunger Education Service, there were “925 million hungry people in 2010.”

Hunger, by Norewegian author, Knut Hamsun, starts off with the main character who is unnamed, living in a small attic, in the city of Christiana (now Oslo). He has no stove and not even a proper lock to keep his space private. He searches his bundle for a bite to eat, and comes up empty. He tries to apply for a position as a fire brigade but is rejected because of his eye sight. He returns without his eye glasses, but is recognized and rejected once again.

The story chronicles what this young man goes through, some of the things he does when hungry. He also makes some very poor choices which impact his life, and there are times when he is delusional. The book is very upsetting to read, but we need books like this to wake us up out of our slumber, and see what’s around us.

“Hunger” Trailer

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Out Stealing Horses: A Novel by Per Petterson 

I found Out Stealing Horses: A Novel by Per Petterson to be an excellent book although a friend told me that the translation is not the best that it could be. The story takes place in Norway, and the story demonstrates how our experiences in life shape who we become. One summer in 1948, the lives of two boys are changed forever, and the lives of their families are destroyed.

Fifteen year old Trond Sander is spending the summer with his father at a rented cabin. While there, he sees another side of his father, one very different from who he is when he is with the entire family. One morning, Trond’s friend, Jon Haug arrives so they can steal horses, and during that time Jon squashes a bird nest, very uncharacteristic behaviour.

This scares Trond, and the reader later realizes that Jon is suffering from a nervous breakdown because he left his shotgun loaded because he wanted to make sure that his twin brothers are okay. While Jon is looking for them, his twin brothers find the gun, and assuming that it is unloaded, because that’s the rule in the house, they are playing with it and Lars accidentally shoots his twin brother.

Trond leaves before his father to return home, and his father assures him that he will be coming shortly. Instead, his father sends them a letter saying that he will not be returning. Trond’s mother falls apart. The story moves between the present when Trond is in his late sixties, and the past when he is 15 years old. Trond never sees his father again after he left his mother for Jon’s mother. But he does meet Lars who accidentally killed his brother over 50 years before. This book will have you asking “why” a lot.

https://youtu.be/2tM9Biw5ccA

The Laughing Policeman by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

The Laughing Policeman by Swedish writers, Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, published in 1968 is the fourth police detective novel, in the ten-part Martin Beck series. There is a mass murder on the route 47 double-decker bus in Stockholm. Two incompetent police officers, Kvant and Kristiansson make a mess of the crime scene. Among the dead is Stentrom, one of Superintendent Martin Beck’s men.

One passenger, Schwerin survives, but is in a coma. The police officers are having a hard time solving the crime. They are also unable to identify one of the deceased, but they have figured out that he is a drug addict, and he had a large amount of money on him when he was killed. The passenger who survives the shooting, undergoes several operations, but it doesn’t look like he will survive.

He is awake for a few moments, and Ronn asks Schwerin two questions with his tape recorder all set-up: Who did the shooting? and What did he look like? Schwerin mutters an answer and then he dies. Ronn thinks that Schwerin said the person who fired the shots looked like Koleson, but the problem is that there are no Kolesons in Sweden. The sound technician is able to clear the recording and Schwerin actually said like Oleson. After further investigation, when talking to Schwerin’s coworkers, the investigating team learns that Schwerin’s boss is Olfsson. The boss has an airtight alibi, so now they know that killer has features similar to Olfsson.

They also learn that Stentrom was working on a cold case and didn’t inform his superiors and colleagues, and that’s why he was on the bus. By talking to his girlfriend, they are able to figure out which cold case he was working on. Although Stentrom died, he actually helps the investigating team to solve two cases. The Laughing Policeman by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö is an interesting read.

The Shooting Party by Anton Chekhov

Russian author Anton Chekhov is known for his short stories, and The Shooting Party is the only novel that he wrote.  The story begins with a man who looks like a government worker wanting to see the newspaper editor. After some pleading, Ivan Petrovich Kamyshev, a lawyer is granted access.

Kamyshev claims that he left his job out of boredom and is now almost broke, so he takes a story he has written to an editor to publish it in a newspaper hoping to make some money. There is a disconnect between what  Kamyshev claims and what the editor is seeing – his suit is brand new and he is wearing very expensive jewellery – not the look of someone who is broke.

Kamyshev tells the editor that the story is based on actual events, which includes him but he disguises his name in the book to protect himself. He claims that a murder has been committed. The editor tells him to leave the manuscript and they'll connect in a few months because he is busy. The reader is introduced to The Shooting Party. The story is well written, and Chekhov does an excellent job of unfolding the interrelationships of the characters. At first, it is very difficult to uncover who committed the crime. This is an excellent book to hone your problem solving skills.

City Cinematheque: Anthony Anemone on “The Shooting Party”

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Interview With Vanessa Erogbogbo

Avil Beckford: What five books would you recommend to others to read?  (It would be great if some were by or about people from Uganda.)

Vanessa Erogbogbo: These five are really truly great books!

1. Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
2. The Secret, Rhonda Byrne
3. A Good African Story: How a small company built a global coffee brand, Andrew Rugasira
4. God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
5. Biko, Donald Woods

Avil Beckford: If you were trying to convince people to visit Uganda, what would you say to them?

Vanessa Erogbogbo I would say it's a beautiful country, unspoilt by industry/modern world. A host of unique activities/places to visit for tourists such as mountain gorillas, source of the Nile, white water rafting, mountains. And warm happy people who welcome everyone with open arms.

About Vanessa Erogbogbo:  I am a global citizen who has lived in and traveled to numerous countries around the world, hence my appreciation for diversity and certain knowledge that no matter where we are on this earth, human beings are all the same! My favourite past time is to meet with friends, relaxed over drinks or dinner while discussing current affairs. I believe that we are all small but important cogs of the wheel that makes the world better, hence we all have the power to effect change in our own small ways!

Global Reading List for Week Four, Day One: Around the World in 120 Days

1. Two Pints, Roddy Doyle
2. The Bookseller of Kabul, Asne Seirstad
3. Hunger: A Novel, Knut Hamsun
4. Out Stealing Horses: A Novel, Per Petterson
5. The Laughing Policeman (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard), Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo
6. The Shooting Party (Penguin Classics), Anton Chekhov
7. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
8. The Secret
9. A Good African Story: How a small company built a global coffee brand, Andrew Rugasira
10. The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
11. Biko – Cry Freedom, Donald Woods