Books Featuring Impactful Houses

The characters and the plot are more often than not the most memorable components of a book. There are sometimes, however, other elements that stand out as well, even if not as much as the other two. Some novels feature houses that serve not only as a mere setting for the development of the plot, but that also offer something extra to the story, like aiding in the creation of a specific ambiance, providing clues for what is to come, or some of its elements being essential for the actions of the characters.

There are five books that immediately come to mind when thinking about ones that comprise houses that play a significant part in the story. 

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

The unnamed narrator of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier recalls throughout the book what happened after she married Maxim de Winter, whom she met in Monte Carlo. She had always been insecure, but that trait of her personality only got worse when she moved to Manderley, Maxim’s family home. She kept diminishing herself in comparison with his deceased first wife – Rebecca. Manderley plays an important part in this atmospheric and enthralling story. Not only does the novel start with a mention of a dream about the narrator returning to Manderley after the events about to be revealed, but the house also seems to be perceived as a representation of a picture-perfect life that may or may not be true. 

Favourite Books of All Time

If you asked me to choose just one book as my favourite ever, I would struggle and would come up with a myriad of excuses not to. I can, however, tell you what my six favourite books of all time are. Having read all of them twice and having loved them immensely on both occasions, I know I’ll probably not regret my choices in the near future, nor even in the long term. If I’m lucky I will just get to add more great books to this list.

The six books below are listed in no special order. I don’t think I could have ordered them even if I had tried. Had I done it, I probably would have just changed my mind right after pressing the publish button. They were written by authors from both sexes and almost all of them have already passed away. 

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Briony has been writing stories since a young age. In the summer of 1935, her prolific imagination has dire consequences after she witnesses an interaction between Cecilia, her older sister, and Robbie Turner near her home’s fountain. Her misconstruction of that event, their relationship, and the incidents that followed has long-lasting repercussions. Throughout Atonement, Ian McEwan conveys various impactful emotions in a moving way. Different perspectives are also presented always at the most appropriate of times, in order to grip the reader and connect all the dots.

Summer Book Recommendations

I don’t tend to choose books to read based on the seasons of the year we are in. However, as some readers enjoy that process and I can see its appeal, this year I have been recommending books that I believe are in some way connected with the seasons that are just starting.

After recommending books to read during spring, I’m now sharing a selection of five books, which I’ve read myself and enjoyed, that I think are the perfect match for summer. They are either set during this time of the year or comprise an adventure, an element I think suits the warmest months, when many go on holidays either in their own countries or abroad.

 

Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

Set during summer, Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss is a short novella that focuses on xenophobia, extremism, misogyny and violence against women without feeling preachy, since the characters are well developed and their personalities convincing. Silvie and her parents take part in an encampment in rural Northumberland to recreate life during the Iron Age. Not only does Silvie reveal what happened at the camping site, but she also recalls previous moments from her life.

Fiction Books for Shakespeare’s Fans

William Shakespeare is renowned worldwide. So, it’s not surprising that other authors are drawing inspiration from his work when penning new books. Not only have his plays been reinterpreted and mentioned in various novels, but his life has also been fictionalised. I have four fiction book recommendations for readers who either love Shakespeare’s plays and poetry or are maybe looking for a completely different set of novels that just have in common a Shakespearean vibe.

 

Nutshell by Ian McEwan

Inspired by Hamlet, Nutshell by Ian McEwan has a lyrical and theatrical writing style that enhances the book’s surrealistic flavour. Trudy is pregnant with a very peculiar foetus, who is the narrator. He can listen to everything those around him are saying. That is how he discovers that Trudy and Claude (his uncle whom his mother is having an affair with) are planning to act against his father, John Cairncross. The foetus makes for a fantastic narrator. He is funny, sarcastic, blunt, extremely intelligent and is occasionally drunk.

 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

The work of William Shakespeare is alluded to throughout Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, a post-apocalyptic and dystopian novel. The book goes back and forth in time, taking place before and after the outbreak of a deadly virus, while readers are introduced to five interconnected characters: an actor who has a heart attack during a production of King Lear; the man who tried to save him; the actor’s first wife; his oldest friend; and a young actress who is a member of the Traveling Symphony, a group of musicians and actors that performs Shakespeare’s plays.

Five Books Set in London

Regardless of time period, London is always an appealing setting for a book. From streets booming with life to the quieter parks where mischievous squirrels thread, London has a plethora of places that are perfect for complementing a gripping story. After having visited the city a good few years ago, I became even keener on reading books taking place there. If you’re looking for books set in England’s capital, there are five that I enjoyed to varying degrees and that I definitely recommend, despite them not being necessarily favourites.

 

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

It’s a warm day in June and Clarissa Dalloway is getting ready to host a party. Via a stream-of-consciousness style and a third-person narration, readers are presented not only with her contemplations, but also those of her husband, her daughter, Peter Walsh and Septimus Warren Smith, as well as their interactions. In Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf also painted an alluring picture of London and its inhabitants, creating an authentic sense of time and portraying the socio-economic conditions of the population.

 

Saturday by Ian McEwan

London is almost a constant presence in Saturday by Ian McEwan, thanks to the many mentions of its streets. A demonstration against the Iraq war in February 2003 makes Henry Perowne, the main character, muse on personal satisfaction, the meaning of his life and the protest itself.

Six Degrees of Separation – from ‘The End of the Affair’ to ‘Catch the Rabbit’

I’ve been meaning to take part in the bookish meme Six Degrees of Separation, created by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best, for a long time. This month I’m finally joining in, despite being (fashionably) late! What does it consist in? Every month Kate chooses a book and we just need to add other six, each having a link to the previous book in our chain.

This March, the initial book is The End of the Affair by Graham Greene, which I don’t know much about, as I haven’t read it. Set in London during the Second World War, it seems to be about an affair gone awry. After Sarah ends her relationship with Maurice Bendrix, he hires a private detective to follow her.

Another book set during the Second World War and that I also haven’t read yet is Transcription by Kate Atkinson. In 1940, the 18-year-old Juliet Armstrong starts working at an obscure department of the MI5, whose purpose is to monitor fascist supporters.

Authors I Want to Read Every Year – A Rethink

I don’t ever want reading to feel like a chore. When in 2017 I wrote a post about the authors that I wanted to read every year, I didn’t expect to constantly have to check it a couple of years down the line in order to make sure that I would have enough time to read books by those authors. The fact that I was almost forcing myself to find the time is certainly a sign that I am not truly eager to read books by them. A rethink is obviously needed!

My list of authors to read every year featured Margaret Atwood, Charles Dickens, John Burnside, Ian McEwan, Daphne du Maurier, José Saramago and Mia Couto. From these authors, there are only three that I feel I would have picked up books by this year if it were not for the list – Daphne du Maurier, José Saramago and Margaret Atwood. Unsurprisingly, these authors are some of my favourites of all time.

Why am I not as excited to read books by the other authors as I was before? I don’t have a definite, single answer. In the cases of Charles Dickens and John Burnside, it’s probably because I was disappointed with the latest books that I picked up by them. Mia Couto’s novels were starting to feel a bit samey to me, though I enjoyed them all. And I’ve always had a difficult reading relationship with Ian McEwan, having enjoyed some of his books and disliked others.

Monthly Favourites – October 2020

Favourites were scarce in October, which is unsurprising this year. I have watched a couple of TV series, but they didn’t blow me away, and the new adaptation of Rebecca was extremely infuriating. This post is about my favourites, though. This edition features a book, a documentary and a blog post.

Although I only finished two books last month, one of them was amazing. It was a pleasure to rediscover Atonement by Ian McEwan more than a decade after first reading it in translation. When Briony saw her sister Cecilia and Robbie near the fountain at their house’s garden, her imagination was propelled. Her misunderstanding of their relationship had devastating consequences. This is a highly compelling novel. The structure perfectly fits the plot and a great variety of emotions are outstandingly conveyed.

As someone who often uses social media, I am interested in how it affects society. The Social Dilemma, a documentary with drama elements available on Netflix, explores how social media platforms are deliberately causing users to become addicted, in order to increase revenue from ads, how they have serious effects on mental health, and how they are increasing polarisation in politics, creating an “us vs them” mentality. The interviews with people from within the industry are enlightening, and the fictional story presented verges on the horror.

‘Atonement’ by Ian McEwan

My rating: 5 stars

It is novels such as Atonement by Ian McEwan that attest to the magic of the written word. I first read this fully immersive book in Portuguese more than a decade ago and have now (re)read it in the original. This story about how the imagination of a clueless girl has devastating consequences on the lives of others is a literary feast, which is written in an engaging prose and is full of unforgettable moments between the characters.

Briony had been writing stories since she was very young. On a day in the summer of 1935, at the age of thirteen, she decided to write and stage a play, ‘The Trials of Arabella’, to welcome home her brother Leon. Her decision to embrace a new format was inspired by the presence of her cousins, whose parents were getting divorced. The twins Jackson and Pierrot were nine years old, and Lola, who liked to act as a grown-up, was fifteen. Although her cousins were not too excited to act in the play at first, they ended up assenting to.

Cecilia, Briony’s older sister, had also recently returned home from Cambridge. After picking some wild flowers to put in the room where a friend of Leon’s, the chocolate magnate Paul Marshall, was going to stay, she decided to arrange them in an expensive vase. Nearby was Robbie Turner who tried to help her fill the vase with water on the fountain in the garden. The lip of the vase broke, though, and two pieces fell in the water. Cecilia stripped off her clothes and plunged into the fountain to get them back.

Read in Translation, Want to Read the Original

As those of you who have been following my blog for a while probably already know, my first language is Portuguese. The first fiction book that I read in its entirety in English was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, because I didn’t want to wait for the translation. It was only after 2010, however, that I started reading the original versions of English books more recurrently. Nowadays, I don’t read the translations of books originally written in English anymore. Not only is it a great way to practise my English reading skills, but ordering books from the UK is also cheaper than to buy them in Portugal.

There are three books by English authors that I read the translation into Portuguese, but that I’m eager to read the original version of.

 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I read the Portuguese translation of Pride and Prejudice, titled Orgulho e Preconceito, more or less 13 years ago. The heroine of the novel is Elizabeth Bennet. Her mother is eager to marry all of her five daughters. Elizabeth is playful, intelligent and witty, but she also makes quick judgements about people. One of them is Mr Darcy. The misunderstandings between the two of them are also a consequence of his prideful nature and of the importance he gives to social status. The believable characters are accompanied by great moments of satire.