Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Jamie's Book Club Continued...

I forgot to include one book in yesterday's post!
Before I got around to Jodi Picoult's House Rules I read the latest offering from the author of Life of Pi, Yann Martel.
Having read Life of Pi awhile ago I remember there being a lot of symbolism and I remember it made me want to discuss it with anyone else who had read it. I was hoping for a similar feelling with this one. 

Beatrice & Virgil (Yann Martel)

The story is of a writer named Henry who is having trouble getting his second novel off the ground. He wants to write about the holocust but his ideas are turned down by his publisher. He moves with his wife and gives up writing. He receives a letter from a man asking for his help. The man is a taxidermist who is writing a play about two of his animals, a donkey named Beatrice and a howler monkey named Virgil. As the reader follows the scenes in the play it becomes apparent that there are obvious references to the holocaust but also to the modern day extinction of animals.
I will say I didn't see the end coming (this is often because I get so caught up in a story I am reading word to word and not thinking ahead so maybe you will/did see the end coming).
I would definitely recommend this book. It's a quick read and it left a haunting impression.
If you do read this I dare you not to finish Games for Gustav without feeling horrified at the evil that can exist in humanity.
Not a fun summer read like some of those other beach books but well worth it.

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