TSS: Book Review: Tomorrow Pamplona

Tomorrow Pamplona by Jan Van Mersbergen

Translated by: Laura Watkinson

Publisher: Peirene Press

Synopsis: The boxer Danny is running, running from a woman. He meets the family man Robert who is on his way to Pamplona for the Bull run and the two end up travelling together.

My Thoughts: This quiet book really captivated me, and in the end surprised me a great deal.

Van Mersbergen weaves a tale between the present travels of Danny and Robert first to Pamplona and then home again at the same time as the story of Danny’s recent past is told. The jumping between the two time periods is done seamlessly but without confusion. By telling part of the story in retrospect the reader is given a sense of mystery. What has made Danny run. The different times merge at the end of the book delivering a surprise ending

I am not sure if I can tell you why the book surprised me without ruining it for you but I will tell you that the surprise was like a punch in the gut, a punch that Danny could have delivered.

For me the story was a story about the futility of running from your life. No matter what your past holds, no matter which escape you try and make, you will have to face it some day. And although the book doesn’t say it out right I have to believe that you also get what you deserve. No matter if you make the right decisions in other matters, you still have to face the wrong ones you made.

I want to comment on the translation as Peirene stated goal is excellent translations. As I do not speak Dutch I cannot comment on the exactness of this translation, but I can say that the narrative flows incredibly well. I’ve read translations that feel choppy and strange, and that is not the case with this book. At no point did I feel like I was reading a translated work. Not because cultural markers were removed but because the language felt natural. Well done!

This isn’t a long book. It isn’t a book that utters a lot of words. It is a quiet book that holds a lot of truths and a great story. I highly recommend it.

I want to thank the wonderful ladies at Peirene Press for giving me a review copy of this book.

Tomorrow Pamplona is out tomorrow June 6th, 2011.

                      

Copyright ©2011 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book

Well I steadfastly refuse to pick a favourite book but I will share with you a favourite quote from one of my favourite authors. It is a quote I often find myself paraphrasing:

“chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being sought. It always defeats order, because it is better organized”

~Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett

 

 

Copyright ©2011 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Day 16 – Favourite female character

I thought about this one long and hard. I seem to read a lot of books with strong female characters. In my post on Astrid Lindgren I talked about some of the characters that have influenced me: Madicken and Ronja being two of these. Later in this series I will be writing about a character I can relate to the most, that character isn’t necessarily my favourite character (although she rates pretty high up there). Apart from the aforementioned characters that influenced me as a child, the character that influenced me the most and the longest was: the Anne Girl. 

Anne is quirky, funny, loyal, fanciful, courageous, loving, talented and clever. She is everything I wanted to be as a child. Anne and I in a way grew up together. Like Anne I would wander around in the woods finding fairies and dreaming up tales. I wanted to be able to write like Anne. I wanted to be Anne. And my love for the Anne girl has stood the test of time. She is as special to me now as she was when I was younger.

Copyright ©2011 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Day 15 – Favourite male character

Finally one that is easy! My favourite male character is definitely Russ Van Alstyne from Julia Spencer-Flemings series. So often in the books I read men are either relegated to the side-lines or are practically unobtainable for us mere mortals (I’m looking at you Roark).

Spencer-Fleming manages to make him into a very complex character. Russ is noble but human. He has faults but he also tries to do his best at all times. He admits that he isn’t perfect but that he is willing to learn. One of my favourite scenes with him is when he tells Hadley that the department is paying for the camp. He manages to be fatherly and caring yet not patronizing. He is chivalrous but knows that women are capable (I mean how could he not know that with his mom ).

Russ, also reminds me of some of my favourite guys (in the non-romantic scenes at least). I happen to currently work with a bunch of guys who are the same age as Russ (aka old enough to be my dad). They, like Russ, are always ready to help me when I need it. Not in a we-must-always-help-women-because-they-are-weaker way, but in a we-are-good-guys-so-we-help-people-who-need-it way.

If you want more on Russ check out this post from Julia’s Readers Space.

Copyright ©2011 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer

My favourite author per yesterdays post is Astrid Lindgren. My favourite book by her has varied a great deal through the years.

My first love was Kajsa Kavat a story about a little girl who lives with her grandmother. The grandmother sells candies at the town market and one day, just before Christmas she falls and breaks her foot. Kajsa takes over the selling of the candies. There is also the wish for a doll involved.

As I grew older I grew more into the characters whose ages reflected mine: Madicken, Emil and the kids in Bullerbyn (Noisy Village). But if I had to choose I think I would have to say that, looking back, Ronja the Robbers Daughter is probably my favourite. It was my introduction to the fantasy literature that I love as an adult. Ronja showed me that it was okay to be a tomboy. She helped feed my imagination in a way that makes me thankful today. Like Ronja my best friend was a boy (although this was when I was younger than Ronja is in the book). I loved playing in the woods, building forts and just running and exploring. This book also shows that adults aren’t always that adult. That hate for someone you don’t know is stupid at best. That not even adults have all the answers. Yes I think this is my favourite of the books.

Trailer Ronja Rövardotter (1984)

Copyright ©2011 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Day 13 – Your favourite writer

Now this is a tough one. Is my favourite writer the same person that writes my favourite series? Or do I have a favourite writer who is my favourite because they are fantastic to interact with? Considering all this I will still have to go with one author:

Astrid Lindgren

In many ways she shaped who I am today. Her characters where my childhood companions and heroes. Her books are the books that to a certain extent I still turn to when in need of literary comfort. Her books are probably amongst my most recommended books ever. Just last week I recommended The Brothers Lionheart when someone asked for recommendations for books about death. Her books about Mästerdektektiven Blomkvist certainly influenced me when it comes to my love of mystery. Madicken and Ronja taught me to be brave (and probably encouraged my stubborn and independent streaks). Kajsa Kavat provided me with an opportunity to use logic. While Emil taught me about love and Pippi about having fun and being self-sufficient.

Add to all that the fact that Astrid Lindgren was an advocate for the weaker in society in general and children in particular and my absolute hero worship is complete. I doubt anyone will ever de-throne her.

Copyright ©2011 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Book Review: Tales from Outer Suburbia

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

Publisher: Templar Publishing

Category: Short Stories/Graphic Novel

My Thoughts: Do you ever find yourself reading a collection of short stories and thinking “this one will be my favourite in the whole collection” and then finding that each successive one is more of a favourite? That was my feeling while reading Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan. It is a wonderful book with wonderful stories and beautiful illustrations. I mean it starts out so well with the different stories as postage stamps on an envelope, each picture with the cost being the page number.

Each story touched something deep inside me. From “Eric” the exchange student whom no one quite knows if he is happy and who has strange customs but when he leave, gives the family a beautiful gift, and leaves them missing him. To “Alert” where people made bombs into beautiful ornaments. To “Grandpa’s Story” with the story about the trials one goes through early in a marriage/relationship and the importance of co-operation to make the relationship work. But as a writer of poetry I rarely show to others my absolute favourite was “Distant Rain”. Both the story and the graphic resonate with me. The way the story was told on different scraps of papers with different handwriting was so incredibly perfect it literally took my breath away.

I have been wanting to read Shaun Tan for quite some time, ever since I saw this review of his books The Arrivals and The Red Tree from Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot. When he won the ALMA Prize I knew I had to read something by him, so when I spotted Tales from Outer Suburbia in a display at the local library where I work I snatched it up…now I think I will need to buy a copy for myself, as well as copies of his other books. This is a book I will return to often I think.

The ALMA Prize website has some pictures from his various books.

Copyright ©2011 Zee from Notes from the North. This post was originally posted by Zee from Notes from the North. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.