Rushdie is always a brilliant writer, and has seemingly read and digested everything. My favorite part, the most harrowing and insightful and sad partRushdie is always a brilliant writer, and has seemingly read and digested everything. My favorite part, the most harrowing and insightful and sad part, was Chapter 7 wherein Rushdie conducts his imaginary interviews with his attacker. It also had a bit of Rushdie’s characteristic humor in a chapter that makes clear the chasm between terrorism and humor. Much more besides. I hope Rushdie has nothing but happiness ahead of him....more
I expected this book to be an account, couched in family history, of political ideas — as indeed in the epilogue, Lea Ypi says she intended it to be aI expected this book to be an account, couched in family history, of political ideas — as indeed in the epilogue, Lea Ypi says she intended it to be as she began writing. Instead, what I discovered was a memoir of Ypi’s childhood and teenage years, growing up in Albania, through communism, its fall and subsequent civil war (roughly the decades of the 1980s and 1990s). For a reader who knows next to nothing about Albania, it was a window on the country. Ypi portrays her parents and grandmother with whom she lives so vividly and I was drawn to them, flaws and all. Ypi is blessed with a mostly kind, literate, thoughtful family and the world of her development is beautifully and interestingly conveyed. The whole story is embedded in the politics of the time and place, but for me the family story predominated.
Upon closing this book, I feel shattered. It is the story of one ordinary family of Austrian Jews destroyed by the Nazis. George Clare (né Georg KlaarUpon closing this book, I feel shattered. It is the story of one ordinary family of Austrian Jews destroyed by the Nazis. George Clare (né Georg Klaar) tells the story of his youth in Vienna, through the Anschluss (he was about 17) and his family’s escape from Austria. Clare lands in Ireland but his parents go to France where despite the help of many people, they are finally arrested, deported to Auschwitz and murdered.
It is a familiar story, but what makes this particular one worth reading is beautiful writing, candid self-awareness, and vivid detail. I found the political story, leading up to the Nazi takeover, particularly powerful in its portrait of quisling Austrian officials, factions, and the background noise of delusions like “it won’t be that bad”, “he doesn’t really mean it” (and let that be a lesson to us right this minute!!). By the shocking and heartbreaking end of Clare’s story, I am — once more, having covered this ground before — speechless, shattered, numb. No, not numb, because I believe there is so much to know here, reasons to return, understandings that are required to be repeated like a catechism if you are to call yourself a human being. George Clare’s Last Waltz in Vienna is a profound and worthy read....more
This is a completely charming, funny, insightful memoir by Minnie Driver. I have always loved her as an actress and I think she has been underrated anThis is a completely charming, funny, insightful memoir by Minnie Driver. I have always loved her as an actress and I think she has been underrated and under-utilized. But then it turns out that she can also write, an exercise that reveals again how literate, intelligent, funny and self reflective she is. She is also the reader of the audiobook and has a wonderful voice. I hope there will be a sequel....more
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