Rowena MacDonald

This made the Guardian's Not The Booker shortlist and it was one of the two which sounded interesting. The Guardian reviewer called it "charmingly odd" and that seems about right. It's not really a political novel in the way I think of them, but it's set in the House of Commons and gets the minutiae and boredom of bureaucratic life pitch-perfect.

Grace is a 30-year-old unmarried woman who has drifted into a permanent position as a bureaucrat in the Committee on Economic Security in the House of Commons. Her predictable work life is upended by two men: Brett Beamish, a go-getting Australian who is seconded to the Committee and clearly has plans for a more interesting and lucrative career, and Reuben Swift, a part-time musician who is temping somewhere in the Parliamentary complex.

Grace gets to know both of them, Brett through work and eventually through more personal interactions, and Reuben via email. She likes the idea of Reuben more than the reality of Brett, but Brett is physically in her life and Reuben isn't, until Reuben finally suggests they meet. And then things get really interesting.

The first part of the book is mostly funny and the second half darker and sadder. There are a couple of twists that I totally didn't see coming, but Macdonald is skilled at both the humor and the pathos. The ending is a bit too upbeat and neat, given what has gone before, but I'm not going to begrudge any of these characters their happiness or contentment.

Unusual and well worth reading.… (més)

I enjoyed this novel, set in the houses of parliament, where Grace, a lowly civil servant works half-heartedly at her undemanding, unexciting job, resents Brett, a new, keen, go-getting member of staff, and exchanges flirtatious emails with an unknown admirer, Reuben.

There were humorous passages, genuinely shocking and surprising moments and well-drawn characters. Each of the main characters had some sympathetic traits and good qualities, yet ultimately each disappointed me. The last quarter of the novel became a little repetitive (at times re-hashing events we had already lived through once) and the pacing faltered.

Ultimately I was left wondering what the point of the novel had really been - what was the reader meant to take away from it?… (més)

As a lifelong vegetarian I never expected to type this phrase but: I loved Smoked Meat. Set among the artists, waiters, cafe owners and bohemians of Montreal, it's a series of interlinked short stories, similar in structure to Louis de Bernieres' "Notwithstanding". Each of the stories carries within it a link to at least one of the others, and as a whole it spreads out like a spider's web until you feel you have met half of the residents of the city.

The writing is superb - character based fiction at its best, with a strong sense of place. Description is lively and economical ("Joey...lumbered around the studio as if his body was a beer barrel being inched across a bar room floor").

What amazed me most of all was the number of times I emerged from the book, and it was almost a jolt to remember I was reading a work of fiction which had all been dreamed up by a single brain, so real had it seemed. Definitely one of my reads of the year.… (més)

Grace works for the Economic Scrutiny Committee in the UK House of Commons. Originally a temporary job, it has turned into a permanent position. Things take a interesting turn when the committee gets a new recruit, Brett from Australia. He is everything Grace detests in the newcomers, set on making a name and career for themselves. Grace isn't exactly Brett's dream girl either but at some point they fall into a relationship, albeit a slightly complex one. When things don't work out for them, Grace turns to a secret email admirer. Unfortunately he isn't the antidote to Brett. In fact, the man who passes himself of as Reuben Swift, a struggling poet and musician is a lot more troubled then he lets on. By the time Grace meets him she has to ask Brett for help. All three end up in a downward spiraling trajectory after their encounter. The results of which will challenge them all.

The beginning of this book is very funny. I just loved the descriptions of Grace and Brett, especially
Brett as the overly-pleased-with-himself Australian. In the second part, it takes a turn into a darker area with the introduction of Reuben, and becomes a bit more serious, although certainly not less interesting.

What I really enjoyed about this story is the authors ability to capture the atmosphere around each character. I really felt like I knew these characters by the end of the story. Overall, it was skillfully written and I enjoyed being able to see the story from each characters perspective. This was such an entertaining read, I found it hard to put down. This is my first book by Ms. MacDonald but I hope there will be more to come.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at: www.susannesbooklist.blogspot.com… (més)