Wednesday 10th January at Paulette's : " TRUST" by Hernan Diaz (Argentinian)
Wednesday 14th February at Blanka's: "FRACTURED SOUL" by Akira Mizubayashi", translated from the French "Âme Brisée"
Wednesday 13th March at Anne's: "THE KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON" by David Grann (American)
Wednesday 17th April at Anne ? : " GHOSTWRITTEN" by David Mitchell (English)
Wednesday 15th May at Loeky: "ENTER GHOST" by Isabelle Hammand (French)
by Akira Mizubayashi (Japanese writer and translator°)
Akira Mizubayashi was born in 1951. He first visited France in 1973 for pedagogical training in Montpellier, where he became certified to teach French as a second language. Since 1983, Mizubayashi has taught French in Tokyo, where he currently is professor emeritus at Sophia University. His work has been critically acclaimed in France; in 2020," Âme brisée "won the Prix des libraires among other awards. Mizubayashi resides in Tokyo and writes in French. He said in an interview that “he was born again at the age of 18, when discovered French” and dedicated himself to its study, to end up writing in French himself, starting with essays.
" Âme brisée" or its translation"The Fractured Soul" is his first novel.
A universal story about music and restoring one’s faith in others amid the aftermath of tremendous loss, a story of reconstructing the past (in Tokyo 1938) and connecting it to the present (in Paris 2023), in which all the pieces of the puzzle finally lead to a completed picture. The title refers to the real “hero” of the story, a violin, first destroyed by a racially motivated act of violence and in the end restored to life by the son of the original owner, Rei/Jaques, prompted by series of purposeful or accidental meetings with the Japanese/Chinese members or their descendants of the erstwhile amateur string quartet.
Also a poetic attempt to remind the world of the horrors the WWII, and to contrast the prevailing evil with the goodness of individuals, with the help of music, a common denominator; an accusation as well as an apology.
Overall, the book got a mixed appreciation by our group – liked for its expert passages on music and violin making, disliked for its many repetitions, and by those, who read it in French, for the somewhat contrived and stilted use of the language.
Also somewhat lost in translation, was the title: in French, l´âme of a violin has also a physical meaning, described in the book:
(Larousse illustré: les parties du violin: „……le chevalet, qui supporte les cordes, et qui soutient l´âme entre les deux tables…..“)
And in English: (Internet): parts of violin: ……..Sound posts /tablets inside the violin - no mention of the soul, though, of course, the idea is there – that´s where the „soul“ of the violin resides and trampling on it equalls killing it…
Blanka
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray 1905 - 1948
The Personal Librarian tells the remarkable, little-known story of the lifework of an extraordinary woman, the personal librarian to J. P. Morgan - the most powerful man in N.Y. then -, as well as the first director of the Morgan Library & Museum, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to - for the protection of her family and her legacy - to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.
Belle da Costa Greene, became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true.
She was born not Belle da Costa Greene, but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality, a civil rights activist, and from Genevieve who came from the well-established Fleet family, while her father was descended from slaves.
- She received her education from her mother’s Fleets family: “Never do anything to stand out”:
never were we to raise our voices, and never were we to do anything that would make the
adults have to raise their voices at us”. Always be dignified!
- From her father her love of arts: “One day, the beauty of your mind and the beauty of art will
be as one”
Belle's parents separated because of Genevieve's decision to have their family pass as white.
Later, Belle learns that her mother wasn't always set on passing as white. Belle's father Richard had been hired as a professor at a newly-integrated university when they were younger. They both became involved in activism for equal rights upon seeing the resistance people had to being de- segregated.
Eventually most Reconstruction-era policies were dismantled. The university went back to being whites-only, and Richard and Genevieve left with people spitting and throwing garbage at them. It was that experience that launched Richard's civil rights career, but it also led Genevieve to believe that the only way to survive was to take advantage of their light skin and pass as white.
“While Papa held beautiful dreams of equality for us all, Mama saved me - and all my siblings - from the segregation and racism in America”.
Belle’s words to her father:
“My plan is to turn the Pierpont Morgan Library from a private library into a public institution so that thousands and thousands of people will see the beauty and significance of the early written words - the importance of reading and books as a great equalizer among humankind” The power of the written word to lift humanity!!
Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white - her complexion is dark though because she is African-American.
Belle didn’t want the colour of her skin as an excuse to keep her relegated to the lowest jobs, the worst neighbourhoods, with little possibility for a better life!!
The Personal Librarian - based on a real story - was an eye-opening look into the lives of Belle, her relationship with her mother versus her father, who leaves when Belle is 17, after her mom proclaimed that the family be white. Belle’s success came with an overwhelming sense of fear that she’d be found out, as well as the weight of financial stability to support her sisters, brother and mother. Belle: “Success must be my commitment!”
It was nice to see her finally find joy amongst friends: the Fricks, Rockefellers, the Carnegies a.o. ....
Through her job, Belle meets Bernard Berenson, who wrote a book of art history that Belle's father had gifted her as a child. Though he is older than her, married and lives in Italy, Belle finds herself attracted to Bernard. When she learns that he's in an open marriage, Belle allows herself to pursue a romance with him, but that would and could never lead to marriage. Belle’s relationship with Bernard Berenson lasted for decades.
Quote Belle: “I still believe that someday there will be equality in this country. That someday there will be a new civil rights act, and a new president and Congress to enforce it. That everyone will be able to follow their dream, regardless of race. That those words about the equality of men in the Declaration of Independence will be true.”
Belle gets a job as J.Pierpont Morgan's personal librarian for his newly constructed Pierpont Morgan Library in 1906. She is then 26 years old.
Over time, Belle gains the trust of Mr. Morgan and greater responsibilities. As she makes major acquisitions, it raises Belle's profile when she is featured in newspaper articles as a woman succeeding in an entirely male industry and building up an impressive collection of works, and she eventually becomes indispensable to him, even required to attend family events.
When Mr. Morgan passes away in 1913, he provides for Belle in his will, and she stays on as librarian. The book ends with Belle successfully convincing Jack (J. P. Morgan's son) to make the library public in the early 1920’s.
Pierpont Morgan Library still operates in NYC under the name The Morgan Library and Museum. The Morgan Library is celebrating 100 years in 2024 with a.o.: “Belle da Costa Greene: A Librarian's Legacy”. From October 25, 2024, through May 4, 2025.
Many years later, as she burns all her records (to protect her identity and her life's work by extension), she wonders if people will someday learn that the personal librarian to J. P. Morgan was a black woman.
Every one from our reading group highly appreciated the book, that we gladly recommend to other reading groups.
Quote Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray: !!!Victoria still suffers daily degradation!!!
“This book is a guide that aims to spark conversations that will foster connection, action, and, hopefully, progress towards equality”
We hope we did justice to Belle’s struggles and brought to life the terrible injustices and pain racism and segregation have exacted on upon individuals and in the United States as a whole.
Another book that we read and could be interesting to understand more about Passing is: - “TheVanishingHalf”byBrittBennett”.
Loeky Borloo.
It is set in the New York of the 1920's, at the time of the Great Depression, in the harsh reality of the world of high finance.
From these four versions of the same story by four different narrators, which one are we going to trust ?
And what are the circumstances of Mildred’s death ?
_ BONDS by Harold Vanner tells the story of Benjamin and Helen Rask, fictional incarnations of Andrew and Mildred Bevel
_ MY LIFE is Andrew Bevel’s autobiography. He has hired a secretary, Ida Partenza , to write it but he dies before the project is completed. Andrew Bevel does not agree with Vanner’s version as to the origin of the family’s wealth and the couple’s life. So, he wants to set the records straight. But he conceals Mildred’s role in increasing his wealth and belittles her social role.
_ A MEMOIR by Ida Partenza is the third part. This is an apocryphal version of Bevel’s biography. Decades later , the former secretary Ida Partenza, investigates as a journalist the couple’s house made into a museum, and has access to documents among them Mildred’s Journals.
_ FUTURES is made up of the journals written by Mildred Bevel as she lay dying in a hospital in Switzerland. But her handwriting is difficult to decipher and parts of the journals are coded.
However, while scrutinizing the documents, Ida Partenza discovers the truth about Andrew and Mildred Bevel. In fact , Mildred had a superior intelligence and she was the mastermind behind Bevel’s success. She also explains Mildred’s love of music and her support of multiple charities dear to her heart.
Conclusion :
Which story tells the trut? Each narrator has a subjective and thus a biased way of telling the same story.
We are confronted here with mainly two competitive narratives, the second and the fourth one.
So, whom do we trust ? The question remains open…
Hernan Diaz denounces the world of the high finance and wealth , a male dominated realm, where women are just adornment. He also praises the fortitude and the resilience of women.
Although the first part talking mainly about finance was off- putting for us , we have appreciated reading this intelligent but complex book in which Diaz keeps confronting the double meaning of the words TRUST and BONDS , the material and the human.
Anne Van Calster
January 2024
The subject of the novel could be seen as a subtle detective story followed by a court case but there is much more to it …
A deadly fall in the mountains aroused suspicion!.
An old revolutionary mountain-climber found himself on the same path as his former fighting partner, who had denounced him years earlier and caused him to serve many years in prison.
The latter has been found dead at the bottom of the slope, as signalled by the protagonist himself.
Coincidence ? Premeditated homicide?
In court, this case led to a confrontation between two men: a young magistrate in search of the truth and an elderly prisoner, survivor of a long dispersed, left-wing terror group.
IMPOSSIBLE for a judge ! Why were the two men on the same mountain slope?
Coincidences happen… but the past cannot be forgotten.
Follows a battle between a young magistrate in search of the truth and the elderly mountain climber who remains firm in his beliefs and ideals. Each one is fighting for his own idea of justice in a debate which shows great mutual respect between magistrate and accused.
In the unique philosophical style of De Luca the dialog is very profound with reflections on the meaning of justice and law, on political commitment, freedom and friendship. As mountaineer he stresses the power of the mountains, and the meaning of life in the face of nature.
The text is interspersed with moving love letters from the prisoner to his lady partner with more significant reflections on existential philosophy and the relationships of people who have loved ones removed from them.
The dialog ends with a nice final twist…
Notwithstanding a little political ideology, this is De Luca’s text which I liked most and not the least for the short chiselled sentences and style.
A masterpiece!
Irène van Steenberge-Buys
Victory City is many things : a parable, a fable, a magic realist epic about a 15th c. Indian empire, a historical fiction from where Rushdie chooses to mythologise.
The story is set in the South Indian medieval kingdom of VIJAYANAGARA , the last great Hindou kingdom of India. Many of the events described by Rushdie are actually recorded in historical archives.
The ruins of the capital are in Hampy, several hundred miles N.W. of formely Bengalore. Other cities like Bijapur are also mentioned in the book.
Salman Rushdie creates a mythological fable in which, most interestingly, he weaves the most modern ideas that refer to our world today.
The main character ( and the red thread of the book) is Pampa Kampana, demi-goddess. She is the survivor of a fallen kingdom , and she is determined to change the course of history.
From a bag of magic seeds, she creates a mighty city, Bisnaga.
Over her 230-year-long life, she writes a fictitious epic « JAYAPARAJAYA », an alternative to the famous MAHABHARATHA and the RAMAYANA ( «3d c. BC- 3d and 4th c. AC ).
The whole story, as told by Pampa Kampana, looks like a treacherous « Game of Thrones » with a thicket of intrigues, rival factions, foreign wars, palace coups… But it also tells us about new ideas, trade with Venice and China, the diversity of cultures . Pampa Kampana pushes for gender equality in a kingdom where women are neither veiled nor hidden.
Pampa Kampana writes her tale to leave something good and lasting behind her wake. Knowing she has to face the natural tendencies of humankind : greed, corruption, religious intolerance, she takes a firm stand against right-wing religious fanaticism, and ensures that the women are entitled as the men to study, work and openly profess their love for whomever they please. This is a very feministic book.
We know that the freedom of speech is of paramount importance for Rushdie and in the world. One of the most compelling passages of the book is : a protestor is handing out pamphlets in the heart of a bazaar. When a squad is sent to arrest him, , they discover that the pamphlets are blank. When the protester is questionned : « why isn’t there any message ? », « there is no need, the protester replies, everything is clear ! »
All empires eventually collapse into dust but « WORDS ARE THE ONLY VICTORS » , Pampa Kampana concludes.
This was not an easy book to read because we are not familiar with long indian epics and mythology. We were often tempted to skip passages … But we were aso amazed at the real sense of humour we encountered in the course of our reading …
Anne Van Calster –July 2023
This novel is structured around interviews given, in retirement, by a character called Vadim Baranov, who - by coincidence or not - closely resembles Vladislav Surkov, a producer of reality TV shows who became both the spin doctor and the power behind the throne of Putin’s Russia.
The reader plunges into the heart of power behind the Kremlin walls, populated by spine-chillingly authentic characters involved in power plays for mother Russia. Themes include the verticality of power, the court-like ambiance created by the Tsar (aka Putin), the obsequiousness of his courtiers, the sociology of propaganda, the reign of terror, the creation of an oligarch system, and the fanatical use of power by one dictator.
Baranov’s background in television enabled him to dramatise events such as the Sochi Olympics and the extreme right-wing Night Wolf motorbike gang in order to support the regime’s line but over all to reinforce the Tsar’s power. After all is said and done, currying favour with the Tsar and fulfilling his wishes is the path to personal enrichment and a privileged lifestyle. The dictator stops at nothing in his search for power, even using his dog to create a negotiating advantage at one point.
The description of contemporary Russia and in particular the author’s elegant meditation on the nature of power leads us linearly to today’s war with Ukraine. One nightmarish and somewhat deterministic quote stands out: ‘Le destin des Russes est d’être gouvernés par les descendants d’Yvan le Terrible’. (The destiny of the Russian population is to be ruled by descendants of Ivan the Terrible).
In our group , we were unanimous about the value and interest of this incredible book !
Anne Van Calster, April 2023
