salvador - henk van straten (2011)

after reading van straten's satire novel superlul, i decided to read this one, which was released at the same time. the two books probably could't be more different, but they're both great!

hendrie perenboom travels to spain to meet his son, a seven-year-old boy, of whose existence he didn't know until some weeks ago. before he confronts the mother and the boy, he spies on them, wanting to know if he really is the father and why this is suddenly becoming an issue for the mother, who asked him to come.

a wonderful portrait. the best part is the inner struggle of hendrie, who refers to himself as ishmael of both the bible and herman melville's moby dick, and his hard fought but useless trying to develop from a hopeless juvenile delinquent to the man he desperatly wants to be, told in little episodes between the main story.

the book is nominated for the dutch literary price libris.

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man in the dark - paul auster (2008)

august bril, a former book-critic, cant sleep at night, but due to a serious accident some years ago, he cant leave his bed. in order to not think about the things he doesnt want to think about, he tells himself stories...

owen bricks, a magician, is suddenly waking up in a world where an american civil war is going on. he has been chosen to end the war, which is being created in the head of an old man, who tells stories to himself. he has to go back to his world and kill this man.

i love me a little sci-fi, even if it's only in a mind ;-)

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invisible - paul auster (2009)

new york 1967. 20-year-old adam walker, an aspiring but rather withdrawn poet meets rudolf burn, a charismatic french guy and his girlfriend margaret. they both seem to be interested in the young man's well-being and his future. not long after their first encounter, walker becomes witness of a crime, that will haunt him for the rest f his life. 

paul auster's 15th novel is written in four parts, with each a different narration style and from three different points of view, which makes it additionally interesting.  

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books i've read so far in 2012 part 2/2

brave new world - aldous huxley (1932)

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dystopian classic

night work - thomas glavinic (2006)

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about a man who waked up one morning and everyone is gone

what a life - james worthy & pepijn adriaan lanen (2011)

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short story about a looser, a gay unicorn and a bad-ass princess in heaven

the breakdown - friedrich dürrenmatt (1980)

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tale about an unconventinal trial by one of the best swiss writers

the importance of being earnest - oscar wilde (1948)

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about the importance of being earnest - so funny :-)

gantenbein - max frisch (1964)

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what if i just pretend to be blind? - a monologue about relationships

books i've read so far in 2012 part 1/2

ragnarok - a.s. byatt (2011)

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retelling of the nordish end-time myth ragnarok

the god of carnage - yasmina reza (2007)

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french play about how childish grown ups can behave

beauty queens - libba bray (2011)

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ya story about a shipwreck full of wannabe beautyqueens on a desert island

gruber goes - doris knecht (2011)

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life changing cancer experience 

 
superlul - henk van straten (2011)

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a guy with a very big dick becomes a star 

all humans are mortal - simone de beauvoir (1974)

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french existencialistic classic about a man who can't die