sabato 29 marzo 2014

Recensione: Beloved by Toni Morrison (Amatissima)



Titolo Amatissima
Autore Toni Morrison 
Editore Sperling & Kupfer 
Collana Pickwick
Pagine  432
Pubblicato  originalmente nel 1987
Titolo Originale Beloved

"Quei bianchi mi hanno preso tutto quello che avevo e che sognavo", disse, "e mi hanno anche rotto le corde del cuore. A questo mondo non c'è la sfortuna, ci sono solo i bianchi".


Luoghi Delaware, Ohio, Kentucky
Personaggi
Sethe schiava
Baby Suggs suocera di Sethe
Denver figlia più piccola di Sethe
Paul D uno schiavo che ha vissuto nella Sweet Home con Sethe e Baby Suggs
Beloved figlia di Sethe




Trama
Sethe è una donna di colore schiava che vive e lavora alla Dolce Casa dove, fortunatamente, i padroni non maltrattano e non torturano i propri schiavi. Sposa un altro schiavo Halle che, lavorando duramente, è riuscito a riscattare e a rendere una persona libera la madre, Baby Suggs. Purtroppo il proprietario muore e la moglie non è in grado di portare avanti la proprietà e chiede aiuto al cognato. Il nuovo padrone è molto violento. Gli schiavi, dopo aver sopportato ogni tipo di violenze, di torture e di soprusi, decidono di fuggire. Sethe si ritrova da sola con tre figli piccoli e incinta ma riesce ugualmente a fuggire. Il viaggio è molto lungo, viene aiutata da una donna bianca a partorire e finalmente raggiunge la suocera che adesso vive a Cincinnati al 124 di Bluestone Road, anche se ha perso una delle due figlie durante la fuga. Provano tutti insieme ad iniziare una nuova vita ma i ricordi della Dolce Casa riaffiorano continuamente e, per di più, la loro abitazione è infestata da un fantasma. I due figli maschi non sopportano di vivere in quella casa e se ne vanno via  e la suocera si ammala e muore. Sethe rimane così da sola con la figlia più piccola Denver, in quel paese in cui tutti le ignorano. Un giorno le raggiunge Paul D, un altro schiavo della Dolce Casa che è riuscito a fuggire. L'arrivo dell'uomo risulta molto positivo: il fantasma scompare e Sethe e Denver escono per la prima volta e vanno alla festa di carnevale. Tornando a casa, però, trovano una ragazza sporca e affamata che dice di chiamarsi Amata. 

Recensione
Questo romanzo ha vinto il Premio  Pulitzer nel  1988 e Toni Morrison ha vinto il Nobel per la letteratura nel 1993. Il libro è dedicato ai "sessanta milioni e più" di schiavi morti durante la traversata dell'Atlantico con le navi negriere. E' ispirato da una storia vera: l'autrice stava facendo una ricerca e ha letto su un articolo di giornale del 1856 la storia di una schiava, Margaret Garner, che insieme al marito e ai figli era riuscita ad attraversare il fiume Ohio . E' un racconto sul dramma della schiavitù e proprio come questa è duro e crudo: agli schiavi non veniva tolta solo la libertà, venivano privati della loro dignità, della possibilità di amare e di credere in un futuro migliore. E' un'esperienza che devasta, che segna per sempre: anche da liberi gli schiavi non sono mai liberi, saranno sempre perseguitati da quei terribili ricordi.
Non è un libro semplice, immediato. Bisogna leggerlo con molta attenzione, lo stile della Morrison è molto originale: ci porta avanti e indietro quasi senza alcun preavviso particolare, alternando la memoria e il punto di vista di ogni personaggio. Inoltre è ricco di metafore e di simboli. Io ho trovato molto più difficile comprendere la prima parte del romanzo, da metà è diventato più scorrevole e comprensibile ma è poco convincente la parte soprannaturale. 
E' un libro molto impegnativo ma da leggere come tributo alle vittime della schiavitù la cui unica colpa è stata essere di colore......


Plot

Sethe is a black woman slave who lives and works at Sweet Home where, fortunately, the owners do not mistreat and torture their slaves. She married another slave Halle that working hard is managed to redeem and make a free person his mother, Baby Suggs. Unfortunately, the owner dies and his wife is unable to carry on the property and asks for help her brother in-law. The new owner is very violent. The slaves, after enduring all kinds of violence, torture and abuse, decide to flee. Sethe remains alone with three small children and pregnant but still manages to escape. The journey is very long, she is helped by a white woman to give birth, and finally reaches the mother-in-law who now lives in Cincinnati at 124 Bluestone Road, although she lost one of the two daughters during the escape. They try all together to start a new life but the memories of Sweet Home resurface continually and, most importantly, their house is haunted by a ghost. The two boys can not stand to live in that house and they go away, and the mother-in-law falls ill and dies. Now Sethe is alone with Denver, the little daughter in a country which all avoid them. One day arrives Paul D, another slave of Sweet Home that has managed to escape. The arrival of the man is very positive: the ghost disappears and the two women go out for the first time and go to the carnival. Returning home they meet a dirty and hungry girl  who says her name is Beloved.


Review

This novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 and Toni Morrison won
the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. The book is dedicated to the "sixty million and more" slaves died during the crossing of the Atlantic with the slave ships. E 'inspired by a true story: the author was making a search and read a newspaper article in 1856 the story of a slave, Margaret Garner, who with her husband and children had managed to cross the Ohio River. It 's a story on the tragedy of slavery and this is just as hard and raw: the slaves was not only taken the liberty, were deprived of their dignity, the ability to love and to believe in a better future. It 's an experience that devastates, which marks forever, even to free the slaves are never free, will always be haunted by those terrible memories. 
It is not a simple book, immediately. You have to read it very carefully, the style of Morrison is very original takes us back and forth almost without notice particular, alternating between the memory and the point of view of each character. It is also rich in metaphors and symbols. I found it much more difficult to understand the first part of the novel, from the middle became more fluent and understandable but I found unconvincing the supernatural.
It 's a very challenging book but must be read as a tribute to the victims of slavery whose only crime was being black ......


Voto finale
4 stelline

mercoledì 19 marzo 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #2: China Dolls by Lisa See





Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that showcases the upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.




Title: China Dolls 
Author: Lisa See
Genre: Historical Fiction
Expected Publication Date: May 27, 2014

Summary (from Goodreads)

An exciting new novel set in the "Chop Suey Circuit" of San Francisco right before World War II, from the beloved bestselling author of Snowflower and the Secret Fan and Shanghai Girls.

In 1938, Ruby, Helen and Grace, three girls from very different backgrounds, find themselves competing at the same audition for showgirl roles at San Francisco's exclusive "Oriental" nightclub, the Forbidden City. Grace, an American-born Chinese girl has fled the Midwest and an abusive father. Helen is from a Chinese family who have deep roots in San Francisco's Chinatown. And, as both her friends know, Ruby is Japanese passing as Chinese. At times their differences are pronounced, but the girls grow to depend on one another in order to fulfill their individual dreams. Then, everything changes in a heartbeat with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Suddenly the government is sending innocent Japanese to internment camps under suspicion, and Ruby is one of them. But which of her friends betrayed her?


I love historical fiction and this book sounds engaging...... I'm reading "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by this author  and I'm liking it a lot. The cover is very nice.

martedì 18 marzo 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: My Spring TBR List


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish

My Spring TBR list:

                      
                        1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins


                                       2. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton



                            3. The Intrigue at Highbury by Carrie Bebris



                               4. Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich



                           5. Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie



             6. The coincidence of Callie & Kaiden by Jessica Sorensen



                              7. The Quickie  by James Patterson

                          8. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield


                             9. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini



                            10. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella



martedì 11 marzo 2014

Teaser Tuesday #4: The Painted Veil


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • * Grab your current read
    * Open to a random page
    * Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
    * BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
    (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! 
    You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 
    * Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday 
    participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm reading The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham



‘I loved you so much, I didn’t care. Most people, as far as I can see, when they’re in love with some one and the love isn’t returned feel that they have a grievance. They grow angry and bitter. I wasn’t like that. I never expected you to love me, I didn’t see any reason that you should, I never thought myself very lovable. I was thankful to be allowed to love you and I was enraptured when now and then I thought you were pleased with me or when I noticed in your eyes a gleam of good-humoured affection. I tried not to bore you with my love; I knew I couldn’t afford to do that and I was always on the lookout for the first sign that you were impatient with my affection. What most husbands expect as a right I was prepared to receive as a favour.’

Top Ten Favourite Contemporary Romance- Chick Lit




Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish

My list:

                             1. I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

                              2. My One and Only by Kristan Higgins

                                   3. Wedding Season by Katie Fforde

                                      4. Virgin River by Robyn Carr 

                           5. Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson


                 6. Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

                                 7. Enchanting Lily by Anjali Banerjee 

                                      8. Bet Me by Jennifer Cruise

                              9. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen 

                     10. The Three Day Rule by Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees


mercoledì 5 marzo 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #1: The Geography of You and Me



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that showcases the upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.



Title: The Geography of You and Me
Author: Jennifer E. Smith 
Release Date: April 15, 2014


Summary
 (from Goodreads):




Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.



 I have read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight some time ago and I liked it very much so I'm curious to read another book by Smith .... I also like the cover

martedì 4 marzo 2014

Top Ten Popular Authors I’ve Never Read


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish

My list:

1. John Irving

2. J.K. Rowling

3. Charlotte Bronte

4. Stephanie Meyer

5. John Grisham

6. Anne Rice

7. Margaret Atwood

8. Alice Munro

9. Khaled Hosseini

10. Fannie Flagg

Teaser Tuesday #3: Sprinkle With Murder





Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • * Grab your current read
    * Open to a random page
    * Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
    * BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
    (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! 
    You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 
    * Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday 
    participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm reading Sprinkle With Murder by Jenn McKinlay




“It’s a part of my charm,” Angie agreed. “I’m going to call Joe and see if he can drop by the shop.” “
Do you really think that’s necessary?”
Oh yeah,” Angie said. “I’ll call you later.” 
Mel hung up. Joe DeLaura was going to stop by her shop. She felt the same fluttery feeling she always got when Joe’s name was mentioned. She’d had this reaction to him ever since she’d seen him twirling his keys when they were kids. She thought she’d outgrown it, but judging by the skittery feeling she had at the thought of seeing him again, she hadn’t.

domenica 2 marzo 2014

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond (Sex and the country)

Titolo Sex and the country

Autore Ree Drummond

Editore Sperling & Kupfer
Pagine  352
Pubblicato  2012 (first published 2011)
Titolo originale The Pioneer Woman Black Heels To Tractor Wheels
Luoghi Oklahoma
Genere Autobiografia


        “… fu allora che lo vidi – il cowboy- in fondo al locale. Alto, robusto con una birra in mano, i capelli cortissimi e brizzolati. Dio santo! Era un’autentica visione. Rimasi alcuni minuti a fissarlo come un ebete, poi feci un respiro profondo e mi alzai. Dovevo vedergli le mani. Mi avvicinai e con aria indifferente presi quattro olive dal vassoio degli stuzzichini. Le mani erano belle, grandi e forti. Bingo!”

Personaggi
Ree venticinquenne
Marlboro Man sexy cowboy
Tim fratello di Marlboro Man
Mike fratello problematico di Ree
Doug e Betsy fratello e sorella di Ree


Incipit
ADESSO basta, mi dissi, stravaccata sul letto nella mia vecchia cameretta. Tornata per una pausa di riflessione nella città dell’Oklahoma in cui ero nata e cresciuta, mi ero arenata in una palude cartacea di guide allo studio, curriculum riveduti e corretti, elenchi di appartamenti disponibili a Chicago e un catalogo, da cui avevo appena ordinato un cappotto verde oliva da 495 dollari; non color cioccolato, perché ho i capelli rossi, e in gabardine di lana perché Chicago, ricordai a me stessa, è un tantino più gelida di Los Angeles, da cui me ne ero andata poco tempo prima.

“… ero mezza addormentata quando Marlboro Man mi sfiorò delicatamente l’orecchio con le labbra. Fece un respiro profondo, e mentre il suo petto si abbassava le parole ti amo gli sfuggirono di bocca in un sussurro. Così piano, che pensai di essermele sognate.” 

Trama

Ree, dopo aver vissuto per qualche anno a Los Angeles, decide di tornare a casa in Oklahoma per trascorrere un po' di tempo serena e rilassata a riflettere sul suo futuro. Il suo desiderio è di andare a vivere a Chicago. Una sera in un locale incontra un cowboy molto sexy e ne rimane affascinata. Dopo molti giorni dal primo incontro lui finalmente la chiama..... E' un ragazzo speciale, le telefona tutte le sere per darle la buona notte e tutte le mattine la sveglia di buon ora, cenano spesso insieme e piano piano si innamorano follemente. Alla fine arriva il momento di scegliere tra l'amore  e il lavoro, tra una vita fatta di tacchi alti, serate nei locali più esclusivi, vegetariana e la vita in campagna con stivali, letame di mucche sul piazzale davanti casa, cene a base di bistecca e un centro commerciale a centinaia di chilometri.

Recensione
L'autrice scriveva sul blog la sua storia d'amore a puntate: è piaciuta talmente tanto che ha deciso di scriverla e trasformarla in questo romanzo (il sito è http://thepioneerwoman.com/). Il  blog è molto carino: ci sono riportate le sue ricette, le foto della sua bella famiglia e della loro vita in campagna. 
La storia è scorrevole, si legge velocemente, non è mai noiosa e presenta delle scene divertenti e frizzanti, soprattutto i primi avvicinamenti di Ree al mondo dei cowboy. Tocca anche delle problematiche molto attuali e che possono colpire ognuno di noi come la separazione dei genitori e la depressione post partum. Lo stile è molto semplice forse più adatto ad un diario che ad un romanzo. I personaggi sono ben caratterizzati: il principe azzurro Marlboro Man, un uomo dolce e sexy, il tenero  Mike, il dispettoso Tim che mette alla prova la propensione di Ree alla vita di campagna, la vitale sorellina Betsy e la comprensiva suocera. 
E' un romanzo piacevole e leggero che aiuta a credere che i sogni a volte diventano realtà..... 



This isn't just my love story; it's a universal tale of passion, romance, and all-encompassing love that sweeps us off our feet. 

It's the story of a cowboy. 

And Wranglers. 

And chaps. 

And the girl who fell in love with them.

Plot

Living the high life in LA – cocktail parties, exotic restaurants and a cosmopolitan boyfriend – Ree thinks she's got it all figured out. But, try as she might, she can't shake the feeling that something is missing.

Returning home to get her life in order, Ree is struck by a bolt of lightning - a blue-eyed, strong-jawed, enigmatic cowboy. Though he's a million miles away from anything she's ever known, their attraction is undeniable. But with her family coming apart at the seams, her ex still on the scene, and a new career waiting in the city, it's not as simple as riding off into the sunset together. As life on the ranch beckons, is she really ready to trade in her high heels for Wranglers? 


Review
The author wrote on blog her love story episodes: it is liked so much that she decided to write it down and turn it into this novel (the site is http://thepioneerwoman.com/). The blog is very nice: it shows her recipes, photos of her beautiful family and their life in the countryside.
The story is flowing, it reads quickly, is never boring and has some funny scenes and sparkling, especially the first approach to the world of cowboy Ree. It also touches issues very current and  that may affect each of us as his parents' separation and post partum depression. The style is very simple, perhaps more suited to a diary than a novel. The characters are well characterized: the Prince Charming Marlboro Man, a sweet and sexy man, the lovable Mike, the spiteful Tim that tests the propensity of Ree country life, the vital sister Betsy and sympathetic mother-in-law. 
It's a novel pleasant and lightweight that helps to believe that dreams sometimes come true .....  I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a fabulous romance. 


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