- High Wages : Dorothy Whipple.
Read for the 'Rather Dated' book club.
Jane leaves home after the death of her father, not getting along with her step-mother, and gets a poorly paid live-in job in a draper's shop. She strikes up a friendship with an older woman who lends her the money to start up her own business.
This was a most enjoyable read. After a slow start, the story picked up pace and drew the reader in. It gave an insight into the change in fashion from custom-made tailored clothes that were available to the elite, to the start of more accessible ready to wear. The book focused on a few characters in a small Lancashire town and the impact that WW1 made on their lives. The writing was skilful, vivid and authentic. Recommended.
- Chess Story: Stefan Zweig (trans. unknown).
I looked up Storygraph following a recommendation by Fortuna (Storygraph v Goodreads) and this came up as a book that I should like, based on my tastes. Storygraph was right. I really liked it. It kept me occupied on a three-hour car journey.
This is a compact novella of around sixty pages which is also known as 'The Royal Game'. Zweig wrote it in 1941, a year before his death by suicide. Travellers by ship going between New York and Buenos Aires discover that there is a chess champion travelling among them, an arrogant and unfriendly man. Some passengers challenge him to a game of chess that they are losing until another passenger steps into the frame who is reluctant to play but seems immensely takented. The story is revealed how this man acquired his extraordinary chess skills while he was a Nazi prisoner. It's a dark, suspenseful, poignant tale. Recommended.
- New Boy-Othello Retold: Tracy Chevalier.
I borrowed this from the library via Borrowbox. This book is inspired by Shakespeare's play and is reimagined in the context of an elementary school playground in America during the 1970s.
It's very close to the end of the school year and Osei, a diplomat's son, is joining the school with only one month to go until they break up for the holidays. He is the only black student in the school. Osei (or O) takes things in his stride, as he is used to having to change school often, but others are very put out, students and teachers. Dee, a popular girl in the school finds him fascinating and wants him to be her friend. She finds him physically attractive and wants to kiss him and touch his hair. Ian, the school bully, takes an instant dislike to him and plots a scheme with his sidekick Rod, to take him down. It's not completely clear what his aim is other than to cause havoc. And he does.
I thought this was good and a clever take on the play. I think my only quibble was that these kids were eleven years old and in the case of Ian, his thoughts and actions seemed more in keeping with those of a teen, particularly as they were sexually explorative. Especially since this was the 1970s when I think children were more innocent than these days. Otherwise, very good and recommended.
- Othello: William Shakespeare.
I was curious about the original so I read the play. Here are my thoughts expressed in a pseudo-shakespearean writing style;
Zounds! Iago is a most villainous villain!
Othello is in truth too trusting and naive.
Poor deceiv'd numpty.
Thanks to Eine for the Spotify heads-up for audiobooks. There are definitely ones I'd like to listen to.