Just Kids by Patti Smith

I happened upon this book without direction for once and was amply rewarded for my gamble (only to realise subsequently how popular the memoir has been!) It is no wonder that such a master of lyricism should produce such a touching and detailed tale of two individuals' rites of passage from obscurity to success. I was gladly drawn in to her world; enticed on every page by the riveting and unusual experiences of her early career.

I found myself feeling very reflective of the time we live in as 1970s New York unfolded before me so vividly. Smith creates an era of experimentation and passion that seems wholly removed from the early stages of the 21st Century. Obviously, having not been there I can't comment upon her realism but the world where Janis Joplin and Andy Warhol breeze through lightly did not fail to fascinate. 

One is forced to suspend this sense of distance from the context as well as their judgement at times. I repeatedly had to quell my occasional good-girl tut-tutting at Robert's debauchery and indulgence (while remaining sceptical that Patti was merely the bystander in the sea of mind-expanding shenanigans that were going on).

I was entirely drawn in by this book, am delighted that I encountered it and hope that my recommendation for all to read it will be but a small contribution toward it's continuing success.

The Hare with the Amber Eyes, By Edmund de Waal

I"ve been meaning to post about this book which I consumed on holidays over Easter. Once again, this was a recommendation worth treasuring.

This is part-history, part-family biography, tracing the author's lineage with the central talisman of the beautiful collection of Japanese carvings. Each phase in the family history is painted with as intricate attention as the craftsmen invested in the tiny netsuke. Throughout the novel you find yourself as easily at home in contemporary London as the decadence of 19th Century Vienna.

Though the language is occassionally over-indulgent (perhaps symptomatic of the author's status as a novice in terms of literature), the thread of narrative is beautifully woven. He has succeeded in portraying the fate of his ancestors which was at times brutal and desperate but also incredibly human and touching.

The different phases of the netsuke as they pass through the generations are, as I've said, fascinating. However, by the time the collection reached Japan, one couldn't help hoping it would finally settle somewhere for good so the story could come to a close!

All in all, I am delighted that this book has received such acclaim and therefore am equally keen to pass on the recommendation.