A Year of Reading: July 2023

We are well into the summer months now, which often means more time to relax and read. Although I had to DNF my July audiobook as I was really not enjoying it, I still squeezed in three great physical books this month.

Stone Blind, Natalie Haynes

You think you know the story of Medusa - but do you? Natalie Haynes sheds light on a story often overshadowed by the tale of a villain who turns innocent people to stone in this novel. We see how Medusa became the ‘monster’ with snakes for hair in a story of cruel violation, manipulation and gender-based violence.

I love a good Greek mythological retelling, and I am only sad it took me so long to get round to reading this novel after having it on my shelf since it was published last year. I really enjoyed Haynes’ writing style, and how each short chapter focused on a different character within the story. I find it baffling that Medusa is thought of as a monster, and think it is brilliant that Haynes has used literature to shine a light on the truth behind how she became who she became, even if it is enraging to read and confirms that gender-based violence and sexism are, tragically, not modern concepts. My only criticism is the ending, which left me slightly confused.

‘I’m wondering if you still think of her as a monster. I suppose it depends on what you think that word means. Monsters are, what? Ugly? Terrifying? Gorgons are both these things, certainly, although Medusa wasn't always. Can a monster be beautiful if it is still terrifying? Perhaps it depends on how you experience fear and judge beauty. And is a monster always evil? Is there ever such a thing as a good monster? Because what happens when a good person becomes a monster?’

The Paris Library, Janet Skeslien Charles

Based on true events of the Second World War, this novel flips between 1939 Paris and 1983 Montana. When Odile Souchet gets a job at the American Library in Paris, she cannot imagine how her life will change when the Nazis invade Paris. Almost fifty years later, Lily is struggling with life in Montana, until she befriends her neighbour Odile and learns about her life in France. This is not only a story of how Odile and her colleagues used the Library as a beacon of hope in a time of such trauma and destruction, but also how jealously and naivety can have great consequences.

I bought this book when I visited Paris earlier this year. I enjoyed the exploration of intergenerational friendship, envy and jealously, love in all its forms - romantic, filial, platonic - and shame and redemption. Unfortunately, though, I found it to be a bit of a drag. It took me a few weeks to finish, and I think that was because it was not written in a particularly compelling way. This should not, however, detract from how important the story is, and I am happy to have learnt about the heroism of the librarians of the American Library in Paris.

‘My goal in writing the book was to share this little-known chapter of Second World War history and to capture the voices of the courageous librarians who defied the Nazis in order to help subscribers and to share a love of literature.’

State of Terror, Hilary Rodham Clinton & Louise Penny

This political thriller follows Ellen Adams, newly appointed Secretary of State in the USA under President Doug Williams. Things start to go wrong for Ellen when a tip off for a terror attack across three countries is dismissed, which unravels a nightmare that Ellen and her administration must work out in order to save her country and the world.

Despite being around 500 pages, I thought this was very fast paced novel, which was good as it kept things moving and thus became quite an engaging read. The beauty of the use of the third person is that we do not stay in one character’s head, but move across continents to see the different principle and supporting characters as they fight their own battles. Though the writing and execution was slightly basic and the plot was somewhat cliche at times, I think this helped keep a complex, politically-dense plot entertaining and easy to follow. If you are looking for something to delve into that will help whiz you away from the world, this could be it.

“Ellen Adams was used to people underestimating her. Accomplished middle-aged women were often diminished by small men.”