The Cellist of Sarajevo, by Steven Galloway

I finished this book last night and I'm still absorbing it. It struck me particularly hard, because I remember the siege and contemplating what I could do to help. I wasn't sure I could be a relief worker, or a volunteer. It was so inconceivable that such a modern city to be reduced to such a degree. It still is...

This book, like the music I imagined in the book, moved me greatly. Each character seemed to represent a different musical refrain or movement. The characters were ordinary people trying to survive in extraordinary times as they struggles to maintain their dignity and their humanity.

I don't even know what book to read next because how can I give a new book a chance with this one still echoing in my mind.

Here is the summary:

This brilliant novel with universal resonance tells the story of three people trying to survive in a city rife with the extreme fear of desperate times, and of the sorrowing cellist who plays undaunted in their midst. One day a shell lands in a bread line and kills twenty-two people as the cellist watches from a window in his flat. He vows to sit in the hollow where the mortar fell and play Albinoni's Adagio once a day for each of the twenty-two victims. The Adagio had been re-created from a fragment after the only extant score was firebombed in the Dresden Music Library, but the fact that it had been rebuilt by a different composer into something new and worthwhile gives the cellist hope. Meanwhile, Kenan steels himself for his weekly walk through the dangerous streets to collect water for his family on the other side of town, and Dragan, a man Kenan doesn't know, tries to make his way towards the source of the free meal he knows is waiting. Both men are almost paralyzed with fear, uncertain when the next shot will land on the bridges or streets they must cross, unwilling to talk to their old friends of what life was once like before divisions were unleashed on their city. Then there is "Arrow," the pseudonymous name of a gifted female sniper, who is asked to protect the cellist from a hidden shooter who is out to kill him as he plays his memorial to the victims. In this beautiful and unforgettable novel, Steven Galloway has taken an extraordinary, imaginative leap to create a story that speaks powerfully to the dignity and generosity of the human spirit under extraordinary duress.

The Camel Club, by David Baldacci

As mentioned in my earlier post, on occasion I try to read outside my regular reading preferences. First it was Mansfield Park, and then I moved to the 21st Century and popular author David Baldacci. I didn't even ready the publisher's blurb, below. I went in blind and within the first few pages I knew this would be the last Baldacci novel I would read. This has to be one of the most testosterone filled books I have ever read. It is retchingly American -- it was reminiscent of the movie, Independence Day. When one of the main character's brake lines were cut, I thought I would scream. In time, however, I was better able to accept the premise, the stock characters, and cliches. In fact, at the end, I wanted to see how the author was going to wrap up everything nicely, and he did -- all the loose ends were tied up into a nice bow.

So at this point, I believe I can take a break from expanding my reading horizons and enjoy books for the sake of enjoying them. Part way through The Camel Club, I started the Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway and I'm thoroughly enjoying. It's interesting how both books deal with terrorists and the horrors or war, and yet they couldn't be more different. Yup, I've expanded my reading horizons but I'm going to continue to explore the many wonderful authors that appeal to my reading preference. Sometimes you have to travel to new lands in order to fully appreciate familiar territory.

Publisher's blurb:
Existing in the fringes of Washington, D.C. the Club consists of four eccentric members. Led by a mysterious man known as "Oliver Stone," they study conspiracy theories, current events, and the machinations of government to discover the "truth" behind the country's actions. Their efforts bear little fruit until the group witnesses a shocking murder, and become embroiled in an astounding, far-reaching conspiracy. Now the Club must join forces with a Secret Service agent to confront one of the most chilling spectacle ever to take place on American soil -- an event that may trigger the ultimate war between two different worlds. And all that stands in the way of this apocalypse is five unexpected heroes.

Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen

I thought it would be a good idea to try to expand my reading horizons -- read a classic -- and become enamoured with Jane Austen. In University one HAD to read Austen, and I don't have particularly good memories of the feat. I thought the passing of time could have changed me enough to savour Austen's style. It didn't really work out that way... Reading Mansfield Park made me realize that I'm truly a post modern gal. Yes, I have to admit that Austen certainly offered some pretty amazing character studies, but the pacing was difficult for me. Furthermore, I could not accept the premise that first cousins could / would marry!

Summary:
The story chronicles the life of Miss Fanny Price. A poor girl of little consequence and even less wealth is is taken in by her childless aunt and immediately installed in the house of the third aunt, the Lady of Mansfield Park. Fanny could see the hypocrisy and selfishness of her social circle, and rises about it demonstrating "virtue and constancy" in a harsh world.