For all bookworms

1. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, published by Warner books, pp 699, Rs 475

2. Honeymoon in Purdah by Alison Wearing, published by Pan books, pp 336, Rs 595

3. Down to a Soundless Sea by Thomas Steinbeck, published by Alison & Busby, pp 288, Rs 425

4. When we were orpans by Kazuo Ishiguro, published by Vintage books, pp 352, Rs 500

5. Company Man by Joseph Finder, published by St Martin’s press, pp 528, Rs 400

What the books are about

The Historian:

Considering the recent rush of door-stopping historical novels, first-timer Kostova is getting a big launch — fortunately, a lot here lives up to the hype. In 1972, a 16-year-old American living in Amsterdam finds a mysterious book in her diplomat father’s library. The book is ancient, blank except for a sinister woodcut of a dragon and the word ‘Drakulya’, but it’s the letters tucked inside,

dated 1930 and addressed to ‘My dear and unfortunate successor’, that really pique her

curiosity. Her widowed father, Paul, reluctantly provides pieces of a chilling story; it seems

this ominous little book has a way of forcing itself on its owners, with terrifying results. Paul’s former adviser at Oxford, Professor Rossi, became obsessed with researching Dracula and was convinced he remained alive. When Rossi disappeared, Paul continued his quest with the help of another scholar, Helen, who had her own reasons for seeking the truth. As Paul relates these stories to his daughter, she secretly begins her own research.

Honeymoon in Purdah:

It’s hard to imagine a country such as Iran when we are informed in the media of only the negative aspects of the country. Alison Wearing has an enviable, perceptive style of writing. Without pandering to pointless stereotypes and judgements, she effortlessly focuses on the everyday people of the country; their extraordinary generosity and intelligence. It’s a genuinely funny book, with wonderful descriptions and managing to avoid being cheesy.

Down to a Soundless Sea:

Growing up in a family that valued the art of storytelling and the power of oral history, Thomas Steinbeck now follows in his father’s footsteps with a brilliant story collection Down to a Soundless Sea resonates with the rich history and culture of California, recalling vivid details of life in Monterey County from the turn of the century through to the 1930s. Steinbeck accomplishes an amazing feat: his stories have the feel of classic literature, but his haunting voice, forceful narrative drive, and dazzling imagery are unmistakably his own. In a collection of seven stories, Steinbeck traces the fates and dreams of an eccentric cast of characters, from sailors and ranchers to doctors and immigrants.

When we were orphans:

When nine-year-old Christopher Banks’ father — a British businessman involved in the opium trade — disappears from the family home in Shanghai, the boy and his friend Akira play at being detectives: “Until in the end, after the chases, fist-fights and gun-battles around the alleys of the Chinese districts, whatever our variations and elaborations, our narratives would always conclude with a magnificent ceremony held in Jessfield Park, a ceremony that would see us, one after another, step out onto a specially erected stage ... to greet the vast cheering crowds.”

Company Man:

Nick Conover, the youngish CEO of the Stratton Corporation, in Fenwick,has fired half of the high-end office furniture company’s 10,000 employees at the bidding of new ownership in Boston. As a result, much of Fenwick hates Nick, including the person who has been breaking into his mansion and scribbling “No Hiding Place”, and who then kills the Conover family dog, presumably Andrew Stadler. When Stadler accosts Nick, Nick, panicking, shoots him dead then covers up the crime.

Information courtesy: UNITED BOOKS, Ganesh Man Singh building and Northfield Cafe, Thamel, ph: 4229 512, Bluebird stores in Lazimpat & Tripureshwore, ph: 4245 726, Namaste Supermarket in Pulchowk, ph: 5525 017 & Momo and More, Old Baneshwor