Sophie's choice by William Styron

The book was published 1979. The young American Southerner and aspiring writer, Stingo, moves to a new apartment in Brooklyn, New York, and meets his neighbors Sophie and Nathan, a complex couple. At first, he can’t understand their relationship, but when the story unfolds, Sophie’s past is eventually revealed, and Stingo is beginning to see a bigger picture.

The dysfunctional relationship between Sophie and Nathan can eventually be understood, in a way. What makes Styron’s writing so strong is that he is able to delve into what happens to people after a traumatic experience. Not just any such experience, but that of having being changed forever, having survived a concentration camp. I think Styron portrays very convincingly how Sophie’s soul remained in Auschwitz, and how she is never really free. She is still mentally trapped in Auschwitz and her feelings of guilt and despair never left her. That explains her self-destructive relationship with Nathan. The way she punishes herself for surviving is tragic. It’s as if she needs to remind herself of her past, not being too happy. In a way, Nathan is both her savior and her destroyer. Nathan is as complex as Sophie, not able to accept the fact that he, a jew, was living an normal life in New York and was spared the big suffering of millions. He doesn’t know how to handle that Sophie, not even a jew, was a part of that, and not him.

The theme of sexuality and sexual frustration shows how people are influenced by conventions, religion or some other ideology. During the forties Freud seems to have been very popular, and everyone needed an analyst, which they listened to and obeyed blindly. It’s interesting how people everywhere are objects of indoctrination. In the book it’s the Poles' anti-semitism as well as the American Southerners' former abuse of slaves. People in a society get told what to think and what to do. There’s not much room to think for oneself. The easy way is to buy the concept. The hard way is to widen one's perspective.

The prose is wonderful and flows beautifully. The story feels so convincing and real. The part where Sophie's choice is revealed is very powerful and tremendously tragic.

Extremely loud & incredibly close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Title in Swedish is "Extremt högt och otroligt nära".

The life of a nine years old boy, called Oskar Schell, changes forever one day, after several phone calls. It happens to be 11 september 2001. This is the beginning of a difficult time for Oskar, coping and struggling in the aftermaths of his father's death in WTC.

This book is very uneven. Sometimes Foer manages to hit all the right buttons, but then, suddenly the prose drift into a seemingly endless combinations of words and too many commas, and too long sentences which include the same words over and over again, like "crack up" and "heavy boots". Normally I like many commas and long sentences, but this was crazy.

It becomes a confusing mess, which is a big disappointment. Why the quotes from different persons on the same row, without explanation as to who says them? Is that a good distinguishing feature, or just messy and confusing? Sometimes, it's convenient because it creates a flow, but often it's not. The prose is too much, too often, and thereby there's no dramaturgy. That means the reader runs the risk of being desensitized. The 9/11-attacks are terribly sad and horrible, and therefor, when writing about it, it's very important to make it justice. However, occasionally Foer manages to capture the right words at the right time and portray it in a very moving way.

"The Genesis Code" by John F. Case

In Swedish the title is "Fader okänd"

Private detective Joe Lassiter suspects more than a simple murder, when his sister and her son are burned to death in a manmade fire. He uses his company and contacts to find some explanation, and it leads him  to a small community in Italy, where a priest has received a mindblowing confession.

The story that follows feels a little far-fetched but at the same time very fascinating. The thing most interesting is the reminder that today’s science is yesterday’s science fiction. When this book was published in 1997 the thing happening in the book was a relatively unknown science to the public. It wasn't exactly common knowledge and it didn't attract media attention.

Joe Lassiter is a credible character, apart from the fact that he seems capable of turning off his emotions occasionally. He would have benefited from being more emotional, but perhaps it is his way of coping. 

I will definitey check out more of the books written by the couple under the pseydonym John F. Case.


The following text contains spoilers!

A little information about the science theory of the book: When writing this book Case didn't know that in fifteen years the whole world would notice it. In 2012, John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka received the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for the science which could be called a kind of reversible engineering - the fact that mature cells can be programmed to become pluripotent stem cells, capable of developing into other, different cells. It is fascinating to read and speculate about how far this science hypothetically could reach. And that is exactly what Case did, back in 1997.

The happy prince by Oscar Wilde

Whatever I read by Oscar Wilde I really like, and it always gives me a bittersweet feeling. The pattern in Wilde's literature is so beautiful. This one is no different. Similar to "The nightingale and the rose" this one is about great sacrifices for people in need, sacrifices that go unnoticed by the shallow and rich people - which could really make a big difference. The swallow is thrown away just like the nightingale was run over in the gutter. Certain deeds require a lot of unselfishness and determination, and can save the lives of other people. Simultaneously, everyone else continue their lives without caring. This contrast is heart-breaking because it makes me wonder how the world would be if everyone cared - especially the powerful people.

Jag tjänar inte by Jenny Åkervall

This is a book about the psychiatry of today, the political hierarchy, how a powerful bunch of people rule over the individual, and Sweden, in general, of today. It's very good at times, especially the society criticism and personal relations. 

The main story is about a psychiatrist who gets to help the security police with judging the level of danger a threat poses to a politician. However, that is not the most interesting part of the book. The thrilling part somehow falls into the shadows. Perhaps Jenny Åkervall handled too many themes, and the book would have benefited from just a few.

I think Åkervall is a talented, promising author and we probably haven't seen the last of her. As a former speech writer for the Swedish prime minister, she knows what she's writing about, and therefor worth reading. Interesting and insightful.

Inferno by Dan Brown

It all starts when Robert Langdon wakes up at a hospital and remember nothing of the previous days. Where is he? What has happened? How did he end up there? And what does he know that is so dangerous? Dan Brown has an ability to awake great topics of interest. His books lack some of the authenticity and credibility that makes some authors’ books considered great pieces of work, but he scrapes on the surface of fascinating history and introduces such interesting topics that you are bound to discuss them later. The theme of this book was as interesting.

However, there are some flaws that are irritating, as in most of Brown’s work. There are too many repetitions. There are illogic comments. There are history lessons, which I really like, but in the wrong places. Oh, the government is after us, and is trying to kill us. Let's go to a museum! I just had an idea that could solve the mystery of symbols on a painting! Almost that illogical. Why the rush? Why not lay low, change one's appearance and cut and dye one's hair if you want to get away?

But I can ignore that. I think people sometimes concentrate too much on the flaws. As I am a fan of history and culture, I have a certain indulgence when it comes to his prose. It’s something with his books that makes me want to learn more about the content, and that’s wonderful.


Spoilers!

About the theme of the book: The fact that during a 90-year old person’s life, living today, the world’s population has quadrupled is mind-blowing! It has grown from two billion to eight billion people since the 1920's. The rising numbers can become a problem one day, in the future, and it's interesting to use that as a theme.

Källkritik by Torsten Thurén

Thurén, a senior lecturer in journalism, discusses sources in media and what to consider when valuing information. Real or not real, reliable or unreliable, unbiased or biased, independent or dependent? Other things to consider are how to select information and how to determine level of reason. There's an interesting part about the need to question oneself as well - one's own interpretation and prejudices.

It's clear this is not one of these academic books that people forget having read instantly. To illustrate the impact of sources, Thurén uses real life examples like the disappearance of the heroic Raoul Wallenberg during the second world war, the murder of the Swedish prime minister in the 80's, Olof Palme, and other murders. This brings a authentic perspective to the book that also serves as confirmation of the importance the author applies to sources.

It's difficult to decide whether sources are affected by other people, the environment or the conventions of society and whether the questions asked are open or closed, leading the sources to truthful or false statements. Another thing to consider is how much time that has passed since the actual event. A person's memory tends to be more reliable just after something happens than years later, but at the same time the memory might be blocked because of chock. At the other hand, even though the memory gets worse in the beginning, the deterioration slows down after some time and it doesn't matter if the person is interviewed one year or five years later. Furthermore, people remember what they are interested in, whatever time has passed. These facts really emphasize the complicated world of journalism.

The book does digress sometimes, but it's important issues that needs reflexion.