A few recommendations

Posted by: fracas on January 8 @ 7:24 pm

As of late, my days have become rather lonely. But it’s a self-imposed loneliness. First of all I don’t really feel like going to places and meeting people. It has its natural reasons. It’s cold (and I can’t close my jacket anymore), I’m tired, and I just don’t feel that agile anymore. Eating is not fun either as I have to catch my breath with every bite (well almost). Thus dinners in fancy restaurants are out of the question. Instead I take my walks around 2 pm, going for a quick bite at one of the many places in Haarlem. But as my favourite places extends to about 3 I have now decided to make further explorations of the many lunch spots downtown.

There’s always an errand to run, so I do this on the way back, burning some extra (well deserved) energy. Today I had no such aim, but as it was freezing cold I stopped by the book store on the way back. Books are my absolute passion. If there was only one thing I could bring to a desert island it would be a book. It would have to be a brick though to provide me with some ample reading, such as Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky or War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (which is still sitting on my bookshelf). The longest read ever was Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco. It took me three months (although I did read some other novels in between) to get through, although I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A favourite author of mine is Paulo Coelho. His novels are like a golden compass to life. Forget self-help books. Whatever the novel, I have always found a profound spiritual as well as pragmatic guidance applicable to my personal circumstances. I shall come back on that in another entry, but the time is not yet right.

Last but not least, whilst I mention some favourite authors here I shall not forget my favourite of all time – John Connolly. He is certainly not the average crime writer – by far not. There are many aspects where he diverts from popular genre. First of all the crimes. They are always grisly and very dark. He penetrates the minds and actions of people (if you can call them that) that few have seen let alone heard of. The scenery is dark and moody, a honeycomb world, where dark forces hide their presence and true intentions. His novels often has a super natural context. Not ghostly but otherworldly. This otherworldly presence provides both depth and dimension that few books do. Lastly, the prose is exceptional. It’s like thin wafers of chocolate with a touch of orange, melting in your mouth. You will savour every word you read.

With no exception to this date, everyone I have recommended his novels to have come back in awe. You simply want more. The good news is that he has recently published his 12th novel, which should provide sufficient reading material. Start with the first novel, Every Dead Thing. I can promise you shan’t be disappointed.

the law of second chances