Review of CATHERINE: A RETELLING OF WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Essie Fox

4 Stars 

I hesitated to read this book because I read and studied Wuthering Heights, albeit many years ago, and really did not like this tale of obsessive love and revenge. I didn’t like either Catherine or Heathcliff and was just impatient and annoyed with their histrionics. Essie Fox’s version I enjoyed so much more.

Emily Brontë’s novel is told from the perspectives of Nelly Dean, a servant, and Mr. Lockwood, a tenant at Thrushcross Grange. Fox’s version is narrated by Catherine. Eighteen years after her death she is freed to roam as a ghost. She speaks of her formative years, especially her childhood friendship with Heathcliff that evolves into an intense romantic love; her marriage to Edgar Linton; and the return of Heathcliff, his marriage to Isabella Linton and his jealousy and obsessive desire for revenge. She also recounts what happened after her death, especially as concerns her daughter Cathy, Linton Heathcliff, and Hareton Earnshaw.

This novel is faithful to the original so anyone familiar with Wuthering Heights will not be surprised with the major events. What is different is that Catherine is able to provide information about events of which Nelly is not cognizant. Both Nelly and Mr. Lockwood are observers and so limited in their knowledge; giving the more intimate perspective of a participant means that Catherine’s behaviour becomes more understandable. Though she remains the impulsive, obsessive and passionate character of Wuthering Heights and though I was still frustrated with some of her choices, I felt I understood her better because I was made aware of her motivations and, later, her regrets. What emerges is a more sympathetic portrait of Catherine.

I’m not always a fan of ghost narration, but it works in this case because of references to spirits in the original. The supernatural element is strong in the Gothic novel. Mr. Lockwood, during a visit at Wuthering Heights, has a strange dream about a weeping, unseen presence begging to be let into the house. And at the end of the book, shepherds and travelers at night claim to have seen Catherine and Heathcliff roaming the dark moors as they did many years earlier.

The author certainly creates the brooding, gloomy atmosphere of the original. There’s the isolated house, with its claustrophobic aura, surrounded by the wild, desolate moors often visited by wind and rain. The turbulent weather just adds an extra chill to one’s reading. I also appreciated the author’s use of language which evokes Brontë’s novel.

Of course there are also some plot additions. For example, Heathcliff’s life during his three-year absence is described; Brontë doesn’t ever explain how he returns so much more refined and so much wealthier. Many readers have speculated about Heathcliff’s background and Fox offers a clarification, though admittedly it relies on a theory suggested by others.

This book, though respectfully faithful to its source, provides a fresh perspective, including a redemptive twist. I found myself more engaged and feeling more sympathy for the characters. Perhaps the subtitle of the novel should use the word enrichment rather than retelling?

Review of SON OF NOBODY by Yann Martel (New Release)

 4 Stars

This is a very interesting read from the author best known for his Life of Pi.

Harlow Donne, a Canadian doctoral candidate studying Ancient Greek literature, leaves his wife Gail and his daughter Helen for a study year at Oxford University. From scraps of papyrus, he pieces together fragments of an unknown epic poem that he entitles The Psoad. This poem, about the Trojan War, differs in some ways from the version in The Iliad. What is most interesting is that Donne’s discovery presents the Trojan War from the point of view of Psoas, an ordinary foot soldier.

The novel has an interesting structure. Donne’s translation of this imagined Greek text is accompanied by commentary. Some of the annotations are academic in nature, clarifying, analyzing and interpreting the text. For instance, Donne notes differences between The Psoad and The Iliad and suggests parallels between The Iliad and the Bible as well as similarities between Psoas and Jesus. But there are also personal musings on his life with Gail and Helen.

Donne is not an especially likeable character. There is no doubt that he loves Helen, but he is academically ambitious and puts his studies before his family. After a tragedy, the extent of his self-centredness is emphasized. I noted that his academic notations tend be be precise and detailed whereas his personal reflections are much more general. There are several explanations for this but one is definitely that his focus is his scholarship; he himself admits that his “mind, strapped to the mast of a ship, was in the thrall of a Siren’s song.”

A major theme is that “the past is never done with, that always there are parallels and returns and repetitions, always the song continues.” Donne argues that The Iliad, Gilgamesh, and the Bible are foundational stories with few verifiable facts: “distant, immediate, unverifiable, compelling, subjective.” He also mentions “a commonality between the story of Troy and the story of Jesus: the acquiescent sacrifice of an offspring without which neither story can proceed. In both, the future is begot by killing the future.”

This theme is further explored with suggestions of parallels between Psoas and Donne. Both leave their countries and families on a quest, both have difficulties adjusting to their new environments, both experience a madness of sorts, and both are visited by tragedy. I did find that the parallels are sometimes spotlighted in a heavy-handed fashion. For instance, Psoas’ conversation with Hades obviously points towards a major event in Donne’s life. Obviously, the book highlights universal human experiences and emotions. Both Psoas and Donne experience homesickness, love, loss, anger, regret, and grief. Both learn about the sacrifices and cost of ambition.

Another theme is ordinary people are not really different than those of high status. Commoners are also capable of strength and courage. The Iliad focuses on the feats of heroes but Donne argues that The Psoad is a “radical call for egalitarianism” because it shows Psoas, often described as the son of nobody, as also capable of acts that are deemed heroic. Both Donne, a nobody from an unknown university, and Psoas dare to challenge those in authority. Even Jesus was “an illiterate, impoverished tradesman from an oppressed minority.” And, on the other hand, regardless of status, people can be “hiding places for monsters.”

This is a thought-provoking novel that I really enjoyed. It is unique and creative in its exploration of how an ancient story can resonate in the present.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Review of THE MAID'S SECRET by Nita Prose

 2.5 Stars

Had this book not been chosen for book club, I would not have finished it. I found it insipid and overly sentimental and clichéd. I enjoyed the first book, The Maid, because Molly, the narrator and protagonist, offers an interesting neurodivergent perspective. In this novel, I found her less charming and really the focus is on Flora, Molly’s Gran, who is the maid in the title.

At an Antiques Roadshow-like event at the Regency Grand, Molly and her fiancé Juan Manuel learn that Gran’s ornamental egg is a Fabergé worth millions. Molly decides to sell it, but at the auction, it is stolen. The present-day chapters detail the search for the egg but these alternate with lengthy diary entries addressed to Molly in which Gran tells her life story and, indirectly, that of the Fabergé egg.

The book ends with Gran’s comments that “life is a fairy tale” and this story actually reads like one. Though marketed as a “spirited heist caper” and a “spellbinding whodunit,” it is not. The focus, as stated in the prologue, is love. Much of the book reads like a historical romance, and that is not a genre I enjoy. Since much of Gran’s story, especially her relationship with John Preston, is discussed in the earlier books in the series, there’s not much suspense either.

The characters are caricatures which had me rolling my eyes. Gran’s parents and the Braun family are just arrogant rich people; focused on money, they have only contempt for those not of their social class. They get away with robbery, rape and murder?! Servants like Margaret Mead and Uncle Willy, on the other hand, tend to be saintly and capable. We are expected to believe that a dishwasher works his way up to the position of pastry chef in a 5-star hotel?

I had several issues with the book. There are problems with setting. Gran is a teenager in the mid-20th century, but she and her family behave like characters from Downton Abbey. The curtseying seems anachronistic, as does the attitude towards girls’ education. The novel is vague about the country in which it is set, though references suggest a North American city; for instance, Molly and Juan Manuel live in an apartment, not a flat. So what’s with the references to manor houses and barons?

I have other questions. Gran didn’t recognize the egg when it made its way into her home? If she did, wouldn’t she have taken advantage of its value to ease their financial situation? Molly and Juan Manuel’s landlord makes an instant decision to convert the apartments to condos? Magnus Braun has decided to purchase Gray Investments but then tells Reginald Gray, “’you’ve got nothing I want’”? The police department needs Speedy’s help to set up proper surveillance? Angela is “accepted into the local police academy, prerequisites waived on account of ‘experience in the field’’? A reality show about antiques has rabid groupies who pursue Molly for autographs?

Dedicated fans of the series might enjoy the book, and it will certainly appeal to readers who like cozy, feel-good fiction. Unfortunately, I found it predictable and tedious, lacking the originality of the first book. I hope this is the last book in the series; if not, I will not be reading any further installments.

Review of DAUGHTER OF EGYPT by Marie Benedict (New Release)

 3 Stars

This feminist historical fiction focuses on two ambitious women defying expectations.

There are two storylines. One begins in 1486 BC and focuses on Hatshepsut, one of Egypt’s few female pharaohs, and her rise to power. The other timeline is post-World War I; Lady Evelyn (Eve) Herbert, the daughter of Lord Carnarvon, wants to join her father and Howard Carter, the famous Egyptologist, on their digs in the Valley of the Kings. She is determined to find Hatshepsut’s tomb.

I did not find this book a compelling or engaging read. The pace is slow and there is not much tension; often not much happens. Perhaps my knowing what was discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 meant there was little suspense for me. Attention is often given to unnecessary details. For instance, do we really need to know that a rare skin oil is applied from an alabaster jar found on a marble dressing table before Hatshepsut is dressed in a pure white linen gown and adorned with an ornate gold diadem and a gold and carnelian collar or that she lies back on a crimson, emerald, and gold wooden chaise? There’s needless repetition; in case readers forget, they are reminded that Luxor was once called Thebes, that Eve prefers her mother as a self-sacrificing nurse, and that there were attempts to erase Hatshepsut from history.

There are information dumps about Egyptian history: the Ottoman Empire, the British occupation, and Egyptian nationalism. In historical fiction, there is always the necessity to provide historical information to help the reader understand events, but the use of dialogue to do so makes conversations anything but natural. For example, Hatshepsut says, “’Could it be the royal branch of the family stemming from my father’s predecessor, Amenhotep? . . . Amenhotep died without an heir; that is, of course, how my father became pharaoh. . . . Or perhaps the threat originated from relatives of Pharaohs Kamose or Taa the Second who preceded Pharaoh Ahmose, Amenhotep’s father.’” This explanation is hardly necessary in a conversation with someone very familiar with pharaonic history so the exchange just sounds awkward and clunky.

Sometimes the reader is almost insulted because the author insists on pointing out what is patently obvious. For example, Eve overhears Englishwomen wondering why, after years of British presence, Egyptian women haven’t adopted British practices. Eve comments that the women are provincial and ignorant as if that is not clear. It is not necessary to tell what has already been shown.

Some scenes feel very contrived and unbelievable. Eve is invited by Mrs. Seton, whom she has just met, to join her in a very sensitive meeting with Madame Zaghloul. Given the circumstances at the time, this invitation is highly improbable. The explanation for the invitation is that Mrs. Seton is doing it for all women who seek understanding and connection and who step outside societal expectations to do so. This just feels like an artificial attempt to exaggerate Eve’s accomplishments.

Eve is not an especially likeable character. Her obsession is finding Hatshepsut’s tomb and she thinks everyone should help her in her search. She becomes petulant if her plans are thwarted. Sometimes she is so naive. For instance, it never occurs to her that there is a limit to her father’s fortune or that he and Howard Carter are basically looting graves and keeping treasures that don’t really belong to them? She is an amateur archaeologist but she thinks very highly of herself. She disagrees with her father, thinks she gives an acquaintance something to reflect on that he hadn’t ever contemplated, and believes she can bring insights to the understanding of Hatshepsut that academics do not possess. She even claims to be the last hope if Hatshepsut’s tomb is every to be unearthed and she owes it “to the generations of women before and after.”? Her attitude of superiority is grating. And then there’s the hypocrisy of being outraged at the criminality surrounding her father’s collection but then agreeing to break many rules and to follow the spirit, not the letter, of the law.

I did not find Hatshepsut’s story convincing. Her sections feel like cursory snapshots. There are huge gaps in the timeline and, though we are told of her accomplishments, we are not shown how she achieved them. There is little depth to her character; at times she just comes across as a power-hungry opportunist. She tells the people that she has been instructed by the god Amun to be pharaoh so who can contradict her? She does whatever is necessary to convince her people of the righteousness of her reign, even using the equivalent of the Christian Annunciation by claiming that the god Amun impregnated her mother and told her father that his daughter would be both human and divine. The explanation for Hatshepsut’s erasure from history is not historically accurate, not in keeping with expert opinion, and I found the author’s version to be weak.

I enjoy fiction with strong female characters, but I don’t find the two women in this novel admirable. Both possess an attitude of superiority that is off-putting. And they both easily adopt facades, both even alluding to changing roles for public perception, so there’s an aura of manipulation around them. I knew virtually nothing about Eve and Hatshepsut so I did learn about women largely forgotten by history, and I did like the book’s examination of the partage system in Egypt.

I did not find reading this book to be an immersive experience since it relies on trivial details and lacks emotional depth. I’m certain the book will appeal to many readers, but personally I found it tedious and easy to put down.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Review of THE LONELINESS OF SONIA AND SUNNY by Kiran Desai

 4 Stars

This 670-page tome was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize and I kept coming across rave reviews so thought I’d read it. It’s a novel of ideas that demands the reader to engage patiently.

Sonia Shah, an Indian student in Vermont, hopes to become a writer. Lonely, she becomes easy prey for Ilan de Toorjen Foss, an arrogant, totally self-obsessed artist who is a manipulator and abuser. Sonia eventually escapes but leaves behind an amulet, a treasured gift from her grandfather. In Delhi meanwhile, her father tries to arrange a marriage for Sonia with the grandson of a friend.

The intended, Sunny Bhatia, is an aspiring journalist in New York living with a white girlfriend, a fact he hides from his widowed, class-obsessed mother Babita. He returns to India for a visit and, by chance, meets Sonia after they’ve each rejected their families’ attempts at an arranged marriage. The rest of the novel focuses on their relationship which is beset with obstacles. Both of them must also figure out their own paths in life before setting out on one together.

As the title clearly indicates, loneliness is a major theme. Both protagonists experience isolation living in the U.S. In fact, both feel that isolation is almost a requirement for success in the West which their families desperately want for them. India places more value on family while the West emphasizes individualism. For instance, Sonia and Sunny list all the tasks that people are expected to do for themselves. Sonia and Sonny are also looking for a home, a place where they feel they belong. They feel displaced from their home country, family and culture, but do not feel accepted in the U.S. either. Of course living with others does not guarantee that loneliness will be lacking; Sonia’s mother, for example, leaves an oppressive marriage and escapes to an isolated cottage.

Sonia and Sunny do not meet until a third into the novel. The first part concentrates on Sunny’s relationship with Ulla and Sonia’s, with the older artist. It is the latter that particularly interested me. Ilan is a predatory narcissist, a totally despicable person who takes possession of Sonia’s life. He suppresses her literary ambitions and leaves her empty and haunted. She must find herself again before she can move on with her life.

I have a dislike of magic realism so the use of it in the novel discomfited me. There’s a vicious dog that makes an appearance several times. A threat, it emphasizes Sonia’s inner turmoil, but I didn’t find it a necessary element. There are also recurring motifs of eyes and mirrors.

I enjoyed the portrait of contemporary Indian society. The reader sees the lingering effects of colonialism, the caste system, colourism, and corruption. I was especially interested in the portrayal of life for a single woman in India: “A single woman was expected to be grateful for any scrap that fell her way.” Divisions because of religion are also shown: “Someone who belonged to a religious minority had to appear meek and patriotic.”

There is also no doubt that the novel is well-written. Here’s a description of Sonia’s reaction to her loneliness: “Because her condition of winter loneliness had grown acute, and she felt compelled to tell her most compelling stories so she would be attractive and they could know each other quickly, profoundly, so she could relieve her solitude.” The pressure Sunny feels to succeed in America is compared to the push of people boarding a plane: “Crowds were trying to squeeze into the doorway past which a few chosen individuals were allowed to catch their flights, the rest of the family left ever farther behind. . . . he was pushed on by the bearing weight of people behind him, feeling their desperation concentrated upon his shoulders, his back. He carried the terror and ambition of thousands for the span of time it took to get through the eye of the needle.”

There are subtle touches of humour which lighten the predominantly serious mood. For instance, the mingling of international students searching for romance is described: “There was a slapstick randomness to these loves conducted in dozens of languages during movie nights or ballroom dancing lessons, or in the cafeteria, where everyone went despite the dullest food in the city in case a potential romance awaited by the steamed vegetable medley.” At one point, Sunny meets two brothers on a train; they’re seed breeders and Sunny wants to interview them, “But to be a journalist you have to win over the people you meet, and were they going to trust a man who did not speak to his mother? This violated the laws of the animal-vegetable-mineral kingdom.”

A novel of ideas, the book explores loneliness, cultural alienation, and the immigrant experience, but it also comments on other subjects as well. Love is examined: “Maybe all you needed was to be loved once. It was too much to ask to be loved all the way through life, and you could return to the memory for sustenance. Being loved all the time might be a curtailment, a redundancy. It was wild and restful to think without attachment.” The resentment of men is analyzed: “She recognized it, it was ubiquitous, it was in the air, it was in every man she’d ever met, that resentment. . . . It was the anger of being countered, refused, surpassed, denied, not adored enough – or simply ignored, because hell hath no fury like a man who is not the center of attention.”

Some of the commentary is light-hearted but some is scathing. There’s a discussion of English colonial mentality that struck me: “it occurred to him that Italy was the Englishman’s first India, their first scorching sun, swarthy skin, their first garlic and hot temper, their first people whom they viewed alternately as children and as savages, charming and suddenly cruel – ultimately baffling. Perhaps Italy had allowed them to attempt India. This would suggest Italian charm had some truth to it, or else the English would have returned to their sunless, un-garlicky island and saved the world the ruinous empire.”

The book is long, perhaps too long, with too many minor characters with detailed backstories. There were certainly times when I wanted a greater narrative focus with fewer digressions and less philosophizing. I recommend the book with a caution: readers must be prepared to invest time, not only because the book is lengthy but because it is dense and so requires concentration.

Review of THE CABIN by Jørn Lier Horst

 3.5 Stars

This is the second Norwegian police procedural in the Cold Case Quartet.

A prominent politician dies and 80 million kroner is found in his cabin. Chief Inspector William Wisting is asked to conduct a secret investigation to determine the origins of the money. Wisting comes to realize that there may be a link between the money and two cold cases: the disappearance of a young man, Simon Meier, and an airport robbery, both of which happened 15 years earlier.

As I mentioned in my previous review of the first book in the series, The Katharina Code, the character of Wisting is what drew me to the series. In this book, he is as likeable as ever: thorough and competent, it is not surprising that he is asked to lead this investigation. What bothered me then is that Wisting takes some actions which just don’t seem in keeping with his reputation for professionalism. For example, he asks Lise, his journalist daughter, to assist in this sensitive, confidential case? And he decides to keep the fortune in his house? Then he also adds other people to his team almost at random.

There are other elements which bothered me as well. Wisting doesn’t show much concern when he sees a stranger around his daughter’s house? Lise likewise doesn’t worry too much about finding the door to her house open or to discovering that her daughter Amelia’s drawing is missing? And Lise enlists the help of another journalist she’s never met before?

Then there’s the coincidence that Adrian Stiller, whom we met in the previous book, just happens to be reopening the Simon Meier case at the same time. Of course adding Stiller to the case adds tension because Wisting has “reservations about the man’s approach and methods” and Line agrees: “his investigations were a game of strategy in which he set the players up against each other, held the cards close to his chest and did not always play fair.”

Readers should not expect a fast-paced thriller. This is more of a plodding investigation, and I imagine most crime investigations, especially those into cold cases, are exactly that. Momentum does pick up towards the end as the attention of some nefarious characters is attracted. I must say however that there is perhaps too much attention paid to domestic details, especially those involving Amelia.

I was not as impressed with this book as I was with The Katharina Code, but I will still continue reading the series.

Review of THE KATHARINA CODE by Jørn Lier Horst

 4 Stars

My husband and I have streamed all seasons of Wisting, a Norwegian police procedural television series based on the William Wisting books by Jørn Lier Horst. We loved the shows and the character of the senior detective. I just learned that Horst wrote a series, entitled Cold Case Quartet, featuring Wisting investigating cold cases. The Katharina Code is the first of the four books.

Katharina Haugen went missing 24 years earlier and what happened to her has never been discovered. One clue, a note with a message in code, no one has been able to solve. Every year on the anniversary of her disappearance, Wisting visits Martin, Katharina’s husband. Over the years the two have formed a bond. This year Wisting is asked to assist in another cold case, that of Nadia Krogh, a teenager who was kidnapped two years before Katharina vanished. Because of finger prints on a ransom note, Martin is now suspected of Nadia’s abduction. Wisting is needed to use his connection with Martin to determine whether he was involved in Nadia’s disappearance and perhaps Katharina’s as well.

As I mentioned at the beginning, the character of Wisting is a reason for my taking an interest in this series. He’s not the typically tortured protagonist found in much of Nordic noir. He’s a widower with two adult children and a granddaughter he dotes on. He’s kind, calm, and determined. Not only intelligent, he is wise. He’s a principled man dedicated to the pursuit of justice. In this novel, he struggles with having to deceive Martin as he tries to determine the truth.

This is not a fast-paced, action-packed, twisty thriller, but a cerebral, character-driven police procedural. My interest did not wane, however, as there are hints as to what happened and I wanted to confirm my suspicions. There is also considerable tension when Wisting spends time with Martin at an isolated cabin. Also, Adrian Stiller, from the National Crime Investigations Service in Oslo, who leads the investigation into Nadia’s case is very ambitious and not above manipulating others or using unorthodox methods. Can he be trusted?

The perspective of three characters is given. Besides that of Wisting, there’s that of Line, Wisting’s daughter, who is a journalist covering the investigation into the kidnapping case. Finally, there are some chapters focusing on Stiller and it’s soon clear that he has an interesting backstory.

I really enjoyed this crime fiction story. It’s well-written and entertaining. I think I will move on to the next book in the series, The Cabin.