As with the previous novels in the series, the hero of the tale is Omar Yussef, the elderly teacher from Bethlehem who is by chance in Nablus for the wedding of a young friend of his, Sami Jaffari, who is a police officer in Nablus.  Omar Yussef is not long in Nablus before he becomes involved in solving a murder.  In this case the murder victim is a young Samaritan, which makes the case already rather sensitive.  It quickly becomes even more sensitive when Omar discovers that the young Samaritan was also a financial adviser to the late Yasser Arafat and some 300 million dollars of aid money has gone missing.  Things become even more complicated after this discovery as Omar and Sami become embroiled in a complex web of intrigue involving the World Bank and the violent rivalry between Fatah and Hamas for political control in Nablus.  So this is not your ordinary crime novel.

Matt Rees, who worked for many years as a journalist in the Middle East has a good knowledge of the many complexities surrounding Palestinian society.  As in the first novel, the Israelis do not feature as individuals in the story.  The novel concentrates on Palestinians and how they react to and with each other. The Israeli occupation does feature in the novel as the action takes place during the Second Intifada so there are constant references to the violence, deaths and restrictions that go with the occupation. But it is always in the background.  Omar Yussef is a wonderful and well rounded creation.  The other characters are also all well crafted and interesting in their own right.

Matt Rees does a very good job of describing Nablus – its sights, smells, sounds and noises.  Many of the places mentioned in the novel were instantly recognizable to me, as was the atmosphere of living in such a busy and crowded city.  This is a very good crime novel and has the added attraction of introducing the reader to Nablus and providing an insight into life under occupation.

14 November, The Hen & Chicken, Bristol

In her sixth solo stand-up show, Romance and Adventure, Josie Long is starting to worry about her age. She is 30 and now feels she has to grow up. But it’s Josie’s worries and thoughts on social justice, politics and feminism that make her a passionate and engaging comedian.

Andi Osho

14 November, Glee Club, Cardiff

The award-winning Andi Osho is constantly of good cheer with her heart-warming  comedy. In her second show, she’s talking dating with the audience.

Matt Rees and others

15 November, The Wardrobe, Bristol

At the brilliant venue, The Wardrobe, a fortnightly comedy night hosts rising talent in comedy. Matt Rees won the Welsh Unsigned Stand Up Award in Cardiff last year and has been a part of the comedy circuit ever since with his deadpan, self-effacing wit.

Robin Ince

15 November, Hen & Chicken, Bristol 

In Happiness Through Science Robin Ince is exploring Ince’s infectious appetite for science and asks the audience to share in the beauty of scientific discovery and conundrums. From Schrodinger’s Cat to multiverses, he wants to know everything about everything and share his passion for it with others. This is a very intelligent and very funny show that you do not need a degree to understand.

(You’ll have to skip through the first 5 minutes to get passed the Pub Landlord and on to the funny stuff.)

Stewart Francis

16 November, Colston Hall, Bristol

The One-Liner master’s critically acclaimed show packs in more jokes in an hour than you would think possible. And yet it does not lose pace. His friendly demeanour and deadpan drawl make the barrage of gags a joy to behold. He also likes to show boat - expect musical aids and lots of funny voices.

Dan Clark

18 November, Glee Club, Cardiff

Dan Clark has a history in acting but this time, he’s showing off how musical he is. With a full band, his indie pop melodies will delight crowds with the not-so-standard lyrics. If you like his sitcom How Not To Live Your Life, you may even recognise some of them.

‘Shutters Shut’ Photo by Rahi Rezvani

I have to admit that I was not exactly thrilled when I discovered who and what was being presented in this year’s New York City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival. But, do not be disheartened, there are a couple of programs to get very excited about and Program 1 was the first.

The evening started with Jared Grimes’ “Transformation in Tap“. I am not a big tap fan and for me to like it then it must be awesome, sorry, this was not. Mr. Grimes states he wanted to change the way the world sees tap, but, it was the wrong approach; everything was so predictable and cheesy. He offered nothing new or novel; he should have seen the Royal Ballet principal dancer Steven McRae’s “Something Different” from last year’s Fall for Dance. I am not a tap fan and I would love to see Mr. McRae’s perform this piece again.

Fang-Yi Sheu and Artists gave a breath-taking performance of Christopher Wheeldon’s Five Movements, Three Repeats. The dance is a selection of solos and duets that draw on the unequivocal characteristics of its four dancers, Fang-Yi Sheu, Wendy Whelan, Tyler Angle and Craig Hall. The piece begins with the four dancers moving independent of the others, each making their own statement.

Fang-Yi Sheu. in 3 Movements and 4 Repeats
Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon Photo: Erin Baiano

Fang-Yi Sheu, a former principal with the Martha Graham Dance Company, explored movement in ways that were more grounded, her movements emanating from her solar plexus. Ms. Sheu was able to express such a sense of freedom simply by lifting her arms in circular movements above her head, a sense of freedom that follows here throughout the dance.

Christopher Wheeldon’s Five Movements, Three Repeats was akin to watching an artist create an abstract painting, each dancer a distinct color and each lending unique brushstrokes that together created the whole.

Wendy Whelan and Tyler Angle, both principals with the New York City Ballet performed a duet to a compilation of Max Richter’s score and the haunting voice of Dinah Washington singing “This Bitter Earth”. Their every movement was wrapped with emotion and Ms. Whelan, with the simplest gesture was able to convey longing in ways that was sublime.

Wendy Whelan and Tyler Angle in 3 Movements and 4 Repeats
Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon Photo: Erin Baiano

In a sweeping move Mr. Angle sets Ms. Whelan down and she proceeds to turn and swipes her leg over his head while Mr. Angle turns and swipes his arm over the head of Ms. Whelan. The duet was tight and a technically tour-de-force.

During Ms. Sheu’s duet with Craig Hall, their dancing was projected on the back wall, becoming larger than life shadows. Mr. Hall’s lifts of Ms. Sheu were even more dramatic and enhanced by this effect. Every time I see Mr. Hall perform I am thrilled, he has strength of presence and a movement quality that demands your attention when he steps on stage.

All told, Christopher Wheeldon’s Five Movements, Three Repeats performed by Fang-Yi Sheu and Artists was one of the most memorable and moving performances I have ever seen.

What is there to say about Nederlands Dans Theater’s Astrid Boons and Quentin Rogers performing Sol León and Paul Lightfoot’s “Shutters Shut” except that it was absolutely BRILLIANT! It is a work that is hard to describe because it is so unique in its simplicity.

‘Shutters Shut’ Photo by Rahi Rezvani

The program notes states it is “A short study of the poem written and read by Gertrude Stein “If I told him: A completed portrait of Picasso.” 1912”. Think e.e.cummings but when he’s had way too much coffee. “If I told him: A completed portrait of Picasso” is a rambling, tongue-twisting, satirical bit of genius…

With scalpel precision, quick gestures, expressive faces, the movements all in the arms and upper body, Ms. Boons and Mr. Rogers moved in a straight line across the stage matching Ms. Stein’s inflection, meter and rhyme to perfection. It was brilliantly done and had great humor, plus a little whimsical sarcasm thrown in for good measure.

I have been watching the work and progress of the BalletBoyz for some time, so to I was thrilled to be able to see them live. “Void” began with an introductory video explaining who and what the BalletBoyz were about. This I could have done without, it like a documentary and really did not fit with what followed.

‘Shutters Shut’ Photo by Rahi Rezvani solo

“Void” began with a gritty film in an urban setting, there was not so much movement involved as it was about establishing atmosphere for the coming work. The backdrop for the film as well as the projected images during the dance is of a stark, overcast and chilly city scape.

The work was sheer dynamics and adroit feats of athleticism, ten young men had all the hallmarks of causal urban trends, tattoos present with short-cropped hair and wearing jeans and hoodies. They threw themselves through the air and at each other every-way possible and some I did not think were possible. Matt Rees and Leon Poulton are both great stars in the making, they hold you like putty in their hands, such is their skill and artistry.

Was it exciting, oh yes, but was it a bit self-indulgent, sadly I have to say yes also. It was not so much dancing as athleticism; it was all tricks and pyro-technical prowess. But, it is also a strong statement of the state of the male in dancing as a whole. Men are no longer relegated to lifting and supporting the ballerina as their primary function on stage. It is a statement of the level of technical abilities needed to be a male dancer in today’s dance world. Men are no longer forgiven for lack of extension or a stiff movement quality, as was the case in decades past. Now the men are expected to be the technical equal with the women on stage.

The Balletboyz, The Talent performing Void by Jarek Cemerek (choreographer).Photo by Panayiotis Sinnos.

“Void”, choreographed by Jarek Cemerek, is a study of the deconstruction of technique found in today’s dance. In this generation of dancers I have found that technique is adapted to the needs of the body as opposed to the body adapting to requirements of technique. Rules are bent in favor of athleticism and it seems that more subtle qualities of technique are sometimes missing.

The Cunningham, Graham or Horton influences are not as evident in today’s choreography as once was. Even Ballet has stepped out of it traditionalism and many ballet dancers and ballet companies explore and experiment with new ways of moving. But, I do not see this as a bad thing; it is simply the evolution of dance in the world today.

Fall for Dance consists of five programs with twelve performances in three weeks at the New York City Center, Sept. 27 – Oct. 13, 2012.

I was really excited to read Matt Rees’ Mozart’s Last Aria because while no one knows exactly why Mozart died, (some say rheumatic fever, Vitamin D deficiency, possibly Strep, and the movie Amadeus popularized the poison theory) it’s interesting to read new versions of it, even when they are fiction. And because his grave and body have not yet been found, it’s possible we’ll never know.

I really enjoyed that Rees wrote this novel from the point of view of Mozart’s sister, Nannerl. Though she and Mozart hadn’t spoken in the three years before he died, she was deeply saddened and taken aback when she learned that he believed he was poisoned, and therefore murdered. She decides to visit Vienna for herself to pay her respects and also to learn for herself exactly what happened. I loved that while she was putting together the story of her brother’s death, she was also learning about herself, and her character transformed from a mother and housewife prepared to do her husband’s bidding, to a woman who will stop at nothing to learn the truth.

I really enjoyed her self-reflection during the novel, the way she remembers her interactions with her brother and in some cases realizes that he thought of her much more highly than she thought of herself. I also particularly enjoyed the way that Rees depicts her feelings when she would play her brother’s music. At some point he writes that every time she finishes playing one of Mozart’s compositions she feels as though he has died all over again. I really connected with that, it felt as though I knew exactly what she was feeling at that moment.

Rees was really able to create the scene for me in Vienna; how women and men interacted, what like was like in a bustling city during that time period, how government and religion played into everyone’s lives. I loved the way it was written, and the mystery of the story kept me interested until the very last page. A wonderfully researched book that gives us another story to contemplate, another possibility to ponder about Mozart’s early death. If you have any interest in Mozart or this time period, I highly recommend that you pick this one up!

Heres a little link to a pilot that I worked on recently! Cant wait for part 2!! Fran x

Before, Before Watchmen is a two part retelling of the tumultuous relationship between Alan Moore and DC Comics.

Directed by Mat Rees and produced by Lee Johnson of WeScareMonsters Before, Before Watchmen is actually the pilot sketch from their upcoming web series The Cult of Smack.

The Cult of Smack is a sketch show for ‘us’ – the comic book geeks, fanboys, nerds, musos, film buffs, gamers, redditors, twitterers, Whedonites, the tech savvy, and the cult smart.

Highlight in Camden played host to the Laughing Horse finals for New Act of the Year competition.

The competition was fierce with 13 acts making this years finals and of course the stakes were, the winner taking away the New Act of the year award as well as headline spots in Laughing Horse Pick of the Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe 2012.

To highlight the competitiveness of this years Laughing Horse finals, a whopping 1,150 entered the competition.

The compere on the night was Imran Yusuf, who kept the audience on their toes with his witty lines and very loud red suit.

The majority of the acts on show had great content making it a tight contest. Noteable performances came from Matt Rees, Wayne Mazadza, Rob Mair, Funmbi Omotayo and Matthew Giffen.

After the performances were over the judges retired to the deliberation room before deciding on Rob Mair as the winner of the Laughing Horse finals New Act of the Year.

Bobby Mair, winner of the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year Finals 2012 award.

Runners up prizes went to Matt Rees and Matthew Giffen, with a special mention for Funmbi Omotayo.

To find out more about the Laughing Horse competition check out their website – http://www.laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk

That’s definitely the case with Matt Rees’ first novel, The Collaborator Of Bethlehem.  It has all the elements that make for a great mystery series:  sharp writing, a keen eye for detail, a flawed and sympathetic detective (lifelong educator and recovering alcoholic Omar Yussef), an intricate puzzle to solve, and a vivid sense of place (contemporary Israeli-occupied Palestine).

Thus it pains me to realize I probably won’t read the other books in the series.  The author’s disclaimer at the front of the book helps explain why:  All the crimes in this book are based on real events in Bethlehem.  Though identities and some circumstances have been changed, the killers really killed this way, and those who died are dead just the same.

It’s humbling to have to confess one’s limitations—when I’m reading to escape, the fiction can’t be too close to reality.

One of the pleasures of reading mysteries is the mix of the familiar with the unfamiliar.  There will be a murder.  There will be intrigue and false leads.  There will be a romantic subplot.  In the end, the mystery will be solved by the heroine.  All very familiar (and therefore comforting), and all elements of Matt Rees‘ Mozart’s Last Aria.

Rees imagines:  what if?  What if Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart actually died of poisoning?  What if Mozart’s estranged older sister, Maria Anna “Nannerl” Berchtold von Sonnenburg, came to Vienna after his death to find out what had happened?  What if Mozart’s involvement with the Freemasons and the ideals of the French Revolution had something to do with his death?  What if Mozart’s music contained clues about the last days of his life—and thus, about who murdered him?  What if by performing her brother’s music Nannerl could solve the mystery of his death?

In doing so, Rees transports us to Vienna in December of 1791—an unfamiliar world.  We spend time with Mozart’s widow, Constanze, and her household.  We enter into Vienna’s musical and theatrical world through Mozart’s friends and associates—his pupil Magdalena Hofdemel, his friend and fellow musician Anton Stadler, actors like Karl Gieseke and Emanuel Schikaneder.  And there’s much palace intrigue: the sinister and dangerous Count Pergen (minister of police), the dashing and intriguing Baron van Swieten (head of the Imperial Library), Baron von Jacobi (the Prussian ambassador), even Emperor Leopold II himself.

And we get glimpses of daily life in Vienna—like the prostitutes forced to clean the public squares and marketplaces at the dawn of a new day, part of the “punishment for their lewd trade”, along with their shaved and bloodied heads— as seen and described by the narrator, Nannerl.  So different from today…when we have prisoners in day-glo orange jumpsuits picking up trash alongside our parkways and highways.

Not so different from today.

From Paperback Book Swap:

Mozart’s Last Aria by Matt Rees
Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War by Sebastian Faulks.

From BookBrowse’s Book Club:

Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristina McMorris.

From Hyperion:

The Red Book by Deborah Copaken Kogan.

And from Barnes & Noble Nook Unbound Free Friday:

Winston’s War by Michael Dobbs.

What wonderful things did you find in your mailbox last week?

Publisher: Harper Perennial
Release Date: November 1, 2011
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
Source: Publisher

From Goodreads: Award-winning author Matt Rees takes readers to 18th century Austria, where Mozart’s estranged sister Nannerl stumbles into a world of ambition, conspiracy, and immortal music while attempting to uncover the truth about her brother’s suspicious death. Did Mozart’s life end in murder? Nannerl must brave dire circumstances to find out, running afoul of the secret police, the freemasons, and even the Austrian Emperor himself as she delves into a scandal greater than she had ever imagined. With captivating historical details, compelling characters, and a real-life mystery upon which everything hinges, Rees—the award-winning author of the internationally acclaimed Omar Yussef crime series—writes in the tradition of Irvin Yalom’s When Nietzsche Wept, Louis Bayard’s The Pale Blue Eye, and Phillip Sington’s The Einstein Girl to achieve the very best in historical fiction with Mozart’s Last Aria.

My review: I am seriously drawn to books with fancy dresses on the covers. This is odd for one reason – I hate to wear dresses. I find it interesting that something I despise in my own life attracts me so much in what I read.

This book drew me in from the first page. The setting was rich in detail and color with characters that I connected with immediately. My favorite aspect of historical fiction novels is experiencing a time so long ago – this novel provides that aspect perfectly. I felt like I was dropped into Mozart’s family each time I opened the cover – the drama, the romance, and the deep love of creating beautiful music.

I am not very talented in the musical department of life (but I can break out a few notes on a clarinet after 3 years in middle school) but I have always had a fascination with the piano. My Mom, who can play wonderfully, has attempted to teach me numerous times but I just don’t catch on. That said, the text describing music, the piano, and the characters falling in love with the notes again and again was beautiful. I could feel their passion and love for the sounds they created.

A powerful story with mystery, romance and amazing music. I highly recommend this novel.

If you would like to read more reviews on this beautiful story, check out the other blogs on the tour:

Thursday, November 3rd: Life In Review
Monday, November 7th: Raging Bibliomania
Tuesday, November 8th: Reviews from the Heart
Wednesday, November 9th: Book Hooked Blog
Tuesday, November 15th: Unabridged Chick
Wednesday, November 16th: The Road to Here
Wednesday, November 23rd: The House of the Seven Tails
Wednesday, December 7th: Reading Lark
Thursday, December 8th: Life in the Thumb
Monday, December 12th: That’s What She Read

Mozart’s Last Aria by Matt Rees

Synopsis from inside cover

The year is 1791 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is enlightenment Vienna’s brightest star. Master of the city’s music halls and devoted member of the Austrian Freemason’s guild, he stands at the heart of an electric mix of art and music, philsophy and science, politics and intrigue.

Six weeks ago, the great composer told his wife he had been poisoned. Yesterday, he died.

The city is buzzing with rumours of infidelity, bankruptcy and murder. But Wolfgang’s estranged sister Nannerl, returned from the provinces to investigate his death, will not believe the gossip. Who but a madman would poison such genius?

Yet as she looks closely at what her brother left behind – a handwritten score, a scrap of paper from his journal – Nannerl finds traces of something sinister: the threads of a Masonic conspiracy that reach from the gilded ballrooms of Viennese society to the faceless offices of the Prussian secret service.

Only when watching Wolfgang’s bewitching opera, The Magic Flute, does Nannerl truly understand he beloved brother once again. For, encoded in his final aria, she detects a subtly crafted blueprint for a radical new tomorrow. Mozart hoped this would determine his future. Did it seal his fate instead?

My Thoughts

Mozart’s Last Aria is an historical crime novel, that is set around the time of Mozart’s death in 1791. It is told from the viewpoint of his sister Maria Anna ‘Nannerl’ Mozart.

Although Nannerl is telling the story, the main character is Mozart himself.  All the way through the story Mozart’s work is mentioned. Matt Rees even includes a chapter music list at the end of the book, I found this to be very useful as it really helped me visualise the settings that the music was used in.

Even though this is an historical crime novel, it is also a conspiracy novel at the same time.  It reminded me of Dan Browns The Da Vinci Code.  We have Freemasons, Secret Police and characters that you don’t know whether to trust or not.  The main characters in the story were all real, and this also helped bring the story to life.

Matt Rees descriptive powers are outstanding, and I really felt like I was standing in the main locations mentioned in this book, especially the Flour Market and St Michael’s Church.

Here’s Matt Rees describing Baron Van Swieten, head of the Imperial Library and chief of government censorship:

He was a broad man. His frock coat was embroidered with silver on a frosty gray fabric. His hands rested on a silver-topped stick that he held upright, its tip on the marble floor. Perhaps a decade older than me, he had very black hair. The shadow of his beard was thick on his cheeks and chin.

Mozart’s Last Aria is an excellent crime/conspiracy novel that grabs the readers’ attention and doesn’t let go till the very end.  I highly recommend this book.

So as of today, I’ve now read 28 books for the year, with the last book finished being The Fourth Assassin, the fourth in the Omar Yussef series, by Matt Beynon Rees. I’m now reading two books:  Watch Your Back!, the 13th in the Dortmunder series, by Donald E. Westlake, and Grave Secrets, the fifth in the Temperance Brennan series, by Kathy Reichs, which I hope to have finished by the end of the month. Not only will that bring my total to 30 books for the year, but also it will clear the way for next month in which I’ll be reading (mostly) my own books.

I can’t take credit for the idea. That belongs to Michelle of That’s What She Reads, who invited me and all of you to join her for Read My Own Books Month in August. Why I say mostly my own books is because with this challenge, you can commit to reading a certain percentage of the books you read for August to being books that you own. I haven’t decided yet on a percentage yet, but I’m thinking it will be a large percentage, because even though the bookcase in my office doesn’t look like this anymore:

it still doesn’t look much better than that.

I probably have eliminated about 20 or 25 of the books there, the ones I most likely never would get to read anyway despite my best intentions. However, that still leaves at least 75 books in this case alone that still to be read sometime. I honestly don’t know where I’m going to start so within my plan to read (mostly) my own books for the month of August, I have no plans on exactly what I’m going to read. This way, I can keep to my plan of reading my own books as outlined earlier in the year, but also my plan to have no reading plans as outlined a few months ago.

I also do have a few books on my Nook, including A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami, which I have read years ago, but am rereading for the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge. Other than that book, though, I have no plans on what I’ll read from there (rolling eyes, yeah, right, no plans within a plan, it’s still a plan).

So how about you? What are your reading plans for August? Or do you have no plans — yet?

So as of today, I’ve now read 27 books for the year,  which again, like last week, could have been one more than that. Last week I accidentally returned the book, The Road to Ruin by Donald E. Westlake, I was reading to the library (where I work), only to have to go get it out again the next day. This past Friday, I left the book I was reading, The Fourth Assassin by Matt Beynon Rees, at the library on a shelf in the back room and didn’t have the chance Saturday or Sunday to go pick it up. However, I was able to read an unexpected entry that I had on hold that came in on Friday.

Image by DavidDMuir via Flickr

The unexpected entry was The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, which is a novel written for juveniles that is a combination of pictures and text about a boy in the 1930s in Paris. It’s more than a children’s book. It’s a graphic novel. It’s almost a movie…and not surprisingly has been made into a movie by Martin Scorsese. However, my feeble attempt at describing it in words only can be understood by reading it yourself. It’s difficult to do justice to a book that almost defies description. I could go on with cliche after cliche in describing it with such words as “magical,” “ground-breaking” and “awe-inspiring,” but needless to say, you just need to read it, nay, experience it for yourself — a delight for lovers of the English language and art and movies.

Later today if I’m lucky, I’ll be continuing to read the Rees book. In addition to that one, I’m reading Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs, the fifth in the Bones/Temperance Brennan series. As for the future, I have a selection of other possibilities that I’ve taken out from the library, as I shared on Sunday. I realized after I took the picture for Sunday’s post, I forgot to include three other books:

They are the final three of the Dortmunder series by Westlake, and I have no doubt that I will get to them here in the very near future. I didn’t realize I was so close to the end of the series, which in some ways is a little sad, but I know that I have much more Westlake to read, so I’m not too disappointed.

So what have you read in the past few days? What are you reading today and what are you planning to read in the near future? Any unexpected delights or disappointments?

I’ll leave you with the trailer for the movie Hugo:

So what am I reading? Today, I’m going to be continue reading Grave Secrets, the fifth in the Bones/Temperance Brennan series, by Kathy Reichs. However, it wasn’t my first choice. My first choice was The Fourth Assassin, the fourth Omar Yussef mystery, by Matt Beynon Rees. Unfortunately, I left it at work at the library on Friday, and now will make the second book this week that I wanted to read but didn’t get to read when I wanted to read because of leaving it at the library. The first was Road to Ruin, the 11th in the Dortmunder series, by Donald E. Westlake, which earlier in the week I accidentally returned with another pile of books and then had to check out again the next day.

What might I be reading in the future? Well, here’s a photo of the books, including the Reichs I just mentioned, and the movie I picked up from the library this week:

In addition to Grave Secrets, I have the next one in the series, Bare Bones. I’m also still making my way through the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, if only on my own terms — in that I’m reading what I want to read and skipping the books that I don’t want to read (a.k.a. Tommy and Tuppence novels). Next up are Murder in Retrospect (a.k.a. Five Little Pigs) and The Moving Finger (a.k.a. The Case of the Moving Finger). I also have two others, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, and The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don’t Trust Anyone Under 30) by Mark Bauerlein. Naturally, “hanging in” young adult book-related circles on Twitter, I  have heard of the Selznick book, and that sparked my interest. As for the Bauerlein book, I doubt I’ll get to it because of all the time I spend on the Interwebz.

The movie, I would hope, needs no introduction: Fiddler on the Roof. For some reason, for the last couple of weeks, I’ve had a snippet of one of the songs stuck in the grooves of my brain. Which song? Well, of course, I’m going to share it with you as today’s Moment of Zen so you can get it stuck in your brain too. Enjoy!

Peace out, y’all. Holla.

I am really, really excited about Mozart’s Last Aria by Matt Rees. It came out on May 1st in the UK, but it won’t come out until November 1st in the US. Over all, I think the UK cover better so that’s the one I’m using here:

Summary: It is 1791 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is enlightenment Vienna’s brightest star. Master of the city’s music halls and devoted member of the Austrian Freemason’s guild, he stands at the heart of an electric mix of art and music, philosophy and science, politics and intrigue. Six weeks ago, the great composer told his wife he had been poisoned. Yesterday, he died. The city is buzzing with rumours of infidelity, bankruptcy and murder.

But Wolfgang’s sister Nannerl, returned from the provinces to investigate, will not believe base gossip. Who but a madman would poison such a genius? Yet as she looks closely at what her brother left behind – a handwritten score, a scrap of paper from his journal – Nannerl finds traces of something sinister: the threads of a masonic conspiracy that reach from the gilded ballrooms of Viennese society to the faceless offices of the Prussian secret service.

Only when watching Wolfgang’s bewitching opera, The Magic Flute, does Nannerl truly understand her beloved brother once again. For, encoded in his final arias, is a subtly crafted blueprint for a radical new tomorrow. Mozart hoped to change his future. Instead he sealed his fate.

What’s On Your Wishlist this week?

Few detective novels have managed to elicit a profoundly emotional response from me the way The Collaborator of Bethlehem had. For his debut novel, Matt Beynon Rees plumbs the depths of his experience as Time Magazine‘s former Israel bureau chief to create a compelling mystery set within the context of an extremely polarizing Israel/Palestine conflict. This unflinching but compassionate portrait of life in the West Bank gives readers who are only familiar with the region through pithy CNN headlines a deeper understanding of the people who continue to live in it and the conflicting forces that affect their lives.

At the heart of the story is Omar Yussef, and aging, ornery teacher at a UN Refugee School. He takes pride in his role as an educator, promoting intellectual curiosity and integrity as a defense against a world quickly spinning out of control. When a beloved friend and student, a Palestinian Christian named George Saba, becomes a scapegoat in the murder of a resistance leader, Omar Yussef risks his life to clear his name. He is then forced to confront the ugly realities that plague Palestine of recent memory: It has become a place where upright men suffer and justice takes a backseat to warmongering.

A quote from the novel:

Yet the gunmen thrived, they whose accomplishments and talents were of the basest nature, they who would have been obliterated had there been law and order and honor in the town. Perhaps Bethlehem was there town after all, and it was Omar Yussef who was the outlaw interloper here, peddling contraband decency and running a clandestine trade in morality.

While the society he paints can be unrelentingly bleak, Rees succeeds in infusing the narrative with glimpses of humor and wryly intelligent observations. He also mimics poetic turns of phrases in English to approximate conversations in the vernacular, something that I really liked. One of the most interesting assertions that Rees makes is his characterization of militias such as the Palestinian Martyrs Brigade as thugs who cloak themselves in nationalistic grandstanding and inflict suffering towards the very people for whom they claim to be fighting.

The novel also deftly touches upon issues such as the Palestinian diaspora, particularly of the Christians who have been systematically marginalized from the land of their ancestors. I haven’t given much thought on the plight of the Christians in Israel, quite frankly, and this novel really brings home the way that they have suffered under the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The mystery itself is not the novel’s strongest suit–the murderer’s identity is obvious early on and the heavy foreshadowing drives it to the ground. However, a mystery set in a war zone like Palestine still raises some interesting questions for me. Classic detective stories rely on the implicit notion that once the mystery is solved and the criminal unmasked, the Law takes control and Justice inevitably prevails. Sherlock Holmes never had to deal with a criminal that got off based on a technicality. But how does a detective story hold up in a society where criminals themselves are the judge and executioner? I’m also interested in how Rees decides to portray Omar Yussef’s detective career in the subsequent three novels.

I am definitely looking out for the next Omar Yussef title and I heartily recommend The Collaborator of Bethlehem to anyone looking for a gripping story that rises above the typical notions of crime fiction. Definitely a memorable read.

You can also read a very interesting interview of Matt Beynon Rees at Detectives Beyond Borders.

Alexis Palisson and Francois Trinh-Duc scored breakaway tries as France raced into a 20-0 lead on the back of a dominant first-half performance.

Ffrancois Trinh-Duc

Two penalties from Stephen Jones and a Lee Halfpenny try reduced the gap to just seven points in a brave fightback. But penalties from Frederik Michalak and Morgan Parra pushed France clear again, rendering Shane Williams ‘ brilliant solo try in the last minute mere consolation.

Wales gifted Alexis Palisson the opening try when the French winger picked off a pass from James Hook intended for Jamie Roberts and sprinted from halfway to score under the posts. And they were fortunate not to slip further behind after fly-half Trinh-Duc sliced a simple drop-goal effort wide of the posts.

Mathieu Basteraud bulldozed through an attempted tackle from Roberts and when Wales did haul him down they conceded the penalty, allowing Morgan Parra to extend France’s lead to 10-0 after 19 minutes.

Parra slotted his second penalty after Matt Rees was penalised for going off his feet, before a wild offload from Williams out of the tackle allowed Trinh-Duc to pounce on the loose ball and score another breakaway try.

Stephen Jones then kicked Wales onto the board with two penalties in quick succession after the break, but Wales’ ambitions were still being undone by careless mistakes and a lack of accuracy.

Quick hands from hooker Huw Bennett allowed Williams to fire a flat pass for Lee Halfpenny. Wales had got outside the French blitz defence for the first time in the game after 61 minutes and Halfpenny seared untouched across the line.

Stephen Jones landed the conversion from the left touchline but Michalak, on as a temporary replacement for Trinh-Duc, re-established France’s 10-point lead with a 70th-minute penalty.

Parra returned from the bloodbin to land a third penalty and although the game was gone, there was still time for Shane Williams to produce a historic moment of magic. Williams beat Sebastien Chabal, Para and Palisson in a stunning solo run to beat Gareth Edwards’ championship try-scoring record.

US title: The Collaborator of Bethlehem

Read for the 2010 Global Reading Challenge (Asia) + What´s in a Name Challenge (place).

This novel is Matt Rees´ debut. The writer lives in Israel, and as the title indicates, the story takes place in a town that many of us associate with birth, not death. But this is Bethlehem in the twenty first century:

“George Saba´s family huddled against the thick, stone wall of his bedroom. It was the side of the house farthest from the guns. George came through the front door. The shooting was louder inside and he realized the bullets were punching through the windows into his apartment. He ducked into an alcove in the corridor and crouched against the wall.”

The protagonist, Omar Yussef, is an Arab history teacher. One of his old students, the Christian antique dealer George Saba, is arrested, suspected of having killed a member of the Palestinian resistance movement. Yussef cannot believe Saba would collaborate with the Israeli, he suspects his former student must be set up, possibly because he is a Christian.

Omar Yussef is a wise and likeable, very human character, who has had problems with alcohol, and who does his best to make his pupils think for themselves, not just accept the ´truths´ they hear or read. As Yussef makes it clear at some point, it is difficult to decide who are the terrorists and who are the terrorized, but though he fears for his own and his family´s safety, he fights for George Saba´s life, and for everything he believes in.

This crime story, which is built on real events, is a story that should be told! Like many other stories about real crime, the plot is not the strongest point, however. So this is a novel you should read for the very vivid sense of place and the credible characters, which makes it a good choice for the Global Reading Challenge.

I bought this book myself.

Esta postagem é baseada no artigo Crime fiction: Around the world in 80 sleuths [Romance policial: a volta ao mundo com 80 detetives] de Jonathan Gibbs.  Que saiu na terça-feira passada, dia 22/7/2008, no The Independent, na Grã-Bretanha.

Como sabemos a Europa está entrando de férias – o mês mais popular para férias UE é agosto.  Assim, Jonathan Gibbs, nos dá a idéia de viajarmos pelo mundo com os nossos detetives, sem sair de casa, economizando não só a preciosa gasolina, mas aprendendo sobre mais lugares do que uma viagem faria possível.   A lista é longa.  Fiz uma busca na internet onde encontrei diversos livros em português.  Mesmo sem passarmos por 80 detetives, podemos dar a volta ao mundo.

E você, pensando em tirar férias?

Explicação dos códigos de cores:

Azul: país ou cidade que visitamos. 

Verde: título da obra.  Sempre que possível a sugerida.  Se não é possível mas existe outro livro do autor em português colocamos o título aqui e mencionamos o livro sugerido que ainda não está traduzido.

Cinza claro:  Nenhuma obra do autor encontrada em português.  Mas mantive aqui na lista para aqueles que lêem também em inglês e que gostariam da sugestão.

NB: se a obra não existe no Brasil, mas descobrimos que existe em Portugal, coloquei aqui a versão portuguesa.

Vamos viajar:

1. Groenlândia: assassinato em Copenhaguem.  Mas Smilla Jaspersen  vai até a costa na busca do assassino no livro de Peter Hoeg.  [Senhorita Smila e o Sentido da Neve, Companhia das Letras: 1994] 

2. Reikjavik: Arnaldur Indridason com seu inspetor  Erlendur dá o tom à Escandinávia.

[A cidade dos vidros, Record: 2008]

3. Ilhas Shetland: Ann Cleeves, sem tradução para o português.  Sugestão: Read ‘Raven Black’ (Ed. Pan)

4. Glasgow:  Sem tradução para o português.  Sugestão: ‘Garnethill’ (Bantam Ed.)

5. Edinburgo: Inspetor Rebus, de Ian Rankin passa seu tempo nesta cidade.  [Questão de sangue, Companhia das Letras: 2007]  Sugestão: ‘Knots and Crosses’ (Orion Ed.)

6. Irlanda do Norte: Sem tradução para o português.  Irlanda do Norte é o  local  onde o bibliotecário Israel Armstrong decifra os mistérios, criados por Ian Samson.  Sugestão: ‘The Case of the Missing Books’ (4th Estate)

7. Irlanda Rural ou o Interior da Irlanda: Leonie Swann é o escritor que recomendam nesta área.  A Editora Rocco estava programada para lançar um livro no segundo semestre de 2007 – o primeiro deste autor no Brasil – mas até agora este lançamento não aconteceu.  Sugestão:  ‘Three Bags Full’ (Ed Black Swan)

8. Dublim:  Autor: Declan Hughes.  Até agora sem tradução para o português.  Sugestão: ‘The Wrong Kind of Blood’ (John Murray)

9. Yorkshire: Autor:  Wilkie Collins, A Pedra da Lua, Record: 2001

10. South Wales  Autor:  Robert Lewis. Até agora sem tradução para o português.   Sugestão: ‘The Last Llanelli Train’ (Serpent’s Tail)

11. Oxford Autor: Colin Dexter, O assassinato no canal de Oxford, Paulicéia: 1991

12. Londres: Autor: Derek Raymond, também conhecido como Robin Cook.  Diversos títulos em português. 

13. Brighton  Autor: Peter James Até agora sem tradução para o português.   Sugestão: ‘Dead Simple’ (Pan)

14. Normandia: Georges Simenon, Maigret e a velha senhora, Livros do Brasil: 1995; Diversos títulos em português. 

15. Paris: para ler alguém além de Maigret, procure pelo Inspector Adamsberg nos livros de Fred Vargas, O homem dos círculos azuis, Editora Cia das Letras, 2006.  Outros títulos em português.

16. Galicia:  policial Leo Caldas é o herói deste escritor noire Domingo Villar. Sugestão: ‘Water-Blue Eyes’ (Arcadia)

17. Lisboa: o inglês Robert Wilson criou o Inspetor Zé Coelho no Portugal de hoje em:  Uma pequena morte em Lisboa, Editora Record, 2002.

18. Madrid: livros de Rafael Reig . Sugestão: ‘Blood on the Saddle’ (Serpent’s Tail)

19. Marselha: escritor Jean-Claude Izzo, histórias de guangues organizadas ou desorganizadas.  Inspetor Montale resolve.  Caos total Editora Record, 2002. Outros títulos em português.

20. Berna, Suiça: escritor, Friedrich Glauser tem o seu personagem Sargento Studer resolver crimes nos Alpes.  Sugestão: In Matto’s Realm (Bitter Lemon Press)

21. Meiringen, Suiça.  Arthur Conan-Doyle, Memórias de Sherlock Holmes.  Há duas edições brasileiras no momento. Editora Martin Claret, 2005  e também Editora LP&M , 2005.

22. Toscana: autor Michele Giuttari com seu super chefe de policia Michele. Sugestão:

‘A Florentine Death’ (Abacus)

42. Honolulu: Só há um grande detective havaiano, e seis livros de suas aventuras.  O autor é  Earl Derr Biggers e o detective: Charlie Chan com sua grande gfamília de 14 filhos. [apesar de eu ter lido Charlie Chan em português ainda jovem, não encontrei nenhuma edição brasileira no momento].  Em Portugal seus livros estão circulando. A casa sem chaves, Editora Livros do Brasil: 1991.  Há outros títulos em Portugal também, pela mesma editora.

43. Seattle: GM Ford.  Sugestão: ‘Fury’ (Pan)

44. São Francisco – Sugestão: Cinnamon Kiss (Phoenix), não existe ainda no Mercado brasileiro, mas há diversos outros livros de Walter Mosley em português.

45. Los Angeles James Ellroy criou o Detetive Lloyd Hopkins, que exemplifica seu trabalho.  Los Angeles, cidade proibida, Record, 1997. Há outros títulos do mesmo autor em português.

46. Las Vegas, o divertido livro de CaroleDouglas:  ‘Catnap’ (Forge)

47. Chicago: a autora Sara Paretsky já fartamente conhecida no Brasil é a recomendada.   No ardor das chamas, Editora Rocco, 2001.

48. Ontario:  o canadense  sempre coloca suas histórias no frio do Canada.  Sugestão: ‘Forty Words For Sorrow’ (Harper)

49. Montreal: Kathy Reichs, Segunda-feira de luto, Editora Ediouro: 2006. Sugestão feita: ‘Déjà Dead’ (Arrow)

50. West Point, New York –  o romance de época de Louis Bayard, O pálido olho azul, Editora Planeta do Brasil, 2007.

51. Massachusetts: A série de Jesse Stone, que se passa na pequena cidade de  Paraíso, é produto da mente de Robert B Parker.  Seus livros só encontrei em português de Portugal, pela Editora Europa-America.  Entre diversos títulos não achei a Sugestão: ‘Night Passage’ (No Exit Press)

52. Nova York: descubra  Rex Stout.  Seus romances são liderados pelo detetive Nero Wolfe.  Apesar de diversos títulos existirem no Brasil, o livro recomendado, só aparece na internet com a edição de Portugal.  Orquídeas Negras, Editora Livros do Brasil: 1997.

53. Brooklyn: Jonathan Lethem escreveu este livro de suspense com um detetive Amador com a syndrome de Tourette.   Ótimo livro fora dos padrões.  Brooklyn sem pai nem mãe, Editora Cia das Letras, 2002.

54. Washington DC é território de George Pelecanos que escreveu uma dúzia de livros passados nesta capital.  Sugestão: ‘The Big Blowdown’ (Serpent’s Tail) . Não achei, mas há diversos títulos traduzidos para o português.

55. New Orleans: Dave Robicheaux Sugestão: ‘Heaven’s Prisoners’ (Phoenix)

56. Miami: Nick Stone  e seu Max Mingus.  Sugestão: ‘Mr Clarinet’ (Penguin)

57. Havana: Leonardo Padura fez seu herói o detective cubano Mario Conde, conhecido no mundo.  Sugestão: ‘Havana Blue’ (Bitter Lemon)

58. México: Paco Ignacio Taibo II é o escritor policial do México.  Conheça: Mortos incômodos, falta o que falta, Editora Planeta do Brasil: 2002

59. Caribe: na falta de autores locais, a sugestão feita foi o livro de Agatha Christie, O mistério no Caribe, Editora LP&M: 2007, estreando Miss Marple.

60. Rio de Janeiro: Inspetor Espinosa de Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza foi sugerido com o título: O silêncio da chuva, Editora Cia das Letras: 2000; ou Editora Cia de Bolso: 2005 

61. Buenos Aires: Manuel Vazquez Montalban fez desta cidade a localização do maravilhoso policial: O quinteto de Buenos Aires, Editora Cia das Letras: 2000.  

62. Marrocos: Abdelilah Hamdouchi é o primeiro autor árabe do gênero policial a ser traduzido para o ingles.  Sugestão: ‘The Final Bet’ (Modern Arabic Literature)

63. Argel:  Yasmina Khadra em geral tem suas histórias passadas em Cabul.  Mas em Double Blank (Toby Press) a localização é a cidade de Argel.  Outros livros deste autor podem ser encontrados em  português.

64. Israel: Os romances deste herói, Omar Yussef, professor de história, são muito interessantes pelo conteúdo, leia de Matt Rees, O traidor de Belém, Editora Planeta do Brasil: 2007.

65. Egito: Voltamos a Agatha Christie com Morte no Nilo, Editora Nova Fronteira: 2006. Um clássico com Hercule Poirot.

66. Jeddah: Zoë Ferrari: Sugestão ‘The Night of the Mi’raj’ (Little, Brown)

67. Botsuana, o maravilhoso  Alexander McCall-Smith é o autor do livro recomendado:  Agencia n° 1 de mulheres detetives, Editora Cia das Letras: 2003.

68. Mumbai Vickam Chandra.  Sugestão: ‘Sacred Games’ (Faber)

69. Calcutá:  Satyajit Ray mais conhecido pelos seus filmes é também autor.  Sugestão:   ‘The Adventures of Feluda’ (Puffin)

70. Mongólia:  Michael Walters: Sugestão, ‘The Shadow Walker’ (Quercus)

71. Mar de Bering: Nada melhor do que Estrela Polar, Editora Record: 1989 de Martin Cruz Smith, o livro seqüencia de seu favorito do público Parque Gorki.  Estrela Polar só achei em sebos, parece estar esgotado. Há outros livros do autor em tradução.

72. Beijing: Diane Wei Liang, O olho de jade, Editora Record: 2008 criou a detetive Mei Wang.  A recente publicação no Brasil nos deixa ver um pouquinho da China atual.

73. Tokyo:  há alguns detetives japoneses, mas para um tradicional livro policial passado no Japão sugestão:  David Peace, Ano zero, primeiro volume da trilogia.  Recentemente traduzido para o português, publicado em Portugal: Tóquio, ano zero, Editora Tinta da China: 2008

74. Shanghai: Qui Xiaolong criou o Inspetor Chen.  Ótimo retrato da China atual.  Sugestão: ‘Death of a Red Heroine’ (Sceptre)

75. Laos: O humor do escritor inglês Colin Cotterill permeia as páginas de seus livros.  Sugestão: ‘The Coroner’s Lunch’ (Quercus)

76. Bangcoc: O canadense Christopher G Moore já há tempos é conhecido pelo seu detetive americano na Tailândia.  Sugestão: ‘The Risk of Infidelity Index’ (Atlantic)

77. Territórios do Norte [Austrália]: Sugestão: autor australiano Adrian Hyland,  ‘Diamond Dove’ (Quercus)

78. Vitória, Austrália: Recomendação: Peter Temple, The Broken Shore.  Deste autor só encontrei um outro livro, em Portugal: Abismo de Sangue, Editora Gótica: 2008.

79. Nova Zealândia:  Ngaio Marsh é uma escritora clássica de policiais.  Junto com Christie, Sayers e Allingham é uma das rainhas do crime.  Diversos livros dela se encontram traduzidos e esgotados.  Só encontrados por mim em portal de livros usados. Sugestão: ‘Vintage Murder’ (Harper)

80. Polo Sul: Greg Rucka romance gráfico: Whiteout: morte no gelo, Editora Devir: 2007

Assim termina a nossa lista.  Mesmo sem todos os títulos mencionados, poderemos fazer uma volta ao mundo com estes detetives.  Espero que vocês aproveitem para pegar uma carona.

Bon Voyage!

From an outside perspective, the Palestinian territories appear as cauldrons of simmering hostility. Despite the best efforts of diplomats and Presidents – Carter and Clinton chief among them – peace in the region seems ever more elusive. Complicating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the tension within the Palestinian community between Hamas and Fatah. These events dominate the news coverage of Palestinians, and Westerners are rarely treated to a more in-depth picture of the day-to-day life of ordinary Palestinians.

It is within these broad strokes that Matt Rees presents his rather ordinarily titled The Bethlehem Murders.* Rees, according to the dustjacket, covered the Middle East as a journalist for 10 years, and spent six of those as Time Magazine’s Jerusalem bureau chief. So he writes from a position of experience.

Rees’ Palestine is run by gangsters who shoot rockets across the border into Israel, and intimidate fellow Palestinians into silence. These gunmen are unafraid to victimize Palestinians who are not sympathizers, and ordinary citizens are pawns in their political power plays. And not one Palestinian is immune to their brutal exercise of power. Notably, in Rees’ novel, the Israelis are but bit players. They impose when they must, and then they disappear. This is a Palestine victimized from without, but more disturbingly, from within.

Rees’ detective, Omar Yussef, is not a man blessed with any special skills or talents, but a devotion to his good friend George Saba, whom he believes has been falsely accused of murder. Yussef takes us through the warrens of Bethlehem, where we meet a variety of characters with a diversity of ideologies. Yussef himself is old, tired, and apathetic towards the Palestinian struggle, and his encounters with other characters bring color to what is often seen as black and white. In fact, one of the triumps of the book is the humanization of a Palestinians. We see people who just want to live their lives in peace, who just want to enjoy their marriages and their children and find reward in their work. There are also those committed to jihad, to the destruction of Israel, and two their own dishonest financial gain.

The plot possesses all of the conventions of a good detective novel, though some are executed clumsily. Some of the clumsiness may be attributed to Rees’ attempt to write from what is essentially a non-Western perspective, a very difficult task to accomplish successfully. Rees has done a marvelous job with this so far as I, a Westerner, can tell. Yussef is an eminently likeable character, and his charm kept me reading the book at some of the slower moments.

The Bethlehem Murders is a good illuminating read. One must always be wary of drawing conclusions about real life from fictional works, and this comes with the same caution. Nevertheless, its environment both sets it apart and drives my hearty recommendation.

* This is the title for the UK publication of the book, and the title of the version that I read. The US title is The Collaborator of Bethlehem, a rather better choice in my opinion.