Welcome to Litsy!

“Just one of the 3,653 days of his sentence, from bell to bell. The extra three were for leap years.”

This book follows Ivan Denisovich Shukhov for a single day while he is serving a term in a Stalinist labor camp. Definitely recommend wearing a jacket and having a hot beverage nearby because it‘s gonna be cold! I could feel the chill of the Siberian winter when reading this from the warmth and comfort of my own house! 🥶

Set mainly in Paris and Istanbul, several pasts and present, the narrator a young woman remembers her friendship with a famous writer but also her relationship with her family, in particular her mother. Central are also walks through both cities, food and drink, and then there is London and the ex boyfriend Luke. Poetic, beautiful writing, but a real story is missing.

Words are not yet deeds

I myself will come to you to be crucified, for I thirst not for joy, but for sorrow and tears!

#weeklyreport
I completed 5 books this week. 2 graphic novels, completely different from one another & I didn't care for either one. The other 3 more than made up. The tagged book has been on my TBR for years & was fantastic. The Simenon was great, as was the Alice Notley. In the middle of Ransome's Swallows & Amazons & have been reading random short stories (lately mostly from Bradbury).
@cinfhen

#doublespin for Feb is 5 x short stories… this one was super sad, about a recovering alcoholic trying to regain custody of his daughter 💔

I read this about 40 yrs ago and was fascinated to reread and see what I thought this time around. For me it still stands as a wonderful study of human behaviour and is beautifully written. The movies have no relation to the real story @Cathythoughts Do you think our book club would enjoy it? Thinking of it for my pick

Sunday morning reading

Another one of Hardy‘s books that do not disappoint. This was a short story but still had some depth. After reading several of his novels, you can see this being one of his earlier works as he has developed further as a writer as time passed on between novels. I really enjoyed the antiquated, hardy characters set in the pastoral English scene, painted by the author in a way that no other could match.