Just Kids, Patti Smith

I am in awe of Patti Smith and had been looking forward to reading this for a while. It didn't disappoint and I couldn't have anticipated just how inspiring the book would be; the drive to make and think and read and be aware of culture past and present, is contagious.

I learnt of Patti Smith through her music and Robert Mapplethorpe through his photographs, and it was fascinating to read about both of them before they had started doing what they are so known for. It is certainly accessible to someone who has never heard of either of them, it is a compelling look at life, art making and a relationship which is/was undefinable; the boxes of friend, boyfriend, partner are all too small and sterile to describe Patti and Robert.

Bonjour Tristesse, Françoise Sagan

This is a tiny book, it must be short but doesn't feel so. It takes place over one summer; the teenager Cécile, her Dad and his lover are having a wonderful time pleasing themselves in a house by the sea, but there is a change which Cécile has a strong reaction to.
In atmosphere and tone it reminds me of The Great Gatsby and The Enchanted April even though they are both somewhat different. It has a sense of impending doom but also a light touch, as the narrator, despite being the orchestrator of the events, is morally detached. She is frivolous, selfish and seems to have very little moral compass. She is however charismatic and pragmatic, and the reader is tempted to give her the benefit of the doubt, perhaps the detachment is a self preservation tool, she is only a teenager after all. It's as if she is just finding out that her actions can affect the real world. That she can affect what happens to the adults around her. Compelling and enveloping.

The Swimming Pool Library, Alan Hollinghurst

I'm not sure if this is a realistic or idealistic portrayal of gay life. Our protagonist, Will, certainly seems like a fantasy of who some people might like to be, privileged, monied, beautiful and irresistible with the self confidence to match.It is a window into another way of life, we wouldn't want to be in his world but it is a fascinating one. We have sympathy with Will but it's friend that we actually like, the friendship is like a verification of Will for the reader. A chance encounter sets off a chain of events which begin to shake his confidence when his safety, status and family are challenged.
Strange in terms of time, it feels like it is taking place in the 30's with the talk of the aristocracy and dining at the club, strange jolts in the moments where it is clear we're actually in the 1980's.

Big Sky, Kate Atkinson

This is a great detective novel. It's full of characters and threaded with interconnecting stories and so took a bit of effort to remember who everyone was in the beginning. Seemed written with TV in mind.