'At the Existential Cafe' by Sarah Bakewell

At the Existential Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails with Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Others, Sarah Bakewell (3)

This turned out to be a bit more of a biography of famous Existentialists and a description of the history around them as their philosophical movement was emerging than a book describing Existentialism. The main players are those in the title in addition to a couple of big players in phenomenology, the precursor of Existentialism. I enjoyed the parts that linked the events of history to the each person’s actions and beliefs, particularly those around WWII and the emergence of communism. Does true existentialism jive with communism? Likely not, though several of the leaders of the movement were enamored with it and suffered for that dichotomy. Unfortunately, I found the writing to be jarring at times, particularly when the author would change from third person to first. Her inserted opinions or feelings broke the flow of reading. I will give her credit for inspiring me to read Sartre and de Beauvoir’s most famous writings.

'The Man in the High Castle' Philip K. Dick

The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick (4.5)

As a fan of PKD, this is a re-read for me. I enjoyed it even more than the first time, not surprising, as this is one of his most accessible stories. Based on an alternative past in which the Axis powers won WWII and divided the Allied forces between them. Japan rules the western US and Germany has much of Europe and Africa. Written in 1962, it has many post-WWII anger scenarios such as the Germans targeting and obliterating the Africans in much the same way they did the Jewish people. Interestingly, the Japanese are treated as somewhat more gracious winners, though just barely. They covet items of past Americana and antique shops become popular. As the story unfolds, PKD dips into the meta-world as it becomes clear that a resistance is forming based on a book written about an alternate future in which the Allies won! Clever and thought provoking as usual, this is one of his best.

'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' by John le Carre

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, John le Carre (4.0)

John Le Carre is one of the few writers who can get away with telling as opposed to showing. His erudite spy novels tend to be discussions of what has happened yet can still be riveting. In this, the first ‘Karla’ novel (yes, I found that quite fun), Smiley comes out of retirement in order to root out a possible Russian spy in his organization. He works back to his first encounter with the Russian intelligence chief, Karla, where he failed to turn the Russian and may have started a vendetta. What I like most about Le Carre’s stories is that they are believable. His experience in British intelligence lends credence to his plots and characters. It becomes easy to believe the intricacies. In this case, my only complaint has to do with the complexity of the story. I got lost a few times in the details. I don’t recommend reading Le Carre quickly or lightly – too many twists and turns with a lot of characters make it a tough plot to follow.

'Bodily Harm' by Margaret Atwood

Bodily Harm, Margaret Atwood (3.0)

Unfortunately this is one of my least favorite Margaret Atwood books, but that still puts it above many other authors. This book was published in 1981, so it’s one of her earlier novels. It follows a young Canadian woman journalist to a Caribbean island. She is recovering from breast cancer surgery and is trying to find herself. In doing so, she innocently wanders into a sleepy island’s political revolution. The narrative swings back and forth between her time on the island and her remembrances of her sickness, operation and post op feelings with a focus on the relationships in her life. As the story progresses, the mystery of who the people are and what is really happening on the island take over. I found the plot different and interesting and the characters thoughtful, though not as thought provoking as most of Ms. Atwood’s books are for me.

'Written on the Body' by Jeanette Winterson

Written on the Body, Jeanette Winterson (3.0)

This is basically a story of love and loss between a couple from the eyes of one of the participants. It’s uniqueness is that the narrator is unnamed and of neutral gender. Throughout the story, the reader is unclear if the protagonist is a man or a woman. I found this interesting and would have liked the book more had I been convinced it could have been either, but the language and feelings portrayed reminded me of a Jane Austen heroine pining away for her lover. Most women don’t feel/think this way and, though I don’t know for sure, I’m under the impression men do not think or feel/think this was at all. While written in 1994, this book felt more like an overwrought woman wrote it in the 1800’s. As the protagonist makes decisions that affect the couple, I appreciated the consequences and reactions portrayed, but I found the first half of the book difficult to get through with its dramatic emotions.