Comments on: The Twin, by Gerbrand Bakker

By: New books on the TBR « ANZ LitLovers LitBlog

New books on the TBR « ANZ LitLovers LitBlog — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 05:17:16 +0000

[...] by Chris Womersley and The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker. I discovered The Twin from a review by Kevin from Canada and the others from Scribe’s September newsletter which I didn’t get round to reading [...]

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:35:27 +0000

Crake: I am finding that it is a book that grows with memory, always a good sign. And I fully agree that that title would have been more approrpriate — probably some parenting book has already copyrighted it.

By: Crake

Crake — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:18:20 +0000

This book was a truly enjoyable read for me. I was taken with it from the first page. You’re right, Kevin, this is the sort of novel that improves with memory.

BTW, it seems that ‘It’s quiet upstairs’ would have been a more faithful translation of the title.

By: leroyhunter

leroyhunter — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:52:13 +0000

Well, yes, coincidence…there is one whopper of course, which I must admit I didn’t notice as such until thinking about it now.

I read an interesting piece today where Bakker described how dissatisfied he was with the original last line of the book, and how he rewrote the final couple of pages significantly to get him the final sentence he wanted. It wasn’t wasted work.

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:50:15 +0000

Leroy: There is so much sadness to this book (and I don’t mean that as a negative) that it does require contemplation time to appreciate it. And I must say that those “stretches” I mentioned diminish in importance with time — the author does need some licence (mainly around coincidences) to make his plot work but it does not get in the way of the novel. This is definitely a book that is improving with memory, always a good sign.

By: leroyhunter

leroyhunter — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:18:40 +0000

Just finished this Kevin, you’re right – it needs time to stew. I didn’t have the reading break you describe, but I did have a false start which I think drew me more tightly into the book at the 2nd attempt.

“Introspective”…comparison to the Petterson (which I didn’t enjoy nearly as much, incidentally)…all totally apt.

I’d love more discussion of those “stretches” you mention, but spoilers are to be avoided. Maybe in due course…?

By: Lisa Hill

Lisa Hill — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:09:16 +0000

I succumbed, Kevin, and ordered it last night.
About two seconds after writing the comment above LOL.
Lisa

By: KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:17:39 +0000

Trevor: I have The Tanners marked down for the future, but I am a bit swamped right now. Also, thanks for the reminder that you had reviewed this book -- I have updated the post with a link to your review. Lisa: If you felt that way about Out Stealing Horses, I think you would like this book a lot. While it calls for some reader patience, it provides a return.

By: Lisa Hill

Lisa Hill — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:00:39 +0000

One for my wish list, thank you Kevin:)
I loved the reflective tone in Out Stealing Horses too.
Lisa

By: Trevor

Trevor — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:42:26 +0000

So glad you liked this one, Kevin. I thought you would, but as you note above, this book has some elements that just might not appeal, understandably. I too stopped reading it and let it sit for a bit — which I don’t do too often. In the end, I really valued this book, and I still think it was a stronger contender for the Three Percent Best Translated Fiction Award than the eventual winner. Speaking of which, I think you might also like The Tanners, the other one I thought should have won that award.