Death and The Penguin by Andrey Kurkov

This is another novel which was suggested by a tutor from my Masters course. Again, it features an aspiring author. Viktor wants to write novels, but instead ends up writing obituaries for the local newspaper. The strange thing about it is, the obituaries are for people who haven't died yet. When the subjects of his writing start to die under mysterious circumstances, Viktor becomes aware that a criminal organisation is using his obituaries as a hit list.
Throughout the book, Viktor interacts with a number of other people including a young girl who comes to live with him after her father disappears, and her maid who he has a sexual relationship with. However, the only character apart from himself that he ever seems to care about is the titular penguin. Viktor adopted Misha the penguin from a zoo that went bust (this is based on a true story) and throughout the book, Misha mirrors the mood of his owner. Much comedy is derived from Viktor's avatar, with his dodgy heart and mood swings, and the humour is essential to the novel. This is definitely a book I plan to reread. My only negative comment would be that the English translation leaves a little to be desired.

A Serious Man Trailer

The Coen Brothers new black comedy is set for release in the UK in November. The plot is a modern day retelling of the story of Job. It also apparently involves the quantum mechanics thought experiment, Schrödinger's cat (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat). The trailer looks promising.

A couple of interesting new artists

I am utterly fed up with the music charts. Music channels on tv seem to show more reality shows than music, with the odd Girls Aloud song thrown in for good measure. Even last month's P2K post by Pitchfork (http://pitchfork.com/p2k/) has left me unfulfilled, as well as sick of hipsters.
In this musical wasteland, the only two new artists that I have managed to appreciate in the the last month sing in languages that I don't understand. Doesn't say much for the lyrical prowess of today's chart toppers does it?
Issa Bagayogo is a Malian musician who I stumbled across on Youtube. This song, Toroya, is apparently about the struggles and suffering of the Malian people.



The second band is called Staff Benda Bilili, a group of disabled Congolese street musicians who live around a zoo in Kinshasa. I remember seeing them mentioned in an article in the Observer way back in January (see http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jan/18/best-new-acts-2009) and decided to finally have a look. The playing and singing in this song has a really soulful quality to it.

P2K - Pitchfork's review of the 2000's

Earlier today, I was very excited to find out that Pitchfork had produced a review of the decade in music.

In 2009. Ok, so they're a little premature. I guess 2000-09 is ten years. Anyway, I'm certainly not complaining.

There are articles on the rise of the mp3, the decade in news and the top music videos of the 2000's. Most exciting of all though is their top 500 tracks of the last ten years. So, if you feel like the last decade in music has passed you by, or if, like me, you just fancy listening to some new artists, here is the link http://pitchfork.com/p2k/

With thanks to Pitchfork.

Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem

Motherless Brooklyn was suggested to me by a tutor on my writing course, and I am eternally grateful. This is the most exciting discovery I have made in a long time. The book was published in 1999, and in 2005 Edward Norton announced that he would direct and star in a film adaptation. Let's hope they hold on to Lethem's wonderful writing.
Lionel Essrog and a few other young boys are taken from their orphanage by Frank Minna, a small time crook. They start of moving boxes, but the nature of the 'odd jobs' they do for Frank soon becomes more obviously criminal. When Frank is stabbed to death, Lionel decides to find his killer.
The murder mystery plot line works well in the novel, with a series of intimidating suspects including a Polish giant and a group of Japanese businessmen. While there are wealth of interesting characters in the book, including Frank Minna himself and Lionel's companions, the protagonist outshines them all. Lionel suffers from Tourette's syndrome, a condition which makes him stand out even amongst his group of misfits. There is a certain childlike quality to Lionel even though he is investigating a murder. He is frequently hilarious without the intention of being so. Lionel is in pursuit of the truth, and while other characters see him as little more than a freak show, he proves his bravery in the end. Lethem could easily have cheapened the character by trying to get too many laughs from the Tourette's. Luckily, he avoided this. Lionel Essrog is the most endearing character I have encountered in a long time.

Ask The Dust by John Fante

I first came across John Fante while reading an article about Charles Bukowski. Fante was said to influence Bukowski significantly. So, I decided to pick up a copy of his most popular novel, Ask The Dust.
Arturo Bandini is an Italian immigrant and a struggling author living in poverty, surviving at one point on orange peels. The novel explores this poverty, along with Bandini's approach to writing. There is also an exploration of the protagonist's religious guilt. Arturo meets Camilla, a waitress in a local LA restaurant, and falls in love with her almost instantly. The relationship that develops is a strange one, involving mental abuse and drugs. Eventually, we find out that Camilla is love with Sam, a dying writer.
The novel is much more concerned with character and themes than with plot, and the approach works well because the characters are so fully rounded. Arturo (narrator of the piece) in particular is a very identifiable character, and his reactions to the various ups and downs he encounters make him seem more human. Even when he becomes a successful published writer, Bandini still can't get what he truly wants. He tries to get together with Camilla again, but it is not to be.
It is strange how closely the novel mirrors the manuscript that I am developing for my Masters. A group of young boys travel to a different country and encounter struggles with money, addiction and women. Ask The Dust was also fascinating from a technical point of view as the protagonist provides detailed accounts of his struggles with the writing process. I found the book more impressive than much of Bukowski's output and will certainly read more of Fante's work. If only I could get a copy of Arturo Bandini's The Little Dog Laughed.

Passion Pit - Manners

Just a quick note. Passion Pit released their new album 'Manners' a few days ago. The album is great. Comparisons have been made to MGMT, and I can understand why. The difference here though is that while MGMT's album 'Oracular Spectacular' had a few great singles with quite a few filler songs, Passion Pit seem to have cut out anything which might be considered imperfect. One of my top albums of the year thus far. Below is my favouite song from 'Manners' (at the minute). Enjoy.