The Rat by Günter Grass
An old man and the rat he received as a Christmas present become engaged in a dialogue on the future of humanity. The rat draws up visions in which mankind is wiped out in a nuclear war while the rats survive and build a new civilization. The man weaves stories, too, fairy tale characters who try to save the forest, five women who cross the Baltic Sea on a boat on which no men are allowed, the tale of a painter who is a forger, […]
The Graft by Martina Cole
Nick Leary, a rich businessman who makes most of his money with shady deals and who doesn’t shrink back from using violence to get what he wants, is one night woken by strange noises in his home. When he discovers an intruder with a gun he attacks him with a baseball bat. The intruder is discovered to be a local teen and small-time criminal who dies a few days later in the hospital. This is such a dumb book that I can hardly believe it. […]
Golem XIV by Stanislaw Lem
A series of supercomputers has been developed by the Pentagon to aid with warfare, culminating in the creation of GOLEM XIV and HONEST ANNIE. They, however, have started to further evolve on their own, which along the way caused them to lose interest in fulfilling their original purpose. While HONEST ANNIE has entirely ceased to communicate with her creators and has apparently become more powerful than anyone could have imagined, GOLEM XIV has turned to philosophical issues and gives lectures to human audiences. All this […]
Oblivion by David Foster Wallace
A boy is so engrossed in his daydreaming that he misses his substitute teacher having a nervous breakdown in front of the class and possibly becoming a danger to the students. A market researcher reflects on his job during the testing of a new chocolate bar by a focus group, while outside a strange figure is climbing up the side of the building. A couple seeks help in a sleep clinic for the, possibly imagined, snoring of the husband. These are just three of the […]
An Event in Autumn by Henning Mankell
A colleague offers Kurt Wallander, who is nearing retirement, a house in the countryside. When Wallander goes to take a look at it, he discovers a skeleton in the garden. In order to solve the murder, he has to delve into the house’s and its inhabitants’ past. If there is one word to describe this book, it is sparse. Not only the victim has been stripped to the bare bones, but everything else, too: the dialogue, the characterisation, and the cast, while the overall mood […]
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert M. Sapolsky
Why do we do the things we do? This is the question at the center of this book by Robert Sapolsky, a neurobiologist and primatologist. Unsurprisingly, there is no easy answer, and even though looking at our biological makeup is essential to even begin understanding it, on its own, it is not enough to fully illuminate the complexities of human behaviour. The first part of the book is dedicated to explaining how our brain is designed, what the different parts are for and how they […]
