6th June 2010

How to enjoy English books when they're so elusive in French shops?Amazon? Not really. Amazon.com in the US and amazon.co.uk mean hefty delivery charges, and the English section of amazon.fr gives free delivery but too-high retail price. I recommend the BookDepository.co.uk, which gives reduced prices plus free delivery anywhere in the world.
As a writer, I'm always looking for good books to read. And that means not those published due to the celebrity-status of the author, but due to the quality of the written word. Well, I've now found a real gem. Although first published in 1937 in Germany, this beautifully-written novel is only now available in English. It's pure poetry in motion, it's 1,000 pages long, and I find myself lingering on every word. For lovers of good books, I can only recommend it here, but make sure you get the original, unabridged edition - (not a shorter version with different title from Penguin).
Here are the details: 'Wolf among Wolves' by Hans Fallada, published by Melville House, isbn 978-1-933633-92-3. It's a novel set in 1923 Germany and gives a vivid account of the collapse of the German economy and the mindset of the people at the time. Its characters are dark, desperate and full of invention on how to circumvent their lives. Its original German edition was published despite fears of Nazi retribution. Read it!
Let me know what you think.