Vertigo (W.G. Sebald, 1990)

(263 pages)

This is an odd book.  Saw a review that sounded interesting; enjoyed reading it; but I don't know what to make of it.  

Starts with an episode from the Napoleonic wars - the invasion into northern Italy in 1800.  One of the French soldiers has experiences there. These are reflected back on, amplified, re-examined over the years.

Makes me think of Proust - role of memory, how memory works; in-depth local history; comparisons to art works. 

Makes me think of Kafka - the foregoing with the surreal elements.

A character returns to an isolated small town home after decades away living in cities - some of this resonated with me.  The local details, the knowledge of everyone living there.

Overlapping looks at Marengo, visits between Austria and various sites in northern Italy, etc - made me think of the approach used by the authors of very-recently read books: The Alexandria Quartet, Trust.

Trust (Hernan Diaz, 2022)

(402 pages) 

Book club selection, session not held.

The book's structure is clever; and I liked the title of the first part ("Bonds").  But I just read "The Alexandria Quartet", which does a deeper dive into a similar structure.

I didn't care that much about any of the characters. 

Where did Vanner get his information for book one?  Bevel and wife both scrupulously private.   

Author is dutifully feminist, the only two strong figures are the Italian writer and Bevel's wife. 

Author has picked up a fair amount of financial terminology. But the notion that a single individual (even if a brilliant woman) can move multiple markets over multiple years is ridiculous. Also the notion that an individual can study reports overnight and make major moves the next day on a consistent basis (this was going on before brilliant wife took over).

Not to mention that this wife, without much schooling, completely masters disparate disciplines such as literature, painting, music. In addition to high finance. 

Not sure where the author lands on the usual questions about socialism and capitalism (anarchism also in this telling). but it feels standard issue. Capitalism as restricting freedom!

Why did she marry Bevel if so strong, independent - just a victim of the times? Denies him any closeness.

Book 4 - long, lucid explanations of her financial genius don't fit with the rest of Book 4 - short snippets (and why would she write these long explanations, except as a plot device)?

Anarchist father fits the type; see also Joseph Conrad's description in "The Secret Agent."

Nicholas Nickleby (Charles Dickens, 1838)

(831 pages) 

Written early in Dickens's career - shortly after Pickwick, Oliver.

Uncle Ralph Nickleby - venal, Scrooge-like

Title character's father dies of "broken heart" after wife-induced speculation ruins the family financially.

Nicholas - the title character- seems pretty prone to scuffles.

Cheeryble Bros as sort of a deus ex machina; they can fix things!

Newman Nogg - Ralph's assistant, does not share Ralph's meanness.

Schoolmaster - Squeers - keeps showing up.  Not nice.

Minor item - description of promoting a muffin company at beginning of book - pitch-perfect as to how it's still done.

Uncle Ralph Nickleby - great dialogue, lots of good lines.

Chesterton's idea about weakness of female leads (especially Kate).  Mother of Nicholas/Kate a garrulous ditz, I tended to skip passages whenever she started talking.

But overall the characters were entertaining per Dickens usual (meaning unusually good) capabilities.

Lots of characters, lots of plot threads, a lot to wrap up in the final pages.  He does it masterfully.