Book(s) of the week(s)
So already two of my 2016 resolutions have utterly failed...being on time for dentist appointments and blogging more. But as Nelly Furtado puts it, "all I can do is try".
We've teamed up with French Books UK to serve up a biblio scooby snack 'every week'. Note the use of inverted commas, as I have already missed last week, so a double whammy is due:
First up, we have Eric Hazan’s A History of the Barricade. Here's what Verso Books would pitch if they were on Dragon's Den:
In the history of European revolutions, the barricade stands as a glorious emblem; a makeshift construction that spread like wildfire across the working class districts of Paris. A History of the Barricade analyses the history of these ersatz fortifications and there symbolic impact on popular protests throughout history.
It's a yes from me! And for those of you trudging through a module in May '68, this book would surely grab that top grade if referenced*. Or if you still get really annoyed at people associating barricades with Les Miz then slyly print off this article and give it to said person for their birthday. Revenge is sweet.
Comment on this Facebook post to grab a copy or buy one if you hate losing competitions.
As for you eager beavers who just want more, here's Ink in the Blood by Stéphanie Hochet for this week's 'Book of the Week' (all these weeks are making me weak).
Dedalus Books describes as follows:
The anonymous narrator has long been fascinated by tattoos, and eventually decides to undergo the process himself. He chooses a Latin phrase in the form of a cross: vulnerant omnes, ultima necat — ‘they all (the hours) wound, the last one kills’. Soon however, the first two words of the tattoo fade and ultima necat becomes a threat dominating his life.
This Guardian article describes Hochet's novella as "mordantly witty gothicism". I say it's for those of you who likes a bit of Latin, but also watches 'Tattoo Fixers' as a guilty pleasure. Check the Institut français' Facebook page to enter the competition this week. Or click here to seal the deal of owning a copy without the fuss of that Facebook malarkey.
And it's worth following Hochet on Instagram (particuarly for witty posts)
Stay tuned for out "Best of 2015" book of the week round-up. Oh, what a tongue twister!
*depending on your writing skills.
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