Paradise by Greg Lazarus

Imagine what can happen when a highly skilled professional thief, an overly ambitious 'nouveau riche' metroman, a demoralized renting agent, an over-achieving judo champion, a conniving antique collector, a passive aggressive communist waitress, a few ecoterrorists, and a collection of other delightful shady characters' paths collide?

You find the asocial heart of Cape Town, South Africa. A place, where the survival of the poshies and the goofies can be a satorial experience; where peripheral characters interacting with each other, or trying to operate in mainstream society, bending the rules to suit their purposes, can result in delightful chaos. 

Maja Jelema, alias Kaat De Groot from The Netherlands, cunning, but sincere, who visits Cape Town for the first time on a mission of a lifetime;
Cornelius, her drifting brother, the prominent puppeteer, performing at the open-air theater in the famous Vondelpark in Amsterdam;
Herschel Bloch, the laid-back good man who loves work: he can watch it for hours; whose history is catching up with him;
Surita Adams,the focused achiever who will stop for nothing when she sets her mind on something, regardless of the consequences; 
Avram Tversky a mysterious older man in the import-export business, a local businessman with an age-old relationship with Horatius, the Roman soldier; 
Francis, good natured man, with the globally-established high life, the gaily colored tent on the lawn of his mansions telling the tale of his Arabian night parties and decadent opulence;
Chi, the waitress at the coffee shop called 'The People's Republic';

Each one of them redefines the term 'freedom' as their circumstances demand and the results make you laugh and cry. It depends on where you stand on the moral stairway to paradise and from which ethnic or religious fanatical color of the South African rainbow nation your history is defined. This element can determine how a relentlessly inoffensive story can become divisive. South Africans are known for their passionate, even volatile, reactions to just about everything! Right, like the rest of the world!

"It is not all plain sailing at the sanctuary, though. "Many of these birds come to us traumatised,"Surita explains. "They don't understand that they've been rescued. They've become used to the conditions of incarceration - a kind of captive's syndrome or tunnel vision. They are terrified of everything - going out into the light, feeding by themselves, socialising with the other birds. I know it sounds bizarre, but we have to train them to understand freedom. Not all of them make it"

"But for the ones that do," Herschel adds, "life is paradise."

Cape Town has been the territory of a gazillion novels and cannot be claimed by any author as an exclusive territory such as Faulkner's Mississippi or Steinbeck's California. Like New York, Cape town is everybody else's. This allows each author to start on a blank slate and write a different impression down, often free of the tyranny of fact. 

The story is meant as a gentle, subtle mocking; an ingeniously echo of self-deprecating pride. For the more serious, extremist persona, this approach might appear to be a translation of class- and cultural warfare, rape, murder, as well as political violence, into garden parties, flower shows and sporting events. For them, this book will not resonate within their own psyche at all, and they WILL find the subtle messages they seek. However, it is exactly why Paradise by Greg Lazarus is so refreshingly different! 

The plot toggles between a subjective take on history, existentialism and pragmatism. Each character has a genetically programmed sense of adventure sprinkled all over their raison d'être. And then there is Horatius, yes, the brave Roman soldier, the one-man-band of bravery and passion, who has the final say ... 

The multi-layered narrative is well constructed. The book is a continuous social commentary mixed with a historical element disguised in the Manna letters dating back to 1793. Each chapter is dedicated to a different character, with a masterful rhythmic flow tying them effortlessly into the fast-paced narrative. 

Paradise highlights the real ordinary citizens of the mother city, Cape Town, the core of the cosmopolitan society, without the brutality so intrinsic of the media coverage. For local readers it is proudly South African and a must-read. Dare we call this story an intelligent parody of a selective part of the South African landscape? I think we can. It was brilliantly done to boot!

IT COMES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 

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BOOK BLURBMaja Jellema is in Cape Town to do what she does best – steal. Her new employer wants a certain item from a building in Loop Street, and the only thing that stands between Maja and her prize is Hershel Bloch, the bumbling building manager. But what seems like the easiest job Maja has ever seen is about to get a whole lot more complicated . . .

Will Maja be able to finish the job in time to save her no-good brother from large Dutch men with no sense of humour?

Can Hersh turn his topsy-turvy world around before he gets fired from Black Enterprises for being the worst estate agent in the history of the universe?

Will Surita finally make peace with her father and stop using her judo skills on people who just want to hug her?

Can the rage-filled waitresses at The People’s Republic – the greatest socialist coffee shop in all of Cape Town – produce even one cup of coffee without backchat?

Only time will tell. And it’s running out.

“Laced with perfectly pitched black humour, Paradise is populated with brilliantly drawn and unforgettable characters. I loved it.” – Sarah Lotz

“Fast-paced and slickly-written, Paradise is both an uproarious comedy about lawlessness and a serious allegory about bondage. Greg Lazarus once again presents a cast of engaging, believable characters, not least of whom is the adorable klutz, Hershel Bloch.” – Finuala Dowling

“Paradise is full of vivid characters that leap out, grab you by the throat and drag you back into the pages with them.” – Paige

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

PHOTO SOURCE: Greg Fried & Lisa Lazarus

Greg Lazarus is the pen name of husband-and-wife writing duo Greg Fried and Lisa Lazarus.

Greg is a philosopher at the University of Cape Town, and holds a PhD from Trinity College, Cambridge. Before taking up a post in philosophy, he worked as an IT consultant and business writer.

Lisa is a psychologist and freelance writer. She has Master’s degrees in educational psychology and creative writing, and a higher diploma in education. She has written for publications including Men’s Health, Femina, Shape, Cosmopolitan, Cape Town’s Child, Psychologies, and Mail & Guardian. Lisa tutors Magazine Journalism and Memoir Writing for SA Writers’ College.

The couple have co-written the memoir THE BOOK OF JACOB: A JOURNEY INTO PARENTHOOD (Oshun,2009) and the novel WHEN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT I OPEN MY EYES (Kwela,2012).

The new Greg Lazarus novel PARADISE is out now.  It’s part art heist, part comedy, part adult coming-of-age.

“Laced with perfectly pitched black humour, PARADISE is populated with brilliantly drawn and unforgettable characters. I loved it.” – Sarah Lotz

“Fast-paced and slickly-written, PARADISE is both an uproarious comedy about lawlessness and a serious allegory about bondage. Greg Lazarus once again presents a cast of engaging, believable characters, not least of whom is the adorable klutz, Hershel Bloch.” – Finuala Dowling

“PARADISE is an immersive read, full of vivid characters that leap out, grab you by the throat and drag you back into the pages with them. Which is exactly what you would expect from a book about an art heist, judo, petty criminals, eco-terrorism and chickens.” – Paige Nick
INFO SOURCE

VISIT THE AUTHORS' WEBSITE AND BLOG 

Excerpts from PARADISE
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BOOK INFORMATION
Genres: South African community, Satire, Drama, Literature, Greg Lazarus
Formats: Paperback
Publishing date: May 01, 2014
Publisher: Kwêla
ISBN13: 9780795706660
Edition language: English 
Purchase Links: Loot.co.za | Kalahari.net 

After Before by Jemma Wayne

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MY REVIEW:

For the widow Lynn, her two sons John and Luke, as well as Luke's fiancé, Vera, and Rwandan refugee Emily, happiness were abandoned a long time ago.

Secrets and hurt After Before, led them slowly and quietly into darkness. Mentally, emotionally, as well as physically, they were slowly dying because of the wounds from their respective pasts that were still mentally bleeding them dry. 

Luke found solace in his dedication to Jesus. It did not matter how his insecurities or strong urge to control, reflected on other people. He was the responsible one; the decision maker, the one calling the shots.

John found his solution in theater and making people laugh.

Lynn had her valuable porcelain collections and her paintings behind a locked door. She gave up her dreams of becoming a historical fiction writer, to fit into her late husband Philip's world and raise her two boys. She secretly treasured her own ambitions and dreams, painting it all onto multiple-colored canvasses where nobody could see them behind the locked door of her studio. 

Vera wanted her savior to be Luke. She wanted to start a new life after drugs, a tragedy, and a mentally abusive relationship with Charles. She wanted to be pure and good and keep her secret hidden from her family and fiancé. But the estrangement from her parents, her decision to become religious and her fear of losing Luke, brought her to a point where the silence became devastating.

Emily, the Rwandan Tutsi refugee, had to endure the truth behind her mother's words: you can outrun the things outside your body, but not the truth hidden inside it. Her lonely road deeper into hell was non-negotiable. She wanted to be left alone with her sorrow in her own silent world that deafened her.

" And all at once, there was an alternative" which none of them ever explored until terminal cancer was diagnosed in Lynn. 

They were forced to open up the chest of darkness, exposing their inner turmoil to searing light. None of them was able to escape while time was running out. The resentment, hatred, insecurities and traumatic memories began their ascend towards light, towards real forgiveness and redemption.

This is a powerful, intense, introspective novel. One that leaves the reader in deep reverie and retrospection. Very well written. There were gentleness, and brutality; insecurity and grace.

I think of the concept 'emotionally charged' when I think back on the experience. A beautiful read. It is a book I would like to read again and can highly recommend it. However, the ending was too much of a cliffhanger in some ways, to really complete the emotional roller coaster ride. But still a very commendable read despite of it. The Rwandan genocide places this book in the historical fiction genre, since an important part of African history is highlighter in the book. I am, however, not sure if it was meant to be classified as such. But it was done brilliantly.

I want to thank Legend Press, through Netgalley, for the opportunity to review this book. 

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BOOK BLURP:

“That was the day that Mama made the rules: If they come, run. Be quiet and run. But not together. Never together. If one is found, at least the other survives….”

During a cold, British winter, three women reach crisis point. Emily, an immigrant survivor of the Rwandan genocide is existing but not living. Vera, a newly Christian Londoner is striving to live a moral life, her happiness constantly undermined by secrets from her past. Lynn, battling with an untimely disease, is consumed by bitterness and resentment of what she hasn’t achieved and what has been snatched from her. 

Each suffering their own demons, their lives have been torn open by betrayal: by other people, by themselves, by life itself. But as their paths interweave, they begin to unravel their beleaguered pasts, and inadvertently change each other’s futures.

‘Rich, haunted, gripping, painful and beautifully entwined’ Ruth Padel

‘A powerful novel. It's characters will haunt you long after their stories have been told.’ Naomi Gryn 

‘A fearless and meticulously observed examination of pain transformed by the redeeming power of friendship’ Vanora Bennett

‘Cosy domestic scenes in suburban London, brilliantly described, are used to contrast with experiences of absolute horror at the heart of a deep and shaming secret. For life to move on, all must be forgiven, no matter how difficult this may be.’ Phillip Knightley

‘Jemma Wayne has very skilfully managed to weave together not only the alternating strands of her compelling narrative but also passages of intense action with reflective inner monologue. A highly accomplished debut!’ Gerald Jacobs, The Jewish Chronicle(less)

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BOOK INFORMATION:

Genres: Historical fiction, Rwandan Genocide, Drama, Family, British author, Jemma Wayne, Literature   
Formats: Paperback | Nook | Kindle
Number of pages: 256 pages
Publisher: Legend Press
Publishing date: June 01, 2014
Edition Language: English
ISIN: B00HWQ19ZK
Purchase links: Amazon USA | Amazon UK  | Barnes & Noble

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born to an American musician father, and English mother, Jemma grew up in leafy Hertfordshire and studied Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge University and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Westminster. She began her career as a journalist at The Jewish Chronicle and now works freelance splitting her time between journalism, writing for stage, and prose. Her first play, Negative Space, was staged in 2009 at Hampstead's New End Theatre, receiving critical acclaim.

The idea for After Before was first spawned after attending a SURF charity event organised by her husband, in aid of survivors of the Rwandan genocide. It was there that Jemma heard first-hand some of the lingering effects of the 1994 war.

Lucky Us by Amy Bloom

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REVIEW:
"Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are; the ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what." - author unknown.

This is the expression I was thinking of when I read this book. And after reading it, I had to let it simmer for a while. Yes, it is one of those books! 

Lucky Us is so multidimensional that it will take a while to think it over. There's the moral dilemmas versus the unscripted destinies; the narcissism versus altruism; the versions of history written by ourselves versus the one written for us by others. And when all these elements blend into each other, a story such as Lucky Us becomes possible. Profound, shocking, endearing, and mostly believable. It is as much relevant as historical fiction as it is about family and the bonds that are redefined: old ones negated and new ones formed out of necessity as prescribed by destiny. 

1939 - 1949
The theme of the book is not new. The Holocaust - pre- and post events. What makes it different, and worth reading, is the American history, some events in America itself, impacting the family's lives, added to the millions of books written about the subject. This story revolves around a father, Edgar V. Aton, and his two daughters, Eva & Iris, who found themselves destined for hardship or happiness when his first wife dropped off Eva at his second wife's home after the latter passed away. Iris was the daughter from his second marriage. From Ohio to Hollywood, to New York, to Germany, to Israel: the journey to finally come to terms with their own choices. Destiny would lead them through avenues of flimflammery, of surrealism, to be ultimately confronted by the truth, which none of them ever thought possible. Deception and dishonesty finally collided with reality and integrity. Hope finally wrote their own new history. 

The rich cast of characters include:

Eva: autodidact, who becomes the biggest con artist of them all: the psychic, with a sign in her shop window stating "ASSOCIATION FOR METAPHYSICAL RESEARCH" . The young girl who had to clean up after everyone else, and who eventually concluded that : "father had been a beaker of etiquette and big ideas, Iris was a vase of glamour, and I was the little brown jug of worry." 
Iris: narcissistic, yet surprisingly kind when it suited her; 
Francisco: the make-up artist, the Mexican gay man who would become Eva's mainstay;
Edgar V. Acton(né Isador Vogel): the conman, womanizer, but also wise mentor in his children's lives;
Clara Williams - twenty years younger than Edgar, the Negro woman with the magical voice and the conscience
Torellis - fairy-tale Italian family - who made their lives bearable;
Reenie & Gus (who became Karl Hauser, then Gersh Hoffman, Jewish schoolteacher) - the cook and the mechanic, who brought substance and meaning into their lives;
Then there is Carnie, Bea and Ozzie Patterson and finally Danny, the orphan, who found an unlikely bond within the newly chosen family. Love has a magical way of defining destiny for all of them.

The well-written prose (particularly the epistolary alternation in the rhythm of the tale), the story line, the surprise elements, the constant drama and the detailed history in the book, kept me glued to the story. I was constantly awed by the immense, mind-blowing, detail behind the characters' thoughts, geographical-, as well as historical surroundings, the music, cuisine, literature, day-to-day activities, political landscape, landmarks, everything! It was also my first encounter with the author's work and it will not be the last. This quality of prose does not pass one by often. 

RECOMMENDED TO EVERYONE! In fact: a must-read for the more serious reader.

The book is destined for publication in July, 2014.
It was provided as an ARC by Random House through  http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com

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BOOK BLURB
"My father's wife died. My mother said we should drive down to his place and see what might be in it for us."

So begins this remarkable novel by Amy Bloom, whose critically acclaimed Away was called "a literary triumph" by The New York Times. Brilliantly written, deeply moving, fantastically funny, Lucky Us introduces us to Eva and Iris. Disappointed by their families, Iris, the hopeful star, and Eva, the sidekick, journey across 1940s America in search of fame and fortune. Iris's ambitions take them from small-town Ohio to an unexpected and sensuous Hollywood, across the America of Reinvention in a stolen station wagon, to the jazz clubs and golden mansions of Long Island.

With their friends in high and low places, Iris and Eva stumble and shine through a landscape of big dreams, scandals, betrayals, and war. Filled with gorgeous writing, memorable characters, and surprising events, Lucky Us is a thrilling and resonant novel about success and failure, good luck and bad, the creation of a family, and the pleasures and inevitable perils of family life. From Brooklyn's beauty parlors to London's West End, a group of unforgettable people love, lie, cheat, and survive in this story of our fragile, absurd, heroic species.

Follow the travels of Eva & Iris
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo credit: Beth Kelly

Amy Bloom is the author of "Come to Me," a National Book Award finalist; "A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You," nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award; "Love Invents Us"; and "Normal." Her stories have appeared in Best American Short Stories, O. Henry Prize Short Stories, The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction, and many other anthologies here and abroad. She has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, Slate, and Salon, among other publications, and has won a National Magazine Award. Bloom teaches creative writing at Yale University
Visit the author's WEBSITE





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BOOK INFORMATION

Genres: Historical fiction, Drama, Family, Holocaust, American fiction, Literature   
Formats: Hardcover | Nook | Audio CD | Audio book
Number of pages: 256 pages
Publisher: Random House
Publishing date: July 29, 2014
Edition Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400067243
ISBN-13: 978-1400067244
Purchase links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |  Audio book