Review: A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian by Marina Lewycka

A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian by Marina Lewycka

UK Publication Date: 2 March 2006
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 326
Format: Paperback
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Historical, Family Saga
Rating: 4 out of 5

Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must put aside a lifetime of feuding to save the emigre engineer father from voluptuous gold-digger Valentina. With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she will stop at nothing in her pursuit of Western Wealth.

But the sisters' campaign to oust Valentina unearths family secrets, uncovers fifty years of Europe's darkest history and sends them back to roots they'd much rather forget.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is the most engrossing book I have read in a very long time. Ok the title is a little deceiving to start with, but you soon find out what the title is about. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is a family saga with a difference. Its actually three stories in one. The main story, as the synopsis says, is about two sisters and their struggle to save their father, Nikolai, from the clutches of gold-digger Valentina. Interspersed within the main story are two other stories. One being Vera and Nadezhdas' , or Nadia as she's known in the book, family history and the turbulent times during the war in the Ukraine. You then have the third story which is actually the title of the book. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is actually a book that Nikolai is writing.

Although this may seem confusing to start with, the three stories actually blend beautifully together. I didn't find the story funny at all, despite what the blurb on the cover says, but this didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.

My favourite character has to be Nikolai. For me he was the only character I found myself caring about. My least favourite character was Valentina. Not only was Valentina trying to steal his money she was also extremely abusive towards him.

Here is an excerpt showing the cruelty that Valentina shows towards Nikolai.

She corners my father as he is coming out of the toilet, bent over, fumbling with his flies.
'You living corpse!' she screeches. 'I will show you dooh-ress!'
She is wearing yellow rubber gloves, and has in her hands a tea-towel, wet from washing up, which she starts to flick at him.
'You useless shrivel-brain shrivel-penis donkey.' Flick Flick. 'You dried shrivelled relic of ancient goat turd!'
She flicks at his legs and at his hands that are stretched out for protection or in supplication. He backs away and finds himself pressed up against the kitchen sink.
-page 138.

I highly recommend A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Book Review: Mozart's Last Aria by Matt Rees

Mozart's Last Aria by Matt Rees
Publication Date: 2011
Publisher: Corvus
Pages: 291
Format: Hard Cover
Source: Library
Genre: Historical Crime
Rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis from inside cover

The year is 1791 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is enlightenment Vienna's brightest star. Master of the city's music halls and devoted member of the Austrian Freemason's guild, he stands at the heart of an electric mix of art and music, philsophy and science, politics and intrigue.

Six weeks ago, the great composer told his wife he had been poisoned. Yesterday, he died.

The city is buzzing with rumours of infidelity, bankruptcy and murder. But Wolfgang's estranged sister Nannerl, returned from the provinces to investigate his death, will not believe the gossip. Who but a madman would poison such genius?

Yet as she looks closely at what her brother left behind - a handwritten score, a scrap of paper from his journal - Nannerl finds traces of something sinister: the threads of a Masonic conspiracy that reach from the gilded ballrooms of Viennese society to the faceless offices of the Prussian secret service.

Only when watching Wolfgang's bewitching opera, The Magic Flute, does Nannerl truly understand he beloved brother once again. For, encoded in his final aria, she detects a subtly crafted blueprint for a radical new tomorrow. Mozart hoped this would determine his future. Did it seal his fate instead?

My Thoughts

Mozart's Last Aria is an historical crime novel, that is set around the time of Mozart's death in 1791. It is told from the viewpoint of his sister Maria Anna 'Nannerl' Mozart.

Although Nannerl is telling the story, the main character is Mozart himself.  All the way through the story Mozart's work is mentioned. Matt Rees even includes a chapter music list at the end of the book, I found this to be very useful as it really helped me visualise the settings that the music was used in.

Even though this is an historical crime novel, it is also a conspiracy novel at the same time.  It reminded me of Dan Browns The Da Vinci Code.  We have Freemasons, Secret Police and characters that you don't know whether to trust or trust.  The main characters in the story were all real, and this also helped bring the story to life.

Matt Rees descriptive powers are outstanding, and I really felt like I was standing in the main locations mentioned in this book, especially the Flour Market and St Michael's Church.

Mozart's Last Aria is an excellent crime?conspiracy novel that grabs the readers' attention and doesn't let go till the very end.  I highly recommend this book