the underbelly emerges in The Dinner

This book takes the reader along to a popular restaurant in Amsterdam with two brothers and their wives for a summer evening 5 course meal. Paul, the narrator seems like a calm and observant family man, who is somewhat in awe of the publicity his brother is receiving as a future prime ministerial candidate. While there are the usual brotherly spats, what we don't fully realise is the reason for the dinner; a discussion about their 15 year old sons should but does not really happen, and probably would never have been a discussion. We quickly realise there are no polite happy families and the horrific behaviour of both boys may not have just been a coincidence. They were caught on a grainy CCTV camera and are recognisable to both parents - but there are differences of opinion about what to do next. There is also the threat by the older adopted brother to release a youtube video. Throughout the first few courses, we begin to appreciate Paul's sinister and violent underbelly. While the promise of a diagnosis is confusing, it probably does not matter whether he has a personality disorder, Aspergers or is a sociopath. What is important is that there is a genetic link and that medication could be helpful, if taken as prescribed. It is also quite shocking to realise that Paul's wife is fully aware and not only accepts but covers for her husband and son. It seems inevitable that this boy has amazing capacity for violence, which his father is slow to recognise. By the end of the meal, it is clear that decisive action is needed, and violence seems inevitable...

An enjoyable experience, reading The Art Lover

This was a book and an author I have never heard of - but as friends' recommendations goes, it was a good one! The author, Andromeda Romano-Lax has a Greek first name, Italian and German heritage, and she married into a Jewish family. She grew up in Chicago, worked as a travel writer and freelance journalist before becoming a writer and living in Anchorage, Alaska. It seems this book unpacks something about individuals' search for meaning in Europe between the wars. The novel opens in Munich in 1938, where an introspective young German, Ernst Vogler is learning to make sense of the present by understanding Greek and Roman art. He works on the Sonderprojekte, which is a quest by Hitler, to amass European masterpieces, to promote human strength and beauty in natural settings.The book opens with the disappearance to Dachau of his artistic mentor, but he is given a book and a personal story, which match and underpin his work project. He is sent to deliver the classical sculpture "the discuss thrower" from Rome to Germany. This simple plan slowly turns into a dangerous detour of deception, corruption, lies and murder, across the beautiful Italian countryside. Ernst is both naive and unprepared for the situation that evolves, largely involving twin brother drivers being chased by a greedy German diplomat. There is sufficient depth of character of the three young men who share the front seat of the truck while the sculpture is hidden in the back. Gradually, the Italian family life emerges and it is not surprising that Ernst realises a few days in Italy can change his life; the advice given to him by his mentor! The elder sister's story matches his own in strange ways and he learns more about himself as a result. Then it is quite a treat to read forward 10 years to when he is tasked to return the sculpture to Rome and he revisits the Piedmontese hillside where the family lived...

The Fencer emancipates Estonian children

The Fencer is a Finnish-Estonian-German coproduction based on the true story of Endel Nelis, a championship fencer who worked as a sports teacher in Haapsalu, a small coastal Estonian town. It is important to know that the Soviets occupied Estonia in 1940 and drove out the Nazis; but also persecuted the Estonian men who had been forced to join the German army. Many were executed or sent to Siberia, so the small towns were populated by children without fathers. Estonia only regained its independence in 1991. Back to the film, and just after the war, Nelis (Mart Avandi) arrives as the new sports teacher. The suspicious principal (Hendrik Toompere) remarks that fencing is not a proletarian sport, and therefore not suitable for the children. After his attempt to set up a skiing club is scuppered by the army taking all his equipment, and he is observed by young Marta practicing, he sets up a Saturday fencing club. It is great to see the children and later the parents supporting their development and expressing themselves; they start using branches as foils and only gradually acquire donated equipment. There is a back story that Endel fled Leningrad and he must make a difficult choice as to whether to support his team in the national fencing tournament in Leningrad. There is a real sense of despair and depravation, that is somehow mediated by individual focus and achievement in the structured sport of fencing. We see a few children liberated by their ability to compete, despite a lack of practice and equipment. There is also a desperation mirrored in Endels who is clearly running away but has also learned to love and inspire the children to do their best.

Allied: thrills and dangers of life and love

This is a wonderful escapist World War II romantic thriller, produced by Robert Zemeckis. The film opens in Casablanca, with 2 spies played by Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. Max, a Canadian wing fighter is introduced to Marianne Beausejour, a French resistance fighter. They are given orders to pretend they are married and there is a dramatic irony in how they behave as if they are in love. Cinematography is excellent, with gorgeous sand dunes contrasted against high class parties. The costumes take us back but in a smart and sassy way. The war is an enduring background, and the common German enemy is ever present. The romantic drama is mirrored against some tricky espionage work, a baby being born in the middle of the London Blitz and then the real twist, where it is difficult to decide who or what to believe. Perhaps it also mirrors some the real life challenges for Brad. Nevertheless, I was mesmerised and ever so thankful to be able to walk out to a normal peacetime life!