Kurt Palka
Autor von The Piano Maker
Über den Autor
Bildnachweis: Kart Palka / The Star
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Getagged
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- Geburtstag
- 1941
- Geschlecht
- male
- Nationalität
- Canada
- Geburtsort
- Austria
- Wohnorte
- Canada
- Berufe
- filmmaker
journalist - Kurzbiographie
- KURT PALKA was born and educated in Austria. He began his working life in Africa where he wrote for African Mirror and made wildlife films in Kenya and Tanzania. After moving to Canada he worked on international stories for CTV and GLOBAL TV, wrote for American and Canadian publications such as the Chronicle Herald and the Globe and Mail, and worked as a Senior Producer for the CBC. He is the author of several novels, including Hammett Prize finalist Clara, which was published in hardcover as Patient Number 7.
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An enjoyable mystery that captures a small NS town and a very interesting woman in Helene Giroux. A woman's journey from loss to redemption. It does lack some passion and depth of feeling.
Read for book club.
Margaret is mourning the death of her (adult) son, and pushing her husband away. Her old friend Aileen's son Danny might be in trouble with the police and so Margaret rushes to their aid.
This was set in the 1970s, according to the blurb, although this was not really made explicit in the text. Margaret has persisted in her career as a lawyer even while raising a child, although this is all in the past when the story begins. I liked Margaret's husband Jack very much (much more than I liked Margaret). Aileen I found mercurial and a poor friend. Margaret herself made odd choices - perhaps these were supposed to be symptoms of her grieving. Much was made of her teenage years, and yet at the same time, there was no examination of their possible effect on her present grief.
In a similar way, the circumstances Danny is potentially involved in are dramatic, and yet nothing much happens; it is all off the page. And what was all that about the fox?… (mehr)
Margaret is mourning the death of her (adult) son, and pushing her husband away. Her old friend Aileen's son Danny might be in trouble with the police and so Margaret rushes to their aid.
This was set in the 1970s, according to the blurb, although this was not really made explicit in the text. Margaret has persisted in her career as a lawyer even while raising a child, although this is all in the past when the story begins. I liked Margaret's husband Jack very much (much more than I liked Margaret). Aileen I found mercurial and a poor friend. Margaret herself made odd choices - perhaps these were supposed to be symptoms of her grieving. Much was made of her teenage years, and yet at the same time, there was no examination of their possible effect on her present grief.
In a similar way, the circumstances Danny is potentially involved in are dramatic, and yet nothing much happens; it is all off the page. And what was all that about the fox?… (mehr)
Helene moves to Saint Homais to make a fresh start, but her past catches up with her and she is arrested to face trial a second time for the murder of her former business partner Nathan. The narrative switches between the present and the telling of Helene's childhood and experiences during the First World War up to her dealings with Nathan. Then, once the trial begins, it switches between the present and her retellings the events leading to Nathan's death. I found this frustrating after a while; it was obvious that something terrible happened, but the teasing as to what exactly it was went on too long for me.
My other problem with this novel was the distance I felt from all the characters, even Helene. She was an interesting protagonist, driven more than I had initially expected SPOILERS by a desire for money. I wanted her to ditch Nathan the moment he had repaid his debt to her. She closed her mind to the fact that Nathan's dealings were morally (and/or legally) dubious and that even his transporting of her wood to Canada during the war was illegal. This did indeed lead fairly directly to the disaster that befell them, but this was not presented as a moral consequence.… (mehr)
My other problem with this novel was the distance I felt from all the characters, even Helene. She was an interesting protagonist, driven more than I had initially expected SPOILERS by a desire for money. I wanted her to ditch Nathan the moment he had repaid his debt to her. She closed her mind to the fact that Nathan's dealings were morally (and/or legally) dubious and that even his transporting of her wood to Canada during the war was illegal. This did indeed lead fairly directly to the disaster that befell them, but this was not presented as a moral consequence.… (mehr)
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CLARA
by Kurt Palka
The author includes a ton of details, I like that. You follow the life of Clara from young adulthood thru to her death as an old lady. The friends that she has had over a lifetime and her loves, husband, children, and other special people in her life. It is a very good book. I would recommend it.
#Clara #KurtPalka @KurtPalka #HighlyRecommend