Mailbox Monday

Innocence by Heda Margolius Kovaly
Small Mercies by Eddie Joyce
The Tutor by Andrea Chapin
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Into my mailbox this month have come untold riches. And while I am consumed with reading as much of the long list for the IFFP as I can before April 9, I have these books to look forward to and share with you:

First, from SoHo Press comes Innocence by Heda Margolius Kovaly. It is translated from the Czech by Alex Zucker and will be published this June.

1950s Prague is a city of numerous small terrors, of political tyranny, corruption and surveillance. There is no way of knowing whether one’s neighbor is spying for the government or what one’s supposed friends will say under pressure to a state security agent. A loyal Party member might be imprisoned or executed as quickly as a traitor; innocence means nothing for a person caught in a trap.

But there are larger terrors, too. When a little boy is murdered at the cinema where his aunt works, the ensuing investigation sheds a little too much light on the personal lives of the cinema’s female ushers, each of whom is hiding a dark or haunting secret of her own.

Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls, says of Small Merices by Eddie Joyce:

Eddie Joyce’s terrific first novel is so American that the story might as well have taken place at the base of the Statue of Liberty. His Amendola family and their beloved Staten Island may be flawed, but they represent what’s best and most necessary in the American character, what our tired and poor still year for.

Paula McLain, bestselling author of The Paris Wife, says that The Tutor is “A sumptuous, page-turning account…I was completely captivated.”

Finally, the piece de resistance, a newly released translation of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.

…Les Miserables has been a popular phenomenon since it was first published in 1862–most recently, award-winning screen and stage adaptations have held captive audiences world-wide. This year, Penguin Classics presents a deluxe edition of Christine Donougher’s compelling, contemporary new translation of the novel (the first new Penguin Classics translation in forty years), which highlights not only its emotional resonance and social observation, but also its quick wit and rich historical texture.

Have you received some books you’re anxious to read? Do any of these especially appeal to you? Looking forward to hearing about your mailboxes!

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27 thoughts on “Mailbox Monday”

  1. Great haul! I’m waiting for my copy of Les Miserables and am really looking forward to it. Isn’t that cover beautiful? Enjoy your new books.

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    • So glad that it’s coming your way, too, Iliana! It’s quite thick, and quite glorious to behold. Much better than my Signet classic of yesteryear.

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    • I saw it in the Huffington Post, too, as one of the “must read” books for Spring. Although, Nivels about losing one’s child always chill me.

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    • It took awhile to receive books in translation, or classics, which are my two favorite genres. So many people like romance th best, and that seemed to come my way for the longest time. Poor publishers who wasted their time wih me…

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    • It’s a paperback, several inches thick, but absolutely a delight in every way. The cover is gorgeous, and the font is a nice size fo easy readability, even with my monovision contacts. 🙂

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  11. I had a very small copy of Les Miserables on my shelf for awhile, but never read it. I think the book was just too small. Your copy looks great. I hope you enjoy all of your new books and have a great week.

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    • It’s so true how the sheer size, or physical attribute of some kind, can inhibit us from reading a perfectly wonderful book. That is part of why I enjoy my kindle/nook/iPad so much. An unwieldy book becomes manageable when it’s thinner, and the font can be enlarged. Have a good week, too!

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  12. Hi Bellezza,

    I have never read ‘The Paris Wife’ but I think I shall be adding it to my list, along with ‘The Tutor’ which sounds excellent. I don’t read historical fiction all the time, but I do enjoy an eclectic mix of genres, so although they may sit on my shelves for a while, I shan’t forget they are there!

    I have seen the London stage show of Les Miserables at least ten times and have also watched the film, so I am not sure that it is a good idea that I should read the book, even though I am so tempted. I wonder if it so different to the film that I shall be disappointed with either one of the other. I need to think about it some more before deciding.

    Thanks for sharing and enjoy the rest of your week 🙂

    Yvonne.

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    • The Paris Wife gave me a whole new perspective, and appreciation, of Hemingway. I highly recommend it.

      And while the Broadway plays of Les Miserables are good, I saw it in Chicago years ago, nothing compares to the novel itself. It’s well worth the read. I’m looking forward to this new translation as it’s been about a decade since I’ve last read it,

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