"Moderato Cantabile," by Marguerite Duras

Novella, 1958

Meditative, claustrophobic study of a woman affected by seeing a murder, then returning to the cafe where it was committed. The detached narrative runs over some real pressures from family and acquaintances, dealings with whom seem likely to have driven the protagonist to drink. The dislocation and strange behaviours appear to oppress the book's heroine, who may or may not stand in a wider feminine perspective. A quick and engaging read; gloomy and persuasive, with a dreamlike fatality. 

"A Trick I Learned from Dead Men," by Kitty Aldridge

Novel, 2012

Readable first person account of how a young funeral parlour employee tries to grow up in the face of hugely challenging domestic and personal circumstances. A quick read in which Lee, the main character, has a strong voice which is very occasionally undermined by being perhaps a little too 'shouty' and vernacular. Still, the first person narrative and deadpan delivery are effective in getting across the character of the main players in the book, and also a helpless sense of trying to escape the small town. Heavy handed, but not at all bad for it.

"The Shadow of the Crescent Moon", by Fatima Bhutto

Novel, 2013

Riveting story of three brothers in Pakistan and, more strikingly, two of the women in the family. Everyday life is shown, from three different perspectives and responses to a harsh environment. While the bombs and terror give a very visceral backdrop, it's really the domestic strains which give the book its real tension. A really well constructed and well told narrative which skillfully explores characters' past lives in adding weight to the main thrust of the story. As such, this is a refreshing look at beliefs and ideologies and how they work and are mediated through communities trying their best to get along and survive. 

"The Year of Magical Thinking," by Joan Didion

Non-fiction, 2005

An account of Joan Didion's coping and mourning the death of her husband at a time when their daughter was also perilously ill. Didion's mixture of terror and bemusement when negotiating every day events and reminders feels detached at times until there's a crack in the narrative action or town, which suddenly brings the tragedy into sharp focus. This isn't a book with a big message or purpose, but its focus and very exact language give it a poise and sincerity and allows the reader to connect and project, to Didion and to wider experiences of loss.

"Olive Kitteridge," by Elizabeth Strout

Novel, 2008

A novel, musing and reporting on a woman's transition from happy if rather stolid middle age into old age, and how her New England small town community goes with her. The eponymous heroine is the focus if not always at the centre of each narrative, which piece together and look at how her relationships to her family develop and her habits and social standing change accordingly. The tone and pace of this book are both fantastic, taking the reader along. Some understated and truly wonderful writing and a compelling read.

"The Vegetarian", by Han Kang

Novel, 2007

Engrossing three part novel, charting the course of a psychologically disturbed, largely unloved woman, through the eyes of her husband, brother in law, then sister. This seems to be a book about power and personal suffering and the sublimation and determination of the individual. While some of the scenes are incredibly difficult to read, this is a truly powerful book which is gripping and relentless, right up until the touching conclusion. The passivity of the main character throws questions back to the reader about their own responses and actions.

"Mildred Pierce", directed by Michael Curtiz

Movie, 1945

Story of the eponymous, hard working heroine, a murder and how Pierce, her family, associates and the murder victim all come to find themselves embroiled with each other. If this film starts a little slowly, it really builds its characters and picks up pace and intensity on the way. Pierce is a wonderful character the audience can't help but get behind and root for, while events around her throw up barriers she's adept at overcoming. The determination, and Pierce's flaws and frailties give the film its dynamic and deliver a really effective, beautifully shot twist on the noir genre.

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"The Amateur Marriage," by Anne Tyler

Novel, 2004

Excellent novel following a Baltimore marriage's ups and downs and the intervening tales of the three children. The focus is on the couple itself and it both critical yet supportive of each side, with the narrative sympathetic to each. Similarly, the plot is eventful, yet has a pace and is written in a non-sensationalist way which moves the story along and pulls the reader into Tyler's world. A treat of a story which unfolds gently and comments plenty on the twentieth century as it does so, with the hang-ups shot through the Anton family narrative. 

"Four Souls" by Louise Erdrich

Novel, 2004

Family story of native American Indians and the dispossession and dissolution of their land and fortune. While this is a story which deals with gambling and drink, there's a sense of legends in the making, awe and power, often magical, in the rituals and activities of the women and the savage buffoonery of the men. If the switching of the narrative between characters occasionally stymies the overall flow, there's a wonderful atmosphere of loss, hope and retribution built and sustained throughout.

"I Capture the Castle", by Dodie Smith

Novel, 1949

A book tackling young love, a gloriously eccentric family and the very act and art of writing, which sets off at a furious pace, setting hints and hares running before settling into something more prosaic, but still pretty compulsive. The story itself is thin, but the settings, the family and the narrative are all sparkling and have a good deal of charm and originality. There's also an air of melancholy and a hint of the Empire dissolving into a new world, although the nostalgia is by no means overdone and the book not maudlin.

"The Babadook", directed by Jennifer Kent

Movie, 2014

A powerful atmospheric horror about a bogeyman, taking many of the genre's tropes (creepy house with a cellar, strange magical texts and a family battling good versus evil) and fits them in an Australian suburban set up, very much focusing on young mothers. This fresh approach to older, conservative forms reaps huge dividends, with the mother/son relationship swinging wildly and the absence of a male dominant figure striking. The plot swerves a little too wildly here and there, but this is a really bold, interesting and gripping horror.

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"Foxcatcher," directed by Bennett Miller

Movie, 2014

Adaptation of a real life story involving an Olympic wrestler and a philanthropist whose interest in the sport bring the men and families closer together. In a film where the drama builds and fortunes interweave and develop, there's plenty to admire, even if a few bits and pieces are a little hard to get used to, mainly John DuPont's odd prosthetics and very static immobility. Still, well worth looking at and a very involving, affecting piece looking at stardom, power as a corrupting force and close familial relationships.

"The Hired Man," by Aminatta Forna

Novel, 2013

A tale of newcomers and a change in the pace and habits of a Croatian village, which becomes increasingly evident as a scene of recent catastrophe and intense ongoing tension. The mix of domestic woes, individuals adapting to altered situations and the huge, savage history underlying the setting is, in the main, effective, even if the pacing might have tightened up a little at the beginning of the novel. The sense of allegory and incidents foreshadowing and echoing events revealed later in the narrative probably makes this a good book for re-reading.

"Saving Mr Banks", directed by John Lee Hancock

Movie, 2013

One of those schmaltzy films about a meeting of strong personalities which treads an historical and so entirely mapped outcome (Mary Poppins was made), but whose story and setting skillfully manipulate some strong emotional feelings and shine a light on alcoholism and its effects on families. A film far harder to like than to dislike; while the audience is played and scenes around the genesis of songs like "A Spoonful of Sugar" may have been and occasionally are a little awkward, the vision is illuminating and quite compelling.

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"A Serious Man", directed by Coen Brothers

Movie, 2009

A film which looks good, has some funny moments, but which doesn't quite snap and engage the viewer perhaps as much as it might have done. The plot revolves around a seriously unravelling, but very typical and "comfortable" middle-class family and touches on a number of domestic crises, many of which involve mental health issues. In doing so, there aren't, however, any real points made or markers set, and the narrative drifts rather than drives.

"The Accidental" by Ali Smith

Novel, 2005

The dramas surrounding a dysfunctional liberal family, whose participants' lives are sparked while they're on a holiday break in Norfolk and visited by Amber, a strange, wandering life force who has a shocking affect on all the characters. Ultimately, this is quite a sad, reflective read, which sets off at a canter but ends
- for the characters - in disarray, even if the children in the drama have a slightly rosier looking future. The switch between characters' stories is brilliantly done and provides an entertaining read, right through from the beginning to the end.

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"The Dark Holds No Terrors", by Shashi Deshpande

Novel, 1980

A story of a career woman whose encounters at home, both when growing up and then in marriage, present her with huge emotional issues. This is a story of how aspirations and rising above preassigned social roles aren't purely about breaking barriers, but also about huge toil and pressures on relationships. An easy book to get into with a strong narrative voice, and the suspicion, often peering out of the psychological undergrowth, that perhaps things aren't exactly as they seem.