Javier Marias, The Infatuations ***

A woman visits the same cafe every day, mostly to observe a perfect couple who frequents the same cafe. When the husband is murdered in an apparently random act of street violence, she speaks to the widow and ends up having an affair with the dead man's best friend. This friend may know more about the man's death than he is letting on...

The Infatuations doesn't get the balance quite right between plot and philosophical musings. The latter overwhelm the former. Our narrator speaks in discursive sentences that always deal with the emotional questions before the logistical ones. She thinks about the influence of the dead over the living, the responsibilities we have toward our partners, the role of chance, and how to move on after tragedies. There is a thriller element to the story, but Maria seems mostly unconcerned about it.

Benjamin Curtis, A Traveller's History of Croatia ** 1/2

Obviously I chose this book in preparation for our upcoming trip to Croatia. Knowing the country's history increased my enjoyment when we visited Istanbul, and granted me opportunities to impress my wife.

I was able to extract the gist from this book, but too much of it is the fact-listing that gives history a bad name.

The dynastic problems started in 1301, when the Arpad dynasty died out. The Subic supported the Anjou family, from Sicily and France, in their attempts to gain the crown. By 1308 this new Angevin dynasty had established itself in Hungary and Croatia under King Karoly Robert. Ironically, Karoly Robert's son, Lajos the Great (ruled 1342-82) very successfully strengthened the monarch's hand at the expense of the noble families ... The ascension of the Angevins was short-lived, however, since when Lajos died in 1382 Hungary and Croatia were plunged into a new dynastic conflict...

I think I was able to see the broad outlines through the thicket of details. The book includes a few nice historical maps showing the evolution of the country. However, I would have preferred a collection of targeted essays to the attempted comprehensive chronology.

Michael Chabon, Telegraph Avenue ****

I was truly impressed with Michael Chabon's prose style, which manages to be gorgeous with feeling too showy. His metaphors are unexpected but apt, his characters are well drawn, his themes develop naturally, and he incorporates telling details from various subcultures (used record stores, midwifery, blaxploitation movies, fatherhood). Lastly, he captures the feel of the titular area of Berkeley/Oakland.

The only way in which Telegraph Avenue falls short is its plot. There isn't much of it, and I never felt engaged by the dramatic stakes of the story. Will the new megastore cause Brokeland Records to close? Will the midwives lose their hospital privileges? Will the broken-down blaxploitation star expose the youthful indiscretion of his successful old friend? I didn't really care about these questions. I loved many of the individual incidents, but the story didn't pull me on to the next one.