books Archives - Satu Adam

Kynttilöiden polttamisen ja piparkakkujen syömisen lisäksi viimeaikaisena kiinnostuksen kohteenani on ollut Manson-kultti. Kaikki alkoi Emma Clinen Tytöt-romaanista, jonka päähenkilö, 14-vuotias Evie, ajautuu kiehtovan Suzannen johdattamana Mansonin klaanin valloittamalle maatilalle. Mediaseksikkään aiheen lisäksi Cline tarkastelee Manson-kulttia mielenkiintoisesta tulokulmasta käsin. Samalla fiktiivinen teos on myös nuoren, epävarman tytön kasvukertomus 1960-luvun lopun Kaliforniassa.

Nuoressa kirjailijassa viehättää myös se, että Cline kirjoitti esikoisteostaan kurinalaisesti ystävänsä pihavajassa kahden vuoden ajan. Lisäpisteitä tämä lahjakkuus kerää myös sillä, ettei naisella ole käytössä älypuhelinta, vaan vanha simpukkamallinen matkapuhelin. Ei turhaa chattailua tai somessa roikkumista! Ei ihme, että Cline on onnistunut kirjoittamaan tämän vuoden yhden kiehtovimmista ja koukuttavimmista kirjoista. Suosittelen siis.

Clinen kirjan jälkeen latasin puhelimeeni Manson-kulttia käsittelevän You must remember this – podcast-sarjan. Kuuntelin podcastit kätevästi lenkkipolulla. Ja voi pojat, kilometrit taittuivat helposti! Kokeile perässä. Takaan, että tämä on yksi mielenkiintoisimmista podcasteista, jonka olet koskaan kuunnellut.

Nyt lukulistalla on Simon Liberatin California Girls. Fiktiivisessä teoksessa seurataan Manson-perheen elämää 36 tunnin ajan Tate-murhien tapahtumista alkaen. Kunnianhimoinen hanke, sillä ostin kirjan ranskankielisenä. Tarkoitus on myös harjoittaa ääneenlukua. Mies ei niin innostunut, mutta vetosin ranskan kurssin opettajani kehotukseen. Sitä paitsi, kun käden ulottuvilla on kiinnostava kirja, selviän siitä varmasti ranskaksi.

Aina on hyvä olla optimisti.

Recently, I have had three obsessions: burning candles and trying to find and eat as much gingerbread I can (not so easy to find them in France). The third one is what I actually wanted to talk about. It’s the Manson family or Manson cult – or whatever you want to call it. It all started when I read The Girls by Emma Cline. The book tells a story about fourteen-year old Evie who joins the Manson family. She meets the fascinating Suzanne who seems to be free and do whatever she likes, and with her Evie ends up at the famous Manson ranch.

Besides the book I have to praise the author. Miss Cline wrote the book in her friend’s garden shed where she lived for two years. Such discipline! Also, Cline avoids pointless chatting and whatsapping: she only owns an old cell phone. No wonder she gets things done, like this novel. I definitely recommend adding Cline’s book on your reading list. Also, it is a good idea for a Christmas present, too.

After reading the book I wanted to learn more about the Manson family (I am sure you will too, when you finish the last page of Cline’s book), so I downloaded the 12-part You Must Remember This podcast series, which concentrates on the Manson cult, on my phone. I listened to the episodes while I was out running. And oh boy, how the kilometers went by fast. Just try for yourself; I am sure this will be the most interesting podcast that you have ever listened to.

And I didn’t stop there. Recently, I bought Simon Liberati’s book California Girls from a Parisian wine bar bookshop. It deals with the life of the Manson family 32 hours before and after the Tate murders. It was an ambitious act, because I bought the book in French. So far I have started to read the book to my husband. He is not that excited, but I according to my French teacher: we have to read out loud. Anyway, when the subject is interesting, I am sure I can handle it in French, too.

Or at least it is good to stay optimistic.

If you are into drinking coffee and love the idea of spending time in cafés, M Train is a book for you. The book is all about atmosphere and capturing those moments when you are taking the first sip of coffee in a cozy café. Smith writes about her favorite cafés where she loves to drink her black coffee and take notes in her black Moleskine. The book is also about traveling, hotel rooms and a little bit about detective shows, too. (She loves to watch crime fiction, especially the tv series The Killing). M Train stands somewhere between self-reflection and nostalgia; in her book Smith is looking back on her life through traveling and different cafés. She shares her ideas, memories and dreams without adding an extra filter. She talks about her passion and places and people who have inspired her. Also, Smith shares her passion for reading, and as a reader you can find a list of good books to look into.

I started to like Patti Smith even more, when she mentioned that she liked the poetry of Sylvia Plath. She has even visited the poet’s grave in England three times. For me Plath represents a poet who I feel attached. It was her and her poetry, that kind of made me choose my path to study a theory of literature, in addition to Virginia Woolf, of course! At university I remember writing an essay on Plath’s published diary. In the future I also want to visit Sylvia Plath’s grave like she did.

In M Train I found that Smith has captured well the original, everyday moments, and especially those moments when you feel present and like “home”. As I was reading the book, I started to think of how often a cup of coffee is linked to some place I have felt present, happy and alive. For example having a coffee on an early summer morning by the sea. When you open the door and walk to the terrace with you’re a hot cup of coffee in your hands, looking over the sea. You know what I am talking about?

Funnily, through Patti Smith there is also link to my mother, who loves her books. Last Christmas I ordered Smith’s M Train, which was recently translated into Finnish, for my mother as a present. My mother was happy about the present, and she started to read the book immediately. My mother loved the book as she liked Just Kids the previous book by Smith. Also, I found certain similarities between my mother and Smith: they are both modest, down to earth kind of people who have a high regard to nature.

As I finished M Train, you might guess what I did. Well, I made myself a big mug of coffee, of course! And then I started a new book, this time about tea drinking.

Satu Adam

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Patti Smith’s M Train

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