This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud / review 

I loved the novel as well. It is one of those novels that I resented having to put down when I needed to go to work. Claire Messud writes lushly beautiful sentences that I found to be somewhat reminiscent of Proust (albeit, much easier to read). Great review of a great novel.

Ty Eric for your review and sharing your personal experience of family history. Really adds a poignancy to this video

it must have been so moving to hear your grandpa's voice after all this time. I was really attached to my grandparents from my mother's side. I wish I had something besides photos to remember them. My mother's maternal grandparents led quite an adventurous life as well. They came from Asia Minor but were forced to leave their homeland and considerable property due to world war one and ended up in Crete where my grandmother was born. My great grandparent managed to start a successful enterprise there but his sons lost everything, as they were great gamblers.

Always a pleasure to watch your videos:)

I have this in my TBR pile and will move it closer to the top now! I’m assuming this will be Booker long listed too.

What a truly wonderful gift your sister & Mom gave you. I'm slowly gathering my family history and finding it a great way to learn general history.

I am a big Isabel Allende fan and the structure seems similar to much of her work, so I think Eric, you have convinced me to invest in the hardback. Thank you.

This book sounds fascinating. Thank you for sharing your own story. I wish so much that I had a tape of my grand mother’s voice!

Hello Eric! This book sounds very interesting and I love that Borges is a character visiting a bookstore in Buenos Aires, because tomorrow is the day of the writer in Argentina. I was thinking about my favourite author I’m enjoying reading his book The Writer’s Apprenticeship. ❤

I can think of only one great Book which has a family theme at this point... It's called Molokai by Allen Brennert... This book is about Rachel and the second book called Daughter of Molokai follows her daughter.... it's an excellent book and can't recommend it enough!😊

great synchronicity eric.

Had I done this or that way back then possibly everything would be different now? idk, maybe but first of all how many momentous decisions can there possibly be in a world where so many decisions are false. They are false in the sense that they arrive as alternatives but break down under analysis as the only rational possibility. Should I have gone to Harvard? Hah, And how would you have paid for it, who would you know there? What preparations had you? However, perhaps a man at D-Day did have an important choice or more than one. My opinion is that such things are extremely rare and ordinary people - as we are - have few or no momentous choices.