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    		•  October paperback releases offer good choices for reading groups

    REVIEWS BY JULIE HALE

    Cover Will in the World
    Nominated for the National Book Award, this bio of the Bard was a surprise bestseller and a hit with critics. From the few facts indisputably known about Shakespeare, and from details picked out of the plays and sonnets, Harvard humanities professor Stephen Greenblatt constructs an insightful, highly readable narrative, bringing Elizabethan England—its political conspiracies, religious conflicts and artistic developments—to vivid life. Will in the World traces the course of Shakespeare's career, examining his early years in Stratford-upon-Avon, his struggles as an aspiring author who lacked social advantages and financial resources, and his maturation as a playwright. Greenblatt's account of this remarkable ascendancy is as entertaining as it is informative, and the Bard himself emerges as a sharply defined figure, one of the great geniuses of the age. Investigations into the life of Shakespeare's father and how his presence might later have affected his son's work are especially provocative. This smart, smoothly narrated volume also provides an accessible overview of the great writer's plays. Greenblatt has succeeded in reinvigorating a much-researched topic, producing a delightful study of Shakespeare's era and his art. A reading group guide is available online at www.wwnorton.com/rgguides.

    Cover The Electric Michelangelo
    Only 31, Hall proves herself an accomplished novelist with her second book, which was nominated for the Man Booker Prize. Set in the early 1900s, the narrative recounts the adventures of 15-year-old Cy Parks, who comes of age in a tourist town in England and serves as apprentice to a master tattooist named Eliot Riley. A belligerent alcoholic who excels at his art, Riley coaches Cy for 10 years before meeting a rather gruesome end. Cy, suddenly free to wander, travels to New York and opens a tattoo booth on Coney Island, billing himself as the "Electric Michelangelo." He soon meets Grace, a tightrope walker from Europe with a mysterious history. Charging Cy to illustrate her body with a special symbol—a green eye—Grace is transformed into his greatest work of art. Cy comes to love Grace, and together they witness the changes wrought by the First World War, including the rise of racial prejudice and religious and political fanaticism. But the heart of the story lies in the strangely fascinating world of the carnival, a society unto itself, at once appealing and repulsive, peopled with freaks, acrobats and other misfits. Hall has rendered this richly atmospheric tale in poetic prose and enlivened it with abundant period detail. Her book is also a profound examination of humanity's endless need for novelty—of the public's deep-seated desire to be entertained. A reading group guide is available at www.harperperennial.com.

    Cover War Trash
    This revelatory look at the Korean War earned Jin his second PEN/Faulkner Award. Based on extensive historical research, the novel tells the story of a group of Chinese soldiers (or "war trash") who were imprisoned by U.N. forces. Yu Yuan is one such soldier, a clerical officer who speaks English and serves as the novel's narrator. Sent to an internment camp on an island in the Sea of Japan, Yu finds himself embroiled in a violent battle of ideologies—a political clash within the camp waged by two groups of Chinese prisoners: the pro-Nationalists and the pro-Communists. Negotiating this tension-filled territory nearly costs Yu his life. Refusing to join the Nationalist side, he is branded (in more ways than one) a Communist and forced to suffer the consequences. Yu endures the deprivations of the camp, holding on to the hope that he will one day see his mother and his young fiancée, both of whom remain in China. His measured, understated account of the atrocities that occur creates a poignant narrative contrast, yet his voice is all the more believable for its reserve. This is a compelling, meticulously presented work of historical fiction that will resonate with readers. A reading group guide is available in print and online at www.readinggroupcenter.com.


    Has your club recently read an excellent book that sparked good group discussion? If so, BookPage would like to hear about it. Contact us at reading@bookpage.com with a description of the book and the reasons for your recommendation. We'll pass the top choices along to our readers.

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