Books May-June 2026

Unquiet, Linn Ullman

Reads like an autobiography but is described as fiction which is tricky. I thought it was all true, no doubt because of this review (probably behind a paywall in the TLS) which inspired me to read it. Her parents are Ingmar Bergman and Liv Ullman. I’ve always loved his films, and her in them and have read quite a bit about them. Complicated lives! I’ve seen a documentary about Bergman and his houses on Faro where he spent time on holidays & then lived permanently after retiring. Linn is his ninth child after five marriages and his short intimate relationship with Liv before another marriage. Although she kept working with him and through their sharing of Linn remained involved in his life. Linn spent her holidays with him with various half sisters and brothers coming and going. I was surprised at the closeness of these siblings. Transcripts of conversations between father and daughter when he was very old and nearing death give insights into Bergman, alongside her memories of those holidays. There’s also a lot about Liv who is still alive. I wonder what she thinks of the chaotic upbringing that Linn describes here – absent mother, lots of lovers coming and going, hopeless nannies etc. A relatively short and very enjoyable read. My only caveat I’m not sure which is true and which fiction as the author alludes to here in this interview.

The Art of a Lie, Laura Shepherd-Robinson

A romp. And extremely enjoyable. Similar to a Heyer. Set in Georgian England. Let kneed to Fingersmith in the review I read in the English Spectator. Two engaging lead characters who both have secrets. The author John Fielding plays a significant role as a magistrate – one he played in his real life. I checked Wikipedia and all the references to him are accurate. There’s an interesting post-script from the author describing the historical facts she drew on in writing the book. But only read that after the book as it contains spoilers for what is a fun, twisty tale.

Murder In Paris ‘68, Edward Chisholm

I’ve heard about the Markovic Affair and found this book which tells you all about it at a lovely little book store near the Westgarth cinema. It’s a terrific read. Like a thriller. Stevan Markovic was a Yugoslav refugee in Paris in the sixties. He had some sort of relationship with the film star Alain Delon – friend, bodyguard, stand-in on film sets? It’s all a bit ambiguous. He certainly lived in Delon’s house and spent a lot of time with him. He’s murdered and the question is by whom? Despite a very long investigation involving lots of people no answer has ever been forthcoming. The author has delved into the thousands of boxes of material amassed over the years. Witness statements, police interrogations, the lot. The seamy side of French / Parisian life is revealed in all it’s ugliness. Plus some vignettes about acting and films including in Hollywood where Delon ventured for a while. It’s during the sixties and the 1968 riots come into the story along with some political manoeuvring between De Gaulle and Pompidou. The author maintains that after the Second World War the experiences of those involved in the resistance embedded a form of violence throughout all French institutions – political, cultural, police and judiciary. It’s interesting. I love Alain Delon – so handsome! Amazing in Purple Noon and beautiful in The Leopard. The author wants to pin the crime on him – as did the police but he comes through unscathed from the lengthy police interviews – one lasting thirty five hours! I think the author conflates the actor with his roles too much. But the book took me back to his films. We watched Le Samourai after I read this and I’d really like to see La Piscine. He made so many films. A bit lengthy and a sometimes confusing cast of characters but I enjoyed this a lot. But maybe just for Delon afficiandos.

Piranesi, Susanna Clarke

The young people in my life were all keen on this novel but I was not so enamoured. Although it does take you into a believable world apart. Where a young man watches tides, fishes and walks through a labyrinth of corridors leading through expansive rooms full of monumental statues. There was a real Piranesi who was famous for his drawings of mythical worlds full of buildings, statues and labyrinths. In the novel this becomes another world known to the ancients full of secret knowledge about power and the meaning of life. The writing is very good and the world conjured up is amazing but I didn’t find it a very enjoyable read. Although I got to the end because it’s a very short book.

My Phantoms, Gwendoline Riley

One that I’ve had on the shelf for ages. Bought from the Guardian bookshop I suspect due to the hard cover. A slight book about the narrator’s difficult relationship with her mother. Beautiful writer from one of Granta’s young novelists of the year a while back. Too slight a story for me. There was no backstory to explain the mother’s strange behaviour though it caught the painful lack of affinity between mother and daughter very well.

Golden Age

A friend collects Green Penguin editions of novels from the Golden Age of Detective fiction. I’m especially interested in those by women.I liked The Watersplash a lot. It includes a very Miss Marpleish figure in a Miss Silver. A prodigal son returns from Russia of all places (written in 1954). A ne’er do well drunk dies in the tiny bit of water at a stepping stone crossing over a stream- the watersplash of the title. Accident or murder? A missing will, a loyal friend and and a girl on the make. Quirky village characters. The usual. I worked out who dun it which I suppose is a failing. I also liked Suddenly At His Residence although it took me a while to get into it. Awful old man using his will to control family members – who initially I didn’t like. Too many cruel jokes and upper class play acting. But they grew on me. A couple of romantic tangles. A cartoonish detective – not as good as a Poirot or a Marple. Reputation For A Song is less a who dun it than a will they get away with it. We start in a courtroom and end up there. In the middle we get the backstory. A lazy boy, his wicked mother and a cast of amoral, duplicitous characters. Do jury trials provide justice? The author’s a barrister. I wonder what he thinks. Very powerful writing.

Sorry, Gail Jones

I picked this up ages ago from the little library across the road. I really like Gail Jones and this is an early book of hers, published in 2007. Terrific writing and a good story. English immigrants – father, mother, daughter – find themselves in the harsh Australian outback, inland from Broome. Dysfunctional relationships. Mother a lover of Shakespeare and prone to quoting him – which I liked a lot. Landscape and characters vividly drawn. A mute boy, an Aboriginal girl and the English daughter form a bond. There’s a death and suppressed memories. War intrudes – a little known to me at any rate real life bombing at Broome. Sensitive portrayal of local Indigenous people and how they were treated at the time – nineteen forties and fifties. We follow our gang to Perth. Beautifully written, you care about them all. Recommended.

Offshore, Penelope Fitzgerald

As soon as I started reading this I realised I had already done so, but a long time ago and I couldn’t remember much. It’s a slice of life among the barge dwellers on the Thames. Lovely writing. Nicely drawn characters who you care about. A gentle story nicely told.

Changing, Liv Ullman

It was great to read this after her daughter’s book covering the same period. It all substantiates Linn Ullman’s account. This isn’t a regular autobiography, rather a series of snapshots from her life and her musings about life in general. All is as Linn has described – a continuous round of work, relationships and unease about all of it. Glimpses of Ingmar and the island that feature in Linn’s book. Overwhelming feelings of guilt about mothering responsibilities and a clear view of the ups and downs of an actor’s life. Tantalising glimpses of Hollywood – an evening with Henry Kissinger, handling being an Oscar nominee. And even more tantalising suggestions that leave more questions than answers – lost in the White House, a glimpse of a King’s bedroom, a famous blue-eyed actor. Really well written. Seems very honest. She’s pretty hard on herself but you come away admiring her. Recommended.