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Hazel (1853 KP) rated The House at the Edge of the Night in Books

Dec 7, 2018

The House at the Edge of the Night

Catherine Banner | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Romance

8.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Castellamare, a small island off the south coast of Italy, is the perfect setting for a captivating epic tale that traces a family from the beginning of the 1900s until the more recent year of 2009. Centred at the island’s only bar ‘The House at the Edge of the Night’, the island inhabitants suffer through two world wars, fascism, tourism and recession, however, the bar determinedly stays standing. But what happens in the rest of the world is largely ignored by the island dwellers that prefer to come to the bar to learn about friendships, betrayals and love affairs.

The House at the Edge of the Night begins on the mainland where the Dr Esposito removes the foundling Amadeo from care. Following in his foster father’s footsteps, Amadea Esposito trains to be a doctor and eventually lands himself a position on Castellamare. Having never had a doctor on the island before, Amadeo is welcomed by almost everyone, however, an illicit affair puts an end to his career. Fortunately, The House at the End of the Night provides Amadeo with an income and a home for his new wife, Pina, and his four children.

The story takes the reader through the Second World War, something that is interesting to read from the Italian’s point of view. Rejecting fascism, the Islanders are enraged when their boys are called up to join the war, especially as many, including Amadeo’s three boys, never return. With only a daughter, Maria-Grazia, remaining, the Esposito’s keep the bar going for lack of anything better to do.

But war brings good things as well as bad. Washed up on sure, the British soldier Robert brings good luck to the superstitious villagers, eventually marrying the lovely Maria-Grazia. The story continues through the childhood of their unruly boys, coming to an end as their granddaughter reaches adulthood.

A doctor and a barman, Amadeo also had a love for stories. Listening to his patients and patrons fantastical tales, Amadeo keeps note of them all in his personal notebook. Split into five parts, the book contains a story at the beginning of each section that, although mythical, set the scene for the subsequent narrative.

Alienated from the rest of the world, the Islanders are stuck in their ways, attributing any luck – good and bad – to their patron saint, Sant’Agata. Whenever life gets tough, the people on Castellamare turn to prayer, which although is part of their Catholic faith, often comes across as superstitious and irrational. They refuse to believe any logical explanation, preferring to regard their island as a magical, preternatural site.

There is no specific storyline with the usual climax and conclusion; instead, it works as a biography of a fictional family. It is interesting to regard the impact of the rapidly developing world on the island, from the introduction of a building society and the eventual launch of the Europe – something that the Islanders are naturally against. The inhabitants of Castellamare come across as naïve, but their backgrounds and beliefs are far more interesting than the average person.

The House at the Edge of the Night is a story of stories. It provides more than to be expected from a novel. Catherine Banner writes of beautiful settings, compelling characters and fascinating events that both amuse and entertain in a moving way.

With Victoria Hislop’s novels such as The Island being all the rage amongst many female readers, Catherine Banner’s The House at the Edge of the Night is destined for success. It is a great book to read on holiday or at home, and perfect for book clubs. This book is the ideal escape from the stresses of everyday life.

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James Koppert (2698 KP) rated The Captain (AKA Der Hauptmann) (2017) in Movies

Nov 16, 2019

The Captain (AKA Der Hauptmann) (2017)

2017 | Biography, History, International

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Great Direction (0 more)

Scary that the is true (0 more)

Shocking true story

At the end of the second world war Germany was on it's knees. People were looting jut to survive. Willi Herold was one such person. A deserter paratrooper, he was caught and chased by an officer and manages to escape where he finds an abandoned car and in the back a Captains uniform which he dons and takes the identity of. What follows is like an adults Lord of the Flies. This is a dark piece of history and hard to believe it is true. The director chooses ways of showing him surrounded by lunacy as they slip more and more into lunacy and darkness.
Brilliant film of a story I didn't even know about until I saw it.

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Aviation Abbreviation Dictionary

Reference and Education

(0 Ratings) Rate It

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An aviation tool which helps you search FAA abbreviations and also large and medium sized airports...

Personalization Techniques and Recommender Systems

Gulden Uchyigit and Matthew Y. Ma

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The phenomenal growth of the Internet has resulted in huge amounts of online information, a...

Yoko Ono recommended A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness in Books (curated)

A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness

Nassir Ghemi | 2013 | Biography, Business & Finance, History & Politics

(0 Ratings)

Book Favorite

"At first this book first gives you a ‘reader’s digest’ version of how the world leaders really were. That’s interesting enough. But it goes on to show you how the brain works when a person is depressed, and how to overcome it. It is fascinating and full of important information. I kept reading thinking “great to know the other side of our leaders we didn’t know.” But then, in the end, there is a surprise! It shows the current scientific findings of the link between depression and empathy, we knew only as a moral and idealistic trait. Now it seems they found a point of brain that corresponds to empathy, scientifically, which is connected to depression, its cause, and also as its cure."

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