The Borrowed Book Club

Nikolai Gogol is a celebrated 19th century Ukranian-Russian author, who produced a wealth of fiction during his lifetime. The Nose  is one of his short stories, and follows 'Major' Kovalyov, a Russian official who wakes up one day to find his nose is missing from his face. There is no sign of it having been forcefully removed, and as Kovalyov heads to the police station, with a handkerchief over the space where his nose should be, he sees his nose masquerading as a councillor, quite unnoticed by other passers-by. The story continues in a similarly ridiculous fashion as Kovalyov attempts to get his nose back. Eventually it is found, and one day Kovalyov wakes up to find that it has reattached itself, allowing him to recommence his normal life. This satirical and fun short story can be seen as a precursor of sorts to magical realism, as it intertwines fantastic elements with an otherwise realistic narration. The story's Russian title Nos ( Нoc) is the reverse of the Russ...

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer  is German author Patrick Süskind's most renowned novel, translated into 25 different languages with millions of copies sold worldwide. Having read Perfume , I can easily see why as it is quite unlike any other novel I have ever read. Set in 18th century France, Perfume follows Grenouille, an orphaned boy, from the moment of his birth to the moment of his death. Grenouille is remarkable for his sense of smell, which is fantastically heightened to mean that he can identify any smell, no matter how indistinct or clouded with other scents it is, and remember it forever. His other remarkable trait is that he bears no personal odour, meaning he often passes unnoticed. Throughout the novel Grenouille knows no love and shows no love, except for particular scents, but his desire to obtain the perfect scent leads him to a series of murders as he creates the best manner of preserving the an individual's scent. This culminates in him murdering the girl ...

Karen Wallace's 'Wendy' is inspired by J.M. Barrie's children's classic 'Peter Pan', focusing on the Darling children before their encounter with Peter. However, the world that Wallace creates is barely recognisable as that of Barrie's Darlings aside from the Edwardian setting and the characters' names. The novel acts as an exposé of the family, as Wendy accidentally stumbles upon her father having an affair, causing the world as she knows it to change forever. Shortly after this, the children go to stay with their childless aunt and uncle, who live in the countryside. While they are away, their father knocks some people over with his motor car during a Suffragette protest and his picture makes the front page of the paper, meaning that he loses his job and turns to drink, leaving his family caught up in debt and scandal.  Without the tenuous link to 'Peter Pan', 'Wendy' would be far more credible as a novel as it carries its own...