long and winding road
Author : A.M. Baklar
Title : Madame Mephisto
Published : 05/04/12
Pages : 240
Format : Paperback
Publisher : Stork Press Ltd
What would you talk about if you were stuck in a room with a drug dealer for five days? Magda, a Polish immigrant, grows cannabis in underground containers in eastern Poland and ships it to the UK. But her plans change when she has to attend a funeral of a family member and she only has five days to convince her mysterious listener to help her expand her empire. Magda begins to tell the unexpected story of her life - the cover jobs in London, the strained relationship with her family who know nothing about who Magda really is, and her development as a cannabis dealer. Can you trust somebody who is two people, and how do you know when to believe a professional liar?
After reading the blurb for this book I thought it was kind of an interesting premise. An alternative side to the immigration story. I think for the most part people coming to the U.K are looking for a better life Magda seem to be wanting this but decides to go about it in a different way. I was also intrigued by the prospect of the mystery element who is talking to over the five days and is she telling the truth.
Through out the book we come to learn the life of Magda and her ups and downs. She is defiantly some one who breads intrigue. Magda feels like a very strong person. She has her beliefs and doesn't really seem to care all that much what others think of her. She is driven to do what every it takes to survive in the world she has chosen to inhabit. Yes the path she has chosen is an illegal one but she is fully intent on become the best at what she does. Is she a likable person not really she can be comely ruthless in her pursuits. And to be honest I doubt we would get along if we where ever to meet. This doesn't how ever make her and interesting person to get to know. There seems to be very few people she chose to trust and for that matter like. She has her partner on the U.K side of her growing empire some one who knows her illegal activities but I think less so about her life outside of this. She also has her sister who knows some of the things she is up to but not all. Her sister is also really the only person she will listen to. For the most part we only get little snapshots of these people. The story is more about Magda and i'm fine with this there was enough going on with her to hold my interest.
This book plays out like a fictitious biography in many respect. Although she spend the book talking to a mystery person Magda is essentially telling her life story. The author has clearly done her research on the topic of cannabis dealing in the U.K And the information she relays comes across as genuine and plausible. This is not a book of gangland deals gone wrong and shoot outs with the cops. Altogether it feels a lot more grounded. Then we come to the other side of this story one about immigration. Magda has chosen to leave her home country to start a new. The author doesn't shy away from the more difficult side of this. Not every one will be happy to have some one from another country starting at there job or moving in next door. Baklar sow the isolation that can be born from this. In Magda's case this is probably not such a bad thing what with her other job. But I would imagine for a lot of others this can be a very difficult thing to come to terms with. The author poses the question of where our home truly lies. Is the country we are born in really the place we are meant to spend our whole lives in. I've been luck enough to have known a few people from Poland who have chosen to make England there home all for different reasons and some for permanent and some short term. Its a thing I still have some difficulty getting my head around. Would I give up my home in England for a chance at a better life in another country. There are several sections dedicated to the interactions of Magda and her mother. Some of these made me laugh the way our parents see us I think is very different from how we see our selves. I've also come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter where we are from our mothers will always think they know best. For Magda its her mother wanting her to come back home and find a good man and settle down. There is also the topic of identity and what it really means to us. Can this be an ever changing thing or our we set on a path in our early years never to step of the path. Through these short 240 pages a lot takes place it is a difficult journey for every one concerned and by the time I got to the end I felt I had been on a long journey dealing with some very serious topics. As I said there are lighter moments breaking this up The things we go through with our family's can bring us to tears of both sadness and joy. There is also the mystery of who Magda is talking to throughout the book and while several times I thought I had it figured out it was till towards the end of the book that I finally got it. I liked the way that this is subtly hinted out and slowly builds to the reveal.
This is a book I don't think will appeal to everyone. Whilst I enjoyed it I feel some will not care for Magda or how she lives her life. Like I said she isn't the best of people but for me why read about some one like myself when there is so much more out there. The author style keeps the book from getting bogged down and I made my way through her story in one sitting. I found this a fascinating book are left me with many question not only about Magda but how I see the people around me and the lives the chose to live.
This book plays out like a fictitious biography in many respect. Although she spend the book talking to a mystery person Magda is essentially telling her life story. The author has clearly done her research on the topic of cannabis dealing in the U.K And the information she relays comes across as genuine and plausible. This is not a book of gangland deals gone wrong and shoot outs with the cops. Altogether it feels a lot more grounded. Then we come to the other side of this story one about immigration. Magda has chosen to leave her home country to start a new. The author doesn't shy away from the more difficult side of this. Not every one will be happy to have some one from another country starting at there job or moving in next door. Baklar sow the isolation that can be born from this. In Magda's case this is probably not such a bad thing what with her other job. But I would imagine for a lot of others this can be a very difficult thing to come to terms with. The author poses the question of where our home truly lies. Is the country we are born in really the place we are meant to spend our whole lives in. I've been luck enough to have known a few people from Poland who have chosen to make England there home all for different reasons and some for permanent and some short term. Its a thing I still have some difficulty getting my head around. Would I give up my home in England for a chance at a better life in another country. There are several sections dedicated to the interactions of Magda and her mother. Some of these made me laugh the way our parents see us I think is very different from how we see our selves. I've also come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter where we are from our mothers will always think they know best. For Magda its her mother wanting her to come back home and find a good man and settle down. There is also the topic of identity and what it really means to us. Can this be an ever changing thing or our we set on a path in our early years never to step of the path. Through these short 240 pages a lot takes place it is a difficult journey for every one concerned and by the time I got to the end I felt I had been on a long journey dealing with some very serious topics. As I said there are lighter moments breaking this up The things we go through with our family's can bring us to tears of both sadness and joy. There is also the mystery of who Magda is talking to throughout the book and while several times I thought I had it figured out it was till towards the end of the book that I finally got it. I liked the way that this is subtly hinted out and slowly builds to the reveal.
This is a book I don't think will appeal to everyone. Whilst I enjoyed it I feel some will not care for Magda or how she lives her life. Like I said she isn't the best of people but for me why read about some one like myself when there is so much more out there. The author style keeps the book from getting bogged down and I made my way through her story in one sitting. I found this a fascinating book are left me with many question not only about Magda but how I see the people around me and the lives the chose to live.
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