The worse the world news becomes, the more I seem to be drawn to paying attention - like driving by a wreck on the freeway. As an antidote to that helpless feeling, I've also always been drawn to the fictional therapy of books such as Catch 22 and anything by Vonnegut. Here's another one. A Case of Exploding Mangoes takes the reader to that part of the world we just can't keep from watching with shivers of dread and fascination, and allows humor to provide the glimmer of a hope that maybe its all just an absurd joke.

Pat Barker's new novel is as condensed and impressionistic as her Regeneration trilogy is lengthy and detailed. In fact, it could be a section of a larger work as the reader is given glimpses of the lives of its characters as they are derailed from expected paths by the great war with their futures left unresolved. As a fan of Barker, I very much enjoyed this slim novel and recommend it to those who have enjoyed the trilogy as well as those who have read Ian McEwan's Atonementand On Chesil Beach with pleasure.