July 2017 Reviews

The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood
4/5
1985 Kindle
Amazon gift voucher

When I was given a gift voucher for my birthday and told I had to spend it on books, there was little problem choosing what I would go for. Unlike most people, I have no issue with TV or Film adaptations of novels. Although I would probably prefer to read the book first, if I see the film and then get around to the book, I don't feel the same outrage or bile about it either way. I had just finished watching all ten of the MGM studio production of The Handmaid's Tale, starring Elizabeth Moss, and was ready to see what the original ideas were on paper.

My kindle copy started with a foreword from Atwood herself after the series had aired, and while I found it really interesting to hear her musings on her own work and the adaptation, and although I had already seen the show, there were a number of spoilers in it! Anyway, I read swiftly on and was quickly immersed in the story.

It is gripping and overwhelming which is why I have put it on a list of books I would read again. I feel like I was washed with horror of the society and I need to steel myself and read it again soon with a closer reading. No wonder it is studied in schools.

The Muse
Jesse Burton
3/5
Picador 2016 Kindle
Amazon gift voucher

A vast improvement on The Miniaturist but gaining less traction than her first book, The Muse explores the history of a mysterious painting. With two timelines running alongside each other, when the painting was made in 30s Spain and the discovery in the present day 60s London the fate of the painting and its artist is slowly revealed. The best thing about The Miniaturist is that it was a well written page turner of a book and The Muse has the same quality.

Where The Miniaturist fell down was two many story lines, too many plot twists, and a hint of magical realism that ended up not being magical at all, which was very disappointing. The Muse felt a little stunted in terms of imagination in this respect, while the Miniaturist felt like an incredible story that in the end got wound up too simply, The Muse was stripped down and in the end too quite a predictable turn although there was one twist in the tale.

Although the marketing doesn't really reflect this, I think The Muse is the more readable text but it lacks the flair and imagination that The Miniaturist had. Burton could explore the wilder side of her story lines but tie them up as neatly as The Muse.

May 2017 Reviews

The English Patient
Michael Ondaatje
4/5
Bloomsbury 1992 Paperback
Mummy's Library

An improvement on the first book of his, I think it helped that I knew the story from the film. I enjoyed the beauty of the writing and the intricacies of the narrative. Like Anil's Ghost the story leaped around in time, which could be confusing at times. But It was better handled with more in depth characters. 

I loved the sections with moose, which was explored more thoroughly in the book than in the film. The relationship between Kip and the Patient and Hannah is also more detailed and interesting. In fact I'd say Kip was the most interesting character in the book. What was a nice detail that the film captured in a more nuanced way was the musical aspect of the Patient's personality and the use of music in the film is expertly applied. That's more difficult to get across in the book and actually there was far more of a focus on the books and reading that he had done than the music. I'm into that...

Very enjoyable read. I'd say the style is still a little flowery for me, but it calmed down to carry a great story. 


Dirty Great Love Story
Richard Marsh and Katie Bonna
5/5
Bloomsbury 30/4/2013 Paperback
Birthday gift from Z

Fabulous. I read it in about 2 hours and absolutely loved it. In fact I wanted to read it DURING my own birthday party and got told off. It's a transcript of a play that we went to see, a two man show that tells the story of Katie and Richard and how they met.

The experience of reading it was very different from the performance, but I think it helped that I was able to imprint the voices of the actors as I was reading. Similarly the pauses and visual gags which I remembered as I read it again. Not only is this is brilliant play as itself, its such a good gift because I have the memory of the night out with the girls as well.

The play is written in rhyme and is modern and funny, with clever ways of invoking scene and atmosphere. It's a two person production which is dealt with brilliantly live. The actors each play at least two other characters in the story which is done physically and vocally on stage. In print this is easier to get across as the character name changes. I loved rereading this and as the play is no longer touring I recommend reading the play version.

April 2017 Reviews

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
Leslye Walton
3/5
Candlewick 25/3/14 Hardback
Internship Haul

Since I tried to read one hundred years of solitude I tend to stay away from magical realism. But unlike the unreadable mess that is OHYS the Ava Lavender story is the stuff of true imagination. It's a beautiful story of love, or acceptance and of strange brutality. I was captivated by this book. The madness of the events is smooth and although the characters talk to ghosts or turn into canaries or don't talk at all, I believe that all of the characters have so much human depth.

It's aimed at teenagers and was a fairly quick and easy read. I read it at the start of my holidays and it was perfect for that half asleep reading that might happen on a plane.  It's beautiful for younger readers and capturing imagination, just the sort of thing I would have read at 15 or 16 and loved. I think I could find my self rolling my eyes at the ridiculousness of some of the story which is why it only got 3 out of 5.


A Little Life
Hanya Yanagihara
4/5
Picador 21/5/15 Kindle
Amazon

I can sum up this book in one word. Powerful. I finished the last 400 pages at once and spent the whole day in bed to finish it. If you don't cry while reading this book, that would be surprising because it is overwhelming. The Man Booker podcast said that people might find A little life to be a difficult read. I interpreted that as very highfalutin writing, but actually they meant in terms of harrowing story line. It follows the friendship of four friends throughout their lives. But largely focusing on the character of Jude. If you've read Jude the Obscure, or any Hardy novel you'll know its one awful thing after another and I'd say apply the same expectation to this.

It should come with a trigger warning on it for sensitive issues and I did find it quite upsetting. Its a very raw story. Overall, I think it is worth reading the Man booker prize winner. It's long and moving and well written. I'd probably want it to be a couple of chapters shorter, but then you don't get the level of set up that I think was wanted. I found my self skim reading some of it to get to the juicy emotional stuff, which was plentiful. It that way it was a little bit like live plastic surgery, you can't really look away, but the gruesome bits are the best.


The Colour Purple
Alice Walker
4/5
1982 Paperback
Mummy's Library

Great book. From the start Walker will have you hooked. There are subtleties in the writing which are genius. at the start the language is halting and colloquial, but but the end there is a confidence in the voice.

I had seen the film before I read the book but I was absolutely carried away with the narrative the loops of which I think are simplified and left unexplored in the film. Plus of course the book goes further into their lives after the climax.

It got my tear of approval, I don't think it is possible to read this book and not cry at some of the most harrowing or uplifting moments. The relationships between Celie and everyone she interacts with are nuanced and detailed and give a real insight into the character's thoughts and opinions. I actually think it is the kind of book I would pick up again.



The Sultan's Organ
John Mole
3/5
Fortune 26/4/12 Paperback
Mummy's library

What a fun and interesting little book. An edited almost original manuscript of someone who thought to document their voyage to Istanbul. Complete with misadventures and too much wine eventually the delivery of the organ is made. Actually there wasn't nearly enough focus on the organ itself or people's reactions except that the sultan was pleased. Unfortunately the organ itself was destroyed by the sultan's brother who took an axe to it. Which is a real shame.

The history of this gift is very interesting, but the book doesn't quite do it justice. It is also a shame that none of the original organs by the same maker have been preserved and so there is no comparison to visit in the UK. Luckily I had an interest in the subject having listened to a podcast about the relationship between England and Istanbul in the 18th century. It's a quick easy read (1.5 hrs) but a little too much focus on the voyage rather than the events in Istanbul.

January Reviews

Sea of Poppies
Amitav Ghosh
4/5
John Murray 16/4/2009 Paperback
Christmas Haul
One of a trilogy, which does make it a little different. I will not be reading any of the other books in this series BUT as you can see from the ranking, that doesn't suggest I didn't enjoy Sea of Poppies. The main take away is the characters. They are all brilliant and nuanced and I thought they interacted really well. The characters developed and changed as we went along. It was important that there were a number of story lines to tie together.
Another reason I absolutely loved the book is because it centres around opium. Opium was my specialist subject at Uni and I try to extend the interest now. From the cultivation and effects to the start of the opium wars, it's all in there.
The only reason it doesn't get full marks is the ending. It doesn't hold up as a stand alone book enough for me. I've decided not to carry on the series because I've warned off the other books that aren't so good as the first one, and it then leaves me with a slightly jarring ending. But it's definitely worth a read if you're interested in India or opium, or a jolly good read!




Umbrella
Will Self
/
Bloomsbury 16/8/12 Paperback
Christmas Haul
Gutted that I had to give up. I want to return to this Will Self book once I have time to get lost in it. I have been too busy to appreciate it though. I heard Will Self read an excerpt from Umbrella at a reading once and so I know that you have to read it in the same way that you approach Ulysses, dramatically, full throttle, letting the language flow over you and catching at characters as they jump around in time.
I WILL read it. I haven't given it a score yet because I think that would be unfair.
For anyone thinking of picking up Umbrella, I must suggest that you consider saving it for curling up in a corner in a pub for hours rather than a commuters book. You can't be absorbing the delicate details of the writing while someone else's actual umbrella presses wetly against your work trousers.

The Underground Bookclub - September Reviews

I've talked about Books on the Underground before on my blog because I love the idea so much. Imagine my DELIGHT when I found out about the Underground bookclub which runs on Mondays once a month. I have been swamped recently with preparing for dance championships in Cardiff and then Hong Kong and have had to make my excuses for two book clubs so far. I am so desperate to join one though! I hope that the Books on the Underground team won't ostracise me quite yet for failing to attend.

The start of  September kicked off with two incredible crime novels both of which I received from Books on the Underground. They always use recycled envelopes to send their books and I once got a little note saying: "We're saving the planet one envelope at a time" I was sold, what a brilliant company.

So, how can you join the Underground bookclub? Visit their website here and follow the instructions. I can't tell you more, it is meant to be Underground after all... #mystery.

The Life I Left Behind
Colette McBeth
Headline 1/1/15 Paperback
4/5
Books On The Underground

It gave me a particular thrill to leave behind, The Life I Left Behind on the tube once I'd finished it for someone else to enjoy. The story was very well written from the perspective of a victim of attempted murder and the voice of the victim of a successful murder. The story follows the historical attempted murder through the investigation of the successful one. I have to say, the pace was absolutely spot on. This was a real page turner, and rather than petering out at the end it got really exciting right up until the final pages. McBeth certainly has a real talent for crime. I'd read another of her books and would recommend reading TLILB. There are some who won't enjoy the 'lovely bones' style ghostly narrator, but I thought it was well done and definitely a gripping yarn.

There were a few problems I had with it: one was that I thought that all of the men were demonized pretty badly. While the female characters were nuanced and well thought out the men seemed extremely simple in contrast. Perhaps the depth of the female characters just completely dominated them. Initially I found the original victim to be a simpering and tiresome character, one review on amazon has called her 'Moaning Melody' which could not be more apt...As the story developed however, her history and her reactions changed and I absolutely fell in love by the end. Another thing I didn't like was that when the murder victim is discovered and its all public the original victim looks at her picture and instantly decides she likes her, and imagines them both as friends. I thought that was a bit obvious and made Eve seem a bit like the innocent angel, which no one is. I thought it was very well done.

Burnt Paper Sky
Gilly Macmillan
Piatkus 27/8/15 Paperback
4/5
Books On The Underground

If you like Gone Girl...you might be disappointed with this one. Burnt Paper Sky is an excellent read, that much is certain, I didn't see the ending coming, I kept turning pages and I liked the different view points from the mother and within the police department. The story follows a mother after her son is taken from the woods without a trace. Dealing with the press and projecting the wrong image (reminiscent of Nick in Gone Girl...) was an interesting thing as from the readers perspective you feel on the mothers side, to show the public opinion the story is also peppered with blog posts and news items and police bulletins with comments.

I felt that the book was very good, I had particular interest in it as I was around at the literary agent when the manuscript was sold so I felt very excited about reading it. It WAS perhaps too reminiscent of Gone Girl with a different spin and unfortunately I thought it was a shame that the two were so similar as it detracted from BPS' own style. I do think it is worth a read for crime fans, particularly parents I think would relate more with the story as it involves child abductions. I also found the inclusion of statistics to do with missing children to be very interesting. The family history down the sister's storyline was a bit of a bum note for me, I thought it was unnecessary, as did many other reviewers. Overall I enjoyed it, but it was not as memorable as I wanted it to be, maybe my expectations were too high.

The Chimes
Anna Smaill
Sceptre 12/2/15 Kindle
3/5
Amazon Kindle

Ambitious is what I would say about Chimes. I thought it would be a brilliant change to spice up the Man Booker list this year which was looking a bit dower. It didn't make it to the shortlist and now, having read it, I can see why. It was an incredible idea which really ought to be a series. I thought the second half seemed rushed to cram the story in and it got a bit lost after that. The move from London to Oxford in a re imagined world was a bit too close to the Northern Lights and The Bone Season ideas and unfortunately isn't nearly done as well. I will now deal with a minor spoiler. For those in the know: the relationship between Simon and Lucien which takes a turn...was an utterly unnecessary plot point that adds nothing and appears to be there to do something to make the two characters more of a team, which honestly was pointless. It was also done with a rather blunt style and painted a rather ridiculous relationship.

It definitely was a beautiful read to begin with, although the history eventually began to come out I honestly wasn't that interested. It was difficult. On the one hand it's a mamoth story with a mamoth style to go with it and was rushed into a single narrative and it suits it to stay within that style and just keep getting more mad. I thought the idea could have been handled more simply and been a smaller story beautifully written and nuanced but I think Smaill just had to run with what she had. It's a shame; I think she has incredible potential as a writer but the narrative was rushed and not thought out well enough to build a single good book.



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