Book Reviews Thread

[Brother]

You know the drill. This is the place where all you budding writers can freely express your views on all of your favourite books, past and present.

I'm sure by now that you know we expect a fairly decent level of review. Effort, no less than two hundred words and some sort of grade or grading system preferably.

Current Reviews

Wilkie Collins - Basil (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=196488&postcount=2) Nicola
Wilkie Collins - Armadale (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=203759&postcount=3) Nicola
Samuel Richardson - Pamela, Or Virture Rewarded (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=203974&postcount=4) Nicola
Ian McEwan - Atonement (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=203981&postcount=5) Nicola
John Buchan - The Thirty-Nine Steps (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=208709&postcount=6) Nicola
Richard Matheson - I Am Legend (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=212801&postcount=7) Mord Sith
Gaston Leroux - The Phantom of the Opera (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=220942&postcount=8) Nicola
Markus Zusak - The Book Thief (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=221686&postcount=9) Mord Sith
Jahnna N. Malcom - Love Letters (Perfect Strangers) (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=221822&postcount=10) Midnight
Dirk Wittenborn - Fierce People (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=221852&postcount=11) Mord Sith
Harauki Murakami - Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=221860&postcount=12) Enemy Airship
Herman Melville - Mody Dick (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=221862&postcount=13) Enemy Airship
Philip Pullman - Northern Lights (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=221995&postcount=14) Raebus
Alice Walker - The Color Purple (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=222051&postcount=15) Sensi Hawso
Audrey Niffenegger - The Time Traveler’s Wife (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=222534&postcount=16) Mord Sith
George R.R. Martin - A Game of Thrones (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=231793&postcount=17) Mord Sith
Aldous Huxley - Brave New World (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=235507&postcount=18) Mord Sith
Raymond E. Feist - Magician (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=235541&postcount=19) Clopert
George R.R. Martin - A Clash of Kings (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=241197&postcount=20) Mord Sith
Yevgeny Zamyatin - We (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=241621&postcount=21) Mord Sith
D.W. Dahlquist - The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=242272&postcount=22) Nem
Lionel Shriver - The Post-Birthday World (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=242273&postcount=23) Mord Sith
Gerard Donovan - Julius Winsome - (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=242279&postcount=24) Nem
Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid's Tale (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=243236&postcount=25) Mord Sith
Cormac McCarthy - Blood Meridian (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=243394&postcount=26) Nem
Andrew O'Hagan - Be Near Me (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=243402&postcount=27) Nem
Haruki Murakami - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=248362&postcount=28) John Galt
Kazuo Ishiguro - Never Let Me Go (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=254006&postcount=29) Nem
William Gibson - Neuromancer (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=254642&postcount=30) Mord Sith
Cormac McCarthy - The Road (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=254686&postcount=31) Enemy Airship
Lionel Shriver - Double Fault (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=255184&postcount=32) Mord Sith
Yann Martel - Life of Pi (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=255254&postcount=33) Nem
David Mitchell - Cloud Atlas (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=255417&postcount=34) Nem
Anne Enright - The Gathering (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=257471&postcount=35) Nem
David Mitchell - Black Swan Green (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=259445&postcount=36) Mord Sith
Richard Montanari - The Skin Gods (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=259546&postcount=37) Nem
Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=259547&postcount=38) Clopert
Tana French - In The Woods (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=260565&postcount=39) Mord Sith
Jean Rhys - Wide Sargasso Sea (Prequel to Jane Eyre) (http://forums.ffinsider.net/showpost.php?p=263771&postcount=40) Nicola

Any reviews will be repped.

[Nicola]

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Author: Wilkie Collins
Title: Basil
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'Basil', being one of Collins earlier works, was never going to be as exciting or thrilling as his later novels 'The Woman in White' and 'The Moonstone'. I ventured to expect this when I voluntarily picked this book up to see the roots of the later masterpieces.

'Basil' is the beginning of the mystery thriller that Collins would adopt later on, and the inferiority of his treatment of this genre is easy to see. Whereas in 'The Moonstone' things were difficult to predict, and unable to see where things are going, the signs in 'Basil' are not discreet enough, there are no red herrings, what you read are the glaringly obvious hints that lead the story on and lead you to guess the subsequent events. This makes reading 'Basil' a lot less thrilling to read, and will pale in comparison to what you may have read in TWIW and TM. If you have not read these two novels, and you want to give Collins a try, this is not a good introduction (unless you take the length of the novel into account, which took me a day to read, whilst his later novels take three days). There is too much foreshadowing, and too much of it is made very clear.

'Basil' has a good basic plot, his characters well drawn out, but verging on stereotypical which is demonstrated on Basil's first dream of the two ladies in his life. One is dark, shrouded by wood in shadows, the other is pure and white, illuminated by sunshine and pleasant landscape. This is the basic concept of Margaret, his deceitful wife, and Clara, his virtuous sister. The protagonist can be difficult to like sometimes, his reasoning can be unconvincing, and his actions verge on stupidity, not on behalf of the character, but on behalf of Collins, on creating him. Other drawbacks are seen in the plot holes, and things that just wouldn't make logical sense of any person to act. Such as Robert writing a whole confession on everything he had done, leaving evidence of himself and Margaret to other eyes. On top of that, he chooses to omit certain details of his confession which seems nothing more than a scape goat of Collins as he cannot think of a decent enough argument that might have swayed Margaret to act as she did (though her motives are clumsingly added later on).

This early work has flaws, but it's only a short work, and if you wanted to enlighten yourself of Collins' earlier work, this would be a good place to start as it foreshadows many themes to take hold of later novels, and also seems to have quite a bit of autobiographical detail which can allude to his secret life with his mistresses (the protagonist also has the exact same interest as Collins regarding his career). By all means, pick this book up, it's surely inferior, but it's highly readable and satisfies many curiosities that one may have of the author.

[Nicola]

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Author: Wilkie Collins
Title: Armadale
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No, this is not as good as 'The Woman In White' or 'The Moonstone'. The pace and the style of writing is really quite different (Collins was immensely ill whilst writing this book). There is something lacking in this novel that the other three big novels of Collins had plenty of.

Armadale is not as mysterious as the other novels. The only real secret kept from the reader until the end is the truth of Lydia Gwilt's past. This secret of her past is not something that I craved or cared that much about, all I cared about is what she was going to do next which she always clearly spells out what she is going to do, pages or chapters before she does it.

All this said, it is still a fantastic read. It took me a long time to get through because this novel seems to be split in two, and the first part is quite tedious. Midwinter is an admirable character, but Mr Armadale is extremely annoying, and Midwinter, in turn, for caring so much for him is quite annoying. As a reader I was really willing Miss Gwilt on, and agreed with her on every count of Allan Armadale's character. The pair that consists of Armadale and Midwinter somewhat mirrors the pair of Marian Halcombe and Laura Fairlie from 'The Woman In White' where one is incredibly strong and the other is weak, needing constant care and attention from the stronger of the pair. The first part of the novel focuses on their relationship and foreshadowing dreams. Even Midwinter's character becomes a bore when he obsesses over fate and destiny.

The second half the novel consists mainly of Lydia Gwilt's point of view whilst being introduced to new characters way of thinking, such as Mr Bashwood and Mrs Milroy. The novel picks up here and becomes a lot more interesting. There are a few instances when we think we know where the story is going, but then takes a different way completely. She gains our sympathy as she tries as hard as she can to be moral and honest, only to find her efforts useless and forced back into her old ways.

This is worth a read, and some think this book is better than the more popular TWIW and TM, but I don't think so. The pacing is uneven, and some things are just too overly detailed and obvious. I was oddly dissatisfied when I had finished reading it though the character of Lydia Gwilt is a genius one. I'd advise to give this book a go, and to hold out until Lydia arrives on to the scene.

On a more thematic note, there is a lot in this novel (as with his other novels) about identity, the role of women, technology, geography, money and alienation. And where would a classic Collins novel be without opium?!

[Nicola]

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Author: Samuel Richardson
Title: Pamela, or, Virtue Rewarded
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It honestly shocks me that this was a best seller at the time and it caused a storm with the eighteenth century audience. Were they brain dead? It reminds me how the audience of today went crazy over the Da Vinci Code, but really, it's just a load of rubbish.

Granted, it was different at the time. 'Robinson Crusoe' was also madly popular, and the public wanted more of this new 'novel' form. This book is mainly an epistolary novel (pioneering attribute in the novel) that tries to convince its readership that there is truth in the words, and that the readers should go away and think about what a good girl Pamela was, and how she was rewarded in the end. So, ladies of the eighteenth century, did you get that? Be pathetic, a lap dog and worship and love those that try to rape you and kidnap you, and you will be rewarded by marrying your kidnapper! Great one!

What is terrible about this book is the character of Pamela, who is overly pure and perfect, who takes everything that is thrown her way, is tormented by Mr B constantly, but then decides, that in fact, she loves him! So she goes back, and takes torment from his sister instead! Very good. The character is immensely unbelievable and serves only as a message to the women of the time to obey their men and be like Pamela (which they wouldn't and couldn't have been; no human being can be like Pamela).

The worst part of this novel isn't even the issues or morals it sends out, rather, it's the form and style of story telling that it uses. There is no denying that it started the epistolary trend and gave yet more forms of narrating for novel writers, but the context in which it is written in makes the story laughable. Pamela is constantly writing letters. That's right. She writes letters even when she knows no one will read them, and she writes letters as things are happening. She must be writing 20 hours a day. How does she have time to be raped and kidnapped? It's a wonder. It's just common sense. It astonishes me that an author in the time where novel writing was highly looked down upon, and so tried to make their novels seem real, adopted the very narrative that made his book ridiculous.

There is hope, however; not all eighteenth century readers were duped by this. If you do get yourself through this awful, dull and boring novel (which is about 500 pages long of nothing), you must reward yourself (you deserve to be rewarded when you torture yourself, remember?!) and read the humorous 'Shamela' and 'Joseph Andrews' by Henry Fielding who took 'Pamela' for what it was: a novel that lacked any credibility.

If you have to read this book to find out the roots of the novel, the roots of the novel are simply not worth knowing about.

[Nicola]

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Author: Ian McEwan
Title: Atonement
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Listening to the hype, I went out and read this as fast as I could and planned to see the film adaptation immediately after. I succeeded in doing this.

There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that this is probably the most beautifully written book I have had the fortune to read. He plays with language venturing into emotions, philosophies and imagination. His descriptions are vivid with his unique set of similes and metaphors, along with adjectives you would not expect to be teamed up with certain objects and landscapes. His exploration into a thirteen year old child's mind is extraordinary - he creates an atmospheric strangeness about her, contrasting her imaginary world and wild thoughts against the straightforward minds of the adults.

Equally, I never felt the hardship that soldiers went through in the wars until I read this book. McEwan effortlessly depicted the pain and struggle that Robbie goes through in northern France in the most heartbreaking manner. The true horrors of the period are brought to life by McEwan's brilliantly crafted arrangement of vocabulary.

Despite the outstanding writing, I did not enjoy this book much. It had its moments of excitement and suspense, but all in all, I found it difficult to turn the pages. Sometimes, I felt it was, perhaps, too arty as ninety per cent of a page could be a description or taking the reader into philosophy. I appreciated it, but personally, I wanted a story, and if all of the diversions were taken out of this book I believe it could have been a sixty paged novella. As it is, McEwan's style is relied heavily upon to pull this story through.

I do see the fuss, but if you are after a plain good story, this is not the book to satisfy you. It's simply about a thirteen year old girl that witnesses things she does not understand, and fabricates an idea of what she thinks it means, and ends up destroying the lives of her sister and her lover. It's a fine exploration of guilt and forgiveness, of making mistakes and learning from them. So, if you are after a very well written book, and want to marvel at the pure genius of a writer, this is the book for you. I personally found a lot of it a struggle despite appreciating the talent on display.

[Nicola]

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Author: John Buchan
Title: The Thirty-Nine Steps
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Being a short novel that was published in 1915 do not expect 'The Da Vinci Code', but you can expect the slight innovative ideas that were bounced around during this period that brings us the post-modern version of the thriller we have today.

It is dated for obvious reasons - the cliff-hangers and non-stop incidental action is something current readers of thrillers will slam as cheesy, unlikely and clumsy (though they were slightly more original during the time). Obviously there are early twentieth-century colloquialisms and slang terms with the odd Scottish dialect placed here and there. The gender bias is a bit shocking; there are not any female characters in this at all (unless you include housemaids and fat women on buses) - this is an extremely boyish novel and many female readers may find it hard to appreciate considering the protagonist's primary concern is to be manly. Lastly, there are the common attitudes of the day which may be regarded as offensive to today's readers (there are some obvious anti-Semitic sentiments in the story) and Germans are considered the common enemy (unsurprisingly). All that said, do not be fooled by the 'Classic' status by the publishers; it's in the first-person narrative that has a verbal, colloquial tone, making this novel an extremely laid-back, easy read.

We are treated to mad several weeks following the hero, Richard Hannay, who is on the run from the police and "the Black Stone" (German spies) and so we get to see him in many disguises, telling many lies, meeting a shocking amount of nice people up in the Scottish moors who he knows to trust instantly and then heads back down to London to save the United Kingdom from German spies pretty much on his lonesome. Far-fetched would be an understatement, but so is James Bond, Bruce Willis in a white vest and Dan Brown novels, so if you can turn your brain off when you are watching action films or reading daft novels there's no reason why you can't do the same for this book. It's just a bit of fun, with the odd dash of political statement. If you do not take it too seriously, you can have a fun few hours reading through this slim volume (the actual story is 104 pages long) and it's interesting to see the early rise of the spy/thriller novel. Like Dan Brown, do not expect anything deep or profound, it really is just daft, unlikely action from beginning to end.

[Mord Sith]

It’s almost depressing to see how Nicola is the only person who has bothered to write any reviews. Come on, people! However...

I Am Legend
by Richard Matheson
100% FANGtastic.....:( No, seriously; 5/5 stars.

After watching the movie a few weeks ago; I decided that I would be doing an incredible disservice to the world of fine literature by not picking up the creation of what I thought was a fine movie. It’s going to be hard not to give away any spoilers, but I’ll try and keep the content minimal.

For a start, I just wanted to briefly compare the movie to the book; considering a few more people would have seen it than read it (I’m assuming). Perhaps 1% of this book is reflected in the movie; the name of the main character. It feels like the person who wrote this movie scanned through the book and said “Nope, don’t like this….don’t like this….this, this, this”, threw away the book and decided they could come up with something better. In terms of producing a good movie in which the audience can relate to the characters thoughts; it was a pretty grand job, but you when you really read the book; you realise that the movie was a terrible tribute to what is possibly one of the best vampire science-fiction novel in decades. I decided, to save the integrity of the movie itself; to completely dissociate it from the novel and pretend that they weren’t even the same story. Hopefully, anyone who wants to read this has either seen the movie first, or should force themselves not to.

As for the book; I don’t think words can even begin to describe how immensely amazing and powerful it truly is; Matheson has created a character who is both a hero and an anti-hero. We’re immediately thrown into the daily routine of Neville’s existence, and within a few pages with just his actions speaking for him; we already realise how weary living has become for this man. For such a short story, detail is not compromised; every single thought that enters and passes Neville’s mind is spread on the pages, no matter how relevant, moving, silly or repugnant they might be; even though he’s the last man on earth and the only character you can cling to in the book; he’s still just a man, and even his worst thoughts and self-admissions make you realise the true horror of his predicament.

I’m not sure what I can say about the story itself without practically giving the plot away, but you come to understand that with Neville’s increasing understanding of the world he lives in; he becomes a further recluse, even to his own feelings to the people he once loved and his memories. There are a few moments throughout the book that are incredibly tense, as well as a moment when the reader and Neville simultaneously realise that he is a truly broken man. The last third of the book is a real treat though, after a few years have gone by and the true state of Neville’s mind comes to surface; all at once he discovers the effects of ignorance, paranoia and self-betrayal which all ends in a rather perturbing revelation.

It’s really a must read; plus, all those people out there interested in bacteria and viruses would love it all the more! Not to mention I was able to add a few more words to my vocabulary; there are many fantastic descriptions littering those pages.

[Nicola]

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Author: Gaston Leroux
Title: The Phantom of the Opera
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Reading through this story, one can start to think its a 'Ghost-story.' But the narrator, as it turns out, dedicated a part of his life to this 'Opera-Ghost,' wanting to be sure of his existence - or non-existence. He has sources, archives, spoken to the people of the time and he tells their story, and he tells it well! When I was reading this story, the possibility of this 'Phantom' of ever existing was totally ruled out in my book. How can one be in walls, have a bodiless voice, be here and there, be everywhere? Is this a ghost story? a fantasy? The Phantom's 'supernatural' behaviour wasn't so 'supernatural,' just a genius ahead of his time; and what a pitiful genius he was!

If you know of Andrew Lloyd Webbers version, you will be impressed to learn that the book and the musical are very much different. Raoul in the musical seems brave and wise, in the book he strikes me as a pathetic love-sick puppy. A character which has no part in the musical has a dramatic effect on the real story; the Persian. Christine who seems to be a mad woman at the beginning turns into the pity stricken beauty towards the end as she is in the musical. The story is twisted and turned. So just because you have seen the musical, that does not mean you know the story of The Phantom of the Opera.

This book is a very easy read, if a bit disjointed and clumsy in places. It's possible to get mixed up with names, but the characters that you do get mixed up with are unimportant to the plot, so it doesn't really matter. The narrative keeps you reading and you will curse whatever it is from every day life that pulls you away from it.

The character of the Phantom will stay with you forever, compelling stuff. It is one of those ambigious texts that is not sure if its protagonist is villain or anti-hero. He commits evil deeds, but the characterisation has us feeling sympathy for him. He is a memorable character, and I imagine that any reader will think of him after putting the book down.

[Mord Sith]

This thread needs way more posts. It’s disappointing! I vow to write a review after every book I read from now on.

I realise I should probably review lesser known, obscure books that most people probably haven’t read, but oh well!

The Book Thief
By Markus Zusak
http://www.librarything.com/pics/ss8.gif *steals Nicola's star idea*

I think this was already a massive international best-seller by the time I picked it up. I was a tiny bit wary to say the least; I pick up best sellers with much trepidation considering millions people will and do read utter tripe. However, it was also recommended to me by someone whose opinion on books I very much value, and would urge anyone else to give it a read.

Basically, it’s a story of a little girl (Liesel Meminger) who is growing up on the brink of WWII. It’s not the typical story you’d expect from this “genre”, and the back of the book can be a bit misleading; perhaps even turn someone away form the book if they don’t like war-stories. The war, although is a major factor in the novel, is actually more of a background theme (despite being such a huge pat of the girl’s life; it’s hard to explain).

The story begins with Liesel and her family on their way to Munich; herself and her brother are being taken to a foster parent for better protection. However, her mother and brother are killed and at the graveyard where they are buried, Liesel picks up her first book (The Gravedigger’s Handbook!) and the whole point of the story unfolds from there. We basically watch as Liesel grows up, gets on with life with her foster parents, making friends and more importantly; finding ways to acquire (or steal) new reading material. It sounds all fun, but you realise the serious nature of the time she’s living in when her new family are forced to house and hide a Jew; the implications of getting caught would be dire, and Liesel comes to learn of the hardships she has to face. I don’t want to give much away, but it’s an absolutely fantastic; beautifully written (in terms of imagery; amazingly vivid), and really knows how to get the reader to relate and sympathise.

The best part of the whole story is how it’s narrated though; through Death. It’s certainly original, and Death really loves to make his puns every now and then! You realise that for someone like him/her/it; actually remembering a little girl and her life is enormous considering the job; it’s like looking out of a plane and all the people outside looking like ants, yet still being able to pick one out and identify them. You’d think that you wouldn’t be able to relate to such a narrator, but he isn’t your typical evil scythe-wielding being; he’s tired, rueful and certainly deserving of sympathy. It truly is one of the most amazing narrations I’ve read in quite a while.

[Midnight]

Love Letters (Perfect Strangers)
by Jahnna N. Malcom
****

An easy to read love comidey about a high school girl getting ready for the moment of her life that she has been waiting for. Becomeing School President. Being one of the most popular girls in school, this might be a little easy for her since she was always the one who works the hardest and everything. She and her freinds are known all around, in both good and bad ways. Madison {main character} had a humilating expierince since freshman year and took it out on one of her biggest competition for the school title Jeremy who has been trying to move one. Madison, on the other hand, can't get over her grudge about it.

Though thats just the backround of the story. This begins with the start of the school's new program called "Heart-2-Heart" where students get anonymouse people to talk to about their problems. The school hopes that this can help the students have someone to talk to about personal problems so that it wouldn't effect thier school. Since these are completely anonomouse no one can give out any secrets because they dont know who the person is.

Madison, in her case, just falls in love with someone she dosent even know. Everything her Heart-2-Heart person says makes it seem like a dream to her. Her love for him soon drives her to break a couple of the rules they were suppose to follow. Such as, your never alowd to meet them, call them, or figure out who they really are. She starts to become a little diffrent and losens up from her working scedual, school, and everything else.

I thought this story was so sweet. It's very predictable though which is the sad part but other then that its a really nice story. It's the small parts that I really enjoy: all the hang outs, the planning for big events, the competition, how its all put together. You can't get the real story unless you read the whole story. One of my all time favorite Comedy/Love stories. Not romance but just like puppy love thing. Almost everything I would do if I was in her posistion too {minus the pink}

[Mord Sith]

I actually made a thread about this book a long time ago, but no one answered it. It's a real shame that it seemed to be overlooked, and perhaps it'll get better coverage here. It's an amazing book; an excellent character piece in particular. I didn't realise at the time (but I've just googled it right now), but it was also made a movie in 2005 with Diane Lane and Donald Sutherland! Seems it's getting a dvd release in the UK in two weeks time, which is odd. To be honest, unless the character narrates the whole story, I wouldn't recommend seeing the movie without reading the book; it's really mainly a lot of the main character's thoughts, developing ideas of life and how it works and basically just a hell of a lot of contemplation.

I'm just going to take directly what I said about it the first time ((hope that's alright) thought I'd add a bit more to it at the top, there)


Fierce People
By Dirk Wittenborn.
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Has anybody else come across this gem yet? I stopped in my tracks the other day when I spotted this loud yellow and pink covered book, and on a complete whim; just bought it out of curiosity.

This is truly a fantastic story. Like critics have noted; it's style is quite similar to The Catcher In The Rye, in which the story is narrated by a teenager who contemplates his life and the way he's living. Far more alluring is the fact that the main character in this book (Finn) isn't as depressing as Holden from Catcher, but is intelligent and witty (despite being rather paranoid). It's based a lot on relationships; building and breaking, love, desire, and betrayal. Finn is the only person you can trust when you read this book, even when you feel he can never trust himself. He grows up quick in a matter of weeks, as you realise that not all is as it seems when he's given an opportunity of a life-time to get get out of the slums of New York, and given an "easy" life in a rich and "idealised" part of New Jersey.

I don't want to give away the plot, but towards the end; it's impossible to actually read properly as the finale is something you really can't wait for. I found myself reading too quick for my eyes to handle, and my heart was pumping with anticipation. Seriously, it's an amazing piece of modern literature and I'd recommend it to everyone.

[Enemy Airship]

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
By Harauki Murakami

8/10 (I don't like the stars!)

I picked this up on the recommendation from Spike and didn't know quite what to expect. I glossed over the blurb on the back and saw the words 'detective story' and was instantly sold. The book is written in a manner that has alternate chapters telling two seemingly unrelated stories.

Hard Boiled wonderland doesn't really take the form of a conventional detective story at all, though there is plenty of mystery involved. It follows a yuppie-ish kind of guy employed by the 'System' - a ubiquitous company which deals in data protection and remains anonymous throughout the book. His latest client, an eccentric professor, seems to have strange connections to the System and eventually the life of the protagonist is changed forever when he agrees to process data from the professors latest experiments.

The end of the world story involves a town of the same name, seemingly inescapable and enclosed by a huge impenetrable wall and dense forest. The unnamed protagonist in this story struggles to come to terms with his surroundings as he learns the mysterious ways of the new village.

The story is well written containing many references to modern pop-culture, though it isn't just an excuse to drop in a name here or there. The story is genuinely interesting and extremely dry in places. I found the Hard boiled story much more interesting at first, the character here being a man much after my own heart. Well recommended. While I generally don't enjoy the type of alternate story method of storytelling as I do a straight up adventure, there was enough of both to keep me rivetted. Like many Murakami novels, you are struct by supernatural twists and turns when you least expect them. This was a great first book to get me started on of Murakami's, but I have preferred others I have read by him since.

[Enemy Airship]

Moby-Dick
by Herman Melville

9/10

The classic whaling tale.

Everybody knows how the storyline goes, but few know of how delightful the book actually is to read. I picked this up when going through a phase of loving anything nautical and I felt I owed it to myself to read a real classic. I'm glad I did, because at the very least I felt a great feeling of accomplishment once I was finished. I was somewhat shocked to see just how comical and well written this book was. I was engrossed from start to finish. As a warning I'd highlight the fact that there remains an abriged and unabridged version of the story and I ploughed through the latter, which means there were a lot of miscellaneous chapters regarding what can only be described as the authors own feelings on whales, their taxonomy and his feelings on hunting. I would recommend the abridged version to anyone who just wants to get on with the ripping good story!

The notorious storyline and the characters were definitely enjoyable and entertaining, and I love books like this which open your eyes to the source of many popular culture references, song lyrics, names etc. It also succeeded in making me sympathise with one of the most noble of professions, despite the negative connotations that whaling caries today.

[Raebus]

9/10

The Northern Lights

By Philip Pullman


I’ve never done a book review before so I don’t know where to start. Let’s see, I remembering buying northern lights a few months ago and I didn’t touch it for a while, after finally starting to read it I read the first chapter and that was it. My first impressions of it weren’t too high due to the slow starting point. Previously I’d only read book series like harry potter and the odd science fiction book, but anyway I'll continue with the review.

Eventually I read more of it. The stark realism of the northern lights is what pulled me in. I haven’t seen such a high quality of writing in ages and the way he vividly describes the locations brings them to life and gives them a personality.

Next, let’s talk about the characters. At first it was hard to connect with the main character (Lyra) but she grew on me and I ended up caring for her safety at some of the dangerous points in the book. I had mixed opinions on other characters as anyone would, I couldn’t tell what agenda Lord Asriel had but it looked like he cared for Lyra, later on my opinion was pretty much shattered during a unseen plot twist and as for Mrs. Coulter, she was a well written character that I hated and loved at the same time. She really is a well realised villain who I felt a bit of sympathy for at times.

All this is due to the brilliant writing by Philip Pullman who brings every character in the book to life, giving them a personality you’ll not soon forget and I could go on about them all but that would take too long.

I don’t know what to write about next, I’ve already talked about the writing and characters. Aha! The mood is dark at times and the religious tone of it was intriguing. I do love a dark mood and there is a quite a lot of tense moments that had me on the edge of my bed with my eyes glued to the page.

That is all I can say about it really, it’s a great book and everyone should read it at least once to appreciate the fantastic writing and characterisation involved.

[Sensi Hawso]

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The Color Purple by Alice Walker

6/10

This is one for the girls, the feminist girls.

The very first thing you are likely to notice in reading this book is how it is written, it's an epistolary novel so it's written as a collection of letters which encourages those readers who favour short chapters. Also it's written in 'black English', which might actually make it difficult to understand but adds a wonderful dollop of realism.

This is quite a dark tale revolving around our heroine Celie, the sexually confused and oppressed black housewife.

There is a great mixture of themes that makes it easier for a reader who might feel uncomfortable reading about a woman's path to lesbianism.
Set in the 1920s to the late 40s, for the most part in Georgia the atmosphere is that of segregated USA. It is a remote black community that are relatively well off, this has been a subject of criticism though, I suppose African-Americans were expected to live in poverty.

This is an different story of racism through in that is isn't for the most part Black V White, but Black V Black, offering interesting insight into the social standards of a tight community.

Alice Walker is a world known feminist so it's no surprise she throws the theme of sisterhood into her novel.
Black male characters are portrayed very badly in the novel, being the criminals of rape and abuse so to balance the level the women are ridiculously sure of themselves and authoritative, with the exception of Celie. This is another subject for debate, although the setting and the narrative is realistic the character relationships are so out of the ordinary that it seems like a backward fairytale.

This is actually quite a controversial tale, the next theme is religion. Basically Walker denies this and goes off to follow Pantheism, a delightful belief that all things are God, you can just imagine the comments this brought. So we are introduced to a philosophical journey, a good distraction from the other gory details of domestic abuse.
With this theme in comes the character of Nettie, in my opinion she is horribly annoying and totally up herself. Her function is basically to educate the reader on the issues of racism and religion and I don't like my books to educate me on issues I am well aware of. Many critic where of my opinion and slashed Walker for her use of Nettie.

Okay, lesbianism, the juicy main theme. In come Shug Avery, busty black lesbian singer, in to show poor Celie the wonders of women. Celie's character is a bit 'simple' so her details of her sexual awaking might make a squemish reader cringe. Here comes more critics, the lesbianism in the book oddly accepted by all so you can imagine the controversy.
This is only one of the perhaps totally unbelievable factors of this otherwise decent book, another being the incestuous rape of Celie by her father who is not her father and the birth of children who were also her brother and sister and then not. There is also a delightful visit to Africa, which is basically just a role reversal of the Georgia setting, except here we see the White man's wrath on African resources.
Oh and then a happy ending, how nice.

So that's basically it, the interesting narrative made it an odd but welcome thing to read. However the actual content of the novel was so unbelievable that I personally could not enjoy the story as much I may have been able to. It's a roller coaster of pros and cons with an eventual totally fairytale ending. Too cliche for me, but others might enjoy this book.

[Mord Sith]

Phew, I think the activity is well and truly up in this thread now. I'll be writing reviews on books I'm actually reading, from now on (STILL on A Game of Thrones; it's a monster of a book!)


The Time Traveler’s Wife
By Audrey Niffenegger
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This book makes me cry EVERY single time I read it. Unless you’ve a heart made of stone; it’s impossible to not feel for the characters. I think I’ve read it about 4 times now, and I’m not sure I will read it again (despite it being an absolute wonderful read) because it always leaves a really long-lasting impression on me; I end up thinking about it for days afterwards and can’t shake it off until I get absorbed into another book.

It’s a strange book, by all accounts; romance/tragedy/sci-fi; it manages to deal with many different themes without making a giant mess (which is really what you’d expect from that combination). Don’t let it throw you off that it’s Niffenegger’s debut novel (and only novel so far, come to think of it); it’s amazing that she was able to come up with such an intricate story as it is, without it being her very first book. It’s being released as a movie this year too (poor cast choice, in my opinion.)

Well, as for the story, the main character; Henry DeTamble, has a rare genetic disease that causes him to time-travel; he has no control over it whatsoever, and regrettably; the occurrence leaves him in a very vulnerable position every time because he can’t travel with anything in his possession; therefore he’s always naked and needs to find clothes and hide (depending on where he lands), and run very, very fast in the case someone sees him (assumes he’s a sick pervert) and beats him up.

However, he travels into the past and meets a little girl; Claire Abshire when he is 36. He repeatedly returns to her (which can also lead you to assume his displacement is hugely affected by his subconscious), and they become friends. Later on, when Claire is 20 and Henry is 28, they serendipitously meet in real time, however, Henry hasn’t a clue who she is because he hasn’t met her yet (he went through a period of time-traveling to her childhood when he was in his 30s). The story pretty much unfolds from there, and you are completely absorbed into these characters lives, and how they deal with the hardships and real dangers of Henry’s condition.

I’d say the reason I’ve read it so many times is because you pick up on things you might have missed. It definitely needs to be read more than once, because sometimes the dates might get confusing. It’s inventive, exciting and more-importantly; never really leaves the reader wanting (in my case); it’s near perfection a story can get, I think; it tends to the emotions well, the story is HIGHLY organized in terms of getting all the facts right (it must have taken a hell of a long time to plan), and it’s just a wonderfully enthralling, not to mention thought-provoking, topic. It’s really just a beautifully written book.




By the way; any possibility of getting a picture of a half-star, Nicola?

[Mord Sith]

I almost forgot to write this one up; I finished it nearly 2 weeks ago! :( (I know a few members have already read this; hopefully it can convince a few more of you to read it)

A Game of Thrones
by George R.R. Martin
4.5/5

This is one epic novel. When I first picked up the book and flipped through the pages; I knew I was in for a rollarcoaster of a ride. It is definitely not for the weak-hearted. If you get easily bored committing yourself to a long-ish read, easily offended by obscenities in terms of language and graphic imagery, and if you're not a fan of reading from different points of view; stay away. Obviously though, you'd be sorely missing out on a fine piece of epic styled fantasy.

Firstly, as I've already mentioned; it's written in the style of a third person (in the views of different characters) point of view. There are MANY characters in this book, but it's concentrated mainly on three different Houses of families (this may get complicated). Each chapter is dedicated to a certain character's experience. I really like stories told in this manner, but sometimes it's easy to lose track of whats going on when you shift to a few different characters, and then get back to that particular character a few chapters later. Once you get into the story though; this becomes less of an issue. I really wouldn't recommend leaving the book unread for more than a couple of days, either; there's a lot of detail there that can escape you if you don't regularly read it.

As for the story; I imagine it's set in a sort of early medieval image; it has knights, royal courtly affairs, a hint of the possibility of dragons, scary undead people, but more importantly; a war that rages between Houses of families who fight for or against the throne and honour.

It's incredibly difficult to actually talk about the story; it's just so massive, and it's hard to give a general run-down of the main plot. Basically, the main character is Eddard Stark, who is happily living in the North with his family (and bastard son), until his best friend and King (Robert Baratheon) of The Seven Kingdoms pays him a visit; he's bestowed with the position of The Hand of the King (basically, the king's next in command) after the death of the previous Hand (Jon Arryn). Eddard and his wife, Catelyn Tully, find out that Jon's death was possibly murder, so Eddard reluctantly decides to travel back with the King to the South (with his two daughters: Sansa and Arya) to help the King and also see if he can uncover details of Jon's death. His wife and his two sons stay in the North, while his bastard son (Jon Snow) is sent away to work on The Wall - a place where many bastards, low-lifes and traitors are left to work and live the rest of their lives.

To cut things short; Eddard discovers a horrible truth that could throw the whole Kingdom into complete chaos, and he being a man of honour; tries to ensure that the right thing it done. However, it causes a massive Civil War between the Houses of all the main families in The Seven Kingdoms and hence the real motto of the novel is uttered: "When you play the game of thrones; you win or you die". Across the pond is another fly in the ointment; the children of the previous king who was murdered by a Lannister for the throne, and they are intent on revenge.....

It's a marvellous read, in all honesty. It really grips you and doesn't let go; it's all about loyalty, honour, betrayal and more that I simply can't fit in. It has a REALLY dramatic ending that leaves you in no doubt that the next book of the series is going to be a real bloodbath.

My favourite character has to be Tyrion Lannister (the Lannisters are married into the royal family, as well as being a hugely influencial family House on their own). I feel like he's the most multi-layered character in the whole book; he's sly, extremely clever, ruthless but also not without a shred of human decency. You find out a little later in the book of how harsh life has dealt him the blows (did I mention he's a dwarf?)

It would be a shame for anyone to miss out on this gem.

[Mord Sith]

I realise quite a few people here have read this fine novel, but I think I needed a small break before continuing with George R.R Martin, so decided to re-read an old favourite before throwing myself back into the chaos of epic fantasy.

Brave New World
By Aldous Huxley
5/5

I feel almost nervous trying to write a review for this book, to be honest; its content has stood the tests of time to become, possibly, one of the most favoured dystopian novels ever written. Not to mention that of all the people I've talked to regarding the story; a lot of mixed opinions surfaced regarding the actual INTEGRITY of a such a story :( !

However, only my opinion counts here, and I can unhesitatingly say that this immediately became one of my favourite books when I first read it years ago, and still has that awe-inspiring effect when re-read.

The story is sublime. If anyone has ever actually read a little into Huxley's life and personal views; you'd realise where the basis of this novel stemmed from, and how he was able to create such admirable/detestable characters. He basically feared that our society was crumbling due to culture, the way the commercial world was developing and ignorance; I chuckled when reading how he feared Americanisation of Europe, and upon visiting America was even more disgusted and pessimistic about the future. Anyhow, the story is basically parodying the perfect world, and "proving", as such, that the possibility of creating an utopia is in fact, dangerous and incredibly backward in terms of human development. The whole story embraces the main aspects of loneliness and solitude in what is supposedly deemed a sociable, happy community.

Without actually giving the plot away, the story is essentially split into 3 parts: describing the united "World State" of the future, describing an encounter with a savage man (savage, which is to say; our current way of living), and the final third being the consequences of bringing this man back to the engineered civilised society.

It's actually fascinating how the story unfolds: We're immediately thrown into a world where people are not naturally conceived, but fertilised in Hatcheries. Not only that, but the lives of these people are pre-determined and their fate is inescapable...not that they'd want to escape it, as they are conditioned to enjoy their live and accept it by intense sleep-teaching. The manner in which Huxley describes how the division of the higher, intellectual people from the unintellectual, menial workers takes place is a truly amazing read. The first few chapters in which students are taken around the facility by the DHC are perhaps the most enjoyably descriptive chapters I have ever read in any book.

Bernard Marx, one of the main characters, is not what you'd call the typical hero of the story. In fact, he is detestable and pitiful. Created as one of the Alpha-Pluses (a higher, intellectual person of society), he is not an equal in terms of his appearance and ostracises himself from the usual routine of casual sex, drugs and sport. When you're first introduced to him, it's easy to feel sorry and sympathise with his character, but you soon come to realise that he is disgustingly hypocritical and even worse than the people of his ignorant society. His self-pity is over-whelming, in fact; he detests his peers because he is not like them, but later on in the book when he is accepted for the remarkable feat of introducing a "savage" into civilisation; he becomes the type of person he initially hated.

There are some wonderfully funny parts, too, and I'm not surprised that Huxley took the opportunity to make a dig at our world as he saw might happen with the way the future was shaping. For instance, the way that people talk about the bible and poetry being smut and pornographic, simply for being old and time-wasteful hobbies. The worst insult is to be called a mother or a father, simply because a natural birth is considered disgusting. Monogamy? Unsociable and bad behaviour. It's almost shocking to read how every single person of this man-made community has the exact same view, and there is no semblance of individuality, even within the higher intellectual class types.

The introduction of John, the savage, brings about the questioning of the perfect society where people do not feel pain, love, attachment, or pretty much any emotion which makes us human. There is a very poignant chapter in which John (after his introduction to civilisation) finally confronts a World Controller about the entire existence of the society and what they lack, and he also begins to question his own manner of living within this exciting "brave new world", which ultimately; severely let him down.

The final chapter, which I'd rather not actually talk about at all in case I give anything away, is awfully sad but memorable. The last few lines of the book are momentous and quite frankly; unforgettable.






Perhaps a mod might edit the list, too? :(

[DrBernie]

ok, i feel like contributing at least one of my favourites to this thread :)

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Magician
Raymond E Feist
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First off there are many editions of this book and originally it was two parts: Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master. It is the first novel in the Riftwar series and the first novel based on the world of Midkemia.

Basically this book is an epic fantasy adventure about an orphan named Pug at Castle Crydee who becomes apprentice to the Duke's magician, Kulgan. The story is initially set upon the world of Midkemia and in the timeframe of magician, magic-users were frowned upon and considered evil (similar to witch-burnings in our world).

Plot outline (minor spoilers, tag mainly to make page easier to read)
One day Pug and his friend Tomas discover a strange creature that appears humanlike but is nothing like any others from Midkemia. The boys bring him to their castle where the Duke's priest, Tully, looks into his mind and discovers the stranger is from another world called Kelewan and they have come to invade Midkemia.

This starts the adventure for Pug and co who first must travel to the capital city of the western realms, Krondor.

Many events occur, such as Pugs party being split up in dwarven caves where Tomas becomes a Valheru, an ancient race who command dragons and are tremendous in power.

Pug is taken captive by the foreigners, called Tsurani and it is upon the world of Kelewan were he discovers he is a magician of the 'Greater Path', unlike his mentor Kulgan who is of the 'lesser path'.

Pug discovers his true power and becomes the most powerful magician, second only to Macros the Black. Eventually he gets back to his homeplanet where war has taken great effect to the kingdom.

Then, there is a series of epic battles involving separate people and i can honestly do little justice to the greatness of the book through this review :P

That is a very vague plot outline, if you wish for an extensive one, check out Wikipedia's Page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magician_%28novel%29) on the book.

The style that Feist writes in is in the third person and he does this very well, making text out of dialog seem quite neutral and not as if another person is reading something to you. His descriptions of cities and majestic things is quite vivid and easy to picture.

Further books get even better in writing style and plot details.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who has a passion for fantasy novels. If you liked Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Terry Brooks, David Eddings or any other novels of the sort, you will love it.

It combines Fantasy, Adventure, action, romance, comedy and tragedy all into one. Plus, Feist is not too afraid to kill off main characters and often does so in a beautiful way.

Example, the second series "serpentwar" is set around 50 years after Riftwar, therefore almost all the major characters from Riftwar have either died from old age, disappeared or have the ability to live a very extensive life(*cough* Pug *cough*.)

all in all, Magician is a great book which sets up the world for subsequent books that are just as great.

for more info www.crydee.com is Feist's official site

[Mord Sith]

Here's the next installment of the Song of Ice and Fire series. Obviously, I wouldn't recommend anyone who hasn't read the first book to read this review; there will probably be a few unavoidable spoilers (I'll spoiler tag them anyway, just in case). I'll also have to keep it short; the main gist is in the first review of the series.

A Clash of Kings
By George R.R. Martin
4/5

This novel basically is continued on from where it left off previously, and it doesn't ease you back in gently; the reader is immediately thrown into a curious prologue that spells a whole lot of trouble for every person fighting in the Civil War. It's incredibly easy to pick up where you last left off; a little bit of the 'history' of the previous book is integrated along to ensure you're reminded of what has happened.

I have to say, Martin was really gearing us up for this installment; the first was pretty tame in comparison, but with the hint of imminent disaster. He really lets himself loose in this one, and it is fierce. I'm still reeling from the death of Eddard, however; you can see why Martin decided that he needed to kill that person off; it adds the feeling of utter unease because you feel like you don't have a character you can 'depend' on anymore. Anything goes with the people that are left; murder, trickery, blackmail, back-stabbing; it's all second-nature to most, and it really leaves you in the dark of WHO you can actually trust as a character. A couple of times I thought I knew who a character was until they acted beyond treacherous; leaving you with some nagging doubts, and hoping for a good ulterior motive!

I'll be honest, a few chapters, although have every relevance to the story; lost me at a point. Some characters I just did not care to read about, however; their point of view is essential to revealing more about characters you DO need and want to know about. It's a rare enough occurrence though; maybe 3 or 4 chapters; the rest are quite fantastic.

Again, Martin's character descriptions, sceneries and imageries are perhaps the best of any epic fantasy I've ever read. To use the term 'he leaves nothing to the imagination', although sounding backward when describing a book; is very true, in a sense. He pushes ideas and images into your thoughts that you can not help; you have no choice. He doesn't shy away from describing horrific scenes, or the concepts of sex; it's all in a day's work. However, I think he is at his best when he has a sly character plotting; once again, Tyrion steals the show for me; one of the best multifaceted characters I have ever chanced to read about. His dealings with the Queen, in particular; are fantastic chapters (pretty much all).

It's still thick and heavy in terms of plot once you get to the end, too; I know there are quite a few books left in the series, and I'm really excited as to what will come next; there is definitely a massive twist about to loom very soon; I can feel it, and it's going to be devastating.

[Mord Sith]

We
By Yevgeny Zamyatin
5/5

Written in 1921, this is essentially the father of 20th century dystopian novels, and let it be seen here; no other novel of its genre can come close to its sheer level of genius. I was initially surprised after putting down the book that other novels, for example; Brave New World – although fantastic in their own right – have far greater acclaim, however; after a bit of research, I discovered the difficulties the novel suffered regarding its publish not long after Russia’s ‘Bolshevik’ period; obviously, a political outcry would be expected considering the content of such a satirical revolutionary book should not…could not, sit alongside a communist government. The dripping, mocking irony is apparent. In fact, it was only allowed to be published within the Soviet Union some 50 years after Zamyatin’s death. Perhaps no surprise then how the likes of Brave New World – although subjected to its fair share of criticism – rose to greater fame and accolade.

Anyhow, enough of the history lesson…

The book is written in diary form, but not in the traditional sense, however, which I’ll explain later. It stems from the thoughts of D-503, an everyday cipher who lives to serve – along with his fellow cipher men and women – the One State. Completely regimented, every person lives by a timetable; everyone wakes, eats, works, ‘plays’ and sleeps at the same time. It is a completely controlled state where happiness is equal to and dependent on one’s lack of freedom, and it works; everyone is happy under their ‘Table of Hours’. Fear of change, as well as the wrath of The Benefactor (essentially their God) maintains a happily ruled community.

D-503 decides to record his everyday thoughts and events – an experiment, decidedly. He is a mathematician in every sense of the word; his entries are often verbal equations, comparisons can be geometric shapes, and fears are equated with √-1; the ‘irrational’ number, as he describes it. Trust me when I say you will never have read anything like it. In all the books I have read, I have never come across one in which the main character depends on the use of analogies and metaphors so heavily. Packed as it is with these, it is not a chore to read; it’s delightfully refreshing.

When I mentioned that it wasn’t written in traditional diary language, I was probably understating; it’s a form of inner monologue. We all know that when we hastily think – fragmented sentences make up the main body of our thoughts; this is D-503 – his thoughts, EXACTLY as he thinks them, is written on the page; like a Dictaphone wired to his mind. Sometimes it’s precise, other times very confused and trying to reach out in all directions – it’s honest, frank and completely bares all about his character as he sometimes forgets himself in his ramblings.

As you can imagine, during the story a revolution occurs which defies everything the One State stands for, and everything D-503 has been brought up to know and respect. He begins to fear the changes, but in particular; he begins to fear himself as he undergoes some radical psychological switches. His entries become more desperate and fascinating as he has to make some life-changing decisions.

I won’t deny that sometimes it can be a little bit hard to read; in some instances, D-503’s thoughts can become extremely disjointed and fragmented, but it all pulls together at the end and it also defines his character more. I had to read very slowly to simply savour and digest the sheer amount of analogies and metaphors; much like trying to eat an extremely rich chocolate cake. It’s probably hit or miss with many readers, but anyone who can understand and appreciate the heavy content (for such a short book) will not be disappointed.

[Nem]

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The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by G.W. Dahlquist

7/10

Working in a bookshop, I remember the stir this caused in the publishing industry when it came out. There were rumours flying around with merciless abandon that 'G.W. Dahlquist' was a pen name for one of the reclusive American writers making a triumphant return. Pynchon was one of the names bandied around, until of course 'Against the Day' was revealed.

Whilst it does seem, somewhat disappointingly, that the author is infact 'just' a debutant, he does possess a certain calibre which comes as no surprise when you find out he's a successful playwrite in the American scene.

The book is excessively long (about 750 pages, I think) and one could perhaps suggest that he should have called it a day around five-hundred. But this book is supposed to be ludicrously over-the-top; the garish gold and indigo cover opens a salvo of styles both literary and presentational suggesting an apeing of the erotic, swashbuckling thrillers which so engrossed Victorian readers.

Without wanting to give too much away, the book follows the interweaving tales of three characters, all of whom converge (by accident or by intent) on dastardly happenings at a number of grandiose locations. These 3 characters form an unlikely alliance, and this is where the book has it's main plus for me - in the fact that each chapter is devoted to one character and their actions - it forms a fantastic web that keeps you turning the page as their influences on the happenings of the other 2 members of the cabal are interweaved with literary aplomb. A character will discover something which you later find out was inadvertantly placed there by one of the other adventurers. It keeps the telling of a tall and long tale interesting.

Suffice to say the plot is as daft and delicious as you'd expect from such a novel, and the literary quality remains high throughout - although one detects a slight boredom and burnout on the authors behalf in the last 200 pages or so, as he tries to tie up all of the many loose ends. The characters are never supremely developed, and there are approximately 20 who are of no benefit to the story whatsoever.

Still, if you fancy a luscious, rollicking adventure through silk-adorned ridiculousness, this is definitely worth a look.

[Mord Sith]

The Post-Birthday World
By Lionel Shriver
4/5

Already A Shriver fan, I had no problems picking this book up from the shelf of the bookshop; fully expecting a story with substance. Perhaps likened to "Chick-Lit", this is before the genre become trivial, wholly predictable, and downright disgusting. Shriver has been doing this for years, and she has it spot-on; it's refined and classy. I would definitely suggest that anyone looking for a novel which doesn't do typical relationship plots to either pick this up, or go for Shriver's Double Fault.

This story is essentially detailing the life choices of a children's book illustrator, Irina McGovern; the circumstances in which she finds herself in and the repercussions (and finality) of her actions. Although the story revolves around two important men in her life, it is more a story of self-revelation; she comes to realise (or forget) who she really is and what her purpose is; sounds incredibly clichéd, but Shriver has a literary flair in which you can't snort and deride her intentions. This novel is a whole world of choices; much like those "make your own adventure" storybooks, however, with the inability to slyly sneak back to the original page if you don't like the imminent outcome.

The general plot of the story: In the first chapter, we discover Irina is in a long and dutiful relationship with her fellow American partner, Lawrence. They live in London in a modest flat, and basically; their relationship is stable, if very predictable. Lawrence is kind, trustworthy, and completely devoted to Irina, however; he's old-fashioned, far too set in his ways, unable to express emotions and condescending. She happens to be collaborating with an author on a children's book, and circumstantially meets Ramsey; a snooker player who is passionate, exciting, uneducated but insightful. At the end of the chapter, events turn such that she and Ramsey are on their own together, and Irina makes the biggest decision of her life that will entirely affect every aspect of it; does she lean in for that kiss and run away with him, or does she fight the temptation and go home with Lawrence?

The chapters from here split into her two, very different realities; from here on there are two chapter twos; one for each reality in the same time-frame and so on with the successive chapters, until the very last chapter: the realities are merged and you finally found out which choice Irina ultimately made in that very first chapter.

It's a concept that I'm sure has been done many times before, but I really enjoyed this story; Irina is a thoroughly likeable character, and throughout the whole story, no matter what decisions she makes; you can relate, or sympathise, or feel happy for her. It's interesting to note that with each alternate reality chapter; there are events in both her lives that are similar, but with a slightly different twist, for example: In her Ramsey life, she has just left Lawrence in a rush to be at Ramsey's side. She races to Bournemouth where he is playing a match. They fight because she didn't pack her bags, and Ramsey sees that as her giving Lawrence hope that she'll come back to him. In her Lawrence life; Lawrence is infatuated with the sport (snooker) and suggests that they go to Bournemouth to watch Ramsey play. They fight because she didn't pack the bags properly and forgot the toothbrushes.

The story is packed with scenes like this in which similar occurences happen slightly different, and you can appreciate that although both her lives are similar; the eventual outcome is very different and unexpected. Irina's life, and her person; undergo many changes within each, and she struggles in both to make the best of each; always wondering what if she had or hadn't (depending on which life you're reading) made that massive first choice.

It's a great read, but sometimes can feel a little predictable. You start to get used to all the twist on the events (like the fights mentioned above), and begin to expect them, but the final 3 chapters (her last alternate life chapters, and the concluding chapter in which you find out what life she actually lived) are absolutely amazing, and you can forgive any flaws. It's something that once read; you can mull over and contemplate for quite a long time; it does leave a lasting impression.

[Nem]

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Julius Winsome by Gerard Donovan

10/10

I read this about a year ago, and have been unable to get it out of my head - it's one of those supremely written novels that strikes a chord within you somewhere and you aren't quite sure why.

The plot revolves around a man who lives in a log cabin in a snowy, maine forest. He has isolated himself, cutting himself off from the wider world and living only with his dog and the occasional banter on a rare trip into town for supplies. I'd wish not to give away too much of the rest of the story, but events occur which leave him to question why the world just won't leave him alone - it is interspersed with a tale of the one person who was allowed to enter his cold, lonely existence; if only for a short time. This unfortunately leads him to commit a drastic, dismal act, and you watch aghast and with a sense of sorrow as events spiral out of his control.

Donovan has a background in Celtic poetry, and you can tell from his immaculate, hauntingly beautiful descriptions of the onset of a winter in Maine. You feel the bite of the first snowfall, the fearful silence of the woods around him with a searing sense of submersion - I can't emphasise enough that this is top-notch literary prowess.

Whilst at first difficult to imagine the reader falling in love with this sad, misanthropic figure, you soon begin to sympathise with every feeling he has, every sorrowful encounter, every vengeful thought.

I feel this book takes on an extra dimension if you're able to share a common spirituality with the main protagonist. Whilst this sounds crass and pretentious, if you read the book you'd be able to understand what angle I'm coming from. This figure, this enigma - represents that little part of us which wants to stay under the covers in the morning, isolate ourselves from the cold, harsh reality of the world outside. This tale weaves the consequences of when this conscientous, personal withdrawal from society is brutally violated.

I'd usually stop short of awarding a book 10/10, as it'd automatically categorise it as one of 'my favourite books I've ever read' - in retrospect however, it is worthy of this score and this moniker. Stunning.

[Mord Sith]

The Handmaid's Tale
By Margaret Atwood
4/5

Another novel to add to my growing list of "dystopian fiction I very much like". I think what sets this apart from many of it's predecessors is the slight change in formula; it does not adhere exactly to the plot of a community working for the collective good of the state, while the residents are blissfully ignorant - and in most cases - completely happy. No, this is far more brutal in that every person is fully aware of their situations and consequences of every single action they take.

Set in what used to be the U.S.A - The Republic of Gilead is a totalitarian state where women have been removed of rights and privileges, while men also have their fair share of freedom snatched from them. The purpose is to restore population, as either a chemical spill or pollution has reduced fertility in both men and women. The novel follows a woman named Offred; a woman who is assigned the task of bearing a child for a household who cannot conceive naturally themselves. She recounts all her experiences within this new life that has been thrown on her unexpectedly, and also reveals a little of her past life along the way which explains how the new, brutal regime came about.

The novel plays a lot on fear. Many of the women are in the same situation, and still cannot help each other in fear of being betrayed; you'd assume in such a circumstance that they'd all help one another, but it's a watch your own back affair as traitors are publicly hung from a wall as an example. Handmaids (fertile women assigned to a house) are either guarded or paired with other handmaids for daily tasks. Extreme measures are even taken to make sure they have absolutely no access to implements that can aid in suicide; proving the desperate situation they're in. What's disturbing are the Ceremonies; the man of the household (a Commander) once a month must have intercourse with the Handmaid in the hope that she will become pregnant, but the Wife is also present; lying beneath the handmaid, and basically acting like her shadow. The birthing ceremonies are just as strange...

It's quite an intriguing story, to be honest. It throws you right into the chaos from the start, but Offred's story and the true meaning doesn't really grip you until half-way into the book. It's obscure, and Offred only delivers some understanding in segments scattered throughout the reality of her situation. It's quite back and forth, but magnificently delivered as the story develops and Offred starts to make a few changes and risks to try and escape and get back to her old life.

[Nem]

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Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

9/10

Following the recent burgeoning of interest in McCarthy's work in light of the success of the screen version of 'No Country for Old Men', I was lucky enough to receive what is considered to be his defining novel as a gift.

Nothing quite prepares you for the depth to which you can plunge into this operatic, horrific representation of the American Frontier in the late 19th Century.

Whilst I've seen the criticism levelled at this novel that it has no discernable plot - I'd counter that the plot is strengthened and validated by ones knowledge of the period of time within which it is set. The violence and blood-letting takes centre stage in this paen about the birth of the American Dream. The plot in its simplicity revolves around a youth ('The Kid') cast adrift in this merciless and brutal beginning. He stumbles from encounter to encounter, learning harsh lessons in ruthless, unforgiving surroundings.

Of course, McCarthy's greatest strength lies in his evocative and masterful prose describing the sweeping plains, the crimson skies and the dusty, deserted ghost-towns which our protagonist encounters on his journey. Scarcely have I seen such beautiful, involving accounts of scenery and setting as are present in Blood Meridian.

The characters suit and abet this tale, through their identifiable traits of men cast adrift in a nightmarish world of massacre and counter-massacre as the Whites try to cut deeper into the land owned by the American Indians. The Kid falls in with Army regiments, Scalp Hunters, Mexicans and Law Enforcement as he traverses the vista from young, naieve buck to a hard, wise veteran - despite his tender years.

Upon finishing this novel one is left breathless yet stirred - in summary this is a phenomenal, operatic achievement charting the blood-stained birth of the American ideal.

[Nem]

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Andrew O'Hagan - Be Near Me

10/10

Sorry to post another massive-scoring review on here, but this is another book which I just remembered would have been towards the top (or at least sharing the summit with 'Julius Winsome') of my favourite books from 2007.

I was drawn to this by the fact it was Booker-listed, and I also (quite sadly) thought the cover was really nice.

Without wanting to give too much away, the plot of this novel surrounds a Priest who moves to a small rural parish in Scotland, and subsequently falls in with a couple of local youths who are immersed in his influences, although, where the novel takes a sad and melancoly descent, he is perhaps immersed in theirs.

This is an exquisite, tender novel which highlights the innocence, weakness and utter fragility of human existence. The delicacy of the main character's persona is laid bair to be pecked at by the vicious, circling hostilities of close-knit society. Time and time again one is moved by the gracious yet ultimately flawed goodness of the intentions of our lead.

The youngsters, through no fault of their own, draw the priest into remembering and perhaps mourning for his own youth - its offers of hope, its brevity and its eventual passing.

Whilst the bounds of credulity are occasionally stretched by the narrative (the sheer speed at which some of the situations move is not in keeping with the general careful weaving of the tale) but this veering towards the absurd never fully occurs - O'Hagan is skilled enough to just about maintain the story transpiring within the realms of believability.

I won't give the main shockwave away which occurs about halfway through and courses throughout the remainder of the novel but suffice to say upon re-reading one is able to reflect and see how this event was sadly inevitable and ultimately unavoidable. The second half of the novel focuses on the fallout and eventual retribution from this episode, revelling in all the gross flaws and intolerances of our supposedly humane society.

I implore people to read this book, and hope it has the same effect on them that it had on me - a painful, mourning experience punctuated with unparalleled moments of elation and hope. Simply sensational.

[M16]

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
by Haruki Murakami

I finished reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Murakami and I disliked it pretty heavily. Maybe it just wasn't my type of book, but I found the entire thing to be irrelevant and boring. Without wanting to give too much away, it's a book about a guy whose wife leaves him, so he climbs down a well and starts hallucinating.

Sure, there's more to it, but that's the basic gist of it. The author starts discussing "white gooey things at the center of us that are our true identities," and I'm completely lost on that idea. I had no idea what he was talking about, and it just annoyed me that I was reading about it.

It's not to say the book wasn't interesting in its own right, because it certainly was. There were several side stories, one about a man named Boris the Skinner. I'll give you a hint: it wasn't animals he liked to skin. There was also a moderately long side-story about one of the houses where much of the story takes place, but I found it to be so dull I ended up just skipping over it.

The books ends, to me, on a ridiculous note. Once again, without wanting to give too much away, the author just kind of blows by the ending and tells you in summary what he didn't feel like writing about.

Basically, it's just not my type of literature. Too much discussion of metaphysics, which I already disapproved of prior to even reading the book, and too much involvement of a character I absolutely could not stand (the protagonist, if you can even call him that).

I would personally only give this a 3/5, and that's being generous. I'm sure many would disagree, however.

[Nem]

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Kazuo Ishiguro - Never Let Me Go

8.5/10

This is one of those novels where when you've finished it, you come out feeling you've just read a wonderful piece of work but are frustratingly unable to put your finger on quite why it's a wonderful piece of work.

Rather bizarrely, this novel can be easily categorised into dystopian literature, although this 'genre tag' is somewhat inappropriate - the novel never really plays on its setting, more on the interactions of the few people whose lives briefly collide within it.

If it is piece of dystopian literature, it's certainly a very modern, lightweight one. Where the depth of the novel is explored is through the narrative interactions of the 3 main characters. All grew up at a seemingly idyllic school, only coming to realise as their lives progressed the horror of what their future held, and how this influenced their relationships with one another and their reflections on their childhood. Whilst only really working with three characters, Ishiguro manages to weave an absorbing tale which focuses so much on the ordinary it almost becomes the extraordinary - normal emotions, relations, arguments and love affairs become much more than that; torrid rebellion against that which was planned and expected of the lives of these three individuals.

To go any more into why these relationships are so fragile, so hopeful - is to risk upsetting and revealing the crux of the plot, which whilst revealing itself early on is still a greater discovery for the reader within the context of book than outside of it.

Ultimately, it is a novel about loss, about the brief but extinguished flicker of hope - but also about the spiritual prosperity of the human condition and how every moment, no matter how mundane, becomes cherished when separated from the tableau. There is an absolutely exquisite, heart-wrenching moment towards the final few pages of the book, where a man simply stands in a blustery field in the depths of night, yelling his despair one final time at the deaf ears of the howling winds around him, holding on tightly to the only meaning he has left in the world.

A novel then, not so much about its setting, not even so much about its plot, but about the fragility and ultimate insignificance of the individual pitted against the relentless love and defiance of those who cherish them.

[Mord Sith]

Neuromancer
By William Gibson
6.5/10

This book blew me away. Not exactly in the sense that I was completely and utterly amazed by Gibson’s literary prowess, but because I felt inherently stupid when I turned the last page; all the while trying to figure out the finer details of what I had just read. This isn’t meant to read as a wholly negative introductory paragraph; I blame myself for perhaps not taking the time to absorb the heavy content, which although isn’t beyond anyone’s intellect; still could probably confuse the best of us.

This is cyberspace territory: A dark, nihilistic future where technology is paramount. Cyber-“cowboys” have the ability to neurally jack into a virtual world, or a matrix, and manipulate it to cause, in most cases, general havoc. Technology doesn’t just stop at being able to plug into another world; humans can also be biologically modified and enhanced: optic implants that pull up an information “screen”, mirrored lenses, retractable nail-blades, the ability to display holographic images; it’s all in a day’s work.

Our protagonist is Case; a has-been matrix cracker. He was good at his job, until he decided to steal from his employers, and consequently his ability to enter the matrix was terminated. Now no longer living the high life; he spends each day in the Sprawl drinking, taking drugs and cursing his existential prison. He’s eventually approached by a shady guy called Armitage, who literally makes him an offer he can’t refuse: A cure for the neural damage preventing him from entering the matrix, for a risky job IN the matrix that’s a race against time. Newly recruited, along with a superb street samurai – Molly – Case realises that his simple job soon becomes a death wish, and that someone higher up is pulling all the strings.

It’s by no means an entirely easy read; Gibson doesn’t compromise the story by going light with his audience, for that; I can’t help but admire the book. He throws you thick into the deep end from chapter one, and it’s a crazy rollercoaster until the end. The characters are colourful; they don’t take any shit; contrite probably isn’t even a word in their vocabulary. The atmosphere is immense; you never truly feel like any character is safe. Not to mention the landscapes Gibson paints; it’s a true technological nightmare.

It’s definitely a novel that requires more than one read; I know that I, for one, will definitely read it again; just to feel the satisfaction of fully understanding the technological metaphors that heavily feature in Case’s experiences within cyberspace, as well as developing a proper mental image of what it might actually look like. I think I’d actually enjoy the story (even though the story is excellent) more with a little more understanding.

[Enemy Airship]

The Road
Cormac McCarthy

The Road follows the journey of one man and his son as they travel across post-apocalyptic America in search of warmer climes after humanity has collapsed following on from an undescribed cataclysmic event. The towns and cities of old have been burned to the ground and all foliage has met a similar demise, leaving them surrounded by a world of grey misery as they make their way along old highways whilst scavaging for food and dodging lawless cannibals who will kill anything in order to survive.

Despite my appreciation for the settings, I found that the storytelling was very cyclic in nature, with the boy and his dad doing the same thing day after day. The things they do are certainly not unbelievable, but the descriptions of building a fire, walking all day, eating, making a camp and building another fire are quite tedious after a while as you'd imagine. What starts as an extremely bleak and scene-setting section of prose becomes repetitive and mundane. I can appreciate that this adequately represents the blandness of human life on earth during these troubled times, but in the end it just makes for dull reading. I often felt that I could skip a few pages and not miss anything important in the story. Furthermore, the style of writing leaves little or no punctuation in sentences, there are no chapter breaks, the lines and sentences are extremely short and the dialogue almost irrelevant.

Aside from these negative factors, it's still an entertaining story. Human interaction between the two main characters and any other survivor is at a premium, though when it does occur it is often extremely tense - and exposes the moral dilemmas that the father must face as he tries to teach his son about lost values, despite treating everyone he meets with contempt and suspicion. The idiosyncrasies of their journey (for example, finding a commuter train) become extremely entertaining to read about, despite their modern day inanity, because the rest of the story is so repetitive.

Then, at the crux of the story is the father's predicament regarding the future of his son. While his own health steadily fails, he contemplates whether the child could survive at all in a destroyed world without him as his guardian, and reaches conclusions about whether he should just end his misery in a humane a way as possible, rather than run the risk of leaving him at the mercy of sadistic cannibals.

The style of writing was definitely a factor that caused my interest to wane and in the end I felt like I was just persevering for the sake of it, rather than because I was interested in the story, which I felt ended in a fairly predictable way. I'd really struggle to read this book again.

5 out of 10

[Mord Sith]

Double Fault
By Lionel Shriver
7.5/10

The literary queen of modern relationships strikes a disharmonic chord. If ever a person was to write about the consequences of relationships; you can guarantee that Shriver will deliver nothing short of a thoughtful, devastating story. Here, we are given a book in which two people are seemingly destined to be together but, in actuality; are worlds apart.

Double Fault encompasses the life of Willy Novinsky; a professional (albeit low seeded) tennis player. Willy’s attitude is that she IS tennis; having played the sport since the age of 5. Now at 23 years of age, she is at the prime of her career, but also; having realised to get to the top, she has forfeited other important aspects of her life, that is; a relationship that does not involve tennis. She serendipitously meets 22-year-old Eric; a mere amateur who only realising his sporting talents at the grand old age of 18; decided to take up the sport professionally. Unlike most men, Eric’s honest acceptance of her talent, as well as eagerness to learn from Willy captures her attention, and they embark on what turns out to be a tumultuous relationship.

The ensuing story is really quite heartbreaking. Willy, having adopted the sport as her entire being, considers it a personal affront when Eric starts to gain on her in ranking. With each competition they both enter; Willy’s insecurities about her own talents, as well as her relationship being to escalate into sheer paranoia. It’s not just about the competition on the court, but love becomes the greatest competition of all; spiralling down into the inevitable emotion: jealousy.

Willy’s character is pretty profound; you can simultaneously sympathise with her, yet be repulsed by her actions. As you progress into the story, you realise that the predicament of her and Eric’s life can be attributed to many relationships; it’s a war of the sexes. Eric, too, is a wonderful character; but you come to realise that he eventually mirrors and amplifies Willy’s life dream: the results are devastating for the pair, and other people around them.

I really love Shriver's style of writing; sometimes it feels like she dips far too often into a thesaurus, but you can tell that she's the type of person who muses and mulls over a lot of circumstances; this is reflected in her characters, which makes them far more relatable to the reader.

[Nem]

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Yann Martel - Life of Pi

8/10

This had been sitting, rather cretinously, on my 'already read' shelf for the past 12 months, as it was mistakenly put there instead of my 'to read' pile. Anyway - I found it and finally delved into it a couple of weeks back, and was pleasantly surprised.

Now even though Booker-Prize winners often suffer from being royally lavished with undeserved amounts of hype, some of the comments I'd seen surrounding this were bordering on the absurd - I don't ever think you should start a book with endorsements like 'it will change your life and philosophy about everything!' ringing in your ears.

This problem with having built up my expectations sullied my enjoyment of the first third of the book to be honest. Some pretty pedestrian scene-setting takes place which - whilst garnished with the occasional exotic scene or location every now and again - wasn't really convincing me that this was a stunning piece of fiction worthy of its countless praises. Pi's embracing of three religions draws a smile, as do his father's less-than-subtle attempts to warn him of the hierachical structure of the zoo.

The core of the novel starts when, on an animal-laden journey across the pacific, Pi's cargo ship sinks, leaving him stranded on a lifeboat with only an orangutan, hyena and Bengal Tiger (the endearingly named 'Richard Parker') for company. This is where the book really comes into its own, with delightful descriptions of the environment around Pi.

Whilst never aiming for out-and-out humour, Pi's observations and experiences are generously tinged with a warm wit and familiar style.

The book thrives in taking deliciously dark turns, however, as unforseen circumstances begin to strip Pi of the comforts around him, turning his adventure into more of a nightmare. He ends up trying to tame aforementioned tiger through amateurly observed zookeeping techniques - these paragraphs are the warmest and most comforting distractions amongst the darker direction the novel begins to take, as Pi's spirit is eroded in symmetry with his clothes and food supplies.

Some extremely bloodthirsty and foul survival later (vegetarians may not appreciate some of the measures Pi finds himself resorting to), Pi is left clinging to his unspoken bond with Richard Parker to see himself through. The two enemies end up keeping each other afloat through sheer will alone. Keeping Richard Parker alive gives Pi reason to keep himself alive - forcing himself awake daily to continue the draining routine. Pi finds himself becoming ever closer to the tiger's animal instincts for survival.

Pi's story becomes ever more fanciful as it continues; near death experiences with supertankers, mid-sea meetings blighted by temporary blindness, discoveries of meerkat-inhabited islands - all woven with aplomb by Pi into the wider tale.

Now I have no intention of spoiling it for you, but this book has an ending that will absolutely kick you in the teeth. I've read a great deal of fiction and I didn't see it coming - obvious though it is in retrospect. The ending is left for your interpretation, but it makes you question the nature of humanity, the spirit, the imagination and the value of undiminished faith.

The ending is what pulls this novel up by its coat tails for me - what was a pretty routine-if-well-written adventure story becomes something a whole lot more. It's difficult to explain, but once you finish the book you're gripped by a desire to simply start from the beginning and read it again - only this time your interpretation will write the story for you.

[Nem]

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David Mitchell - Cloud Atlas

9/10

I actually read this a year ago, but I thought I'd post a little review up of it. I picked this up following my enjoyment of Black Swan Green by the same author, as I appreciated his writing style. This is, however, a vastly more challenging book to get into I found. After a false start nearly 6 months earlier, I finally found a situation where I could read and concentrate in peace (easiest job I ever had...).

It is, to all intents and purposes, an anthology of six interconnecting stories. The protagonists in each tale share a distinctive birthmark, and some link to their predecessor/successor. The stories concern a sailor's accounts from aboard an 18th century vessel, a young flamboyant musician's antics, a journalist who uncovers a conspiracy, an ageing and foolish book publisher, a futuristic clone who discovers humanity, and a tribesman in a post-apocalyptic world.

Now this may sound like an eclectic, possibly overly bizarre mix of scenario and setting, but to a great extent, it works - you'll obviously favour some of the stories over others (I wasn't too sure on the seafaring and post-apocalypse tales, whilst I snorted out loud at parts of 'Letters from Zedgelheim', the part concerning the flamboyant musician and was gripped by the tale of the conspiracy-busting journalist, Luisa Rey).

This novel almost feels like David Mitchell showing off his range and variety, and it's a pleasure to indulge in - even with the chapters you favour less, if you have any appreciation of literature you'll still appreciate the verve and capability with which they are written. 'Letters from Zedgelheim' is frivolous and dark, 'The Ghastly ordeal of Timothy Cavendish' hilarious and nigh-slapstick, and 'Orison of Sonmi' touching and philosophical. The peculiar writing style of the (rather lengthy) middle section can test the patience, but overall the book is a triumph of ideas and concept. It's a testament to Mitchell's skill that I was practically praying for 'Letters from Zedgelheim' not to end.

At 500 pages, the book is hardly lightweight, but each chapter varies in pace, meaning the book never loses your attention. I can't imagine anyone not wanting to read the second half of each story (the novel is structured in halves, thusly - 1,2,3,4,5,6,6,5,4,3,2,1) and the narrative rolls each story into another with the deft touch of a literary master.

Whilst still not quite as good as his subsequent Black Swan Green on a personal level (review of that coming soon!), Cloud Atlas is thoroughly worth the investment of your time and effort just to witness agog what incredible range and variety this most undervalued of authors possesses.

[Nem]

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Anne Enright - The Gathering

3/10

The most recent Booker winner, The Gathering attempts to tell a story spanning three generations of an Irish family, the Hegartys, who are reunited at the wake of one of the siblings, Liam. Unfortunately, this book never moves beyond the utterly mediocre and frankly tedious.

Let's get the good stuff out of the way first - Enright's writing style is easy on the eye, and moves crisply. However she clearly seeks (the duly forthcoming) recognition for her ability to use advanced writing device by perhaps over-embellishing her skill. I lost count of the amount of times I rolled my eyes at some of the overly floral and completely unecessary technique employed by Enright throughout the novel.

This honestly feels like a white-cover-misery-memoir written by someone who, admittedly, has a clear talent. The genre itself has been utterly exploited by the publishing houses - so coming to a work of fiction within the genre didn't inspire me from the outset.

Plot tendrils fizzle out and go nowhere - the abuse angle is never really followed up, we never learn more about the insanity which befalls the uncle, and none of the characters are painted any more deeply than a poorly filled paddling pool. We find ourselves floundering in complete apathy towards the Hegarty clan. Why is one of the sisters an alcoholic? Do we care? Why did one of the brothers run away to a priesthood? Do we care?

Where this novel spectacularly tumbles is because the answer to these questions is a resounding 'no' - none of the characters are developed anywhere near enough for us to care about them in any manner. A couple of promising plot and character maps are simply discarded as we move back again to our narrator, Veronica, and her self-indulgent cries for understanding. The fact one ends up with no emotional empathy with Veronica means the passages fly past with little relevance or interest.

The story has no end - it has no resolution - we are simply left with a glimpse of the psyche of a family who grew up in unfortunate circumstance. I've read far, far better novels which chart the banal and the 'ordinary' in an interesting manner - Jon McGregor's 'So many ways to begin' for example - and unfortunately, this novel doesn't even begin to do so.

Very, very disappointing.

[Mord Sith]

I wasn't sure if you were going ahead with this, Nem, but I finished re-reading this a while ago and had the review ready to go!

Black Swan Green
By David Mitchell
9/10

This novel is a bit of a mystery to many of Mitchell’s followers. Following the massive acclaim of Cloud Atlas, I assume many readers could not even being to contemplate how Mitchell might stretch the boundaries of his imagination past the limit. Having associated his style around interconnecting narratives; Black Swan Green is like a piece of jigsaw that simply refuses to fit the bigger picture. I’ve read a couple of critics’ comments; many of which constantly praise (and compare this to) his previous work, but also claim that Mitchell has possibly taken a step in the wrong direction. I think they’re talking rubbish. This novel is a breath of fresh air; not once through my readings did I ever feel stifled, or felt a lack of substance; the characters are incredibly relatable; the plot itself is charming when it needs to be, and devastating when appropriate. I’ll admit that Cloud Atlas, although fantastic; took me a long time to settle into the story and get my head around the characters; Black Swan Green is simple, engaging, yet still magnificently written.

Our protagonist is Jason Taylor, a 13 year-old growing up in the village of Black Swan Green in the 80s; the type of place where everyone knows everyone’s business. The story basically follows Jason’s life for one year; a coming of age sort of affair. Each chapter takes a month in which something significant happens in Jason’s life concerning his family, friends (or lack of), politics, school politics, and his own personal struggles that he strives to overcome. It’s not extraordinary; he’s just a normal person (although quite articulate for someone of his age), but his encounters are just so real, that you can’t help but laugh and perhaps be reminded of your own childhood. For instance, the parts detailing his school life and the social hierarchy are pretty reminiscent of what teenagers ARE like at that formidable age; the popular slang, name-calling, what you need to do to be considered cool; it’s amazingly accurate, and (if it IS meant to be a semi-autobiography of Mitchells’ growing up) astounding how not much changes in the years from then and now. There are also other interesting facets to the story, such as Jason trying to hide and overcome his stutter, the consequences of the Falklands War, his parents constant fighting, and the fact that he has to hide his interest in poetry.

Obviously, it is quite poetic styled; what with it being from the mind of this aspiring poet, but it’s done in the way that you’re reading from what is clearly a talented, but inexperienced poet. I found it quite charming how Mitchell made sure to remind us that although this young man is clever; he’s neither a poetic genius, nor an adult. It might be that it plays on nostalgia, but it’s incredibly “down-to-earth” and I’m sure would be an enjoyable read for most people.

[Nem]

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Richard Montanari - The Skin Gods

6/10

Every now and again, it's refreshing to surface from the Miasma of heavy-hitting literature and breathe a bit of fresh air - pretty much what I intended to do with The Skin Gods. Like playing 'Schools Out' on easy on guitar hero, it's a simple yet no-less enjoyable distraction from mashing into 'Knights of Cydonia' on expert while your brain nodules explode.

Let's get this out the way then - The Skin Gods is not going to rock your world, following as it does the very rigid serial-killer-thriller formula to the letter. The characters are all entirely predictable and 2d, as ageing 'troubled-past' cop Byrne teams up with kick-ass laydee detective Balzano to try and resolve the case of a serial killer operating in sweltering Philadelphia.

Where the novel wins a few points is in the fact that the plot itself is quite intriguing - the killer has taken to re-enacting famous murders from cinema history, and splicing them back into the originals for some innocent film-goer to distressingly experience upon renting them. The murders themselves are suitably and satisfyingly executed (excuse the pun) and the grimy, backyard nature of a sweaty, close inner city is surprisingly well rendered. I was impressed at some of the scene setting, whilst hardly Cormac standard, you did feel immersed in the oppressive, cloying heat of the seedy underworld - Summer of Sam style.

Unfortunately, the characters are as well fleshed out as Keira Knightley in bulemia week, but I suppose that's not really the entire point of a novel like this. Suffice to say, they do exactly what they say on the tin, and nothing more. I'm sad to report, however, one aspect which contributed to destroying the overall score was the fact the novel suffers that classic crime-thriller pitfall; namely the fact it spins itself into so many twists and turns that the killer turns out to be a minor, pretty insignificant side character who up until that point has had about 3 lines. You spot the red herrings coming seventy miles away, because you know in a novel like this the protagonist will only be revealed, to mouths agape, in the last 10 pages. Rest easy in the fact that you won't lose any sleep over the ending.

I can guarantee one thing, being that you will keep turning the pages until the end - I finished it in two sittings. I wouldn't recommend investing in literature like this (unless you're desperate on the third of a 3for2) but if you see it in your local library, give it a shot - it's a pretty engaging, harmless thriller, which, given its remit, doesn't do alot wrong.

[DrBernie]

Eh, why not...

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
What happens when you mix two Earth-creaturest , two people from somewhere in the vicinity of Betelguese, a manically depressed robot and an over-enthusiastic ship? A very strange, quirky adventure.

In the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, we follow Arthur Dent as his lovely Thursday morning is thrown out of control when his friend Ford Prefect reveals that he is infact an alien and that an entire fleet of Vogon's have come to Earth in order to demolish it for a new hyperspace bypass. A whole lot of events go by, ultimately revealing the Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. Of course, we are yet to discover the question.

The book is quite short, only about 200 pages, which works in favor of the story as it is constantly being developed without being rushed or repetitively boring.
The writing style of Adams is simple to read, and his descriptions of scenery and people are not lacking detail.
When reading the book, I found myself chuckling at least once every chapter and the way Adams weaves jokes and excerpts from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy into the story are brilliantly done, often challenging the way you think before you realise that most of it is purely ridiculous - which Adams usually points out just sentences later.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who can spare a couple of days of light reading, as it is well worth the read and is sure to put you into a silly mood :)

9/10

[Mord Sith]

In The Woods
By Tana French
7.5/10

I always feel an inexplicable dread when I pick up a novel dealing with crime fiction. I’m not sure if it’s because stories dealing with murders and mystery can so often become a wearisome read, overly predictable, or the protagonist portrayed as the stereotypical cop that you simply cannot identify with them; it all too often can feel like a bit of a joke, soft read.

I picked up In The Woods simply because I hadn’t read a book of its genre in a long time; I didn’t give it much thought, and reading the back didn’t completely excite me, however; I couldn’t stop myself from buying it. I’m really quite glad I did and was pleasantly surprised that a debut novelist created a very solid, interesting story that combines crime with psychological thriller impeccably.

Rob Ryan is a detective in the Dublin police force, working in the Murder squad. A 12-year-old girl’s body is found at an archaeological dig in a dense of woods where - 20 years earlier - a crime was committed involving the disappearance of two children; Rob’s best friends; he managed to escape the incident, but has been left with a blank memory of that day ever since. After changing his name years ago; no one knows who he is, and that he is linked with the mysterious disappearances. Rob, and his detective partner Cassie, are set with the task of finding the killer of the young girl, but also secretly re-open the case that involved Rob all those years ago.

The plot itself sounds incredibly clichéd, but amazingly; French has avoided any dull traps that you would expect, and created a pretty excellent first person narrative that is tense and captivating. In Rob she has created a real nightmare; he becomes psyc hologically drained as the case progresses, naturally, and it’s interesting to read from the point of view of a person with real demons to deal with, whilst tackling perhaps the most important case of his life. Cassie, his partner, is a real gem; her character is amazing, but not without her flaws and own secrets. The depth and observation really bring the story to life; each important character is fleshed out without compromising the actual plot, humour is added to combat the complete darkness as well as opening the reader up to the characters, and although the identity of the murderer is a little predictable; the effects of the case as it nears the end are actually pretty devastating and unexpected; I felt a swell of sadness when I read the last few lines; wishing the end hadn’t arrived so quickly. At approximately 600 pages long; it’s not a light read, either, but (and excuse the phrase) it IS a real page-turner; I’m really looking forward to her next book.

[Nicola]

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Author: Jean Rhys
Title: Wide Sargasso Sea (Prequel to Jane Eyre)
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‘Jane Eyre’ is probably one of my favourite novels of all time, and when a family member lent me this prequel, I was quick to devour it.

My expectations were not high, however. I was excited about the ‘Jane Eyre’ BBC adaptation, and when it turned out to be outstanding and very loyal to its source material, I was keen to watch the prequel that they advertised afterwards. I was not as impressed. I found it dull and could not really connect with Bertha.

As it turns out, after reading this novella, the BBC adaptation was as loyal as the ‘Jane Eyre’ adaptation. It was sexy, colourful, brooding, exotic and menacing, and whilst I did not appreciate this at the time, I do after reading this. Unfortunately, this loyalty means the shortcomings of the TV adaptation are also true of this novella. It is quite difficult to feel for the heroine, like we are clearly supposed to, and the author opts to make Rochester (who, interestingly, is never named) out to be a villain, and her madness is entirely his fault.

It is a plausible exploration that aligns itself with Victorian gender politics; when women were sent to lunatic asylums for as little as depression, and then sent mad inside of them. Actually, it is highly relevant, and it gives the reader a completely different view of Bertha’s story. This is a double edged sword though. As interesting as it is, and perhaps right, in many respects, it is pretty difficult to grasp the characterisation of Rochester in this manner for all the people that adored his character in ‘Jane Eyre’.

Besides the character of Bertha, and the fact that this novella is a prequel, it can firmly stand on its own. Not, perhaps, as a story or something to be enjoyed, but for the thematics and how the language complements them. The narration is riddled with imagery, foreshadowing and sheer elegance. It deals with gender politics, Victorian martial laws, colonialism, race, and of course, psychology. Having said that, I would recommend reading ‘Jane Eyre’ before embarking on this, as much of it would be lost if you have not read ‘Jane Eyre’ first. It also may soil your view on Rochester for ‘Jane Eyre’ and give away plot details which would ruin the novel for you considerably.

If you have read ‘Jane Eyre’, I would not say that this is vital, but if you are curious about Bertha’s character this novella fleshes her out a bit, though there is still something about her that is lacking. I felt more sympathy for her in ‘Jane Eyre’ without all of this background to be honest.