Review A Book

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Hummmm I cant explain it so if you want to know what its about hit the link^^:D
(my copy has a nicer cover:nod: )
I loved it! Didnt realise till Id finished that Id already read somthing by thisman before, well co-written by him ( Good Omens withTerry Pratchett) cant xplain it I just loved it. BIzarre charcters magic real people and the real world all mixed up! :D

Ok what I wanted to do in the first place was put my favourite line down which is really why I decided to post!

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'Rubbish!' screamed a fat, elderly woman, in Richard's ear as he passed her malodorous stall, 'Junk!' she continued ' Garbage! Trash! Offal! Debris! Come and get it! Nothing whole or undamaged! Crap, tripe and useless piles of s**t. You know you want it.'

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Sorry about the swearingnot that it is swearing I think the woman means it quite literally! :eek: ;) :lol:

8.5/10 (have yet to find a book that is 10/10)
But lack of slep may be a reason I loved it so much not sure- hope not :D

A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
I wanted to read this book because it won a big award in Canada, The Governor General's award. I am a Canadian, so I am big on supporting the writers of my country, and this book was one of the better pieces of fiction I have read from here. It is about a Mennonite community in Ontario (province in Canada, I know not everyone is a pro at geography). Anyways, they are very religious and primitive, but the children are starting to break the mould so to speak. This book follows Nomi through her 12th year of high school, with flashbacks to the life that she lived before. I really enjoyed it!

9/10

Earlier today, I finally finished Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcìa Márquez.
To state the fact bluntly, which I liked, but others may not, the author's rhetorical style reminded me much of a more modern Charles Dickens, written in Spanish; I think it builds beautiful imagery, and gives characters lots of depth, but the style tends to sometimes 'rub some people the wrong way.'
The plot, however, seemed very unique - very few characters, yet with much depth, sometimes predictable, yet still touching. The word 'sentimental' describes best the theme and mood of the novel, I think, placing the greatest emphasis on love devoid of marriage, children, and certain seemingly superficial stances. In the end, I thought the book beautiful!
My rating: 10/10

"One" (1989) by Richard Bach.

In the preface Bach describes a sort of epiphany he experienced when he found an obscure book on theoretical physics in a little bookshop. The subject of the book was the "many worlds" interpretation of quantum mechanics and its bizarre implications.

Bach asks the questions:
*What if we could meet the people we are destined to be in twenty years? *What if we could confront the people we were in the past, and those we are right now in parallel worlds?
*I gave my life to become the person I am right now. Was it worth it?

In the novel Bach and his wife Leslie are catapulted into an alternate world in which they exist simultaneously in many different incarnations.

''One'' presents a number of provocative speculations...To appreciate the spirit of this book, you must think metaphorically. Just as a television has many channels, everyone has many lifetimes that are going on simultaneously -- Joyce Cohen, New York Times

I won't divulge the conclusion the Bachs come to, even though it should be obvious from the title. I enjoyed this strange novel about unknown possibilities and I give it an 8 on a scale of 10.

(Bach's masterpiece was "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," a 10 for sure.)

Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout
I had heard of this book before, not sure where from, but when I saw it the other day I decided that I had to see what the book was like. It was actually quite good. It tells the story of a mother and daughter living in a small town. They both go through changes during the novel, and find out that even when they think they are the farthest apart from each other, they are not as different as they may think. The only thing that bothers you is how they act in situations, you know that this is likely how things would be played out in a real life setting, but at the same time I kept wanting to tell them to get a clue!!! The book sucks you in.

8/10

So, finished Light on Snow by Anita Shreve today as well. It was an easy read. A surprising novel from her, all the others I have read are really very romancy, it is in there somewhere. This one had none as a prominent feature, so it was strange. I kept waiting for something to happen, but any relationships in the novel were underplayed. Anita Shreve has to be a good author though because she writes romancy novels generally, and I don't read romance all that often. I can't give it a perfect grade, though, because it was not better than her novel "Fortune's Rock". So, 8/10 again. :)

Because posting a new one would make 3 posts in a row...
Finished "A Little Stranger" today. I thought it came out in 2005, but it was actually 2004. I missed it, I guess. It was really good, I think. Quite different than the other book I read by her, "Weird Sister", but a good different. It is about a woman that grew up in a dysfunctional family, gets married and then one day just leaves. She needs to find herself in order to be a wife and mother, and her husband needs to hear her, something that he has been unable to do while she was living with him. It is by Kate Pullinger

9/10... Weird Sister was better...

A Redbird Chirstmas by Fannie Flagg
My friend lent me this novel, and a book club I know of is reading it, so it all worked out. It was really good for such a little read. I always try to read a Christmas novel at this time of year, and I think that this was a good choice. It is about a man living the last days of his life where he learns that it is never too late to start something new in life. He is in the last half of his life, but he finds that if you want something bad enough it can happen. The "miracle" at the end is pretty impressive as well.

9/10

Saints of Big Harbour by Lynn Coady
I can't say that I didn't like this book, but it was a bit of a strange one. There is this girl in it that I think goes a little crazy and the book starts to revolve around this strange story that she made up about a guy that does not exist and a guy that does exist but really has no contact with the story. There is one character in the book that baffled me, though, the brother of the girl that makes up the story. He goes through all this stuff in the book, becomes one of the main characters, but it never explains why he dropped out of college and came back home and himself went a little crazy. I thought that was something central because it is one of the questions that many of the people in the novel have, so you would think it would get answered one of these days.

8/10

Brave New World (Huxley, Aldous)

Reading Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World was inspired by realising that I hadn’t read any of a recent list stating the top twenty geek novels. Given that my impressions of geek literature being hardcore science fiction and adventures in elfworld it was pleasant to discover that this novel, over seventy years after its publication, is still fresh. I would tend to think, however, that its endurance is due to its satirical tone rather than any sort of geeky idolisation as, despite its futuristic setting, it deals more with its characters rather than the world around them.

Set in a dystopian society in 2540AD or, as the book calls it, AF632 (AF meaning After Ford) the novel presents an almost perfect society where war and poverty has been eliminated at the cost of family, culture, and religion. The whole world is considered to be a single state and the central tenets are those, as you would expect, of the industrialist Henry Ford. Fordism is the semi-religious doctrine that permeates this society: his sayings are gospel, his name is said in vain, the cross has been replaced by the ‘T’; indeed, in a motion similar to crossing oneself, the citizens make the sign of the ‘T’. An interesting idea, perhaps, but the incessant expletives (“for Ford’s sake!”, “oh my Ford!”, etc.) do lose some of their humour and power.

It begins, with little narrative, in the Central London Hatching and Conditioning Centre, a place where human beings are raised are ‘bottled’ (raised in test tubes) and then conditioned via radiation and Pavlovian techniques to become one of the five social castes of society (the independent Alphas through to the half-retarded Epsilons). Once fit for society the citizens are then ‘decanted’. The Director of this centre is giving a tour to a group and shows them the bottled embryos passing along a conveyor belt as they are treated with chemicals to determine the future intelligence and physical attributes of the embryo. He then shows them the nursery where some children are being conditioned to loathe, of all things, books and flowers.

Then, moving on, we meet one of the world’s controllers, a man named Mustapha Mond. He tells the touring children about the World State and the benefits that attempts to quash peoples’ emotions and relationships has made on society. Indeed, in this world, there is no marriage, grief, or joy – promiscuous sex is actively encouraged, death is no big deal, and games only serve to further the economy.

More characters, from here, are introduced into the narrative as Huxley’s world escapes the Hatchery and Conditioning Centre and goes further afield. The self-conscious Bernard Marx gets permission from the Director to visit a savage reservation in New Mexico; Lenina Crowne, attracted to him, accepts his offer to join him. Helmholm Watson, a hypnopaedia writer (slogans that are repeated and learnt whilst citizens sleep) shows discontent at his job feeling, as an Alpha, that he is capable of much more. And, in New Mexico, they meet John and his mother Linda, a pair of savages discontent with their world. Returning to London attempts are made to integrate John into society but, his world is shaped by Shakespeare (he found a copy of his complete works) and he disagrees with the dystopian World State, arguing with Mond until each character goes their own way (John to exile; Marx exiled.) and the final denouement.

Brave New World could have been better, there’s no doubt about that. The obvious hindrance was a narrative that never really centered on one character: one minute we were touring the hatchery, the next we’re following Bernard who, in turn, slinked into the shadows when John was introduced. Huxley has ideas, though, and amidst his obvious taste for neologisms (centrifugal Bumble-puppy!) gets his ideas across fairly well although this can be at the cost of the narrative as the climactic argument between John and Mond goes back and forward with neither being right. The World Controller argues that society is better off when nobody reflects on the past, when people aren’t given any time to themselves, and when there is nothing to be emotional about and that eliminated studies (history, religion, science) are wrongs that require control while John, in his misunderstanding of the World State, believes that people should have freedom of thought and be allowed to suffer emotions to make them human. Of course, in a world where people are made to order, made on Ford’s assembly line, he has little chance of ever making a point.

The writing in Brave New World is fine, if a tad verbose at times or scientific at others (dolichocephalic!) with, as previously mentioned, a world of neologistic commodities (pneumatic armchairs, for example). Dialogue is alright and serves to paint a more accurate picture of the characters but it is not entirely realistic and sometimes serves as device for infodumps. The characters, however, are hard to follow as they feature for little periods and, while you get an idea of what drives them, you don’t get a complete sense of their role within the story, especially as to their reactions by the novel’s close.

While I liked Brave New World one of the hardest things for me to do was imagine Huxley’s vision as it would be incarnate. When I think of future societies I am given to thoughts of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis but, when least expected, Huxley would throw in the countryside, savage reservations, and, unexpectedly, a lighthouse. I understand that these elements demonstrate a world that strives to be perfect but suffers from underlying problems (the people are kept happy by use of recreational drugs rather than any utopian positivity) that mean it is still a burgeoning dystopia rather than fully realised with its wheels completely greased. Overall, it’s an attractive novel, full of ideas, but one that suffers from a lack of organisation with them.

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Originally Posted by Stewart

Reading Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World was inspired by realising that I hadn’t read any of a recent list stating the top twenty geek novels. Given that my impressions of geek literature being hardcore science fiction and adventures in elfworld it was pleasant to discover that this novel, over seventy years after its publication, is still fresh. I would tend to think, however, that its endurance is due to its satirical tone rather than any sort of geeky idolisation as, despite its futuristic setting, it deals more with its characters rather than the world around them.

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Top twenty geek novels? Adventures in elfdom? Geeky idolisation? I get the distinct impression you don't like pencil-necked wonks who live in a dream world.

The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea (Mishima, Yukio)

Yukio Mishima’s The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea is a short novel but, due to its tight plot, brevity is not an issue. Published in 1963, seven years before he committed ritual suicide, the novel explores motivation and the factors that can cause someone to abandon their passions and resume their life embracing the dreams of another.

Noboru Kuroda, a thirteen year old on the cusp of an adult world, is part of a savage gang whose members, despite their exemplary grades at school, have rebelled against the adult world they deem hypocritical. Under the tutelage of Noboru’s friend, also thirteen, they condition themselves against sentimental feelings – a goal they call ‘objectivity’ - by killing stray cats.

Ryuji Tsukazaki, a merchant seaman, has been granted two days’ shore leave and has spent the time romancing Noboru’s widowed mother, Fusako. Noboru likes the sailor at first, his commitment to the sea and all the manly stories he has to tell. But, as Ryuji falls for Fusako, Noboru feels betrayed by the man’s burgeoning romanticism and, with the help of his gang, feels that action should be taken against the man who has replaced his father.

The first thing I noticed while reading this novel was that the characters are rich with life and history. Noboru, at thirteen, has strong feelings for his mother that manifest through voyeuristic sessions at night when, peeking into her room through a spy-hole, he watches her undress, entertain, and sleep. Ryuji, the sailor, knows he has some purpose at sea and continues his life off the land in the hope that one day he will learn his place in life. And Fusako, five years widowed, displays certain strength as she runs her own business, mixes with a richer class of citizen, while trying to raise he son as best she can.

The way the characters develop from this introduction is fast yet believable – the book, in fact, is split into two sections, Summer and Winter, to show that enough time has passed to be plausible. Noboru’s respect for Ryuji wanes as he becomes the worst thing, based on his gang’s beliefs, a man can be in this world: a father. Ryuji’s abandonment of his life’s passion is, of course, the main thread of the novel and it is a tragic decision he makes to give up the destiny waiting for him at sea in order to embrace the world of Fusako and the new direction she has planned for him.

The best thing about this novel is the language. The translator, John Nathan, has done a wonderful job and not a page passes without hitting you with a warm wash of sea-spray. Metaphors and similes are drenched with watery goodness as they add to the novel’s appeal. The prose is warm during the Summer section but as the book turns to Winter the turns of phrase become icier and tend to sting more. The dialogue is nice and realistic and doesn’t smart of stereotypical Japanese honour; the way the characters interact completely plausible.

I hadn’t heard of Mishima until I picked up this novel and, given that he had three Nobel nominations in his lifetime, I will certainly look out for more of his work. His concise prose, realistic characters, and the way his voice carries the sea makes him a rare find. If books were shells, I would hope to hear Mishima in every one.

Vicky Angel by Jacqueline Wilson

Yet another Wilson book to cross off from my BBC list. As usual, Wilson picks up a problematic issue and concentrates on it hard and nicely: this time on guilt and bereavement. Jade's best friend Vicky dies and she feels guilty about the incident. On her own, she struggles to come to terms with this unexpected death.

It is a good read for a (younger) teen. I like the fact that Wilson deals with various issues, without getting stuck in the 'working' scenarios.

7/10 KitKats!

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

The opening line of this book will be one of those I will never forget.

Middlesex is the story of Cal, a hermaphrodite, and his Greek-origined family, beginning with his grandparents' escape from Turkey to settle down in the USA at the end of the WWI. Cal tells the events leading to his birth - sharing some family secrets along the way- in a very intimate manner, which makes the reader feel like they are listening to a friend during a late night chat over a cup of tea or a glass of wine.

Intertwined with the social history of the 20th century US, Cal's story makes a compelling read, making us question family values, sexual identities, cultural differences and, most importantly, the age old question of 'nature vs nurture'.

10/10 KitKats!

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I have just completed it. A very good book, really good indeed. One can't forget a read like this one. Even the story of Cal's grandparents was very touching.
I will also give it 10/10.

I have just completed "Twins" by Caroline Cooney.

I will say that it is written for young-adults basically but people of every age can enjoy it. Personally, I liked it very much.

Those who like the sound of being a twin might start to dread having a twin after reading this novel and those who have always wished for a twin might start to think that they are better without a twin.

I will give it 9/10.

"Lighthousekeeping" by Jeanette Winterson had me absolutely spellbound. It's intertextual, which I always like, mixing in themes and images from both "Tristan And Isolde", "The Origin Of Species" (!!), "Dr Jekyll & Mister Hyde", "Treasure Island" (the main characters are Silver, DogJim and Blind Pew... though very different from Stevenson's characters; oh, and Stevenson himself turns up as well) etc... It's a story about storytelling, after all, and what a story is, and what stories and the people who tell them mean to us and our own stories. (That sounds pretentious, yeah, but I hate answering the question "So what's it about?" with "Well, it's about an orphan who goes to live in a lighthouse until it's automated and she has to find her own way in life." Because that simply doesn't come close to describing the book, any more than "Well, it's 234 pages and printed in Great Britain and has a horrible cover.")

Above all, Winterson has a fabulous ear for language, writing in this... almost singing voice, full of images and an almost extatic sensualism - which does not, for most of the time, mean it's necessarily sexy, just... sensual. That might sound girly, but I'm secure enough in my manhood to say that when I read this book, I saw it, I heard it, I tasted it, I smelled it. A pure joy to read, the way she makes the English language dance. It's one of those books where you're never sure exactly whose story is being told, the narrative is non-linear, taking place in several different times around several different people (who themselves might be several different people), and pulls it off seemlessly... Absolutely beautiful. The kind of book where I'm not sure if I should re-read it immediately or lend it out to everyone I know.

So I'm rambling. Blame the scotch, and blame Jeanette Winterson. I'm going to have to read something very dry now.

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Originally Posted by Pensive

I have just completed "Twins" by Caroline Cooney.

I will say that it is written for young-adults basically but people of every age can enjoy it. Personally, I liked it very much.

Those who like the sound of being a twin might start to dread having a twin after reading this novel and those who have always wished for a twin might start to think that they are better without a twin.

I will give it 9/10.

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I read that a couple of months ago :eek:

Just finished The Awakening by Chopin liked it pretty well but was disappointed Edna and Robert didn't get together. Also finally finished The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd. Excellent fairly accurate historical fiction.