Freewheeling Andy Posted July 23, 2007 Author Share Posted July 23, 2007 Right. The Cyclist was probably worth $2, in hardback. The conceit - a narrator who is a potential terrorist in the Middle East who was a food and cycling obsessive, and who plans to deliver his bomb as part of a bike race, is the kind of thing I should love. But the prose is insanely annoying - lots of playful but pointless alliteration; lots of utterly pointless rhyming, things just thrown in for no reason. Like adding chalk and sawdust to season. (yet, really, that bad). And the structure, too, floating back and forwards, no narrative flow, incredibly short chapters, again, without any point. Gah. Grr! So now I'm on the funny and simple Air Mail by Terry Ravenscroft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 Finished AirMail. Deeply light and trivial, but rather entertaining (in an utterly puerile way) none the less. About to start on Gordon Ramsay's autobiog thingy Humble Pie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted July 30, 2007 Author Share Posted July 30, 2007 Humble Pie was quite enlightening about kitchen stuff and had good narrative - very good for celeb biog, but there were quite a few annoying things. A lot of the book is self-defense against claims made in the press in the past. And there's a bit too much focus on individual events that were on TV programs but aren't actually important - they feel tagged on by some ghostwriter or editor who thought that celeb-biog purchasers only really cared about what some TV idiot said to another TV idiot. The editors are also to blame for the two biggest annoyances. Clearly someone was leading Ramsay through the writing, at best: so there were loads of rhetorical questions included in the writing "What are the things that annoys me most in the kitchen? Dirty fingernails, and pointless rhetorical questions, I think." And there's gratuitous use of swearing - which again celeb-biog readers may expect to, you know, make it f***ing authentic. But really, once something is written down you don't need to superfluous expletives. They were just distracting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted July 30, 2007 Author Share Posted July 30, 2007 And now I'm some way into the so far completely and utterly genius "The Plot Against America" by Philip Roth, which is almost infinitely better than its awful title. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polka Dot Rock Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Hey Andy! I hope you don't mind, but I've just finished reading a book that I thought you might be interested in: The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualusa (trans. Daniel Hahn). There's more info about it on Arcadia's website. From reading your blog, it seemed like it could be up your literary street, lol. How's the Roth continuing to shape up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted August 1, 2007 Author Share Posted August 1, 2007 Ooh! That looks interesting. I'm still fighting to reduce my TBR pile of the books that have been there for ever, so trying not to buy anything new for a while (The Roth is a failure on that front). But it looks like a facsinating book (one warning is that I'm not always convinced by novels that shift in and out of reality and dreams, unless it's done very well). The Roth remains fantastic and I'm spending my time sitting at work reading it rather than working. Lots of very deliberate playing with history to provide parallels with modern America, but despite it being fairly obvious, it's not done in a clunky and annoying way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polka Dot Rock Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 (one warning is that I'm not always convinced by novels that shift in and out of reality and dreams, unless it's done very well). I know what you mean - those scenes are, however, written well. They're also very short (as the whole novel is, thinking about it). There's a twist to those dreams but that might spoil a minor narrative point so I won't say what it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted August 6, 2007 Author Share Posted August 6, 2007 Finished The Plot Against America which was good fun, and rewarding. It was interesting to see that all US history post about 1950 was the same, and to see that Roth implies that the tracvk of history will come back on course, whatever the short term vagaries. Next up is probably Halldor Laxness and Independent People, unless I get into Waterstones first and buy the new JG Ballard and Irvine Welsh books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted August 22, 2007 Author Share Posted August 22, 2007 Well, I held off the Laxness which looked a bit scary, and have nearly finished reading Jeffrey Taylor's Lost Kingdoms of Africa, which is a travelog of his journey across the Sahel from N'Djamena to Dakar (so far we're just over the border into Mali). It's interesting, and examines the places where the slave and salt-trader kingdoms that built up over vast areas of Sahara (but with tiny populations) were. And what's in their place. The key problem with the book is that the places just seem to unpleasant, too nasty, edgy, violent, ripped with poverty. Even though he perpetually encounters very friendly people who help him negotiate the mess (whilst repeatedly being told he needs help as a post-Sept 11 American in an Islamic world, despite not having any problems), there doesn't seem to be any genuine affection for or excitement about the countries he's travelling in. Which is fair enough as they seem grim, crowded, poor and miserable. But means the book loses some of the engagement that the best travel writing has. As I left the book in the office yesterday, I started on "The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs" by Irvine Welsh yesterday, which seems fun and vicious and silly, in a typically Irvine Welsh way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted September 3, 2007 Author Share Posted September 3, 2007 Just back from the Hols, and finished Lost Kingdoms comments above; and read Irvine Welsh's The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs which was OK, but didn't really have enough bedroom secrets, or master chefs, and was a bit like a generic Welsh book - nastiness and coincidence and drugs and violence - and didn't say a lot to me other than being a fairly energetic read. Then it was Kingdom Come by JG Ballard, who I love, but who again seems to be treading water here. You kind of know that the book is going to be in a similar vein to SuperCannes or Cocaine Nights, both of which were probably better; interesting, as always, though to read of the collapse of society where there's too much disconnect from reality. Finally there was Dawkins The God Delusion, which was a cracking good read for what it was, and made lots of thoroughly good points nice and clearly. Review up in the reviews section. Lots of good thought provoking stuff. Now onto re-reading Cloud Atlas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 Now onto re-reading Cloud Atlas. Oh Andy, did you forget the plot then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted September 3, 2007 Author Share Posted September 3, 2007 Plot? Is there one? I just want to remind myself for this month's discussion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted September 24, 2007 Author Share Posted September 24, 2007 Cloud Atlas as glorious as I remembered. Still the best book written this century that I've read. Now onto Malcolm X's Autobiog. Had one "Why are you reading that? You're not black," so far. Expecting more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted October 17, 2007 Author Share Posted October 17, 2007 Finished Malcolm X. Well written, fascinating narrative, great social history. Best Autobiog I've read in a very long time, even if the politics are wrong. Now starting The Life Of Pi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny_Shovel Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Next up is probably Halldor Laxness and Independent People A word of warning about Laxness, I've read a few of his books and they're hard going at times, with events and characters appearing as if from nowhere out of his prose. A lot of this appears to make more sence if you have a bit of a grounding in Icelandic folklaw, so I decided to wait untill I'd got through a few Norse Legend's before attempting 'Independant People'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 Now starting The Life Of Pi. Enjoyed that, so I'll be interested in what you think of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 I decided to pass Laxness by for the time being. It was intimidating and I decided to stick with easy stuff instead, Kenny. Slow start on the Life of Pi, Maureen. I keep getting distracted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 I have never read the book, but I have heard good things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted November 6, 2007 Author Share Posted November 6, 2007 Finished Life Of Pi. What an odd little book. Very good and frustrating in equal measure. There were lots of things that irritated; and even the central theme stuff about religion had me wanting to kick things, particularly with the ending section. But, on the other hand, the central part of the book with Pi and Richard Parker, was really, really excellent. Now starting Atonement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted November 19, 2007 Author Share Posted November 19, 2007 Atonement is a shocker. Almost everything I hate in a book in one place. And, as always, because it's a book about authors and writing, it's loved by book reviewers and Booker types, despite being a desperate failure of imagination on the part of the writer, and despite Booker judges being all authors and therefore, really, the only people who "get" it. Utter pish. Read Cormac McCarthy's wonderful, bleak, dark, bleak, upbeat, wonderful, bleak post-apocalyptic "The Road" afterwards, and it's a maginificent change. Sparse, clear language rather than pointless dense prose. A plot, a drive, stuff happening, real people, proper emotions, not fluff and guff. I loved it. Now read the new Murukami, After Dark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Atonement is a shocker. Almost everything I hate in a book in one place. And, as always, because it's a book about authors and writing, it's loved by book reviewers and Booker types, despite being a desperate failure of imagination on the part of the writer, and despite Booker judges being all authors and therefore, really, the only people who "get" it. Utter pish. I am SO glad I didn't bother with it then! It really didn't fancy it anyway, but you've confirmed that I most likely wouldn't enjoy it. Thanks, Andy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted November 20, 2007 Author Share Posted November 20, 2007 Remember that I'm in a minority of one, Kell. Also, the sections during the war are both really very good. Although that turns out to be all the more infuriating when we get to the twist at the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Remember that I'm in a minority of one, Kell. Two, Andy. I read this book several years ago because a friend gave it to me telling me it was "a fantastic book" but I really couldn't see what the fuss was about and I can't even remember what happened now - that's how much of an impression it made on me! I remember thinking the ending was a big let-down - a bit of a cop-out if my memory serves me right - but I can't exactly remember why now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted November 21, 2007 Author Share Posted November 21, 2007 I'm really enjoying After Dark. After hearing very bad things about Kafka on the Shore, I'm glad I skipped it and got onto this instead. It's strangely compelling, although I remain unsure quite what's going on yet. As usual it has the mix of mundane Tokyo and the slight paranormal/surreal. But sometimes Murukami feels like he's trying too hard to be Murukami, and here, instead, it all seems to feel natural. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angerball Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 Atonement is a shocker. Almost everything I hate in a book in one place. And, as always, because it's a book about authors and writing, it's loved by book reviewers and Booker types, despite being a desperate failure of imagination on the part of the writer, and despite Booker judges being all authors and therefore, really, the only people who "get" it. Utter pish. Read Cormac McCarthy's wonderful, bleak, dark, bleak, upbeat, wonderful, bleak post-apocalyptic "The Road" afterwards, and it's a maginificent change. Sparse, clear language rather than pointless dense prose. A plot, a drive, stuff happening, real people, proper emotions, not fluff and guff. Wow - you really didn't like it, did you? I have to say, I really loved it - thought it was great. I borrowed McCarthy's The Road a few days ago. I have a few books to read beforehand, but I hope to get around to it soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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