Willoyd's reading 2010-2011

[willoyd]

And another three over the immediate Christmas holiday:

 

How I Won the Yellow Jumper by Ned Boulting *****

For want of a better word, this is a 'memoir' of Ned Boulting's career as a commentator for ITV on the Tour de France, describing his development from total greenhorn (he actually used the phrase 'yellow jumper' in his first broadcast to camera). Not the greatest piece of literature I've read this year, but enormously easy to read. Boulting is one who can play the self-deprecation card well (so many can't), his relaxed, humorous television style transferring well to paper. He doesn't try to tell the story chronologically, rather as a serious of topics, almost mini-essays, ranging from the most serious (eg drug doping) to the most trivial (toilet provision). Little of this is overtly deep or profound, with the author sticking to the theme of how he, as the reporter on the ground, saw things at the time, but there is enough there to on occasions really make one think. I absolutely loved this - as did my OH, whose book it is! The one downer is the illustrations: the photos should add to the book, but the reproduction is so awful, that all too many come out as if under-exposed.

 

At the Sign of the Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper ***

It's the mid-seventeenth century, and Hannah is travelling to London to visit her sister Sarah who has asked for Hannah's help in running her shop. She arrives, much to the horror of her sister whose follow-up message telling her not to come as failed to get through. The reason for the second message? The plague has arrived, and there is very soon no escape as nobody is allowed to leave London without a Certifcate of Health signed by the Lord Mayor, almost impossible to achieve for anybody other than the wealthy. The book is aimed at the Young Adult market, and it does show - the detail is good, with well developed setting, but there isn't a lot of subtlety to the plotting or characterisation. I enjoyed it enough to want to read the sequel though. I suspect that if I was in the target market I would be awarding a bit more than three stars, but this is very much a personal impression of the book, and I'm not in that market!

 

A Parcel of Time by Richard Kennedy ***

Written as a follow-up to A Boy at the Hogarth Press, although in fact a prequel covering Kennedy's childhood years. It started well, but even after barely a hundred pages, I started to find it a little wearisome: he's probably simply being honest, but this is one occasion where the self-deprecation card didn't work for me, and the whole thing felt a bit repetitive and, indeed, negative (Sue Gee in the introduction refers to his gently pitiless observation). The book picks up near the end when we learn more about his finding his metier as a book illustrator, but overall didn't work quite as well for me as the earlier volume. One of the highlights of this book, as with Boy is the illustrations - all drawn by the author and really bringing the story to life.

Edited December 26, 2011 by willoyd

[willoyd]

And another three......:

 

Maigret and the Idle Burglar by Georges Simenon ****

Detective stories these may be, they are no whodunnits. For me, the enjoyment isn't in the solving of the crimes - that's almost trivial - it's in the atmosphere and the characters. Maigret solves crimes not because he's good at finding and interpreting clues and deducing complex explanations, but because he knows the people he's working with. Nowhere is this more starkly illustrated than in this story, where Maigret, now within a couple of years of retirement, is having to cope with a new system whereby the prosecutors and examining magistrates have taken over being in charge of investigations - and they have no absolutely feel for the territory. The solution to this mystery is all in understanding the character of the victim, but at the end, quite frankly, the solution isn't that important!

I was fairly indifferent to Maigret when I first read him, mainly because the investigations felt so straightforward. However, they've gradually got under my skin, and I now love them for their sense of time and atmosphere, and indeed for the character of Maigret himself.

 

Petals in the Ashes by Mary Hooper ***

The immediate sequel to At the Sign of the Sugared Plum - the story literally takes over only a few hours after the previous book finishes. Indeed, the two books together make one continuous story, and to some extent I think it would have been better if published as such - although an ominibus edition (entitled The Fever and the Fire) is available. Maybe it was felt to be too long for younger readers as a continuous book?. Whilst Sugared Plum was based around the Plague, Petals is centred on the Great Fire. If anything, I enjoyed this a bit more than the first book although, to be honest, it takes a little while to get going, and really didn't pick up until Hannah and younger sister Ann arrived back in London - the first part wouldn't have dragged so much if it had been a mid-story transition, which is why I reckon it would have been better as one book. Where Mary Hooper really scores is her depiction of the history as seen through the eyes of Hannah. I'm not certain how historically accurate the book is, but it feels of the time. Again, the story is somewhat simplistic, and again it would probably garner more stars from the target market, but I still enjoyed it, and will be placing both volumes on the shelves in my class, with some strong supporting recommendations on the class book review board; I would also wish that this wasn' the last in this short series, but I suspect it is.

 

The Xmas Files by Stephen Law ***

Subtitled The Philosophy of Christmas, this fairly short volume (150 quite short pages) contains 14 mini-essays addressing various philosophical questions centred on Christmas, from how altruistic are people, through issues of faith, morals and ethics, to the role of the Carol Service in a largely secular society. It was a pretty quick read - barely a couple of hours. I found the topics relevant, interesting and well explained, even if occasionally rather more superficial than I would have wanted. The chapter that got me thinking the most was essay 10 - Christmas and Tradition, looking at the arguments over (the declining influence of) tradition and the development of our moral framework. I will definitely be following up some of the references, and that's the point - this isn't a book trying to provide philosophical 'answers' but one whose aim is to get one started in thinking along philosophical lines, using the season as a stimulus. To that extent, I suppose the book fulfills its objectives, and my three stars will seem a bit mean, but reaching the end, it left me wishing with too many of the essays.that it had drilled down just that little bit more.

Edited December 28, 2011 by willoyd

[willoyd]

Have promised myself to more rigorously record purchases and other acquisitions, so here goes:

 

Dead chuffed to have received from OH Vanished Kingdoms (Norman Davies)., and, in audiobook form, Gilea d (Marilynne Robinson).

 

Also had various Amazon and book vouchers to spend as well! Have used one of them to help raid the Waterstones half-price sales:

Winter King by Thomas Penn

Renaissance People by Robert Davis and Beth Lindsmith

A Point of View by Clive James

 

Have also been taking advantage of Amazon's 12 Days of Kindle sale, mostly at £1:

The Epigenetics Revolution by Nessa Carey

Fifty Mathematical Ideas You Really Need to Know by Tony Crilly

The Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth

Cover Her Face by PD James

How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog by Chad Orzel

 

Quite a lot of non-fiction!

Edited December 28, 2011 by willoyd

[Roland Butter]

Vanished Kingdoms sounds a really good book. Foyles had signed copies for sale just before Christmas, and I was sorely tempted, but I decided to wait for the paperback instead - it's a bit of a whopper. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

[willoyd]

And the next three (on a real roll here!)......:

 

Flush by Virginia Woolf ***

This was my fourth Virginia Woolf book this year - unprecedented in that I don't think I've read so many books by one author in one year since childhood. That will indicate how much I have enjoyed discovering her writing last year. Flush pertains to be the biography of Elizabeth Barret-Browning's dog, who was presented to her by Mary Mitford (the author of Our Village) and was with her through her meeting and eventual elopement with Robert Browning.

Of all the Woolf material I've read so far, this has to be, for me, the weakest to date. Very different in style to the books I've read so far, it just didn't have all the features that I've come to enjoy with her other work. No in depth insight into character, little in the way of setting development, and none of the stream of consciousness style which I found sucked me along through her other work. The introductions (which I leave till afterwards when reading fiction!) discussed Woolf's use of animals, and the subtext of it dealing with the lack of power for women, but I felt none of that whilst reading, and struggle to see the connections (but I'll take another look ine the near future). The compensation I did find added to the story was the way that Woolf developed the alternative senses to reflect a dog's perception of events. Indeed for me the whole book really focused on this change of sensory priority, with fascinating results.

None of this criticism is to say I didn't enjoy it - I certainly did. Indeed, 'seeing' the Barrett-Browning story, or indeed life, from the canine perspective, in Woolf's unfussy way, made this short volume worthwhile alone. Just that, in amongst some of her truly great writing, this came over as rather slighter than usual.

 

The Battle of Pollock's Crossing by JL Carr ****

From one of my most recent favourites, to one of my more long standing ones. For me, Jim Carr is one of the most underrated writers around, although this was one of two of his books which were shortlisted for the Booker (in 1985).. Pretty much all of his small collection of fictional writing (this was his sixth book to be published) has an autobiographical element, and Pollock's Crossing is no exception, being based on a year's sojourn of his own in the American Midwest in his younger days just before the last war. Carr had what many would regard as a somewhat quirky view of the world (his biography is one of the most entertaining I've ever read - he was a true character), but one that was thoroughly grounded in the worth of each individual. A constant theme of his books is the importance of the 'small person' in a big world, standing up against the potential tyranny of the 'system'. That might seem somewhat dramatic, but it never feels like that when reading Carr, where one is always rooting for the individuals at the heart of the stories. For me, this wasn't quite in the same league as some of his other work, especially A Month in the Country and The Harpole Report, perhaps reflecting the fact that this was the first book he wrote, with just a little bit too much exposition through dialogue and sections where I slightly struggled to follow the thread (he's usually one of the clearest writers to read), but I still enjoyed it enough to read it in one extended sitting!

 

The Awful End of Prince William the Silent by Lisa Jardine ****

And then to one of my favourite broadcasters (the best contributor to A Point of View by a long way!) and non-fiction writers, on a subject in which I am developing an increasing fascination with, Dutch history! This is a slim volume in the short Making History series, that examines the profound impact of the assassination of William the Silent on European (even World) history, not least its importance in being one of the earliest using a handgun, which showed up how much more vulnerable political leaders now were (and are!) to individual assault. As with so much of her work, Jardine writes with superb clarity and fluency, producing a highly readable and scholarly analysis. Another one sitting read!

Edited December 30, 2011 by willoyd

[willoyd]

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen ******

I've read this book at least half a dozen times, seen the film probably a similar number, but this is the first time I've listened to it, read by Juliet Stevenson, as a result of an experiment in taking out an audiobook.co.uk subscription.. The book has never palled, and certainly didn't here. Rather the opposite: Ms Stevenson is absolutely superb in the role, pitching her characteristations to perfection, and it was almost as if I was coming to the book fresh, so much was revealed by her reading. I reached the end of each listening with huge regret. This was mostly during the walk between station and school (about 20 minutes), making this interlude a much looked forward to time of day (how many people actually look forward to the journey to work?!). Given that this was the prime reason behind the subscription, this was just as well!

The book itself is in my view immaculate - it has long been my favourite Austen, and is one of my favourite books of all time, only outranked (marginally) by JL Carr's A Month in the Country. I love the tension/balance created by the two such opposite sisters, and revel in the host of characters. Fanny's persuasiveness in convincing her pompous, money obsessed husband to not give his sisters a penny after the death of their father is one of the great passages in literature. Just wicked! And the way that Austen fools us on the marriage of Lucy Steel. Sublime! I could go on and on, but I've loved every second of this, and will definitely be working through the other Stevenson recordings. What a great way to finish the year off, my fiftieth book of 2011.

Edited December 30, 2011 by willoyd

[Kidsmum]

I just finished reading A Month in the Country J. L. Carr & remembered it was you that had mentioned it on another thread. Thanks for recommending it I really enjoyed it, it was so beautifully written I'll definitely be adding more of his books to my wishlist.

[willoyd]

So glad you liked it. Be warned though - he's one of the most varied writers I know (one of the reasons I'm a fan). No book is like another, although there is a strongly independen, almost rebellious, streak that runs through them all.

[poppyshake]

Fludd by Hilary Mantel **

 

Set in a 1950s Northern mill town, a very reluctant Father Angwen is pressurised by his bishop into 'modernising' his church and preaching, to bring his parish up to date. To that end, the bishop tells the father that he is to receive a curate to help him stay on the straight and narrow, and Father Fludd duly arrives. The book concentrates on the transformations effected, and the effects they in turn have.

 

I have to admit struggling with this. It didn't help that it was described as funny - I really don't do 'funny' in books generally (with some gloriously rare exceptions), most so-called funny books appearing to me exactly the opposite. I could see why Fludd might be seen as funny, and why some might even find it funny, but frankly I found it dull and all rather unlikely. It picked up near the end, but overall there was far too much talk and not enough of anything else, and the humour seemed, as it does all too often, to be rather forced. Overall, I was glad this was a slim book as otherwise I don't think I would have bothered finishing, and I really don't enjoy that (but life's too short to do otherwise on occasions).

Oh dear, I bought this recently (though only at a car boot for pennies.) I think I did read the first page (when I was hiding in the car .. trying to pretend I was elsewhere) and thought it was funny. But then I do like 'funny' in books .. especially if it's a bit absurd so it may be that I'll enjoy it. I have liked what I've read of Hilary Mantels so far (but then that is only her biog and Wolf Hall neither of which have any similarities to Fludd as you've described it.) It's a short book so I probably will find time to squeeze it in somewhere. She's someone that tries a lot of different styles .. I guess some of them work better than others.

Flush by Virginia Woolf ***

This was my fourth Virginia Woolf book this year - unprecedented in that I don't think I've read so many books by one author in one year since childhood. That will indicate how much I have enjoyed discovering her writing last year. Flush pertains to be the biography of Elizabeth Barret-Browning's dog, who was presented to her by Mary Mitford (the author of Our Village) and was with her through her meeting and eventual elopement with Robert Browning.

Of all the Woolf material I've read so far, this has to be, for me, the weakest to date. Very different in style to the books I've read so far, it just didn't have all the features that I've come to enjoy with her other work. No in depth insight into character, little in the way of setting development, and none of the stream of consciousness style which I found sucked me along through her other work. The introductions (which I leave till afterwards when reading fiction!) discussed Woolf's use of animals, and the subtext of it dealing with the lack of power for women, but I felt none of that whilst reading, and struggle to see the connections (but I'll take another look ine the near future). The compensation I did find added to the story was the way that Woolf developed the alternative senses to reflect a dog's perception of events. Indeed for me the whole book really focused on this change of sensory priority, with fascinating results.

None of this criticism is to say I didn't enjoy it - I certainly did. Indeed, 'seeing' the Barrett-Browning story, or indeed life, from the canine perspective, in Woolf's unfussy way, made this short volume worthwhile alone. Just that, in amongst some of her truly great writing, this came over as rather slighter than usual.

I think I was lucky to have read this as my first foray into Virginia, it's not at all typical as you say and you couldn't compare it with her great works but it did take the fear away for me which at the time was useful and I was thoroughly entertained because, well, it's a doggy story Even now (and I don't know why I think this) I'm encouraged that she could actually write something so approachable and seemingly normal. It makes her appear more human to me. But, would I have been disappointed if I had read it after To the Lighthouse? ... probably, but I think it may have come as a relief after Mrs Dalloway (which I have still not written a review for and that's a disaster because I read it months ago and was confused enough when it was fresh in my mind.) I guess it's the Woolf to read if you don't want to have to work too hard .. though it would definitely give you the wrong impression if you took it as representative.

 

Loving your reviews willoyd as always