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Willoyd's reading 2010-2011


willoyd

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Sophie's World by Jostein Gaardner **

Loved the first half of this, but gradually the narrative started to grate and two many assumptions and random jumps started to creap into the philosophy, to the extent that I really struggled with the last 100 pages or so, resorting to skim reading the philosophy after Immanuel Kant just to stay awake (literally). The narrative was never that great in fact - it always felt like a vehicle for the philosophy, and things never really developed beyond the two (one?) dimensional - but this only really came to the fore when it the surrealism took over! I did enjoy it though, and will revisit some of the philosophy sections to try and get a better grip on the subject material, but given the comments I'd previously read and given the fascinating first half, I have to admit to an overall sense of disappointment - maybe I was just expecting too much. Not an author who I will rush to revisit, and that is why, although originally awarding it 3 stars, I later downgraded to 2 - it was just that bit too disappointing.

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Christmas holiday books

The Well-Beloved by Thomas Hardy ***

Not one of his greats, but interesting in that this was his last novel, somewhat experimental. I love his landscapes, but his characters are a bit more patchy, especially his men, who I rarely relate to. Pretty much par for the course then, as the 'hero' of this book definitely has some problems with his idealisation of his "Well beloved". Kept wanting to shake him and tell him to get real! An enjoyable read that came to an end much faster and more abruptly than I anticipated.

 

Lord of the Flies by William Golding ****

This is a book that we were read when I was at school, at 11/12. I absolutely detested it at the time, and have never felt willing/able to go back to it. After some online discussion a couple of months ago, decided to get a copy and give it another go, and, of course, it proved to be a far better book than I remember. Definitely a case of a book about children being mistaken for a book for children. Reading this made me realise what a bad choice of book this was for me at the time! Golding can certainly set a scene, and generate a very powerful sense of atmosphere. All in all, am glad I gave this another go, eventually!!

 

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill *****

Read pretty much in one sitting on Boxing Day morning. Powerful stuff! Plotting was fairly conventional for a Victorian style ghost story, which it evoked superbly, to the extent that I was completely nonplussed when cars were mentioned! What I loved, though, was the way she generated such a malevolent atmosphere, ratcheting the tension up with every page. The ending was fairly predictable, but for some reason I didn't see it coming, and was completely sideswiped by it. A great book for a Christmassy ghost read - should have definitely read it in the evening by the light of a flickering candle though!!

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Mrs Dalloway's Party by Virginia Woolf *****

 

A very slim volume of 7 short stories that complement Woolf's novel Mrs Dalloway. Loved every second of this. I find that Woolf demands intense concentration to read, and the short bursts of these stories means that I can manage that comfortably, and even go back and reread without struggling to keep the rhythm and continuity of a longer novel going. I love the way her writing so successfully shows the inner self, and develops characters faster and more intensely than almost any other author I can think of. She is definitely my author, and discovery, of the year.

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Silent Snow, Secret Snow by Adele Geras ****

 

A short book, but the author packs a lot into the space! A classic scenario with a range of linked characters (extended family) all brought together in one space (in this case a large English country house-hotel) where they are cut off (snowed in) from the rest of the world, and then all the secrets start to be revealed. A well-worn plot line, but none the worse for the retelling, especially when written with such an eye to character and atmosphere. My only (minor) gibe is that I felt the ending was a bit abrupt, and didn't like the way one or two of the situations were 'resolved', not ringing one hundred percent true, whilst another couple of other threads were initiated, but were then never really developed. Minor cavils though - this was a thoroughly engrossing read.

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I have read a couple Adele Geras novels and enjoyed them; I will add Silent Snow, Secret Snow to my "snow/winter weather" list! Thanks for the review.

I've read a couple of her children's books, and met her on a couple of occasions when she's come to talk to children at school (she's as interesting a talker as she is writer!), but this is the 'oldest' I've read so far - good enough that I am looking forward to reading some of her adult fiction.

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The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri ****

 

Having read a couple of the later Montalbanos, have now gone back to start to read the sequence properly from Book 1. Good, intricate plot, loads of atmosphere, plenty of character, this promises to be a great series.

 

 

Toast by Nigel Slater **

 

Read this fairly quickly when I realised the TV version was going to be transmitted tonight, as I don't like watching then reading. I'm a fan of Nigel Slater's cookery writing, and enjoyed his writing, but the book as a whole never really grabbed me. Enjoyable, yes, but only really at a somewhat superficial level. I think this was because I never warmed to any of the protagonists including, most definitely, the author himself. Indeed, they all come across as being thoroughly unlikeable, but I could also see why they were like they were, not least because they were products of the social attitudes of the time. The book received a whole string of 4/5 stars on Amazon, but I feel more in accord with the small minority who were somewhat more ambivalent. At best I can say that I sort of enjoyed it; I think I'll go back to the food books!

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The Crime at Lock 14 by Georges Simenon ****

 

I love the atmosphere created in Simenon's Maigret stories. He uses colour and weather a lot, but I always picture them in 1930s style black and white cinema. They're not the sort of crime story where you can follow the trail of clues laid by the author and try and guess the result. Instead, Maigret is more instinctive, and it's all about his insight into the psychology and character of those involved. Lock 14 is even more atmospheric than usual, set on the canals and providing a picture of a life long gone, in the midst of the transition from horse drawn to motor powered boats. A touch of extra interest was provided by the fact that I've stayed not 100 metres away from the scene of the crime! All in all, one of the better Maigrets for me, and a good example of a series that is 5-6 stars collectively, but rarely returns greater than 4 individually, along with the likes of Donna Leon, Andrea Camilleri et al. Addictive, and a great way to finish the year off.

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Thoughts on 2010, and looking ahead to 2011

 

Overall, one of the better years for reading, with over one-third of the books read earning 5 stars or more. That either indicates a good year, or that I'm getting a bit less picky, but I do think it's the former! 55 books is also my highest yearly total to date.

Discovery of the year has been Virginia Woolf. I'd read Mrs Dalloway before and quite enjoyed it, but returned to it again mid-year and absolutely loved it. Equally so the rapid follow-up, The Years, and the short stories Mrs Dalloway's Party later on in the year. Can't wait to try more! Mild surprise is that rereading a couple of my favourite author, Jane Austen, didn't generate quite the same enthusiasm as previously. I thoroughly enjoyed both Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, but they didn't come across as quite the all-time raves as I had had them down for previously. I'm really hesitant now about revisiting what for me are the big three, P&P, S&S, and ]Emma, just in case they don't quite come up to scratch. One book that I did enjoy, having taken too many years to pluck up the oomph to reread having detested it as a child, was Lord of the Flies. I'm glad I did, as it's a really good read. I obviously came to it too early.

But it wasn't just a year of rereads - indeed they were very much in the minority - and I enjoyed a whole string of new experiences, with just one reread in my top 10 fiction:

 

1. The Years by Virginia Woolf

2. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

3. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre

4. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

5. Fatal Remedies by Donna Leon

6. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

7. Footprints in the Sand by Sarah Challis

8. In The Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant

9. A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R King

10. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell

 

Sara Gruen and Sarah Challis were completely new authors for me, and I definitely want to try more of them. At the other end of the spectrum, the big disappointment was Moll Flanders, of which I'd expected so much more. Wooden and tedious, it made much better television. Otherwise there wasn't anything really dire, with just a couple of others where I really couldn't bring myself to wade through to the end.

 

Non-fiction didn't feature as much as usual, but of those I did read, Susan Hill's Howards End is on the Landing and Philip Hoare's Leviathan stood out. Susan Hill was one of those rare authors who successfully crossed the divide for me, and I also enjoyed her fiction classic, The Woman in Black. Another one who I will try more of in the future.

 

So onto next year. A slightly different set of targets to usual: I'm going to aim to reduce the number of books (or at least allow myself to read fewer) and complete a few of my bigger doorstoppers that I've had lined up for a while, but never quite got around to reading. These are mostly on the non-fiction front, although I've got my eye on Les Miserables!. Another priority will be some of the historical biographies I've got piled up; I can't quite believe that my only biog last year was Nigel Slater's Toast, a pleasant enough read, but no more. I'm also studying with the OU next year (their Year 1 Arts Past and Present), so a fair bit of reading time will centre on that. All in all, I think it will be a slightly more non-fiction orientated year this year, but things have a habit of changing, so we'll see!

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I think that your terrific reading year is definitely down to your great taste in books. :)

 

I'm thrilled with your comments on Virginia Woolf because I just bought a few of her books the other day and I can't wait to read them. I've also really enjoyed Susan Hill this year, and I have Howards End is on the Landing on my TBR pile.

 

I hope 2011 proves just as good a reading year for you Willoyd. :)

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I've certainly enjoyed the two Woolf's I've read, Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse. I plan to read more as time goes by. One I have in the stack is The London Scene, Six essays on London Life by Virginia Woolf. I haven't read it yet, but my OH has, and highly recommends it. It's a neat, teeny hardback. Oh, and the introduction is by Francine Prose, can't miss with her!

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Thanks Kylie - flattery will get you everywhere! :)

 

 

I've certainly enjoyed the two Woolf's I've read, Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse. I plan to read more as time goes by. One I have in the stack is The London Scene, Six essays on London Life by Virginia Woolf. I haven't read it yet, but my OH has, and highly recommends it. It's a neat, teeny hardback. Oh, and the introduction is by Francine Prose, can't miss with her!

 

I'm glad you said that about To The Lighthouse as that is high on my to read list at present, but it's meant to be a bit harder going than the ones I've read so far. I've also got The London Scene too, not just for Virginia Woolf, but because I'm a London history fan and have a fairly eclectic collection of books about the city.

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The Sea Road by Margaret Elphinstone ******

 

The last few years has seen the year get off to a good start with a book that I've rated really highly, and this year has proved no exception. I've had The Sea Road on my TBR list for some time, but for some reason have never quite got around to it. Big mistake, as it proved to be absolutely brilliant.

 

The story is about Gudrid Thorbjornsdottir, who features in a number of the Icelandic sagas, including Eirik's Saga and the Graenlendinga Saga, and is the story of her her upbringing in Iceland and travels to Greenland and beyond.

 

The difference is that it's as seen from her point of view - she's recounting the story to an Icelandic monk whilst on pilgrimage to Rome later in her life. Gudrid thus comes over as a complete person, not just the rather 2D character that is portrayed in the sagas, and we get the inside line on the life, loves, fears, superstitions, beliefs, and attitudes of a remarkable woman surviving in a very male orientated society right on the edge of the known world. It's also at a time when Christianity is starting to make headway into the Vikings' pagan religion, and these tensions are a vital part of that story. Whilst we can see how she and the other characters can fit the heroic saga mould, they are all so much more human, actually making the story even more remarkable.

 

I also loved the author's development of the settings. Being no academic historian, I can't vouch for the authenticity, but as a reader, both place and time felt consistently right - the characters were of necessity much closer to the land (and sea!) and the weather than we are today, so these were major themes, and it was occasionally quite a shock to emerge from the book into the modern world.

 

This was a book that I positively resented having to put down. It was only 240 pages long, but it was so intense that it covered as much ground as some books twice as long. I started it thinking it would be a quick read before term started, but found that it was much bigger and more demanding than that, and it thus took me a lot longer - but then I didn't want it to end! I would love to have been able to devote a single sitting to this, but it was just too big and time too short. A great way to start the year off - and I hope a real discovery: I look forward to reading more of her books. I've looked for her name here and on other reading forums, and I'm surprised at the low profile she has.

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I've only (part) read one Margaret Elphinstone book called Hy Brasil. I only managed to read about half of it before it had to go back to the library, and although I did quite enjoy what I read, and I'd meant to get it out again, I never got round to it. I think maybe I should give it another go at some point thanks to your review of The Sea Road. It was about five years ago, but from what I remember it was about a writer sent to an island called Hy Brasil to write a travel piece on it, but there were all sorts of things like smuggling and piracy going on, if I've got it right.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Cleopatra, Last Queen of Egypt by Joyce Tydesley ***

 

An interesting biography, but nothing to make it stand out as a cut above enjoyable and informative. Read it as background reading to the OU course I'm studying this year. The problem with Cleopatra is that so little is actually known of her life other than through the writings of various Romans, who all had (not surprisingly) rather a jaundiced view of her. There is, therefore, a fair bit of conjecture, and a fair bit of material setting the context, meaning that it was sometimes a wee bit hard to keep track as the thread kept wandering away from the main subject only to return some pages later. It was all relevant, all interesting, but distracting all the same. The last sections around the Battle of Actium and its fallout were comfortably the best, perhaps because more is known?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe ****

 

Read as a required text for my OU course. Loved it as a read for the language alone. It was a much quicker read than I expected - somewhat episodic, especially towards the end, and would, I think, require a really good director to make it come alive. Am surprised though that it's such a classic - it feels bit thin in terms of content. (Is it sacrilegious to say that?).

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  • 1 month later...

More reviews and an update

 

Well, I have to retract what I wrote in my last post about Dr Faustus. It's very deceptive: Marlowe says and does a lot in not many words - more depth and more subtlety than I first realised. Fascinating. Am off to see it performed at The Globe in the summer, and am really looking forward to it. I only wish that there was more time allocated to it on the OU course I'm currently doing - we've barely scratched the surface I feel, and we're moving on.

 

It's a while since I posted, so a bit of a catch up on the (not many) books I've read since the last one. Only three books read in that time - it's been rather busy to put it mildly:

 

The Rivers of London by Ben Aaronavitch *****

Police procedural meets a grown up version of Harry Potter - it's grittier and wittier. I read this avidly in just two sittings. Peter Grant is a probationary PC in the Met, who meets a ghost as witness to a murder. He comes to the attention of DCI Nightingale, who transpires to be in charge (and the only member!) of one of the more obscure Met departments - magic. Grant gets to be appointed as his assistant/apprentice, and the book then takes off into the murkier side of the capital, including vampires, ghosts, revenants, gods and goddesses of the rivers (they are prominent characters, hence the title) etc, and a crime all wrapped up in London history and geography. I loved the way it is firmly bedded in the readily identifiable city. Intended as the first in a series, and if they are as good as this, it'll be a must for me.

 

Orlando by Virginia Woolf ****

VW is rapidly growing on me. I've been a Janeite for a long time now, but she is in danger of being displaced. I just love Woolf's use of language, her ability to say much in so little space. Her style is the ultimate in 'show not tell', and whilst I still prefer The Years and Mrs Dalloway, Orlando proved a riveting read. But I recognise she's definitely a marmite taste, and can understand why others might not appreciate her so much. Orlando, though, is one of the easiest to access so far.

 

The Map of Love by Ahmad Soueif ***

A dual time story, set in Egypt in both the present day (well, 1990s) and at the beginning of the twentieth century. Started off brilliantly, but I have to admit getting bogged down in the last 100 pages or so in all those Arabic names and Egyptian nationalist discussion. A couple of plot devices didn't quite work for me either, nor did the ending - too ambiguous for my taste. A good read, but I thought it was going to be a great one.

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  • 3 months later...

A long gap

 

....since the last posting, but I suppose better late than never; life continues to be desperately busy!! Not many books read since last post (3 months ago now), in fact worst start to a year for a while, but still a few to count:

 

The Existential Detective by Alice Thompson ****

Enjoyed the writing style, and the story if one suspended a degree of disbelief. The plot may not have been totally convincing, but Thompson manages to say a lot for not many words.

 

Miss Garnet's Angel by Salley Vickers ****

Although I had already had a couple of goes at starting, without much success (too many distractions), once I got stuck in, I loved the writing, which generated an atmosphere very close to my own experience of Venice. Almost a coming-of-age novel, except for the retired! Ending took me a bit by surprise.

 

Dreadnought by Robert Massie *****

An outstanding read - 900 pages long, but certainly didn't feel it, as completely wrapped up in it from the start. Depends very much on the characters, being part of the 'Great Lives' school of thinking, Read it mainly due to the recommendation by Dan Snow earlier this year on My Life in Books. A real pity that series has finished.

 

World War One, A Short History by Norman Stone ***

Very readable, but reliant on the reader having some background. If you have that, an interesting summarisation focusing very much on the overarching themes. In the places where I didn't have much (e.g. Eastern Front), I sometimes struggled to come to terms with abbreviations, unfamiliar place names, and broad, if erudite, statements.

 

Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronavitch ****

Sequel up to Rivers of London read earlier this year. Maintained the same high standards.

 

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf ******

I am a fairly recent but now passionate convert to VW's writing, and To The Lighthouse is an outstanding example of that. Loved pretty much all of it - her style brings the characters and places so vividly to life, it's hard to turn away from the book sometimes and deal with real people who seem positively 2 dimensional for a while!! Am reading a background reader to the book at present, which is adding loads of interesting commentary and information.

 

Blue Afternoon by William Boyd **

Only read the first 100 pages or so. Decent enough book, it just didn't grab me. Not quite sure why, but might have something to do with the setting, which simply didn't interest me at all.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Virginia Woolf by Hermione Lee ******

 

Almost a month since the last book, and that's because it's been a big one!

 

This wasn't just big, it was an absolutely brilliant read - perhaps the best biography I've yet read, and one of the best non-fictions. Huge book (750 packed pages) that demanded close reading, so not one for bedtimes, but it was massively rewarding as a result with the author working really hard to get inside the skin of her subject. Although the book was broadly chronological, the chapters focused on specific themes, which meant there was some overlap. Some reviewers found that difficult, but it was a method which I thoroughly enjoyed. Makes me want to read much more of VW's work! One of those very rare books where within minutes of finishing I wanted to start all over again - there's far too much to take in in one pass.

 

One comment on the publishing side. I started with the paperback, but found it very difficult to read with the small typeface and lines running into the gutter. Swapped to the Kindle, only to find that Penguin had made a complete hash of the formatting and proof reading - and they have the enormous cheek to force Amazon to charge their own prices - complete ripoff. Finally, obtained a second hand (Chatto and Windus) copy of the hardback - by far and away the best read of the lot, and I whipped through it after that.

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Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin ***

 

A medieval whodunnit. Enjoyable, light reading, ideal for switching off and not having to think too deeply. Not exactly authentic medieval - the heroine is very 21st century in her thinking, as is some of the language, and there are loads of historical errors. The whodunnit bit wasn't exactly taxing either, but it all provided a pleasant enough wind down in the evenings at a fairly stressful time of year workwise. Fun story telling, but not, as some Amazon reviewers suggest, remotely in the same league as CJ Sansom.

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Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin ***

A medieval whodunnit. Enjoyable, light reading, ideal for switching off and not having to think too deeply. Not exactly authentic medieval - the heroine is very 21st century in her thinking, as is some of the language, and there are loads of historical errors. The whodunnit bit wasn't exactly taxing either, but it all provided a pleasant enough wind down in the evenings at a fairly stressful time of year workwise. Fun story telling, but not, as some Amazon reviewers suggest, remotely in the same league as CJ Sansom.

 

Hanen't read that one, but I read The Death Maze a while back, and I'd say that's pretty much spot on. If I'm not mistaken, Ariana Franklin, who died only a few months ago, was married to the film critic Barry Norman.

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Hanen't read that one, but I read The Death Maze a while back, and I'd say that's pretty much spot on. If I'm not mistaken, Ariana Franklin, who died only a few months ago, was married to the film critic Barry Norman.

 

No, you're not mistaken! I've got The Death Maze on my TBR pile, and I certainly enjoyed this one enough to read more of the series.

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  • 1 month later...

Three books read whilst away on holiday

 

(mostly on the Kindle as I've been on the back of a touring bike most of that time - the Kindle was brilliant for that, especially as also had dictionaries and guide books loaded as well). I'm currently finishing off a fourth, (Germania by Simon Winder).

 

 

Roseanna by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo ***

Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo were a husband and wife team who were amongst the first writers of police procedurals, a 10 book series about a Stockholm detective, Martin Beck. Henning Mankell, amongst others, has acknowledged his debt to them, and they are generally regarded as one of the founders of, or at least precursors to, Scandinavian noir crime fiction.

 

The book itself was a good read - an absolutely classic procedural, with the pace nicely built up to the climax. However, whilst it was probably ground breaking at the time, in the context of what has followed, it doesn't really stand out much beyond that. Worth reading as it is a decent story, and worth reading to see how Wallander (and others!) came about, and worth reading as an end of term switch off (which is what I wanted!), but if you're looking for anything a little bit different, definitely not the book to reach for.

 

In spite of that, I'll almost certainly want to read the rest of the series - there is something about the style (maybe the translation?) that whilst taking a little adjusting to, really appeals to me - a bit stark, lean, matter of fact; I can certainly see where Mankell developed his style from. In the meantime, 3/6 stars for a good, solid read.

 

Voyageurs by Margaret Elphinstone ******

I read The Sea Road earlier this year, and thought it brilliant, so bought this on the back of that. There are many points of similarity - an historical novel where the main protagonist makes a voyage to the Americas to the limits of western exploration. At that point the books start to part company. Voyageurs is a much bigger book than The Sea Road and yet focuses on a shorter time span. Indeed, the plot is simple enough: Quaker and Cumbrian farmer, Mark Greenhow, travels to Canada to look for his sister who has disappeared in the wilds, and goes in search of her. But to leave the summary at that does the book no justice - Elphinstone is brilliant at evoking the time and the place, and 18th century Canada really comes to life, as Greenhow gradually makes his way well beyond his comfort zone and learns a totally different way of life through encounters with other Quakers, settlers, the military, trappers and native Americans, and the wilderness itself. The book is rich with detail and atmosphere, and I found myself completely wrapped up in it from start to finish. I can imagine that if plot is your first love, that this book would drag a bit - the detail of Mark's journeys even struck me as possibly in need of an editor's touch - but if, like me, you are into characters and setting, there is plenty to get your teeth into. Of the two, I'd say that The Sea Road has the edge - just that bit more tightly written - but Margaret Elphinstone is definitely a writer who deserves to be much more widely read. 5 stars out of 6 (but could get promoted at a later date!). Later edit: the more I think about it, the more this book is a six star read. Even months later the book still remains as vivid as ever

 

Swiss Watching: Inside Europe's Landlocked Isle by Diccon Bewes ***

From the Amazon review: "Swiss Watching is a revealing journey around Europe's most individual country. From seeking Heidi and finding the best chocolate to reliving a bloody past and exploring an uncertain future, 'Swiss Watching' proves that there's more to Switzerland than banks and skis, francs and cheese. This is a picture of the real Switzerland, a place where the breathtaking scenery shaped a nation not just a tour itinerary, and where tradition is as important as technology. It's also the story of its people, who have more power than their politicians, but can't speak to one another in the same language - and who own more guns per head than the people of Iraq. As for those national stereotypes, well, not all the cheese has holes, cuckoo clocks aren't Swiss and the trains don't always run exactly on time.

My thoughts: I chose this to read whilst cycling through Switzerland. It's a fairly light hearted and sympathetic book written by an English journalist who now lives in Switzerland. I enjoyed it, even though I didn't always appreciate the humour (but then I often don't!), and learned some fascinating stuff from it, which certainly explained and illuminated things I came across whilst touring. It was perhaps a little too ready to eulogise (even though I wish we would take a good long hard look at the way they do some things, and start learning rather than thinking we're better than everybody else), and I would have liked a bit more depth, but as an introduction to the Swiss, as opposed to Switzerland, it was a worthwhile read. 3 stars out of 6.

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I said on Poppy's 30-day challenge thread, that I'd give the challenge a go myself when I got back from holiday, so will start it today. For my easy reference, the questions are:

 

Day 01 – Best book you read last year

Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times

Day 03 – Your favourite series

Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series

Day 05 – A book that makes you happy

Day 06 – A book that makes you sad

Day 07 – Most underrated book

Day 08 – Most overrated book

Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving

Day 10 – Favourite classic book

Day 11 – A book you hated

Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore

Day 13 – Your favourite writer

Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer

Day 15 – Favourite male character

Day 16 – Favourite female character

Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book

Day 18 – A book that disappointed you

Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie

Day 20 – Favourite romance book

Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood

Day 22 – Favourite book you own

Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t

Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read

Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most

Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something

Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending

Day 28 – Favourite title

Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked

Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

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Day 1: My favourite book from last year.

 

post-5780-0-45179300-1314090805_thumb.jpg

 

I think it has to be The Years by Virginia Woolf. I read this soon after rereading Mrs Dalloway, during which some sort of penny dropped, and I found myself absolutely loving every word. I found it fascinating how Woolf could evoke so much through actually writing so little: it's a family saga, yet each scene until the final party (which occupies a quarter to a third of the book) is almost just a snapshot, and the snapshots are often taken years apart. Yet it's so easy to fill in the gaps, whilst those snapshots are so vivid. Woolf is not a light read (!), demanding concentration, but she is thoroughly rewarding. One to be reread soon, but not at bedtime!

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