Books do furnish a room Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Sunset over chocolate mountains by Susan Elderkin This is a strange story and the principal character is not very likeable. The story runs on two tracks which intersect. Theo Moon is an overweight Englishman, who after the death of his mother, sells everything and moves into a caravan in the Arizona desert. In Slovakia a worker in a shoe factory falls in love with an icecream seller. They elope and go to America in his van to make their fortunes. They end up in the Arizona desert; she is pregnant. These two stories run in parallel with a present day narrator, Josephine a small girl living with Theo, her "father". She has a love of ice cream and there are some boxes of shoes in the caravan closet. Their friend Jersey is an ever present who assists Theo to cope with everyday life. The twists at the end tell us how we got to where we are and are unpleasant. The child has been loved, as much as Theo can love, but there is something missing and the ending illustrates that. Most of the men are amoral 'persons of dubious parentage' withsome basic wiring missing. There are some rich descriptions of the desert and its wildlife, but there is an emptiness at the heart of it all. I don't mind a bit of tragedy, but this did not convince. 4 out of 10 Starting From the city, from the plough by Alexander Baron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Much reviewed and much written about; this is one of the few books in the true crime genre I have read and it is certainly well written. Capote gets as close to neutrality as he possibly can and the reader is left to decide what to feel about those involved. In fact in many ways the reader is on the jury and knows a whole lot more than they did. Reading the whole book almost felt a Faustian pact, although I knew a great deal about the crime and those involved, I was no closer to understanding than at the beginning. This is the second work by Capote I have read; there was a strong streak of amorality in Breakfast at Tiffany's as well; Capote doesn't pose questions directly; here he lets the detail of the reportage challenge. A must read. 8 out of 10 Starting The Bloomsbury Group by Frances Spalding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 The Bloomsbury Group by Frances Spalding A brief overview of Bloomsbury with brief biographies of the main figures and some minor ones. It is published by the National Portrait Gallery and the artwork within are in the Gallery. The artwork and photographs are stunning. For someone new to Bloomsbury and wanting a straightforward starting point this is a good introduction. There are ideas for further reading, the basic ideas set out with clarity and even a few of the in jokes; Bloomsbury consists of a group of men and women in love with Duncan Grant. Worth reading. 9 out of 10 Starting a biography of Aubrey Beardsley by Matthew Sturgis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted April 1, 2012 Author Share Posted April 1, 2012 From the City, From the Plough by Alexander Baron This is a forgotten war novel with a rather naff title. Published in 1948, it sold over a million copies and was hailed as a masterpiece on both sides of the Atlantic. It is the story of the 5th battalion, the Wessex regiment (based on the actual 5th Wiltshire regiment), which took men from rural Somerset and the east end of London (hence the title). The novel follows the men of the fifth from the waiting and preparation for D-Day, across the channel and into France, culminating in the taking of a hill called Pincon. Baron had been in the Young Communist League in the 30s and had been active in the East End opposing Mosley’s Blackshirts. He broke with the communists following Hitler’s pact with Stalin, but remained left wing.0 Baron wrote from his own experience. He was a sapper in the Pioneer Corps (being too short-sighted to be trusted with a rifle). The Sappers were first on the beaches on D-Day where they cleared barbed wire and dug up mines to allow the main force through. He never rose above the rank of corporal and one of the characters is based on him. I think this is the best war novel I have read; better than For Whom the Bell Tolls and A Farewell to Arms (maybe not as well written). At the time it was compared favourably with All Quiet on the Western Front. So why has it been forgotten? Much of the history of the Second World War in literature and film is about the heroic; great escapes, the few, tales of bravery and great victories. This book is not like that, nor is it the satire of Catch 22 and its ilk. It is the simply told story of how ordinary men reacted to war and what they felt.. His characters are balanced, not all the officers are fools and tyrants and the men are not working class heroes. Those who act with heroism are not predictable; sometimes they are the characters who are the least likeable. There is humour and humanity, but the messiness and brutality of war is starkly portrayed. Baron uses the contrast with the natural landscape in June and July to great effect and some of the passages are heart wrenching. Underlying it all is a deep fury and the last chapter ranks as one of the most powerful pieces of writing I have come across. 10 out of 10 Starting Pharos by Alice Thompson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Great review, another one for the wish list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Thanks Chalipud; It came as a surprise, I wasn't expecting it to be so good! Pharos by Alice Thompson Brief and easy to read ghost story set on a Scottish island in the early 1800s. It is a very small island with a lighthouse, a small graveyard and crypt (obviously .... it's a ghost story) and a vegetable patch; not much else. The lighthouse keeper gets a new assistant and they find an unconscious woman on the beach. She appears to have been shipwrecked and has lost her memory. They keep her on the island and care for her. The lighthouse keepers sister comes to stay and helps out, bringing some order to thier lives. The young woman who has lost her memory (Lucia), begins to hear and see things on the island which disturb her. Up to this point the tension has been built up well, the characters have some interest and one hopes for some good twists and a few chills. It is a little reminiscent of Henry James, Turn of the Screw and all that; not surprising since the author did her PhD on James. However then it all goes a bit bonkers and we get animism, a number of strange hobbies, gnosticism, voodoo (I kid you not), wrecked slave ships (remember we are off the Scottish coast), revenge and a few other things that would completely give the plot away. The last third of the book introduces way too many ideas and tropes which just do not hang together and which do not convince, let alone scare. I felt a bit cheated; when I read a ghost story I want to be chilled. 4 out of 10 Starting The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualusa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obrecht Well written, easy to read, but rather disjointed. It is set in the Balkans, in the old Yugoslavia and from the war to the present following its break up. The story revolves around a girl/woman and her granfather. The story jumps back and forth in time. There is a touch of magical realism and a number of local folk tales woven into the whole thing. The writing is good and this should be the sort of book I would normally love, but it really isn't a novel, rather a set of short stories strung together. The main characters weren't allowed to develop enough and so felt as though they were lacking a little substance. There also wasn't anything resembling an ending. Nevertheless I enjoyed some of the tales, especially the "deathless man". 6 out of 10 Starting American Pastoral by Philip Roth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Starting Ragtime by E L Doctorow I noticed you started this book in March but you haven't reviewed it (yet?). Did you you give up on the novel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 Hi Frankie; still going with it; about two thirds of the way through! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Hi Frankie; still going with it; about two thirds of the way through! Good, I'm happy to hear you haven't abandoned it! I'm looking forward to your review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 Clarissa by Samuel Richardson I’ve been reading this for about 20 years (well ... six months) and have finally reached the end with the aid of smelling salts and Kendal mint cake. This is a massive book, over a million words; 1500 closely packed pages. It is, of course, a classic and a milestone in the history of the novel. It is told in epistolary form and is in actuality a very simple story. The central character, Clarissa is 19, trying to avoid an unwanted arranged marriage set up by her newly rich family. She unwisely accepts the protection of Lovelace a notorious rake and aristocrat who has fallen out with her family. She is virtuous and holds onto her virtue for as long as she can. He becomes impatient and rapes her. She dies a noble death a couple of months later and various retributions are meted out. It is a lot more complex than that with many players. Richardson has plenty of time to develop characters, but Clarissa still manages to be too good to be true and Lovelace a spoilt, emotionally stunted thug. In reality there is enough material for a brief novella. It is a morality tale with good triumphing over evil, plenty of repentance, villains getting their comeuppance and page upon page of soul-searching. It was an interesting enough book, revolutionary and rather shocking in its time and worth a read if you break a leg and can’t move for about six weeks. 6 out of 10 Starting Proust; Swann's Way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Starting Proust; Swann's Way Oh my, looking forward to hearing about this one, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 I read Clarissa about 20 years ago and quite enjoyed it; I used to read it in my lunch hour at my desk, so it was broken up into manageable chunks although I can't remember how long it took me! I read War and Peace that way, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Ragtime by E L Doctorow Very enjoyable semi-historical novel set in America at the turn of the 2oth century. The novel revolves around the fortunes of three families; a white family who are unnamed and referred to as father, mother and mother's younger brother, a jewish family and a black family. Their lives intersect in happy and tragic ways. Interspersed are real life characters such as Houdini, Peary, Ford, Morgan (JP), Emma Goldman and part of the fun is spotting the real life characters amongst the fictional. There is an undercurrent of radicalism in the novel and a strong sense of the injustice of society. The character of Coalhouse Walker and his fight for his rights against an obvious injustice stands out; with a fanatical pursuit of justice at absolutely any cost. A great cost to himself, but also to those he loves. His approach to race is contrasted with that of a real life figure, Booker T Washington. There are similar counterpoints in the Jewish and white families which gives the novel real strength. Ragtime is full of life and energy and you get a palpable sense of everything moving in almost double time, like an old black and white film of the time. 7 and a half out of 10 Starting Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted April 14, 2012 Author Share Posted April 14, 2012 The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualosa Brief and rather quirky novel set in Angola. The narrator is a gecko living in the house of Felix Ventura. The gecko is articulate and charming; he appears to have been a man in a previous life and he dreams. felix likes the lizard and talks to him. Felix is an albino who creates memories and a past for people. Come to Felix and he will provide documentation and photographs of granparents and illustrious ancestors. One client in particular really believes in the past he has been given and becomes the person that has been created for him. The novel employs magic realism and is at times rather disjointed; there is a basic storyline with someones real past catching up with him. There is a love interest and a fair amount of photography. On the whole I enjoyed the novel; it is a little slight, but the dream sequences are good and there is one great line; spoken to Felix, when young and about to lose his virginity: "Chastity is a pointless agony kid. And one I'm happy to fix ..." 7 out of 10 Starting The Alchemist byPaulo Coelho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 (edited) From the City, From the Plough by Alexander Baron This is a forgotten war novel with a rather naff title. Published in 1948, it sold over a million copies and was hailed as a masterpiece on both sides of the Atlantic. It is the story of the 5th battalion, the Wessex regiment (based on the actual 5th Wiltshire regiment), which took men from rural Somerset and the east end of London (hence the title). The novel follows the men of the fifth from the waiting and preparation for D-Day, across the channel and into France, culminating in the taking of a hill called Pincon. Baron had been in the Young Communist League in the 30s and had been active in the East End opposing Mosley’s Blackshirts. He broke with the communists following Hitler’s pact with Stalin, but remained left wing.0 Baron wrote from his own experience. He was a sapper in the Pioneer Corps (being too short-sighted to be trusted with a rifle). The Sappers were first on the beaches on D-Day where they cleared barbed wire and dug up mines to allow the main force through. He never rose above the rank of corporal and one of the characters is based on him. I think this is the best war novel I have read; better than For Whom the Bell Tolls and A Farewell to Arms (maybe not as well written). At the time it was compared favourably with All Quiet on the Western Front. So why has it been forgotten? Much of the history of the Second World War in literature and film is about the heroic; great escapes, the few, tales of bravery and great victories. This book is not like that, nor is it the satire of Catch 22 and its ilk. It is the simply told story of how ordinary men reacted to war and what they felt.. His characters are balanced, not all the officers are fools and tyrants and the men are not working class heroes. Those who act with heroism are not predictable; sometimes they are the characters who are the least likeable. There is humour and humanity, but the messiness and brutality of war is starkly portrayed. Baron uses the contrast with the natural landscape in June and July to great effect and some of the passages are heart wrenching. Underlying it all is a deep fury and the last chapter ranks as one of the most powerful pieces of writing I have come across. 10 out of 10 Thanks Books Do going to read this one. Still reading through all your other reviews so will most likely nab a few more ! Edited April 14, 2012 by vodkafan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I also added that book to my list too VF and a few of the others as well! I'm going to need a room for my books alone soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Much reviewed and much written about; this is one of the few books in the true crime genre I have read and it is certainly well written. Capote gets as close to neutrality as he possibly can and the reader is left to decide what to feel about those involved. In fact in many ways the reader is on the jury and knows a whole lot more than they did. Reading the whole book almost felt a Faustian pact, although I knew a great deal about the crime and those involved, I was no closer to understanding than at the beginning. This is the second work by Capote I have read; there was a strong streak of amorality in Breakfast at Tiffany's as well; Capote doesn't pose questions directly; here he lets the detail of the reportage challenge. I just happened to read this book, too, finished it yesterday or so. I didn't know much about the story beforehand, well I knew they killed all the family that was there, and there was no safe with loads of money, and that Capote befriended the killers. For some reason I thought that Capote would write about his 'friendship' with them, I thought that was going to be one part of the story, so I was a bit disappointed when it wasn't so in the end. Did you get on with the book from the start? I found Capote's style a bit hard to get into, eventhough I do like true crime books and am fascinated by the stories I usually read. It took me 10 days to read, which is quite long. Great review anyhow, thanks Ragtime by E L Doctorow This was obligatory reading for an English lit course some years back. I liked the book but apart from Houdini, I didn't know at the time there were other famous people sprinkled in the novel, it wasn't until the professor started going through the book with us that I learnt about them. I don't remember much about the story perse, but I remember liking it. How did you come about reading the book? Everytime I come to read your blog I'm surprised to see what you've been reading. It's just fascinating to go through your blog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted April 21, 2012 Author Share Posted April 21, 2012 Thanks for the comments and feel free to nick as many books as you like! I did struggle with Capote at first Frankie. I do try to vary my reading and pick some off the wall stuff to vary my diet. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho I've been meaning to read this for years; I probably should have left it a mystery because it irritated me no end. At one level it is a pleasant enough little tale of a spanish shepherd who seeks to fulfil his destiny/follow his dreams/seek his fortune. Hr meets a bloke from the Old Testament (Genesis to be precise) called Melchizedek (lots of symbolism surrounds this guy) who says he needs to go to the pyramids to find his dream/fortune. He sets off, spends some time in Tangier and then sets off with a desert caravan. He arrives at an oasis, falls in love and meets an alchemist who teaches him about the soul of the world and how to listen to his heart. He finds his treasure after some ups and downs. On one level a simple heart-warming story of how to get your hearts desire by listening to your own inner voice and the world around you; it's that simple! So why did it wind me up so much? A brief aside; the best review I have read of this book is a one liner; "Jonathon Livingston Seagull meets Lawrence of Arabia" Actually I thought the philosophy was more akin to Ayn Rand, it is very individualistic and you are the master of your own destiny. Of course, that only applies if you are a bloke; the women in the novel (very few), didn't do a lot. Fatima the love interest lived in an oasis and was content to stay there whilst her love was off having adventures and finding destinies. It was enough for her to wait for her man, knowing that he would return for her one day (if he wasn't daft enough to get himself killed, die of thirst in the desert, forget her or just get bored of her). An excellent role model for all modern women? What really irritated me was the implication if you didn't manage to fulfil your destiny, it was your fault. Obviously those in grinding poverty or dying young of cancer really need to get a grip of themselves. 3 out of 10 Starting the Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted April 22, 2012 Share Posted April 22, 2012 Great review of The Alchemist! I hated the book with a passion. Cliched claptrap. I also later read (and disliked) Jonathan Livingston Seagull. If I'd read that review relating TA and JLS first, I probably wouldn't have touched JLS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted April 22, 2012 Author Share Posted April 22, 2012 I'm glad I'm not the only one who hated The Alchemist! We are all made of glue by Marina Lewycka I am still in two minds about this; I have heard and read good things about her previous work, but this was merely ordinary. An easy bed time read with a plot with enough holes in it to make it sieve like. The main character Georgina has a marraige that is falling apart (after he left when G threw hot milk in his face becasue he refused to put up a toothbrush holder), a son drifting into religious extremism via the internet, an elderly woman round the corner who seems to have adpoted her and a job writing articles about glue for a trade periodical. The glue job sort of holds things together throughout the book. Georgina is irritating and has the self-awareness of an amoeba. She physically attacks her husband's new girlfriend with a banana not long after she has been cavorting with a handsome local estate agent (I won't mention the red crotchless panties and velcro handcuffs). The story revolves around Mrs Shapiro the elderly neighbour, her squalid living conditions and multiple cats with bad habits. The characters and situations are vivid and not entirely believeable; a malevolent social worker with no knowledge of the law,better social workers who still have no knowledge of the law, assorted Palestinian builders, a care home more tightly regulated than Colditz, unscrupulous estate agents (well; I can give her that one), assorted members of the jewish community to name but a few. I'm getting confused just writing this!! The story is pleasant and amusing and there is a warm, fuzzy ending, if you like that sort of thing. There are worthy passages about the state of the Palestinian people and how everyone should learn to live together like they do in the book. Just too many holes and factual inconsistencies for me. There are a couple of laugh out loud moments (did I mention the velcro handcuffs), but too much confusion. 5 and a half out of 10 Starting Perfume by Patrick Suskind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted April 27, 2012 Author Share Posted April 27, 2012 The Prime Minister by Trollope Classic Trollope; more than one plot line running, a good villian, some interesting reflections on the Victorian parliamentary scene with a few identifiable caricatures (spot Disraeli anyone?), plenty of moves from town to country, a sprinkle of impossibly good characters and plenty of old favourites from previous books. Lopez is a good villain; a stockbroker (Trollope was suspicious of the corruption of economics) and is sharply contrasted with Arthur Fletcher, his rival in love; and they are pitted against each other in a by-election. The most complex character is Plantagenet Palliser, now Duke of Omnium, who is the Prime Minister of the title. He has agonies whilst in high office because of his honesty and scrupulousness. contrast with his wife Lady Glencora who says that she should have been Prime Minister because she would have made the decisions he was unable to; she felt he would have been better as Chancellor. Tolstoy rated this book very highly and both novels dealt with valuies and issues that were contemporary. There is a spectacular similarity to Anna Karenina, a suicide by train, both imagined without having read the others book at the time. There are a host of well drawn minor characters and the plot lines are brought together well at the end. 9 out of 10 Starting The Dukes Children, also by Trollope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon Where do you start with a novel like this. There are so many trails and plays with words and their meaning that it is dizzying. There is a central character called Oedipa who becomes co-executor of an ex flames estate and inadvertantly steps into what may or may not be a global conspiracy stretching back through the ages. Lots of interesting characters turn up and may (or may not) be part of the conspiracy. Oedipa's therapist turns out to be an ex-Nazi who worked in Buchenwald and there is an ongoing Beatles theme in the form of an American group who sing with English accents called the Paranoids. I am not sure if Pynchon knew that that the Beatles called themselves Los Para Noias. There is a nod to Nabakov and contained within the novel is a fictional Jacobean revenge play. There is also a lot about the postal system and stamps. As I am a reformed (I may even say ex) philatelist, all this was interesting and I recognised some of the symbols as watermarks I have known! (Sad, I know). There are lots of other themes; entropy to name but one; and the conspiracy races away in a pleasing and slightly sinister manner. I enjoy a good conspiracy theory (having been slightly embroiled in a couple in the 80s (a whole other story). On the whole it was pleasingly entertaining; if it has an equivalent for children it would keep them quiet in the back of the car for hours.What exactly Pynchon meant by it all I am not entirley sure; possibly like some of its protagonists, a little too much LSD amy have been taken! 7 out of 10 Starting Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Perfume by Patrick Suskind Bizarre and unusual tale set in eighteenth century France. Grenouille is born without an odour and becomes obsessed with odours. He gradually moves through the novel learning all there is to know about perfume and scent and how to make, extract and distill it. Unfortunatley Grenouille is completely amoral with no feeling for anyone else. The story becomes increasingly bizarre and the ending is strange; difficult to stomach you might say! It is a well written, beautifully crafted with rich language and an empty heart. Take it out of its historical context and stick it in a modern city and what do you have. Scent obsessed loner murders 26 young girls for their hair and scent; we do not know their names (apart from one), they are merely victims; all very young. None of the victims are male and there are no significant female characters in the book (Ok. I know teenage boys don't smell that sweet! But I did wonder at Grenouille choosing young girls as he didn't seem to find any odour offensive). A heart warming story of a serial killer. As you may have guessed I didn't find the story all that convincing and as for the orgy at the end, I think the author ran out of ideas; or possibly forgot himself and thought he was writing for Playboy. Nevertheless, it paased a wet afternoon and there were a few laugh out loud moments (not entirely sure they were meant to be funny though!) 6 out of 10 Starting The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Aubrey Beardsley by Matthew Sturgis Solid and competent biography of an elusive and I think ultimately insubstantial character. Beardsley was influential in the growth of the aesthetic movement and Art Nouveau in the 1890s. His career was brief and cut short by his untimely death from tuberculosis. Beardsley produced some very competent and ground breaking drawings, along with some truly awful poetry. Sturgis sets out to demythologize Bearsdley and succeds well. His sexuality remains unclear but that is not surprising beacuase the backlash against Wilde occured at the height of Beardsley's success. The erotic drawings (especially those for Lysistrata) are striking (and often somewhat juvenile). The obvious talent he had was unfulfilled because of an early death. The Yellow Book still stands out as ground breaking, but there was much more to that than Beardsley. Sturgis manages to set the decade in context along with Beardsley's contribution and his return to popularity in the 1960s. A good read, almost as good as his biography of Sickert. 7 out of 10 Starting India in the Caribbean edited by David Dabydeen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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