All Activity

hard, she snorted curry everywhere, causing patrons to hurriedly leave and the management to evict us. I couldn't see myself continuing a relationship with someone who randomly snorted food with abandon, so I broke it off. Debbie couldn't accept my rejection (understandable, I'm a pretty amazing catch) and stalked me for months. I finally moved away, with no forwarding address, to avoid her. Don't tell me ...

Song Of Winter ~ Françoise Hardy

Count Luna (1955) Alexander Lernet-Holenia One of the more disturbing books I've read in recent years. Beautiful but harrowing, entertaining but hideous. In terms of atmosphere, it reminded me of The Tenant, The Green Face, and even a little of Dream Story. Suffice it to say, the book is a nightmare come to life. Alexander Jessiersky (a name very similar to The Tenant's Trelkovsky) is an Austrian businessman who, during the events of the Nazi regime, has a company that wants to take over the estate of a man named Count Luna. Since Luna rejects this offer, Jessiersky's directors (using their influence) have Luna arrested and sent to a concentration camp in order to get their way. Though not involved in this decision, Jessiersky inevitably comes to feel responsible for what has happened to Count Luna. He regularly visits his family to ensure that they understand it was not his doing, he sends food parcels to the concentration camp, he feels guilty. When the war ends, nothing is known of Count Luna's fate but his family have concluded that he must have died. Jessiersky finds this hard to believe (even convincing himself that the family are lying to him). His guilt now deforms itself into paranoia, and it spirals ever deeper into his psychological status, overwhelming him entirely. Soon, after an event where a man gave some sweets to his daughter in the park and she falls ill, he becomes convinced that Count Luna is seeking revenge, that he intends to do harm to his family. He hears footsteps in the house and believes they are Count Luna's; he goes to his country estate where he once again feels certain that Count Luna is following him. He abandons his wife, his children, commits terrible acts, loses all perspective, and eventually intends to fake his own death to throw Count Luna (a man he has never actually met) off the scent for good. It's here, at the end of this awful tether, when the very moon itself has become his enemy, that we get a bleak and somewhat terrifying conclusion. The book is genuinely quite unsettling, this man's obsession, his guilt and paranoia, an all consuming and entirely destructive nightmare. Of course Lernet-Holenia is talking about the guilt of Austria, of everyone who sat back and watched the events of the war and the holocaust unfold. It's extremely effective. I don't think I've read a book that was quite as disturbing as this. It's also written in a style that I love, where Lernet-Holenia tells the story rather than shows it (show don't tell is for cinema, kids, not literature), narrating the whole thing in a way that allows it to be expressed in beautiful and fluid prose, a sweeping tale of metaphor and simile, of meandering thought and lyrical observation. This means he occasionally includes more than he has to (the details of Jessiersky's ancestors for example) even though that does come back again at the end. And what an ending. Heartbreaking. Sad. Terrifying. Horrific. 8/10

It's a really unique novel. The work itself left a very positive impression on me and reminded me, with its delicate storytelling, of the writings of other Latin American authors, like the Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa.

all bouncing below this

, au naturelle, as it were, or would be in la France...the well-being and health of the aforementioned Major, plus the rights I perceive as belonging to the most esteemed, most learned, most excellently accomplished, daughter of the Major..I am going to phone nurse Snoezelem, a relaxation specialist at Guys..she'll ensure...' A shock of alarm went through me..Debbie Snoezelem was a nurse I once went to theatre with to see a play. I professed a romantic interest , over mushroom Madras in Ahmed's cafe, Brixton. She laughed so....

Sad Songs - Elton John

and rainbow hued delights

'Absolutely bonkers, gone doolally, blown a gasket ... if you ask me,' I said, 'needs locking up. For everyone's safety! Wandering round with a loaded shotgun! I ask you!' 'No-one was asking you, dear, let the Doctor speak.' 'Well, I myself personally feel,' opined the good Doctor, 'that at this point in time, things being as they are and taking all contingencies into account, that the best and most appropriate course of action, keeping at the foremost of our consideration ...

If I remember rightly, Ove and the cat form a close bond in time and it's all part of Ove's transformation from grumpy, self-centred, isolated old man to making friends.

I did continue with The Custard Boys, (until a library book I was on the waiting list for became available). I'm just over 60% through. There's an undercurrent and hints that something awful will happen. I think I'll keep reading in the hope the protagonist, John Curlew, will redeem himself. In the meantime, I'm reading Marple: Twelve New Stories by a variety of authors.

Sing Me No Sad Song ~ Helen Reddy

Two new books I have really liked: (1) The Order Of The Black Robe by Tiana Dokerty (on Amazon and Kindle) - It's spec fic, swashbuckling fantasy and political intrigue (a la Game of Thrones), romance, Christian-inspired (not preachy), mystery and some daubs of horror thrown in. It starts with an intriguing premise: assume the Roman Empire never existed but Jesus Christ still came. He created not a church but left a scripture of His teaching which some accepted and some did not, and especially a group of knights in Europe dedicated themselves to do His will and carry out His teachings. Unfortunately, many people miss this premise because it's in the Foreword, not Chapter 1. What you'd start out with is a lot of warring Principalities in central Europe in what we now call the Middle Ages, I would guess Celtic or maybe Gothic in origin. The original language in the book seems to support Celtic more. But, if you totally miss the premise, never mind because this is a story of people. A 6-year-old child is taken by a local Lord in repayment of a debt and her mother spends most of the book looking for her. She is marked for the brothel to produce revenue to repay the debt but one of her captors is taken by her fearlessness, faith and dignity - and releases her into the care of a Christian family. There is her story and how she eventually becomes Queen of the Principality, as well as of her love relationship with the new young King, who takes the throne by his father's assassination. Then there is the life of the "Prime Minister" and his wife, a totally ruthless and murderous pair, who manipulate the Kings to advance their lust for power and their religion of "the God of this age", which includes human sacrifice and rape in its rituals. Finally, there is the story of the Order, Christian Knights who act as missionaries and also guardian angels, protecting the weak and slaying the evil. So much going on there, you can hardly put it down! I recommend it heartily as a wild ride. (2) The Money Cure by Linda Peer (also Amazon and Kindle) - this is another spec fic book which is a wild ride. But this one is set in the near future and craftily follows a lot of current trends to their logical conclusions: the worsening inequality of income, the unavailability of housing for large swathes of the population, the overbearing State, the manipulation of the media by the State and the wealthy. Until you have a world where most people are destitute and dependent on precarious informal employment, the streets are run by gangs, housing is a privilege for the wealthy few and most people sleep in cars. In this world, while there are often street battles between State and private law enforcers and protesters of various sorts, one group think they have found an answer: the hoarding of all assets by the elite is a kind of disease, and they have a drug that will cure it "The Money Cure". Of course, the elite spend most of the book trying to identify them and wipe them out before they administer their drug to the winners of society unwillingly! Yet, like 1984, which tends to pop up in readers' minds, this is not a political or philosophical pseudo-text but the story of individuals. The book centres on the love relationship of one of the "Money Cure" gang, a passionate, highbrow ideologue, with an ordinary member of the majority "underclass" who is just using every entrepreneurial angle to survive in a world where there is no room at the top. This humanises the story and makes it enjoyable to read, as does the author's biting wit and sense of humour and irony. I again recommend it heartily. Although you probably can't find it in the local bookshop, it is worth the bother if you can access it through Amazon or Kindle.

I like the sound of the Benedict Jacka novel.

An Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka is the start of a new fantasy series set in a London where the use of magic is a preserve of several vastly rich families who as practitioners control it's use and supply. Stephen Oakwood is an orphan, or is probably one, his mother walked out, his father disappeared, but he does have some magical skill. Then a couple of scions of one of the wealthiest families turn up, claiming he is a cousin, and hoping to use him in an increasingly heated inheritance battle. It's fast moving, refreshingly different from much of fantasy since it doesn't take itself seriously at all and Stephen as a character develops and grows. Not high literature but hugely enjoyable, I zipped through it and am greatly looking forward to the next book. The Golden Gate by Amy Chua The cover is beautiful, the writing is tedious and bangs far too many drums. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld I like Curtis Sittenfeld's writing most of the time and I'd heard many good things about this romantic comedy between two unlikely figures, a writer on a show clearly based on Saturday Night Live and a glamerous super famous rock star. The first part is great, Sally the writer is sympathetic, smart and her insecurities are believable and the background of the show is fabulous. Noah the rock star is a little one dimensional but hey ho, it's Sally's story. The second part is good too, but it starts getting samey and drawn out and I went from loving every page to rather hoping I was near the end.

What a terrific review! Autumn Rounds is now on my wish list.

Oh so did I.

You're supposed to dislike Ove at the beginning and then what makes him so apparently grumpy starts becoming more obvious. I can't remember anything about him being more callous and indifferent to cats and dogs than other human beings. I really warmed to him by the end.

I'm currently reading Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code'. With each new chapter, something new, unusual, and mysterious opens up. With every new sentence I read, I found myself wanting to finish the book as soon as possible to find out what happens at the end

So that's D.H. Lawrence. Another big beast's head mounted on the wall. I had not read him before, although I have seen Ken Russell films of several of his books. Not Women in Love, however. Some bits were good. Other bits I was not so sure of.

Yes it is a bit, this one was a bit better but they are pretty formulaic.

I listened to the first of these on Audible, The Cove I think, and to be honest wasn't impressed. It seemed both long-winded and Mills and Boonish

A man named Ove by Fredrik Backman. is my current book. Disturbing by his callousness so far to cats as well as dogs. Offers nothing to the story and makes me dislike Ove.

of red, blue, ochre

'I am Dr Philip Mypockets..and before you state the obvious..hahaha bloody ha....no I am not just after money for myself..it's for my wife and kids too..my dog..my cats..every..' 'Dr , is daddy well?', asked Rosie, 'only he's behaving in a rather odd manner...'