Hux

Confessions of a Mask (1949) Mishima Yukio I'm always trying to expand my reading beyond the European tradition and this writer was recommended. The book is short and sweet and covers the period of a character's life (which feels extremely autobiographical) that would generally be described as bildungsroman (early years to adulthood). The main character is a gay man in Tokyo coming to terms with his homosexuality and obsession with death just prior to the war. He's in love with another boy called Omi (though sometimes it's seems more like admiration than attraction) and in his late teens he develops a relationship with a woman called Sonoko which might lead to marriage. Eventually, he calls it off knowing that he can never really give her the love she wants and yet, despite this and her later marriage to someone else, the two begin to meet again on a regular basis but in a purely platonic way. The book ends with them at a dance where he gazes lovingly at a half naked man knowing that he can never truly be happy because he is gay This is pretty groundbreaking stuff for 1949. I'm frankly amazed he was willing to publish given that the character is so clearly the author. I enjoyed the style of writing, it being concise but fluid, though it's always hard to judge such things when it's a translation. I was certainly impressed enough to look into reading more of his work. 7/10

He's mad as a box of frogs. Great writer though.

My least favourite Dickens novel. I sometimes wonder if he came up with the great opening and ending and then tried to find a way to connect them with a story.

It was superb. My favourite contemporary writer. Houellebecq is a rather fascinating character. Even acts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnEw6INkg2U

Sand

For Whom The Bell Tolls (1940) Ernest Hemingway I really struggle with Hemmingway. His writing is so dry and matter of fact. Sometimes, it's unbearable, but other times, it's strangely compelling. Can't quite put my finger on it. I enjoyed this up to the half way point, then found it to be a bit of a slog. The basic plot revolves around American, Robert Jordan, being an explosives expert in the Spanish civil war fighting against Franco's fascists. The vast majority of the book takes place in and around a cave where they're camping out in preparation for blowing up a bridge. And that's about it. There's also a romance, but that's the gist of it. I didn't hate it, but like I said, Hemmingway is hard to like. So far, only 'The Sun Also Rises' impressed me. And that was a long time ago. 7/10 The Old Man and The Sea (1952) Ernest Hemingway Maybe I missed something here but this won the Pulitzer prize and was cited as an influence in Hemmingway receiving the Nobel Prize? Why? I mean, it's a perfectly nice short story about a man battling with a fish then watching as his prize is devoured by sharks, but it's really not much more than that. I enjoyed it but at no point was I thinking... this is epic literature. Truth be told, it's essentially a short version of Moby Dick, a story that looks at a man's obsession taking over him and resulting in no reward. It had all the classic Hemmingway characteristics of being cold and detached and to the point which I disliked in his first person narratives (The Sun Also Rises) but don't mind too much here. Ultimately, it's all rather forgettable stuff though. 5/10

The Peregrine (1967) A.J. Baker This is a book about a man (A.J. Baker) who develops an interest in bird watching and specifically takes an interest in peregrines. He details his fascination over the course of several months in the early sixties and follows the birds around the South of England. I read it based on several excellent reviews. It's generally considered one of the best nature books. The first two chapters detailing his interest in bird watching were indeed exquisite. The prose is gorgeous and sets up a passion which borders on obsession. His use of metaphor and simile are amazing. But I have to say, I found the diary portion to be hugely repetitive with endless descriptions of the same colours, the same landscapes, the same north easterly winds, the same list of birds (woodpigeon, lapwing, plover on and on). He occasionally returns to the wonderful language seen in the opening chapters, usually when he tangents onto a separate, more personal subject. There's one where he details the way animals fear humans and he describes humans as stinking of death; and another when he describes his encounter with a fox. But other than that, it just repeats, repeats, repeats. Reading those opening chapters got me very excited about what was to come but the following diary section was a rather dull and turgid experience. I got the impression it was one of those books that one reviewer loved, then another, then another, until eventually, it developed an unwarranted reputation for excellence based on the poetic beauty of those opening two chapters. The fact is, the diary stuff doesn't match up to that. None the less, I definitely embraced Baker's passion for the subject matter. And I recognised his obvious gift for language. I just wish he would have more eagerly applied it to the latter half of the book. Or perhaps some fiction. The diary section only came to life for me when he expressed his opinion rather than when he described the same identical actions and events over and over. I highly recommend the opening chapters. Some of the most beautiful prose I've ever come across. 7/10 After that... it's very repetitive.

'Jude Law on a Stack of Hay' is one of my favourite songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_MjCqQoLLA

Mr Plinkett is a character he does. It's what put their channel on the map. They also have videos on Discovery and Picard which or not done with characters. Equally as condemning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SHhySoXDcA

Normal People (2018) Sally Rooney Where to begin. In terms of the writing it was an enjoyable read but my, the hype was not justified. At the very minimum I expect a book to be an enjoyable read. Truth be told this was a Mills and Boon romance novel for the contemporary age. Every time a book like this wins awards and gets praise, I come to the conclusion that modern books are written for the growing demographic of people who... don't like reading books. Firstly, there's nothing remotely 'normal' about these two characters. I'll skip over the predictably dream-like otherness of Marianne and focus on the utterly non-existent Connell. I'm sorry ladies, but that guy (calm, thoughtful, caring, emotionally mature, intellectually honest, culturally sensitive, left-wing, etc) only exists in the heads of women -- women writers in particular. Connell isn't just these things by the end of the book. No, he's these things from the very start, as a teenager. You know, like most teenage boys are. These two people are highly popular, good looking, the smartest in school, having regular sex, and are apparently off to university where they'll be going travelling around Europe and becoming writers. Normal people, you say? I was genuinely quite irritated but this book. It's everything I hate in fiction. I was half-expecting a final chapter to reveal that Marianne was sexually assaulted as a child (perhaps by her father, maybe even by her cartoonishly evil, moustache twirling brother) but thankfully, that didn't happen. I was also slightly offended by the implication that women (or men, for that matter) who enjoy rough sex have some kind of underlying mental health problem. I did, however, like the ending. These two millennial idiots can't seem to communicate their feelings. Even at the end she tells him to go to New York. I do wonder what point Rooney was making though. It's not as if her generation are emotionally closed off. If anything they're more prone to expressing their feelings than any other generation. Maybe she was criticising that - modern people sleep with everyone without consequences but... gulp... maybe there are consequences. Sigh. I honestly couldn't tell if the book's title was ironic or if it was a clever twist on those awful romance novels (what if, instead of a pirate and a curvy wench, it was a saucy romance between two... normal people). Geddit? This is an airport book. That books like this get so much hype and applause depresses me. 5/10

The Map and The Territory (2010) Michel Houellebecq I read this after enjoying Atomised so much. Having read my first Houellebecq (Atomised), I resolved to read more. This is my second forray into his work, and while it wasn't as good as Atomised, it was, nonetheless, a wonderful reading experience and frankly, a damn sight more creative and interesting than most of the turgid contemporary novels I mistakenly read because they're nominated for Booker prizes. The book is about an artist called Jed who seeks to paint the famous writer, you guessed it, Michel Houellebecq. I enjoyed Houellebecq making himself a character, and especially enjoyed the moments when he mocked his own character (at one point he muses on whether Houellebecq might be a paedophile). I'll put the final third of the book in spoilers because I honestly didn't see the it coming. Frankly, this book, though not being anything profound, was significantly more fun and enjoyable to read than most of the crap I read these days. Original and thought-provoking. I will definitely seek out more of his work. 7/10

Atomised (1998) Michel Houellebecq I thoroughly enjoyed this. I've never read him before and only know him through reputation, namely that of a racist misogynist (though in today's climate that applies to people who make the 'okay' hand gesture so I'll take that with a pinch of salt). I'm not sure what all the fuss is about; he describes sex. What of it? Anyway, I wonder how many people have been put off him by virtue of a media that are full of hypocrites. I absolutely loved this. It was like being nourished by food, a feeling I haven't had while reading for quite some time. My interest was waning somewhat by the final third but that tends to happen with every book (all books, in my opinion being longer than they need to be). It picked up again after that and was a delight. My only criticism would be the epilogue. It essentially transforms the novel from a story about brothers to a peculiar science fiction romp that wasn't remotely necessary. I could have done without that in truth. The story is essentially two half brothers (Bruno and Michel) who have no real bond until adulthood. Bruno is obsessed with sex while Michel is almost asexual with only an interest in his scientific work. I must say, I found it hard to believe Michel as a character but complete understood Bruno. That may say more about me. I'm not sure what Houellebecq was trying to say by giving the two women in the brother's lives such tragic endings. Maybe that's where the misogyny accusation comes from. He seems to be suggesting that their sexual freedom is the very thing that has ruined their lives and left them unfulfilled as women. To be fair, that seems to be exactly what Sally Rooney was also saying in 'Normal People' too yet I doubt she gets accused of being a misogynist. The book is clearly about our 'atomised' western societies and how we have lost meaning so I'm not sure the criticism is valid. It's kinda the point. Very Good. Will read some more of him at some point. 8/10

This site seems to be more book blogs than actual specific boards for discussing books so if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I'm gonna just copy and paste all my reviews from BGO and put them here. Starting with my favourite book. Journey to the End of the Night (1932) Louis-Ferdinand Celine It begins in World War I with Bardamu (Celine's alter ego) and explores the trauma and futility of the war. Bardamu meets his doppelganger, Robinson, a character that comes and goes throughout this life (a character I have theories about). Bardemu goes to Africa which results in yet more suffering and confusion. Then he goes to New York and works at the Ford company and meets a prostitute called Molly. Then the book jumps ahead six years to when Bardamu has become a qualified doctor. He begins working in a working-class suburb of Paris and deals with horrific things such as botched abortions, miscarriages and the death of a local child. This is where Leon Robinson, becomes a regular character in his life. The book is often described as a celebration nihilism. Celine has very little respect for humanity. To him, it's suffering, crime, greed, and pain. He witnesses awful things but responds to them as though they're the utter embodiment of normalcy (the book is actually quite funny because of this). Even when Robinson plots to murder an old woman, Bardamu doesn't care, he simply thinks... 'it's nothing to do with me.' There's an underlying message about the trauma caused to both him and Robinson due to the war. They have both been numbed to the point that they are no longer human. The prose is some of the most exquisite I've ever come across. Which is interesting because it was made famous for its more authentic, real-life writing. There's a chapter where he's on the boat to Africa which is amazing. It encapsulates humanities distrust of other people and their tendency to hate. Bardamu doesn't speak much or get involved so everyone on the ship turns against him and you genuinely feel the sense of threat, that they might actually kill him for daring to be different. Celine, of course, was a noted antisemite in real life. That might be an issue for some. Personally speaking, the fact that Celine is a fairly awful person himself only makes the book resonate more. I have a tendency to separate the artist form the art. And thank God because this book is a masterpiece. 10/10

Mark

Tenet - overly complex but good. I'm Thinking of Ending Things - superb. Next - I forgot how bad this was. Dredd - hugely entertaining. New Mutants - blah.

Sums up my feelings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwF1iri1GjQ&t=2219s Edit - how do I embed a video?

If you download the free sample on Kindle, you're essentially getting the best part of the book.

My favourite book. It begins in World War I with Bardamu (Celine's alter ego) and explores the trauma and futility of the war. He meets Robinson, a kind of doppelganger who lives his life parallel to Bardamu. Broth meet again in Africa, a place where Bardamu experiences yet more suffering (the chapter on the boat to Africa is sublime). Then he goes to New York (following Robinson) and works at the Ford company and meets a prostitute called Molly. He returns to France and studies medicine at which point the book jumps ahead six years and finds Bardamu working in a working-class suburb of Paris dealing with horrific things such as botched abortions, miscarriages, and the death of a local child. This is where Leon Robinson become a regular character rather than just a spectre. The book is often described as a celebration nihilism. Celine has very little respect for humanity. To him, it's all suffering, crime, greed, and pain. He witnesses awful things but responds to them as though they're the banal embodiment of normalcy (the book is actually quite funny because of this). Even when Robinson plots to murder an old woman, Bardamu doesn't seem to care, and simply thinks... 'it's nothing to do with me.' There's an underlying message about the trauma caused to both men due to the war. They have both been numbed to the point that they are no longer human beings. The prose is some of the most exquisite I've ever come across. Which is interesting because it was made famous for its more authentic, real-life writing. Celine was, of course, a noted antisemite in real life. That might be an issue for some. Personally speaking, the fact that Celine is a fairly awful person himself only makes the book resonate more. I have a tendency to separate the artist from the art. And thank God because this book is a masterpiece. 9/10

I really enjoyed this when I read it, especially the psychological aspect of Laurent's scar tormenting him.

Opera

Lost

Island

A mixture of the two is required. DS9 actually had very few explosions (they couldn't afford the CGI) and great portions of the war were only referred to rather than actually seen. Meanwhile, this was Discovery.

Star Trek is about exploring worlds and ideas and solving ethical or philosophical dilemmas. Discovery and Picard are about things blowing up and ninjas.