Ruth
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Posts posted by Ruth
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Fab! I hope you all love it as much as I did
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Capital, by John Lanchester
The book features the various residents of Pepys Road, London, who include Roger, a rich banker and his materialistic wife Arabella; 82 year old widow Petunia Howe; shop owners Ahmed and Rohinka Kamal, and their two children; and a young footballer from Senegal and his father. The book starts in December 2007, when each house receives an anonymous postcard which simply says We Want What You Have. The mystery surrounding who is behind the postcards escalates, and provides the backdrop for the snapshots of these characters’ lives. It also shows that despite outward appearances – all the houses on the street are highly desirable and would sell for a huge profit, meaning that the residents are all sitting on a lot of money in assets – sometimes if people knew more about someone’s life, they most certainly would NOT want what that person has.
This book was chosen for our local book club, and produced very mixed reactions. I am firmly in the ‘loved it’ camp. Although it is near 600 pages long, I found myself reading it very quickly and being reluctant to put it down. The book not only concentrated on the residents of Pepys Road, but also their families, colleagues or friends. Everyone is dealing with their own issues, some big, some seemingly inconsequential, perhaps concerning love, money or work (and in a couple of cases, health).
What struck me the most was that as I grew familiar with the characters, I found myself changing my mind about many of them, perhaps liking them more or less than I did originally. The themes which ran through the story lines were relatable, and because of the way that the chapters wove in and out of the various characters’ lives, it never became boring. Just when I was wondering what would happen with one thread, the book carried on with a different one (that sounds like a complaint, but I actually really enjoyed that, and it was part of what made me keep reading).
The story is amusing in parts, and very sad in other parts. At times, the events are so everyday that it’s hard to know exactly what makes the story just so compelling, but it certainly kept me coming back for more.
(I don’t really feel that this review has done justice to the book. Basically I loved it, and want to recommend it to everybody!)
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Game Change (2012) about the Republican campaign in 2008, and how they came to pick Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate - and how it turned into a complete nightmare for them! Excellent film - Ed Harris, Woody Harrelson and Julianne Moore are riveting.
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I just watched The Apartment (1960). I have long suspected that Billy Wilder was a genius, but this film leaves me in no doubt. Of course, it helps to have Jack Lemmon, who was such a wonderfully expressive actor. Terrific film
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Movie 43, i was in stitches with Hugh Jackman and his testicles on his neck
Totally intrigued! Have to see this now
"The Wolf of Wall Street". I love Scorsese and I liked this film altough 3 hours maybe are a little too much. Great music, great editing, and a film that makes you think about the horrible people that exists in this world...
I really would like to see this, but the running time does put me off a bit. I struggle with films which are much over a couple of hours.
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Clark Gable, by Warren Harris
Clark Gable is one of my favourite actors, although he died before I was born. Whenever I watch his films, I can always see just why he was so popular – women loved him, and men wanted to be like him. He was the ultimate in masculinity, and was not known as King of Hollywood for nothing.
This book is a fairly decent biography, which seems pretty evenhanded throughout. It does a good job of telling the facts – although there are a couple of errors regarding some of the films – so in a sense, it does do its job, but while I understand that it is impossible to include every single story from someone’s life, I felt that certain things were missed out, which should have been included. For instance, the book acknowledges that Gable wanted to boycott the premiere of Gone With The Wind, out of solidarity with his friend Victor Fleming, who was in dispute with producer David Selznick, over his (Fleming’s) directorial credit. However, it did not even give mention to the well documented fact that Gable was furious that the black members of the cast would not be able to sit with the white members of the cast at the premiere due to Atlanta’s segregation laws, and that he wanted to boycott the premiere for this reason. Such an occurrence reveals a lot about the measure of a man, and I was amazed that it wasn’t included.
However, the book does a fairly good job of describing Gable’s rise to movie star from very humble beginnings, and generally portrays him as an approachable and agreeable man, easy to work with, and courteous and kind by nature. It goes into detail about his five marriages – one can’t help but wonder what would have happened had his very happy marriage to actress Carole Lombard not have been cut tragically short by her death in a plane crash.
I would recommend the book to fellow Gable fans – it might not be the most comprehensive biography available, but it’s certainly readable, and respectful without being fawning.
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Longbourn Jo Baker
'If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats,' Sarah thought, 'she would be more careful not to tramp through muddy fields.'
It is wash-day for the housemaids at Longbourn House, and Sarah's hands are chapped and raw. Domestic life below stairs, ruled with a tender heart and an iron will by Mrs Hill the housekeeper, is about to be disturbed by the arrival of a new footman, bearing secrets and the scent of the sea.
Having read & loved Pride & Predjudice i was really looking forward to reading Jo Baker's debut novel, not so much a retelling of the original story but life in the Bennett household from the servants perspective. I think it's quite a brave thing to do to re work a classic book especially one as popular as P&P but this was a wonderful read. In Jo Baker's story the servants take the centre stage & the Bennett girls lives are merely background, we find out how hard the servants had to work as the Bennetts were not a very affluent household so they had fewer servants to share the workload than their wealthier neighbours & the housemaids especially were kept busy from dawn to dusk, the Bennett girls of course are oblivious to how much extra work they create for the servants & you get a real sense of how very different their lives are even though they share the same house. The housemaids Sarah & Polly though of a similar age to the Bennett girls don't have a social life & new clothes to concern themselves with, there life is one of toil & each day is the same so when a new footman with a shadowy history joins the household, Sarah especially is keen to find out all about his secret past.
Well written with great characters & a few interesting twists, some that worked better than others i thoroughly enjoyed the story my only criticism would be that the ending was too drawn out but even with that it gets a solid 5/6
Great review - I bought this a few weeks ago, so am looking forward to reading it now
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Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Very good performances by Idris Elba and Naomie Harris. I liked it a lot. I bought the book about 18 months ago, and just haven't got around to reading it yet, but I'm determined to try and read it soon.
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In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death and Duran Duran, by John Taylor
I first discovered Duran Duran when I was a young teenager, and quickly become obsessed. As I grew older, I drifted away from them, but always came back again. They may not be my favourites any more, but I still like listening to them, and as John Taylor was by far my favourite when I was growing up (I was convinced I’d marry him one day, and boy, did I hate Amanda de Cadenet when she beat me to it!), I was looking forward to reading his biography. I should point out that I actually listened to the audio version of this book, which is narrated by John himself.
Anyway…I have mixed feelings about it. I enjoyed the first part when he talks about growing up as an only child, and how he developed a love of music. He talks about forming bands with friends including Nick Bates (now known as Nick Rhodes), and eventually forming Duran Duran with the line-up for which they are most famous. They were very democratic, being one of the few bands who credited each and every member with writing each and every song. However, the story of living his dream soon becomes a nightmare, as Taylor details how he fell into the drug scene, and become dependent both on cocaine and alcohol.
Some of the inside info about the music business was interesting – the machinations of the publicity machines, the secrets behind recording a slot for Top of the Pops, for instance – but the whole book kind of feels more like an overview of Taylor’s life, rather than a detailed autobiography. I liked that he pretty much avoids dishing the dirt on anybody except himself – although after initially speaking pretty affectionately of fellow band member Andy Taylor, he seems rather dismissive of him at the end of the book. Some of the language though feels quite contrived – maybe it sounds more so when it’s being read aloud, and the book generally feels like it was rushed. (It was ghostwritten however, so I’m not sure exactly how much blame can be attributed to Taylor for that.)
Overall, Taylor comes across as a genuinely nice guy, and it was good to hear how he eventually conquered his demons, and has managed to stay clean and sober for two decades. I’d probably recommend the book as decent but not essential reading, strictly for fellow Duran Duran fans.
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Ruth, the Guardian have written a couple of articles on her that I've read and thought were interesting - I think this is the most recent one http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jul/06/elizabeth-taylor-complete-short-stories, although it's review of a collection of her short stories. The other one I read was this one in the Telegraph but it's about 8 years old now!. Even if they weren't the ones you were thinking of, they make interesting reading!
Thank you....They are interesting, and I am even more eager to read some of her work now
Ok, so the books were written by THE Elizabeth Taylor? It did cross my mind but then I figured it wasn't a particularly rare name..
No, they weren't written by Elizabeth Taylor the actress - the article I mentioned before mentioned how they thought part of the reason that she never got the recognition she deserved was because when people hear the name Elizabeth Taylor, they instantly think of the actress. (I have never been more aware that Elizabeth Taylor is in my avatar!)
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Somebody at work just stuffed the Stephen King book 11/22/63 into my hand and said that he couldn't get on with it.....of course the first thing wrong with it is that it should be 22/11/63
I bought this ages ago, because I am interested in the Kennedy assassination. I can't seem to get around to it though - I look at it there on my bookshelf, and just keep thinking "maybe later." SK is a bit hit-and-miss for me - I was disappointed in The Shining, but The Green Mile is one of my all time favourites. Most of the others that I have read by him I would give about 7 out of 10, so overall that's pretty good, I guess.
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Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont Elizabeth Taylor
The story of Mrs Palfrey an elderly lady who moves into The Claremont Hotel where she hopes to live out her remaining years in relative comfort. She shares her new home with a group of elderly residents who like Mrs Palfrey are all on a budget, hoping there health will hold out so they don't end up in a nursing home & looking forward to infrequent duty visits from various relatives. Then one day Mrs Palfrey meets a young aspiring author called Ludo & they become friends.....
This is a sad story of aging, loneliness, keeping up appearances & dependency but it's so sensitively written that it steers clear of being depressing & there are some lighter moments as well, like when the residents are all trying to outdo each other as to who's had the most operations & who's was the most serious. So far this is my favourite book of the year, i know that's not saying much as we're only in January but i shall be adding more Elizabeth Taylor books to my wishlist
6/6
This sounds like a good read. I know there is a film adaptation starring Joan Plowright, which I would quite like to see, but have somehow never got around to. I will be adding the book to my wish list
(Incidentally, I read an interesting article about Elizabeth Taylor recently - I wish I could remember where. It was talking about how she never really got the recognition she deserves as an author - it really made me want to read some of her books, so this one seems like a good place to start.)
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I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad.
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I'm reading a biography of an actor I love watching - Clark Gable. Pretty good so far. We haven't got as far as Gone With the Wind yet!
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This!
Great minds!Oh, I'd also say The West Wing for must-see TV as well.
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I started watching Dracula yesterday. I had been recording them all, and watched the first two episodes - thought they were brilliant. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is perfect in the title role, and I'm looking forward to binge-watching the rest of the series
Also, I watched the first episode of Longmire last week, and will be carrying on with that. Very enjoyable, and I like to see Lou Diamond Phillips back on tv. -
I've avoided this thread until last night when I finally got to see the final episode. Loved episode 2 with the wedding, but wasn't sure about episode 3. The acting though, is just outstanding. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are both incredibly talented.
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Must see movie - too many to mention, but I'd say Sunset Blvd., and Amazing Grace would be two choices.
Must see tv - The Wire.
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Guys and Dolls. Loved it - Sinatra and Brando are brilliant
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Fantastic Four (2005). I actually enjoyed it, although it had some scathing reviews. I've never read the comics it was based on though, so maybe that was why I liked it - I didn't have anything to compare it too.
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Beyond the Burning Time, by Kathryn Lasky
This book is aimed at young adults, but can definitely be enjoyed by older readers too. Weaving fiction with fact, it tells the story of Mary Chase, a young girl living in Salem, Massachusetts, in the late 17th century, at the time of the infamous witch trials. Mary and her mother and brother are horrified as a group of young girls accuse various members of the community of committing heinous supernatural deeds, and call them witches. After being given only the flimsiest of trials, the women, and some men, are punished by hanging. Despite their upset and anger, Mary does not initially know just how close to home the terror will strike, and when it does, she has to act fast to save those she loves.
I liked this book, partly because the subject itself is so fascinating, and also because there was actually a great story in there too. The characterisation is not as strong as it maybe could have been, and the story did not always move quickly, but in a way that was a good thing – there was this creeping sense of terror, as it slowly dawned on people that they might be the next accused. Also, some people found to their cost that to speak out against the accusers and the way the accused were being treated was also dangerous.
Although Mary and her family, and some of the other characters are fictional, there are many characters including the accusers and most of the victims of the persecution who were real people, and whose fates did transpire as they do in the book. It would be an interesting introduction to the subject of the Salem Witch Trials, for anybody who wants to learn more the subject, although it is worth bearing in mind that some place names and dates have been changed (there is an author’s note at the back where she explains such changes).
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I am a huge fan of Louis Theroux.
Might have to check out this book, I have another of his on my shelf.
I found that I must have bought a couple more of his books too, as I have The Psychopath Test on my shelf (I think I do remember buying that from the Hay Festival a couple of years ago), and The Men Who Stare at Goats. I probably bought that after seeing the film.
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Thanks everyone and happy new year to you all
Ruth ~ I just started the third book in the series 'Check Mate', I am enjoying the series.
Great to hear
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Yes I remember seeing Move Over Darling and thinking .. 'why do I already know the story?'
.. took me a while to figure it 
That's a pity about Something's Got to Give Ruth ... would have liked to have seen that. I like the pairing of Cary and Irene Dunn .. they're brilliant together .. The Awful Truth is another favourite of mine
Today I'm going for another Cary classic though .... His Girl Friday Ooh The Book Thief Kylie
glad you enjoyed it ... very encouraging .. such an age before I can see it though 
I don't think you can really go wrong with Cary Grant
The Awful Truth and His Girl Friday are both brilliant. One of my favourites is Monkey Business. It always makes me literally laugh out loud every time I watch it. Ginger Rogers is brilliant in that one too.I watched High Society the other day - the musical remake of The Philadelphia Story. Lovely songs and Frank Sinatra make it a wonderful film for me. Cary Grant is much better as Dexter Haven than Bing Crosby, but I guess they were going for the voice with Bing.
Also watched Dead End, with Joel McCrea and Humphrey Bogart - great film, although left me on a bit of a downer - and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, which I wanted to watch, because I'm going to see it on stage later this year
Modern family
in Music / TV / Films
Posted
And another fan here. So far we've watched the first four seasons, and just love the show. Too hard to pick a favourite character, but I love Phil, Gloria and Cameron. Also Lily is adorable!