Nollaig

If Nobody Speaks Of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor Synopsis from Amazon: It was the title of this otherwise inconspicuous novel which first caught my eye - the nature of which led me to conclude it was about one of two things: either about something profound, or about mundanity and it's inherent profoundity about which so many people are jaded. It is repetition and constant exposure to 'everyday things' which makes people take them for granted. And it's the occasional exposure to a book like this which can make such people stop and view the world afresh, if only for a moment when they close it's covers. "Remarkable Things" speaks from a distance with a style which allows no intimacy and great universality. Alternating between two threads of a story, one in first and one in third person, it's most noticeable attribute is the unusual punctuation, in that it features no speech marks of any kind. Even with a first person narrator it consists of, I said, oh, really? I said how do you know? He said he told me. He said I knew anyway. Admittedly I normally don't like styles like that. However in this context it seems somehow to add to the atmosphere - never directly attributing speech even to a first person narrator makes it feel as though there is a block, a distance, between what is being said and the mere observation of it which the reader is allowed. The other thing I found about it was that it made me read slowly in order to actually pick up who said what, and for me that was a nice touch, because it's the sort of book which should be read slowly and savoured. I liked the first thread, only loosely related to the second, it seemed arbitrary, and the choice of character seemed arbitrary, the kind of arbitrary involved in everyday life when terrible events happen and we want to know 'why?' but there is no answer, other than 'it's just so', and I particularly liked it for that. The second thread is essentially a collection of details. It recounts the events of a a day on a street by recounting individual details, movements, thoughts, quirks, whims, the very breaths of several nameless families and friends. Each house is another angle, another story, another intersection of lives, another everyday irrelevance. The characters are endearing, quirky, stupid, sweet, likeable, unlikeable, imperfect and real. An elderly couple, students, small children, parents. What is told of their stories is in many cases is emotively accentuated by what is not said, what they cannot say, and it certainly is a poignant read. In this way the novel recounts a rather large picture, by blinkering you with a tight focus on the feel and taste and sound of each individual simplicity, by gathering moments like capturing them in photos and letting the bigger picture build itself up. Nothing is direct, nothing is crystal clear. It's founded in flux, more in a series of implications than confirmations. Implications we all see coming, whose ends we can deduce, because we've all seen them or heard them before. It's not an unpredictable book, but that's kind of the point. What I liked about this book is it's portrayal of the remarkable. What's remarkable in it? I know what I think. I think different people would say different things, but that too, is kind of the point. 9/10 P.S. The first four pages are the most beautifully romanticized view of mere existence in a city morning, and everybody on Earth should read them.

Had my choccie wafer and tea

Just finished If Nobody Speaks Of Remarkable Things. What a wonderful book.

This Tesco actually had moved things around Not those bars, though. I'm actually contemplating a third Nutrigrain. Though I think I might wait a while and actually have a chocolate wafer with tea instead.

They used to be 'Nutrigrain Soft Bake Bars' in a white and - (strawberry/red, blueberry/blue, apple/green) box, but now they're ALL in red boxes and called 'Nutrigrain Morning Bars'. It was the red box that threw me off.

Oh I'm glad to see someone did! I have my own thoughts about the writing style and why I like it but I'll put that will the rest of my thoughts when I've them gathered

I'm a Kerrymaid but I live in Cork now, due to uni. Which I've graduated from but I didn't bother going home Welcome to the forum, always nice to see new Irish people here

Awww I'm sad to see this book hasn't fared so well As soon as I saw the title, I wanted it, it's just one of those titles that would be an indie film if it was a movie, like 'Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind' and so on. Titles can really grab me, and despite the not-so-great feedback here, I looked it up on Amazon and just had to have it, so it's been on my Wishlist since last year. Ive finally bought and am reading it and personally I love it. I'll keep my direct comments about it for a review which I'll post here probably by tomorrow at the rate I'm going. But I think I'm going to be saying quite a few positive things

Oooh Sirinrob it's a fantastic book! Can't wait to hear your thoughts. I'm almost two thirds through If Nobody Speaks Of Remarkable Things, and am planning to finish it tonight. I'd probably have done well to read it slower, but I want to know what happens. It's definitely leaning towards great.

I love to hate them. I thoroughly enjoy reading them and watching the movies, but they're not exactly what I'd call...... remotely good. They're horribly written, they go off the wall and while there are some great ideas, great backgrounds and some great characters, anything exhibiting signs of greatness is firmly pushed to the back without being made use of, so all you're left with is mediocre, unbelieveable angsty teen drama and frustration about how great these books COULD have been.

A STRAWBERRY NUTRIGRAIN BAR! PRAISE KELLOGS! They changed the box and the name of the blasted bars, no wonder I couldn't find them!

Mika - Pick Up Off The Floor

Good luck Atticjnr, but it'll corrupt your soul

Awwwww that is so cute Vinay I spent the last 40 mins of Elizabeth town in bits. Once the funeral starts I'm gone, and it carries on right through to the end.

Depends on whether I know what I want, and I usually do. If I do, I can be out in ten mins. If I have a choice, half an hour. If I stop by the sci-fi/fantasy, kids, and new releases sections I can be an hour. Never more than that.

This is exactly how I feel about Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. At 460 pages in, I'm not even halfway through and SO much has happened across several years already I definitely prefer a longer book, 300-500 pages ideally, but that won't stop me from reading a shorter book, they can be equally good - I personally just prefer longer, chunkier reads.

Well, I haven't found them yet. Tesco don't seem to sell them anymore. I might have to go trawling through random smaller supermarkets. And all that's assuming I can work up the motivation to go to town at all.

If I go shopping and it goes according to plan, I'll be having honey nut Cheerios, juice and a nutri-grain bar. This is all I have wanted since Tuesday.

Frankie: Sorry we turned you off the book, but I do think you'll thank us when you eventually see the movie. I hope so, anyway Kylie: Earnest is a great play! My favourite of his, I'm sure you'll thoroughly enjoy it

My 'couple of chapters' turned into a further 90 pages, so I'm almost halfway through now. It really does draw you in, it's just SO easy to read. It keeps making me laugh out loud, too, which is rare in a book. Even a chapter title cracked me up.

I ended up staying up last night til 5am, and read the first hundred pages of If Nobody Speaks Of Remarkable Things. Absolutely fabulous opening. It's kinda lulling just below 'great' at the moment, but depending on how it all ties together it could become one of my favourite books.

K-Pax is so underrated. Have you read the book? I haven't, but I'd like to. And yes, Kevin Spacey is great - he makes American Beauty fantastic. I would be inclined to say I don't like girly movies, and while most of them don't appeal to me, some do make me laugh and cry and go 'awwww' so I can't really deny liking those!

Kylie and Cookie I understand that - I feel quite vulnerable if people are seeing what I'm reading - it's the same as holding up a small sign saying, 'hello, I like Twilight, don't judge me!' or 'hello, I like science fiction, but I'm still cool!' It makes me defensive. I may as well be whipping out a canvas and paints and saying 'look at me, I paint, too!'

I love seeing people reading, but always make an eejit of myself trying to see what book it is! I usually can't, and don't want to look like I'm gawking at them

Darn. Well, maybe someone will step on them and fall over. Keep the video cam handy.