chesilbeach

Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

What a charming, funny read The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith was. A comic diary of Mr Charles Pooter, a late 19th century middle class clerk, this book is a witty chronicle of the ordinary suburban life and a great little read (only took me about two hours). I loved it, and would particularly recommend it to anyone who likes The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield or the Mapp and Lucia series by E. F. Benson or Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day by Winifred Watson. I'm not sure about my next book already, having seen some very mediocre reviews, but I'll try to start with an open mind and give it a fair chance! It's Chasing Harry Winston by Laura Weisberger, whose first book was The Devil Wears Prada.

Thanks for the review - I've looked at this (I think there a few in a series, aren't there?) in the bookshop a couple of times, but have yet to get it. I think I will next time I'm buying!

Yes, it is. It's the Oxford World's Classics version, which has the original illustrations in. I haven't actually started it this evening after all, as we got caught up watching Doctor Who on DVD, but it will definitely be started tomorrow, so will write my thoughts on it as soon as I've finished.

The synopsis from the inside cover:

That's the joy of Wordpress - ready made templates! Don't have to design anything, just choose a theme and away you go. Having said that, I have another website that I wrote the CSS code for - aargh!!! Thinking of going back to a standard theme as it's such a nightmare trying to figure out how to apply the code to the Wordpress standard without being able to use proper cascading style sheets.

Hi Ben - thanks for the compliment, and as for the layout - I don't mind at all! Funnily enough, I'd visited yours for the first time this afternoon (only had time for a quick look so far), and thought it looked familiar

Finished The Earth Hums In B Flat this afternoon. I'm not really sure why it took me so long to read it - I had a head ache yesterday and couldn't read - it was a lovely flowing book, and I've read about 250 pages today, but for some reason I just didn't feel in the mood to read it at the weekend. The top of my TBR pile now is The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith which I'm really looking forward to, and at only 134 pages, I don't think it'll last long!

We settle down in our new home, and I resolve to keep a diary. The Diary of a Nobody - George and Weedon Grossmith

A good translation can make the world of difference to the success of a book. I've actually read quite a few translated works, and I think the mark of a good translator is not to impose their own style on the work. They have to have a fluent, contemporary understanding of both the original and translated language to be able to successfully and honestly translate the work. In fact, when referring to "The Classics", people will often refer to particular translations as opposed to just the name of the original, so important is the role of the translator to the study of the work. There are even awards for the best translations each year - the Guardian reported on the 2008 awards here, with

No pressure, then! I haven't read the book you're talking about yet, but I'm sure it will appear on my to be read pile in the future! I hope you get on with it at the second attempt, but like I said earlier, there's plenty more books out there to choose from that you will like! Maggie, that article sounds really interesting - can you post it here, or a link to it, when it's finished? I watched a very interesting documentary about the 50th anniversary of Helvetica a couple of years ago, and there was a segment in it about the difference between typefaces that work on the page against fonts that work on the screen.

Don't worry, I don't take it in the least bit personally For Saramago, in particular, I believe he makes choices stylistically with his writing, to add to the atmosphere and to create a deliberately challenging environment for the reader. It is the nature of the stories he tells to examine society and to induce the reader to consider the world around them, not necessarily to provide an easy reading book. However, with regards to the role of the editor, I imagine it's a tough job being an editor for a Nobel Prize winner, whose whole career has been defined by the unique style of his work, as well as the provocative subject matters. I imagine their task is the ensure the work flows and there are no errors or contradictions in the plot, rather than change the distinctive style of a renowned writer. I think the other thing to consider is whether the writer is writing to sell books or to create art. I'm sure most writers would want to achieve both, but there must be some authors who will be strongly leaning towards one end of the spectrum or the other. I suspect Saramago would fall into the art category, and as such, probably has less consideration for the ease of reading and more for the content and artistic value of his work, and that is why has developed his own, fairly unique, style. The joy of books is that there are more than enough out there, that there is something for everyone, and I'm happy to be able to overlook the ones that aren't for me in favour of those that are. Personally, I've given up on a few books over the years for various reasons, but I would still always give a chance to a book that looks promising and give up part way through, rather than not start it in the first place. Lastly (because I know I've gone on a bit here!), if nothing else, it's given us the opportunity for a lively discussion!

Although I don't like print to be very small, it wouldn't stop me buying a book, however, the wrong font will. Some publishers try to make their books stand out by using a sans serif typeface, but without doubt, on the page, a serif typeface is much, much easier to read. I've stopped myself buying books if the typeface is a badly chosen sans serif typeface. (On screen, it is the opposite, and I actually find it very difficult to read serif fonts. I actually don't read most of the posts on here made in serif fonts, and will avoid websites with them as their main font). With regards to the paragraphs, I think is depends whether the it's poor writing or a choice of style from the author. Obviously, this is difficult to judge before you buy the book, and that's why I would never discard a book I think is potentially interesting, just because of the paragraph style. It may, however, stop me finishing a book if the writing is poor and the length of the paragraphs is just a symptom of the standard of writing. Jose Saramago is a writer who I greatly admire, and the style of his writing incorporates characteristics such as no character names, implied dialogue with no actual speech, and long sentences and paragraphs. I would never have read his books if I'd decided that I couldn't read something with page long paragraphs, and I would have missed out on some amazing books. I'm not saying it's always easy to read, but it is worth sticking with it as it is a very rewarding experience.

I fly in my sleep every night. The Earth Hums in B Flat - Mari Strachan

A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

Hello, Karen. There are lots of fans of crime novels here, so I'm sure you'll find some new authors to tempt you!

The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly

I couldn't resist it - not only was it a staff recommendation in the bookshop, but the cover really caught my attention as well, so I just couldn't let it go once I'd picked it up!

Hello, Debs. You've come to the right place for recommendations - I'm sure you'll soon end up with a mountain of books to read after looking through this forum!

I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith

Just finished Outcast this morning. The world of Torak is so well drawn and I get completely wrapped up in it while I'm reading the books. They just don't last long enough! Up next is The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan. I picked this up a few weeks ago from a recommended table in a new bookshop I was trying out for the first time, so I'm intrigued to read it and find out if my new bookshop is as good as I hope

The viper glided down the riverbank and placed its sleek head on the water, and Torak stopped a few paces away to let it drink. Outcast - Michelle Paver

I've written a full review for The Post Office Girl now which can be found here. I finished The Rise and Fall of a Yummy Mummy yesterday evening. A perfectly adequate chick-lit book, which fulfilled the role I wanted it to - a light relief after the emotions and drama of The Post Office Girl - but nothing particularly exceptional. Started the fourth book of The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, Outcast, today. I'm already about 60 pages in and completely hooked, and can't see it lasting past the end of the day!

The blurb from the back of the book: The manuscript for this novel was found amongst the authors papers after he'd died in 1942, and was published posthumously. I'm not sure exactly when he wrote it, but I'm guessing in the 1930s, and what I find incredible, is how modern the book feels. Although this is a modern translation, I can't imagine any translator would attempt to alter the style or language of the original work, so I'm assuming this is a true representation of the authors manuscript, and as such it is a great piece of writing. I felt as though the story and characters could be transplanted into a modern day setting, and would still be just as relevant as the post-WWI Austria and Switzerland Zweig has represented. Christine's story reveals an emotional journey from resignation, to the awakening to hope and joy, through confusion and embarrassment, and finally the anger and despair of a young woman who has glimpsed the wonders that the world can hold, only to have it all snatched away. It is the transition of a young woman who has never had the opportunity to fulfil her potential, whose naivety and joy is a breath of fresh air amongst the wealth and riches of the hotel guests, but is her downfall as jealousy rears its ugly head, and she is plunged back into her old life with little hope of an escape back to the colourful, care-free world she knows is out there. The way the author writes from Christine's point of view feels very real, and the emotional rollercoaster we are taken on is the heart of this book, while it always has an eye on the sociological issues of the period as the backdrop to the story. Christine's thought processes, drifting fluidly or flitting quickly, are written with clarity and feel very honest. As the book was not submitted as a finished manuscript by the author himself, we can't be sure if this was the completed book he'd planned. The denouement of the book concludes in a very abrupt manner, but I hope it was how the author intended it to end. It doesn't try to end the story and leaves the reader to decide how they think the lives of the characters will continue, yet instead of leaving me wanting more, wanting to know what happened next, I thought the single word last sentence was the most satisfying ending to a book I've read in recent times.

One of my favourite children's books of all time! I loved it, and as relevant now as it was when I first read it, with the popularity of programmes like River Cottage and Escape to the Country and the like showing how families are still choosing to move to the country.