Books do furnish a room

The horseman on the roof by Jean Giono Wonderfully written novel with a strong element of the picaresque. There is a touch of allegory/parable, adventure, romance (understated and hinted at), geoegraphy and history. The descriptions are vivid and you can feel the heat of southern France. The main protagonist is Angelo Pardi, a piedmontese colonel (but still very young), who has temporarily left Italy and is wandering around southern France looking for a friend. He is doing this in the middle of a cholera epidemic and death is ever present in the book. It is also high summer and very hot. He comes across a wide variety of people, all affected by the epidemic (for good or ill) and has a variety of companions and some clashes with authority and with frightened natives. One particular companion, a young woman stays with him for the last half of the book. The vivid descriptions are what make the book. There are some truly horrific descriptions of death by cholera. The counrtyside is described in detail and vividly. Food is an important elemnet and odours are almost smellable and the wine tasteable. Wildlife (most especially birds) comes to life in an exraordinary way; look out for the swallows and nightingales! The heat can almost be felt; even in a cold August/September. The characters Angelo comes across are all to human and appear and disappear or die very quickly. There is a strong streak of compassion running through the book. Angelo is a hero in the Jean Valjean mould who has little care for his own safety. The villians (in authority and ordinary people) are understandable and all too human. I was worried towards the end as I thought that the author might well give way to the temptation to tie up loose ends or go for the obvious. But he didn't and the ending was perfect. I would highly recommend this book! N 9 and a half out of 10 Starting Sunset Park by Paul Auster

A jealous Ghost by A N Wilson A reworking of Turn of the Screw which is bleak with an element of tragi-comedy. Sallie, an American phd student, doing her thesis on James's Turn of the Screw is alone and studying in London. She begins to be depressed and decides to take a nanny job looking after two children in a remote country house; housekeeper and all. Because this is based on Turn of the Screw you know it isn't going to end well. Sallie is so unsympathetic a character and the father of the children so unbelieveable in his sloppiness (entrusting his children to a complete stranger with unchecked references)that credulity is overstretched. This is also more of a psychological thriller than a ghost story and the ending is way too obvious. For me a ghost story is enhanced if the haunted person is generally sane and balanced rather than an emotional and psychological wreck. This just did not work . 4 out of 10 Starting Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson

The Night Ferry by Michael Robotham; Fairly readable thriller which covers surrogacy and human trafficking. The main character is a female sikh detective. This is the third in a series but can be read as a stand alone. However reading this one has not prompted me to read the others. The characterisation did not convince me and some of the minor characters were a bit two dimensional. however it was an easy read which sent me to sleep several nights in a row. Here's a borrowed summary of the plot; DCI Alisha Barber agrees to attend a school reunion, even though she knows such occasions are often grisly ones. Alisha has received a letter from someone she hasn’t heard from in quite a while, Cate Beaumont, asking for help. Cate is pregnant and in danger – and before the two women can talk, she is hit by a speeding car (which also kills her husband). Alisha is there as she dies – and learns the pregnancy is a fake. But why the deception – and the death? With the help of an ex-associate, DI Vincent Ruiz, Alisha soon finds herself investigating a dark world of slavery and sexual trafficking. 6 out of 10 Starting the House at Riverton by Kate Morton

Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck This novel could easily be a set of short stories, a morality tale (or immorality!), a retelling of the Arthurian legends or a retelling of the gospels with a very alternative last supper! Danny and his friends (all paisanos) spend their time looking for food, wine, shelter and women and this is pretty much all they need in life to be content. Getting hold of wine is a thread through the book and its role is important; sharing your wine is true friendship and there are some excellent quotes "Two gallons is a great deal of wine, even for two paisanos. Spiritually the jugs may be graduated thus: just below the shoulder of the first bottle, serious and concentrated conversation. Two inches farther down, sweetly sad memory. Three inches more, thoughts of old and satisfactory loves. An inch, thoughts of bitter loves. Bottom of first jug, general and undirected sadness. Shoulder of the second jug, black, unholy despondency. Two fingers down, a song of death and longing. A thumb, every other song one knows. The graduations stop here, for the trail splits and there is no certainty. From this point on, anything can happen." Steinbeck has been accused of recism and stereotyping. I can understand why and the book is of its time. Howeverthere is no real malice in the portrayal of Danny and his firends. I was strongly reminded of a group of friends I had when I finished university in 1981. I was living in bedsit land as were we all and our lives revolved for a short time around food, drink, interesting liaisons (more detail on application!!) and arguing about life. The bonds were loose and people drifted in and out, but there was the same sense in the group as I found in Tortilla Flat. Ultimately friendship and wine do mean more than money. I know this isn't a substantial or important work but I loved it and its themes are universal. 7 and a half out of 10 Starting A Jealous Ghost by A N Wilson

Finished Tales from Firozsha Baag by Rohinton Mistry This is a collection of short stories based around an apartment complex in Bombay occupied mostly by members of the Parsi community. The stories stand alone but are closely intertwined and set over a period of years, so children in the earlier stories are seen as adults later. Mistry picks out the idiosyncrasies and indelicacies of daily life; foibles and habits are laid bare. Neighbours fall out and get along. Birth and death take their place, faith, superstition and scepticism also. Ordinary life and its processes are laid bare with all its hopes and fears. This could have been banal, but was in fact brilliant with real compassion for the extraordinary ordinary people populating its pages. The nature of change, decay and aging are outlined in touching and thought provoking ways. Moving comic and thoroughly enjoyable. 9 out of 10 Starting The Horseman on the Roof by Jean Giono

Finished Rum, Sodomy and the Lash by Hans Turley; This is quite an academic book, despite the title sounding like a quiet night in for some friends of mine. Turley examines the contemporary literature about piracy; from sensationalist accounts, court records and novels written at the time. He relies quite heavily on Defoe, who wrote a history of priacy and several relevant novels (especially the Crusoe novels and Captain Singleton. Turley draws on other historians and even that doyen of Marxist historians Christopher Hill turns up arguing that the radicals of the English Civil War may have, after the Restoration have become outlaws and pirates seeking an alternative society (possibly in the pirate El Dorado Madagascar). The evidence for this is so thin as to be transparent. This is the problem all the way through; there is little solid evidence, for what went on board ship, for homosexuality, for clues about lifestyle; although it was certainly a very masculine world and apart from society. Turley examines the virtually non-existent boundary between privateer and pirate and does his best with what he has; there are lots of interesting ideas and thought provoking asides. Much of the book examines Defoe's contribution, which is certainly ambiguous. The relationship between Singleton and Quaker William in Captain Singleton is clearly homoerotic. They swear to stay together forever, to pass as brothers and live like Greeks! Turley has some fun here with Foucault's concept of identity and heterosexual desire driving capitalism. Turley does not argue all pirates are sodomites, but with the evidence he has he provides interesting arguments, not all of which can be supported I feel. However it is worth reading for the arguments and it is a window onto a lost and barely visible world. 7 out of 10 Starting Essays on the pleasures of death; from Frued to Lacan by Ellie Ragland

I agree with much of the above. However one of the best books on love I have ever read is The Devil in the Flesh by Raymond Radiguet. It was written by the time the author was 18 and he was dead at 20. I seem to remember also that Victor Hugo wrote Les Miserables late in life. Not sure what point I'm trying to make, apart from use your judgement.

The Man from Beijing by Hening Mankell This is the first Henning Mankell I have read and it was a disappointment. It started well and set it self up to be a good thriller then sort of just wandered off in all sorts of directions and started preaching! The story revolves around a massacre in a small hamlet in Sweden. There is a link to a female judge in another part of Sweden and she becomes involved in the proceedings. The local police are dim and miss all the clues. Then the story shifts to nineteenth century China and America, eventually you realise why and are returned to the present day, to China and Africa with several more murders on the way. Eventually there is a resolution. In its favour, it was easy to read and the main character was engaging. However it was not convincing and too disjointed.I'm not really selling this am I!! 4 out of 10 Starting Tales from Firozsha Baag by Rohinton Mistry

Vodkafan; Rebiere and Midwinter are fictional, but take on some of the theories around at the time. It is a good read and I would recommend it. Kylie; I have also read Of Mice and Men. I plan to read more, but it is getting round to it!!

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole I think this is a love it or hate it book and I know many people just didn't get it. I did love it and Ignatius J Reilly is a brilliant comic creation amongst many other hilarious characters. The book is set in New Orleans in the early 60s and tells the story of Reilly, a "slob" who is forced by his mother to seek work and connect with the world. Reilly, though self absorbed, with many unfortunate personal habits, is an innocent with a medieval mind who really does want to change the world. There are some wonderful comic episodes. The part where Ignatius decides to save the world through degeneracy is hilarious; persuade all politicians and military to be gay, then they would have other things to occupy them rather than conflict and oppression. There are lots of hidden and not so hidden references to other works. On the whole not a great deal happens, but that is not the point; it is ordinary life drawn in an extraordinary way and Reilly is really a shakesperean character in his breadth and vision. 8 out of 10 Starting Tortilla Flat by Steinbeck

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly Solid thriller laden with lawyer/detective cliches and containing characters straight out of cenral casting for the American detective genre. It was easy to read, enjoyable with some clever (if predictable} twists. The central figure, Mickey Haller, is a defence lawyer who knows his way around the system and works out of the back of his Lincoln (in case you were wondering about the title). He has two ex-wives and a daughter he doesn't see enough. This is the story of one particular case and is full of standard characters. If you like formulaic american detective stories, you'll love this. I found it a bit predictable towards the end and the ending came rather quickly. six and a half out of ten Starting The Night Ferry by Michael Robotham

Thanks Frankie; I have read Cornwell's book and found it compelling, but with a lack of depth. Sturgis's book is very well researched. After reading Cornwell's book I made a decision to read the best biography I could find about Sickert and this one fits the bill. I'll be interested to see what you think of it.

Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope Not my favourite Trollope novel; I found Mr Finn rather two dimensional, not a patch on the stonger female characters. Trollope has researched the parliamentary system as it was in the 1860s well. The descriptions of parliament and the thoughts and feelings of MPs are well drawn. Phineas Finn is honest and something of an idealist; but very easily led; a weak man. Trollope, I think wanted hime weak to contrats with the sronger women, who clearly should have been the ones doing the politics. They would all have been more competent. Despite the fact I didn't really like Finn, this is a good read and Trollope is on strong form. On to the next Palliser novel. 7 and a half out of 10 Next one in the series is The Eustace Diamonds

Walter Sickert by Matthew Sturgis Excellent and thoughtful biography of an artist now inextricably linked to Jack the Ripper as a result of Patricia Cornwell's attempt to pin the crime on him. The research is meticulous and Sturgis is very clear that Sickert wasn't the Ripper. Sickert on the contrary, liked women and women clearly liked him. He was charming and certainly not faithful to his first wife. They nevertheless remained friends after their divorce and she continued to support him financially. During one of his many stays in France he became friendly with various members of the Hozier family. Clementine Hozier, at that time in her early teens was tremendously fond of him and stayed friends with him until his death. Sickert even gave her husband, Winston Churchill, painting lessons. I seem to recall that Clementine Churchill was generally a pretty good judge of character. Sickert knew and was friendly with many other significant figures; Augustus John, Virginia Woolf, Roger Fry, Whistler (although they fell out), Degas, Oscar Wilde, Cecil Beaton, to name but a few. Sickert could be tempramental and was certainly selfish, but not a mass murderer. Sturgis shows he was in France for the first two murders. This is a good biography and covers a period that has always interested me. It's a shame that Sickert will always be remembered as someone linked to the Ripper crimes rather than an interesting English artist in the impressionist tradition; or at least an English version of it. I wonder how many people know Cornwell's book compared to this one 8 out of 10 I am starting Rum, Sodomy and the Lash by Hans Turley (before anyone asks its an academic book about pirates!)

The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale A pleasant and fairly easygoing historical novel set in eighteenth London (briefly in Sussex). Agnes Trusel runs away from her Sussex home; she is young and pregnant and knows her family cannot cope with another mouth to feed. The novel is set during the period when enclosure was taking place and rural life was increasingly difficult. Agnes goes to London and becomes assistant to John Blacklock, who makes fireworks. She picks up the skill very quickly and becomes indispensible. However the other servants in the home are suspicious and she cannot hide her pregnancy for long. The book is in the first person, which can be annoying. Apart from Agnes I felt the other characters were one dimensional and some of the historical details were a little thin. Nevertheless it was a heartwarming story and not too hard work; which when one of the other books you are reading is Ulysses is no bad thing. 6 out of 10 I'm starting The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathon Safran Foer I have mixed feelings about this one; I loved the magic realism and the story about the history of the shtetl, the characters in it and the history up to the second world war. The modern story did not grab me. I found the use of language in the present briefly funny and then irritating (flaccid to utter for easy to say, rigid journey for hard journey). Hard work with a thesaurus I would think, but half the novel is like this. I'm not sure whether the Alex's were a nod to A Clockwork Orange, which also mangled the language at times. To me all this was a bit too smart and not engaging. However, despite the strong comic element, I found the tragedy in it more convincing and the story of Yankel and Brod was excellent. 6 out of 10 Starting The Man from Beijing by Hening Mankel.

The Tartar Steppe by Dino Buzzati A bleak and sparse book that reminded me of Kafka (especially The Castle)in terms of the feeling of pointlessness. It follows Giovanni Drogo who joins the army and goes to do a tour of duty at a remote fort at the age of 21. Here all the soldiers guard the northern frontier and their dearest wish is for something to happen, an attack to repulse. It never comes for Drogo. Intending to stay 4 months Drogo stays for the rest of his life, almost. It is a parable about the way life is over before you know it and is so easily wasted. it is also a satire on military life and the banality of routine. There is none of the paranoia of Kafka, just boredom. It was written in the late 1930s and the military satire is especially apt.I think many of us will recognise something of ourselves in Giovanni Drogo; and if we do we may wonder if our lives share his path. 7 and a half out of 10 Starting some short stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman; The yellow wallpaper and other stories

Hi Chalipud; I've read Birdsong and it's one of my favourite books, as you I'm fascinated by WW1 and also general history of the early twentieth century. I've also read Engleby, which is an oddity and made me uncomfortable and I didn't like as much. I've got others on my ever growing to be read list!! Novels of this nature are not as popular at the moment (no vampires!), but to me they are fascinating.

Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks On the whole I enjoyed this; it was a wide scope, from the 1860s to the 1920s and ranges across Europe the US and Africa. It tells the story of two men, Thomas Midwinter and Jacques Rebiere and their dreams of working out how the human mind functions and solving the problem of madness. There are lengthy descriptions of nineteenth century psychiatry and the development of some modern ideas with the theory of evolution and the human condition thrown in. The book is at its strongest when dealing with human relationships; friendship, love, loss, betrayal and family. The beginning and end of the novel are particularly strong. The middle plodded a little and there are some overlong passages about anatomy and psychiatry which are superfluous. There are also a couple of plot lines which are not followed through which were intriguing, but left open. Not as good as Birdsong, in my opinion, but an epic novel dealing with life's mysteries with great sadness at the heart. The last paragraph is heart rending. 8 out of 10 Starting A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irvine

Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels This is a reflection on love and loss in the context of the holocaust and those who survived. Jakob is rescued when seven years old (his family has been arrested by the Nazis)by Athos, a Greek archealogist; who takes him home and brings him up. You are told about Jakob's death at the very beginning of the book, aged 60 with his young wife. The story begins in Poland, then to Greece, Canada and back to Greece where Jakob meets the love of his life. Anne Michaels is a poet and the language and descriptions in the book are beautiful; almost too beautiful, becoming distracting. Jakob is haunted by the loss of his family, especially his sister Bella, throughout his life. His loss, and his coming to terms with life and love and survival are the centre of the book. The last third of the book is told by Ben, a student of Jakob's who follows in his footsteps after Jakob's death and finds his own way back from his own demons. For me, this part of the book is the weakest and felt unnecessary; my own opinion and I'm sure others will disagree. John Berger in his introduction reflects on Adorno's comment (in the 1950s)that "to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric" and feels that in this book that comment has become finally untrue. High praise; again not sure I agree, but it is a powerful and moving story and the language is sublime. 8 out of 10 Starting A Cofederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

I've finished Mr Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt This is a clever and funny book about a serious topic. Churchill named his depression a black dog and Rebecca Hunt personifies the dog. Mr Chartwell is a very large (human sized) black labrador who can speak and interact. His job is with those who have depression and he takes his job seriously. The story is set over 5 days in July 1964. Mr Chartwell (or Black Pat as he is also known) divides his time between Winston Churchill, who is retiring from Parliament and Esther, a House of Commons librarian whose husband died 2 years ago. The use of the dog to explain the effect of depression and his persuasiveness and ability to get his own way works quite well. There are some tender and tragic moments mixed in with the comedy. Black Pat is marvelously over the top and repulsive, but there is also a touch of pathos about him. After all this is his job and he has to do it. This is an easy book to read and could be read in one sitting, but it is thought provoking and gives an insight into the sheer hard work that depression is. Seven out of ten I am starting The Tartar Steppe by Dino Buzzati

I have finished The Heart of Redness by Zakes Mda This is the story of Camagu who returns to South Africa from America. He becomes disillusioned with the new democracy and moves to the Eastern Cape where the Xhosa people live; he follows a woman he heard sing at a funeral. He does not find her but finds a people split between Believers and Unbelievers; two strands of the same family/ancestors. In the nineteenth century a young prophetess commanded the people to destroy their cattle and crops; if they did the ancestors would rise and drive the white people out of the land. The people are split in two groups as described above; a hundred years later their descendants are still at odds. They now argue about a plan to build a casino and tourist resort. Camagu walks into this and becomes embroiled in a love triangle with two women; one from each group. This is a powerful, funny and tragic story, lovingly and tenderly told. There are shades of Conrad here; from Heart of Darkness; although the concept of Redness is much more complex. It also reminded me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and there is a strong thread of magic realism. It is a political satire and an examination of South Africa's past and present. I had not read this author before and barely heard of him; a significant gap in my reading and I will make an effort to read more in the future. This is a magical book; simple and complex and a parable for our times as well as the story of a people. Nine out of ten I am starting Mr Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt

I've finished The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey I have some trouble reviewing this because I meet people who have dementia most of the time in my work. It is the story of Jake, an architect, who has Alzheimer's type dementia. The novel cuts between past and present and is very poignant. The story of Jake's family; his mother, wife and son unfolds. At the start of the book Jake has dementia at a fairly early stage; his wife died aged 53, his son is in a prison he designed. His history is not clear because as the book goes on it becomes clear that some of his memories are inaccurate because of his disease. The present gets increasingly blurred and Jake is living with an early love, Eleanor. It is never clear whether they have married. The book is written from Jake's point of view and much of it takes place in Jake's mind. Unfortunately Jake is not a character that is easily liked and the reasons for this gradually unfold. There is an ongoing struggle for identity at the centre of the book, for all the characters (for Jake's wife Helen, his mother Sara, his son and the women he influences), while Jake's identity is being eroded. I have some problems with the portrayal of dementia. In my experience people lose their memories and functionality; they don't gain new ones that didn't happen. The mental health professional is rather odd, and Jake is never seen in his own home (where functioning can be more accurately assessed). The trajectory of the disease is not at all typical; those living alone with Alzheimer's usually do not accept a problem exists and are difficult to relate to, even for those closest. Jake's walking and getting lost is typical, as is the teabag in the kettle, tins in the freezer, coffee cups in the bureau etc. Forgetting the person you are living with is also quite common; I remember a couple who had been married over 60 years I visited as a newly qualified social worker (some years ago!). She had dementia and her memory was impaired. She felt her husband should be young so she daily attacked the old man she found in her house and bed, or ran out of the house to escape or fetch help. Her husband was devastated and described it as a living death; and I was there to provide a solution!! There is no sense of Jake losing his physical abilities; using cutlery, the ability to use the toilet or turn a tap. The end of the book is in the third person as Jake no longer has a sense of who he is. This is the most difficult area, as I think that even those with later stage dementia retain a sense of who they are. I just think they are unable to communicate it. This is an instinct from regular contact with the disease, I believe there is a sense of being locked in and not knowing the words, but being oneself. I can't prove this and I may be wrong. This is an interesting book and a powerful one; unfortunately I didn't like Jake and the portrayal of the disease was a bit patchy. 6 out of 10 I am starting Everything is illuminated by Jonathon Foer

I've finished Count Belisarius by Robert Graves Late Roman historical fiction with a solid base in fact. Belisarius was a roman general who served Justinian in the sixth century. Graves uses Procopius as a base for his account and has the story told by of of Antonina's (Belisarius's wife) eunuchs. Justinian is well drawn as the monster he was and there are entertaining accounts of early Christian heresies. It's been a while since I've read about Monophysites and Arians. Belisarius is portrayed as impossibly good and honourable and both of the main female characters (Antonina and Theodora, Justinian's wife) spend much time scheming. There is glut of battle scenes, descriptions of campaigns, seiges and the deployment of soldiers. I suppose I am churlish to complain as it is a novel about a general! I enjoyed it and it reads easily. If you like noble soldiers, a general in the Russell Crowe mould, corrupt bishops and popes, a homicidal emperor, lots of intrigue, courtesans and numerous battles; you will love this. For me, I was a little disappointed; not the same calibre as I Claudius. 6 and a half out of 10 Starting The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale; more historical fiction

I've finished Victoria by Knut Hamsun. A short simple and profound love story which captures the intensity, passion and hopelessness of love; especially young love. The two protagonists Johannes and Victoria fall in love in early teenage and the story develops over a period of years. They manage to hurt each other, be shy, clumsy and avoid sharing their feelings. The language of this book is poetic and lyrical. Reading this as an adult; it was moving, but I wonder how I would have felt about it as a teenager; it may have had a more profound effect. These days I prefer growing old with someone rather than because of someone. I believe this is one of the best love stories in literature and it can easily be read in one sitting. eight and a half out of ten I've started Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels