Willoyd's Reading Log 2013

[pontalba]

Good reviews, Willoyd.

 

I really loved the Guernsey book...and have been meaning to get around to more of P.D. James.  I have several on the shelf, but only have read a few. 

[Devi]

I have the book on my shelf. Have to pick it up soon.

[willoyd]

Circle Line by Steffan Hughes **
 

Unlike one of my earlier reads, not a book about the Underground! Instead, this is an account of the author's clockwise journey by small boat round London, via the Thames and various canals. Travel books through London or on the inland waterways? They are pretty crowded markets, so it needs something special to make a book on the same topic worthwhile, and the combination, rather more unusual, seems to provide that opportunity. Initially, Hughes, a sailing journalist, appears to be making the most of it. Sadly, it isn't sustained, the end result being somewhat of a letdown.

He can certainly write a readable word or two, it's a very easy, pleasantly flowing read, but what soon becomes apparent is that not an awful lot of the book is about the journey, especially the 'inland' section. This is underlined by the chapter on the section from Paddington to Victoria Park. Right across the 'top' of central London, in one short  chapter?!

So what does he write about then? First of all, it's heavily biased towards the sections on the Thames, but then he openly professes to not really being into canals (not perhaps the strongest suit to play when half your journey is on them). Secondly, he's constantly diverting off to other journeys he's made at various different times, not always even in London. And even when he does concentrate on the journey in hand, it's all rather vague and wishy-washy. There's just no depth whatsoever.

So a book about a journey round London? Well, sort of. It was a pleasantish read, some of the people he met were interesting, but at the end I got very little feel for where he'd actually been, especially those sections off the Thames. Having cycled much of those same canals, I certainly couldn't make much of a connection, largely because there was so little there. Disappointing just about sums it up, leaving me rather bemused at the fact that 15 out of 20 reviewers on Amazon gave it 5 stars. Was this really such a great book for three-quarters of the reviewers to give it the maximum score? Grade inflation with a vengeance!

[willoyd]

The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald ***
 
Florence Green, middle-aged widow residing in the small Suffolk coastal town of Hardborough (modelled on Southwold) sets up the town's first bookshop. From the word go she comes up against powerful opposition who know how to get their way and want her premises for another project. On the other hand, Florence has her allies too....

This might be almost a novella in length, but Fitzgerald's lean, almost skeletal, style packs a lot in to the space, barely 150 pages. Characters and attitudes abound, as do the incidents. None are earth shattering - this is small town human relationships we're talking here - but lives are definitely altered, even if only at the micro-level in some cases.

For me, though, that writing is just a bit too lean (and I usually love lean!), and whilst the ground covered is impressive, I would have appreciated just a bit more time taken to develop some characters and situations. I also found it all just a bit too unremitting for my taste, whilst the length meant that things had barely got off the ground before the landing came into view - the ending is one of the most abrupt I can recall for a novel! Still a good book, with Fitzgerald's strength lying in the strength of her characters (other than Florence, who surprisingly is the least developed IMO), just not as good as The Blue Flower.

Edited December 2, 2013 by willoyd

[willoyd]

The Plantagenets by Dan Jones ****

 

Covering almost two hundred years of British royal history, from the death of Henry I's heir at Barfleur which indirectly led to the arrival of the Plantagenets on the throne to the abdication and death of Richard II in 1399, it's almost inevitable that this is a 'big' book, some 600 or so pages big in fact. However, the author's story telling skills are such that the pace never lets up, and it certainly does not feel like 600 pages or so long. It helps that the Plantagenet dynasty's story is about as roller-coaster and full of drama as the Ewings (that dates me!), but even so, Jones's touch is light enough and sure enough to keep the reader onside throughout.

 

He does somewhat stray at times from the objectivity normally expected of a historian (if any historian can be objective!) but, this aside, he threads his way through the machinations and labyrinthine affairs of the period with a sureness, confidence and clarity that makes the reader feel that they have an equally strong grasp on this period of history. It's only when sitting back that one realises that this is still fairly narrowly focused - on the story of not just one family, but one specific thread of that family, and that a fairly substantial amount of important history is (having to be) left out. A great story - I just felt that it was a little lacking in substantive depth on occasions. Still, a thoroughly recommended introduction to/overview of medieval English history from a rather traditional point of view.

Edited December 9, 2013 by willoyd

[pontalba]

I've been on the fence about The Plantagenets.....Amazon keeps recommending it, finally put it on my Wish List there....

In a way, following one thread is a good thing.  Not the Big Picture, I realize, but interesting.

Thanks for a great review.

[Ruth]

Sweet Poison by David Gillespie ***

Not surprisingly, given the title, this book is about sugar or, more precisely, fructose, and the damage that it is both causing and can cause given its prominence in our diet. Written in a straightforward manner, Gillespie tries to pull together as much of the science as he can, and looks at how fructose is digested, and how the body responds. Essentially, owing to the fact that we are, in evolutionary terms, more geared up to digest glucose, the answer is that the body doesn't respond, at least in recognising that one has consumed a whole pile of sugar/calories, whilst the fructose itself gets converted to fatty acid and stored by the body. Thus drinks like fruit juice are far more dangerous than milk, or even alcohol!

 

The book is obviously a polemic, but it is argued well, and is very convincing. Certainly, I have already cut my sugar intake, in particular the fructose that is increasingly prevalent in processed food (fructose in fresh fruit is not a problem, as the body recognises the fibre, and thus regulates itself much more effectively). It isn't the greatest literature I've ever read, but does have an argument well worth listening to.

 

Oh, this sounds like an interesting read.  I used to work with a nutritionist, who always told me not to worry about counting calories, as long as I was eating reasonable sized portions, but to watch sugar intake, and avoid too many processed foods.  He also said to avoid fruit juice and just eat the fruit instead  (Incidentally, he also recommended eating foods that are naturally low in fat, rather than low-fat versions of food with sweeteners added.)  Anyway, I do find books like this interesting to read, so will be keeping an eye out for this one.  Thanks for the great review Will.

[willoyd]

Oh, this sounds like an interesting read.  I used to work with a nutritionist, who always told me not to worry about counting calories, as long as I was eating reasonable sized portions, but to watch sugar intake, and avoid too many processed foods.  He also said to avoid fruit juice and just eat the fruit instead  (Incidentally, he also recommended eating foods that are naturally low in fat, rather than low-fat versions of food with sweeteners added.)  Anyway, I do find books like this interesting to read, so will be keeping an eye out for this one.  Thanks for the great review Will.

That sounds like nigh on perfect advice to me, from what I've read.

 

I've been on the fence about The Plantagenets.....Amazon keeps recommending it, finally put it on my Wish List there....

In a way, following one thread is a good thing. Not the Big Picture, I realize, but interesting.

Yes - going back to read my review, whilst accurately reflecting what I thought/think, it does read as bit as if I'm intending to damn a bit with faint praise; I'm not!  The Plantagenets is a great read, very easy, and one that achieves exactly what it sets out to do. When I say traditional, it sounds a bit negative - it's meant to be a rather more objective observation trying to summarise its style. Indeed, I like reading more traditional style history books on occasions (including this one!).

Edited December 10, 2013 by willoyd

[willoyd]

A Little History of Literature by John Sutherland ****

John Sutherland whizzes through key periods and facets of Literature in a series of short, pithy chapters. It's strongly Anglocentric outside a few of the earlier chapters; partly as a result of this, it does tend to cherry pick in a rather disconcerting way, leaving some fairly substantial gaps (although it did endear itself to me by focusing chapters on Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf!). However, what it covers, it covers in a highly erudite, approachable fashion, and the whole proved a gently enlightening read, fitting a lot into the space available, which I found hard to put down even between chapters.

[Athena]

A Little History of Literature sounds like an interesting read, nice review !

[Kidsmum]

A little History..... sounds very tempting Willoyd 

[willoyd]

Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant *****
It is 1570, and a new, loudly unwilling, novice, Serafina, has arrived at the convent of Santa Caterina in the Italian city of Ferrara, incarcerated on the orders of her father in the wake of a burgeoning relationship with her thoroughly ineligible music teacher. She is put in the care of Suor (Sister) Zuara, herself a once reluctant newcomer but now more or less content in her role in charge of the infirmary and all things medicinal, enabling her to develop skills and knowledge learned from her father but totally untenable outside the convent walls.

Serafina's arrival and unwillingness to accept her fate, running parallel to ever increasing pressure from a reforming Church and internal zealots determined to make convents far stricter, makes for an increasingly febrile, almost hysterical, atmosphere. As the tension ratchets ever tighter, the abbess, Madonna Chiara, is left desperately trying to keep a lid on what is rapidly turning into a thoroughly explosive scenario.

If you are into fast action plots, then this is definitely not one for you. In fact it's likely to be a complete turn off, but I'm not, and there was an inexorability (is there such a word?) that gradually pulled me into the narrative as it rolled ominously onwards. The author takes her time, growing her characters as patiently as Suor Zuara grows her herbs, within this richly developed, highly claustrophobic, setting. The result was a book which, whilst I did wonder after a few tens of pages whether it would last the distance, by the time it moved into the last third had me totally in its thrall, although I do have to admit there were a couple of point on the way where I felt it showed signs of sagging just a little.

Sarah Dunant has been one of my favourite authors for some time, going back to the days of her Hannah Wolfe, private detective, series. Since then she has also explored the art of the psychological thriller, followed by historical fiction based on the Italian Renaissance, of which this is her third book (her fourth, Blood and Beauty, is just out). This certainly lived up to the standards I've come to expect, although, of the two Renaissance stories I've read so far, I think I marginally prefer In The Company of the Courtesan. It certainly achieves a 5/6 rating, but I'm not sure I'd give it the full 6. That may just be because, in comparison, this doesn't quite compare to the drama and romanticism of Venice and the quirkiness of Company's characters.  Also, given the nature of the story, this isn't one that I'm likely to return to for some time, if at all. But these are tiny, tiny criticism (if criticisms at all). Certainly, this rates as one of the best novels I've read this year.

Edited December 13, 2013 by willoyd

[willoyd]

Letters to Alice on first reading Jane Austen by Fay Weldon ******
Every now and again you come across a book that has bags of character, is just sufficiently quirky to stand out from the crowd, and gets right under your skin from the very first page. Anne Fadiman's Ex Libris was just that sort of book, as was Helen Hanff's 84 Charing Cross Road; Mark Cocker's Crow Country gets close, whilst in fiction, JL Carr's A Month in the Country, or The Harpole Report stand out. Letters to Alice on first reading Jane Austen (the title says it all!) is another on that list.

It's a slim little volume, as are many of this calibre: small but perfectly formed! The book purports to be a series of letters from Aunt Fay to her niece Alice, a rebellious teenager studying English Lit and finding Jane Austen somewhat tedious. Weldon sets out to put her straight! The result is an epistolary piece of fiction which majors in being an introduction to the life and works of Jane Austen - so is more lit crit/non-fiction than fiction, at least in my book! Weldon exudes love of Jane Austen's work, and her letters make a brilliant introduction to it, a classic 'primer'. I loved it from start to finish, and, having finished it a week ago, am already finding myself dipping back into its pages to find out more about one of my favourite author's books. It's a quick, easy read, and worth every minute. One of those rare books that goes straight into my all-time favourites list without much, if any, need to ponder. 6 out of 6 stars.
 

Edited December 20, 2013 by willoyd

[willoyd]

Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin *****

Claire Tomalin is one of my favourite biographers. This may partly be because she's written about the sort of people I'm really interested in, but it's a lot more than just that. With each of her subjects it's obvious that she's thoroughly researched them, but then, rather than throwing all her learning at us, she is a past master at synthesizing it all into a highly readable whole. Her biographies can be substantial (Dickens was over 400 pages), but they are not the sorts of books which could do you serious damage if they fell off a high shelf.

 

Her latest effort, another of our greatest writers (an early biography of hers was that of Jane Austen), is no different. Right from the first page I was hooked, and the pages slipped effortlessly past. It helps that Dickens is a particularly interesting individual - full of life but also full of contradictions, showing huge compassion for whole sectors of society and many poorer individuals, commanding huge loyalty amongst friends and colleagues, but thoroughly heartless in the treatment of his own wife and others who, as Tomalin says, once cut off could find no way back. And then, of course, there is the fascination of his mystery 'other' life with Nelly Ternan.

 

Throughout, Tomalin maintains her balance deftly: this is no hagiography, but there is sympathy. Tomalin doesn't excuse but she does seek reasons. The result is a biography that I found pretty undputdownable. It's not quite 6 stars, as I have to admit that in places it felt just a little bit too pat, smacking a tiny bit of the latest on a production line (or maybe I'm just starting to get a wee bit too used to her style), and maybe I don't quite 'like' Dickens enough, but these were just some minor sub-textual itches; this is an enthralling read.

Edited December 21, 2013 by willoyd

[Athena]

Sounds good! Nice review . I don't know much about Dickens' life to be honest, I'm sure though he's fascinating to read about.

[julie]

Will

Thanks for recommending the Dickens book. It sounds very good. I did end up purchasing one today for my Kindle ,but it's not by the same lady. The one I got was by someone named Michael Slater . Will post a review when I get to it .

Thanks --

[willoyd]

Will

Thanks for recommending the Dickens book. It sounds very good. I did end up purchasing one today for my Kindle ,but it's not by the same lady. The one I got was by someone named Michael Slater . Will post a review when I get to it .

Thanks --

The Slater biography has a very good reputation, generally being regarded as one of the best. I've got copies of two others TBR: Peter Ackroyd's mammoth and controversial 1000-pager (the edition currently available in bookshops is an abridgement) and Robert Douglas-Fairhurst's Becoming Dickens, which focuses very much on his development as a writer in the 1830s. They've all received excellent reviews, all with somewhat different takes on aspects of his life (Tomalin is particularly strong on Dickens's relationship with Nelly Ternan, about whom she did some ground-breaking research and whose biography, The Invisible Woman, she wrote a few years ago). I aim to read all three over the next couple of years, along with the Ternan book.

Edited December 22, 2013 by willoyd

[Marie H]

Good review  . I looked up Tomalin's Dickens biography earlier this year, then quaked when I found it at the library, I literally couldn't carry that home, it was so huge and heavy  . I might try the ebook one day.

[julie]

Thanks for the name of the others., Will . I saw a couple of them you mentioned ,so may end up getting another too. I think it was Poppy who read one about Dickens  , maybe the same one you just finished ? I can't remember , but it does sound as if he wasn't as likeable a person as you might think when reading his novels. It seems to be that way with lots of famous people. They might be really successful in their professional life, but they aren't quite as they seem in their personal life. It'll be interesting to read more about him .

Thanks again for the names of the others. I may pick one up, possibly The Invisible Woman. That one also sounded good , but wanted some main background on his life first .

 

 

Marie

 Don't blame you on not hauling home a 1000 page book. Just another of the advantages of Kindle. It doesn't weigh any more if you put a huge book like that on it !  

[Athena]

Don't blame you on not hauling home a 1000 page book. Just another of the advantages of Kindle. It doesn't weigh any more if you put a huge book like that on it !  

x

Here's an interesting bit of information I read somewhere, the weight of an empty e-reader vs. the weight of a full e-reader differ slightly! The full one weighs slightly more (but only slightly).

[willoyd]

Good review  . I looked up Tomalin's Dickens biography earlier this year, then quaked when I found it at the library, I literally couldn't carry that home, it was so huge and heavy  . I might try the ebook one day.

Do you mean Tomalin's? Hers is (for a biography) a fairly reasonable 400 pages or so. It's the Ackroyd biography that's huge; I don't think it's available as an ebook (certainly not for the Kindle) in either abridged or original version.

 

Here's an interesting bit of information I read somewhere, the weight of an empty e-reader vs. the weight of a full e-reader differ slightly! The full one weighs slightly more (but only slightly).

Yes - I remember discussing this with our science teacher at school. When you download, it slightly increases the amount of energy in the electrons on the drive. "Only slightly" is a lovely piece of hyperbole, the difference between an empty and a full Kindle being somewhere in the region of 10^-18 g (a bit less in recent Kindles, as they can store fewer books). I think I can cope with that sort of weight!

Edited December 22, 2013 by willoyd

[julie]

That IS an interesting fact, Will .  I don't think mine is quite full enough to weigh any more (yet) . I know my purse is a lot lighter in the wallet ,though . 

[Marie H]

Do you mean Tomalin's? Hers is (for a biography) a fairly reasonable 400 pages or so. It's the Ackroyd biography that's huge; I don't think it's available as an ebook (certainly not for the Kindle) in either abridged or original version.

Yes, the Tomlin's biography of Dickens. The hardback was at my local library, but was still too heavy for me to grapple with. I browsed for an e-book today, and at <£7 it seems reasonable though. 

[Marie H]

Marie

 Don't blame you on not hauling home a 1000 page book. Just another of the advantages of Kindle. It doesn't weigh any more if you put a huge book like that on it !  

Even the 575 pages hardback of Tomalin biograph is too much for me, so yay for e-books!

[pontalba]

 

Willoyd wrote: Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin *****

 

 

Excellent review, Willoyd.

I have this on the stack, thanks for a bit of a push to pull it. 

 

x

Here's an interesting bit of information I read somewhere, the weight of an empty e-reader vs. the weight of a full e-reader differ slightly! The full one weighs slightly more (but only slightly).

 

Great factoid, Gaia!!