Janet Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 (edited) The Misremembered Man - Christina McKenna Synopsis: It's the summer of 1974 and Jamie McCloone, a County Derry farmer, is looking for a wife. Poor Jamie, he knows so little about the fairer sex. But help is on hand, His amiable neighbour, Rose, has spotted a Lonely Hearts advert in the local paper and urges him to respond to it. The result is a meeting of absolute opposites. Farmer Jamie with his cavalier attitude to personal hygiene and Lydia Devine, rectors daughter and prim schoolteacher, for whom everything must be folded neatly and laid in its proper place - including her ideal spouse. Review: I enjoyed this one a lot. The characters are great, very real and within no time at all you find yourself emotionally involved. It's full of Irish humour which stops it from being the sad and depressing book it might be otherwise. It's still very moving though .. I cannot tell you how much I longed for Jamie to find happiness and how much his efforts to impress (which, God bless him, included a wig and a totally invented 'books read' list of two) pained me. He has a very, very, sad back-story which unravels as the story plays out. It will almost break your heart. The only thing I wasn't that happy with was the conclusion which was perfect in lots of ways but needed more detail .. or maybe that's just me wanting to have cake and eat it. I nearly downloaded this when it was 99p! I won't borrow it as I don't get on with oversized books, but I'm kicking myself now for not getting it at the time! Could the unsatisfactory ending be due to a second 'Tailorstown' book - The Disenchanted Widow - which is (according to Amazon) available for pre-order? Perhaps it's an actual sequel? ETA: Voilà! Edited May 28, 2013 by Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I've got The Misremembered Man on my Kindle, and I really enjoyed The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, so this bodes well for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 I nearly downloaded this when it was 99p! I won't borrow it as I don't get on with oversized books, but I'm kicking myself now for not getting it at the time! Could the unsatisfactory ending be due to a second 'Tailorstown' book - The Disenchanted Widow - which is (according to Amazon) available for pre-order? Perhaps it's an actual sequel? ETA: Voilà! Ooh I didn't know about this, thanks Janet I don't think Lydia and Jamie are in it but Rose is and she was a great character to read about Will definitely look out for it. The ending was fine really .. what I wanted to happen happened .. it's just I wanted to know all about it. I've got The Misremembered Man on my Kindle, and I really enjoyed The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, so this bodes well for me! Yay!! Hope you like it Claire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I bought the Kindle version of The Misremembered Man when it was £0.99. I plan on getting around to it this year, as I've read many positive reviews on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 I bought the Kindle version of The Misremembered Man when it was £0.99. I plan on getting around to it this year, as I've read many positive reviews on it. Now you see .. I should have done that. I actually own a Kindle now but haven't got any books on it I don't know if I even want to read a book on it but whenever I have the urge I look up Kindle books and all the ones I want are quite expensive and I lose confidence. I only use it for searching the internet and playing games What do I need to do to find bargains? .. is there somewhere in particular to go? (explain slowly bobbs and draw diagrams if need be .. I am very, very dense with all things technical). Anyway, if I had done that it would have cost me less and it wouldn't now be getting in my way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Here you go ... Daily Deal - one (or more) book on offer, usually between 99p and £2.99, starts at midnight and finishes at 23:59 the same day. Books for £2.99 or less - a selection of books picked out by Amazon every calendar month, as it says, at £2.99 or less From the Kindle ebooks page, they will link to any other special sales, e.g. the Twelve Days of Kindle, the Kindle Spring Sale, etc. Currently, they have the Kindle Fire Book Sale, with a selection of books which work especially well on the Kindle Fire devices Whenever they highlight a particular sale on the main Kindle ebooks page, they usually pick a selection to show on the front page, and there will be a "See more in the xxxx sale" link underneath the selection, so watch out for those too. You can also spot bargains in the Bestsellers chart (the top ten are shown in the right hand column of the Kindle ebooks page), as when good books are on offer, they become popular and will quickly appear in the charts. It does sometimes take a bit of effort, as you have to visit every day for the Daily Deal, and remember to keep an eye out for sales, and changes of selections each month, but you should hopefully find something you want eventually! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Project Gutenberg is my first port of call for the free classics. After that, I try Amazon. I only tend to buy 'non-free' books as the Kindle 99p deal-of-the-day books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I have the Kindle Daily Deal page permanently bookmarked on my bookmark toolbar (I use Firefox) so I get to it with one click - just check it each day. I have a policy of only buying a Kindle book if it is cheaper than the hardcopy version, and generally sticking to Daily Deals, sales etc. I don't often use Gutenberg, but buy a lot my classics through Amazon using Delphi Classic editions: they are collections which come in very, very cheap, but the formatting is vastly better than Gutenberg or most freebies. Thus, I bought the complete works of Dickens for £1.60 or so. I've got about 8 or 9 of their collections, and they are excellent. I've now accumulated about 260 or so books/collections on the Kindle, and use it all of the time. All bar half a dozen or so have been less than £3, and well more than half of those less than £1 (Doesn't seem to have affected my paper book collection much though!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 As Chesil said, those are the main places that I go to, to pick up bargains. Most of the books I buy for the Kindle are ones I find linked from the first Kindle Amazon page, unless it is something I have specifically been waiting for. Best place to start is probably the Daily Deal, if you can check it every day. You can get some pretty good books there for £0.99. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted May 29, 2013 Author Share Posted May 29, 2013 Thank you, thank you xx I have now got the Kindle Daily Deal bookmarked and I've had a good nosey around at their other titles. Also I downloaded the Delphi classics Virginia Woolf collection last night .. I'm particularly pleased because it has all (or most) of her essays on it .. thanks Willoyd. I can dip into that which is perfect I have developed Kindle shoulder though just from holding it and browsing the net and playing games etc. My muscles fatigue easily and my left shoulder/upper arm is quite painful now. It is the larger Kindle so not light but it shouldn't be a problem really. I haven't built up enough strength yet I suppose. What a wimp!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 .. thanks Willoyd. I can dip into that which is perfect Glad to help. Surprise, surprise, the Virginia Woolf collection was one of my first downloads! (Just finished The Voyage Out by the way - maybe not quite amongst her best for me, but very rewarding. Hard in places though!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 (edited) Thank you, thank you xx I have now got the Kindle Daily Deal bookmarked and I've had a good nosey around at their other titles. Also I downloaded the Delphi classics Virginia Woolf collection last night .. I'm particularly pleased because it has all (or most) of her essays on it .. thanks Willoyd. I can dip into that which is perfect x I might have to look into those! I also check the Kindle Daily Deal page (on Amazon.com), if I can daily, but at other times there'll be a week where I don't check it (when my boyfriend's here I spend less time behind the computer). I also check their monthly Kindle deals. Unfortunately for both of these, sometimes a book shows up at one price on the deal page, but at a higher price when you click on it (because I have to pay extra since I'm not from the US). Some other times, the book isn't available for me. These things always suck (ie. the deal says buy it for $1.99, I click on it and it says $9.99, or unavailable in your region). But sometimes it is available and that's very nice! I've bought quite a few books through deals now. I also own some free ones (most of them found through the Kindle Buffet website) and some that weren't bought on a deal but that I really wanted (ie. books that aren't available in paper format). @ poppyshake I hope your arm feels better soon! Edited May 29, 2013 by Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Unfortunately for both of these, sometimes a book shows up at one price on the deal page, but at a higher price when you click on it (because I have to pay extra since I'm not from the US). Some other times, the book isn't available for me. These things always suck (ie. the deal says buy it for $1.99, I click on it and it says $9.99, or unavailable in your region).Have you tried using the Daily Deals etc. on the amazon.co.uk rather than amazon.com website? Don't know if it would make a difference, but suspect we might be in the same 'region'. I know that when I first started, I couldn't download books from the amazon.com site, but haven't tried since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 Something weird's happening with my formatting so my original lists are a bit random now. I was having trouble before but since coming back it's gone to blazes. My reviews don't link (on the past bookblogs) I can't strike through either .. or at least most of the time I can't and I can't paste anything in without practically having to re-type it. Often highlighted text won't change colour or font (and these things are important to me .. as you know ). I think it's this bloomin' computer. It's spoiling for a fight and a .. sooner than it would like ..date with a skip. In the meantime .. if I make less sense than usual .. make allowances will you? I liked The Voyage Out Willoyd, you could tell a bit that she was testing the water but all the same .. good story and good characters. I didn't like Between the Acts though .. I had to think too hard and it didn't reward me for doing so It's swings and roundabouts with Virginia but I still like getting on them and having a go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente Synopsis: September is a twelve-year-old girl, Somewhat Grown and Somewhat Heartless, and she longs for adventure. So when a Green Wind and a Leopard of Little Breezes invite her to Fairyland - well, of course, she accepts (mightn't you?). When she gets there, she finds a land in crisis and confusion - crushed by the iron rule of a villainous Marquess - she soon discovers that she alone holds the key to restoring order. Having read enough books to know what a girl with a quest must do, September sets out to Fix Things. As September forges her way through Fairyland, with a book-loving dragon and a partly human boy named Saturday by her side, she makes many friends and mistakes; loses her shadow, her shoes and her way. But she finds adventure, courage, a rather special Spoon, and a lot more besides. Review: I can't praise this one highly enough. If you like inventive children's stories then give this one a whirl. I did have a little difficulty to begin with, memories of my tussles with Alice came flooding back, but it was fleeting and anyway, like Alice, once you engage with it it's very rewarding. There’s a similar sort of humour too .. an almost adult sense of humour. I soon got into the swing anyway and it was a romp from thereon in. I'm so glad because the title blows a trumpet fanfare of expectation (at least it did to me) and it could have so easily been the best bit about the book (as sadly a lot of great titles are). Not with this one however, it’s a fantastic piece of writing .. children will love it, and parents will love reading it to them .. or reading it to themselves. Though there are nods to other books and characters it still feels completely new. Actually I was quite boggled by her inventiveness .. which I know isn't much of a recommendation .. I'm pretty much impressed if someone is wearing a pointy hat But it has a uniqueness to it which is very engaging. 5/5 I'm beyond excited that there are more to come and that I can get my hands on one of them straight away .. woohoo! I've even downloaded a short prequel straight to my Kindle .. for 67p!! I bought a packet of biscuits yesterday that cost more than that :DBargain! I'll type up an extract for you to get a flavour ... 'If you don't mind my asking, Sir Wind,' said September after a respectable time had passed, 'how does one get to Fairyland? After a while we shall certainly pass India and Japan and California and simply come round to my house again.' The Green Wind chuckled. 'I suppose that would be true if the earth were round.' 'I'm reasonably sure it is ....' 'You're going to have to stop that backward, old-fashioned thinking, you know. Conservatism is not an attractive trait. Fairyland is a very Scientifick place. We subscribe to all the best journals'. The Leopard of Little Breezes gave a light roar. Several small clouds skipped huffily out of their path. 'The earth, my dear, is roughly trapezoid, vaguely rhomboid, a bit of a tesseract, and altogether grumpy when its fur is stroked the wrong way! In short, it is a puzzle, my autumnal acquisition, like the interlocking silver rings your aunt Margaret brought back from Turkey when you were nine.' :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Have you tried using the Daily Deals etc. on the amazon.co.uk rather than amazon.com website? Don't know if it would make a difference, but suspect we might be in the same 'region'. I know that when I first started, I couldn't download books from the amazon.com site, but haven't tried since.x If I'm signed in on amazon.co.uk it won't let me view any Kindle books, because I'm not allowed to buy them from their .co.uk website. @ poppyshake's review That book sounds pretty good ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl Synopsis: Boggis, Bunce and Bean are the meanest three farmers you could meet. They are determined to get Mr Fox - but he has other plans! Review: Very enjoyable and madcap though definitely one more for the littlies than grown-ups. The story is quite a simple one, the farmers are out to kill the foxes and the foxes are fighting for their survival. The farmers are all so gruesome that you don't feel any sympathy for them (even if the foxes are killing their chickens/turkeys/ducks etc) .. one of them lives entirely on liver stuffed doughnuts and the other two have equally disgusting dietary (and personal hygiene) habits .. they deserved everything that was coming. They have all manner of modern technology to help (though surprisingly they hadn't thought of TNT .. did they not have an Acme catalogue? ) but still they can't outsmart the foxes or Mr Fox in particular who is quite simply fantastic. I had no idea that foxes drank cider so as well as being entertained I learnt something which is always a bonus 4/5 I rather liked the unusual film based on it too. George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl Synopsis: In this popular Dahl story, George creates a very special medicine to cure his grandma of her nasty habits. Review: Another one for the younger reader though I was a little bit worried about the ideas it might give them (scratch that .. I was worried it might influence me .. I'm very impressionable ). George has a nasty gran .. she's more like a mean old witch really. She has to take medicine every day .. and on this particular day George is given the task of administering it. Only, to cure her of her malevolent ways, he decides to concoct a medicine of his own .. using all sorts of stuff left in the bathroom cabinet and under the kitchen sink. He adds in some animal medication and then .. purely for colour authenticity .. shoe polish and brown paint. He then proceeds to give gran her daily dose. 4/5 This is quite an outrageous story for kids, I remember seeing Rik Mayall doing full justice to it on Jackanory back in the 80's. I believe the BBC received complaints about it I can see why parents might be worried .. when I was small, my cousin and I scrubbed my bedroom walls with 'Handy Andy' .. we had seen a lady do it on the advert. The wallpaper came off in ribbons I built up quite a resentment against that lady because at the end of her scrubbing she was rewarded with praise and a cup of tea or something .. she wasn't sent to her room with a smack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 x If I'm signed in on amazon.co.uk it won't let me view any Kindle books, because I'm not allowed to buy them from their .co.uk website. Yes, I've done a bit more investigating and, apparently, if you are buying from outside the UK, using a non-UK email etc., then it has to go through .com. The arguments look somewhat tenuous, and seems silly to me, but that's the way Amazon plays it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 Storyteller: the Life of Roald Dahl by Donald Sturrock Synopsis: The authorised biography of one of the greatest storytellers of all time, written with complete access to the archives stored in the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre. Roald Dahl is one of the greatest storytellers of all time. He pushed children's literature into uncharted territory and almost twenty years after his death his popularity continues to grow -- worldwide sales of his books have now topped 100 million. The man behind the stories, however, remains an enigma. Dahl was a single-minded adventurer, an eternal child, and his public persona was often controversial. To his readers, though, Dahl was always a hero and his stories have had an impact on the lives and imaginations of generations of children. Since his death his reputation has been transformed. Critics too now celebrate his wild imagination, quirky humour and linguistic elegance; figures like Willy Wonka, the BFG and the Grand High Witch are immortal literary creations. In this masterly biography, Donald Sturrock reveals many hitherto hidden aspects of Roald Dahl's life: his terrifying experiences as a fighter pilot; the mental anguish caused by the death of his seven-year-old daughter; his work for military intelligence at the end of the war and more. Written with exclusive access to his private papers and manuscripts as well as with reference to hundreds of newly-discovered letters, Dahl lives on every page of this utterly compelling book, which reveals the man as we've never seen him before. Review: Very detailed and thorough, this book will tell you everything you need to know about Roald. Having read half of his autobiography (that is to say I've read Boy but not Going Solo) I already had some idea of his early life but I had to make a few adjustments because, whatever he claimed, Roald hadn't always told the complete truth. His early childhood and his later writing years were of the most interest, the middle part of the book dragged a bit for me, especially the part covering his time working as an intelligence officer. He was a bit of a grouch and could be fairly difficult .. especially in later life but artistic types often are (aren't I tetchy before I've had my first cup of tea? ) His eldest daughter, Olivia, died aged seven and obviously this devastated Roald but it was clearly also devastating for his subsequent children because they never seemed to be able to live up to her or connect with Roald in the way that she had .. Tessa (Sophie Dahl's mum and the next eldest) in particular. I was a bit cross about him for this because, however deep his grief, he shouldn't have made the others feel less loved. In lots of ways though he was the ideal father/uncle .. he loved to fire up their imaginations and their childhoods were full of kite flying and launching of fire balloons and chasing of fire engines and storytelling. His first marriage to Hollywood star Patricia Neal .. though blessed with five children .. wasn't entirely happy .. they had very little in common and were ill equipped to cope with the tragedies that unfortunately came. His later relationship with Liccy was much happier and settled. A must for anyone interested in Mr Dahl. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 My big news is .. and I don't want you to faint or anything .. is that I have a Kindle Fire! Alan bought me it, it hasn't got any books on it, he bought me it because we had no portable way of accessing the internet. Our computers are all in the .. computer room (which is just a spare room full of junk) and when I was confined to bed I wasn't able to read my messages or emails etc so Alan decided to get the Kindle Fire .. thinking it'll be more useful to me than an ordinary laptop. I haven't yet downloaded a book but I've lobbed a lot of angry birds at piggies so the purchase has not been wasted. Oh dear, poppyshake's gone over to the other side... Don't worry, I shan't judge you! I think it was a clever and necessary buy for you, that Alan is so clever isn't he! Did you know the Angry Birds are a Finnish thing Now at least we're known for something! I have reading news too I have read Roald Dahl's James & the Giant Peach and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. I've meant to read his books for ages and now is just the right time. They've cheered me up no end. Hm. Do you mean that you've never read any of his books before? I've forgotten. I'm happy you had a perfect 'excuse' to finally read them and I'm glad they kept you busy and entertained A little bit of local news, 'Octavia's' bookshop in Cirencester has just won 'Best Independent Bookseller of the Year' at the National Bookseller Industry awards in London She so deserves it .. the shop is lovely and a haven for children. She only opened a few years ago so it's nice to see her doing well and thriving. That's such great news! And I'm sorry, I might be prejudiced or old-fashioned, but I love it that she's so young! It's in a way reassuring of the fact that young people still read, and want to spread the joy of books! And I'm all for independent booksellers, of course. Mind you, I don't think I know any of those here in Finland. Yes, sounds shocking, doesn't it? But I can only think of three different chain bookstores. No inpendent ones. Alan and I have finally finished the biography of Vincent Van Gogh and I read the bits I had missed out on previously. A brilliant book, very emotional and full of insight. Is this the one by Irving Stone? I have a copy on my TBR The Misremembered Man - Christina McKenna I read the synopsis bit and wondered if it's a kind of a village-y read, the kind I like, and thought no matter, I'll add it to my wishlist anyways because it sounds good. And then I read about how you would recommend the book to anyone who's enjoyed Mr Rosenblum's List and that was recommendation enough Now you see .. I should have done that. I actually own a Kindle now but haven't got any books on it I don't know if I even want to read a book on it but whenever I have the urge I look up Kindle books and all the ones I want are quite expensive and I lose confidence. I only use it for searching the internet and playing games What do I need to do to find bargains? .. is there somewhere in particular to go? (explain slowly bobbs and draw diagrams if need be .. I am very, very dense with all things technical). So... You have a Kindle which I believe a lot of people use for reading... But you use it to browse for books which you could then order as tree copies and then read them... Gotta love the logic! I hope your 'Kindle arm' feels better soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Nice reviews, poppyshake! I'll read them sometime, too . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted June 3, 2013 Author Share Posted June 3, 2013 Oh dear, poppyshake's gone over to the other side... Don't worry, I shan't judge you! I think it was a clever and necessary buy for you, that Alan is so clever isn't he! Did you know the Angry Birds are a Finnish thing Now at least we're known for something! Hm. Do you mean that you've never read any of his books before? I've forgotten. I'm happy you had a perfect 'excuse' to finally read them and I'm glad they kept you busy and entertained That's such great news! And I'm sorry, I might be prejudiced or old-fashioned, but I love it that she's so young! It's in a way reassuring of the fact that young people still read, and want to spread the joy of books! And I'm all for independent booksellers, of course. Mind you, I don't think I know any of those here in Finland. Yes, sounds shocking, doesn't it? But I can only think of three different chain bookstores. No inpendent ones. Is this the one by Irving Stone? I have a copy on my TBR I read the synopsis bit and wondered if it's a kind of a village-y read, the kind I like, and thought no matter, I'll add it to my wishlist anyways because it sounds good. And then I read about how you would recommend the book to anyone who's enjoyed Mr Rosenblum's List and that was recommendation enough So... You have a Kindle which I believe a lot of people use for reading... But you use it to browse for books which you could then order as tree copies and then read them... Gotta love the logic! I hope your 'Kindle arm' feels better soon Oh .. I've lost the power to individualise quotes .. will have to answer you in a lump frankie .. sorry (it may be my computer .. she is playing up ) I didn't know Angry Birds were Finnish .. they're fiendishly addictive I know that I haven't read Dahl before, I know most of the books from films and just general hearsay but have never, until now, read any of his books. Octavia is young but she really knows her stuff, she worked for Waterstone's in Cirencester and before that Ottaker's bookshop. Even when she worked in Waterstone's if you wanted a book for a child .. she was the go to person. Independant bookshops are on the wane here too so it's lovely to hear that she's doing so well. I don't think I'll ever become a Kindle addict .. as far as reading on them is concerned anyway. I just like holding a book and turning proper pages .. but then who knows how it will all shake down. People are attached to their mobile phones now like drips (as in saline drips .. not as in soppy people ) .. yet they always used to trot out that they only had one 'for emergencies'. Last year when I went on the London Underground practically everyone on the tube was attached to something .. whether it be phone, iPod, iPad or Kindle etc. It was all a bit eerie (though I do it too .. hardly ever go out without iPod). However, we're not quite as weird as I envisaged we'd be back in the 70's. In our humanities class at school we thought that people in the year 2000 (a place quite far off that we'd probably never get to ) would be sleeping in pods and eating capsules. I'm sure I never imagined that we'd still be eating fish and chips. I have looked up Irving Stone's Lust for Life since we last spoke and it is a biographical novel. However I think he sticks pretty much to the facts so it should be fairly accurate. I guess he's made the dialogue up though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted June 3, 2013 Author Share Posted June 3, 2013 Nice reviews, poppyshake! I'll read them sometime, too . Hope you do and hope you enjoy them Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 I really miss Ottaker's book shops, Kay! They also had an amazing website! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted June 3, 2013 Author Share Posted June 3, 2013 The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me - Roald Dahl Synopsis: Billy's biggest wish is to turn a weird old wooden house into a wonderful sweet-shop. But then he finds a giraffe, a pelly and a monkey living inside - they're the Ladderless Window-Cleaning Company! Who needs ladders when you've got a giraffe? They become best friends and when they meet the richest man in all of England, there's a chance that Billy's scrumptious-galumptious dream just might come true. Review: Absolutely mad .. I was all for blaming it on the cheese I ate the night before but a glance through it again confirmed that it is indeed bonkers. Not a great deal of depth to the story but then it's very visual so children will adore it I imagine. Roald usually has one foot in the magical and bizarre but he's jumped in with both feet this time. I felt he missed a trick by not including an elephant .. they could wash cars then as well as windows 3/5 The Nose - Nikolai Gogol Synopsis: 'The Nose' is a satirical short story by Nikolai Gogol. Written between 1835 and 1836, it tells of a St. Petersburg official whose nose leaves his face and develops a life of its own. Review: Bizarre but brilliant. It's pretty horrific to think that you might wake up one day to find that your nose has left to start a life of it's own. Never to smell bacon frying again .. that would be awful. You can't really feel sorry for Major Kovalev though because he's a bit pompous and anyway he hasn't put the effort in .. in fact you know of his nose before you know of him. Anyway my sympathies were very much with the nose (who was sw*nking it up in St. Petersburg) .. I was hoping it would allude capture and go on to even bigger and better things .. all the while looking down on old Kovalev and confining him to home with a hankie over his face. Very different, a bit freaky but also full of Russian comedy. 4/5 Mrs Harris Goes to Paris - Paul Gallico Synopsis: Mrs Harris is a salt-of-the-earth London charlady who cheerfully cleans the houses of the rich. One day, when tidying Lady Dant's wardrobe, she comes across the most beautiful thing she has ever seen in her life - a Dior dress. In all the years of her drab and humble existence, she's never seen anything as magical as the dress before her and she's never wanted anything as much before. Determined to make her dream come true, Mrs Harris scrimps, saves and slaves away until one day, after three long, uncomplaining years, she finally has enough money to go to Paris. When she arrives at the House of Dior, Mrs Harris has little idea of how her life is about to be turned upside down and how many other lives she will transform forever. Always kind, always cheery and always winsome, the indomitable Mrs Harris takes Paris by storm and learns one of life's greatest lessons along the way. This treasure from the 1950s introduces the irrepressible Mrs Harris, part charlady, part fairy-godmother, whose adventures take her from her humble London roots to the heights of glamour. Review: A really sweet and lovely read. Mrs Harris wants a Paris dress .. a Dior dress to be exact but being a charlady she doesn't exactly have the funds for it. She must have it though whatever it takes (or tykes .. as they like to put here .. it's a bit 'Artful Dodger' in places ) .. even though she has no intention of wearing it, she just wants to see it in her wardrobe. She wins some of the money on the football pools and the rest she saves up by going without until eventually she has the ready money in her purse and off she goes. I so admired her pluck, I would love to have a Paris dress but didn't dare do much more than press my nose up against the shop windows (and I'm not talking Dior .. I'm talking just normal Paris boutiques) and I had reason to be glad of it when my sister-in-law told me about her ordeal in buying a Paris dress. She, like Mrs Harris, was determined to have one and was met with a lot of snooty disapproval basically because she wasn't a stick insect (I guess she'd be approx a UK size 12) .. she eventually got one but the sales advisor advised her to get some control knickers. That would have just about done for me when spoken loudly in a shop full of customers (which it was .. infact I think there was an elaborate mime to go with it because she didn't quite know the English words) Anyway Mrs Harris is at first met with all sorts of disapprobation .. but she's so down to earth and straight forward that she wins them over and somehow a seat is found for her to view Dior's latest collection. She picks the dress she likes but complications arise and her plans have to be altered .. leaving her with no option but to stay on in Paris a little longer than she intended. As a result she works her magic on those around her .. sorting out their problems and making them all a bit happier for knowing her. Something happens at the end to make your stomach knot up .. there's a large 'oh no!' moment. I got quite cross and swore a bit and wished that Mrs Harris hadn't been quite so selfless. It all turns out well though. There's a companion piece called Mrs Harris Goes to New York .. I've no idea why she goes there .. I presume it's for more than a hot dog .. but I intend to find out before too long 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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