Ruth - 2013

[Athena]

Nice review of 1984, both that book and Animal Farm are on my wishlist.

[Devi]

I love the cover of Death at Wentwater Court.

[Ruth]

I love the sound of Death at Wentwater Court, Ruth - added to my wish list!

 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

 

I love the cover of Death at Wentwater Court.

 

The cover is lovely, isn't it?  All the books in the series have the same style of cover, and it was actually that that first attracted me to them.  

 

Nice review of 1984, both that book and Animal Farm are on my wishlist.

 

Thanks  I really, really liked Animal Farm.

[Ruth]

Driving Over Lemons, by Chris Stewart

 

 

 

 

When Chris Stewart flies to Spain and on impulse buys a farm in the Andalucian mountains, he has no idea what he’s taking on.  The farm has no electricity, no running water, no easy access, and to cap it all, the former who sold it to him does not seem prepared to move out any time soon.  However, Chris and his wife Ana set about making the farm their home and their livelihood.  This book tells the true story of Chris and Ana’s move to a different country and lifestyle and how they created their home out of the remote farm.

 

This book is charming throughout.  Chris is a thoroughly likeable narrator, and I really liked his wife Ana too.  The way of life in the Andalucian mountains is amusingly and affectionately described, and there are a cast of wonderful characters, in the friends and neighbours who become part of Chris and Ana’s lives.

 

Stewart is very self-effacing and happy to admit to mistakes made in the early part of the rebuilding process, and as hard as some of the tasks they set themselves undoubtedly were, he somehow managed to make the whole process seem extremely inviting.

 

I wasn’t sure that this would be my kind of book, but I actually found it to be a gentle and sweet story, that was hard to put down.

[chesilbeach]

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

I hope so too - I bought it today as I noticed it was only 99p, so it fitted my budget perfectly!

 

I've read all Chris Stewart's books, and they all have the same charm about them, so I'd definitely recommend you look up the others too, if you've enjoyed Driving Over Lemons

[Ruth]

Annabel, by Kathleen Winter

 

 

In 1968, in a small town in Labrador, Canada, Treadway and Jacinta Blake have a child.  But they find that their baby has both male and female genetalia, and make the difficult decision that their child should have surgery.  They raise him as their son and call him Wayne.  Only Treadway, Jacinta and a friend named Thomasina know the truth and Wayne is not told.  However, as Wayne grows, he discovers an emotional part of himself – his female character, who he calls Annabel, after Thomasina’s deceased daughter.

 

As Wayne grows older, he and the three adults who share the secret are all affected in different ways, and each faces their own struggle to come to terms with the truth.

 

When I started this book, I was not sure whether I would like it or not, but as I read on, it pulled me in, and I found compelled to read more about Wayne and his family.  The writing is spare, and very beautiful in parts, with the loneliness that the four main characters each feel reflected in the remote and sparsely populated land where they live.

Each character’s struggle manifests itself in different ways, as the book takes us through Wayne’s childhood, school years and beyond.  In many ways, very little happens, but there is so much strangeness in the normalcy of their lives, contrasted with the unusualness of Wayne’s body.  The story is haunting in parts, and I really felt that all of the characters were realistically and believably drawn; sometimes their behaviour seems questionable, but it’s hard not to wonder what any other ordinary person would do in their situation.

 

It’s hard to believe that this was a debut novel – it was so emotive and yet under-stated, and treated Wayne’s condition (for want of a better word) with delicacy and compassion.  A book which I would definitely recommend.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Ruth

[chaliepud]

I had this on my wish list ages ago but took it off earlier this year when I was having a bit of a cull.. think I'll pop it back on now, great review!

[Ruth]

I had this on my wish list ages ago but took it off earlier this year when I was having a bit of a cull.. think I'll pop it back on now, great review!

 

 

Thank you  I must admit, I had it on my shelf for about two years, and wasn't inclined to pick it up really, but on a whim I decided to give it a go.  It started fairly slowly, but then I suddenly realised that I was REALLY enjoying it!  I hope you enjoy it too. 

[Ruth]

The Dinner, by Herman Koch

 

 

Paul and Claire Lohman are meeting Paul’s brother Serge and Serge’s wife Babette at an expensive restaurant.  The evening starts off normally enough, but it becomes clear that the meeting is more than just a social engagement.  The teenage sons of the two couples have been caught on CCTV, committing a horrific offence, and while they have not yet been publicly identified, their parents have recognised their children as the perpetrators, and have met to decide what to do.  Serge is concerned about the effect it will have on his own future, as he is a popular candidate to be the next Prime Minister, and all four are concerned about the futures of their sons.

 

The premise of this book fascinated me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, although I felt that some parts were somewhat unrealistic.  The story is narrated by Paul, who, it becomes clear, has significant anger management problems, which may be genetic, and which he may have passed on to their son Michel.  As he described the restaurant with disdain (understandable at times), he also described the events that had led up to the discovery of his son’s crime, and talks about things in the family’s past.

 

All four characters, with the possible exception of Babette, were to me, extremely unlikeable.  Initially I liked Claire a lot, but towards the end of the book her actions become perhaps unbelievable, and certainly inexcusable.  Neither she nor Paul seems particularly horrified by their son’s actions, and in fact seem determined to cover them up and excuse them by any means necessary.

 

The over-riding thing that I noticed about the story was how many secrets the characters kept from each other, and even from the reader.  This became clearer the further I read.  The writing was insidious – it got under my skin and I genuinely found this book hard to put down; there is a kind of sinister undertone running through it.  At first, the narration is innocuous – you might even say banal – with Paul talking about the things that irritated him about the pretentious restaurant they are eating in, but then things take a turn, and we are plunged into something much more shocking.

 

I’m not sure that the ending was one I liked, but it was certainly one that I didn’t expect, and it is a book which I continue to think about.  I can imagine that it may polarise readers, but I would certainly recommend it.

 

[bobblybear]

Great review of The Dinner, but it sounds like it would be a disturbing read. I've added it to my wishlist, but I think I'd have to be in a certain mood to read it.

[~Andrea~]

The Dinner sounds great. Is it disturbing though? I don't like things that are too gruesome.

[chaliepud]

The Dinner sounds great. Is it disturbing though? I don't like things that are too gruesome.

 

Hmm, I was thinking that, I looked at it in Waterstone's today and it said as much on the cover...

[Ruth]

 

Great review of The Dinner, but it sounds like it would be a disturbing read. I've added it to my wishlist, but I think I'd have to be in a certain mood to read it.

 

The Dinner sounds great. Is it disturbing though? I don't like things that are too gruesome.

 

Hmm, I was thinking that, I looked at it in Waterstone's today and it said as much on the cover...

It is disturbing, but the actual details of what the sons do are not really too gory (although shocking). It was the reactions of their families which were more shocking. There's more of a sinister undertone, but it's really in Paul's narration, rather than the crime itself. It's a fantastic read, but I did feel afterwards that I needed to read something about the better side of human nature!

Edited May 19, 2013 by Ruth

[Janet]

Driving Over Lemons, by Chris Stewart

 

I wasn’t sure that this would be my kind of book, but I actually found it to be a gentle and sweet story, that was hard to put down.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. 

 

I'm a huge Genesis fan, and as I knew he was the band's original drummer I bought this when it came out in paperback.   I remember really enjoying it and I even sent him a letter.  I addressed it to "Chris Stewart, author of 'Driving Over Lemons', Andalusia, Spain"! 

 

I didn't really expect him to actually receive it so I was thrilled when a few weeks later I received a postcard from him! 

 

Dear Janet - thanks for your letter.  I was

delighted you enjoyed my book.  It never fails

to thrill me the idea of being able to give

so much pleasure to people.  We've been

here thirteen years now, and shall stay here - all

being well - for the rest of our days.  Antonia

y Domingo are indeed still together [then a bit which

is rather personal, so I'll omit it] He makes

marmalades and jams and has become an

amazing sculptor.  Yes, I'm in the middle of

a new book right now; hope to publish in

June '02.  Best wishes, Chris Stewart

 

Wasn't that lovely of him!   I still have it, tucked inside the book.

 

I haven't read the sequels though - I somehow never got round to them.

[Ruth]

Wow Janet, that is fantastic. So nice of him to take the time to do that...I like him even more now!

[Janet]

I know - I was so thrilled to receive it.      I also read to the author of the Wycliffe books, W J Burley (the letter was similarly vaguely addressed) and had a lovely reply from him too! 

[Ruth]

Schindler's Ark, by Thomas Keneally

 

 

 

Although officially classed as fiction, this book tells the very true story of Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist, who during World War 2, saved the lives of some 1200 (officially, although the actual number may well be far higher) by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories.  It is the basis of the 1993 film, Schindler’s List; having seen the film years ago, when I thought it was wonderful, I would like to see it again, as I believe that reading the book would make me appreciate it even more.

 

I honestly don’t think that any review I could write would do this book justice, but nonetheless, I’ll give it a go!  The book tells an incredible story of bravado, resilience and determination, under the most horrific circumstances.  Keneally is almost at pains to point out that Schindler was far from perfect.  He was a womaniser who seemed incapable of being faithful to his wife, he drank too much, and he was not above mixing with people who he didn’t like, simply because he could get something he wanted from them.  This latter skill of course came into play to magnificent effect during his mission to save lives, which actually makes it an asset.  And in fact, this just makes what he did, all the more heroic.  It would have been easy for such a man – who counted SS members amongst his ‘friends’ – to use the war to his own advantage, and to profit from cheap labour, but the fact that he chose to save lives, even when it meant endangerment to his own, and when it certainly would have been easier for him to ignore what was happening, just makes the story even more magnificent.  When someone is portrayed as a superhero, we expect them to do good things – that’s what their role is.  But Schindler was not an obvious candidate for heroism.  A hero is most certainly what he is though.

 

Initially, Schindler just wanted to make money, but as the war proceeded, he saw for himself the horrors being committed against Jews, Poles and Gypsies.  (The famous scene in the film where he sees a little girl dressed in red was actually based on a real event.)  Although the people he employed were officially prisoners, he was kind to them, and the arbitrary beatings and executions which occurred in other labour camps had no place at Schindler’s premises.  He also paid over the odds to ensure that his workers had adequate food and premises, even insisting that his workers were able to sleep on his site, rather than living in another camp and being marched to his premises by SS soldiers.  Although he was supposed to only employ people with the necessary skills for the work, he also took on people who had no such skills, because he knew that otherwise, they would be killed.

Towards the end of the story, when we come to the famous list of people who he moved to Brinnlitz, another supposed labour camp, he actually gives up all pretence at being in the business for money, deliberately turning out substandard artillery shells.  His brazenness was in fact almost his undoing.

 

The book gives details of individual cases and names specific people who Schindler helped, and pulls no punches in describing the sort of favours he did to ensure that he got what he wanted.  There is a LOT of information given, and admittedly I sometimes had to check back to remind myself who someone was.  However, all the information is essential to get the full picture.  Despite being written as a novel, I was concerned that the writing might be a little dry (it is after all a true story, and I sometimes find that non-fiction can be less readable than fiction).  In actual fact however, it was quite easy to read, and I found myself getting through huge chunks at a time.

 

If this review has not tempted you to read the book, that’s my fault.  Not only would I recommend this book, I would urge everyone to read it.  It moved me to tears on several occasions, and at other times I had to put it down simply to digest the horror of what I had read.  But it was totally, absolutely worth it.  Simply wonderful.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Ruth

[pontalba]

Ruth, that's a wonderful review!

I have the book on the shelf, saw the film years ago. 

Your review makes me want to dig it out right now.

Soon.

And, thanks.

[Janet]

I tried it a few years ago but just couldn't get into it. On the strength of your review I should try again.

[Brian.]

Great review Ruth, it sounds like a really good read.

[Devi]

I'm definitely adding Schindler's Ark to my wishlist. Thank you Ruth.

Edited June 2, 2013 by Devi

[Ruth]

Ruth, that's a wonderful review!

I have the book on the shelf, saw the film years ago. 

Your review makes me want to dig it out right now.

Soon.

And, thanks.

 

 

I tried it a few years ago but just couldn't get into it. On the strength of your review I should try again.

 

 

Great review Ruth, it sounds like a really good read.

 

 

I'm definitely adding Schindler's Ark to my wishlist. Thank you Ruth.

 

Thank you, you lovely people .  I would totally recommend it - it really moved me, and even now I keep thinking about it.  Janet, I must admit in the first few pages, there was so much information and so many names being thrown at me that I wondered how I would get on, but I found myself totally absorbed.  It's definitely on my favourites list now, and I know that I'll be reading it again.

Edited June 10, 2013 by Ruth

[Ruth]

State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett

 

 

 

The elusive Doctor Annick Swensen has been living amongst the Lakashi tribe in the tangled waters of the Brazilian Rio Negro River, where the women are able to get pregnant and give birth right until the end of their lives.  Dr Swensen is conducting research regarding their fertility and how whatever enables them to reproduce into their 70s, can be used for a fertility drug in the Western world.  But nobody has heard from Dr Swensen for a long time, nobody can contact her in her remote destination, and when scientist, Doctor Anders Eckman went out there to find her and determine how the research was coming along, all that came back was a curt letter informing them that he had died and been buried there.  His colleague Marina Singh is dispatched there to find out what happened to Anders, and to ascertain the progress of Dr Swensen’s work.  Reluctantly she goes, and what she discovers changes her whole world.

 

I had previously read Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett, and had loved that book, so although the synopsis of State of Wonder did not interest me as much, I wanted to read it….and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  There is something about Patchett’s writing – it is so descriptive and evocative, without being ‘flowery’ – and her characters are so utterly believable, that I could  not help but be drawn in.

 

The book is written in the third person, but from Marina’s point of view, and I liked her a lot.  She was a sympathetic character – far more so than Dr Swensen, who (intentionally, I’m sure) was written as undoubtedly brilliant, but headstrong and blunt to the point of rudeness.

 

The story is detailed and so much happens, and I was carried along by all of it.  The ending was not what I expected, and not really what I wanted (I don’t think it’s giving anything away to say that it is somewhat downbeat), but it worked.

 

Overall I really enjoyed this, and will be certainly be looking out for more books by Ann Patchett.

[poppyshake]

What a brilliant review of Schindler's Ark Ruth I'm so glad you loved it. It wasn't that long ago that I read it but you've made me want to read it again .. Lord!! I'll never get through my TBR at this rate

[pontalba]

Oh, I have the Patchett on the shelf...been debating over it on and off.  For some reason I couldn't finish Bel Canto, but I think it was me, not the book. My husband loved it, and our tastes are pretty similar, so I'll def give it another go, and pull Wonder as well.  Soon.  soon. /sigh/

Thanks for another great review!