Alexander's Reading 2014

[Alexander the Great]

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• Reus, by Annelies Verbeke
  English title: Giant
• Ex, by Helen FitzGerald
• In One Person, by John Irving
• The Cry, by Helen FitzGerald
• The Cuckoo's Calling, by Robert Galbraith
• The Secret History, by Donna Tartt
• We zullen niet te pletter slaan, by Nina Polak
• De parachutemoord, by Faroek Özgünes
• Before I Say Goodbye, by Mary Higgins Clark
• Blondie: Parallel Lives, by Dick Porter and Kris Needs
• Daar is hij weer, by Timur Vermes
  Original title: Er ist wieder da
  English title: Look Who's Back
• The Crimson Petal and the White, by Michel Faber
• The Apple: New Crimson Petal stories, by Michel Faber
• The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
• The Accidental Billionaires, by Ben Mezrich
• Taal is zeg maar echt mijn ding, by Paulien Cornelisse
• En dan nog iets, by Paulien Cornelisse
• Annabel, by Kathleen Winter
• The Little Friend, by Donna Tartt
• A Masculine Ending, by Joan Smith
• A Far Cry From Kensington, by Muriel Spark
• Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem, by Peter Ackroyd
• NW, by Zadie Smith

Edited January 1, 2015 by Alexander the Great

[Alexander the Great]

Reus review

 

I read this author's debut before this, and this novel is very much the same style. Slightly absurd characters - the kind you never meet in real life, because they're just too out there in a way - but also the kind of people that people secretly wish they could be, but never quite are. Hard to explain. At times, I did feel like the story was taking too strange a direction. It wasn't really going anywhere, it wasn't saying anything or exploring anything or creating anything. A nice read, but not enormously memorable, and difficult characters to stay interested in at times. Same positive side the author's debut has: she knows when to stop. What the author wrote worked for the length of the novel, and it's a good thing it wasn't any longer.

 

Ex review

 

What a book. Whenever I felt I had figured out what the story was, what had happened - the author threw in a plot twist that still managed to make sense. The ending was very unexpected, too. Much respect for the author for managing to have those kind of plot twists still make sense. I also liked how the main character and her best friend stayed the same kind of friends they always were - not always in each other's daily lives, but there throughout their lives. Definitely an interesting novel.

 

In One Person review

 

This is one of those novels that gives me mixed feelings - I want to keep reading because I'm enjoying it so much, but at the same time, I dread turning the last page and the feeling of loss it will bring. It goes without saying that once I got really into it, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I felt irritated having to interrupt my reading to go to work, and at work all I wanted was for the clock to turn to 5 so I could go home and read more.

 

The story is definitely meandering - but I enjoyed this non-linear style. Irving really creates an entire life, an entire world, and just getting lost in it was enough for me. I didn't necessarily completely identify with a certain character, and I didn't always agree with the protagonist - but that's what life is like. You like people, even though you don't always agree with them, or sympathize 100%. It really felt like having a friend. I also thought that Miss Frost and Jacques Kittredge were such fascinating characters and I'm quite sure I'll never forget them.

 

That being said, I do feel like the novel could have ended after chapter 10. I really believe it would've worked, and it might have been better, if the novel ended with Miss Frost showing Billy the duck-under. In a way, finding out what happened to all of them wasn't very satisfying, because you only find out so little. If we were really going to be told what happened to Miss Frost and to Kittredge and to the others, I wished we'd found out more. I didn't like the Larry character, for instance, and I felt like the passage in Spain was random, unnecessary and unsatisfactory - and in that way, it was almost a waste of precious pages as I was dying to read more about Miss Frost and/or Kittredge, or even the town of First Sister, Vermont. But that's a personal opinion. And I stand by my point that I really think it would have worked without what happened after Billy left school - or at least, what we found out after that chapter.

 

This is one of those novels I got from the library and am sure I will at one point purchase - not necessarily to reread, because I'd prefer to hold on to the magic of the first reading, but purely because I enjoyed reading to so much that I want its company, the way you keep a picture of a dear friend.

Edited June 29, 2014 by Alexander the Great

[Alexander the Great]

The Cry review

 

A very intriguing read. Not quite what I'd expected, but in this case that was a good thing. I liked reading the story from different points of view, and was glad that Alistair's wasn't included. Joanna and Alexandra's voices were enough to give overview. Nice twist at the end, as well - very unexpected. I'm actually curious to know more about what happens to the characters after the end, but at the same time, it ended at a good place and adding more probably would have ruined this extremely good novel.

[Chrissy]

I bought 'The Cry' last year during a kindle deal, so I'm really glad to read that you enjoyed it. I will have to send it to the top of my reading list.

[Athena]

Nice review of In One Person and the other books, I have that one on my TBR.

[Alexander the Great]

The Cuckoo's Calling review

 

I will admit I only read this after I found out JKR was the author - but then I'd never even heard of the novel before that.

 

I just finished the novel and it's still marinating in my head a bit. In general, I really enjoyed it. I like Rowling's style and I like her characters. Reading blurbs in the past, I expected I wouldn't like Cormoran Strike very much, but I do. I also found the other characters enjoyable to read about. I love London, and that probably helps when reading this. Rowling is a master at vivid descriptions and conjuring up a world before the mind's eye. I've read and loved her Potter series, I've read and loved The Casual Vacancy, and now I've read and loved this crime novel. Rowling is very versatile and this novel only made me see that much more clearly just how talented she is.

 

At times, it did feel like I was reading the same scene but with different people, or that a certain scene was really going on too long. The final reveal was very unexpected and I'm not sure I like it because to me, in a good crime novel, as a reader you have to be able to work out yourself who the culprit was - preferably still being surprised when you read who did it, obviously. I like when I'm surprised, but I can go back and add everything up and it makes sense, and I can tell myself that I could see it coming. I don't think that goes for this novel. 

 

So I enjoyed the characters, their interactions, the descriptions and the writing style, but was slightly disappointed with the final reveal. I do hope there will be more Cormoran Strike novels - preferably with Robin by his side. 

[Ruth]

I have The Cry, but haven't read it yet - glad you enjoyed it.

 

I also have not read In One Person, but I almost certainly will at some point, as I John Irving to be an intriguing writer, who always pulls me in.  Have you read The World According to Garp?  I loved that book

[Janet]

I enjoyed The Cry when I read it.  I'd definitely like to read some more of her works.

 

I also enjoyed The Cuckoo's Calling.   I didn't expect to like Cormoran Strike either, but I did.  I agree he needs Robin with him. 

[Alexi]

I have The Cry and The Cuckoo's Calling on my TBR so good to read your thoughts on them and see you enjoyed them!

[Athena]

The Cuckoo's Calling might be on my wishlist (and if it isn't, it should be). Great review .

[Alexander the Great]

The Secret History review

 

This book is not easy to review. I've finished it about a week ago and am still having a hard time finding the right words to describe it. It feels as if anything I write will never do it justice. I suppose that it goes well with the fact that it took me such a long time to read.

 

The Secret History was not what I expected - actually, it was pretty far from what I'd expected. Even while reading, the book took turns where I didn't necessarily want it to. And I like that. I like a book with a story and characters that grab you, and make you curious about things but don't feel the need to explain everything. As a reader, it's not always clear what or why or who, but it suits the story. 

 

Pretty much none of the characters are very likable, but I didn't much mind. I couldn't always identify with the protagonist - more often I couldn't than I could - but I like reading from the point of view from someone who doesn't act or think like me. The story isn't clear-cut and we don't always get why characters do what they do. The story is not a situation I have ever been in, but still, it was enthralling.

 

The ending felt a bit rushed to me, though. It was almost as if the author decided to tell us what happens to everyone, but then changed her mind in the middle of writing that and left us hanging somewhere in the middle. But I don't read books to be made to feel safe and to be given happy endings. A book doesn't have to give me what I want. And certainly with a book like this one, it's just fine.

 

We zullen niet te pletter slaan review

 

This is a Dutch novel, Nina Polak's debut. I am amazed. This is exactly the kind of novel that reminds of my love for my native tongue. It's the kind of novel that uses my language in such a way that I am reminded of how much it's a part of who I am. It's the kind of novel that can only be written this way in Dutch, and the style and characters and the story is so that you'll rarely find it in a book that isn't written in Dutch.

 

I could relate to parts of the characters - I found some of myself in Anna, some of myself in Schard, so much so that at times I had to stop reading because it hit home too much. There was no tearjerking material in here, but at a certain point I recognized myself so much it was like someone was holding up a mirror and I had tears in my eyes at being confronted with myself so unapologetically. The author doesn't try to explain, doesn't excuse their behaviour, doesn't try and find reasons, but doesn't blame either. It's just there, which makes it even more like a mirror. 

 

Not every word is told. There are gaps the reader has to fill themselves, and I like that. I want to read more of Nina Polak's work. Such a talent.

[Athena]

Another person who reads Dutch books! I haven't heard of this one but it sounds interesting .

[Alexander the Great]

Chrissy - I hope you enjoy The Cry!

 

Athena - Thank you for the nice comments about In One Person and The Cuckoo's Calling  We zullen niet te pletter slaan isn't a master piece, but it really got into my head and is a very promising debut.

 

Ruth - Let me know if you ever read The Cry or In One Person! I haven't read The World According to Garp, but I definitely will, it's on my TBR.

 

Janet - It's always nice to hear someone has the same view on a book you do, thanks for the comment

 

Alexi - I hope you enjoy both The Cry and The Cuckoo's Calling 

 

De parachutemoord review

 

I'd expected more from this. This book is about a murder that stirred up the country in 2006-2010 - a woman was sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder without any physical or scientific evidence. I'd expected this book to show more indignation, I'd expected it to be sharper, more critical. It sells as 'how is this possible in the 21st century?', but there's no such intensity in the book itself. Besides the lack of passion and emotion, there was a lot of repetition - clearly written for the kind of viewer the media house the author (a journalist) works for. I don't need to read something every five pages to remember it, but clearly this was aimed at a public that does. Then there's the little mistakes which should have been edited out - a letter or word that's missing or that shouldn't be there; typos should not be in a published book, all throughout the book. On to the next book.

 

 

 

 

 

[Alexander the Great]

Before I Say Goodbye review

 

This was a bit of a disappointment. I read a collection of short stories by Mary Higgins Clark a while ago and I liked those, which is why I picked up a novel by her as well. It wasn't badly written, but it wasn't exciting or thrilling either. The blurb was misleading as well. The characters were quite bland. It was a quick read, but also quickly forgotten.

Edited July 20, 2014 by Alexander the Great

[Alexander the Great]

Blondie: Parallel Lives review

 

While this is a fairly thorough record of Blondie’s rise and internal workings, it lacks the emotion I associate with Blondie - the excitement, passion, fun. This book is a bit dry, almost scholarly. As meticulous and detailed as it was in the beginning, so rushed seemed the second part.

 

As a massive Blondie fan, I appreciated this account all the same. With these kind of biographies, having a fan of the band as the author can be tiresome when they do nothing but applaud their subject - but these authors did a good job of keeping enough distance to make this interesting.

[Alexander the Great]

Daar is hij weer review
Original title: Er ist wieder da
English title: Look Who's Back

 

I wasn't impressed.

 

I was intrigued by the concept, but the author never goes beyond Hitler being fascinated by some aspects of modern life and writing in his oratory style. This is marketed as a satire, but it wasn't sharp at all to me. I didn't find it funny or hilarious either. When finished, I felt that having read the first 40 pages or so, I'd read the entire book. A good concept, but very poorly executed. It was shallow, there was no story. A shame.

 

Wim Schamp's 'Hitler 1945 - 1953' follows a similar premise - Hitler having survived WWII, but in this book, he wakes up in Berlin in 1945 right after the war ends, which makes it more thrilling and confusing. That book was better written, had a story and complex characters and went deeper. It also had much more of an emotional impact.

[Alexander the Great]

The Crimson Petal And The White review

 

This is a remarkably easy read for a novel of 898 pages, a true page-turner. At times, when I had to stop reading because I had to go to work the next day, or leave where I was, I just had to flip a few pages because I couldn't wait to read what happened next.

 

The characters are complex and very layered. At times they evoke sympathy and understanding, other times you can't stand them. I also love how they grow and change throughout the story, completely. Nobody here is perfect. I liked the variety of characters as well - what a difference between William and Henry, the contrast between Sugar being born low and rising in society and then Caroline, who's a fallen woman. The difference between Agnes and Mrs. Fox - both of them very unconventional, but in such different ways. Of all characters, Agnes touched me the most and I think that's because of just how much the age she lived in determined her fate and how different that would be if she lived in modern times. Bodley and Ashwell were the only characters I couldn't stand.

 

The ending wasn't very satisfactory, though. I know the whole thing where novels don't have a clean ending because life doesn't either, but it felt a bit lazy here, like suddenly, the author couldn't be bothered. Definitely an enthralling read, though, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

 

The Apple review

 

This collection of (very) short stories follows some of the characters from The Crimson Petal And The White, both before and after that novel. Each story was interesting in its own way, but none of it was satisfactory and some of them, I could have done without. I'd gladly have traded in the stories about Clara and Mr. Bodley for a lengthier version of the final story. Although I do have to admit that the story about Clara had an ending which truly made me want to know how it'd go further. 

 

The final story, about Sophie's son reminiscing about his life in the 1990s, was so interesting that I wish it'd been left out and published as a proper novel, like The Crimson Petal And The White. I'd love to know more about Auntie Primrose, too, because while the narrator insists she wasn't his mother's lover, I'm pretty sure she was. I do think the main reason I loved this story so much was because how much it seems based on the real Bloomsbury group - I've been very interested in Virginia Woolf the past couple of years.

 

If I have to draw a conclusion, I'd say there was too much of what I wasn't hoping to read and too little of what was very promising. 

[Chrissy]

Will you PLEASE stop reading and reviewing books that I have waiting for me to read?!!!  The top of my to be read mountain is bigger than the bottom with all the books I have shuffled further up.

 

Great reviews. You give a real taste of the books.

[bobblybear]

Nice review of The Crimson Petal and the White. It was such a good book, wasn't it? I've heard of The Apple, and it is on my Amazon wishlist, but I have never been that tempted to read it. As much as I enjoyed The Crimson Petal and The White, I've never been that curious about the lives of the characters beyond what it told to us in the book.....sometimes knowing too much can change something fundamental about what you enjoyed so much about the book.

[Alexander the Great]

Nice review of The Crimson Petal and the White. It was such a good book, wasn't it? I've heard of The Apple, and it is on my Amazon wishlist, but I have never been that tempted to read it. As much as I enjoyed The Crimson Petal and The White, I've never been that curious about the lives of the characters beyond what it told to us in the book.....sometimes knowing too much can change something fundamental about what you enjoyed so much about the book.

 

It really was! There's something very unique about it. The growth and change in the characters is exceptional - for instance, when Sugar's leading a better life and thinks back to how she'd always pictured herself being the benefactor of her old friends, but now that she's living it, she's almost ashamed and finds herself unable to do it. I also thought it was truly interesting how the closer she came to her ultimate goal, the less power she seemed to have over William and the more she came to depend on his affections to build herself up. It feels like she became the kind of person she used to rage against. This book truly shows that money does change people, even if you always say it'd never change you.

 

The Apple I would only recommend for the last story, which I liked. To be completely honest, I'd read this line saying "Are you unsatisfied with the ending of TCP and want to know what happened to Sugar, Sophie and William? Read this" and I kind of expected a peek into their lives x years later. But it wasn't that at all. Only the final story gives a tiny, super vague glimpse.

Edited August 17, 2014 by Alexander the Great

[Athena]

Great reviews! I really liked The Crimson Petal and the White too. The Apple is on my wishlist.

[frankie]

The Secret History review

 

This book is not easy to review. I've finished it about a week ago and am still having a hard time finding the right words to describe it. It feels as if anything I write will never do it justice. I suppose that it goes well with the fact that it took me such a long time to read.

 

The Secret History was not what I expected - actually, it was pretty far from what I'd expected. Even while reading, the book took turns where I didn't necessarily want it to. And I like that. I like a book with a story and characters that grab you, and make you curious about things but don't feel the need to explain everything. As a reader, it's not always clear what or why or who, but it suits the story. 

 

Pretty much none of the characters are very likable, but I didn't much mind. I couldn't always identify with the protagonist - more often I couldn't than I could - but I like reading from the point of view from someone who doesn't act or think like me. The story isn't clear-cut and we don't always get why characters do what they do. The story is not a situation I have ever been in, but still, it was enthralling.

 

The ending felt a bit rushed to me, though. It was almost as if the author decided to tell us what happens to everyone, but then changed her mind in the middle of writing that and left us hanging somewhere in the middle. But I don't read books to be made to feel safe and to be given happy endings. A book doesn't have to give me what I want. And certainly with a book like this one, it's just fine.

 

Great review! I'm so happy you enjoyed the novel I was blown away by it on my first read, which was some years ago. I didn't think it would make a very good re-read, because I knew the plotline already, but I was wrong and it was really good on my second reading as well. We had a reading circle on the novel this January. In case you want to take a look at the thread, here's the link to it  

[Alexander the Great]

The Time Traveler's Wife review

 

This is an amazingly unique read and I was sad to close the book for a final time. I feel like I know Clare and I know Henry and it's hard to let them go. I think anyone who has read this and enjoyed it knows why this is so good, so moving and so enthralling, so complex and so moving. I also think that it can't possibly be explained to anyone who hasn't read it yet - it can only be recommended. And then at the same time, you're scared of recommending it because it's become a part of you you don't wish to share.

 

It's one of those books that leaves me wondering what to read next, because everything will just fall short. This is one of those books that's like a loving, intense relationship that changes you so much and is such an important part of your life and of you. When it ends, you're just not ready for anything quite like it because you're still convinced it doesn't exist, and if it does, you're not sure if you can handle it again. You need to breathe and learn to live without it even though it seems impossible. Anything that comes after will be a rebound. 

 

I feel as though this year, 2014, hasn't been a year of plenty, but definitely a year of quality. I've read amazing books that moved me and are hard to let go, that found a place inside of me, books I'll take everywhere. Books that make me feel and think differently and it's amazing. It's a breathtaking ride I'm on.

Edited September 28, 2014 by Alexander the Great

[Chrissy]

Great review of a great book. Your review had me nodding in agreement as I read it!

 

It is definitely one of those kind of books. So glad that you enjoyed it.

[Alexander the Great]

Great review! I'm so happy you enjoyed the novel   I was blown away by it on my first read, which was some years ago. I didn't think it would make a very good re-read, because I knew the plotline already, but I was wrong and it was really good on my second reading as well. We had a reading circle on the novel this January. In case you want to take a look at the thread, here's the link to it 

 

Thank you I'll be curious to re-read at some point, but I'm also scared. As a teenager, I had this book I loved so much on the first read and I kept putting it there as one of my favorite books. I re-read it when I was 22 and it was just awful and I didn't get what I liked about it the first time at all. I don't want that to happen again. But somehow I don't think it will with The Secret History. Thanks for the link as well!

 

Great review of a great book. Your review had me nodding in agreement as I read it!

 

It is definitely one of those kind of books. So glad that you enjoyed it.

 

Thank you for your kind words  This was really hard to write a review for - I kept wondering what I'd say. But once I had the first sentence in my head, the rest came out.

Have you got any recommendations? I've just started a book I don't expect to be mind-blowing - I often feel like I need that after something so intense, but it'd be great to be on the lookout for something more in the line of this quality.