Poppy's Paperbacks 2011

[poppyshake]

Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most

 

When I read 'Northanger Abbey' I really related to Catherine Morland because I have a bit of a vivid imagination and am always getting into scrapes because of it. Also because, especially when younger, I was easily led astray and influenced by others. The one thing she didn't have (though I didn't used to, perhaps she's developed one to rival my own) that I have in abundance is a terrible temper .. it doesn't happen very often but when it does pheweeeeeeee .. I stomp about and slam doors and go out for walks in the rain without a coat on .... not in a romantic Marianne Dashwood type of way but in a terribly spoilt Catherine Earnshaw 'I will make myself ill and die and then you'll be sorry' sort of way .. luckily, nobody takes the slighest notice of it or me.

[poppyshake]

 

Phineas Finn : The Irish Member - Anthony Trollope

 

Waterstones Synopsis: The second of Trollope's Palliser novels tells of the career of a hot-blooded middle-class politician whose sexual energies bring him much success with women.

 

Review: I normally like Trollope's writing, but this one was just a bit too political for me, I found my mind wandering off and thinking about cake whenever there was a long passage about parliament or the elections. If I had been reading it, rather than listening to it, I think it would have stayed sitting on the side ignored for large periods of time.

 

Phineas's father want's him to be a lawyer and has sent him to London to study, but his heart is not really in it. In the course of his studies he meets a fellow Irishman and politician who convinces him to stand for parliament in the coming elections. This seems much more desirable to him than the law, but much less desirable to me .. surely the law wouldn't have been this tedious! The book is a whacking 700 odd pages long and a lot of it is taken up with lengthy discourses on the workings of parliament, elections and which minister is in which job (which seemed to be a game something like musical chairs.)

 

Luckily Trollope also excels at writing about romantic entanglements and Finn has his fair share of these so they sucked me back into the story (shallow I know!) He has a perfectly lovely sweetheart in pretty and loyal Irish girl Mary Flood Jones but his elevation in society takes him away from home and throws him into the path of more beautiful, intelligent, not to say influential, women like Lady Laura Standish, Violet Effingham and Madame Max Goesler and he's inclined to think, at one time or another, that he is in love with each of them or at least to think that he could do so much more in the world if he was married to them.

 

This leads to Trouble of course (with the proverbial capital,) with Finn causing bad feeling and heartache all over the place and going so far as to find himself obliged to fight a duel abroad. He's incredibly good natured and affable in the main and so, despite this little foible (of throwing himself at women and failing to see that he has a lovely girl patiently waiting back home,) you don't find yourself taking against him. You are just waiting for him to wake up. He's not in the least arrogant and his behaviour in general is right thinking although, in politics, as a newcomer, he is a little green behind the ears.

 

Written in Trollope's usual ironic style, the story is entertaining but has ploddingly dull bits.

 

Excellently read, as all of Trollope's books are, by Timothy West.

 

7/10

[poppyshake]

Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something

 

That would be 'Stuart : A Life Backwards' by Alexander Masters. I'm not the sort of person who will throw 'get a job' or 'you'll only spend it on drink/drugs' type comments at homeless people, I sometimes give money but it's random (you know, it depends on how I'm feeling and what change is left in my purse etc and, to my shame, it might depend on appearances .. I mean whether to me they really look homeless ) but I've never really thought about what might lead a person to be homeless or, once they are, how difficult it is to get themselves back into society (and how unappealing and hostile that society can be.) Reading this book opened my eyes to all sorts of issues that frankly made me uncomfortable.

We're all only four steps away at most, from becoming homeless, it could be caused by illness, divorce, debt, addiction, death of a loved one, violence in the home, nervous breakdown .. it's really easy to get there but hard as anything to get out again.

 

There's a piece in the book about a baker who, rather than let the homeless people eat them, would deliberately spoil his cakes, by spitting on them or whatever, before throwing them in the bin. Now I can understand that maybe he didn't like them hanging around his shop late at night but what sort of world do we live in when we would rather throw good food in a bin than give it to people who need it?. I've worked in coffee shops before and the amount of food waste was criminal, not only could it be used to feed the homeless but those on low incomes too.

 

I would find it difficult to sit and chat to someone I didn't know (and what's more hubby would kill me) but I am trying in small ways to do a little bit more .. like buying someone a hot drink or food etc and I do want to do more once I've figured out how I can help. There are a lot of homeless people here which shocked me when I moved in last year because the area is quite posh (perhaps that makes them even more visible) so I found the book pertinent and it answered a lot of my questions.

[bobblybear]

I have now added Gold by Dan Rhodes, and Stuart: A Life Backwards to my wishlist. Both sound like interesting reads.

[poppyshake]

I have now added Gold by Dan Rhodes, and Stuart: A Life Backwards to my wishlist. Both sound like interesting reads.

Hope you enjoy them Bobbly .. enjoy is perhaps not the right word for 'Stuart : A Life Backwards' though there is a lot of humour in it scattered amongst all the grimness. It's one of those books that you pick up and can't put down and that goes for 'Gold' too which is not just one of my favourite books but one of Frankie's too .. and she's never wrong

[poppyshake]

Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending

 

Everyone knows I'm incredibly dense when it comes to working out plot twists, so nearly all books with any kind of surprise ending or twist always catch me out completely and I don't read a lot of mystery novels so I'm not used to trying to work them out (though I had an excellent grounding with the Famous Five books ... never worked them out either.) I was surprised by the ending of 'Gold' by Dan Rhodes .. but then Alan has a completely different understanding of what happened than me and so now I'm not certain that I understood it correctly. 'The Little Stranger' by Sarah Waters was another one that left me confused because at first I didn't see there was a twist although the blurb on the back mentioned that there was one, and then, after someone else had given me a nudge (how many nudges do you need ) I did see it and it was like 'oh .. I see' J.K. Rowling is a writer who has led me down many a garden path, I hardly worked out any of her twists ahead of time which was part of the deliciousness of the Potter books.

[Hyzenthlay]

Hello! Just popping in - wow, you have many books on your lists. Thought I'd let you know that I'm stealing your 30 day book challenge that you stole from frankie. If it even can be stolen. Knowledge is the gift that multiplies when shared, and so on. :)Ty

[poppyshake]

Your welcome to it Jenny (does that make me guilty of passing on stolen goods? ) Hope you have fun with it.

It's given me a few knots in my head ... I'm terrible at remembering the book I read last week let alone all the book's I've ever read.

It'll give your brain a workout

[Easy Reader]

'The Little Stranger' by Sarah Waters was another one that left me confused because at first I didn't see there was a twist although the blurb on the back mentioned that there was one, and then, after someone else had given me a nudge (how many nudges do you need ) I did see it and it was like 'oh .. I see'

 

Yeah that was a strange "twist" and I have to say I felt a bit let down on that one.

[poppyshake]

Yeah that was a strange "twist" and I have to say I felt a bit let down on that one.

She didn't make it quite obvious enough, I felt like the twist would have been a good one if she had spelt it out more clearly at the end (it was all down to about one paragraph) but I think she prefers to be more ambiguous. I think she has said that there is no right or wrong interpretation which annoys me a bit because the point of a great suspense novel surely is to have a pay off for all those weird unexplained happenings otherwise we're all left high and dry which is pointless.

I loved it up until the ending and once I'd figured out an ending I was happy again but I needed it spelt out for me and that's not enjoyable.

 

It's the ending that has made my brains ache the most though definitely

[poppyshake]

These next two were from the 1001 list and as such I was expecting more from them, they weren't terrible or anything, they were ok reads but nothing particularly special and I felt disconnected from the characters, like I was watching the events from a distance.

 

 

Gabriel's Gift - Hanif Kureishi

 

Waterstones Synopsis: The protagonist of this novel is a 15-year-old North London schoolboy called Gabriel. He is forced to come to terms with a new life, and use his gift for painting in order to make sense of his world, once the equilibrium of the family has been shattered by his father's departure.

 

Review: This was marginally the better of the two, being a little less depressing and with more humour (I say more, there wasn't any in the following book.) It's the story of fifteen year old Gabriel and his dysfunctional parents who have lately split. Gabriel is finding it tough coping with the break up but finds that his talent for drawing and art along with spiritual help from his twin, who had died when young, help him to get perspective. At the beginning I thought I was in for a treat, Gabriel has a rare imagination which looked as if it could take flight at any minute but it didn't really seem to get off the ground. The parents were, to me, unbelievable, they seemed little more than clichés (aging rocker dad and fashion designer mum both hankering for the return of the good old days.)

Perhaps it was because it's on the list that I expected it to make me sit up and take notice, but the more I got into it the more it seemed to plod along. There were bits and pieces that I liked, I liked the depiction of lumpy foreign au pair Hanna ('whose only qualification with children was the possibility that she might once have been a child herself') because she provided most of the comedy and I could visualise her and I thought it began well but all in all it just seemed like a book that didn't quite work, like a catherine wheel that looks all promising when it whirls around and around and then stops dead and just fizzes

 

7/10

 

 

Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho

 

Amazon Synopsis: "On 11 November 1997, Veronika decided that the moment to kill herself had--at last!--arrived": so begins Paulo Coelho's extraordinary new novel, Veronika Decides to Die.Translated from the Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa, Veronika Decides to Die is a compelling story of a woman's struggle with and against life, told with Coelho's wit, subtlety and economy. On the track of whatever it is that makes life worth living, Coelho plots Veronika's fate with infinite care, weaving the mystery of her decision to take her own life into the themes of national identity--Veronika is a citizen of Slovenia, "that strange country that no one seemed quite able to place"--and madness. Veronika does not die; instead, she wakes up in Villette--the "famous and much-feared lunatic asylum"--only to be told that, having damaged her heart irreparably, she has just a few days to live. What she faces now is a waiting game and the strange world of Villette: the rules and regulations which govern the lives of its inmates and the doctors who treat them. Coelho's question may be a familiar one: crudely, who, or what, is mad? But his fiction is a remarkable, sometimes chilling, response to it. "Everyone has an unusual story to tell" is the starting-point of the new treatment initiated at Villette by the enigmatic Dr Igor; it's also the insight from which this book takes off to explore the impact of a "slow, irreparable death" on a young woman and the mad men and women around her.

 

Review: Again this one just didn't seem to catch fire for me and perhaps because the subject matter is fairly depressing I didn't find it an easy read, it certainly wasn't life enhancing as the book blurb said it would be. The premise is an interesting one, Veronika decides to take her own life and swallows a lot of pills, she doesn't die however but is told that she will soon as her heart is irreversibly damaged. In the meantime she will live out the rest of her days (perhaps a week to ten days) in Villette the local lunatic asylum. The problem here was that I never could quite get a handle on Veronika, she always seemed several paces removed from me. The book is supposed to show her re-evaluating life and finding the value in it but if she did she didn't relay any of it to me. It didn't inspire me to seize the day at all, in fact I was at one point rather hoping (though the amount of pages left indicated that my hopes were futile) that Veronika's date with death might be moved forward a few days in order to put her and me out of our misery. The other characters seemed a bit flat too. I could see how the story could be a good one, and at times I found it interesting, I liked the ending for instance (and not just because it was the ending )but I think I'm a bit ambivalent towards Coelho's writing style, this is the second book of his I've read (thanks to the 1001) and I'm not encouraged to try more. His books leave me feeling flat.

 

7/10

[poppyshake]

Day 28 – Favourite title

 

I like books with interesting titles and my favourite is probably 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time' because, with a title like that, how could you not want to read it? Now chances are, with such a great title, the book will turn out to be rubbish .. but thankfully in this case it wasn't, it was great

 

Other's that I like are ...

'Let's Kill Uncle'

'Little Hands Clapping'

'We Have Always Lived in the Castle'

'Howards End is on the Landing'

'A Hat Full of Sky'

'The Well of Lost Plots'

'The End of Mr Y'

'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'

'The Earth Hums in B Flat'

'The Castle of Crossed Destinies'

'Skippy Dies'

[frankie]

Re: Gold by Dan Rhodes.

 

It's one of those books that you pick up and can't put down and that goes for 'Gold' too which is not just one of my favourite books but one of Frankie's too .. and she's never wrong

 

I'd also like to drag tunn300's name in the mud too What a marvellous book, it's on my 'have already read but want to buy for myself so can re-read time and a time again!' -list

 

So much to comment on! So many great reviews again, and so many interesting answers in the Books list... It'll take me forever to reply!

 

I love Sally Phillips, she's lately been in the comedy series 'Miranda' and she's just fantastic in it .. look out for it if it comes your way.

I will, thanks for the tip!

 

You need to see 'Blackadder', especially series 2 and 3 ... practically everyone who was anyone in British comedy at that time is in them. I know what you mean about 'Little Britain', we've all seen the episodes so many times .. it does get a bit stale but I do like Matt and David.

 

I have been planning on watching Blackadder right from the beginning, but I know it'll take a lot of time so haven't made any advanced on it yet. This series was discussed to lengths in The Fry Chronicles, where I got my inspiration to watch it. Poor Fry with his green, envious feelings towards the talent of Rik Mayall.

 

I do like Matt and David too, they're sweethearts! And the other one is rather handsome, can't remember which one, namewise.

 

Oooh and another British favorite of mine: Peep Show! I have this huge thing for David Mitchell... When I saw Cloud Atlas one time at the library, I looked at the author and thought, oh my word, is David Mitchell, the talented and charming man who playes Mark Corrigan also an author?! I was so bummed when I found out there's another David Mitchell in the world, who wrote the books, and not my David Mitchell... Still fancy him though.

 

They religiously put on another Austen adaptation every year (or it seems like it) as if Jane or Dickens are the only writers worth adapting. They have branched out a bit lately and done 'The Suspicions of Mr Whicher', 'South Riding' and 'The Crimson Petal & the White' and I think we've got an adaptation of Sarah Waters 'The Night Watch' coming soon so I guess you can't be greedy.

 

Thank goodness they realised at some point that Elizabeth Gaskell's novels are worth adapting as well! Cranford was absolutely brilliant, and a breath of fresh air after seeing the same old series time and a time again. I'd love to see The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, but need to read the book first. And I definitely want to watch anything by Sarah Waters.

 

Yes, I wasn't keen on Colin in 'Fever Pitch' but I did love him in 'Nanny McPhee', 'The Kings Speech' and 'Bridget Jones' (I thought the whole movie was just fantastic although Sally Phillips was underused in it ... I didn't like the book much though weirdly.)

 

I did see Nanny McPhee but that was ages ago and can't remember anything about it, didn't even remember Firth is in it. I haven't seen The King's Speech and I don't know if I'll ever watch it, I'm rather tired of hearing about it, all the hype you know.... But he was brilliant in Bridget Jones. And yes, Sally Phillips was definitely underused in it. Too bad you didn't enjoy the book, I love it and re-read it every now and then. I own the two books both in Finnish and in English, which says a lot about how much I love them.

 

Yes, but as they say there's a reason why cheddar cheese is so popular (or is it valio oltermanni? ) .. it's because it's wonderful. Maybe it is her most accessible novel .. and the whole plotline with the five sisters is just so engaging. Lizzie is probably the most admirable of Austen heroine's because she's clever and witty, she's good but not a saint, she doesn't suffer fools, she knows her own mind, she's handsome but not the beauty, .. and I mustn't forget those fine eyes She has the most energy and spark of all the Austen heroines.

There was nobody to bond with was there?, nobody to like. I thought Lady Bertram's pug had the most character of anyone.

 

Valio Oltermanni Thanks for that, it gave me a very hearty giggle! Yes Lizzie would be intolerable, I suppose, (hehe!), if she were all good. I like it that she makes mistakes and isn't without fault, but she does have the courage to confess to being wrong. She's very feisty. And Jennifer Ehle is simply superb.

 

Yes but Lady Bertram's pug was underused, just like Phillips in BJ!

Sydney is a definite hero but truth to tell I haven't read 'A Tale of Two Cities' I know the story well from adaptations and abridged audio's but I've never read it in it's entirety so couldn't include him. I have the book on my shelf but Janet pointed out to me that it's abridged and sure enough when I looked at the back it is (it's a Puffin classic) .. I need to get a full copy and soon.

 

Blimey, you've not yet read AtoTC?! Holy heck. Well, you'll get to it eventually. Just let me warn you: it's slow going for the first 100 pages or so, and I thought I'd never finish it, but then it gets going.

Edited May 24, 2011 by frankie

[frankie]

They are stretching it the teensiest bit to call it a memoir, it's a fictional story but it is said to be semi auto-biographical and there are striking similarities between the Radlett family and the Mitfords so I guess that's why they've put it under that heading. It is on my 1001 but has since been deleted I think. I hope you like it, not everybody does, it is a bit marmite .. if you love it, it was my recommendation, if you hate it, then it's the fault of 501 books

 

I don't mind them streching it, it sounds good anyhow! I'll blame you no matter what the outcome And have I told you, I didn't like Vegemite when I tried it in Australia, I think it's the Aussie equivalent of Marmite So if it's anything like that, you're in big trouble, missy!

 

Thanks Frankie, I could say exactly the same for you and Kylie, and I like it cos I love to have books buzzing in my head. I've got lots on my Goodreads to read list which Alan thinks is mad but I like to have books to look forward to .. they're all on bookshelves in my head .. and one day they'll materialise and go on my actual bookshelves.

 

I'm very happy that it works both ways, because how unfair would it be if I were the only one spending all their money on recommendations?!

 

Here's a case in point, I would never have picked up 'The Polysyllabic Spree' if I hadn't read your review ... I didn't even know of it's existence. I loved it and thanks to Nick, and therefore you, I read Stuart : A Life backwards which I loved also. I did know about the drama, but I didn't see it (I think it was on a while ago now). Benedict Cumberbatch plays Alexander (the writer) and he's someone who's very popular here after being sensational as Sherlock Holmes recently. I expect it'll be good. But what a dilemma, to watch it before you've read the book. I've already put it on my LoveFilm list .. I doubt it'll be as good but I'm sure it'll be worth a watch.

 

I think my review was only a couple of sentences long?! And don't worry, I did plan to Stuart before watching the movie. I did manage to record it, thankfully! Happy times ahead

 

I've now taken a look at the pics you posted about your favorite books (and yes I think they're yours too ) and I was astounded. Such pretty books!! I love antique hardcovers but don't own many of them, and especially not in English, which upsets me so. Such treasures, poppyshake

 

Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most

 

When I read 'Northanger Abbey' I really related to Catherine Morland because I have a bit of a vivid imagination and am always getting into scrapes because of it. Also because, especially when younger, I was easily led astray and influenced by others. The one thing she didn't have (though I didn't used to, perhaps she's developed one to rival my own) that I have in abundance is a terrible temper .. it doesn't happen very often but when it does pheweeeeeeee .. I stomp about and slam doors and go out for walks in the rain without a coat on .... not in a romantic Marianne Dashwood type of way but in a terribly spoilt Catherine Earnshaw 'I will make myself ill and die and then you'll be sorry' sort of way .. luckily, nobody takes the slighest notice of it or me.

 

 

For some reason I just can't picture you having a real, serious temper tantrum! You seem much too well humoured for that.

 

Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something

That would be 'Stuart : A Life Backwards' by Alexander Masters.

 

Reading your thoughts on this made me think of another book that might get the same reaction from you: Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor. I haven't read it myself but I read a great review on it here on the forum, can't remember by whom, though... I added it to my wishlist.

Edited May 24, 2011 by frankie

[Kylie]

I wish Nancy Mitford's books were more widely read.

 

I'm doing my bit! Well, I will be eventually. I saw a sort of Nancy Mitford omnibus in a bookshop yesterday. I very nearly bought it but it was a bit old and kind of stiff to open. I can't remember which stories were in it, but I'm absolutely certain they weren't the three that I already own (twice ).

 

The one thing she didn't have (though I didn't used to, perhaps she's developed one to rival my own) that I have in abundance is a terrible temper .. it doesn't happen very often but when it does pheweeeeeeee .. I stomp about and slam doors and go out for walks in the rain without a coat on .... not in a romantic Marianne Dashwood type of way but in a terribly spoilt Catherine Earnshaw 'I will make myself ill and die and then you'll be sorry' sort of way .. luckily, nobody takes the slighest notice of it or me.

 

 

Stuart... and Veronika Decides to Die both sound interesting but a bit too depressing for me at the moment. I'll give Paulo Coelho just one more chance to impress me (one more than he deserves), and I think this is the book that will have to do it.

 

It's one of those books that you pick up and can't put down and that goes for 'Gold' too which is not just one of my favourite books but one of Frankie's too .. and she's never wrong

 

Weeeeellll, I don't like to contradict you and Frankie, because you both usually have such awesome taste in books, but I think you were both perhaps a little wrong with MB (I'm too scared to spell it out in case I get you both started again!)

Edited May 24, 2011 by Kylie

[frankie]

Weeeeellll, I don't like to contradict you and Frankie, because you both usually have such awesome taste in books, but I think you were both perhaps a little wrong with MB (I'm too scared to spell it out in case I get you both started again!)

 

WTF.

 

Edit: Madame Bovary!!!

 

Edited May 24, 2011 by frankie

[Kylie]

Let the records show that Frankie mentioned the name of the book, not me!

 

I take no responsibility for any ranting that ensues.

[poppyshake]

I predict a riot :mrgreen:

 

I couldn't read Madame Bovary again Kylie, even to please you though it pains me to say it. I'm not saying never, who knows what the reading material will be like in the next world?. But it would only worry my family because last time I read it they had to keep shaking me to wake me from a self induced coma to check that I wasn't dead

 

You may be right Kylie, I'm sure you are because you have brilliant taste and millions of people agree with you but to paraphrase Tigger this book wasn't 'what Poppyshakes like best'

[poppyshake]

 

Love In a Cold Climate - Nancy Mitford

 

Waterstones Synopsis: 'How lovely - green velvet and silver. I call that a dream, so soft and delicious, too.' She rubbed a fold of the skirt against her cheek. 'Mine's silver lame, it smells like a bird cage when it gets hot but I do love it. Aren't you thankful evening skirts are long again?' Ah, the dresses! But oh, the monotony of the Season, with its endless run of glittering balls. Even fabulously fashionable Polly Hampton - with her startling good looks and excellent social connections - is beginning to wilt under the glare. Groomed for the perfect marriage by her mother, fearsome Lady Montdore, Polly instead scandalises society by making a very shocking choice.

 

Review: This is the sequel to 'The Pursuit of Love' but it actually follows the same timescale and has the same narrator, Fanny Logan, but here we see what she was up to when she wasn't staying with her cousin Linda Radlett (and all the events that took place in 'The Pursuit of Love' murmur along in the background here.) In particular it focuses on Fanny's visits to Hampton where she stays with the terrifying Lady Montdore, Lord Montdore and their lovely daughter Polly who is the same age as Fanny and, apart from Linda, her closest friend. Polly is the beauty of her age and her parents have the highest hopes of her making a good match, but there's something wrong. Polly is not one bit interested in any of the young men they have so far thrown at her. Lady Montdore in particular is simmering with ill concealed rage and disappointment, she cannot understand why Polly is so cold. Polly is perhaps one of the few people not intimidated by her mother, she knows her own mind and she's determined not to be brow beaten. They are only lately returned from India where they have governed for the last five years and it's Lady Montdore's idea to have Fanny to stay in the hope that she might have influence with Polly but Fanny is at a loss to put her finger on exactly what lies behind Polly's disinterestedness.

 

No, but what I really want to know about coming-out here is what about love? Are they always having love affairs the whole time? Is it their one and only topic of conversation?' I was obliged to admit that this was the case. 'Oh, bother, I felt sure, really, you would say that - it was so in India, of course, but I thought perhaps in a cold climate ....'

 

After the death of her aunt, Polly makes a surprise announcement which sends shockwaves through Hampton and puts her mother and father in a spin. I can't say too much more without spoiling the plot (and indeed I had to edit the synopsis as it gave away the main twist of the story and whatever you do don't read the book blurb) but not only does it have far reaching consequences for Polly herself it leads to events that completely transform the life of Lady Montdore and, at the same time, introduces us to the wonderful Cedric Hampton (who, though they've never seen him, is heir to Hampton, it being entailed away from the female line.) Cedric is summoned to come and stay at Hampton and as he hails from Canada they are expecting a rather hale and hearty lumberjack type rustic but what they find is something quite different ... 'a glitter of blue and gold crossed the parquet, and a human dragon-fly was kneeling on the fur rug in front of the Montdores, one long white hand extended towards each. He was a tall thin young man, supple as a girl, dressed in a rather bright blue suit; his hair was the gold of a brass bed knob, and his insect appearance came from the fact that the upper part of the face was concealed by blue goggles set in gold rims quite an inch thick.'

Although I love it nearly as much as I do 'The Pursuit of Love' it has a very slow start (with the introduction of the new characters and their genealogy etc) and there is also a slight absence of Radlett's which to my mind is shameful (though they are still there sporadically.) Nevertheless the character of Lady Montdore is a triumph, she's hilariously awful (one of literature's great comic creations) whilst pretending to be benevolence itself ... 'Ever since she was born, you know, I've worried and fussed over that child, and thought of the awful things that might happen to her - that Montdore might die before she was settled and we should have no proper home, that her looks would go (too beautiful at fourteen I feared), or that she would have an accident and spend the rest of her days in a spinal chair - all sorts of things, I used to wake up in the night and imagine them, but the one thing that never even crossed my mind was that she might end up an old maid.' but rather like Uncle Matthew in 'The Pursuit of Love' you can't hate her ... not entirely.

 

A lovely gossipy, bitter-sweet read.

 

9/10

[poppyshake]

I have been planning on watching Blackadder right from the beginning, but I know it'll take a lot of time so haven't made any advanced on it yet. This series was discussed to lengths in The Fry Chronicles, where I got my inspiration to watch it. Poor Fry with his green, envious feelings towards the talent of Rik Mayall.

You'll love it I'm sure Frankie, it was just hilarious and it's dated well. I watched some the other day and was laughing again like a drain

 

I do like Matt and David too, they're sweethearts! And the other one is rather handsome, can't remember which one, namewise.

That'll be David .. you couldn't call Matt handsome but he is cute (especially as Tweedle Dee/Tweedle Dum in 'Alice in Wonderland')

Oooh and another British favorite of mine: Peep Show! I have this huge thing for David Mitchell... When I saw Cloud Atlas one time at the library, I looked at the author and thought, oh my word, is David Mitchell, the talented and charming man who playes Mark Corrigan also an author?! I was so bummed when I found out there's another David Mitchell in the world, who wrote the books, and not my David Mitchell... Still fancy him though.

Don't get me started on David Mitchell .. I think he's not only a comedy genius but he's probably the most intelligent guy ever .. his intellect scares the life out of me .. whenever I see him on TV panel shows he is just so razor sharp and on it .. but yes 'Peep Show' is hilarious.

I used to think he was the author too .. and it wouldn't have surprised me one bit.

But have you seen Robert Webb doing 'Flashdance' for 'Let's Dance for Comic Relief'?.. really it was just the most stunning thing ever .. if you haven't seen it you must 'You Tube' it (and try and see the one where he does an introduction.) I have to watch it at least once a month, always with my mouth wide open.

Thank goodness they realised at some point that Elizabeth Gaskell's novels are worth adapting as well! Cranford was absolutely brilliant, and a breath of fresh air after seeing the same old series time and a time again. I'd love to see The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, but need to read the book first. And I definitely want to watch anything by Sarah Waters.

Yes I loved 'Cranford' too and also Gaskell's 'Wives & Daughters'. I'm really looking forward to 'Night Watch' because it's got two of my favourite actresses in it ... Anna Maxwell Martin (who has played lot's of drama leads including Esther in 'Bleak House' and 'N' in Poppy Shakespeare ) and Claire Foy who was so lovely as 'Little Dorrit'

I did see Nanny McPhee but that was ages ago and can't remember anything about it, didn't even remember Firth is in it. I haven't seen The King's Speech and I don't know if I'll ever watch it, I'm rather tired of hearing about it, all the hype you know.... But he was brilliant in Bridget Jones. And yes, Sally Phillips was definitely underused in it. Too bad you didn't enjoy the book, I love it and re-read it every now and then. I own the two books both in Finnish and in English, which says a lot about how much I love them.

You'll have to check Colin out again in 'Nanny McPhee' (if it comes on your TV) .. he was just so lovely in it. I don't know why I didn't enjoy BJ the book .. I read it after the film I think and as such probably wanted it to follow the film more (which is odd because it's usually the other way around.)

Valio Oltermanni Thanks for that, it gave me a very hearty giggle! Yes Lizzie would be intolerable, I suppose, (hehe!), if she were all good. I like it that she makes mistakes and isn't without fault, but she does have the courage to confess to being wrong. She's very feisty. And Jennifer Ehle is simply superb.

Again, I love, love, love Jennifer Ehle's Elizabeth Bennett .. we don't see Jennifer enough, weirdly she was in 'The Kings Speech' with Colin but playing an Australian!! .. and only the tiniest of parts. I'd love to see her in more stuff.

 

Blimey, you've not yet read AtoTC?! Holy heck. Well, you'll get to it eventually. Just let me warn you: it's slow going for the first 100 pages or so, and I thought I'd never finish it, but then it gets going.

I know .. take the shame You kind of expect a slow start with Dickens, there's always a lot of rambling on at the beginning. I'll bear it in mind though and it'll help me turn pages

[poppyshake]

I don't mind them streching it, it sounds good anyhow! I'll blame you no matter what the outcome And have I told you, I didn't like Vegemite when I tried it in Australia, I think it's the Aussie equivalent of Marmite So if it's anything like that, you're in big trouble, missy!

Yes Marmite/Vegemite are the same thing .. and I can't stand either .. and it's not anything like that, it's like *fingers crossed and hoping* a lovely double coated tim tam

 

I'm very happy that it works both ways, because how unfair would it be if I were the only one spending all their money on recommendations?!

It would be quite unfair but cheap for the rest of us however, I can't do without books or book recommendations. I bought an Anne Tyler book today from a charity shop, it was on my wishlist anyway but I know you said Liisa really rated her so that made it more appealing (God, even your friends are spending my money )

I think my review was only a couple of sentences long?! And don't worry, I did plan to Stuart before watching the movie. I did manage to record it, thankfully! Happy times ahead

Wise move Hope you enjoy both the book and the movie.

For some reason I just can't picture you having a real, serious temper tantrum! You seem much too well humoured for that.

I shouldn't have let on really, I've spoiled my 'Pollyanna' image It's rare .. but when the red mist comes down .. run for the hills!

Reading your thoughts on this made me think of another book that might get the same reaction from you: Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor. I haven't read it myself but I read a great review on it here on the forum, can't remember by whom, though... I added it to my wishlist.

I've just looked it up ... it seems like the kind of book I'd go for and I like to read books on similar subjects to those I've enjoyed (though this one is a novel so it'll be a different take on it.) Thanks for pointing it out to me Frankie

[poppyshake]

I'm doing my bit! Well, I will be eventually. I saw a sort of Nancy Mitford omnibus in a bookshop yesterday. I very nearly bought it but it was a bit old and kind of stiff to open. I can't remember which stories were in it, but I'm absolutely certain they weren't the three that I already own (twice ).

Bless you I know you are I should actually take my own advice because there are several Nancy stories I haven't read yet

Stuart... and Veronika Decides to Die both sound interesting but a bit too depressing for me at the moment. I'll give Paulo Coelho just one more chance to impress me (one more than he deserves), and I think this is the book that will have to do it.

I don't think I'm going to try him again, the only other one in the pipeline was 'The Alchemist' and just a couple of words from Frankie put paid to me even looking for it. He had his chance and he muffed it

Weeeeellll, I don't like to contradict you and Frankie, because you both usually have such awesome taste in books, but I think you were both perhaps a little wrong with MB (I'm too scared to spell it out in case I get you both started again!)

How very dare you

[poppyshake]

Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked

This is a chance for Kylie to get her own back on me the book that comes to mind is 'How I Live Now' by Meg Rosoff *ducks and waits for missiles*. I can see why other people didn't like it (the main character Daisy was not necessarily likeable, the plot was far fetched and at times unconvincing) but for all that I enjoyed it and got quite caught up in it. The writing style didn't annoy me but that was probably because I heard it being read so didn't notice any of the quirks or punctuation problems. It felt a bit like a slightly grown up Enid Blyton story except one that turned sinister. You have to suspend a lot of disbelief but once I'd done that I was fine with it.

[Kylie]

Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked

This is a chance for Kylie to get her own back on me the book that comes to mind is 'How I Live Now' by Meg Rosoff *ducks and waits for missiles*. I can see why other people didn't like it (the main character Daisy was not necessarily likeable, the plot was far fetched and at times unconvincing) but for all that I enjoyed it and got quite caught up in it. The writing style didn't annoy me but that was probably because I heard it being read so didn't notice any of the quirks or punctuation problems. It felt a bit like a slightly grown up Enid Blyton story except one that turned sinister. You have to suspend a lot of disbelief but once I'd done that I was fine with it.

 

Oh no, Poppy! Nooooo!

 

Say it ain't so!

Edited May 25, 2011 by Kylie

[poppyshake]

I'm afraid it is Kylie