bwl 68 - Spring 2013
Fiction
| Sebastian Barry - A Long Long Way
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| Maybe even better than his later The Secret Scripture (bwl 63) and On Canaan's Side (bwl 65) Irish Willie Dunne joins the British army in 1914. On leave from the trenches, he finds Dublin in turmoil over independence and his profound loyalties are shaken. His closest comrade is revealed as having betrayed his one sexual infidelity to his beloved. On one side life-saving camaraderie, on the other progressive loss of certainties, love, life. Heartbreaking but with the prefect poise of Greek tragedy. (Annabel Bedini)
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| Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451
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| A future of gigantic TV screens and constant entertainment; a conformist society where books are banned (and burned) for enabling people to think for themselves. And the story of the gradual awakening of a fireman to the value of the knowledge that he has destroyed. This love letter to literature is one of the greatest dystopian novels of all time, despite its brevity, and an essential read for all bibliophiles. (Kate Ellis)
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| Emily Brontë - Wuthering Heights
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| I have thoroughly enjoyed re-reading this after thirty years. I had forgotten how dark and desolate this story is. Romanticised by film, the Heathcliff and Catherine of the book are truly flawed - their passion and selfishness has huge and often fatal repercussions on the lives of those around them. The tragic events are driven by Heathcliff's cruel and violent revenge for his own mistreatment. Nasty but wonderful stuff in the bleakest of settings. (Rebecca Howell)
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| Sarah Crossan - The Weight of Water
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This is a "verse novel" that sensitively charts the experience of a Polish teenager arriving in this country to face a new life as her old life crumbles. This is not a showy novel that shouts at the reader, rather it is quietly compelling. This type of novel can seem a bit of a "fad", but in this instance it works and Kasienka's voice is completely convincing.
Carnegie shortlist 2013 (Ferelith Hordon)
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| Michael Faber - The Crimson Petal and the White
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| In the light of a previous review and the tv series, would just add that I loved all the elements of the Victorian novel, even the mad wife in the attic, and Faber's attention to detail. The initial caricatures became well rounded, convincingly flawed and memorable characters. The enigmatic ending reminded me of John Fowles's 'The French Lieutenant's Woman'. The pacey writing keeps the (824) pages turning. A good holiday read. (Denise Lewis)
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| Jonas Jonasson - The Hundred Year Old Man who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared
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| A laugh-out-loud romp through the twentieth century, the eponymous Allan Karlsson has a road movie adventure with a group of mis-fits. The story is told in the present with flash-backs of his life in which he has been innocently and non-politically associated with major World Leaders. (Chris Cozens)
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| Ismail Kadare - Broken April
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| Set in the highlands of Albania in the 1930s, Gjorg, trapped in a blood feud, lies in wait for the man he must kill. He knows his own life will end thirty days later because the ancient law of the Kanun demands it. A honeymoon couple visit the area. He views the Kanun objectively. She feels nothing but visceral horror at the endless chain of killings. A fleeting glimpse of Gjorg produces devastating consequences. The writing is powerfully stark and the ending fantastic. I loved it! (Denise Lewis)
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| Barbara Kingsolver - Flight Behaviour
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| Dellarobia - young, rebellious wife-mother-daughter-in-law - experiences an epiphany as she witnesses the extraordinary arrival of millions of Monarch butterflies on a remote Appalachian mountainside, their winter habitat in Mexico destroyed by logging. Life for her and her small God-fearing community becomes entwined in the fate of the butterflies as the world's media, sightseers and tourists descend and the temperature drops ever closer to freezing. Another winner from this practised weaver of tales. (Jenny Baker)
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| Nick Lake - In Darkness
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Dark, compelling, the reader crosses time, as a teenager - a gang member, no stranger to violence - lies in darkness, trapped underground after the Haitian earthquake. His review of his ghetto life becomes entwined with the story of Toussaint l'Ouverture and the liberation of the Haitian slaves. Friendship, betrayal and sacrifice but ultimately hope are at the heart of this story This is an incredibly powerful novel that demands to be read.
Carnegie shortlist 2013 (Ferelith Hordon)
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| Stephanie Meyer - Twilight
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| A teenage girl falls hopelessly in love with an immortal vampire trying to redeem himself - novelty is not this book's strength. It also lacks the complex characterisation and issues of identity and security present in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (a TV series but far superior). But its redeeming feature is its depiction of teenage angst and the damage that obsessive love can cause. A candyfloss Wuthering Heights for the 21st century, perhaps? (Kate Ellis)
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| Erin Morganstern - The Night Circus
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| Two people on the same day said: "You must read this". I did and was captivated by the magical world of Le Cirque des Rêves which suddenly is 'there' between sunset and sunrise. From the love affair between two characters caught in a mysterious contest to the amazing events and extraordinary people 'in' the circus, I wanted to be there wandering through the whiteness of the tents bewitched by every mind-blowing happening. I loved it. (Margaret Knott)
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| R J Palacio - Wonder
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What would it be like to be so disfigured that people either shun you or make fun of you? This is the predicament of the young protagonist in this novel. How he deals with it is both thought provoking and heart warming; and even though I found the "Pollyanna" element a little too much, this is a novel with a wide appeal across ages and interests.
Carnegie shortlist 2013 (Ferelith Hordon)
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| Dave Shelton - A Boy, a Bear and a Boat
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Unexpected, quirky and surreal, you need to read this to capture its unique flavour as the reader follows the boy on his voyage to . . . well, where? The bear seems to know - or does he? - he is the captain, after all. They have to face storms, a sea monster and a sandwich that glows - not to mention their own company; will they survive? You may have to make up your own mind.
Carnegie shortlist 2013 (Ferelith Hordon)
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| Jonathan Smith - Summer in February
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| This novel is based on the Edwardian artistic community that was set up in Newlyn and Lamorna, Cornwall, and revolves around the painters Harold and Laura Knight and Sir Alfred Munnings. Told from the viewpoint of Gilbert Evans the story covers unrequited love, tragedy, and wonderfully atmospheric descriptions. A great read, especially if you love Cornwall and have an interest in painting. A film has recently been made of the book, and is due out quite soon. (Mary Standing)
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| William Trevor - The Children of Dynmouth
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| Nothing much happens in the sleepy seaside town of Dynmouth. Or does it? Slowly and inexorably the narrative of intrigue and blackmail builds around a dysfunctional boy from the council estate and the respectable inhabitants whose secrets he knows. Intent on gathering props for an improbable sketch for the Summer Fete, Timothy calmly terrorises his victims and as the pages turn the reader is captured too. Has Trevor ever written a bad book? I don't think so. (Jenny Baker)
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| Niall Williams - Four Letters of Love
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| Nicholas and Isabel's lives evolve far apart - star-crossed lovers destined never to meet? Wait and see. This is a most engaging novel, hiding some interesting philosophical thoughts about destiny behind a teasing, nail-biting story. There is a bit too much magical whimsy for my tastes but Williams manages to carry it off. Yet another piece of lyrical, imaginative writing by an Irish author and highly enjoyable. (Annabel Bedini)
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Non-Fiction
| Denys Blakeway - The Queen's Story: The Woman Behind the Throne
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| This excellent biography was published to celebrate the Queen's 50th anniversary. So as we have just celebrated her 60th, it is fascinating to contrast the 'then' with the 'now'. As balanced and objective as possible in these media-dominated times, it offers an in-depth portrait of a remarkable woman, who despite her background and the realities and pressures of her public and private life, adapted with great fortitude to the demands of noblese oblige. (Kathie Somerwil Ayrton)
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| Katherine Boo - Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
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| Katherine Boo is a journalist who had written about poverty in the US and wanted to do the same in India - her husband is Indian. She spent three years in a Mumbai slum getting to know the residents - their choices, desires and frustrations. She documents the corruption in government, schools and charities, at the same time showing how some people try to get round such obstacles to their advancement. She does not ask for the reader's pity. (Christine Miller)
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| Artemis Cooper - Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure
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| This long-awaited biography has, apparently, transformed some anti-PLF'ers into fans. For me it has done the exact opposite. Freya Stark described him as "a Hellenistic lesser sea-god of a rather low period", Somerset Maugham as "a middle-class gigolo for upper-class women". 'Paddy' emerges as a man determined to live life on his own terms but on other people's money. Does this book spoil my appreciation of him as a writer? Sadly, the answer is 'yes'. (Jeremy Miller)
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| Guy Delisle - Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City
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| This graphic-novel is a memoir and travelogue of Delisle's year in Jerusalem with his partner (who works for Médecines sans Frontières) and their young children. Using simple, sensitive line drawings with astute often funny non-judgmental comments, he observes and records the population's complex daily lives with the ever-present wall, checkpoints, traffic jams, the settlements and the seemingly insoluble differences that afflict everyone whether Jew, Arab, Christian or Secularist. It left me feeling baffled but better informed. A stunning book. (Jenny Baker)
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| Matthew Dennison - The Last Princess: The Devoted Life of Queen Victoria's Youngest Daughter
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| An engrossing, revealing and politically worthwhile biography of Beatrice, the youngest of her children, destined by the Queen to be her helpmeet during her declining years. Victoria demanded complete submission while depending absolutely on her. Not intended for marriage, Beatrice met her fate in Prince Henry of Battenberg but they lived in the palace completely subservient to her mother. (If she had complied with the Queen's intentions, Victoria's haemophilic gene would not have passed to the royal house of Spain.) (Kathie Somerwil Ayrton)
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| Ranulph Fiennes - Mad Dogs and Englishmen:An Expedition Round my Family
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| Described by The Guinness Book of Records as 'the world's greatest living explorer', Fiennes has written a brilliant summary of English history interwoven with the extraordinary record of his ancestors starting with the great-to-the-power-of-thirty grandfather - who arrived with the Conqueror - right down to the present day. Unpretentiously and with a great deal of wry humour, he describes his various family members as good, bad and downright mad. Entertaining, extremely informative and clever. (Kathie Somerwil Ayrton)
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| Ben Goldacre - Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients
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| If you believe Western medicine is firmly developed along the line of evidence-based science, think again. This extended piece of investigative journalism reveals the comprehensive corruption of this ideal, to the point where selfish business interests seem so endemic, ingrained and even encouraged that it's almost a hopeless case. The author, a GP himself, does offer some basic fixes but in a world where money talks (and talks loudly at that) even these look optimistic. (Clive Yelf)
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| Duncan Hamilton - Provided You Don't Kiss Me: 20 years with Brian Clough
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| It was daunting for a rookie sport reporter on a local paper to suddenly find themself the main mouthpiece for Brian Clough, but what an opportunity! Volatile, opinionated and acerbic the supremely self-confident and successful Clough made few friends in the FA and the footballing establishment. With youth, enthusiasm and his partner Brian Taylor, Clough was an unstoppable force, but with their acrimonious split and his descent into alcoholism the tragic arc was sadly completed. (Clive Yelf)
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| Alan Rusbridger - Play it Again: An an Amateur Against the Impossible
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| Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian, started piano again in middle age; then on a course for amateurs he heard a fellow student play Chopin's first Ballade and challenged himself to learn this very difficult piece and perform it within a year. The book is the story of his battle with the Ballade interspersed with fascinating accounts of what was going on in his day job, such as Wikileaks and the phone hacking story. (David Truman)
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| Salman Rushdie - Joseph Anton: a Memoir
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| Rushdie never imagined his Satanic Verses would lead to nine years of incarceration with live-in armed Special Forces. This story of those years - the pseudonym from two favourite authors, Conrad and Chekhov - makes fascinating and horrifying reading. The British press disgustingly kicking one who's down, publishers and friends exhibiting great courage, Rushdie struggling to preserve his sense of self and regain his freedom. Disconcertingly many wives and much name-dropping but a truly extraordinary story, lucidly told. (Annabel Bedini)
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| Simon Schama - Landscape and Memory
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| In this fascinating book Schama writes about the great forests, mountains and rivers of the world and their importance through the aeons of time to myth, history, art and to us. His narrative prose and unashamedly colourful style create the impression of reading a novel while he weaves this huge tapestry of literary art. Beautifully illustrated, and over 600 pages, but definitely not a holiday read - it's so heavy you need iron wrists to lift it! (Denise Lewis)
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| Brian Sewell - Outsider ll: Always Almost: Never Quite
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| This is the second volume of Sewell's autobiography Outsider (see bwl 64), starting from leaving Christie's in 1967 and ending with a dissertation on old age and death. On the way in his usual frank and idiosyncratic style, he deals with his mother, his homosexual encounters, travels, Anthony Blunt, his dogs and of course his critical views on art, especially Renaissance drawings. His voice once heard gives an extra dimension to this unique account. (James Baker)
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| Matthew Street - West End Front: The Wartime Secrets of London's Grand Hotels
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| The incredible story of the goings-on in hotels like the Ritz, Dorchester, Claridge's and the Savoy in WW II involving those who worked and those who stayed there. Amongst other historically shocking facts, foreign personnel were marched without warning or justice out of the restaurants to be incarcerated behind barbed wire at Ascot racecouse. Based on the memories of first-hand witnesses and newly declassified government files, well-researched, scurrilous, fascinating and entertaining but humourous it is not. (Kathie Somerwil Ayrton)
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| Christian Wolmar - The Subterranean Railway: How the London Underground was Built and How it Changed the City Forever
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| As the only underground railway ever to employ steam trains, their recent re-emergence on the London Underground is a timely reminder (like this excellent book) of the age and history of this unique system. Whilst its complexity and seemingly arbitrary distribution of lines and stations reflect the speculative nature of competing Victorian entrepreneurs, later maps and distinctive logos reflect attempts to unify and reconcile this glorious patchwork of tunnels into the system we know today. (Clive Yelf)
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| Lindy Woodhead - Shoppng, Seduction and Mr. Selfridge: The True Story that Inspired the ITV Drama
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| An excellently researched and valuable social history based on the first and largest department store built in London's West End, which opened in 1909 in a burst of glorious and hitherto unknown publicity. That Selfridge was American might come as a surprise, and every page has more. The era of Edwardian England, the Great War, the roaring twenties, Selfridges was its glamorous centre. A captivating, ultimately tragic personal story, about the man who revolutionised the way we shop. (Kathie Somerwil Ayrton)
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| Feedback |
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| Just a note to say I found The Secret Life of Bees (bwl 14) a particularly beguiling recent read. (Margaret Teh)
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| The rather dubious 'what if...' type of historical fiction has become acceptable in our day as 'alternate history', of which Dominion (bwl 67) is a shining example of the informed and the visionary together with a consummate knowledge of the politics of the time. In a stroke of literary genius, within a half an hour the reader is transported from the documented historical to the realm of pure fancy, but firmly grounded, and kept that way, in the frame of historical reality and an indestructible sort of 'Britishness'. What if Britain had signed a nonaggression pact in May,1940? She could so easily have done so. Sansom shows with a chilling realism where we could all have been then. An obsessive read and a warning. (Kathie Somerwil Ayrton) |
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| Prompted by the review in bwl 67 I decided I must read To the End of the Land by the Israeli author David Grossman. It shines a light on what it must be like to be born and brought up in that part of the world where the prospect of death is a daily reality for people on both sides of the conflict, where it's impossible to close your eyes and get on with daily life and pretend that politics have nothing to do with you. The characters are as real as people you might know. You face Ora's pain, her love, guilt and joys as she leads the damaged Avram through their beautiful land, telling him about her sons, Adam and Ofer and gradually uncovering the shame and guilt over what happened all those years ago when he and Ilan made her draw lots. It's magnificent. (Jenny Baker)
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| Just read the latest edition and within five minutes had bought two books! Alan Rusbridger's 'Play it Again' (have always wished I could play Chopin's Ballade No. 1 but thought it far too difficult) and Salman Rushdie's 'Joseph Anton' (a favourite author and I remember reading about this ages ago but had forgotten all about it). So thank you bwl! (Denise Lewes) |
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