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114 substack.com - This might not qualify for inclusion, because it's not a book, but it's wonderful reading, often about books, and often by the geniuses who write them. It's online, and the choices are endless. I subscribe to George Saunders, Margaret Atwood, and Ted Gioia, all top authors. The historian Dan Jones has a nice substack. Jessica Butcher on day-to-day things. Their weekly essays are wonderful. Okay, I have one as well, The Daily Diamond. Poke around and choose what you like. My favorite is Saunders, who conducts a weekly workshop on how to write. (Herb Roselle)
 
 
113 When bwl started up I jokingly predicted that it would soon fizzle out as we would all be so busy reading each others' recommendations we wouldn't have time for anything new. I'm delighted to have been proved very wrong (!) but have actually fallen into this trap myself. All I can do is endorse enthusiastically two recent reviews: Colin Thubron's Shadow of the Silk Road and Tim Garton Ash's Homelands. In their very different ways both exceptionally interesting reads. Thank you reviewers! Annabel
 
 
112 Glancing at the now considerable bwl back catalogue I was struck by the almost complete absence of Flashman novels by George Macdonald Fraser. The stories are action packed and an education in the history of imperial and other conflict in which Victorian England engaged. The author has done considerable research into an extraordinary and extravagant period of our history but it’s all so entertainingly depicted that the education imparted is painless. And it’s all weaved around (and by) the fictional Flashman, one of the most engagingly cynical and unscrupulous villains in literature. The narratives bowl along without the confusing time shifts and cries of emotional victimhood too often evident in much recent fiction. (Tony Pratt)
 
 
110 ‘In Memoriam’ (fiction bwl 109) kept me reading and vividly depicted the transformation from privileged public schoolboys, absorbed in their own relationships, to the sacrificial officer class in the trenches of the First World War. The war was a traumatic episode in our national life, its ramifications felt throughout the century which has followed but for me, though, the whole subject has been just too thoroughly worked over. It started with the memoirs of Graves, Sassoon and others and has carried on with innumerable novels, plays and feature films. I finished the novel thinking that, for all its merits, it told me nothing I hadn’t already heard already. Am I alone in thinking that The War has become a literary cliché from which we need a rest?  (Tony Pratt)  
 
 
110 Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favourite living north American writers, also an environmental activist and a progressive thinker/supporter of social change. I was just reading her autobiography on her website and it makes me happy to think she exists in our world, now. ( I might be a wee bit envious but she deserves admiration more than anything else!) I totally recommend her latest book - Demon Copperhead, bwl 108 (amongst several others) but this one I'm loving on Audible. At first the strong accent put me off but now I love it. It’s breaking my heart but I’m also flabbergasted at how we can learn and reflect about our world through the art of storytelling. (Sally Guttierez Diaz)
 
 
110 I share Victoria Grey-Edwards enthusiasm (bwl 14) for Patricia Highsmith’s ‘The Talented Mr Ripley,’ a book which draws you into the amoral and-self absorbed central character as his faults lead him into committing unspeakable acts. One thing leads to another and the author’s great trick is to have you on tenterhooks as you find yourself rooting for a villain. Written nearly seventy years ago, the novel wears well. (Tony Pratt)
 
 
108 Just finished Lily (Rose Tremain) and checked it on bwl - 103 and 104. What contrasting views and how interesting. Personally I’m on Team Jenny here! (Sue Pratt).
 
 
105 Just finished reading Ai Wei Wei's One Thousand Years of Joys and Sorrow, which I reviewed last time. A totally engrossing documentation of life and times of a significant contemporary artist, now living in exile in Cambridge. Detached irrevocably from his roots in China, a political refugee so to speak. Brilliantly translated and very readable. Other readers may have seen his exhibitions at the Tate Modern, pre-pandemic. I have seen a major exhibition of his works, drawings, installations and ceramics in Melbourne about 4 years ago. (Margaret Teh)
 
 
103 Reading some old Feedbacks I came across ones by Jenny Baker and Annabel Bedini in bwl 94 raising the question of popular authors who have never had a review in bwl. I have noticed this about Ken Follett, who is a hugely popular author in some countries and translated into numerous languages. Born in Wales and now in his seventies, he has written several very successful historical novels featuring love, sex, violence and espionage in lavish quantities. Probably the best known is The Pillars of the Earth, a thousand odd pages long and a real page turner, as are all his books. Not for the faint hearted, but I would say they are definitely worth a try. (Wendy Swann)
 
 
103 And there's never been an Ian Rankin, Milan Kundera, Mario Vargos Llogas or John Grisham never mind Somerset Maughan or William Golding. I wonder why? Who else have we passed by? - food for Feedback next time! (Jenny B)
 
 
103 I was amused to discover that I am in a minority of one on the question of pinching real people for fictional purposes. I take all the points made (though I would shyly point out, Sharron Calkins, that I'm not really talking about classic plagiarism) but I still think it's cheeky - even somewhat arrogant - particularly if the person is only recently dead and there are people who remember them as they really were. I would agree with Jenny, that there's no problem if the author acknowledges his/her source. How about 'I am grateful to X for providing me with inspiration for my character Y'. I'd be happy with that! (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
102 I am tempted to pan recent releases for their overriding depressing dystopian tone. Even delivered in beautiful prose, novels need to contain some element of hope or redemption. If not, they may just as well be reports from the police and the domestic violence section of daily newspapers. (Margaret Teh)
 
 
102 I totally agree with everything Tony Pratt said about Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. It's one of those books that remain in the mind for months and I'm still amazed about how he managed to make me feel I knew and cared about a ROBOT! (Denise Lewis)
 
 
102 In the last bwl, Annabel Bedinia posed a question. Is it legitimate or even ethical for an author to base a fictional character on a real person and their life? Having just read David Grossman's More Than I Love my Life which is based on the real life story of Eva Panić Nahir my answer would be there is no dilemma when, as in this case, the author acknowledges his source which presumably neither Archer or West did. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
102 An interesting question that Annabel poses - but I disagree with her completely! There have been a lot of columns on a similar theme in the Times/Sunday Times recently, you've probably seen them. Also crops up with artists of all kinds, but I just think all are influenced and inspired by other people and experiences, often subconsciously (but not always!) and true originality is actually quite rare. To give a personal example - when we lived in Blakesley there was a writer - the village had several - and she wrote a series of novels about village life. She had lived in two local villages and always told one lot of villagers that her characters were based on the other village! We were very amused that for a posh family in 'the big house' she chose the name Standing, we of course being just peasant in-comers! It was always obvious who the characters were in fact loosely based on and then embellished. (Mary Standing)
 
 
102 Thinking about Annabel's question as to whether authors should take " real" people as characters for a novel, while I don't like it myself particularly - I prefer when the story is told by an "unknown" or minor character and the real feature but are seen through other eyes. - I don't think it is cheating as such. It can be exciting and open doors. (Ferelith Hordon)
 
 
102 It seems to me that the fourth estate has already purloined the life stories of such figures as Annabel mentions and sometimes indeed created them! Sadly there is salacious interest in the lives of prominent figures, witness The Crown, which I refuse to watch on Netflix in spite of the praise heaped on it from all quarters. I was on the other hand, fascinated by the mini series based on the Jeremy Thorpe scandal and also the one about the Profumo affair, which in fact tried to flesh out and elicit sympathy for Christine Keeler. The other more serious angle for me is that Teresa Gorman was my daughter's Godmother, and so I have had an unusual exposure to prominent figures and their lives. They relish the attention, I suppose I would conclude. Thank you for including me in the discourse Jenny. It makes your wonderful bookswelike more of a real book club. We might all be sitting round the fire, instead of floating in the ether. And thanks Annabel, for caring! (Margaret Teh)
 
 
102 It is important to remember that character and story-line theft have not always been considered plagiarism. In the time of Shakespeare, blatant transgressions were skills highly applauded by the Elizabethans. Creativity was measured in how well a writer could embellish and expand upon a known 'source'. A perfect example of a 'source' was Sir Robert North's translation of Plutarch's 'Life of Marcus Antonius'. Shakespeare lifted - straight from the source - the details from nineteen lines of prose describing the person and the barge of Cleopatra. He then made a 'lively turning' of these words to create twenty-eight lines of 'richly evocative verse' for his play 'Antony and Cleopatra'. The source of this information is 'The Genius of Shakespeare' by Jonathan Bate. In the real world, both of the books by Archer and West were well-received by the general public, and one was even turned into a film. All things considered, I take the Elizabethan point of view that works written purely for our entertainment should be primarily judged on how well they have entertained. (Sharron Calkins)
 
 
101 I'm afraid this isn't feedback but a question that has come to me and I'd be interested to know if anyone else has had thoughts along these lines. My question is: How legitimate is it for novelists to use real people as characters in their works of fiction? I have just finished two books (scraping the bottom of the barrel) which by coincidence both use this device. They are The Shoes of the Fisherman by Morris West and The Fourth Estate by Jeffrey Archer. In the first, West - apart from the startling presumption of putting himself in a Pope's shoes - gives a lot of space to a character who is blatantly Teilhard de Chardin (remember him?). Archer's book is a recreation of the rivalry between two press barons, the barely disguised story of Robert Maxwell and Rupert Murdoch. When I say 'barely disguised' I am being lenient - in reality Archer simply tracks their careers, including the episodes we are all familiar with. What these authors are doing, it seems to me, is purloining and turning into fiction for their own ends a real person who has no right of redress. A) it's cheating - make up your own characters! and B) more important, I find this deeply unethical. Maybe I am being overly judgemental? (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
101 Lockdown here (Sydney, Australia) has meant that we have a lot of reading time. I alternate between seriously good fiction, and a light read (Fiona Mackintosh's The Pearl Thief and Sally Rooney's Normal People) and did I mention already, The Claimant, by Janette Turner Hospital? The tone in the beginning was a bit off-putting, but I persevered and was intrigued and entertained throughout. (Margaret Teh)
 
 
99 I recently read The Last Painting of Sara de Vos which was reviewed in the last bwl. I really enjoyed it too. Worth searching out if you are looking for something engrossing to read. (Denise Lewis)
 
 
99 Thanks to Christine and Jeremy Miller we were introduced to the Italian TV series My Brilliant Friend based on Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels. An absolute must for anyone who loved the books though you don't have to read them to be captivated by this evocative, addictive adaptation. Series 1 and 2 (with English subtitles) are available on DVD and series 3 is in the making. Can't wait! (Jenny Baker)
 
 
98 I still feel like the 'goody-goody book reviewer' for ever making a comment about negative book reviews - especially since the debate continues. That will teach me a lesson! In the future I will 'loosen my stays' and just give a growl when it is deserved. (Sharron Calkins)
 
 
97 Of course Sharron is correct in saying we should be reviewing books we LIKE but may I - as a serial sinner in this field - suggest that sometimes it might be acceptable, in a spirit of solidarity, to alert fellow readers to books they might want to avoid? In any case, apart from that altruistic motive I have to admit to the guilty pleasure of enjoying reading (and writing!) don't-like reviews. What do other reviewers think? (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
97 I'm guilty too. Our excuse for including them is they add a bit of spice and contrast to what otherwise might be a bit too saccharine. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
97 An additional vote for Golden Hill by Francis Spufford (bwl 83). A sophisticated romp this is also an excellent historical novel, giving a vivid picture of colonial Manhattan (population 7,000), its inhabitants and political factions. While the author might be a bit obviously keeping you waiting for all to be revealed, the journey is nevertheless immensely entertaining. (Tony Pratt)
 
 
97 Some readers might be interested to know that if you are driving south in France you can see the original Diderot Encyclopédie in the Maison des Lumieres in Langres, which is near the A 31 and the A 5. (Wendy Swann
 
 
97 I share Jenny Baker's guilt of having contributed some reviews about books that I have not altogether liked. But I feel no shame about doing so because our critical faculties have to be given full rein if they are to be honest and sincere. I don't think we should get hung up on the website's title 'bookswelike'. I remember that some time ago, the blurb under James Baker's wonderful banner read something like 'reviews of books we like and sometimes those we don't like as much. (Jeremy Miller)
 
 
96 I really look forward to the arrival of each new 'Books We Like'! Thank heaven there is always the happy prospect of the next good book to read... Books have gotten me through my first 75 years and I am counting on them to entertain and inform me to the very end. At the close of bwl 95 there was a comment about more negative remarks creeping into some of them. Was this a sign that readers were less willing to be led by the nose when reading glowing book blurbs? In answer, I can only speak for myself. When reading book 'blurbs', I am cautiously optimistic. Blurbs CAN persuade me to purchase the book, but nothing can persuade me to write a review if the book was disappointing. First, I don't want to invest even a moment more on a disappointing book. And second, our 'assignment' as reviewers is to comment on the books we LIKE. (Sharron)
 
 
96 What does anyone else think? As someone guilty of the occasional bad review I can't be the judge? (Jenny Baker)
 
 
96 On Chapel Sands - Laura Cumming
I'd strongly endorse Jenny Baker's praise (bwl 95 Winter 2020) for this investigatory family memoir. It's superbly written and gives a vivid sense of landscape and village life. The social mores which gave rise to the story of the childhood and youth of the author's mother seem utterly different from those of today yet all this happened almost within living memory. The sensitivity and writing quality deployed, combined with the perceptive commentaries on works of art which seem relevant to the story, make her other books (also reviewed) sound well worth pursuing. (Tony Pratt)
 
 
96 You will all have read Margaret Teh's email which she forwarded to everyone. What a terrific idea to share reading a book on-line with the aid of an App. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
95 I am very much enjoying the fact that we contributors are increasingly brave enough to express our dislikes as well as our likes. One of the reviews of Elizabeth Day's The Party in BWL 94 is a case in point. It made me chortle. Then, I'm relieved that the reviewer of Jonathan Coe's Middle England had doubts about it. So did I. Which brings me to a question: how influenced in our book buying are we by the glowing quotes peppered all over the covers of the paper-back editions? I bought Middle England on the basis of them. Are they written by friends of the author or what? Of course the publishers are only going to quote the hype, but how come there is so much of it for books that possibly don't deserve it? (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
94 Absolutely loved the Cazalet books, (see review above and bwl 22) and read the four back to back but never got round to the fifth as it would be so difficult to pick up after all this time. (Sue Pratt)
 
 
94 Is it legitimate to provide feedback on one's own contributions, as it were? I ask because I am interested to see that none of us has ever recommended books by either Rachel Cusk or Tessa Hadley, despite them both being, apparently, popular and highly acclaimed writers. Isn't this odd? However this may be, I am now a fan of both of them. (Annabel Bedini)

Yes, quite legitimate Annabel. Be interesting to think of other writers we have managed to ignore. Any suggestions? (Jenny Baker)
 
 
93 I'd like to endorse wholeheartedly the review of Edith Eger's The Choice in bwl 91. That a human being can survive Auschwitz psychologically intact is already miraculous. That you can go on to heal others and come up with positive philosophy for life - the 'Choice' of the title - seems to me beyond praiseworthy. I agree with the reviewer, a truly extraordinary and inspiring story. (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
92 The Only Story by Julian Barnes

Like Denise who reviewed it in bwl 88, I greatly enjoyed this book. Barnes is such a good writer, this time on the nature of love, and hits the nail on the head time and again. I did have one major reservation though. The central relationship never really comes alive for me. One has to accept that they are in love rather than feel it happening. It is all rather detached and I have to say, dead from the neck down. The fact that love can transcend a thirty year age gap is part of the point but the principals don't seem to give this any real attention which I find difficult to credit. (Tony Pratt)

This is a wonderful novel by a master craftsman. About the love of a young man for an older woman. It ends in tragedy but it is beautifully written in luminous prose. (David Graham)
 
 
91 Just finished reading The Spy and the Traitor, reviewed in bwl 90. It really is an unputdownable, thrilling page-turner. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
90 I started a review for Adam Hochschild's To End All Wars (bwl 82) which I think is one of the most incredible books i have ever read: it will always be in my head. Halfway through the review I checked the list and found it had already been done! The plus side is that having discovered Hochschild I'm working my way through some of his other works - one of which Bury the Chains I've now reviewed. (Lynda Johnson)
 
 
89 Thanks so much Jenny for reminding me about Penelope Fitzgerald. I've read most of her novels and absolutely loved The Beginning of Spring (bwl 88). Re the Julian Barnes novel also reviewed (The Only Story), I've just finished it and was rather disappointed. Barnes is another of my favourite writers, and I thought a lot of this one was expertly written and the story interesting, but the frequent commentary and musings I found tedious. At the end it just becomes what I suspect is Barnes' own ramblings and I thought it was indulgent, in this case at the expense of the reader's interest. A lot of skimming took place! (Victoria Grey-Edwards)
 
 
89 I agree with the positive review of Francis Spufford's Golden Hill (bwl 83) but I'd add that I found the descriptions of 18th century New York fascinating. Population only 7000, hearty loyalty to the British monarchy, paper promissory notes instead of unavailable cash, intense political in-fighting, Spufford has done some brilliant research and woven it cleverly into this extremely engaging tale (though I have to say I did guess the denouement!). (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
89 NEWS:
Still no sign of A Suitable Girl which was due in June . . . . . . . . It's disappeared from forthcoming books on Amazon. So is Vikram Seth lying low with writer's block?
You probably have read that The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje has been given the Golden Man Booker prize. It was published in 1992 and amazingly it has never been reviewed on bookswelike. Perhaps because we didn't begin until 2000. (Jenny and James)
 
 
88 I am sorry to say I found George Saunders' Lincoln in the Bardo (bwl 87) distasteful, dishonest and irritating. Distasteful because he exploits the very real tragedy of the death of Lincoln's son as an excuse to create a cemetery-full of thoroughly unlikable un-dead characters (Bardo is the Buddhist limbo). Dishonest because among authentic contemporary quotes Saunders intersperses his own invented ones, with no indication of which is which. Irritating because he has employed the whacky device of printing the speaker's name below the reported speech (the narrative is carried forward by the speakers) which often means having to turn the page to see who is speaking. I'll happily give Saunders top marks for imagination but . . . Like the reviewer, I did finish it but by an effort of will. (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
88 Do not say we have Nothing (bwl 87) caused a lot of division in my book group between those that loved it, those that hated it and those sitting on the fence. I was one of those who loved it. It's quite hard to get into and at first difficult to work out who all the characters are and how they relate to one another - a search on Wikipedia provided a list of their names and from that moment on the story began to make sense. I was hooked and found myself dipping back into it even when I had come to the end. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
88 I read Autumn (bwl 87) and loved it - I didn't find it's structure chaotic and disjointed but I considered it's non linear, contemporary style of writing very intelligent; I actually felt that the last part, where it "slows down the pace" of the time- jumps and surreal aspects is less fascinating than the first part.
Has anyone reviewed "Ghana Must Go" and "Swing Time"? I liked them both a lot but unfortunately I don't have time to write a review, but I recommend them bothas well as "The Power of Now", which is a 90s book and might seem a little dated/obvious, but it's fantastic to have on your bedside table to read a couple of paragraphs each night.(Sally Guitierez)
 
 
87 For those of us who read Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy (bwl 9, 55 and this issue) so passionately the promise of a sequel - A Suitable Girl* - is a wonderful piece of news. My sisters, parents and I belong to those who read the whole book and didn't find it too long, we loved it and inhabited that world during the weeks or months we read it - an amazing novel, comparable only to One Hundred Years of Solitude (bwl 41). But you need to concentrate! (Sally Gutierrez)
*Ed. Note: Due to be published in June this year
 
 
86 Apparently some people loathed David Grossman's A Horse Walks into a Bar (bwl 84). I found a deeply moving, totally involving tour de force. It's an extraordinary book by an extraordinary writer who won the Man Booker International prize 2017. (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
86 Just to say how much I enjoyed the last bookswelike (bwl85). When I have time (ha ha) I want to read Ishiguro's The Buried Giant, Sashenka by Simon Sebag Montefiore and The Tobacconist by Robert Seethaler. (Judith Peppitt)
 
 
85 The hype, awards and plaudits lavished on Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent (bwl 83) sparked my curiosity but sadly left me disappointed. The atmospheric and descriptive writing is beguiling, the cast of characters well drawn and interesting, but the storyline proved predictable and finally unmemorable. Sorry! (Sue Pratt)
 
 
85 I have managed to get through the first three books in Elena Ferranti's Neopolitan Quartet (bwl 76 and 79) but have no wish to read the fourth - that says it all I think! BUT perhaps if I'd been able to read them in the original Italian, and more particularly knew the Naples area of Italy, it would have made a great difference. Also I just couldn't get to like the two main characters, and didn't care what became of them. I think I would have been happier to read them on a Kindle, they are thick books! That all said I know many people who absolutely loved them! (Margaret Knott)
 
 
83 I found The Shepherd's Life (bwl 77) fascinating and informative in its details about shepherding in the Lake District where the love and passion for the land and the way of life shine out. The timeless rhythms of the seasons are beautifully described with all their hardships and rewards. A delight. (Sue Pratt)
 
 
83 One has to deal with obscurity and cloaked meaning with Julian Barnes but in The Sense of an Ending (bwl 63) his very subtle and in-depth handling of memory, morality and mortality is impressive and unsettling. His views on the abuse and damage that even just being alive deals human beings, I have never come across in any author before. Even only for this, I consider this book worth reading but in addition, the end is unusual and unexpected. (Kathie Somerwil Ayrton)
 
 
82 I also read 'Mothering Sunday' and would second Jenny's review (bwl 80) - as she says, beautifully written. Scenes like the one where she wandered briefly in possession of the empty house were superbly done and stay in the mind . . . (Tony Pratt)
 
 
82 I've been completely immersed in the Neapolitan Quartet (bwl 76 and 79) for the last two months so I don't have anything to add at the moment! In some ways I'll be pleased when it's over. (Annie Noble)
 
 
81 I couldn't agree more with what Jenny Baker said about Niall Williams's History of the Rain (bwl 79) but I suggest that readers give themselves time to settle into the book - do not snatch a couple of pages before sleep because you may feel like giving up, as some in our book club did and I nearly did. Very glad I didn't. (Christine Miller)
 
 
81 All the Light we Cannot See (bwl 78 and bwl 79 Feedback) was a completely absorbing and delightful book. My 'book-club daughter-in-law' loved it so much she has taken it away on holiday! so I can't refer to it. Do google it, it says a lot more interesting things than I can. Just a short lead-in: it is set in WWII and goes backwards and forwards between a young blind girl in Saint-Malo in Brittany whose locksmith father makes models of the town she is in so that she can find her way around, and a German orphan boy, brilliant with radio, who is sucked into the Hitler youth. The connection begins with the receiver he manages to make from scrap which picks up a transmission from somewhere in France . . . read it and see! (Margaret Knott)
 
 
79 I could have gone on tweaking my above review of Secondhand Time by Svetlana Alexievich for ever. I've left out whole important subjects, like the initial jubilation about freedom (but what is freedom?) and high hopes for the future, but also umbrage about no longer being a Powerful World Empire and the past horrors of Soviet repression and the appalling poverty after socialism collapses and the terrifying cruelty and violence of the various mini wars after the disintegration of the empire and and and ..... It's a very complex book, impossible to do it all in 75 words, so how on earth to choose what to put in?

I'm enjoying the fact that we are increasingly coming out with what we don't like. Not that you can change our name to Books we like/don't like! We can equally hardly call us simply 'Books we've read'. I think BWL should remain BWL. (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
79 The Other Side of the Bridge (bwl 78) is beautifully written and totally engrossing. Spanning sixty years, the narrative beguilingly travels backwards and forwards, evolving slowly while building tension all the while. The characters are so well drawn I found myself caring greatly about them and their lives and they certainly remained with me afterwards. Also I'm in complete agreement about Crow Lake (bwl 77) - a lovely book. Mary Lawson is quite a "find" (Sue Pratt)
 
 
79 Just finished Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See (bwl 78). It truly is exceptional and it made me want to find out how an American writer could have conceived such a viewpoint of WW II. It transpires that Doerr first visited St. Malo in Brittany on a book tour. He was captivated by the ancient walls and buildings only to discover that the present city is the result of almost virtual block-by-block restoration following its near-destruction by the American bombardment in the closing months of WW II. This was the beginning of a ten year odyssey of researching and writing. We see the war through the experiences of the two young protagonists, one French, the other German and through the prism of radio: the propaganda tool, the means of transmitting and receiving, tracking and eliminating - and then there is The Sea of Flames . . . riveting! (Jenny Baker)
 
 
77 I'd also recommend The Kindly Ones (bwl 76). A compelling read which gives an unusual perspective on German campaigns on the Eastern Front during WW II and explores the moral complexities of war and genocide for an SS officer in a sophisticated and challenging way. Gripping if overlong. (Tony Pratt)
 
 
77 Any Human Heart by William Boyd (bwl 59 & 63) is a lengthy read but one you don't want to end. The long life of Mountstuart has many twists and turns but his humanity never wavers. Fact and fiction merge seamlessly as he becomes involved with events and characters of the 20th century. An engrossing narrative told in the form of a journal by an unforgettable character - my book of the year so far.
 
 
76 I read Down the Common on the strength of the bwl 75 review and thoroughly enjoyed it. It offers a fascinating insight into daily life in the Middle Ages together with a real feel for the characters and their mind set. While they knew of no other existence, I was left feeling profoundly grateful to have been born into the twentieth century. The sheer back-breaking, unending struggle simply to survive against the elements, endless discomforts and the shadow of death are omnipresent. Beautifully illustrated by the author and with fine descriptive prose. (Sue Pratt)
 
 
76 I'd second Jenny Baker's praise of Lamentation (bwl 75). Very well-researched, it tells you a lot about the times, notably the lethal issue of religion and the ruthlessness of the Court, and C J Sansom's plot is refreshingly unsentimental. For me the best of the series so far and seems to have set up new circumstances for further stories. Good!
I'd also like to endorse the favourable comments for Michael Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White (bwl 17 and 68) - a very entertaining modern take on the Victorian novel which reminded me of The French Lieutenant's Woman. A long story - which for me dragged only with some overlong diary extracts - gave new perspectives on London, industry, religion and the position of women while depicting a believable set of characters and keeping you interested in what was happening to them. (Tony Pratt)
 
 
75 Just read The Mussel Feast (bwl 74) and loved it. It's a small, slim book which demands to be read in one go. It begins cosily enough and then proceeds anecdote by anecdote to reveal the life of this so-called normal family and their tyrannical father. Even though he's not nice at all and his behaviour isn't funny, the story of how his wife and children try to live up to his impossible ideals of perfection manages to be comical as well as thought-provoking. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
75 I agree with Jenny Baker, The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer (bwl 72) is a memorable read and remarkable for a debut novel. Told with compassion and empathy, with the additional insight and veracity of having been written by a mental health nurse. All the characters are finely drawn and totally believable. I felt part of their world. (Sue Pratt)
 
 
75 I'd like to endorse every word of Ferelith Hordon's review of All Quiet on the Western Front (bwl 74). I too had avoided reading it when it was on our school reading list but thought the time had come, given the anniversary. The only thing I'd expand on is the 'universality' of this book. Written from the point of view of a German soldier in the trenches it could just as easily have been written by a Tommy - the horrors and deprivations are all too familiar as are the dogged attempts to keep cheerful and the snook-cocking at superiors. They were all so alike, those doomed young men - this book just underlines the senseless tragedy of that terrible war. (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
75 Christine Miller's comment on 'The Goldfinch' (bwl 74) struck a chord with me. Why do some novelists have to be so long-winded? I note that the novel is one of the least finished on Kobo. Hilary Mantel's novels about Thomas Cromwell are enjoyable but why does she need three volumes? They could be tauter and more exciting in one. Surely economy of means - less is more - is part of the novelist's art? It may be objected that some of the greatest novels are very long but they are mainly 19th century, written - often in instalments - for a more leisurely age. I've just given up on a novel in which the author was determined to evoke every detail and every sensory impression going. There are only so many books to be read in a lifetime. Authors, please take pity on my mortality! (Tony Pratt)
 
 
74 I enjoyed The Luminaries (see review in this issue) but only as a straight narrative. The celestial element was beyond my ability to compute! I was a volunteer for Eleanor Catton's session at the Sydney Writers' Festival, and I told her this, when she had a lull between signings. She said that as long as I enjoyed the read, any level of understanding would do! (Margaret Teh)
 
 
74 I had resisted reading Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch (bwl 73) because I didn't particularly enjoy The Secret History (bwl 22) but was persuaded to do so on holiday. I found it much too long. Whilst I applaud sound research, do we need to be given every detail - readers have imagination too? Some passages were beautifully written and thoroughly enjoyable but, like the reviewer, before the end I had long lost any sympathy for or empathy with the main protagonist, Theo. I couldn't wait to finish it so that I could put it behind me. A couple of other friends who equally read a lot gave up before the half-way mark! (Christine Miller)
 
 
74 I've just finished reading the most amazing book - The Rings of Saturn by WG Sebald (bwl 63) which was on my "to read" list for ages. I agree with everything Tony says in his review. Impossible to categorise what sort of book it is, but I found his writing mesmerising. Depressing, yes, because he seems to see all human endeavours as futile and captures mankind's endless cruelty in the most extraordinary ways - an example: the history of China's silk industry. it's definitely the best book I've read all year, for several years actually! (Denise Lewis))
 
 
73 Here is some feedback on JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy (bwl 67) read and enjoyed on a  sun lounger in Spain:
I thought I was to get a tale from Midsomer but this is a bleak, sometimes comical, tale of despair and disappointment in both well-off, status-conscious Pagford and its neighbour, downtrodden Yarvil. You feel Rowling's allegiance is with the poor and damaged whose characters she crafts so well as she pokes fun at the social-climbing local "elite" . (Rebecca Howells)
 
 
73 Thanks to the review in bwl 70, I am now reading The Fatal Shore by the well-known Australian art critic, Robert Hughes. It's a beautifully written, even-handed and fascinating history of the colonising of his country. He doesn't spare the reader the details of the inhuman treatment meted out or the brutalisation of both prisoners and captors caused by near starvation and an inhospitable terrain. But he is determined to dispel the myths surrounding those early forbears of the proud and civilised nation Australia has become. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
73 Thinking about my reaction to Kate Atkinson's Life After Life reviewed bwl 69: I found myself asking a question: how does satisfying fiction work?
Of course all fiction is make-believe and it's up to collusion between author and reader to pretend it's real for the duration. In this sense Life after Life, with its multiple possible stories, seemed to me to break this pact - an intriguing brain-tease certainly, but no more than that. For example, Ursula's 'death' under the rubble was painfully convincing and to have it brushed off with the equivalent of 'only joking' seemed insulting. And by the time her brother was declared presumed dead I barely bothered to read it - 'well, he'll be back', which he duly was. If I can't 'believe' in a story line why should I care, except as a merely intellectual game?
I realise from the unanimous super-hype this book has received that this reaction is a failure on my part to understand some vital clue; or am I simply too pathetically 'literal' a reader? Please will someone enlighten me? (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
73 Re review of Noah's Compass - Anne Tyler (bwl 53):
Spot on Jenny. Tyler's characters are so real and human, flaws and all, but always likeable if occasionally frustrating. As for Liam - I felt I really knew him and loved him to bits! (Sue Pratt)
 
 
73 A word or two re Simon Sebag Montefiore's One Night in Winter reviewed in this issue: I have just finished it.
I hadn't read the notes at the back which explained that while the main characters were fiction, all the others were real and the events which unfolded were solidly based on a true incident. As I was reading, I kept thinking this has to be unbelievable, not even Stalin for all his notorious paranoia would play such cruel mind games on the children of his own high-up officials. How wrong I was. It's a terrific and terrifying read. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
72 Jenny, I'm glad you enjoyed Dear Life (bwl 71). You say that you are new to Alice Munro, but I (light-heartedly) refer you to my review of Selected Short Stories (bwl 14)! and also more recently Christine Miller's: Too Much Happiness (bwl 60) - could it be that you are not acting on bookswelike recommendations?!!! We thought you read all of them! I also highly recommend the first Munro that I was introduced to: Open Secrets - I have re-read this many times, though some of the stories probably appear in the later collection. Some people seem to find her stories rather cold, or disturbing, and possibly it's a question of getting used to the language of them and the particular landscapes, physical and emotional, that she writes about, because (like 'fine wine or malted whisky') they are worth taking time over and relishing. (Victoria Grey-Edwards)
 
 
72 bwl 71 was another fascinating selection - definitely need to give up work to devote more time to reading. So glad, Jenny, you enjoyed the Alice Munro - I am a big fan, as is a Canadian friend who has lived here for many years. However, when she selected a book of Munro's short stories for her book club, it was received with much less enthusiasm much to her surprise. (Christine Miller)
 
 
72 Just meant to say that I loved reading Midnight in Peking (bwl 67) - couldn't put it down. (Judith Peppitt)
 
 
72 Feedback on Kate Atkinson's Life after Life (bwl 69)
A book of consequences and second chances in life. What if ? Different versions of Ursula's life are laid out before us over the last century with WW II being a pivotal theme. A clever and complicated work but the language is gently crafted to make it a flowing and fascinating read. (Rebecca Howell)
 
 
72 Kindle thoughts
Pros:
1. Portability: slip it in your handbag or pocket so you always have something to read on the train etc.
2. Great on holiday: no more carting around a heavy pile of books
3. Ease of download plus browse and try at home: end up buying more than you intended!
4. Backlight: good for reading at night without waking your partner or in the garden on a warm summer twilight evening (once in a while anyway)
5. Keep an eye open: often bargains to be had and new books cheaper than hard backs
Cons:
1. Not easy to navigate if you want to refer back or check a family tree for example
2. For same reason not good for guidebooks and some non fiction when you want to skip back and forwards
3. Subjective, but I'm not good with touch screens. Touch something or a bit of the screen and all goes haywire
Overall: Best thing since sliced bread and would hate to be without it. (Sue Pratt)
 
 
71 My reaction to Sweet Tooth (bwl 67) was rather different from the one in last edition's Feedback. I agree about the clever twist at the end but even that couldn't mitigate what I feel is McEwan's basic mysogyny. Over and over in his books I find the female characters are not just unappealing but are subtly denigrated, as if he really doesn't like women at all. (I'd make an exception for Florence in On Chesil Beach who is drawn with sympathy). Am I alone in finding this? (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
70 Gone Girl (bwl 69) was indeed a very good book, and unusual. I felt that it described very accurately all kinds of thoughts that w have in relationships but very rarely, if ever, put into words - interesting. (Polly Sams Plant)
 
 
70 Although I didn't think Sweet Tooth (bwl 67) was as good as several of Ian McEwan's earlier books, I did thoroughly enjoy it. The circumstances could have helped. I downloaded it from Amazon's audible.co.uk, sat in our garden doing patchwork and listened to Juliet Stevenson reading in a voice that was perfect for the part of Serena the sultry siren! The twist at the end was a complete surprise and I admit there were a few tears as I praised McEwan's cleverness. (Denise Lewis)
 
 
70 I've just finished reading The Garden of Evening Mists (bwl 66 and 69) and found it as engrossing and captivating as the two reviewers did. A book really worth searching out. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
69 Don't take your "Book" for granted. Click here to discover its true potential and at the same time brush up your Spanish and French.

 
 
69 Thank you David Truman for reviewing Alan Rusbridger's Play It Again (bwl 68). I thought it was brilliant - so inspirational. I've given it to one of my piano pupils to read and have bought three more copies for piano playing friends. (Denise Lewis)
 
 
68 Just a note to say I found The Secret Life of Bees (bwl 14) a particularly beguiling recent read. (Margaret Teh)
 
 
68 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)
 
 
68 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)
 
 
68 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)
 
 
67 I was surprised to see Saramago's The Gospel According to Jesus Christ (bwl 66) described as 'amusing'. To my mind it's a deeply felt cry against historic Christian thinking, with the innocent and well-meaning Jesus painfully and longingly trying to find meanings in the workings of a very unpleasant, power-hungry God. Did this not come across in the English translation? (I read it in Italian) A characteristic I think worth mentioning is Saramago's style - endless meandering sentences which I started by finding irritating and ended up finding hypnotic. (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
67 An interesting point emerged from a recent book discussion: Is it a form of stealing or of flattery if an author takes the characters from another writer's work and builds their own story around them? The book in question was Wild Sargasso Sea. What do you think? (Jenny Baker)
 
 
67 Great selection of both fiction and non-fiction in this latest issue. I have made a note to read about six of them. I read Wide Sargasso Sea years ago and loved it. I think the use of another author's characters is more theft than flattery but a legitimate theft. I suppose theft is a form of flattery. (Judith Peppitt)
 
 
66 Having just read my first Lee Child - The Affair (bwl 63) - I will stick my neck out and confess I didn't entirely enjoy it. Or rather, I thoroughly enjoyed the excitement and suspense but I was troubled by the off-hand way in which Reacher doesn't think twice about cold-bloodedly killing off the bad guys. In the days of James Bond with his licence to kill you knew the whole thing was fantasy-land and the bad guys cardboard cut-outs, but Child has pretensions to connection with real life and credible people. I know he is English but this seems to be a very American view of justice, like Judi Picoult's Perfect Match which took for granted that it was acceptable for her husband to have murdered the priest who molested their child. To my mind this reflects a culture of disquieting disregard for human life and the rule of law. As a Military Policeman Reacher should have made arrests, with the law there to see justice done. So what/who does this gratuitous violence appeal to? But I will doubtless be accused of being over squeamish! (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
65 Best laugh out loud moment of the day - I'm still chuckling at James' review of Fifty Shades of Grey which is totally inspired. I must be getting old but I'm not remotely tempted by it. One friend said she's never read such rubbish and a younger person I know said her husband bought it for her and was most disappointed that she didn't finish it. She said having her bottom spanked till it was red wasn't doing it for her! (Sue Pratt)
 
 
65 Best review ever for Fifty Shades of Grey, though James cleverly avoided saying whether he liked the book or not. I can only infer that the need of a cold shower at our age must means yes - I've been giggling for the last fifteen minutes. (Denise Lewis)
 
 
64 Anyone new to the iPad might be interested in downloading The Telegraph Guide to the iPad. It's free - click here to take you there!
 
 
64 We're still wondering if someone might be able to explain why Jane Gardam called her novel A Long Way to Verona (bwl 63) when Verona is never mentioned. Does it have something to do with Romeo and Juliet or is it perhaps the home town of the Italian prisoner of war that the heroine comes across? Any ideas?
 
 
63 re. The Stranger's Child. Jenny I quite agree - what a disappointment! Like you I had high expectations. I enjoyed the early part when we met Cecil and George at Two Acres, but then I just got less and less interested. To be fair, I think he is great at the period detail and particularly the dialogue, but it is much too long and the story didn't seem to develop at all - just rambled on. I managed to finish it but only by skipping large chunks (and still getting the gist, I think!). (Victoria Grey-Edwards)
 
 
63 Re. The Sense of An Ending, thanks for the tip Denise! I read it and admired and enjoyed it but was rather bemused by the ending, despite going back through the book to check what people had said etc. I obviously need to read it again (good excuse!) to really appreciate it. (Victoria Grey-Edwards)
 
 
62 One unexpected drawback about the Kindle or the i-Pad: you can't lend your copy of your favourite read to a friend. This is perhaps an unexpected (or is it?) bonus for the sellers of ebooks and I suppose it also saves the horrible annoyance of not getting that favourite book back. What do you think? (Jenny Baker)
 
 
61 Bwl is guaranteed entertainment. For the past few days I've been dipping in and out of it at random, sampling the reviews and comments of bwl reviewers. I may never move on to an actual book, just float about in the world of opinions and counter-opinions. I feel like the child who receives an expensive boxed gift on Christmas morning, then plays all day with the box only. Thank you for allowing me to paddle and splash around in your literary pool. Great, great fun! (Sharron Calkins)
 
 
61 Must say the iPad has been wonderful for Middlemarch, despite having my lovely hardback copy which I've only read in the sun! It's just so easy on the iPad to look up all the words I didn't know, including all the Greek gods etc., you just hold your finger on the word, tap dictionary, and you have it. It's only the second book I've read on it, but already I don't feel that sense of alienation that I felt with the first one . . . and it was that American Jonathan Franzen so that could have contributed! And as I've been so immersed in it I can just pop it on the table and read when I'm eating etc . . . and it's so much easier to read in the car. (Denise Lewis))
 
 
61 As the person who wrote the review of The Finkler Question (bwl 59), I was amused by the comments in the last Feedback. What can I say? Simply that I was attempting to give it the benefit of the doubt. I felt I ought to try to see its good points, given its provenance and prize-winning status. But looking back on it, I agree with all the negative responses and wish I'd been more honest with myself! (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
61 Nothing new for bwl I'm afraid. I'm just going through a phase of reading bits of different books at the moment (biog of Churchill, Macaulay's Towers of Trebizond, Chirac memoirs vol 1, Pride and Prejudice following taking a leaf out of Eloise's book by downloading all of Jane Austen for a pittance, etc). Took a sample first chapter of the latest le Carré and judging by that totally agree with my namesake's contribution in the last bwl. (Jeremy Swann)
 
 
61 I recently read "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" (reviewed in bwl 57 I see) - I'm not sure how it happened that I came to read three French novels in a row (though not in French, I hasten to add). I found it highly entertaining, very charming and not in the least annoying! And for your amusement, I recently bought "The Blasphemer" which I was supposed to read for book club but (knowing that I was going to have to miss that meeting) chose not to, because I just knew I would dislike it (a good friend subsequently confirmed that I would "hate it"). I donated it to the raise-money-for-the-library bookstall at the school fair instead! (Siobhan Thomson)
 
 
60 I can't think of anything worse than reading books on the i-pad. One has to handle a book to enjoy it. What happens when you fall asleep over the book in bed? There are only two advantages I can see: would it save the pulp and therefore the trees; could not more books be printed on recycled paper? I suppose if you are on a long journey or holiday it would save heavy luggage . . . but how awful to sit relaxing in the sun with an i-pad. (Jane Branch)
 
 
60 On holiday two of my family were glued to their Kindles the whole time but I just can't bring myself to start reading on my i-Pad until I really have to. I loved Tony Pratt's comment about Simenon (bwl 59) and wholeheartedly agree - terrific author and paperbacks are just as portable as the Kindle. (Denise Lewis)
 
 
60 I have now used my Kindle for four months alternating with traditional books. My experience with the Kindle revealed that:

- it was more convenient for reading in bed at home or away.
- when passing the Kindle to my wife so that she could read a novel on it that I had enjoyed, the Kindle was unavailable for me to read something else until she had finished. The only solution was to revert to a traditional book (or buy a second Kindle!).
- when looking for something to buy, trawling through lists of books available for my Kindle and choosing samples of first pages/chapters for downloading free of charge was to some extent an unsatisfactory substitute for browsing in a bookshop or through a friend's shelves.
- finding space in our house for yet more books is a problem that can be partially solved by using the Kindle's extensive memory for storage of books read on it.

Conclusion To combine reading traditional printed books and books on the Kindle bearing in mind that many of the books one might want to read are not available for downloading. It would nevertheless be worthwhile checking. (Jeremy Swann)
 
 
60 I thought the last bwl was interesting - someone was actually glad they read Finkler!!! - and I'd just bought 'The Hare with the Amber Eyes' in hardback (!) because it sounded so interesting on Amazon. (Denise Lewis)
 
 
60 I'm about two-thirds through The Finkler Question (bwl 59). Can't say I'm hating it but certainly can't see the reason for the great press. I will finish it but I do find it quite boring. At first I thought that maybe folk might have to be Jewish to understand. Well, it ain't helping me at all! If I read "Finkler" used as a verb one more time, I might just have a very loud screem. Trouble is, I assume that I will read it any number of times over the next 100 pages. (Julie Higgins)
 
 
60 Finkler almost made me lose the will to live!! (Ferelith Hordon)
 
 
60 When my turn came round to nominate the next "read" for my book group, I was about a third of the way through The Glass Room (bwl 55), and enjoying it, so I chose it. Much to my surprise (not because of the book, which I thought was very good, but because of what I know about what most of the group's members prefer to read), it received uniformly high marks, and two confessed to having been moved to tears by it - one of those simply because she had turned the last page! For my part, it was probably the most thought-provoking novel I've read since I read The Children's Book (bwl 55) last year. Perhaps I need to join a different book group . . . (Siobhan Thomson)
 
 
59 Annabel Bedini is not alone in enjoying Jim Crace - I read Signals of Distress recently (bwl 58) and really loved it. A friend recommended his novels to me a few years ago and I have read a few now - he is quite bleak - see 'The Pesthouse' and one about a couple murdered on a beach. Signals of Distress is lighter, both funny and interesting too, though as Annabel points out, with much poetic and atmospheric writing. Definitely recommended. (Victoria Grey-Edwards)
 
 
59 Who has used the Kindle or Apple's i-pad? Can downloading a book on one replace the frisson of savouring a new hardback or paperback? Are books soon going to be obsolete? Help! What do you think? (Jenny Baker)
 
 
58 I've just re-read The Poisonwood Bible which has already been reviewed 3 times so I can't review it again. But it's a complex book you want to tell everyone about which can be read for sheer enjoyment or delved into in search of metaphors, parables and deeper meanings. It's title is no accident. The five narrators, the mother and her four daughters, each with their distinctive voices, are presented in such a way that their motives and actions, even when they are being silly or selfish, are understandable. Even the bigoted, ghastly father has a touch of tragedy. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
58 Unlike the reviewer in bwl 56 and the commentator in bwl 57 Feedback, I very much enjoyed Colm Tóibin's Brooklyn and thought it was written with almost poetic delicacy. I read it on two levels. As a perceptive account of the immigrant experience of dislocation and adaptation and, more profoundly, as a story of a particularly Irish kind of betrayal (not for nothing there's a priest at the heart of it). It seemed to me that from the moment Eilis is forced against her will to cut herself off from her 'real' self she has not only lost the right to choose her own destiny but with it, she loses the ability to know what her own truth is. She's sort of lost between two worlds. So, a story of what happens to self-determination and identity under the influence of subtle coercion. But I'm probably over-complicating things! Whatever, I'm absolutely on the side of the fans! (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
57 I quite enjoyed Brooklyn by Colm Tóibin (bwl 56) - the simplicity of his style - wasn't sure about Eilis's apparent easy deceit on her return to Ireland. I can understand it regarding her mother but not so much her 'affair' perhaps. Also it feels more like an extended short story, novella than a full-blown novel. (Christine Miller)
 
 
56 The Children's Book is keeping me up far too late at night, propping my eyelids open so I can read on, through the longueurs and into the wee hours. I don't want it to end, though as I've so little time for reading, it probably never will! (Siobhan Thomson)
 
 
54 Regarding Zoe Heller's The Believers, may I offer an alternative view to the very negative one expressed in bwl 52? Unlike the reviewer, I enjoyed this book enormously. I found it a highly perceptive account of what happens to a family whose rigidly held belief system (not for nothing the book's called 'The Believers') is shaken to the roots when the charismatic father has a stroke, leaving him in a coma, both there and not there. I loved the way the grown-up children begin to emerge as real individuals from under the yoke of family identity, while the wife-and-mother, Audrey, becomes increasingly outrageous as she fights tooth and nail to keep the faith in the face of their - and his - betrayal. To my mind, it is a deeply satisfying book as well as being extremely well written and - yes - often very funny. Not for the first time, I am intrigued by how the same book can be read so differently! (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
53 Since Dick Francis now writes his newest thrillers in collaboration with his son, Felix, I personally think his list, which in my opinion suffered these last years, has much improved. Certainly Silks (bwl 50) recalls his first fresh efforts, cleverly combining racing and the law. On the usual Francis grid, it has however several unusual aspects and is a very lively holiday read. (Kathie Somerwil Ayrton)
 
 
53 The French edition of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society recently reached the bookshops and supermarkets in France where I live. It has already climbed to second place in the weekly sales recorded by the FNAC, one of the main chains. I am not surprised and fully share the enthusiasm for this book as expressed by your reviewer in bwl 52. It is a remarkable and original novel. (Jeremy Swann)
 
 
53 Winter in Madrid (bwl 38 and 52) by C J Sansom, is supposed to be a spy story, but the fiction is obviously only a thin veneer. One is relentlessly drawn into the tragedy of Civil War Spain and its aftermath, and is confronted with 'how it really must have been' with consummate skill and, thanks to the historical note at the end, the integrity of true knowledge. The best way yet, in my opinion, to understand this complicated and still controversial war. (Kathie Somerwil Ayrton)
 
 
52 Did you know that Oxfam is now the biggest seller of second-hand books in the UK, selling both through their shops and on line? Their website is very easy to use and operates very like Amazon. I've just bought my first book from them, it arrived beautifully packed, was in excellent condition and I see they even have a returns and refund policy. All the books they sell are of course donated, so when you buy you can have the added satisfaction of knowing that your money will be going to one of their many good causes. The website address is: www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/second-hand-books. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
51 I've just read Jenna Bailey's Can Any Mother Help Me? (bwl 49) which covers 50 years of friendship, through a magazine, of several women who desperately needed contact with other mums at a time - l935 onwards - when women, once they became mothers, were expected to be kept at home. What could be boring is certainly not and is, in fact, fascinating, sad and funny. (Angela Dewar)
 
 
51 If you haven't read The Conjuror's Bird by Martin Davies (bwl 36) do try and get hold of a copy. This was the second time round for me and I enjoyed it even more than before. Based on historical records, a mystery, a bit of romance and beautiful writing, it's a real page turner. The sort of book I love. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
50 Annabel Bedini writes:

May I expand a little on the review of Barack Obama's books in bwl 49? First, I'd like to add that I was greatly struck by how well he writes, both as a narrative story teller in Dreams from my Father and in his analysis of American society in The Audacity of Hope. Then, especially in the second (sub-titled, significantly, Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream), I found the quality of his thinking as compelling as his literary skill so that this examination of what has gone wrong in areas such as politics, faith, race, foreign relations and so on are not only a pleasure to read, they are perceptive, knowledgeable and utterly sane, with his suggestions for remedies finding a rare balance between ideals (but never ideologies) and pragmatism. In fact, to my mind this book should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand what Obama's presidency is aiming to achieve. I ended up wishing him well with all my heart!
 
 
48 Ferelith Hordon writes:

I am delighted to see someone else appreciating Dick Francis' books*. I have always been a fan - I am not making claims of great literature - but as thrillers they certainly keep you turning the pages. The Danger is one of my favourites - another would be For Kicks.

*Editor's note: The Danger and Reflex reviewed bwl 47
 
 
48 Annabel Bedini writes:

May I disagree with the reviewer of Sebastian Faulks' Engleby, bwl 46? Far from patchy and boring, I found it a coherent, credible and absolutely chilling exploration of an emotionally dysfunctional mind. (Faulks seems to be increasingly interested in the functioning of the human mind - see his Human Traces, bwl 33 - and it will be interesting to see where he goes next.) As for the infamous dinner party, to my mind it was the only moment of comedy in an otherwise bleak book.
 
 
47 Mary Standing writes on Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader (bwl 44)
That the Queen would visit a travelling library within the grounds of Buckingham Palace is such an unlikely scenario, this little gem of a book just cannot be ignored. Continuously entertaining, very short, yet it speaks volumes about how a growing addiction to reading can "take over one's life and duties'', and through which the Queen discovers she is an opsimath. An excellent waiting room read.
 
 
46 Annie Noble writes:

I completely endorse the advice in the review of The Book Thief: " . . . read it now" (bwl 38). This is an extraordinary and memorable book, which is simply impossible to put down. Gut-wrenchingly sad yet uplifting: read it and weep.
 
 
46 Jenny Baker writes:

I'm often put off reading certain books because of all the hype and hearsay surrounding them and one of these was We Need to Talk about Kevin* by Lionel Shriver (bwl 29). The subject matter - lone American teenager goes on shooting rampage - seemed reason enough to avoid it. Well, I'm reading it now and yes, it is disturbing and shocking but at moments really funny and never less than compelling. Despite the awfulness of the story, from the very first page it has become one of those proverbial unputdownables.

*winner of the 2005 Orange prize
 
 
46 Jeremy Swann writes:

Although visitors to France this summer may well not notice it, the French are this year celebrating the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of Napoleon III, Emperor of France from 1852 to 1870. For many years his reputation was subjected to strong attacks from Victor Hugo amongst others for his failure to equal the achievements of his uncle Napoleon Bonaparte. However recently his record has undergone a reappraisal and historians have pointed out that he played an important part in helping to bring France up to the same level of development as other major European countries such as Britain.

Following France's defeat in 1870 which ended the Franco-Prussian War, Napoleon went into exile and spent the rest of his life in England, where he had lived happily in his much earlier years. It is perhaps comparatively little known to British people that he and his wife, the Empress Eugénie, are both buried in England, at Farnborough (Hants), in the Imperial Crypt of the Benedictine Abbey there which is open to visitors.

Probably the best recent biography of Napoleon III is by Pierre Milza but this thick paperback does not appear to have been translated into English. On the other hand Amazon quotes an impressive list of books in English about Napoleon III in which English-only readers can read much more about this engaging, longtime underrated but important figure in 19th century French history.
 
 
46 Annabel Bedini writes:

May I disagree with the reviewer of Sebastian Faulks' Engleby, bwl 46? Far from patchy and boring, I found it a coherent, credible and absolutely chilling exploration of an emotionally dysfunctional mind. (Faulks seems to be increasingly interested in the functioning of the human mind - see his Human Traces, bwl 33 - and it will be interesting to see where he goes next.) As for the infamous dinner party, to my mind it was the only moment of comedy in an otherwise bleak book.
 
 
45 Elisabeth Parrish Gilleland writes:

In bwl 33 the reviewer says of Guillermo Martinez's The Oxford Murders:

"It's a pity the author never gives us the answer for the fourth member of his series 'M, heart, eight'. . . "

The fourth member of the series would look something like a trident (or an arrow, depending on how you write 4's) for it would be two numeral 4's facing each other - that is, one in normal orientation, the other a mirror image. The first figure (M) is two numeral 1's facing each other, the second figure (a heart on a line) is two numeral 2's, and the third figure (a numeral 8) is two 3's. There's no maths involved! As for the rest of The Oxford Murders, I haven't finished it yet, but am enjoying it so far - mostly for the new ideas I am encountering.

Thank you for an enjoyable web site.

To save looking up, here is the original review for The Oxford Murders:

The detective story has gone international and it is a sign of the times when an Argentinean mathematician writes a murder story set in Oxford. It's a pity the author never gives us the answer for the fourth member of his series "M, heart, eight" and in the end I wondered if the mathematics really was central to the plot or just a background and a diversion. Read to find out! (Patrick Fitzgerald-Lombard)

Editor's Note: For those interested, the blockbuster movie starring Elijah Wood is soon-to-be-released.
 
 
45 Katherine Swann has added some more to the dialogue in our last two Feedbacks using bwl titles.

Mrs D: Now, we need to talk about Kevin. I saw him naked without a hat.

George: Shush, not in front of the servants!

Mrs D: Well, I don't want to lead my life as a fake, only pretending.

George: That would indeed be the immaculate deception!

Mrs D: So going back to Kevin, he was saving fish from drowning.

George: Isn't he the brother of the more famous Jack?

Mrs D: You mean the book thief ?

George: Yes, that's him. We are absolute friends.

Mrs D: I reckon you have disordered minds.

George: Marry me !

Mrs D: No way, that would only bring me a sea of troubles.
 
 
44 Victoria Grey-Edwards writes:

re. 'Reading Group Notes' in Feedback bwl 43...

I agree that these are extremely irritating - if they do exist in a book I always ignore them, and I think reading groups should do the same. Readers should be allowed to react to a book in their own way, and that's probably what makes reading groups interesting - not that I've ever been to one!
 
 
44 Using titles reviewed in bookswelike, Wendy Swann continues the title-based story started in Feedback bwl 43:

Mrs. D: Goodbye Arthur. George, have you heard? I went to see Clara at the chateau and she's talking of divorcing Jack.

George: Oh yes. Between you and I, he's been seeing another woman, to Clara's fury. According to Mark he has had six wives.

Mrs. D : Well that's neither here nor there. We should avoid drawing conclusions and interfering in family matters.

George: What are we going to do during the long afternoon?

Mrs. D: We could go shooting butterflies.

George: Yes but last time we got a fine of 200 francs.

Mrs. D: Well anyway, don't let's go to the dogs tonight.

George: No, we'll wait for the winter solstice.

More contributions, please!
 
 
43 Annabel Bedini writes:

At the back of my copy of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (see review above) I found something called 'Reading Group Notes', including 'In brief', 'In detail' and 'For discussion'. Mildly curious, I read them and was incensed by the condescending and coy 'teacher knows best' tone. Has anybody else come up against this kind of intrusion into the reader's legitimate area of autonomy? Does anybody else find it irritating, or only me?
 
 
43 Clive Yelf writes:

There's a lot of Roald Dahl from me in this issue. This was due to a trip to our local Waste Disposal site where I noticed someone throwing out a Penguin Boxed Set of his work. It seemed a shame to have it going to landfill especially as I was only really familiar with his work for children so I grabbed it and gave it a decent home instead. A good move on my part as all of those I've read have been good value for money. . .
 
 
43 This piece from Jenny Freeman, was written for her book group. As she says:
"We can't really say it is a story, as nothing happens (yet, I suppose I will have to finish it before the next book club meeting), but perhaps we could suggest other people finish it with bookswelike titles?"
Contributions would be welcome for next issue's feedback.
Ambling through Ambridge
Jack: Hello there, Mrs Dalloway, where are you off to?"
Mrs D: Good day to you, Jack Maggs. I'm just looking for a scoop to clear up all this old filth off the pavement. I must say, I'm counting the hours until the siege ends and we can all settle down again.
Jack: You're lucky, you have your circle of sisters to keep you company,
Mrs D: I know, my beloved Antonia has a pair of blue eyes to charm the sparrow off a tree! Are you going to Larry's party tonight
Jack: Haven't been asked, it's a disgrace. Where is it?
Mrs D: At his huge house on the black hill - he has a cedar forest, you know, and he gets wonderful views of the Northern Lights from there.
Jack: Well, tell him I saw the shipping news this evening and as usual they showed the map of the world - talk about climate change, I think there will be snow falling on cedars before the year is out and very likely frost in May to boot.
Mrs D: Yes, hard times ahead. If you were rich like us you could probably buy your way out but we will see what we can do to help.
Jack: You're right, Mrs D. we were better off when we were orphans, but then came that curious incident of the dog in the night time, we didn't know what he was barking at, and it turned out to be my old estranged Dad, who calls himself the great Gatsby, and who came back into our lives with all the power and the glory he could muster. And now he's gone and fallen headlong for that bit of bad blood who calls herself Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. It may not be an enduring love but it's certainly a time of gifts! He showers her with silk and jewellery which he can little afford.
Mrs D: Oh, that's the girl with the pearl earring I saw in Amsterdam last week - sipping her chocolat as if she hadn't a care in the world. The girl who played go and get me this and go and get me that. She's the conjuror's bird, you know, she used to go out with the Great Houdini before she met your dad. Well, bye now, Jack, I'm just off to visit George and Arthur so I must hurry.
Later
Mrs D. George! Arthur! Lovely to see you both. I was afraid you were away on holiday
George: Alas no, its very sad but because of this wretched siege, we have had to put off going salmon fishing in the Yemen for another year.
Arthur: George is heart-broken - he had just ordered the red tent he saw in Millets on Saturday, and now we will have to wait, and perhaps winter in Madrid instead.
Mrs D: You could always try Corsica, it's only a small island, but the ferries are brilliant - not too many English passengers and a fine balance between beaches and towns, unless of course you don't want a border crossing, in which case you'll just have to stay here.
Arthur: Which wouldn't be much fun - difficult to get far from the madding crowd here, but we're hanging on to see what happens. I'll say goodbye, Mrs D. the piano tuner is coming shortly and I must go and help.
 
 
42 Wendy Swann writes:

A kind friend has given us a subscription to Slightly Foxed, The Real Reader's Quarterly, a booklovers' magazine consisting of articles and essays on beloved books both old and new, as well as on authors and other book-related matters. Slightly Foxed describes itself on its website (www.foxedquarterly.com) as intended 'for non-conformists - people who don't want to read only what the big publishers are hyping and the newspapers are reviewing'. Many of the contributors are authors themselves and even if you may never read some of the books/authors they recommend all the articles are lively and interesting and make excellent reading.
 
 
42 Alice May (aged 8) writes:

I have finished the seventh Harry Potter book. I think it was really, really good, I enjoyed reading it too!
 
 
41 Jenny Baker writes...Here's a mind boggling snippet from the front page of July 19's Daily Telegraph:

"The publishers with no sense of sensibility

A fan of Jane Austen who sent plagiarised versions of her novels to publishers as a joke had most of his efforts unrecognised and rejected.

David Lassman submitted the opening chapters of Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion - changing only character names and titles - to 18 publishers and literary agents. Penguin, which republished Pride and Prejudice last year, said Mr. Lassman's effort was "a really original and interesting read" - but did not follow it up.

Alex Bowler, an assistant editor at Jonathan Cape, was the only person to recognise Austen's work."
 
 
40 In last issue's Feedback Kathie Somerwil-Ayrton wondered just how the final book in the Harry Potter series might end and asked if anyone else had any ideas. Below are three:

Eloise May (aged 13) writes:

Harry stores Voldemort's power and when Voldemort kills Harry, he dies himself.

Oliver May (aged 11) writes:

I think that Harry will have to die to kill Voldemort, so Harry and Voldemort will die.

Alice May (aged 8) writes:

Harry will be told that to beat Voldemart he must give up all his magic powers and become a normal person.
 
 
39 Laurence Martin Euler writes:

I had to read The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (bwl 35) for my book club and everybody but me was enthusiastic about it. It is not a bad book at all but the way the author made the story so complex really got on my nerves!
 
 
39 Kathie Somerwil Ayrton writes about the awaited Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

I have thought about the denouement after 6 huge novels from babyhood to graduation and I wonder what J K Rowling has thought up:

1) All a dream, waking up as a normal boy with his own parents

2) Vanquishing Voldermart at last and forever, good will outlast bad, etc

3) On graduation and in the real world, suddenly losing all his magical powers and becoming a normal young man with a future

4) Graduating as a wizard and never leaving the magical world
 
 
38 Annie Noble writes:

I would go even further than the Feedback in bwl 35 on Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. Although I didn't find it disturbing - for me it didn't come alive enough to achieve that - and it's more than just the huge plot hole of why they don't run away: there is nothing about it that makes it worth reading. Storylines aren't really developed; characters are weakly drawn; and the explanation towards the end is Hercule Poirot-like in the way it ties up loose ends. I feel reading it has been a complete waste of my time - and a waste of what could have been a great idea.

Ed's Note: Has anyone read this book and managed to enjoy it?
 
 
38 Jenny Baker writes:

I needed a perfect book to while away those winter blues, and found it in Martin Davies's The Conjuror's Bird (bwl 36). It has everything to keep those pages turning: mystery, intrigue, greed, suspense, a secret love story, all set against a background based on historical facts.
 
 
38 Jeremy Swann writes:

As a voluntary part-time librarian I attended a course recently on detective and mystery stories worldwide during which the lecturer reviewed the history of this genre, starting with Edgar Alan Poe and including Raymond Chandler as a milestone. I have a few treasured copies of the latter's work which I have been re-reading with great pleasure. Humphrey Bogart was ideally cast as the hard-boiled private eye Philip Marlowe in at least one film based on a Chandler story. The author's style with much clipped dialogue and vivid similes so redolent of American speech was a joy to savour again. I strongly recommend any thriller enthusiast who has not read Chandler's novels to give them a try.
 
 
37 Jenny Bakes writes:

For me Suite Française (bwl 36) is the book of the year. A huge amount has been written about France's collective guilt and the role that the Vichy government played in WW II but this book, which encompasses the first two novels in a planned set of five, is unique, written as it was while the actual events were unfolding and without the benefits of hindsight. As she set about observing and recording the actions and reactions of the French and the Germans, Irene Nemirovsky had an uncanny grasp of what was happening but she could not have imagined that France, that most civilised of countries, would actively collaborate in the fate that awaited her and thousands of others.
 
 
36 Jenny Baker writes:

re the derivation of the title of Lynn Truss's Talk to the Hand (bwl 35) - the following extract is from Wikipedia, the free internet encyclopedia:

Talk to the hand (or tell it to the hand) is an English language slang phrase associated with the 1990s. It originated in African American Vernacular English as a contemptuous and urbanized way of saying that no one is listening, and is often elongated to a phrase such as "Talk to the hand, because the ear's not listening" or "Talk to the hand, (be)cause the face don't understand"
 
 
35 Annabel Bedini writes:

May I add, not so much Feed-back as Feed-forward

Mental Health Warning: Avoid if it's not too late, Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. Apart from the horrible subject matter - cloned children for spare-part organs - the whole treatment is profoundly disturbing, dragging the reader into some kind of mushy world of Ishiguro's own strange psyche in which I was constantly asking Why? And anyway the whole story hangs on a huge plot-hole - why don't they run away? It left me feeling sick for weeks.
 
 
35 Clive Yelf writes:

Thanks to the editors for providing the definitions of slobberchops from Bill Bryson's Made in America (bwl 34). However, I'm quite keen to point out that we as a family use it in the context of the second definition, that of a messy eater rather than the third, that of a lecherous old man. We have several of the former in the house but few (I hope) of the latter! Wait a few years of course and it might be a different story
 
 
35 Jenny Baker writes:

In bwl 33 Feedback, there was a cri de coeur for something amusing as a change from the often serious content of many of the books we read. Well look no further than Alan Isler's The Living Proof (bwl 32). I'm reading it at the moment and it has me laughing out loud. Brilliant satirical humour which pricks the human bubble of self importance.
 
 
34 James Baker writes:

Having just read Two Lives by Vikram Seth (bwl 32) I absolutely agree with the sentiments expressed in the succinct review. His pursuit of the truth of the history of his uncle and aunt is fascinating and gripping until you become exhausted by his obsession. What is cathartic to him finds the reader nodding off, like being on the receiving end of an overlong one-sided telephone call . . . but I'm glad I read it and remain a fan.
 
 
34 Jenny Baker writes:

I too loved Kate Mosse's Labyrinth (bwl 33) which I agree is much better than The Da Vinci Code (though I thought that book was a great yarn). I especially enjoyed the medieval sections in Labyrinth which filled me in with I lot I didn't know about the background of and the persecution of the Cathars. I did get a bit irritated by and lost count of the times the hairs rose on the back of someone's neck but that's a minor quibble.
 
 
33 Jeremy Swann writes:

The recent recommendation (bwl 32) of an English dictionary as a useful tool reminds me of that other useful tool: 'Roget's Thesaurus of English Words & Phrases', the ultimate dictionary of synonyms. Over the years I have found it an invaluable aid not only to finding the right word when it has slipped my memory but also to solving the problem of how to avoid using the same word more than once in a sentence or paragraph. A kind friend recently passed on to me a copy of the 150th anniversary edition published by Penguin which includes many new words, for instance used in computing, which had not been invented when my existing Thesaurus was published. I strongly recommend it to anyone faced with the job of fashioning elegant sentences.
 
 
33 Guy Harding writes:

Herewith personal feelings: So many of the offerings to bwl are just very depressing - so often about war or death or both - there have been and sadly will probably always be such happenings, but is it not possible to have some amusement too?
 
 
32 Jeremy Swann wrote the following in the last issue:

"Looking back through the issues of bwl published during the last couple of years, I wondered which two or three books featured there would come top of my list on the grounds of originality, thought-provokingness and sheer enjoyability. I finally chose the following two, both first novels and both by non-European writers (is this significant?). They are:

Chimimanda Nguzi Ardichie's Purple Hibiscus (bwl 26) and Khaled Hossein's The Kite Runner (bwl 29).

It would be interesting to learn what our readers would select as their choices using the same criteria."

Below are the responses received so far:

Mine would be The Time Traveler's Wife (bwl 29) and The Shadow of the Wind (bwl 28), with Oryx and Crake (bwl 28) a close third. (Annie Noble)

I DO agree about the The Kite Runner. (Polly Sams)

Two of the most original and enjoyable books I have read in the last couple of years have undoubtedly been The Life of Pi by Yann Martel (bwl 17) and The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht, (bwl 20). (Wendy Swann)

Re your challenging idea of books we've REALLY liked, it puts me into the same kind of panic as desert island choices or top tens. I'm incapable of coming down firmly in favour of one rather than another and I'm tormented by the thought that I'm forgetting, in a certain sense betraying, some marvellous books that will pop into my mind the moment I've stopped thinking. However, I do absolutely agree about Purple Hibiscus and The Kite Runner - wonderful books! I might possibly add one I did last time, Under the Frog (bwl 31), for the way it opened up a whole new world, oh, and de Berniere's Birds Without Wings (bwl 28) for the same reason, and going back a bit, one of the best books of all times, Paton Walsh's Knowledge of Angels (bwl 5), and so it goes on ad infinitum . . . (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
31 Jeremy Swann writes:

Looking back through the issues of bwl published during the last couple of years, I wondered which two or three books featured there would come top of my list on the grounds of originality, thought-provokingness and sheer enjoyability. I finally chose the following two, both first novels and both by non-European writers (is this significant?). They are:

Chimimanda Nguzi Ardichie's ''Purple Hibiscus'' (bwl 26) and Khaled Hossein's ''The Kite Runner''.

It would be interesting to learn what our readers would select as their choices using the same criteria.
 
 
30 We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver (reviewed in bwl 29) is the winner of this year's Orange Prize.
 
 
27 Carol McClure writes:

I found Tracy Chevalier's The Lady and the Unicorn (bwl 21) disappointing as a book but totally fascinating about the tapestries. I thought her attempt to write in the first person as a man was a failure and the French painter came over to me as a pantomime boy - i.e. a girl slapping her thigh as Dick Whittington! But her description of the making of the tapestries made up for the shortcomings of the book, so much so that seeing them was my highest priority on a brief visit to Paris this year - and wonderful they were.
 
 
27 Jeremy Swann writes:

A kind friend recently brought us a copy of Lynne Truss's amusing and helpful book on punctuation Eats, Shoots and Leaves (reviewed in bwl 22). In addition to giving the first explanation I've seen of the 'Oxford comma', the author delighted me by referring to and quoting from quite one of the funniest books I know: James Thurber's The Years with Ross (Ross being the co-founder and editor of the New Yorker and a maniac for good punctuation and clear writing). This title originally appeared in bwl 2, in March 2000 but I have no hesitation in putting it forward again. It's a bright star in what sometimes seems a cloudy sky. I read it again every year ... as a tonic!
 
 
27 Re The Da Vinci Code

Claire Bane writes:
I disagree with the comments in bwl 26's Feedback. A clever thriller that moves at lightning speed as the main character tears around Paris to 'unravel the secret at the heart of Christianity'. There is certainly some heavy criticism of the Catholic church and the geography of Paris is indeed inaccurate. Does it matter? I think not, it's just a cracking good story.
Veronica Edwards writes:
The first half of the book had me enthralled but thereafter I felt it became rather James Bondish and silly and I was relieved to finish it. It was a thrilling yarn in many ways but the characters were very flat; it was a very factual book.
 
 
26 Annabel Bedini writes:

I started off agreeing with the reviewer of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code (bwl 23), enjoying the treasure-hunt and the fascinating snippets of art history but I was increasingly infuriated by his preposterous, un-historic and essentially silly (What-Was-Her-Father-Doing-In-The-Cellar????) story and its theme. As with Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones (reviewed in bwl 19 and later Feedback) it's a real pity when authors spoil things by failing on credibility, accuracy and consistency. Do they think readers won't notice or don't they notice themselves?
 
 
25 Clive Yelf writes:

Re the Help cry in Feedback bwl 24 - if you've bought a book through Amazon and want to add a comment on the seller's service but can't find the link for the feedback page when you log in, there is an alternative method:
1. Click the "Your Account" button in the top-right corner of any page on the Amazon.co.uk website.
2. Select "Open and recently dispatched orders" from the "Where's my stuff" section.
3. Locate the order that you want to leave feedback for and click "View Order".
4. Within the order details there will be a "Leave Feedback" link. Just click to leave feedback.
 
 
24 Annabel Bedini writes:

Does anyone else wish Simon Winchester would stop being so chummily gushing? The subject matter of his books is interesting enough without his needing to hype them with titles like The Map that Changed the World (it didn't) and The Day the World Exploded (it didn't), both reviewed in bwl 23.
 
 
24 Jenny Baker writes:

A further note on buying and selling with Amazon. I recently bought a second-hand book through them and found nothing complicated about the process and the book arrived within three days. The seller asked me to post any comments I might make on the Amazon Feedback under their name. That's when the trouble started. I spent hours trying to work out how to find the button which said 'Please remember to leave feedback'. So HELP! if anyone knows how to do this, please reveal the secret.
 
 
23 James Baker writes:

Just a note to endorse the sentiments expressed in the review of Rohinton Mistry's Family Matters (bwl 21). The writing is extraordinary. It's difficult to believe that the family don't actually exist and the events did not happen. Mistry is a great natural storyteller and I just feel I want to sit down and listen to any tale he'd like to tell.
 
 
23 Clive Yelf writes:

An update on selling on Amazon (see 2003 feedbacks 19 and 20): I've now gone big-time with about 40-odd books listed. Of these I've already sold five for about £4.50 each. The really encouraging thing is that three of these books had already been rejected by conventional second-hand bookshops as being on subjects that didn't sell (Radical Feminism, Gender studies etc) . These were snapped up within a day or so of being advertised. I now have another reason for scouring charity shops and boot sales (as though I needed one!).
 
 
22 Jeremy Swann writes:

Why so few short stories?

I recently woke up to the fact that, in the four years since we launched bookswelike, we have only received a small number of reviews of short stories. Is this an indication that few of our contributors like reading them? And, if so, why should this be? Many well-known and lesser-known English and American writers are producing short stories and having them published.

Here in France our next door village runs a widely publicised national short story contest as part of its annual book fair. In 2003 there were over 150 entries and similar contests are organised in other parts of the country. Nevertheless few of our local public library's readers borrow short stories rather than novels. I haven't checked but, if the same holds true elsewhere, the lack of reader interest may be a national, even an international phenomenon. It would be interesting to hear the views of bwl contributors and readers alike on the subject.

Although it is not strictly relevant to the above, I found it interesting to read in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's autobiography Living to Tell the Tale (see under Non-Fiction in this issue) that it requires much more effort and skill to write a good short story than it does a good novel. Being a great writer of each he should know!
 
 
22 Clive Yelf writes:

I had a thought the other day about a book that had disappointed me. I wasn't considering reviewing it for bookswelike but thought it might be interesting to have a 'Raspberry Reviews' section where books that disappointed for a specific reason could be discussed (aka 'named & shamed'). Not necessarily bad books, but those that had specific problems associated with them that you wanted to get off your chest....
 
 
22 Annabel Bedini writes:

I agree with Wendy Swann's feedback (bwl 21) on The Lovely Bones and the doubts she expressed are the same that have stopped me from reviewing Vernon God Little* as a book I like, despite enjoying a lot of it. Credibility fails - and irritation sets in - in the face of glaring inconsistencies. In the case of both books the problems lie with the American justice system - anyone who has read Vernon God Little will know what I mean - and the disquieting suspicion has to be that the failings are so endemic and so taken for granted that the American reading public doesn't notice them (or, it seems, know the difference between pardon and acquittal!).

*Winner of the 2003 Man Booker prize, the author of which is a Mexican-Australian called Peter Finlay writing under the pseudonym of D B C Pierre - the translation of which is apparently Dirty but Clean Peter.
 
 
21 Sandra Lee writes:

If you like flora and fauna and people, do read Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver (bwl 12). It's a celebration of nature and love, and is such a rich enthralling story of lives amid the mountains and farms of southern Appalachia. A lovely book, the sort of book one wishes one could have written oneself.
 
 
21 Wendy Swann writes:

Alice Sebold's highly successful novel, The Lovely Bones (bwl19) left me feeling a bit sceptical. Here's why (but don't read this if you haven't read the book and are planning to).The murderer made a quite sophisticated underground room in the cornfield which he enticed his victim into and filled in as soon as he had killed her. Despite mud and blood and a stray body part the police never found it. Later, after he had disappeared, his house was sold. Who by? Meanwhile he roamed the country for years in a car (his own?). What about the registration plates? And where did he get money from? You could argue that that's not what the book is about, that it's a fairy tale and we know who the murderer is anyway. But I was unconvinced.
 
 
21 Mary Standing writes:

I found The Lovely Bones (bwl19) highly original and thought provoking. We all have our personal beliefs, or are still open-minded and still searching for the answer to the big questions. I found the ideas here refreshing and just as plausible as most of the religious doctrines I have come across. Particularly topical and apt while the media relay the Soham trial in great detail. It resolves itself beautifully at the end, leaving a feeling of peace. It made me want to believe it contains some truth and answered some questions. Am I being naive? This book is my choice for discussion at the Reading Group I attend.
 
 
21 Annabel Bedini writes:

I agree with the reviewer that The Life of Pi (bwl 17) may or may not make us believe in God, but it certainly made me believe in the god-like power (possibly also purpose?) of story-tellers. Yann Martel teases us with the question of how far fiction can go, getting us to suspend our disbelief beyond all reasonable bounds and then, dammit, casting doubts on his own story. At which point we feel horribly betrayed. We (and he knows it - viz. the book's last sentence) would much rather believe than not believe. Why is that, I wonder?
 
 
21 Ferelith Hordon writes:

Dipping my toes into the Feedback waters! Did anyone watch the Man-Booker Award ceremony on television? I do not have digital but I did enjoy the 30 minute TV diary on BBC 2. I thought it much more lively than the usual offering. I cannot comment on the winner (Vernon God Little by D B C Pierre) - it sounds like a novel I would want to approach with caution. Has anybody read it?

On the subject of buying/selling books - I have not tried the Amazon service, but I can recommend ABE (http://www.abebooks.com) - I bought a sci-fantasy title I have been wanting for a long time - no hassle with the credit card payment and despite being an American bookseller, it arrived within 3 days!
 
 
21 Julie Higgins writes:

Just a thought (probably one that's been rejected) - what about having reviews of things you didn't like? I, for one, hated the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (bwl 17) for me it was the No. 1 detective agency for dim-witted women - but I'm probably very much in the minority.

The following has nothing to do with a particular book but a lot to do with reading:

Aoccdrnig to a rscheeachr at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by istlef but the wrod as a wlohe.
 
 
20 James Baker writes:

I would like to add to the review of Bo Caldwell's The Distant Land of my Father that apart from being a moving account of a father-daughter relationship in a period of world conflagration, the background details of Shanghai, including life in one notorious Japanese prison camp, were so accurately portrayed that it brought it all back, as they say, to one who 'was there' for most of the time. The best account of that period I've ever read.
 
 
20 Victoria Grey-Edwards writes:

As a frustrated reviewer of Unless by Carol Shields (already reviewed in bwl15) I would like to agree with the reviewer's comment that it is a book to 'linger over and savour'. When I had finished it I immediately re-read the last chapter, and it is a novel that I will definitely read again. I find that when reading one of Carol Shields' novels there is a tendency to skim through quickly looking for plot, possibly missing some of the subtleties of the atmosphere and observations. I would also like to add that I felt it was a very skilful portrayal of a family confused by grief and a search for answers and also seemed to be Carol Shields at her most personal. I hope it is not her swan song*, and I hope that I get away with more than 75 words here - what a treat!

*Sadly it is her swan song as Carol Shields died this summer. (Editor's note)
 
 
20 Clive Yelf writes:

I mentioned in the last bwl that I had put six second-hand books up for sale on Amazon. I was intrigued to hear what others' experiences were of this service as I had never used it but I can now give you some indication of how it works and, more to the point, whether it's a service worth using.

Registering is fairly easy. You provide a username, email address and bank details. Once you locate a title on the site, you click on the 'Do you have a copy to sell?' link, identify it by its ISBN number, indicate the condition and suggest a suitable price, which is charged to the purchaser plus Amazon's blanket p & p rate of £2.75. The book goes on sale by the next day and remains for 60 days before being removed. Putting the first book on takes a while, but further additions were pretty quick. So far so goood.

I had one title on offer at £20. I received an email saying that someone had purchased it, but not to send until the payment had been cleared. This obviously didn't take long because within a minute I received a second email telling me to DESPATCH THE BOOK WITHIN TWO DAYS! Panic, panic especially as I couldn't remember where I'd put it. But I found, wrapped and addressed it to the purchaser and sent an email to them saying it was on its way.

My first setback was the postage. £4.60 (big book!) with a further 60p for recorded delivery (well, it was my first go and I didn't want anything to go wrong). The second was that although listing is free Amazon charge you when you sell, which in this case was £4.18 + VAT. Purchaser paid: £22.75 - Amazon's fee + vat £4.80 - I received £17.95 - My p&p was £5.20 - Leavingng me with a profit of £12.75

It's certainly not a fortune but would obviously look healthier if I hadn't spent so much on p&p. So in order to maximise returns, it's best to offer lightweight paperbacks in excellent condition and not to bother with recorded delivery. I'm just relieved no-one purchased my coin book as its weight means it would probably be cheaper to send it round by taxi. That reminds me, I must check to see if the money's arrived in my account yet!
 
 
20 Michael Fitzgerald-Lombard writes

A contributor asks if anyone has bought or sold through Amazon. I have bought lots and the novel I review in this issue (a 1975 paperback) is an example. I could not find it in any second-hand shop, even at Hay-on-Wye, but Amazon offered a search and produced it. The arrangement is that you pay through the Amazon website but the book comes direct from the dealer. In this case the cost with post was £5.80. When it arrived, I noticed it had 20p pencilled inside the cover, but at least they found it.
 
 
20 Murray Jackson writes

I have just bought - through Amazon - a second-hand copy of How She Does It for £2.50 - a slightly damaged cover but a bargain - so there may be a future. Selling is apparently easy but I would find it hard to part with any books.
 
 
20 Jenny Baker writes:

On the subject of finding and buying second-hand or out of print books, I find http://www.abebooks.com extremely useful.
 
 
19 Clive Yelf writes:

I usually dispose of books down at the local second-hand book shop, but as I've recently obtained some specialist numismatic tomes on such topics as pilgrims' tokens and jetons from the early medieval period (Nuremberg region - honest!), I thought I'd try selling them on Amazon.com. I've never tried selling on Amazon's second-hand book site before and was wondering if anyone had either sold, or bought, using this method. How did you find it? Was there much response or did you find it a waste of time? I've put about six books on the site, covering subjects from Freud to Cricket, Greek history to the aforementioned coin-collecting. I'll let you know how it all went for the next issue of bwl, but I'd also be interested to hear what others do with recently read books. Are you a hoarder or a ruthless disposer - and if you do dispose of them where do you do it?
 
 
19 Annabel Bedini writes:

Thanks to the reviewer of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (bwl 18), but I'd like to add: what about that ironic, brain-teasing ending?
 
 
19 Sandra Lee writes:

I've just come across Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsover (bwl 12). If you like flora and fauna, and people, do read it. It's a celebration of nature and love, and is such a rich enthralling story of lives amid the mountains and farms of southern Appalachia. It is a lovely book, the sort of book one wishes one could have written oneself.
 
 
19 Jenny Baker writes:

Like the reviewer in bwl 17, I loved The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency the unlikely author of which, Alexander McCall Smith, turns out to be an Edinburgh professor of law! If you share the belief that Africa is an exclusively frightening place, then heroine Mma Precious Ramotswe will show you a different world where goodness, decency and humour prevail. This was my book group's recent choice and we all agreed it was a rewarding one and couldn't wait to read its sequels.
 
 
18 Jeremy Swann writes:

I have just finished Katherine Graham's Personal History (bwl 12) and entirely share the contributor's enthusiasm. I would only like to add that I found the author's picture of her upbringing fascinating, coming as she did from a rich non-practising Jewish family in the United States. Equally interesting, I found, is her detailed description of her work as publisher of the Washington Post and her close contact with the presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon as well as leading figures such as Henry Kissinger who prefaces this book.
 
 
18 Jenny Baker writes:

Re the request in bwl 17's Feedback for suggestions for a practical handbook to have on a desert island how about The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht? It might not tell you how to live off the local plants but it does explain amongst other things how to escape from quicksand, wrestle an alligator and land a plane. All of which could prove useful!

I've just read The Mulberry Empire by Philip Hensher and endorse everything that was said in the review (bwl 17). It is indeed an absolute jewel. And what made it even more enthralling for me was reading it alongside The Great Game by Peter Hopkirk (bwl 12) which covers the same ground and more. It was fascinating to check the historical details and discover which characters were based on actual people and also to see a picture of Sir Alexander Burns, the principal protagonist, who doesn't look quite the swashbuckler I imagined!
 
 
18 Joan Jackson writes:

Re bwl 17: Having seen the film, I agree entirely with the reviewer of A Beautiful Mind. American films never seem to be able to portray a moving story without loads of sentimentality. As to Rani Manicka's The Rice Mother, I found it enthralling.

But the biggest surprise for me was The Long Walk which the reviewer had only just read although it was published in 1956*. I remember it very well indeed. It made a great hit. But along came the experts with articles in the press and debates on the radio which appeared to prove conclusively that the book was a fake. Fine if it had been declared fiction, but it wasn't. At the time not a thing the author wrote about as personal experience could be proved. Not a single character in the story could be traced worldwide. But if Slavomir Rawicz made a lot of money - good luck to him!

*Editor's note: The Long Walk has remained in print ever since, its most recent reissue was in 2000. There are dozens of sites on the internet from all over the world which refer to it as a true story and extol its virtues. One French site mentions the 1956 controversy but concludes that as it is such a wonderful book, it doesn't matter if it is true or false! So is it a fake? Were those experts right or have they since been proved wrong? Can anyone throw fresh light on the matter?
 
 
17 Jenny Freeman writes:

I was on the verge of writing about Year of Wonders, but see that someone had beaten me to it (bwl 16). But I would like to add my admiration for Geraldine Brooks' marvellous novel: this is real storytelling, compellingly and beautifully written and whilst not sparing us any detail of the devastation and misery of the plague, the messages which emerge are of the values of friendship, of courage and of amazing optimism. (Jenny Freeman)
 
 
17 Jeremy Swann writes:

Desert Island Books

Re. Feedback in bwl 16, when thinking of an answer to Clive Yelf's reference to novels for a Desert Island, I was puzzled because my list would be mainly made up of non-fiction. The fiction would indeed be mainly classics such as, yes, Middlemarch, and Tolstoy's War and Peace. I would add Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, The Oxford Book of Humorous Prose, The Bible, H.A.L Fisher's History of Europe, The Complete works of Shakespeare in one volume, Thurber's Life of Harold Ross, T.S Eliot's Poems including his Four Quartets and Grierson's Metaphysical Poems of the Seventeenth Century. However, on the assumption that one would have no supplies from outside on one's desert island, I would more than anything else want a guide to living off the land by using local plants to feed as well as cure myself if need be. Any suggestions?
 
 
17 Annabel Bedini writes:

Two apologies

1. I once described a book about the IRA (Aemon Collin's Killing Rage - bwl 13) as ultimately hopeful, based on what Collins wrote in the preface. I have recently learned that the IRA later eliminated him in a typical act of retaliation, so definitely no room for hope there...

2. I also described Heinrich Boll's short stories, Absent Without Leave (bwl 16) as uniformly haunting but - confession - that was before I had finished reading them all. I found a couple of the later ones distinctly irritating. Sorry.
 
 
16 Murray Jackson writes:

I wanted to say how much I agree with the comments in Feedback bwl 15 about The Wrong Boy! A friend, who should know better, thought it simply a nice comedy, and totally missed the poignancy, tragedy and (relative) triumph. Gas lighting at the kitchen sink level.
 
 
16 Clive Yelf writes:

I was delighted to read the review of Sterne's Tristram Shandy (bwl 15) because I would have to rate it as an all-time favourite and my 'desert island' book of choice. I read the review on my 10th wedding anniversary and realised that the last time I read the book I was actually on honeymoon in a farmhouse on Gozo (the nearest I've ever been to a desert island). Well the signs were too much for me and I've bowed to the inevitable by picking it up and starting again. As a result I've realised that there's another great advantage to a novel like this - no plot, so no sense of knowing what's going to happen. It's a bit like a be-wigged Ronnie Corbett telling an 18th C shaggy-dog story. You don't care where you're going, you just settle back and enjoy the journey!

I noticed that there was a positive review of Middlemarch as well and it started me wondering if most readers would honestly rate the 'classics' as books of choice. If you had to draw up a list of ten desert island books what would it contain and how many of them would be from the 19th C or before? In no particular order, I think the ten works of fiction that have really grabbed my imagination at one time or another would include: Laurence Sterne - Tristram Shandy; Huysmans - Against Nature; Denton Welch - Maiden Voyage; Shusaku Endo - The Samurai; Raymond Chandler - The Big Sleep; Mervyn Peake - Gormenghast; Mary Shelley - Frankenstein; G & W Grossmith - The Diary of a Nobody; G.K. Chesterton - The Man Who Was Thursday; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes

(I'd really like to squeeze Conrad's Heart of Darkness in too, but there's just not enough room.)

Fairly lightweight and not very classics loaded, but interestingly six out of the ten are 19 C or earlier. Am I unusual in this or do I reflect fairly general tastes?
 
 
15 Siobhan Thomson writes:

I've just scrolled through the 2002 list to see whether anything I've read recently has yet to be reviewed, but it seems not a one of my recent literary forays has been 'original' in that regard! A Feedback page sounds a great idea ... I would have had something to say about The Siege by Helen Dunmore (bwl 14) - very good, if bleak, Thinks by David Lodge (bwl 13) - also very good though for entirely different reasons and Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin (bwl 13) - ugh!
 
 
15 Julie Higgins writes:

Having been inspired to read Barbara Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible (bwl 4) I can only be grateful for the review. It has become one of my favourite books, and I recommend it constantly. I'm very glad to have discovered her.
 
 
15 Jenny Baker writes:

Since reading The Wrong Boy by Willy Russell (bwl 11) I've been urging all my friends to do so and also suggested it as a book choice to my reading group. Everyone has been over the moon about it. The consensus seems to be that, although it is billed on the cover as a comic masterpiece and parts of it are hilariously funny, it's underlying theme is very serious, even reducing some to tears.
 
 
I am very much enjoying the fact that we contributors are increasingly brave enough to express our dislikes as well as our likes. One of the reviews of Elizabeth Day's The Party (bwl 94) is a case in point. It made me chortle. Then, I'm relieved that the reviewer of Jonathan Coe's Middle England had doubts about it. So did I. Which brings me to a question: how influenced in our book buying are we by the glowing quotes peppered all over the covers of the paper-back editions? I bought Middle England on the basis of them. Are they written by friends of the author or what? Of course the publishers are only going to quote the hype, but how come there is so much of it for books that possibly don't deserve it? (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
Everyone is very positive this time so we can all breathe easily! (Jenny Baker)
 
 
Lockdown here has meant that we have a lot of reading time. I alternate between seriously good fiction, and a light read (Fiona Mackintosh's The Pearl Thief and Sally Rooney's Normal People) and did I mention already, The Claimant, by Janette Turner Hospital? The tone in the beginning was a bit off-putting, but I persevered and was intrigued and entertained throughout. (Margaret Teh)
 
 
I was amused to discover that I am in a minority of one on the question of pinching real people for fictional purposes. I take all the points made (though I would shyly point out, Sharron Calkins, that I'm not really talking about classic plagiarism) but I still think it's cheeky - even somewhat arrogant - particularly if the person is only recently dead and there are people who remember them as they really were. I would agree with Jenny, that there's no problem if the author acknowledges his/her source. How about 'I am grateful to X for providing me with inspiration for my character Y'. I'd be happy with that! (Annabel Bedini)
 
 
Just finished Ai Wei Wei's One Thousand Years of Joys and Sorrow, which I reviewed last time? Totally engrossing documentation of life and times of a significant contemporary artist, now living in exile in Cambridge. Detached irrevocably from his roots in China, a political refugee so to speak. Brilliantly translated and very readable. Other readers may have seen his exhibitions at the Tate Modern, pre-pandemic. I have seen a major exhibition of his works, drawings, installations and ceramics in Melbourne about 4 years ago. (Margaret Teh)
 
 
Just finished Lily (Rose Tremain) and checked it on bwl - 103 and 104. What contrasting views and how interesting. Personally I’m on Team Jenny here! (Sue Pratt) Which only goes to show once again just how subjective reading is. One mans meat again. (Jenny Baker)
 
 
‘In Memoriam’ (fiction bwl 109) kept me reading and vividly depicted the transformation from privileged public schoolboys, absorbed in their own relationships, to the sacrificial officer class in the trenches of the First World War. The war was a traumatic episode in our national life, its ramifications felt throughout the century which has followed but for me, though, the whole subject has been just too thoroughly worked over. It started with the memoirs of Graves, Sassoon and others and has carried on with innumerable novels, plays and feature films. I finished the novel thinking that, for all its merits, it told me nothing I hadn’t already heard already. Am I alone in thinking that The War has become a literary cliché from which we need a rest?  (Tony Pratt) Â