| March/April reviews (Part 2) - Now up to date |
[May. 11th, 2007|04:28 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | ! - autobiography, ! - biography, ! - china, ! - crime/mystery, ! - fiction, ! - fictional biography, ! - freakonomics, ! - history, ! - north pole, ! - travel, ! - tudors, author - connie willis, author - michael marshall smith | ] |
Castaway by Lucy Irvine
Fascinating account of how a woman answered an ad and went to live with a ‘husband’ for a year on an uninhabited island. They had various differences of opinion, not least of all the matter of her refusing to have sex with him for the majority of their stay and how they handled visitors from other islands when they were supposed to be fending for themselves away from civilisation. Lucy’s account of the year is a page-turner and I read this in one sitting.
Crossing the Border by Lisa Tuttle
Library book. A short story collection of characters and situations with gender role ambiguity and/or switching as the common theme. Not as edgy as I was hoping for, the stories seeming simplistic and pretty forgettable – Cecilia Tan’s story definitely not living up to my expectations.
A History of Wales by John Davies
Too dry after Francis Pryor’s delightfully human touch. Has the ability to suck all drama out of sieges, mass marches, and development of the church… Only a book to read if you just want a checklist of dates to remember.
The Tyranny of Num8ers: Why Counting Can't Make Us Happy by David Boyle
Recommended. A book that looks at what happens when we gather data; essentially anything counted distorts the counter’s ability to see the whole. Brilliantly summed up with the quote ‘We are what we measure. It’s time we measured what we want to be.’ A more philosophical take on the subject of statistics than Freakonomics but just as readable. Some interesting numbers and facts:
Proportion of cars on Albanian roads believed to have been stolen from elsewhere in Europe (1997): 80%
‘The whole idea of antidepressants was nearly canned in the 1960s because it was such a rare disorder.’ (pg. 88, then goes on to look at the stats of how the market increased…)
Length of time ‘disposable’ nappies take to decompose in rubbish tips – about 500 years.
‘Right back in the 1830s the philosopher Georg Friedrich Pohl used the metaphor of understanding a journey through beautiful landscape and fascinating people by using a train timetable. The figures were accurate enough, but it left out most of the experience.
The Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams
A collection of all the things that were left on Douglas Adams’ hard drive when he died and his more unknown things such as articles about his atheism and letters sent to comics when he was a kid. Some things are so tentative they should have been left out but some are wonderful. For me the best offerings were the pieces about his interest and involvement in conservation issues and the atheism articles.
‘Young sloths are so inept that they frequently grab their own arms and legs instead of tree limbs, and fall out of trees.’
River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Hessler
A real account of a Peace Corps guy who was the only American in town when he went out to Fuling, a remote non-tourist town in China to teach Literature to university students. A fascinating cultural study of his developing relationships and language skills as he gradually made sense of the very different environment around him. He found that he was always under surveillance and his students were unaware of thinking individually on most issues, they had for the most part been taught as a mob and thought as one. Interlaced with his account of the people and the politics of being on the campus are his stories of stretching his wings and travelling to get a sense of the geography and place as a whole. Recommended.
Britain AD: A Quest for Arthur, England and the Anglo-Saxons by Francis Pryor
Library book. A look at what is known about the landscape and artefacts of the so-called Dark Ages. Pryor’s books are always a love song to the use of archaeology as a way of tracking long-term effects instead of documents to track short-term monarchical events. Didn’t enjoy this anywhere near as much as the Britain in the Middle Ages book I read by the same author a couple of weeks before. Best quote is about Arthur’s lack of documentary existence:
‘To put that in context, it is as if Simon Schama was the first historian to mention Oliver Cromwell by name.’
Artemisia: the story of a battle for greatness by Alexandra Lapierre
The story of a remarkable 15th century female artist who was raped, took it to court to demand vengeance and the fallout of the scandal. This wasn’t moving or engaging or as art or history based as I was hoping for, if anything it reminded me of a soap opera instead. Listed for sale through Amazon.
Devices and Desires by P.D. James
A host of very different characters are drawn to the presence of a nuclear power station on the north Norfolk coast, those that work there and those that campaign against it, those that can’t find a way to afford to stay in a landscape they love. And then a series of murders throw suspicion on them all. A book where the landscape is definitely a character in its own right.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
Didn’t finish this one because while I agree it is very stylish and probably very meaningful it is also remarkably depressing. The most memorable piece apart from the very amusing blurb is the copyrights page, which pleases my inner word nerd. :)
The Bat Tattoo by Russell Hoban
A Hoban book that is very different from Riddley Walker about an artist and the web of contacts and influences around him. Not highly memorable but an interesting premise and made me smile a couple of times. I liked the idea of artworks being something beyond the control of the person making them. Reminded me of Geoff Nicholson’s books for style.
Unnatural Murder: Poison At The Court of James I by Anne Somerset
Story of a couple who conspired to murder the awkward and troublemaking first husband of the woman. They were found out and since they were members of the most prestigious families in England and close to the royal court the trial was a sensation especially when black magic was hinted at. This book is quite slow in its pace though and I didn’t feel compelled to finish it. Selling through Amazon.
Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs by Leonard Cohen
Library book. A collection of Leonard Cohen’s lyrics and poems. Some I didn’t get and some were self aggrandizing or pitying to excess but there were pieces that crackled with life. The lyrics were better than the poetry even when I had to play some of the tracks again because from the words alone the rhythm wasn’t obvious. My favourite however remains ‘Who By Fire?’
And who by fire, who by water,
who in the sunshine, who in the night time,
who by high ordeal, who by common trial,
who in your merry, merry month of may,
who by very slow decay,
and who shall I say is calling?
And who in her lonely slip, who by barbiturate,
who in these realms of love, who by something blunt,
and who by avalanche, who by powder,
who for his greed, who for his hunger,
and who shall I say is calling?
And who by brave assent, who by accident,
who in solitude, who in this mirror,
who by his lady's command, who by his own hand,
who in mortal chains, who in power,
and who shall I say is calling?’
Lincoln’s Dreams by Connie Willis
Bought on Amazon as I like Willis’s work. It’s a nice start as a plot but all those the US history references were so dependant on you knowing every bit of the mythology of Lincoln et al that I think you’d have to be American to appreciate it, or prepared to put it down every couple of minutes to check something.
The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk by Jennifer Niven
The true tale of a crew abandoned by their captain when they hit trouble on an Arctic mission. He’d already made it clear to them that he had little respect or care for their survival and then when the weather deteriorated and the neglected tub he’d ill-advisedly bought started to conspire against them he walked out on them. Told with great sympathy and detail of what life on the ship was like and the politics of an Arctic voyage where every person has their own ideas, agenda and strengths this is highly readable. Released through bookcrossing.
The 8.55 To Baghdad by Andrew Eames
The story of how and why Agatha Christie decided to uproot herself from English suburbia and travel on the Orient Express across Europe before going on to Baghdad to start a life as an archaeologist’s wife in amongst the dig crew. A nicely paced and well written travel book with plenty of comparisons between Eames’ trip and Christie’s original one as well as scene setting to show what the world looked like just a comparatively brief time ago. Recommended if you like good travel books or Christie. I especially liked Eames’ attempts to meet someone from the Yezidi faith who are followers of Lucifer (they believe he was pardoned and is now God’s right hand man again). Oh and in Serbia the greatest insult is ‘I fuck you mice’ meaning ‘I fuck everyone in your house from the mice upwards’.
One of Us by Michael Marshall Smith
A strange book by one of my favourite authors, clock’s have personalities and agendas. Appliances migrate to Mexico when they break down or get old. Memories can be downloaded to someone else’s head if you need a holiday from guilt. The main character’s wife has taken the contract for killing him. Oh yes and there’s aliens. Well worth a read and a book you’ll laugh about. Taught me the word detumescing. Favourite quotes:
‘It was clearly designed to be a conversation piece, but I fancy the conversation generally goes like this:
‘What the fuck is that?’
‘Fucked if I know.’
‘It’s fucking hideous.’
‘Yeah. Let’s burn it.’ (pg. 96)
‘It was a man, whose presence in your life has inverted to become a black hole around which you orbit helplessly. However much you try and blank him out, the years do not help to break the hold. It’s not love, or hatred, merely a psychological binary star.’ (pg. 236 and my quote of the year so far)
Edward VI: The Lost King of England by Christopher Skidmore
Library book. A history of the Tudor boy king’s reign and what his impact might have been had he lived. Unfortunately tries to sell the idea that Protestants burning Catholics or taking away their religious rights is any better than Catholics doing the same thing to Protestants earlier or in Mary’s reign. Not a particularly humanist starting point. Over detailed in some of the details of popular uprisings but well researched this is an informative book though it lacks any warmth. |
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| March/April reviews (Part 1) |
[May. 9th, 2007|11:35 am] |
Do Not Pass Go by Tim Moore
Library book. A journey around the Monopoly board looking at how things have changed, the history of the game and it's fans and why some of the streets were chosen (some we may never be able to figure out...) Had some great trivia facts in it, for example when the BBC was created in 1922 they weren't allowed to show news before 18:00 including the weekends... the newspaper barons thought they'd lose all their business otherwise. Very strange book with a few chunks of text I wasn't expecting in a travel book based on Monopoly...
( Prison SM (light) Fantasy )
Beyond Belief: The Real Life of Daniel Defoe by John Martin
Library book. A DNF as it was so stuffed with possibles, maybes and ishs that it was far too tentative. If not much is known about a subject of biography I object to major leaps of faith about what they spent missing years doing. Also Martin's suggestion that Defoe was lucky to survive a couple of hours in the stocks is complete twaddle. Only a couple of people ever died in the stocks and they were guilty of far more public-wrath inspiring crimes. A weak book.
Foreign Babes in Beijing: Behind the Scenes of a New China by Rachel DeWoskin
Library book. Daughter of Sinophile parents goes to Beijing to work and ends up appearing in a soap opera. DeWoskin describes how she tried to cross the line between being a long staying tourist to become someone with a little more insight. Not entirely convincing in her descriptions of situations, occasionally giving the very definite feel that she has airbrushed something out or re-written scenarios to show herself in a better light. Some interesting 'why can't they do things our way?!' moments.
Lucky by Alice Sebold
Read before releasing through bookcrossing, I found this to be fairly stark even despite it's subject matter (Sebold's rape and subsequent decision to take it to trial). Sebold is honest in capturing her difficult relationships with her family and the publicity/attention she received. Released through bookcrossing.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Found myself turning the pages of this and liking the premise: students being driven to murder and then the dynamics of what happens to who next, whether they'll all manage to keep their stories straight etc. Thing is though that it is way too long. I struggled through the middle and positively limped through the end. The characters were compelling but the plot was stretched too thin. Released through bookcrossing.
Ulysses by James Joyce
Library book. Recommended, highly recommended by a good friend. Unable to get past page 50... That whole no speechmark thing annoyed my inner pedant something wicked. I did try a couple of times though. Maybe I am too young for it(!)
The Touch Typist by Helen Sandler
Library book. A lesbian Sex in the City type thing, a quick read that made me smile on my commute into work.
Ladies in Waiting: From the Tudors to the Present Day by Anne Somerset
Library book. History so popular it descends into nothing more than a recounting of nice dresses and allowances for new shoes. Urgh.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Bought from Amazon. A story narrated by Death and telling the tale of a little girl who feels driven to steal books while all around her Germany is being taken over by the Nazi Party and their book burning supporters. A New York Times bestseller for weeks (I heard some excellent reviews of it before I bought it) this never lived up to my expectations and the writing felt hollow and stilted. Sold through Amazon. Maybe the next reader will enjoy it more.
The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III
Library book. I loved the Sandman's extended family and found this thought provoking and pretty. :) Will be looking for more Sandman stuff.
Britain in the Middle Ages: An Archaeological History by Francis Pryor
Library book. A narrative account of society as a whole rather than royalty or aristo based document led history this was a great read with lots of interesting takes on dig finds and what they might mean in the greater scheme of things. Recommended, one of my favourite recent reads. |
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