Another one of the random books I pick up at the second hand book store, this one struck me because of it's unusual spine. Picturing a man with eyes scratched out, I picked this up wondering whether it was going to be interesting or actually superbly boring and terribly written...
Based in Switzerland after WWI, Elizabeth and her sister-in-law are based in a spa town with a view to recovering after the death of Elizabeth's brother.
Often bleak, this book draws you into a side not often portrayed in "war novels" - more of the aftermath, rather than views into trench warfare, and the horrors of war.
I was surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did, I normally hate the view point of a woman written by a man (prejudiced as hell, but it's always grated!) but each character had a richness that I wasn't expecting, and I found this book extremely difficult to put down.
The injustices of war, and the terrible decisions that people make are a main theme of this novel, and it's difficult to come away without wondering how much of the subject content actually happened but was never really seen or believed, and so sad at the loss of so many lives needlessly.
While in stark contrast to a lot of the other styles I read, I really enjoyed this book, and will chuck it into the "would read again" pile.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
The Beach, Alex Garland
I had illusions of heading to Cambodia earlier in the year - however these grand dreams were dashed with comments of "ele you would find it pretty difficult over there"... So I decided to armchair travel a bit instead. The first book I picked up is one I've had for a while gathering dust in the parents bookcase - "The Beach"
Classed as one of the defining novels of it's generation - I decided to read with an open mind to what ever imagery of South East Asia the book offered.
The sand, check. Blue Sea, check. Everything else? check. (Not for me I might add)...
The book is about a central character, who seems slightly unsatisfied with life. A chance meeting with a backpacker provides a map to a mysterious destination, with the person who gave the map committing suicide the next morning.
This book reminds me a little of Bret Easton Ellis in some of it's narcissistic tendencies, and some of the themes of the Vietnam war, and even the Super Mario brothers game.
Yes it's full of twists and turns, but it never really engaged with me - even the second time around. I felt that the commune-like lifestyle was a little much, and always felt a there was a strange disconnect between the major and minor characters. Maybe I'm looking for too much, as on face value the book is an ok read.
I should probably check out Alex Garland's other books before completely throwing it to there "wouldn't trade again" pile. As he also wrote "28 days later" and "Sunshine".
Perhaps next time I am looking for South East Asian inspiration I should try "The Quiet American"
Classed as one of the defining novels of it's generation - I decided to read with an open mind to what ever imagery of South East Asia the book offered.
The sand, check. Blue Sea, check. Everything else? check. (Not for me I might add)...
The book is about a central character, who seems slightly unsatisfied with life. A chance meeting with a backpacker provides a map to a mysterious destination, with the person who gave the map committing suicide the next morning.
This book reminds me a little of Bret Easton Ellis in some of it's narcissistic tendencies, and some of the themes of the Vietnam war, and even the Super Mario brothers game.
Yes it's full of twists and turns, but it never really engaged with me - even the second time around. I felt that the commune-like lifestyle was a little much, and always felt a there was a strange disconnect between the major and minor characters. Maybe I'm looking for too much, as on face value the book is an ok read.
I should probably check out Alex Garland's other books before completely throwing it to there "wouldn't trade again" pile. As he also wrote "28 days later" and "Sunshine".
Perhaps next time I am looking for South East Asian inspiration I should try "The Quiet American"
Saturday, October 27, 2007
John Barth, The End of the Road
I will read anything, as this book list attests. I really enjoy being lent books from friends, as it gives me a chance to read something I may not otherwise have picked up... Which is the state that "The end of the road" was handed to me.
An unusual book, involving a love triangle between 3 people, narrated by the anti-hero, Jacob Horner. It is not quite an emotional rollercoaster, but a novel that is filled with complex dialogue heading towards an interesting conclusion.
In a nutshell "In the novel Barth deftly explores important themes: the folly of taking philosophies to logical extremes, and the need to accept and embrace paradox as well as be able to combine, or at least try, various and flexible philosophies to survive in the larger world." (thanks wiki)
This book is complex. It's hard to get your head around the characters - there were places I just wanted to shut the book to shut them up. But I persevered, and I'm glad I did.
Being written in the 1950's it's easy to brush away some of the content as simple - but when put in it's place, the content deals with complex emotional issues, dealt with in an almost ludicrous way.
I should really read it again to understand it a little better - as I think I passed over a lot of it with the initial feeling "It's wordy and boring"...
An unusual book, involving a love triangle between 3 people, narrated by the anti-hero, Jacob Horner. It is not quite an emotional rollercoaster, but a novel that is filled with complex dialogue heading towards an interesting conclusion.
In a nutshell "In the novel Barth deftly explores important themes: the folly of taking philosophies to logical extremes, and the need to accept and embrace paradox as well as be able to combine, or at least try, various and flexible philosophies to survive in the larger world." (thanks wiki)
This book is complex. It's hard to get your head around the characters - there were places I just wanted to shut the book to shut them up. But I persevered, and I'm glad I did.
Being written in the 1950's it's easy to brush away some of the content as simple - but when put in it's place, the content deals with complex emotional issues, dealt with in an almost ludicrous way.
I should really read it again to understand it a little better - as I think I passed over a lot of it with the initial feeling "It's wordy and boring"...
Duncton Quest
I've been fan of the Duncton Moles since I was about 13. Someone bought me the first book for my birthday, and I was totally in love with the world of Duncton Wood, Bracken and Rebecca, Boswell, Scribemoles, Uffington in all SORTS of ways. It's strange, even though I adored this book - I never located the second one (there are 3) until now!
I was so excited to run home and start reading it, and after the first page all the memories of the duncton world cam flooding back.
Similar in style and theme to Watership down, these sentient moles live in a colourful, often dark, almost traumatic world.
A nice easy read, and as I'm such a huge animal fan, unputdownable - I loved this book. It's full if rich image imagery, the battle between good and evil, and almost tries to explain what makes evil the way it is. If you're a fan of any kind of fantasy, or even just a really well written story, this is definitely a book to read.
In fact, I loved it so much I'm considering calling my next pet (I'm thinking a nice chocolate brown labrador or golden retriever) Tryfran.
I was so excited to run home and start reading it, and after the first page all the memories of the duncton world cam flooding back.
Similar in style and theme to Watership down, these sentient moles live in a colourful, often dark, almost traumatic world.
A nice easy read, and as I'm such a huge animal fan, unputdownable - I loved this book. It's full if rich image imagery, the battle between good and evil, and almost tries to explain what makes evil the way it is. If you're a fan of any kind of fantasy, or even just a really well written story, this is definitely a book to read.
In fact, I loved it so much I'm considering calling my next pet (I'm thinking a nice chocolate brown labrador or golden retriever) Tryfran.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Hotel California, Barney Hoskins
I wasn't a 70's child, in fact I was barely an 80's child, but due to parents who loved music, I got a grounding in the artists that this book is about... Spanning the late 60's to the early 80's, Hotel California walks through the trials and tribulations of the artists situated in the Los Angeles Canyons districts.
While I thought it would be more shocking, I mean what did artists do in the 70's but take loads of drugs and have a good time? but this was an exploration into the real lifestyle of these people.
From Joni Mitchell, to the Eagles, to Crosby, Stills and Nash (with and without Neil Young) to the Eagles, the story feels like you're suddenly amongst a group of mates that get wasted together, share the lives, their loves, their insecurities, and also their music.
Hearing stories about The Troubadour (the club where most of them played at some stage of their careers) transported me there, feeling the sweat and muck come off the stage, watching the successes come and go, watching the addictions to various substances waste talent away...
While the most shocking aspect of this book was more about what a WANKER Davd Geffen is, each chapter beautifully interweaves each musicians fame and dependence without becoming contrived or face. While I felt slightly sdad at each chapter, as dealing with ego sounds like such a struggle, as well as the changing American way, and almost the demise of american folk music.
While a lot of the names and artists flew over my head, I really enjoyed this book - I felt it was well written, full of intersting anecdotes, snippets of a life and time that I only ever read about...
While I thought it would be more shocking, I mean what did artists do in the 70's but take loads of drugs and have a good time? but this was an exploration into the real lifestyle of these people.
From Joni Mitchell, to the Eagles, to Crosby, Stills and Nash (with and without Neil Young) to the Eagles, the story feels like you're suddenly amongst a group of mates that get wasted together, share the lives, their loves, their insecurities, and also their music.
Hearing stories about The Troubadour (the club where most of them played at some stage of their careers) transported me there, feeling the sweat and muck come off the stage, watching the successes come and go, watching the addictions to various substances waste talent away...
While the most shocking aspect of this book was more about what a WANKER Davd Geffen is, each chapter beautifully interweaves each musicians fame and dependence without becoming contrived or face. While I felt slightly sdad at each chapter, as dealing with ego sounds like such a struggle, as well as the changing American way, and almost the demise of american folk music.
While a lot of the names and artists flew over my head, I really enjoyed this book - I felt it was well written, full of intersting anecdotes, snippets of a life and time that I only ever read about...
Guns Germs and Steel
I like non-fiction books, I guess it's because I have a thirst for knowledge, but also a dire need to join a pub quiz team - so the more general knowledge I've got, the better player I'll be... At least that or finally win at the family "Trivial Pursuit" game. So with that I always pick up random books at the book shop, I might have heard of them, maybe seen them reviewed, and sometimes it's just a matter of picking up something that just "looks interesting"...
And as such with this book. Anything that proposes to be a "short history for the last 13,000 years" interests me!
Bascially explaining why society has evolved the way it has due to (as the title says) guns, germs and steel, it goes back to the way the world has been colonised, and the effect of colonising societies on others (such as the spanish effect on the native americans).
The base theory offered is as follows (from wikipedia) "In our earliest societies humans lived as hunter-gatherers. The first step towards civilization is the move from hunter-gatherer to agriculture with the domestication and farming of wild crops and animals. Agricultural production leads to food surpluses and this in turn supports sedentary societies, rapid population growth, and specialization of labor. Large societies tend to develop ruling classes and supporting bureaucracies, which leads in turn to the organization of empires. Although agriculture arose in several parts of the world, Eurasia gained an early advantage due to the availability of suitable plant and animal species for domestication. In particular, Mesopotamia had by far the best collection of plants and animals suitable for domestication, and Europe adopted Mesopotamia's animals, plants, and agricultural techniques."
blahblah...
Going through the different options for the different societies in regards to the domestication of animals, crops, and why eurasia seemed to dominate all cultures, I still felt that this book missed out on several key points.
I guess the whole book felt like it was trying to justify the inevitability of Europe taking over all cultures. I was disappointed at the lack of focus on the great things that nomadic cultures produce (such as Aboriginal culture) and really got the feel from the book that cultures were "less evolved" which of course had a negative connotation.
Overall an interesting read, however I would like to think that society evolved with more of a focus on culture and initiative rather than putting it all down to the ease of animal domestication and the ability to grow crops...
And as such with this book. Anything that proposes to be a "short history for the last 13,000 years" interests me!
Bascially explaining why society has evolved the way it has due to (as the title says) guns, germs and steel, it goes back to the way the world has been colonised, and the effect of colonising societies on others (such as the spanish effect on the native americans).
The base theory offered is as follows (from wikipedia) "In our earliest societies humans lived as hunter-gatherers. The first step towards civilization is the move from hunter-gatherer to agriculture with the domestication and farming of wild crops and animals. Agricultural production leads to food surpluses and this in turn supports sedentary societies, rapid population growth, and specialization of labor. Large societies tend to develop ruling classes and supporting bureaucracies, which leads in turn to the organization of empires. Although agriculture arose in several parts of the world, Eurasia gained an early advantage due to the availability of suitable plant and animal species for domestication. In particular, Mesopotamia had by far the best collection of plants and animals suitable for domestication, and Europe adopted Mesopotamia's animals, plants, and agricultural techniques."
blahblah...
Going through the different options for the different societies in regards to the domestication of animals, crops, and why eurasia seemed to dominate all cultures, I still felt that this book missed out on several key points.
I guess the whole book felt like it was trying to justify the inevitability of Europe taking over all cultures. I was disappointed at the lack of focus on the great things that nomadic cultures produce (such as Aboriginal culture) and really got the feel from the book that cultures were "less evolved" which of course had a negative connotation.
Overall an interesting read, however I would like to think that society evolved with more of a focus on culture and initiative rather than putting it all down to the ease of animal domestication and the ability to grow crops...
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