Kitty Sutton, author of Wheezer and the Painted Frog, shares the story behind the cover design in this interview. Describe how this cover came abou...
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Heaven and hell, angels and demons, the battle between good and evil is an enduring theme that will never grow old. The last time I was fighting demons was on the PS3 in Darksiders so the prospect of a compilation of short stories involving battles a...more
Heaven and hell, angels and demons, the battle between good and evil is an enduring theme that will never grow old. The last time I was fighting demons was on the PS3 in Darksiders so the prospect of a compilation of short stories involving battles against demons was certainly appealing. A variety of authors came forward to contribute to this collection but is this a selection of gems?
The compilation begins with The Failed Crusade where General Cruek Ostor has won yet another battle against the demons. Having captured one demon, Kaivahno, General Ostor is horrified to learn that there are many worlds and that previously the demons had access to only a few. The crusade against them has been a clever orchestration to open the doors to more worlds and the demons have escaped. To follow them Ostor must be killed in his world which he gladly allows. This story is the focal point of the anthology and the other writers have taken this theme to develop their own takes on the Crimson Pact – the alliance sworn to battle the demons to the death and across many worlds.
The selection of 26 stories may be united by the same theme but they are very different in their execution. Some have a modern setting, others appear to be from a medieval period. The likes of monks, students and gangsters all pop up at some point and you’ll immediately feel refreshed at the versatility that these writers offer. Sometimes the story will build slowly to the presence of a demon and an inevitable battle, other times we’ll be thrown straight into the mix and have no time to pause for breath.
Readers will vary in their preferences but aside from The Failed Crusade which I thought was a brilliant opening, I would say my favourite stories from this selection were Solitary Life, To Duty Sworn, Hidden Collection, The Transition, Brotherhood: Fall of New York, Frankie’s Girl and Love, Gangsters, and Demons. Solitary Life in particular was very good but I would highly recommend all of the stories I have listed here.
As with all collections it’s difficult to please every reader and I will be honest by saying that not all of the stories here appealed to me. I felt that every writer embraced the theme set out in The Failed Crusade but some stories just didn’t work as well for me. I would still recommend The Crimson Pact which has a rewarding collection of stories and just because I didn’t enjoy all of them certainly doesn’t mean other readers will feel the same. I’ll certainly be partaking of Volume Two.
The Crimson Pact: Volume One is a good collection of stories, well put together and embracing the theme and world of one story, which is impressive in itself. While not all of the stories appealed to me, there were still some that made for fantastic reads. Whether you’re a fan of demons or not this is still a good collection.(less)
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I first came across Natsuo Kirino’s work with her brilliant novel, Out, and have since read Real World, which was quite good but couldn’t match up to Out. Kirino’s novels focus on the dark side of Japanese society and put their emphasis on women tryi...more
I first came across Natsuo Kirino’s work with her brilliant novel, Out, and have since read Real World, which was quite good but couldn’t match up to Out. Kirino’s novels focus on the dark side of Japanese society and put their emphasis on women trying to survive in this often gritty and brutal world. When faced with Grotesque I was curious to see if it could match up to the previous two books.
Grotesque is a series of first person accounts tied together by our unnamed narrator. She has seen her younger sister, Yuriko, and a former school friend Kazue Sato both murdered by a man named Zhang within the space of a year. Yuriko and Kazue are similar in that they were both prostitutes and died in the same way. Our narrator reflects on their deaths and takes us back to the days when the three women were at Q High School in Tokyo and how events there led up to the tragedies of the present.
Our narrator is clearly a bitter woman, a self-proclaimed virgin, with no interest in men though with a fascination of what her children would look like if she did sleep with different men. Both the narrator and Yuriko have a Japanese mother but a white Caucasian father and the family live in Switzerland at one stage, with the narrator managing to stay in Japan for her studies. While the narrator is plain, Yuriko is startlingly beautiful, appearing more western than Japanese and this makes everyone naturally drawn to her, much to the narrator’s discontent. From a young age, Yuriko relies on her beauty and when she manages to get into Q High School with her sister it is an uncomfortable time for the narrator who just becomes “Yuriko’s older sister”, with no one bothering to learn her name, their focus purely on Yuriko. Yuriko partners up with a fellow student Kijima who begins pimping her to the other students. Yuriko isn’t concerned. Not only does she earn good money but she enjoys sex with all the students, the feeling of power it gives and being desired.
At Q High School, the narrator becomes friends with two girls – the best in the class Mitsuru and Kazue Sato. Our narrator comes to despise each and every character we are introduced to but it’s not all one way traffic. The novel breaks from the narrator’s account to give us extracts from the journal of Yuriko, we also hear an account of the murderer Zhang who fled poverty in China with his sister for a new life in Japan, and finally there is the journal of Kazue Sato. While Yuriko was naturally pre-disposed towards prostitution, Kazue is somewhat different. She works in an office by day and at night takes to the streets in search of clients. This dual life is exhausting and Kirino leaves out no details of Sato’s acquaintances and the myriad of acts she has to perform for increasingly less money as she becomes older and less desirable. Kazue and Yuriko cross paths on the streets and even Yuriko, at the time of her death, has lost much of her beauty and is willing to sleep with men for measly sums of money. The tragedy is that Yuriko is not only aware of how dangerous her profession is but she welcomes the idea of her end.
Grotesque isn’t a crime novel, which Kirino is known for but a fascinating series of character studies. It’s almost like reading several novels in one go such is the difference in the narratives. The characters are not particularly likable. The narrator is bitter, twisted and unreliable, while Yuriko’s account won’t make you feel pity either. Zhang’s story is tragic as he flees China but this novel is full of characters that are not necessarily honest so it’s difficult to be sure who is telling the truth. Hearing everyone’s version of events is what makes it fascinating. For me, this is as good as, if not better, than Out.
Grotesque is a gritty novel but contains an intriguing group of characters with some unpleasant stories to tell. Sibling rivalry, teenage crushes, bullying, sex, violence, murder, incest, it’s all here and Kirino doesn’t shy from depicting the darkest side of society. While some of these themes may not appeal to all readers I found Kirino’s novel to be a great read from start to finish.(less)
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Having loved Jonathan Gould’s Doodling, I couldn’t wait to try Magnus Opum which promised a rich blend of fantasy but with Mr Gould’s style thrown in. I wasn’t sure how the concoction would turn out so I armed myself with my Kindle and joined the nov...more
Having loved Jonathan Gould’s Doodling, I couldn’t wait to try Magnus Opum which promised a rich blend of fantasy but with Mr Gould’s style thrown in. I wasn’t sure how the concoction would turn out so I armed myself with my Kindle and joined the novel’s protagonist for a truly extraordinary adventure.
The story begins with Magnus Mandalora, a Kertoobi who lives a very simple life in Lower Kertoob where peace reigns and everyone loves pflugberry pies. All is not well in Magnus’ family though. His brother, Jangos, leaves the village longing to see the world and though Magnus has no such desire himself, he later receives some terrible news that prompts him to set out from Lower Kertoob and out into the world where he finds himself in the middle of a fierce war between the fair Cherines and the ugly Glurgs.
Once again Gould’s storytelling is impeccable, offering a seemingly simple narrative but one that is full of meaning. Initially you might think this is just a fantasy story with some outrageously bizarre names but as the story progresses it becomes anything but. Magnus’ adventures away from Lower Kertoob are fraught with danger but his luck seems to change when he meets Shaindor, a Cherine from the city of Sweet Harmody. It turns out that the Cherines are at war with a vile race known as the Glurgs and have been for some time. The Cherines are fair and noble while the Glurgs are monstrous, evil and must be stopped at all costs. If this was Tolkien our perception of good and evil would be straightforward, but this is Jonathan Gould and things are never that simple. One thing Magnus Opum brilliantly conveys is the importance of perspective. It is one of many lessons that Magnus learns along the way.
After reaching Sweet Harmody, Magnus agrees to take part in a dangerous quest. He is to journey to the Glurg stronghold of Hargh Gryghrgr and find out about the Krpolg which is believed to be a powerful new weapon that the Glurgs are using. Shaindor accompanies Magnus on the journey but the novel is very much about our humble Kertoobi and his experiences of the different races. He learns of contrasts in social conventions, appearances and most memorably eating habits. The question is can Magnus help the Cherines defeat the Glurgs? Will he discover the truth about the Krpolg? Or will he die a hero’s death in battle?
Magnus Opum did not disappoint. I thought Doodling would be hard for Mr Gould to better but in many ways I think I enjoyed this novel more. I love fantasy anyway and I think this story is accessible not just to fantasy lovers but to many readers. Though full of meaning, it doesn’t leave you bogged down with endless description, the story is constantly flowing and once you’re immersed in the world it is a hard book to put down. The revelations in the second half of the book and the origins of the war between the Cherines and the Glurgs were amongst the highlights for me. On the surface Gould displays seemingly simple and outrageous stories, but beneath the depths we have a very clever writer.
Magnus Opum is a terrific fantasy adventure, full of colourful characters, great settings and some fabulous and often hilarious dialogue to boot. Some fantasy conventions are abandoned as the story progresses and the twists and turns along the way are surprising but brilliant in equal proportion. If I’m pushed I’d say this is narrowly better than Doodling but it’s a close one. I’ll now be turning to Flidderbugs and after that let’s hope Mr Gould has another novel ready.(less)
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Sir David Attenborough is one of the true British greats. His voice is known worldwide and his vast array of work, including many memorable wildlife documentaries, have long since cemented his place as one of the finest presenters. An amusing but mod...more
Sir David Attenborough is one of the true British greats. His voice is known worldwide and his vast array of work, including many memorable wildlife documentaries, have long since cemented his place as one of the finest presenters. An amusing but modest man, Attenborough kindly shared an autobiography of his life ten years ago. Although I knew a lot about him I was soon to find this book had a lot more to say about David’s story.
Attenborough’s autobiography covers more than 50 years of his time spent with the BBC. Having been rejected for a place on BBC radio, David’s CV was picked up and he was offered a chance to move into fledgling television, which was in a very primitive state in those days, especially with the cameras and the ability to film scenes. Most homes didn’t even have a television! Attenborough began his career in 1950 and by 1952 had a full-time position with the BBC, though he was not considered camera friendly due to his teeth! David began very much behind the scenes but as the autobiography progresses he begins a path towards documentaries that would see both his face and voice become known across the globe and propel him to his position today as one of Britain’s national treasures.
The first point about the autobiography is Attenborough’s excellent memory and sense of humour. He can recount so many moments, conversations in his long career, it is startling. It’s hard to believe Attenborough was pushed more towards production than presenting. He focussed on non-fiction programmes and worked on the likes of Animal, Vegetable, Mineral? His affiliation with natural history began with zoo animals that were brought into a studio. This led to Zoo Quest (1954-63), a programme heading out into the wild to collect specimens to be broadcast live in the studio. Ironically, Attenborough had to present the first programme when his colleague Jack Lester fell ill. By the sixties, Attenborough was a controller on BBC2 but negotiated a contract that allowed him to still make programmes throughout the world. It was clear the wild was in Attenborough’s blood and you will shudder when he describes the threat of an admin position at the BBC. After all, the BBC didn’t imagine he’d want to be travelling the world in his fifties or sixties! As we all know, Attenborough is still doing this work in his eighties!
The highlight of the book is undoubtedly Attenborough’s work on the epic Life series. This nine-part series is Attenborough’s masterpiece, beginning with Life on Earth (1979) and ending with Life in Cold Blood (2008). Not only did he present these programmes, Attenborough wrote and pitched the ideas to the BBC and sometimes had to tussle over the titles, especially Life in the Undergrowth (2005), which was initially rejected due to connotations of darkness! Attenborough won this exchange when no one could think of a better title! The autobiography never dwells for long on moments, giving us as much of Attenborough’s life as possible. His modesty is amazing. He is surprisingly humble about the iconic footage of the mountain gorillas that climbed all over him and casually describes the many parts of the world and conditions he has encountered such as volcanic mountains, dense jungle and torrential downpours. I couldn’t help but laugh at suggestions from some of the audience that the BBC were being evil for still sending a man around the world at his age!
If there are any issues with Life on Air, it’s that it’s too short. As I read of Attenborough’s early career I was glancing at the page numbers and thinking there isn’t much room to talk about the Life series and Wildlife on One here! That said, I think the brevity of the events works better and what Attenborough has managed to cram into this book is a fascinating career. The book is accompanied by a series of amazing images and the author’s passion for both his work and for the developing technology is wonderful to read.
Life on Air is a great read about a remarkable man whose work will remain timeless. Now in his eighties, it’s hard to imagine natural history documentaries without David Attenborough’s presence. Given the globetrotting he still does to this day, I’m convinced David Attenborough will live forever. This is a delightful read.(less)
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I broke my rule when it came to The Quiet American, having seen the film from 2002, before reading the book. This isn’t a rule I break often but having enjoyed the film when I saw it a few years back I was naturally delighted to read Greene’s novel f...more
I broke my rule when it came to The Quiet American, having seen the film from 2002, before reading the book. This isn’t a rule I break often but having enjoyed the film when I saw it a few years back I was naturally delighted to read Greene’s novel from 1955, which was lambasted as anti-American on its release but is regarded more favourably today.
The story focuses on a complex love triangle amidst the First Indochina War. Thomas Fowler is a British journalist who has been stationed in Vietnam for two years to report on the struggle between the French army and the Vietnamese guerrillas. Fowler is married but, while in Vietnam, he has taken a young lover, Phuong, who he plans to marry but requires permission from his wife for a divorce, which she is unwilling to grant. One day Fowler meets Alden Pyle, the quiet American of the title, who is a young idealist with an unknown agenda in Vietnam. Complications arise when Pyle falls in love with Phuong and in the background the war continues to escalate with Fowler and Pyle having very different involvements in it.
Fowler is middle aged in the book with Phuong being at least thirty years younger, but he has no concerns of losing her until he meets Pyle. The young and quiet American falls for Phuong immediately and though he makes his feelings known to Fowler, he does it in a polite and friendly manner, the perfect gentlemen really. Phuong’s sister despises Fowler so when Pyle appears she does everything she can to facilitate a marriage between her sister and the American. Fowler is in danger of losing Phuong, especially when he hides the fact he is due for a transfer back to Britain and that his wife is refusing to grant a divorce. Pyle is initially gracious in defeat to Fowler when he gives Phuong the ultimatum of choosing between the two men, but when he learns the truth about Fowler’s lies he is quick to play his hand and steal Phuong for himself. Phuong has no powerful voice in the narrative. She is very much subject to Fowler and Pyle, comparable to Vietnam under colonial rule.
As the war continues, Fowler reports on the atrocities and meets with Pyle whose ideals are in stark contrast to French colonialism that is struggling to keep hold of Vietnam and the rising Communism that is threatening to oust the existing masters. Pyle tells Fowler of a Third Force, which he believes is the answer to Vietnam’s future. Fowler is sceptical. He is the teacher to Pyle’s young and opinionated student, the veteran of Indochina while Pyle is a virgin in the country. Though Pyle wins Phuong from Fowler he isn’t finished there. He has another reason for being in Vietnam and the Third Force he speaks of is ready to lash out.
I really enjoyed The Quiet American. Considering Greene wrote this before America’s known involvement in Vietnam, following the exit of the French in 1954, is impressive. It was controversial at the time, being heavily criticised for the depiction of the American, Pyle, but its themes would resonate for the next two decades with the Vietnam War, which would prove so costly and so controversial. Many readers have argued Fowler and Pyle are metaphors for Britain and America. Fowler represents the old and battered British Empire now on the wane, while Pyle’s naivety mirrors that of the US that committed years to Vietnam and got its fingers burnt. Greene’s novel can be read on the surface and be enjoyed, or you can delve much deeper and find equal pleasure in this book.
The Quiet American is a short but compelling read. A love triangle set amidst the French struggle for supremacy in the First Indochina War. That we learn the fate of Pyle from the opening pages doesn’t hinder the book, but makes it all the more intriguing. I’ve not read many novels by Graham Greene but I’d be surprised if many are better than this one.(less)
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