My current audio book/cheat read of a morning. It's fun. Not grip you by throat, don't let go fun. More zone in and out as you feel like it fun. That'...moreMy current audio book/cheat read of a morning. It's fun. Not grip you by throat, don't let go fun. More zone in and out as you feel like it fun. That'll do for now. (less)
I didn't want this one to end! What an old sook I am. I thoroughly enjoyed this little Planetary Romance. The biggest source of tension for me was not...moreI didn't want this one to end! What an old sook I am. I thoroughly enjoyed this little Planetary Romance. The biggest source of tension for me was not whether plucky Nimisha and the smelly castaways would ever get found on challenging Erehwon, but whether steadfast Caleb, taking four long years to find her, would only arrive to get his heart broken upon discovering she'd shacked up with a stud! (And become the mother of the nation, what's more. What astonishing fecundity.) Mercifully, testosterone and boredom took their course on the way there and some other little space tottie kept that spot warm. A tad convenient really. Rather like the bull dyke captain's itchy exit. Not that I'm splitting body heirs. This was very entertaining. A testament to the late Anne's excellent storytelling really, because this is a story without an antagonist. Her cosmetic surgery-addled half brother didn't count because we never actually met him. He was only ever referred to. Ditto Lady Whats-her-name, his bitch mother. I guess the pterodactyls behaved antagonistically, along with the giant slugs, but they weren't strictly characters, lets be honest. No, basically, this is book full of people - and Shim - acting well. Noble behaviour followed by yet more noble behaviour. And it works. I loved the Shim. Temporarily forgotten how to spell them but that hasn't reduced my affection any. Also loved Nimisha's glamorous mum. She deserves her own planetary romance, I say. More power to her.(less)
Yes, I listened to this as an audio book while performing mundane, irreligious tasks over several weeks, and does this make me any less of an intellec...moreYes, I listened to this as an audio book while performing mundane, irreligious tasks over several weeks, and does this make me any less of an intellectual giant than all those who physically read it from cover to cover? Very likely. Just call me a cheat and be done with it, but I'm so glad I did because this is a very entertaining work, which I did NOT expect it be. Numerous bits had me laughing out loud. Colour me shallow, but I read (apologies, listened) to Dickie Dawkins' controversy magnet hoping it would reward me with a mild lifting of my idiocy levels, and it did just that and MORE. He was preaching to the converted before I went the journey with him, but now that I've reached the end I'm soooo converted that I'm ready to wipe my derrière with select passages of Judges. What a crock is His Holy Word, reinforced this very week in my part of the world by clapped out former tennis stars once again pointing to passages in the Bible as God's own evidence of why same sex marriage will bring about civilisation's fall. And once again, these same bigots are suspicious in their silence when all the other lunacies in that lousy book are thrown back at them. I would say that Richard Dawkins' is courageous and bold, but in truth he's just rational, articulate and sensible. It's the sorry state of our fundamentalist-f**ked world that he SEEMS courageous in the face of this medieval claptrap continuing to get far more airspace than it will ever, and did ever deserve. (less)
Joy gets an automatic four stars from me for this one because she is just such a FINE writer and very firmly one of my favourites. And when you read a...moreJoy gets an automatic four stars from me for this one because she is just such a FINE writer and very firmly one of my favourites. And when you read articles calling her one of Australia's most bewilderingly unsung literary talents, they really ain't kidding. She's got legions of fans, but where are the legions of critics declaring her the best thing since sliced bread/Tim Winton? Nowhere. They are deafening in their very silence. SHAME. She really is excellent. A gifted storyteller. That said, this one feels a little like a trial run for her Woody Creek saga. Same fictional towns in Victoria (like most of her books), same time period, and even the same inciting incident: a mysterious girl is found near the railway tracks, unable to provide answers for how she got there and - pop! - out comes her bastard baby. 'Pearl in a Cage' does it better (which is probably why I gave that one five stars) but that is not to denigrate the story told here, which is strong on mystery and menace. Of the former, the solution is satisfying. Of the latter, I did feel just a little robbed in not getting Kurt, Christian, or their mother's POV during the violent climax. Instead we got it from Tom's nutcase wife. That lessened the impact for me, sorry to be brutal, but there it is. However, Tom himself was an excellent character to place at the centre of things. Joy's talent for creating highly empathetic, yet very human leads is, well, Joyous. The next one I read of hers will be the second of the Woody Creek novels, I think. (less)
Okay, I cheated. I 'read' this as an audio book, which really means that TINA FEY HERSELF read Bossypants out aloud to me while I guffawed along. And ...moreOkay, I cheated. I 'read' this as an audio book, which really means that TINA FEY HERSELF read Bossypants out aloud to me while I guffawed along. And guffaw I did - it's p*ss funny. I loved it. Unexpectedly, the audio book lasted DAYS. Actually, WEEKS. Each time I thought 'surely this is the last hilarious chapter?', it wasn't, and she squeezed out a few more. I listened while walking my twitty dogs in the morning; performing humdrum acts of housework; and committing myself to a newly purchased running machine - all of which, bar the first, I'm sure Tina whole wholly approve of. (She's no good with dogs.) Tragically, laughter is not conducive to blubber reduction, it would seem, Tina. How else to explain the stubborn 'Christmas present' that is yet to leave my nethers? On this level, Tina, I am bitterly disappointed with you. On others, I am exultant. You're a comic genius and Bossypants was well worth my time and hard earned. I wish it hadn't ended! Do a sequel, stat. (less)
Bliss me out, Bayta! The Second Foundation are controlling my mind! Well, they MUST be because I enjoyed this, the third of the Foundation space doddl...moreBliss me out, Bayta! The Second Foundation are controlling my mind! Well, they MUST be because I enjoyed this, the third of the Foundation space doddles, ONE WHOLE STAR MORE than the other two books that preceded it. Let's face it, I was certifiably paranoid BEFORE I picked up book number 3, but thanks to those cunning Second Foundationers and their ghastly galactic grip, I've gone starker raving bonkers than Ozzy Osbourne in receipt of a Final Notice gas bill. But there's a comfort in being mind controlled, I must say; the comfort that comes from knowing WITHOUT QUESTION that this is a rather superior book. I guess old Isaac (when he wasn't on the space weed) got steadfastly better in his novel writing the more he got into this Foundation malarkey. Sure, it's essentially just a pair of novellas shoved rudely together, exactly like the last one was; and yes, the second part is rather more entertaining than the first; but the first part sets up expectations very well (Plot twists! Spot the hidden Second Foundationer!), so that you spend the whole of Part Two in a lather of dread expecting smiling liars wielding mind control EVERYWHERE. And indeed they damn well are, the naughties. Big ticks for the climax of the book, with twist after twist after twist. Big ticks for Arcady, Lady Callia and 'Momma & Poppa', all of whom rather leapt off the page, which doesn't happen every day with Asimov. Big ticks for planet Trantor - hurrah! - which continues to amuse in its (apparent) dissolution with each successive book. A smaller tick for the extra helping of the Mule, too; he's certainly memorable. A mild telling off for all those guys crowded around at Arcady's dad's place - they seemed near-identical on the page, and I had trouble telling them apart. But that's small bickies in the Seldon Plan scheme of things; this is a fun Foundation yarn, best of the bunch, so far. Onward and upward. Foundation's Edge next. Unless the Second Foundation would rather I read another author for a while...?(less)
I'm a tragic fan of Downton. TRAGIC. Not ashamed of it either! I've got the soundtrack as well. I play it on high rotation when walking my dogs. My ex...moreI'm a tragic fan of Downton. TRAGIC. Not ashamed of it either! I've got the soundtrack as well. I play it on high rotation when walking my dogs. My expanding waistline was already making me feel like stiff-lipped Lord Grantham getting the bad news about his war effort, so the music leaves me pretty much stinking of noblesse oblige. Therefore, I bloody loved this book. If I could have taken it out walking with me too, I would have. Common sense and a fear of limb fractures stopped me. This book was a treasured birthday present from my beloved, who knows me very well. Recommended for fellow tragics.(less)
What freaky twists there are in this one! Best twist, hands down, is the reveal of just WHO the mysterious Mule is. I didn't see that one coming, alth...moreWhat freaky twists there are in this one! Best twist, hands down, is the reveal of just WHO the mysterious Mule is. I didn't see that one coming, although in retrospect, I must be a card carrying moron for being tricked so easily. It's a classic sleight of hand, straight out of Christie. Clever though. Another fun shock I rather enjoyed was the startling development of the formerly heroic Foundation now a vicious dictatorship that'd make Stalin, Hitler and Bush feel right comfy. I guess desiccated old Hari Seldon foresaw that. But he didn't foresee everything! Take that, psycho-history! The excellent twist of his hotly anticipated Time Vault appearance being totally off the mark this time around was delicious indeed. And AT LAST there was a chick with something to do in an Azimov story. Bayta wasn't exactly Seven-of-Nine, but I still enjoyed her, and what's more, clapped my hands with glee at her forthright actions at the end. Her Ken doll of a hubby was a RUBE. I'd also like to give two give two thumbs up for the enjoyable developments on Trantor each time we visit it. Hoorah for its sacking! Wonder if we'll get to visit it again? Two Foundation books down, God knows how many left to go. I keep finding more of them in grubby second hand book stores.(less)
Such a wicked piece of chicanery. Loved this. Very funny and very naughty. The spot-on lampooning of bestsellers and all the seemingly cynical formula...moreSuch a wicked piece of chicanery. Loved this. Very funny and very naughty. The spot-on lampooning of bestsellers and all the seemingly cynical formulae behind them was a scream, and all too horribly accurate - so much so, that I now feel positively enlightened! It's ruined them for me! The faux New York Times list was a riot. I wish I'd read this before I started writing books myself - I think I would have stolen a few of hero Pete's very well considered tips. His St Paul on the Road to Damascus moment near the end, although right for his emotional journey, I suppose, didn't quite convince me half as much as all the cynical revelations he had along the way. They made a far bigger impression because - good God! - they were ALL TRUE! Come back to the dark side, Pete, you were right! Dotty old Preston was a brilliant con artist indeed. And I just loved the idea of a university English course focusing wholly on commercial successes - I'd gladly enrol in that RIGHT NOW.(less)
This was SUCH a surprise and SUCH a good read. The surprise wasn't that it WAS good - far from it, Marieke's TV columns in The Age have always been a ...moreThis was SUCH a surprise and SUCH a good read. The surprise wasn't that it WAS good - far from it, Marieke's TV columns in The Age have always been a pleasure - the surprise was that it was far more than, well, hilarious. It was gutsy, reckless and insane. It was sad. It was a pleasure. The chapter on Susan and Young Talent Time was just gorgeous, almost my favourite, with its final, guilty revelations, taking it into the sublime. I was moved! And Susan's own reply actually made me a little teary. The chapter on Neighbours was all too horribly true, but the ones concerning Gen's battle with cancer and the near-romance with housemate Dan were just superb. Marieke is a flippin' knockout of a writer. Well on the way to becoming a national treasure. This has definitely been one of my favourite reads for 2011. Loved it.(less)
It's not every day that sci-fi can make you teary, but the title story in this anthology got me blubbing beautifully. It is exquisite. And yes, I've s...moreIt's not every day that sci-fi can make you teary, but the title story in this anthology got me blubbing beautifully. It is exquisite. And yes, I've seen the movie, which I also liked, but this, the original, is so much more affecting for the emotional punch of robot Andrew's two hundred year journey and the sheer, sob-worthy beauty of its ending - which the filmed version foolishly eschewed. Crazy! It would have been far better for being truthful to Azimov's idea. This story was just so sublime, and it may strike some as odd, but I was reminded of nothing so much as Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince when I got to the end of Bicentennial Man - another three hanky effort. Manufactured 'objects', blessed/cursed with sensitivity and intelligence, striving only to attain that which which human beings take for granted, and living according to values which humans fall far short of. Bicentennial Man is the best of the stories here, although That Thou Art Mindful of Him was also rather unexpectedly moving, with its final images of George Ten and George Nine locked up alone for centuries - moving, that is, until it's final, sinister notes. I also loved Feminine Intuition and Stranger in Paradise - the latter for the lovely images of the robot's joy upon reaching Mercury. Excellent. (less)
I read this twenty years ago, and bugger me, I just read it again for the sheer hell of it. WHAT an idea the whole psychohistory palaver is, truly. Th...moreI read this twenty years ago, and bugger me, I just read it again for the sheer hell of it. WHAT an idea the whole psychohistory palaver is, truly. Thank God for that, because I remembered pretty early on that the Asimov style is not particularly action-packed, is it? There's nothing the man loves more than a terse exchange in a closed room between chisel-jawed blokes who eshew butch, manly weaponry in favour of, well, talking. Mercifully, he does this stuff brilliantly. The whole book might be subtitled 'An Ode to Diplomacy'. Most of the chapters repeat a neat little pattern of wily Federation blokes outsmarting bristling barbarians with tricks of brinkmanship where n'er a shot is fired. The Federation blokes are all a bit interchangeable, truth be told, but it occurred to me this might be the very point. The men of Foundation are SPECIAL men, with common qualities that will enable to them to found a Second Empire! Which leaves a glaring gap re: the Federation broads. Where the hell are they? I wish they had been given a bit more of the action. When the sexy Condora made an appearance, I seized upon her with pathetic gratitude. Her sheer femininity was needed in all that gobby testosterone. Still it must be said, I did really did long for each one of the Hari Seldon appearances in a fever of anticipation, following the dazzling set-up chapter. And what excellent pay-offs they were each time. What I loved most? The big fat leaps in time made by each successive chapter. I so enjoyed the developments that come with the passing of so many decades. Unique. And very rewarding. (less)
Huzzah! Let's toss our tendrils with glee - I've just read my first ever mutant/super-race novel. This is also my first sampling of Mr Von Vogt. (It w...moreHuzzah! Let's toss our tendrils with glee - I've just read my first ever mutant/super-race novel. This is also my first sampling of Mr Von Vogt. (It won't be my last.) Do you know, if you squint your eyes ever-so-slightly while reading this story, you could almost believe it was the X-Men? Me thinks that little franchise owes a big debt of gratitude to Slan - something I've not yet bothered to confirm, but who knows, perhaps I'm right? In my current born-again-newbie's excursion through the world of near-forgotten classic pulp sci-fi (conducted wholly in disreputable second hand bookshops) I've been applying two criteria to my book selection: 1) Is the cover sexy?, and 2) Is the title sexy? My edition of Slan ticked both boxes - the spaceship had sexiness all over it (although, halfway through the book I feared I'd been conned and there was no actual spaceship in the story - mercifully not the case), and the weirdo simplicity of the title had me very intrigued. I barely bothered glancing at the back cover blurb - I was already a Slan fan. Turns out my criteria served me well. Slan is terrific fun. Mr Von Vogt writes at a BREAKNECK pace; it's near exhausting at times, but it certainly must be commended for never letting the reader go. Slan is a relentless read; the action is constant and ever escalating, as are poor Jommy and Kathleen's respective situations of peril. I must say, I do enjoy stories where humans are the bad guys. Jommy and Kathleen are a very empathetic pair of super-race heroes. Their hideous reversal two thirds in gave me a nasty shock, however, and I spent the remainder of the novel dreading that my own mantra ("no one's ever dead in sci-fi") would be distressingly disproved, just as it was in a Philip K Dick effort I read a couple of weeks ago. Thank goodness my faith was restored. A final word: wasn't Granny a nasty old moll? A fun little element in the story was Granny - like something out of Grimm. Frankly, I wouldn't have cared if Jommy had left her for the cops, but the fact that he didn't shows what a lovely young man he truly was, and more than suited to the task of enslaving ungrateful, sterile old Humanity. Jommy, will you go out with me? (less)
I can't seem to stop my current excursion into not-quite-so-forgotten pulp sci-fi from the 60s and 70s. The writers are largely unknown to me (an emba...moreI can't seem to stop my current excursion into not-quite-so-forgotten pulp sci-fi from the 60s and 70s. The writers are largely unknown to me (an embarrassing admission) but I know I'll feel otherwise in a few months time, when excellent scribes like Barrington J Bayley will seem like old friends! This slim slice of pulp was a fine surprise. The back cover blurb lured me; the mid-section left me briefly doubtful; but the final few chapters were marvellous, skilfully paying-off all the story's disparate elements in such an inventive way, that I emerged a brand new fan of Mr Bayley's work and keen to seek out more. I don't think I've ever before encountered a sci-fi story that so cleverly extrapolates the concept of mob run casinos into a 25th Century projection. "When Casinos Rule The Universe!": what a fun idea. And as we discover, they not only rule it, they CREATE it. If I didn't consider poker machines to be Satan's handmaidens I'd be embracing this startling Meaning of Life with both meteorite-severed arms. Among the elements I most enjoyed were: Scarne's forced addiction to the Legitimacy drug - how evil! (although perhaps we were a tad robbed of his cold turkey...?); the gentle shower of suicides at Chasm - what an image! - and I love that it didn't put anyone off their $9.99 pasta; the tanked up, flippered alien, Pendragon (actually, I could have done with more of him; he deserved to reappear, clutching his mic, at the end of the story); whiny jailbait Shane at the centre of an apparent pederasts' tiff (call the cops - what a pair of dirty pervs!). I also loved Dom. I was all ready to hate him, but by the time he and Scarne were at the Galactics' card table together I LOVED him. Even when he gave Scarne spontaneous tumours. What's a little pox dose between friends? Dom can join my Scrabble game any time he likes.(less)
What a quirky little oddity. I haven't read Philip K Dick before - a somewhat embarrassing thing to admit - yet I'll certainly be reading him again, e...moreWhat a quirky little oddity. I haven't read Philip K Dick before - a somewhat embarrassing thing to admit - yet I'll certainly be reading him again, even though, I somewhat suspect, this isn't the finest example of his sci-fi genius. While certainly entertaining, this book is a bit like two hundred pages or so of extended foreplay. By the time the real excitement starts, it's all over in a hail of brainwaves. What I loved most was the telepathic Council Chairman Willis Gram, a hilarious villain, whose casual cynicism and poorly conceived scheming had me laughing out loud in places, and I have no doubt that Dick intended him to be funny. Gram's dialogue was delightfully un-villainous, which served to make him particularly memorable for me. I greatly enjoyed Charlie, too, although her end rather bewildered me. It seemed all a bit pointless after everything that had come before. Oh, and her violent drunk boyfriend Denny was most definitely sexy. Loved him. But overall, 'Our Friends From Frolix 8' promises rather more than it quite delivers. It lacks some decent pay-offs. For all the obsession with Provoni, and the absolutely marvellous return that he makes, we never really know him and he never really goes anywhere. Has he been absorbed by the big blob of an alien? Is he merely a husk now? I suspected that he was by the end, but it didn't seem to matter much. Another vague disappointment was the big-headed Amos Ild. It was a marvellous scene when it became clear that Gram would have to follow his lead, but this never quite amounted to anything before his bulbous pear-shaped scone had been fried off screen. That aside, his final cretinous chat with hero Nick was absolutely terrific. (less)
What a rollicking good read. Why have I failed to read Harlan Coben before now? I can only blame my idiocy. That, and the pollution of the US wing of ...moreWhat a rollicking good read. Why have I failed to read Harlan Coben before now? I can only blame my idiocy. That, and the pollution of the US wing of the thriller genre by Coben's fellow scribes like James Patterson ("with Maxine Hackforhire") that has kept me on the other side of the pond since I threw my last Patricia Cornwell across the room and vowed 'never again'. It was very wrong of me to tar Harlan Coben with their bald old brush. This is tight little thriller, excellently plotted and ultimately, highly rewarding. Not a single wasted plot point. Even the most innocuous of apparently thrown away moments and information (like the random kneecapping on the TV news and killer Ed's former profession) end up paying off brilliantly. Harlan's most impressive feats: a fine array of sympathetic, yet compelling characters, whom I quickly came to CARE about; not one, not two, but THREE climactic revelation chapters, each one more startling than the last. Some of the support characters were such a joy to spend time with, particularly the two lawyers, Hester and Flair, that I can only hope they reappear in other novels. No doubt they do. Too good to chuck away so blythely in a single appearance. Hardboiled Harlan readers will probably tell me this isn't even one of his best books. If this is so, then good! I look forward to sampling others.(less)
I have an occasional love affair with the books in this sprawling space yarn. I also have an occasional hate affair with them. By God, but they polari...moreI have an occasional love affair with the books in this sprawling space yarn. I also have an occasional hate affair with them. By God, but they polarise me! I tackle one of them every year or so, and as was the case with the previous two volumes, I got about a third of the way in and wanted to fling the damn thing across the room because the plot felt so damned somnambulistic. But I persevered because, well, there are lots and lots of robots in it, and I'm a sucker for those. Then I got two thirds in and was totally hooked once more, and would have been even if there weren't robots tearing up the scenery. Kev Anderson's vision for this saga is so gobsmacking, I can't deny it. It's goddamn VAST and I love it for that. I also love that humanity is but a speck in a galactic conflict that transcends time, physics, and yes, sheer comprehension. But this is why I also occasionally hate it: SO MANY PLOT LINES. I hesitate to say 'too many', because it's not as if any of them ultimately fail to deliver, but some of them do feel like they're treading water in places. Especially in the first third of the book when they're all being established once again. Just as something exciting happens, the book invariably shifts to another plot, and too often the exciting thing isn't touched upon again for another fifty pages. This is a tension killer, make no mistake. What this volume lacked: poor, hapless, put-upon Nira, long suffering in green, who broke my heart in Book Two with all her dreadful maltreatment on Dobro. Sure, we find out her fate here, but that's about all. What I loved in this volume: Jora'h's lipstick lezzo daughter with the cats - fantastic addition; Benito coming back as a tree - inspired; the evil Klikkiss robots finally showing their true colours and getting down to some good old fashioned annihilation. Poor little whats-her-name as the sole survivor of the apocalypse on Corobus was WONDERFUL. What I HOPE I will get when I read the remaining four volumes: chapters told from the point of view of both the hydrogues and the faeros. If I reach the end of the saga none the wiser about these ghastly aliens' points of view I shall be very annoyed. My theory as to why Kev has given his saga the same name as the Ildirans' ongoing historical record: we shall eventually learn that the seven books are, in fact, from that self same record and that humanity has united with the Ildirans, their long lost brothers, and won a place in their hearts. Call me an old softy, but I WANT that to happen to make it all seem worthwhile.(less)
Useful! Not earth shattering or particularly revelatory, just plain, common sense in a practical guide for anyone dipping their toe into writing the s...moreUseful! Not earth shattering or particularly revelatory, just plain, common sense in a practical guide for anyone dipping their toe into writing the sci-fi genre for the first time. Pleasingly, the rules and suggestions Orson Scott Card describes could truthfully apply to plenty of other genres. It's all about creating VERACITY: a fine lesson for any writer to learn. This a slim little How To book I intend picking up again. Useful!(less)
Ah, Sidney, Sidney... I always come back to you when I need a bit of a palate cleanser between loftier fare. You never fail to entertain me. This time...moreAh, Sidney, Sidney... I always come back to you when I need a bit of a palate cleanser between loftier fare. You never fail to entertain me. This time, though, you didn't quite electrify me. I don't think this is one of your best works. It's got some absolutely terrific elements (two thumbs up for the kid's near crucifixion; ditto for his water skiing horror), but somehow it just doesn't quite scale the giddy heights of excess that 'The Other Side of Midnight' does so very, very well. But this is not to say I wasn't gripped and engaged. I read this in a couple of days, which is doing very well for me. But some of the expectations I had in the excellent first half didn't quite deliver with pay-offs in the corruption-drenched second half. I REALLY hoped some of the clients Jennifer miraculously got off in her climb to the top would come back and save HER in the second half. They didn't. Not even poor Stumpy, the limbless beauty queen. Also, Ken...? Was he a pillow biting old Nancy or not? Admittedly my beat up 80s copy was missing ten pages around a third of the way in, but I doubt if those bits were crucial to the Ken subplot. What WAS Ken...? Anyway, even when faintly mediocre, Sidney is never boring. He continues to teach ME lessons about storytelling, and there are plenty of other writers with books on the shelves that I rather wish he'd teach as well.(less)
Kate Atkinson can't be faulted. One of my favourite writers. And there's little I can rave about her work that hasn't been raved about by others befor...moreKate Atkinson can't be faulted. One of my favourite writers. And there's little I can rave about her work that hasn't been raved about by others before me. But I will rave about this: I love her unapologetic use of coincidence. Other writers would shy away from some of the extraordinarily coincidental moments she dares to plot into her stories, and very likely the weird parallels in the various subplots, too, but in sublime combination, these elements truly MAKE her books. I just love that Brodie liberates a neglected dog at the very same time that Tracy liberates a neglected child, thus setting the whole novel in motion. Beautiful. And there's a lovely little cameo, for want want of a better term, from actual the plot of her previous novel, 'When Where There Be Good News'. Another coincidence! Loved it. (less)
Oh wow. This was such a surprise. I never thought this would be the best book I'd read all year, but it HAS been. Couldn't put it down. Such a knockou...moreOh wow. This was such a surprise. I never thought this would be the best book I'd read all year, but it HAS been. Couldn't put it down. Such a knockout story, and so beautifully told. This is a very fine weepie. Joy Dettman suffers from the curse of spectacular commercial success, I think. I'm ashamed to admit that this was the reason I had unaccountably avoided her. More fool me. 'Pearl in a Cage' poops on just about every other novel I've read this year, for the simple reason that it engages so immediately, without employing any showy tricks, but wholly through strength of character and situation. Sublime. I compare this with the least engaging book I've (attempted) to read this year - the 2010 Booker Prize winner. My only quibble with 'Pearl in a Cage' was the ending, which felt a tad, well, unsatisfying, despite the nice full-circle quality it has with the use of trains to bookend the story. But I'm an A Grade idiot. Only discovered today that there are two other books in this series, which continue the lives of these indelible Woody Creek characters. Thank God! I wasn't remotely ready to leave them behind. Highly recommended.(less)
Marie Adelaide and her husband, Louis, Duc de Bourgogne, are a pair of star-crossed lovers from history about whom remarkably little seems to have bee...moreMarie Adelaide and her husband, Louis, Duc de Bourgogne, are a pair of star-crossed lovers from history about whom remarkably little seems to have been written, at least in English. Perhaps this is a different case in their native France? I'd never heard of them until I read Antonia Fraser's wonderful 'Love and Louis XIV' a couple of years ago, which I couldn't put down. The sections dealing with Marie Adelaide had me riveted and left me heartbroken. What an extraordinary woman she was, very much the Diana of her day. I wanted to know more about her, and so hunted this book down, which Fraser used in writing her own work. Lucy Norton doesn't quite have the same populist historian's touch that Fraser does, but this by no means diminishes what she has written here. It's a moving story. I was constantly aware of the fickle hand of Fate - that 'star-crossed' quality - hovering over the subject's too-short life. Tiny Adelaide, thrust into the glitter of Versailles by an accident of birth, and instantly charming the king. Louis, her husband, immediately loves her, but Adelaide, like an 18th Century Scarlett O'Hara, cannot see the wood for the trees. Her slow journey towards personal maturity and a growing appreciation of Louis's good qualities, which ultimately develops into a deep and true love for him, is beautiful - made all the more so by the heartbreaking ending. Excellent.(less)
This is book is so splendid. A treasure trove of not quite forgotten, well, treasure troves. There were few I didn't want to rush out and see then and...moreThis is book is so splendid. A treasure trove of not quite forgotten, well, treasure troves. There were few I didn't want to rush out and see then and there while eking this book out over a few months. Easier said than done with the gems of the silent era, of course, but still, I have been pleased that more are available on DVD than I would have thought. Among the revelations: Tol'able David and its then superstar Richard Bartelmess. One of the most spectacularly successful movies EVER, a considerable feat, considering it was pretty well devoid of, well, anything very spectacular. Such is the power of an emotionally driven story of a humble man up against injustice. Sounds like a three hankie weepie, and from all accounts 20s audiences blubbed their hearts out at it. Simple entertainment lessons we seem to keep forgetting in contemporary cinema. Another revelation: all those Fantomas flicks from France. They sound like a hoot and half! This is an excellent tome and one I'm very pleased to have on my Old Hollywood bookshelf. (less)
Alright, I admit it, I picked this up because Downton Abbey has been my favourite show all year and now I've gone all servanty. Wanted to know more. A...moreAlright, I admit it, I picked this up because Downton Abbey has been my favourite show all year and now I've gone all servanty. Wanted to know more. And this excellent little book let me! Fascinating.(less)
I deserve a slap for taking so damn long to read this. To my shame I started it at the beginning of May as an plane read. In that regard it worked lik...moreI deserve a slap for taking so damn long to read this. To my shame I started it at the beginning of May as an plane read. In that regard it worked like a charm. It's a page turner when trapped in economy with nothing but a beaker full of white wine and Valium for company. But I sort of lost the momentum once I'd touched down. Yes, a BIG slap for me. I wanted to chuck this weighty tome across the room on several occasions. It certainly arouses fury in the reader. But that's its genius, really. Few of the characters are strictly 'likeable', but all are fascinating in their own unique way. Several of them, like Rosie and Gary, are out and out car-crashes, but having reached the story's end it's these characters that have stayed with me. They are brilliantly drawn in their all-too human dysfunction. My favourite chapter was the final one, Richie. A gasp-worthy climax and an unexpectly romantic resolution. Loved it.(less)
What a romp. Thoroughly enjoyed this, and it's not often I read anything Victorian. The language is surprisingly, well, readable. Not something that e...moreWhat a romp. Thoroughly enjoyed this, and it's not often I read anything Victorian. The language is surprisingly, well, readable. Not something that experience has often allowed me to say about novels from the 1860s. Dickens this ain't. Mary Elizabeth Bradden was an unashamed potboiler and she knew how to entertain. Research made me pick it up. I've been familiar with a period stage adaptation of this story for years, and have always loved it, and this recently made me want to discover the original. The murderous plot is pretty much the same but the approach is very different. The stage version follows the villainess, the secretive Lady Audley, while the novel follows the progress of her nemesis, the hellbent Robert Audley in his relentless pursuit of the truth. Frankly, I'm a fan of both. Poor Lady Audley, she still has all my sympathy, despite her dreadful web of lies. She's just a girl on the make trying to better herself with the few gifts God has given her: boobs, blondness and sewer rat cunning. Squint your eyes and add a century and a half and she's Katie Price. Or Anna Nicole Smith.(less)
There's some exquisite writing here. I envy Evie Wyld's clean, unvarnished style. Beautifully composed, with startling, vivid imagery in so many place...moreThere's some exquisite writing here. I envy Evie Wyld's clean, unvarnished style. Beautifully composed, with startling, vivid imagery in so many places. This book has bold ambitions, which I really liked it for. Parallel stories, separated by forty years, of a father and son - the father being younger than the son for much of the narrative. Each of the journeys is quite compelling, although Leon, the father's, story initially held me more. I really enjoyed the sections about his childhood in the cake shop when his own father left to go to the Korean war. And then when Leon, in turn, leaves the shop, conscripted to fight in Vietnam, there's a lovely symmetry to the experiences. Leon's son, Frank's, strand has more of a slow boil to it, although there are some nicely planted clues of what is ahead for him. His encounter with a shark is wonderfully portentous. Each strand reaches a climactic sequence that rewards the parallel structuring - but I'm not sure if the ending gave me everything that I had hoped for. I wouldn't have minded more of a big red bow to nicely tie everything up. There are deliberate loose ends and I sort of wish there weren't, really. However, that doesn't wreck an impressive debut. Very much looking forward to what Evie Wyld writes next. (less)
This is just a scream. The perfect little palate cleanser between weightier tomes. A hilarious debut from one of our finest comic geniuses. It's laugh...moreThis is just a scream. The perfect little palate cleanser between weightier tomes. A hilarious debut from one of our finest comic geniuses. It's laugh out loud and very him. The plot makes not an iota of sense, but why should we expect it to? It wildly veers from the surreal to the insane to the decidedly Blytonesque - often within the space of a sentence. Special cheers to the random Tom Cruise, Dan Brown and Matthew Reilly gags. Sheer silliness and I can't wait for his next one.(less)
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