(Note: this book is by Gerald Brenan, not Gerald Brennan!) I enjoyed this more than his 'South from Granada' - although that was also interesting and i(Note: this book is by Gerald Brenan, not Gerald Brennan!) I enjoyed this more than his 'South from Granada' - although that was also interesting and insightful, it was rather disorganised. This book - written earlier but dealing with a later period of his time in Spain - mixes very knowledgeable observations on Spanish art and architecture with a thorough investigation into the state of the country under the government of General Franco. He shows great compassion and understanding for the poverty and despair that was to be found almost everywhere he went, and digs up reluctantly divulged information about the events of the civil war. Sometimes I feel he goes out on a limb rather in making sweeping observations on the Spanish character, but his long acquaintance with the country gives him his evidence. He also makes many pithy remarks, some of which might apply still to the Spain of 2016, such as this one: "The Spanish economic system is like a game of musical chairs, in which there are only half as many seats as there are performers". All in all, a great read for anyone interested in recent Spanish history....more
I bought this book off a street vendor in Bagan in Burma, and it was a good decision! It's Orwell's first published novel I believe, and although it hI bought this book off a street vendor in Bagan in Burma, and it was a good decision! It's Orwell's first published novel I believe, and although it has one or two rough edges (for example two incidents in which Flory attempts to interest Elizabeth in 'native' life in the early part of the book where one would have done) it's nonetheless full of Orwell's incisive descriptions of character, incident, and the natural world, and radiates invigorating anger at the mores of British India (which term included Burma at the time). It's also a page-turner, with a fine villain and several other unlikeable but fascinating characters....more
I was very engaged by this novel, with its four different narrators each giving their own account of the events surrounding the murder of an Oxford clI was very engaged by this novel, with its four different narrators each giving their own account of the events surrounding the murder of an Oxford cleric in the Restoration period. The insights into the psychology, science, religion and politics of the time were very convincing, and each narrator had a distinctive voice in their (written) observations. It's not a book for those readers who demand a fast-moving plot filled with incident, as there is much circling around the storyline and I must admit to being confused at times because of the number of characters and the varying interpretations of their motives and qualities. However, I would strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a story that really immerses them in the world view of another historical period....more
A harrowing account of the horrors of war in Indo-China, lightened somewhat by Swain's reflections on his own youthful captivation with Cambodia, VietA harrowing account of the horrors of war in Indo-China, lightened somewhat by Swain's reflections on his own youthful captivation with Cambodia, Vietnam, and their people. It is also a story of how the romantic love of his life is blighted by his own compulsion to travel to war zones and report on them. He forces the reader to face up to the desperate sadness of what we like to call 'inhuman' behaviour - although unfortunately it is all too human. We are left marvelling at the bravery - or foolhardiness (he acknowledges the ambiguity) - of his journalistic passion. ...more
Close to five stars, but I'm tightfisted with those. I read this twice, and it provoked interesting discussion at my (all male) book group. An alternaClose to five stars, but I'm tightfisted with those. I read this twice, and it provoked interesting discussion at my (all male) book group. An alternative title might be 'A Bunch of Losers' (for this book, not for my book group... obviously...) We liked the way that the novel was structured thematically rather than by plot, and we identified with the all-too-evident weaknesses of the nine disparate men at different stages of their lives. As a general observation, we felt that the book illustrated the male inclination to focus on 'things' (status, career, money, sex) rather than relationships, and showed the consequences of that. The women in the novel were minor characters, but Szalay succeeded in illuminating their perspectives for the reader, even though often the male protagonists were sometimes oblivious to them. This was best demonstrated in Karel's story, in his response to his girlfriend's revelation. The book has some humour, but it's a rather bleak assessment of masculinity and one would hope, as a man, that this is NOT 'all that man is'!...more
A very funny book, like his earlier 'French Revolutions'. Tim Moore combines a masochistic desire to drive himself and his ancient disintegrating bicyA very funny book, like his earlier 'French Revolutions'. Tim Moore combines a masochistic desire to drive himself and his ancient disintegrating bicycle along the most rigorous routes to be found in Italy with a sharp eye for observation of the people and places he encounters. Along with impressive energy, he has an even more impressive stock of original and amusing language with which to describe his experiences. The book is a little long (like the bike ride), but thoroughly entertaining....more
As a schoolboy in the 1960s I remember the thrill whenever our English teacher Mr Hogan, a bearded man with an American accent, came into the classrooAs a schoolboy in the 1960s I remember the thrill whenever our English teacher Mr Hogan, a bearded man with an American accent, came into the classroom and said "get out your 'Prester Johns' boys!" I was probably about eleven years old, and hearing this book read aloud was one of the rare pleasures of the school day. However, I could remember nothing of the story, so I have just re-read it. The first thing that must be said is that it makes an unquestioning assumption of the superiority of 'the white man' in Africa, and is filled with casually racist remarks about 'the blacks' which strike an unwelcome note in today's world. Even the book's single Portuguese character does not get away without some racial slurs on the Portuguese race! Putting this to one side, the book is a 'boy's adventure' type narrative, very well done, in which the nineteen year-old Scottish protagonist is constantly put into tight spots (captured by murderous 'Kaffirs'; trapped in a cave from which the only escape is by a death-defying rock-climb, etc) and extricates himself by a mixture of luck, bravery, skill, and sharp wits. I enjoyed the ride....more
This was a highly original story I thought, creating circumstantial detail around the biblical account of Jesus's forty days and nights in the wildernThis was a highly original story I thought, creating circumstantial detail around the biblical account of Jesus's forty days and nights in the wilderness. It had a mythic quality - somewhat reminiscent of Paolo Coelho and Herman Hesse's works. The characters are very far from the contemporary world - a merchant travelling with his camels and goats, a deaf desert man, a wannabe sage, and so on - but they are convincingly brought to life by the writer. Never having starved in a desert myself, I was unsure about the feasibility of their living conditions, but Jim Crace carries it off with panache, providing them with just enough water and food to survive, and demonstrating an impressive grasp of the details of their ghastly desert-scrub environment. The fate of Jesus himself is quite mysterious - buried after starving himself to death, but nonetheless seen by the others subsequently - an early prefiguring of his death and resurrection perhaps. The wicked merchant Musa is a brilliantly imagined villain, an able stand-in for Satan....more
A thoroughly enjoyable read, which prepared me for my upcoming first visit to Japan (not that I intend to hitch-hike). The author offers insights intoA thoroughly enjoyable read, which prepared me for my upcoming first visit to Japan (not that I intend to hitch-hike). The author offers insights into Japanese characteristics through the often entertaining encounters he has while making his way from the southern tip of the country to the north. He also reveals just enough about himself to engage our interest and sympathies. The writing reminded me of Bill Bryson - humorous, self-deprecating, observant....more
An engaging account of a lifetime's experiences of different landscapes, and how the mediation of other writers' books about places has enhanced thoseAn engaging account of a lifetime's experiences of different landscapes, and how the mediation of other writers' books about places has enhanced those experiences. Furthermore, Macfarlane provides extensive glossaries of words used to describe aspects of the natural world that have largely fallen into disuse, and makes a passionate case for defending our sense of connection with nature in a world where more (British!) children can identify a dalek than a magpie....more
An entertaining and perceptive book, although somewhat random in its organisation. Brenan captures the nature of rural Spanish life in the years beforAn entertaining and perceptive book, although somewhat random in its organisation. Brenan captures the nature of rural Spanish life in the years before the civil war, and describes in detail the vanished customs of the time - for example the practice of courting through a barred window that is a feature of Lorca's 'The House of Bernarda Alba'. He also writes very well about landscape and nature. Although he is frank about his own experiences - and not afraid to laugh at himself - there is a degree of reticence - for instance he makes one or two references to his wife, but yet it's not entirely clear who she is, or when she comes onto the scene. A good companion to the more recent 'Driving Over Lemons' by Chris Stewart, another Brit who settled in the Alpujarras....more
This is a fine piece of writing, driven by character rather than plot. Each of the five main characters is portrayed in convincing detail, and althougThis is a fine piece of writing, driven by character rather than plot. Each of the five main characters is portrayed in convincing detail, and although the book meanders through the lives of this family - and is a little longer than necessary - I was always engaged by both the ideas that came up and the events that occurred. The overall effect is rather bleak - especially in relation to Alfred, the father - but Chip's adventures in Lithuania provide a little light(ish) relief....more
An enjoyable yarn with an engaging hero (Francis Osbaldistone, the young narrator - Rob Roy himself is not the central character in spite of the book'An enjoyable yarn with an engaging hero (Francis Osbaldistone, the young narrator - Rob Roy himself is not the central character in spite of the book's title). There's a mystery, a love interest, and much stravaigin about in the Borders, Glasgow and the Highlands of Scotland. Some of the characters' dialogue is in broad Scots (18th Century Scots at that) so the occasional word is a little elusive. However, there are some lovely words, like 'thrapple' for 'throat', and the language gives a rich historical context to the action. The book also gives an insight into the Jacobite uprisings of the early 18th C, although I couldn't say how historically accurate Scott has been....more
'Hell' struck me as a forerunner of the body of fiction and philosophy labelled as 'existentialist'. The protagonist is an isolated individual observi'Hell' struck me as a forerunner of the body of fiction and philosophy labelled as 'existentialist'. The protagonist is an isolated individual observing and considering the lives of those he observes. His own life is a void (he is mostly in a hotel room spying on the room next door through a hole in the wall). The book is a bit heavy-going in places, and there's a good deal more talk and philosophy than action. However, I had the pen out quite frequently to mark striking passages and thoughts - such as 'Humanity is the longing for novelty combined with the fear of death'. That gives you a hint of the kind of book it is. If you like Sartre, Camus, Hesse... try it....more
Jeez! That was probably the most depressing book I've ever read! I kept wanting to put it down, but it was too clever and well-written and had me unwiJeez! That was probably the most depressing book I've ever read! I kept wanting to put it down, but it was too clever and well-written and had me unwillingly hooked. The main characters are deeply unloveable - especially the vile Keith Talent. I couldn't wait to get out of his company. There was a brooding sense of violence and unhappiness hanging over everything, and even the two children in the story (a baby and a toddler) were dragged into the general misery. I didn't regret finishing it, and was frequently impressed by Amis's riffs on language and ideas and cultural observations. But I'm looking forward to something more uplifting....more
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel which traces the interlinked lives of disparate characters in the fictional London borough of Rhowing, largely throughI thoroughly enjoyed this novel which traces the interlinked lives of disparate characters in the fictional London borough of Rhowing, largely through their social media messages. There are some serious issues raised - the difficuly of admitting to depression, trolling on instagram and twitter, and loneliness. However, the tone of the writing is predominantly humorous, and I enjoyed the many witty passages and figures of speech. A very engaging read!...more
With a caveat regarding my own imperfect Spanish, I found the prose lyrical and evocative as well as being very clear and circumstantial. I don't knowWith a caveat regarding my own imperfect Spanish, I found the prose lyrical and evocative as well as being very clear and circumstantial. I don't know how much research Saer did into primitive isolated societies, but his depiction of the world view of a 16th C South American tribe was very convincing, mediated as it was by the consciousness of his European narrator. The structure of the novel was interesting - an account of the capture and ten years as 'guest' of the Indians, followed by the story of the narrator's adult life, and then back into the past as he tries to make sense of what he experienced. If I have a minor criticism, it's that the final section felt a little over extended to me, coming after the whirlwind of the narrator's middle years. However, there were some lovely moments. I liked this in particular: 'En los ultimos años, mi vida se ha limitado a alguna que otra fiesta familiar, a un paseo cada véz mas corto al anochecer, y a la lectura. De noche, después de la cena, a la luz de una vela, con la ventana abierta a la oscuridad estrellada y tranquila, me siento a remorar y a escribir.' All in all, a stimulating read....more
Powerful writing about war which moved me close to tears at times. Bears comparison with passages in Ford Madox Ford's 'Parade's End'. However, I didnPowerful writing about war which moved me close to tears at times. Bears comparison with passages in Ford Madox Ford's 'Parade's End'. However, I didn't find that the structure of the novel was as successful as the descriptive writing. For me there was a crashing of gears when we moved from the opening section, reminiscent of 'Madame Bovary', to the trenches of World War One, and then an even bigger crashing of gears when we moved from the World War One period to 1978. I was never engaged by the investigations of Stephen's granddaughter into her past. Circumstantial information about her doings felt like a waste of time by comparison with the vivid evocations of life in the trenches and the tunnels beneath no-man's land. The exception was her visit to Brennan, which did reinforce the theme of how not only the war dead 'lost' their lives, but some of the survivors too. Her affair with Robert and subsequent pregnancy left me entirely uninterested, however 'neat' that made the ending in terms of echoing the connection (always a bit tenuous, I thought) between Stephen and Jack Firebrace. So, to sum up, a novel with a good deal of fine writing, very emotionally engaging at times, but for me flawed in overall construction. Certainly quite close to four stars, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in World War One. ...more
This came strongly recommended by a friend, and indeed many glowing reviews are quoted at the beginning of this edition. However, I found it very heavThis came strongly recommended by a friend, and indeed many glowing reviews are quoted at the beginning of this edition. However, I found it very heavy going. It merits my three stars because of some positive qualities: it conjures up vividly the military life of its era (a life of ennui and routine, preceding the First World War), and it contains some passages of fine and subtle writing. Also, it is a 'big' novel in the sense that its characters are in the grip of historical forces beyond their control. However, (SPOILER COMING) the main characters - a father and son - are such repressed and inert individuals that it's hard to get involved in their emotional lives, although presumably we are intended to experience the pathos of their existence. The tone of the whole book is sombre, fatalistic and valedictory, imbued with a sense of the end of an era. Neither father nor son gets a grip on their own lives (the son is an unimaginative, depressive alcoholic, the father a bureaucratic automaton) and so we are condemned to drift downstream with them to their inevitable and mundane expirations. Too much wallowing in melancholy and futility for this reader....more
I have rarely enjoyed a biography as much as this one. Vanessa Bell and the other Bloomsbury-ites were evidently prolific letter writers, and so FrancI have rarely enjoyed a biography as much as this one. Vanessa Bell and the other Bloomsbury-ites were evidently prolific letter writers, and so Frances Spalding had a wealth of material to draw upon. The result is an intimate portrait of Bell's life in both its professional and personal aspects - the latter being the more fascinating of course! My interest in the Bloomsbury group came via literature rather than painting - the works of Bell's sister Virginia Woolf obviously, but also E.M. Forster and T.S.Eliot. This book came to me via a friend after I had visited Charleston, the home of Vanessa and Duncan Bell, and enjoyed a guided tour around its quirkily decorated rooms. It has sent me off online to look at the paintings of both, and also those of Vanessa Bell's close friend Roger Fry, and to seek out photos of the various Bloomsbury folk (Lytton Strachey, Maynard Keynes, etc) who were their intimates. My only quibble with the edition I read is that more photos and reproductions - colour reproductions - would have enhanced it greatly. However, it's still a five star read....more
I have now finished this linked series of novels - which feels more like a single long novel to me. In spite of its length, I read it in a comparativeI have now finished this linked series of novels - which feels more like a single long novel to me. In spite of its length, I read it in a comparatively short period of time, since it was one of those books that I always looked forward to getting back into. The ficititious narrator, Nick Jenkins, is highly reticent about himself, and about his closest connections - his wife Isobel and his children are very shadowy figures indeed. On the other hand, Jenkins is a razor-sharp observer of the doings of others over a period of decades, and brings to life a range of vivid characters. Kenneth Widmerpool, Pamela Widmerpool, X.Trapnel, Moreland, Gwinnet, Scorpio Murtlock... the list goes on. In fact, if there is a drawback to the experience of reading the book, it is that the sheer number of characters sometimes leaves the reader (me, in any case) a little lost. But the key characters are highly memorable, and the most salient events are unforgettable. The novel is full of fine, subtle writing, and humour is never too far from the surface. Powell is especially gifted at describing large gatherings of people, conversations, and physical appearance. All in all, a great read!...more
I was looking forward to reading this, as I hadn't read any of Coetzee's books and as a Nobel Prize winner I thought he was going to be a treat. I visiI was looking forward to reading this, as I hadn't read any of Coetzee's books and as a Nobel Prize winner I thought he was going to be a treat. I visited South Africa a few years ago, and so the Cape Town, George, and east Cape settings had a degree of familiarity, which always enhances a book for me. In particular I remember the sprawling shanty towns beside the airport road that Coetzee references, and which form one's first impression of the country. With the character of Petrus, and his ambiguous relations with Lucy, Coetzee seems to capture the shifting sands of black/white power in the country. From my own observations it was inescapably evident that blacks still do all the dirty work, and the country's wealth is still primarily in the hands of the whites. I didn't take to the central figure. I don't like reading about wilfully self-destructive characters, and his quixotic motives for getting himself sacked in disgrace with maximum damage annoyed me. He was a fool to pursue a relationship with a student, but an even bigger fool for signing up to agree to a statement which he hadn't even read. His subsequent episodes of abasement, and self-abasement, dispelled further any empathy I might have felt for him. Nor did I find that his obsession with Byron illuminated anything about his own story. So, I'm sure others will have found things that I have missed, but for me this was a sad, depressing tale about a confused and lost individual, and I was happy enough that it was short....more
Phew, finally finished this! It deserves its four stars for the quality of the writing and the depth of characterisation, but I didn't enjoy it as mucPhew, finally finished this! It deserves its four stars for the quality of the writing and the depth of characterisation, but I didn't enjoy it as much as 'The Corrections'. In fact, in spite of its abundant incidental humour and pithy observations on the state of America and the world, I found it rather depressing. Once more, Franzen is anatomising the nature of families, and how relationships between parents and their children, and between siblings, are determinants of the kind of relationships and life decisions that follow. The 'mistakes' that the characters make are quite painful to read about, and I seemed to spend a lot of time just wishing that Joey would be nicer to Connie, or that Walter wouldn't be so bitter and twisted. The outcomes are happy enough (and not unrealistically happy) but the characters have to go through a lot of suffering to get there! Well, I suppose angst-free characters wouldn't be interesting to read about. In terms of narrative technique, I thought the partial use of the device of having a character writing about themselves in the third person and another character reading that account was unusual, and worked well....more
Picked this up to read as a new (1665!) perspective on what the world is going through today with the Covid 19 pandemic. Because our current science hPicked this up to read as a new (1665!) perspective on what the world is going through today with the Covid 19 pandemic. Because our current science has not yet caught up with this new disease, we are to some extent in the same boat as the poor Londoners of 1665, faced with a plague with mysterious means of transmission and a variety of symptoms or absence of symptoms. Social distancing, then as now, was the only means of avoiding infection. We are waiting for our scientists to sort it out - they were waiting for God to relent. It is quite heartening to read of the acts of public provision and private charity that alleviated the suffering to some degree, and avoided adding famine to the woes of the poorer part of the populace. As today, there were tricksters and profiteers, but on the whole the better side of human nature predominated. The book is a little rambling, and was written before novelistic conventions began to be established in western literature. It reads very much as a factual, eye-witness account, although Defoe himself was only a young child when the events of the book took place. However, in spite of a few repetitive elements and an occasional foray up a dead-end (no pun intended), it's a fascinating read....more
I enjoyed this book, in particular because I have stayed on a tea plantation in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, which is its main setting. It also I enjoyed this book, in particular because I have stayed on a tea plantation in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, which is its main setting. It also concerns itself with Japanese garden design, and when I read it I had just returned from my first visit to Japan - a visit which included some of the famous temple gardens of Kyoto. So everything was set fair for a good read. The writing was subtle and allusive, and characterisation was strong - especially the prickly Straits Chinese narrator Teoh Yun Ling. Since she is trying to re-construct and make sense of her past, the book moves around between three time periods, and I found this to be a little disengaging. I was also mildly irritated by the author's tendency to tie up scenes with a sentence or two rather over-obviously laden with vague symbolic meaning - eg. "For a few moments I did nothing, keeping just as still. Then I went towards him, and together, in silence, we walked back to his house, our breaths nothing more than clouds burned away by the light of the stars." However, all in all a worthwhile read, subtly written and - from a European perspective - with unusual and interesting setting and characters....more
Well, to start with the positives, I did get engaged by the characters (although not much in the case of the father) and the depiction of hard rural lWell, to start with the positives, I did get engaged by the characters (although not much in the case of the father) and the depiction of hard rural life on the west coast of Scotland in the nineteenth century was convincingly done. What I didn't find convincing at all was that a seventeen year old uneducated boy from an isolated impoverished hamlet would produce the first person narration that makes up the first part of the book. This undermined, for me, the suspension of disbelief that is necessary for all fiction reading. As I read on, I began looking for some surprising twist in the narrative that never came. The accounts from other pens that made up the second part of the book were skilfully composed, but again I was expecting more than I got. I'm afraid this novel accidentally suffered by comparison with the novel I had read immediately before it - 'An Instance of the Finger Post' by Iain Pears, which also uses 'unreliable narrators' to explore a murder in a historical context, and is a much richer and subtler reading experience. A little unfair to compare one book with another in this way perhaps....more
It's no easy thing to describe the assorted man-made landscapes that create the settings for the game of golf. There are, on the face of it, only so mIt's no easy thing to describe the assorted man-made landscapes that create the settings for the game of golf. There are, on the face of it, only so many ways to describe a line of trees or a set of hillocks. But Patric Dickinson has made a brilliant fist of it, applying lyrical and sometimes overtly 'over the top' imagery to the subject. So, for example, he describes the green lines of fairways seen from a nearby hill as being like the slime trail of a slug - and, as I recently observed a slug, this struck me as very apposite, as like a golf course slugs are liable to return to their point of departure. A highly entertaining read for a golfer, and a great introduction to eighteen of the best courses in Britain. Patric Dickinson joins a select band who employ literary intelligence in their writing about golf. In fact, I would whimsically propose these as a 'big three' to rival Palmer, Player and Nicklaus: Patric Dickinson, P.G.Wodehouse, and John Updike....more
I read this with my book group and it provoked a good discussion, ranging over Japanese history (to the extent that we knew about it!) and the nature I read this with my book group and it provoked a good discussion, ranging over Japanese history (to the extent that we knew about it!) and the nature of faith. The story is reminiscent of Graham Greene's 'The Power and the Glory' - it concerns a Catholic priest on the run in a country hostile to his religion. My rating of three stars is a little severe - I enjoyed the book very much. The struggle of the protagonist to retain his belief in the face of God's persistent 'Silence'; his terror of possible torture and martyrdom, and his recognition that humility rather than pride will unite him with his ideal hero Jesus are all beautifully handled. My reservations concern a degree of repetitiveness (although the novel is not overlong) and some rather clumsy elements of narrative structure and credibility (for example the apparently fluent conversations between Portuguese speaking priests and uneducated Japanese peasants)....more
My first Muriel Spark, and a delightful read. The narrator, Mrs Hawkins, is a true original, old and wise beyond her tender years,and a shrewd plain-tMy first Muriel Spark, and a delightful read. The narrator, Mrs Hawkins, is a true original, old and wise beyond her tender years,and a shrewd plain-talking observer of human foibles. One of the particular pleasures of the novel is her propensity to offer quirky general advice to the reader on life's difficulties or dilemmas. For example: 'It is a good thing to go to Paris for a few days if you have had a lot of trouble, and that is my advice to everyone except Parisians.' Spark evokes a lost world of 1950s London publishers and boarding house life, full of eccentrics and comical events. The prose is never showy, although there are a few stand-out descriptions, such as 'Sir Alec was thin and grey and his voice matched his looks. It sounded like a wisp of smoke wafting from some burning of leaves hidden by a clump of lavender.' The novel is exactly the right modest length for its modest but satisfying plot....more
I was led to this by an interest in Carrington's paintings. I hadn't known that she had also written a novel. This started strange and surreal and proI was led to this by an interest in Carrington's paintings. I hadn't known that she had also written a novel. This started strange and surreal and progressed to complete delirium. Any semblance of plot is gradually sacrificed to bizarre dreamlike occurrences. However, it has a lot of charm and humour, which makes it readable, and it's quite short. The illustrations (her own) are quite rough and ready, but interesting and strange. The 'nursing home' where the elderly protagonist is sent reminded me a little of the world of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast, but 'The Hearing Trumpet' is a much more whimsical and less structured piece of writing. The Penguin Modern Classics edition I read had more textual errors than most books - I don't know if this was sloppy proof-reading/editing, or a misguided fidelity to Carrington's original manuscript....more
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