Glasshopper by Isabel Ashdown
Five words from the blurb: family, turbulent, childhood, secrets, alcoholic
Glasshopper contains a dual narrative covering the childhood of a boy called Jake, growing up in 1980s Portsmouth, and that of his mother coming-of-age in the 1960s.
Jake’s childhood is a troubled one. His father has moved out and his mother is an alcoholic. The reasons for his mother’s alcoholism are slowly revealed over the course of the novel; as are Jake’s strength and resilience.
This is the perfect book for anyone wanting to reminisce about life in England. The tiny details about Texan bars and sherbet Flying Saucers had me smiling in recognition. The story itself was very ordinary, but Jake’s charm was hard to resist.
Unfortunately the 1960s section didn’t come alive in the same way. I’m not sure if this was because I wasn’t alive and so didn’t pick up on the little details or because they weren’t there in the first place.
The writing was reminiscent of Maggie O’Farrell, so anyone who loves her books is sure to enjoy this one.
Recommended to anyone who remembers 1980s England.
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Central Reservation by Will le Flemming
Five words from the blurb: rural, England, twin, ghost, grief
Central Reservation is set in rural England during the foot and mouth outbreak of 2001. The central character is Holly, a teenage girl, who is followed everywhere by the ghost of her twin sister. The ghost is an unnerving presence, rather than the scary, malevolent kind that you normally find in novels and it can be seen as a metaphor for the grief that she carries around with her.
The book started off really well, with an intriguing first line:
On a grey Thursday morning Holly lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, and wished her sister would die. Five hours later her wish came true.
The first few chapters were equally gripping, with a particularly vivid description of a bus crash.
Unfortunately the middle section was a bit ordinary. Events was realistically described, but the quiet study of a family’s grief did nothing but leave me feeling faintly depressed. I know a lot of people love this type of story, but I suspect that because I am lucky enough not to have lost a close member of my family it didn’t resonate with me as much.
Luckily everything picked up towards the end and the foot and mouth aspect of the book was very well done. I remember travelling home during the outbreak and seeing (and especially smelling) the pyres of dead cattle everywhere. I hadn’t come across a book that covers the subject before, but I’m sure everyone will be moved by some of the scenes in this book.
The specific Englishness of this story means that it is unlikely to have universal appeal, but if you’re looking for an emotional read this is a good choice.
Recommended to those familiar with rural England.
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Glasshopper is on ym wish list but now I know it mentions Texans I may just click on that purchase button! I love Texans. I wonder if you can still get them anywhere. And I’m interested in Central Reservation too. Haven’t come across that before but we were up and down a lot to the Peak District at the time of foot and mouth before moving up permamnently and it had a huge impact here. I also remember those pyres and the smell.
Ros, I’m afraid that you can’t get Texan bars any more. This site: http://www.aquarterof.co.uk/texan-bar-p-1139.html says they were brought back for a few months in 2005, but are no longer available. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that they decide to have another revivial.
I hope you enjoy these books if you decide to give them a try.
Thanks for the recommendation about Glasshopper, it is set in my home city so it made me more intrigued. Went to look on Amazon and only 89p on Kindle, so easy decision really. Cannot wait to read it.
Jo, I’m pleased that you’ve decided to give it a try. I hope that you enjoy it.
I’m not familiar with much about England, even though I did spend about 6 weeks there in the 90′s. But I have to say that the second book really looks interesting. I do love a book that introduces you to a part of the world you’ve never been.
Sandy, I’d love to know what you thought of these. I think their major appeal is the ability of them to bring back memories so it would be interesting to know if you enjoy these more than I enjoy your favourites set in Florida.
I love how you’ve been grouping similar books together. When I want to immerse myself in Englishness, I shall read these.
Jenners, Thanks. I’ve noticed that I tend to go through phases of wanting to read similar books so it makes sense to group them together. I look forward to your English phase!
I am looking hard for some non-crime books as I need to read something different. However, I did not like the two Maggie Farrells I read so I will probably give these a miss. I’ll keep trying, though! And I always have the Forsyte Saga to fall back on if I get really stuck.
Maxine, If you don’t enjoy Maggie O’Farrell I’d advise steering clear of these. I’ll try to find a more appealing non crime book for you soon
That first line from Central Reservation sounds brilliant, but I’m not in the market for depressing books right now so I’ll leave it at that. Anyone looking to understand Englishness through non-fiction could do a lot worse than read Sir Roy Strong’s Visions of England. It largely by-passes politics – you will be pleased to hear, Jackie – instead, it traces English national identity through Protestantism, poetry and art, landscape and gardens. It is also a fairly short book, around 200 pages, and way more accessible than Peter Ackroyd’s dense and weighty foray into similar territory.
David, Thank you for the recommendation. I’m glad it avoids politics! I do love that kind of book so will make a note of it.
On a similar note I loved Watching the English by Kate Fox – it is an investigation into the differences between each English class. I suspect it is a lot lighter than the book you mention, but I found it entertaining and it contained many surprising indicators of class.
I loved Glasshopper. The sixties sections didn’t grab me as quickly as the eighties sections, but once I worked out the connections I was completely hookes. I’ve not come across Central Reservation before, but I will look out for it.
FleurFisher, It is interesting to know that you didn’t connect with the 60s sections in the beginning too. I enjoyed both threads at the end, but never felt the same connection to the mother’s story. I found that unusual as you’d expect me to connect with a mother more easily than a teenage boy.
I don’t remember Texans which is strange because that’s where I ended up. I do remember flying saucers though.
I just finished reading The House on South Road by Joyce Storey, it mainly about growing up in England in the 1950s.
Ann
Ann, Such a shame that you missed out on Texans – I wonder if they ever made it to the US?
I got Glasshopper and Hurry Up and Wait, also by Isabel Ashdown, for my new Kindle toy which I received as a surprise Christmas present. Although I’m not English I guess I will recognise most of the references.
I loved The Hand That First Held Mine and The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox – they seem very different thematically from these Isabel Ashdown novels – is it the writing style which is similar?
Teresa, I’ve read those two O’Farrell books too. I’d say they were similar thematically, as well as in terms of writing style. The Hand That First Held Mine is especially similar in terms of them being about women going through difficult stages in their lives. I’ll be interested to see how you get on with them as I do think a lot of the cultural references will be the kind you wont be familiar with if you live outside the UK, but I’m sure you’ll still enjoy it.
You had me at Maggie O’Farrell with Glasshoppers. I like the dual narrative idea as well. It always makes for an interesting comparison, historically and otherwise.
Huh, foot and mouth is an interesting backdrop. I remember those pyres all too well.