Category: Publication Date

Categories
2009 Chunkster Historical Fiction Mystery Recommended books

Stone’s Fall – Iain Pears

Let me start by saying that this is my favourite book of 2009 so far – I was completely unprepared for how much I would love this book.

The premise is quite simple: Why did John Stone die, falling out of a window at his London home? The story is a complex mystery, beginning in London in 1909 and gradually revealing the truth by going back in time – first to Paris in 1890, and finally to Venice in 1867.

The book is cleverly constructed so that in the first section John Stone has just died and all the information about him is vague and contradictory. In the second section he becomes a character, so we begin to build a better picture of him and in the final section he is the narrator, so we finally find out the truth about his fascinating life.

I did not want power or wealth for themselves, and did not in the slightest desire fame. But I wanted, on my death, to be able to expire feeling that my existence had made the world a different place.

This is a literary mystery, so the pace is quite slow and at nearly 600 pages it isn’t a quick read, but the length was necessary to create the vivid world and fully formed characters. The astonishing twists were reminiscent of Fingersmith and I am sure I will remember this book for a very long time.

The espionage and financial aspects of the book meant that I thought it would appeal to men more than women, but while I think this is probably true, I am a woman and it is my book of the year! I admit that there were a few sections where the financial implications of events went over my head, but I was quickly brought back to the gripping plot by another development.

This book has everything – a multi-layered complex plot, fantastic characters and a compelling mystery.

Highly recommended to lovers of suspenseful literary fiction.

stars51

 

I haven’t read anything by Iain Pears before, but after the success of this one I am definitely going to track down all his books.

Have you read anything by Iain Pears?

Which of his books is your favourite?

 

Categories
2009

The Dog who Came in from the Cold – Alexander McCall Smith (Chapters 1 – 23)

corduroy-logo_1__1468322fWe have now been treated to a month of Alexander McCall Smith’s new online novel The Dog Who Came in From the Cold, so I thought it was time to reflect on my experience.

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I am listening to the podcast, narrated by Andrew Sachs. This is the first time I have listened to a book in serial form and I am very impressed at how well it is working. I much prefer listening this way, as I found that reading Corduroy Mansions over the course of a few days, was just too much – there were too many snippets of information to be able to digest any of them properly.

Listening to just a few minutes each day gives you plenty of time to ponder each weird, but wonderful insight into these peoples’ lives. Andrew Sachs is a very good narrator, making each section easy to listen to.

As with Corduroy Mansions, this new book is more a series of character observations than a novel, but I was surprised by the recent development in The Dog who Came in from the Cold. Corduroy Mansions dealt with very normal, often mundane activities,

WARNING SPOLILERS! Highlight text to read

so the introduction of spies was a bit of a shock for me. I’m not sure that I know where it is going , but I like that, and hope the book continues to deviate from the lives of average people.

I also loved the little snippets of information in each chapter – some of which I struggled to believe, so I actually took the time to look up. I think the most surprising fact was that the hedgehog was a symbol of gluttony in Western art and while seeking out that information I discovered that the bat, the toad, and the pig are also symbols of evil or gluttony in Western art.

I look forward to discovering where this story is going and getting to know all the characters in greater detail.

Have you enjoyed the first month of The Dog who Came in from the Cold?

What has been your favourite thing so far?

Categories
2008 2009 Books in Translation Chunkster Other Prizes Recommended books

2666 – Roberto Bolaño. Part 5: The Part About Archimboldi

Steph and Claire are hosting a read-along for the highly acclaimed book, 2666, by Chilean author Roberto Bolaño. The novel is 900 pages long, and divided into 5 parts. We are reading one part a month.

Here are my thoughts on Part 5: The Part About Archimboldi

After nearly 6 months I have finally finished 2666! It took me a long time to decide if it was worth the effort – this book has confused me, bored me, and amazed me in equal measure.

I have learnt that Bolaño cannot be predicted and so I had no idea what to expect in this final section. What I found was an enjoyable novel, similar to part 3, in that it could be enjoyed independently. It was easy to read and beautifully written, but as an ending to this colossal book I was a bit disappointed. The explanations for some of the initial mysteries were very mundane and the majority of questions were left unanswered. I don’t mind ambiguity at the end of a book, but I had expected a few revelations and some clever twists. I was left feeling very deflated and a feeling of “is that it?” Hopefully Part 6 will be released soon and will have a much more satisfactory climax.

As a standalone novel, Part 5 was very good. I loved learning about Archimboldi and reading the rich descriptions of his family. I was hooked from the first sentence:

His mother was blind in one eye. She had blond hair and was blind in one eye. Her good eye was sky blue and placid, which made her seem slow but sweet natured, truly good. His father was lame. He had lost his leg in the war and spent a month in a military hospital near Düren, thinking he was done for and watching as the patients who could move (he couldn’t!) stole cigarettes from others.

As with the rest of the book there were also a lot of deeper, more philosophical quotes:

That night, as he was working the door at the bar, he amused himself by thinking about a time with two speeds, one very slow, in which the movement of people and objects was almost imperceptible, and the other fast, in which everything, even inert objects, glittered with speed. The first was called Paradise, the second Hell, and Archimboldi’s only wish was never to inhabit either.

I am very intrigued about why Heaven is slow. I always thought Heaven was perfect and can’t understand why he would say this. Can anyone enlighten me?

There is so much to discuss in this book that I am sure you could study it for years and still have more to uncover. The big question is whether I recommend that you read it and that is a very difficult question to answer. A quick glance as my ratings for each section would probably put you off this 900 page chunkster.

Part 1: The Part About the Critics  stars3h

Part 2: The Part About Amalfitano stars3h 

Part 3: The Part About Fate stars41

Part 4: The Part About the Crimes stars21

Part 5: The Part About Archimboldi stars41

I think this book should be approached with caution. I don’t think I would have made it to the end without the support of the other readalong participants:

Richard,  Emily, Frances,  Gavin, Isabella, Lu, E.L. Fay, and the wonderful hosts Steph and Claire.

It is a confusing, and at times overwhelming book, but I think it is also the sort of book which grows on you. I think that this book will remain with me, with my appreciation for it growing all the time. There are so many layers and little details which bubble to the surface weeks/months after reading it. I don’t think I will ever discover the point of this book, but I don’t think it matters. This book is a masterpiece, which will become a classic. For that reason I have to award it:

stars51

 

I have no idea how that happened when I struggled with so much of it, but I can’t deny the power this book has had on me over the last six months. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves literary fiction. I promise that is is worth it in the end.

Do you think this book will still be read 100 years from now?

Do you recommend it to others?

If you haven’t read it, do you think you will attempt it?

Categories
2009 Non Fiction

Modern Delight – Various

Modern Delight

Modern Delight is a collection of short essays by some of today’s eminent authors, artists, actors, politicians, comedians and celebrities on what gives them delight. The inspiration for the book came from JB Priestley’s Delight which has been re-released to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the publication.

The book gave me immense pleasure – I read a few ‘delights’ each night and frequently found myself laughing, or sharing quotes with my husband. Even the ones which weren’t funny left me with a warm, glowing feeling.

My favourite essay was the one in which Harry Hill (a British comedian) delights in the tormenting of telemarketers.

‘Brrrring! Brrring!’

‘Hello?’

‘Hello, to who am I speaking please?’

‘To whom.’

‘Hello?’

‘It’s to whom am I speaking. You could say “Who am I speaking to?” But not to who am I speaking please.’

‘To whom…I mean, who am I speaking to?’

‘To whom am I speaking?’

‘I’m calling from – Replacement windows.’

‘At last!!’ (as if calling to someone in another room) ‘Darling! fantastic news! – Replacement windows have called us!’

The mad conversation continues and I was crying with laughter by the end.

If you aren’t a fan of comedy then there are a lot more serious, thoughtful delights. I loved Lionel Shriver talking about ‘when anything goes right’ and agree completely with Clive James’s delight in the second-hand bookshop, but one of the most amazing delights was Charley Boorman talking about harvesting potatoes with his motorbike for which he thought after reading at Motorbike Sport. I wasn’t sure this was possible, so was very excited to see this video, proving it to be true!

There are over 80 contributors and I think this book would make a lovely gift. All profits raised from the sale of the book will be donated to Waterstone’s charity partners, Dyslexia Action and the London Library. Unfortunately, this book is only available from Waterstones in the UK, but if you are able to get hold of it, then I’m sure you will be delighted!

stars41

 

 

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Have you read the original Delight?

What would your modern delight be?

Categories
2009

Her Fearful Symmetry – Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveller’s Wife is one of my favourite books, and so I was very excited about the release of Audrey Niffenegger’s second novel.

Her Fearful Symmetry is set in London and focuses on a set of mirror twins who inherit a flat from their aunt, which overlooks Highgate Cemetery. The twins are excited about moving to England, but wonder what secrets lie within their family’s past. Through meeting the  friends of their deceased aunt, they begin to build a picture of her, and slowly realise that the ghost of their aunt still lives in her flat.

I loved the first third of the book – the tension was built up amazingly well; the emotion equal to that she achieved in The Time Traveller’s Wife. Unfortunately the emotion failed to be maintained throughout the rest of the book. The plot took over, and although I enjoyed reading it, the special emotional tension I love was lacking. I didn’t really care about the twins and although I loved the ghostly aunt, I found that I couldn’t really engage with her either.

I also felt that parts of the book were over researched. I know that Highgate Cemetery is a fascinating place, but if I wanted to know everything about it then I’d go on a tour. Audrey Niffengger did an admirable job of writing the entire book in British English, but I wonder if she went too far. I’d love to know whether people from other parts of the world were mystified by some of the obscure references to specific UK personalities/products (which I also think will date the book very quickly).

I am being a bit harsh. The Time Traveller’s Wife was such an amazing book, my expectations were probably too high. Her Fearful Symmetry does have a very good plot and the settings are meticulously described. It is a gentle, mildly spooky ghost story, which will appeal to fans of The Little Stranger – the perfect book for Halloween.

Recommended.

stars41

 

Did you enjoy Her Fearful Symmetry or are you looking forward to reading it?

Did you prefer Her Fearful Symmetry or The Little Stranger?

Categories
2008 Audies Audio Book Booker Prize Other Prizes Recommended books Thriller

Child 44 – Tom Rob Smith (Audio Book)

Child 44 was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2008 and it’s presence on the list caused a lot of controversy. I had heard so many different reactions to it that I really didn’t know what to expect. I was planning to read it, but when I saw that it won thriller of the year at the Audies I decided to listen to it instead. I am very pleased I made that decision as it is one of the best audio books I have ever listened to.

The book is set in Stalinist Russia during the 1950s and follows Leo, a state security agent, who slowly realises that the system he is part of arrests and tortures innocent people. He decides to work alone, risking everything to find the identity of a man who is murdering children across the country.

I loved every moment of listening to this book – I was gripped throughout. The complex plot was perfectly paced, the characters believable and packed with layers of emotion which were gradually revealed over the course of the book.

I can see why many people objected to this book’s inclusion on the Booker list – it is not literary fiction and contained no symbolism or hidden meanings buried in the text. It is simply a very good thriller, so anyone after a book to study for hours would be disappointed. As a thriller I can’t fault it – the twists were surprising and well thought out, the dilemmas the characters faced were thought provoking and tragic, and the cold, icy setting was perfect for adding to the chilling atmosphere.

There  were a few gruesome scenes, so the squeamish (especially those who love cats!) should proceed with caution, but I thought the violence was appropriate and was needed to emphasize the difficult circumstances the Russian people had to endure on a daily basis.

I highly recommend this book, especially the expertly narrated audio version, to anyone who loves engaging thrillers.

stars51

 

Did you enjoy Child 44?

Have you read the sequel, The Secret Speech?