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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Gielgud Theatre

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Last week I was fortunate enough to be offered tickets to see a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Gielgud Theatre in London. I read the book, written by Mark Haddon, shortly after its release 12 years ago and loved it; so I was looking forward to seeing how it had been adapted to the stage. It was even better than I’d hoped it might be and I thoroughly recommend that you go to see it.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time begins with fifteen-year-old Christopher, who has Asperger’s syndrome, discovering that his neighbour’s dog has been murdered. He decides to investigate the crime, but ends up discovering dark secrets about his own family.  It held my attention throughout and made me laugh on several occasions. The play also had more serious moments and I loved the way it effortlessly switched between these darker and lighter elements.

The stage adaptation seemed to follow the plot of the book closely. Most of the dialogue was taken directly from it and playwright Simon Stephens cleverly used Christopher’s teacher Siobhan to narrate the rest. The staging was impressive and I particularly liked the cacophony of sound and light produced to show how easily everyday tasks can overwhelm those with autism. It was also wonderful to see real animals used in the production – the arrival of a puppy melted everyone’s heart!

My oldest son has Asperger’s syndrome, but he wasn’t born when I read the book so I knew I’d be watching it in a different light.  I was pleasantly surprised by how accurately the play portrayed the condition, showing how noise and visual stimulation can lead to overload. It also highlighted the positives of the condition, including an honest nature and a single-minded determination to complete the task at hand. Sion Daniel Young deserves special praise for his flawless performance in the lead role. It was amazing to see someone mimic the characteristics of autism (including facial ticks and lack of eye contact) without being condescending or disrespectful.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is one of the best things I’ve seen at the theatre. I think it’s even better than the book and I highly recommend watching it!

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Tickets start from £15 and are available from the National Theatre and  Guilgud Theatre Box Offices.

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2000 - 2007 Chunkster Classics Memoirs Recommended books

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Shantaram Source: Personal copy

Five words from the blurb: India, slum, fugitive, prison, redemption

Shantaram is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It is an amazing story and the fact that most of it actually happened makes it even more incredible. It may be long, but every single page is a joy to read and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel, The Mountain Shadow, when it is released in October.

In 1980 Gregory David Roberts escaped from a high security prison in Australia. He travelled to India using a fake passport and hid from authorities in a Mumbai slum. Shantaram chronicles his adventures as he integrates with the local criminal community; learning how to make money and protect himself in this dangerous environment. He commits many crimes, but the most interesting aspects of the book were the good things he did – setting up a health clinic in the slum and going to extreme lengths to help those around him. This book will make you question the boundaries between right and wrong and to admire the strength of the human spirit.

When all the guilt and shame for the bad we have done have run their course, it is the good we did that can save us. But then, when salvation speaks, the secrets we kept, and the motives we concealed, creep from their shadows. They cling to us, those dark motives for our good deeds. Redemption’s climb is steepest if the good we did is soiled with secret shame.

Shantaram contains everything I like to see in a book – fantastic writing, a cast of well-rounded characters, a compelling plot, and thought-provoking moments of deeper contemplation.  I was gripped throughout and found myself feeling sympathy for even the most notorious criminals. I loved the way everyone was deeply flawed, but most managed to conquer their problems and live a happy life, even when faced with unimaginable hardship.

This book explained a way of life that was unfamiliar to me, but by the end of the novel I felt as though I understood exactly what it would be like to live in this lawless society. The vivid writing created an atmospheric picture of their unconventional lives. Everything was described in unflinching detail, occasionally making the reader feel uncomfortable, but writing with a honesty that can only be admired. 

This is one of those rare books that is almost impossible to criticise. It is a modern classic and should be read by everyone. Highly recommended!

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Categories
1980s Historical Fiction Uncategorized

Familiar Wars by Julietta Harvey

Familiar Wars Source: Free review copy received from publisher

Five words from the blurb: Greek, boy, massacre, uprooted, family

Familiar Wars was originally published in 1987, but was re-released last week to coincide with the publication of the sequel, One Third of Paradise. I hadn’t heard of Julietta Harvey until review copies of these books fell through my letter box, but I quickly released she is an author I want to follow.

Familiar Wars begins in 1922 and follows Gregoris, a young Greek boy who flees the Turkish massacre in Smyrna.  I loved the way the book combined historical fact with vivid descriptions to create an atmospheric story. Julietta Harvey was born in Greece and her love and knowledge of this country was evident throughout. I knew very little about this period of history, but everything was explained so I could understand the details of this conflict.

The writing quality was excellent and many aspects of the novel reminded me of my favourite book, A Fine Balance. I especially loved the way the descriptions included the sounds and smells of the area, as these added a wonderful depth that too many writers ignore:

But they knew how to eat! The shop flooded with new appetising smells. Hunger for the delicacies appearing behind the counter caught him unawares: it gripped him, he was in tears with sudden total desire. Large green olives swimming in herbs and spices, pickled cabbage fragrant with aniseed, baby aubergines stuffed with dill and basil, pink octopus tenderised in spiced wine, potted prawns as big as mackerels and as fresh and sweet smelling as the sea at dawn, caviar from the Black Sea, each egg as big and juicy as a grape, pastourma – the flower of the Karamanli genius wrapped in layers and layers of cayenne, and underneath, the meat, red and moist and tender, begging to be eaten, ready to melt in the mouth.

The vivid detail meant that some scenes were disturbing, but these were necessary to show how brutal this period of history was. They also helped to show how communities can overcome hardship, harnessing resilience to rebuild a happy life.

The only real negative was that the story contained too many characters. I frequently struggled to remember who some of the peripheral characters were, but in the end I decided this didn’t really matter as the central characters were so strong. 

This is an impressive book which highlights an important period of history. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the way conflict affects ordinary people, especially if you have an interest in this area of the world. I look forward to reading the sequel soon.

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June Summary and Plans for July

June hasn’t been a very good month for me. I wanted to tell you that Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is one of the best books I’ve ever read and that Familiar Wars by Julietta Harvey is an amazing book that reminds me A Fine Balance. Instead I’ve been in and out of hospital; both for myself and members of my family.

It started early in the month when my knee swelled up and I became unable to walk. They successfully drained some strange orange gunk from it (which enabled me to walk again) but still haven’t worked out what is wrong with it. Then my husband went in for surgery on his shoulder; and finally my youngest son was admitted to hospital for suspected epilepsy. Things seem to be on the mend for us all, but we still have far too many hospital appointments scheduled for the next few weeks.

Anyway, enough of my troubles…let’s get back to the books!

Book of the Month:

An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth 

Books Reviewed in June:

An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield 

Professor Andersen’s Night by Dag Solstad 

The Hunting Gun by Yasushi Inoue 

Quicksand by Steve Toltz 

Mary Poppins by PL Travers 

Plans for July

Hopefully I’ll have time to write a few reviews soon. I haven’t had any thoughts about what I might read next – I’m afraid it will have to be a surprise for you! 

Let’s hope July is a much better month!

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Books in Translation Novella

Two Wonderful Novellas in Translation

Professor Andersen's Night Source: Free review copy received from publisher

Translated from the Norwegian by Agnes Scott Langeland

Professor Andersen’s Night by Dag Solstad

Five words from the blurb: alone, sees, murder, indecision, moralist

Professor Andersen’s Night is a fantastic little book, but I didn’t want to write a full review for fear of giving too much away. The novella begins with Professor Andersen witnessing a murder, but he is unsure about what he really saw and so fails to report the crime. As time passes he feels increasingly guilty and tries to think of the best way to remedy the situation.

He was really unwell, his head ached, he saw spots before his eyes and felt queasy all the time, but didn’t throw up. He put on his pyjamas and went straight to bed. But he couldn’t lie still, so he got up, put on his dressing gown and wandered around his apartment, from room to room. This day, and the next day, and the day after that. While he brooded. He had no idea what to do.

This book was very wordy with no chapter breaks and very few paragraphs, but the internal monologue was intelligent and compelling. It could be described as a cross between Hunger by Knut Hamsun and The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka; and is equally deserving of a place in the literature canon.

Recommended to anyone who enjoys intelligent literature.

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The Hunting Gun (Pushkin Collection) Source: Personal copy

Translated from the Japanese by Michael Emmerich

The Hunting Gun by Yasushi Inoue

Five words from the blurb: letters, women, affair, tragic, truth

The Hunting Gun is small, but perfectly formed. It contains letters from a woman, her daughter, and an abandoned wife – each explaining how an affair impacted on their lives. The writing was simple, but powerful and showed real insight into the way secrets destroy relationships. 

There was nothing between us but the quiet lapping of water, like waves on the seashore. The veil behind which we had hidden our secret for thirteen years had been brutally ripped away, but what I saw underneath it was not the death that had obsessed me so, but something I can hardly think how to describe, something like peace, quietness – yes, a peculiar feeling of release.

The joy of reading books in translation is that you get to see how other cultures react to familiar situations. It was interesting to see how Japanese restraint influenced their actions; whilst their thoughts and emotions were identical to a British person dealing with an affair. 

The Hunting Gun was so short it could be read in a single sitting. I prefer a more complex plot, but was impressed by the power of the emotion in this book and am keen to read more by this author.

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A Right Royal Weekend!

This weekend I’ve been lucky enough to attend two Royal celebrations and I thought I’d share them with you.

I often want to do a few more personal posts on this blog, but rarely do so as I don’t normally take my camera with me – blog posts just aren’t the same without images. This weekend was an exception and the photos were so colourful I couldn’t resist sharing some of them.

The Garter Ceremony

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Today I attended the Garter Ceremony in Windsor Castle. I was lucky enough to win tickets in a local lottery and took my husband, sister and a friend along to see the Royal Family give the Order of the Garter to new knights. It was amazing to get so close to the Royal Family and to see British pomp and ceremony at its best. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, and many other Royals walked within metres of us!

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I think this is my favourite image of the day. I love the policemen whispering, the random man in a top hat, and the expression on the guard’s face!

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Magna Carta Celebrations

Today marks the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta, a charter of peace that has become an important document in English politics. I live in Runnymede, the borough in which it was sealed, and so there have been many events to celebrate the anniversary locally and they use resources as a teal table runner to give these events the right decoration for these celebrations. Over the weekend a flotilla of boats travelled down the River Thames and I went to watch with my family. We saw the Queen’s boat (with Windsor Castle in the background) and then had a picnic beside the Thames.

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So typically English!