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2013 Book Prizes

The Skinning Tree by Srikumar Sen

The Skinning Tree Winner of the 2012 Tibor Jones South Asia Prize

Five words from the blurb: India, boy, school, tragedy, regime

The Skinning Tree is set in India during the 1940s. It tells the story of nine-year-old Sabby, a boy who is sent to a boarding school in Northern India. Being away from Calcutta is meant to protect him from advancing Japanese troops, but life away from home is hard as the teachers are strict and abusive. The boys take their frustrations out on animals; killing them and hanging their skins out to dry. The book does a fantastic job of showing how British culture has influenced Indian life, but I found many sections of the book a bit flat and lifeless.

The Skinning Tree was a strange reading experience. It contained two writing styles; so different they could almost to be written by two separate people. Some sections were beautifully written, with atmospheric descriptions that compelled the reader to continue. The opening paragraph, for example, was fantastic:

Murder was the plaything of us kids. We fooled with the idea of killing like some kids fool with fire. We stood around in free time on the far side of the pitch, leaning against the wall or sitting on it, kicking our boot heels against it, talking — talking about killing, killing someone, someone we didn’t like, how we would do it: killing was easy, no one would tell on you, because they wouldn’t. Talking and bragging. Then one day it happened. Sister Man was found on the rocks below the school.

But then other parts seemed very poorly written. The dialogue was especially clunky and the repetition of  “said Sabby” drove me nuts! I found that the sections written in the first person were generally well done, but the third person narrative didn’t work. It was weird, distant and read like the simple books children have when they first learn to read. Things improved as the book progressed, but the wonderful final chapter only seemed to reinforce my thoughts about what had been lacking at other moments.

The title and description of this book may make some people wary, but the scenes of violence aren’t particularly graphic and should be tolerated by all but the most sensitive reader.

Overall this was an odd book. I recommend it to people who are interested in studying different styles of writing!

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The thoughts of other bloggers:

…life changing and unforgettable. Julia’s Blog

…occasionally the narration is jarring and confusing Moni’s Nook

 ….it was the 81 year old author’s evocative descriptions of an Anglicised Indian life, of afternoon whist parties, of lengthy train journeys that will long remain with me. Pen and Paper

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Other Uncategorized

Quick Reviews: 419, Wild and The History of Mary Prince

The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave (Penguin Classics)

The History of Mary Prince by Mary Prince

Five words from the blurb: black, slave, Caribbean, London, document

The History of Mary Prince was the first narrative of a black woman to be published in English. There is no doubting its historical significance and the role it played in the abolition of the slave trade, but I’m afraid I don’t think it is worth seeking out.

I can’t remember where I heard about this book, but I remember receiving it through the post and being surprised at how thin it is. Mary Price’s story takes up just 31 pages and the rest of this 113 page, £8.99 Penguin Classic is made up of supplemental information, much of which is repeated several times.

Mary Prince’s story reads like a police statement. It is rushed, gives the briefest of details, and lacks any emotion. If you are studying slavery then this is an important document, but if you’re looking for an entertaining read I suggest you look elsewhere.

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.419Winner of 2012 Giller Prize

419 by Will Ferguson

Five words from the blurb: Africa, criminal, Internet, corruption, scam

419 is an intelligent thriller that investigates 419 Internet scams originating from Nigeria. It started off well, but lost its way towards the middle of the book. It felt disjointed and some of the plot twists didn’t feel realistic. I also felt that the parts set in Nigeria were far more interesting than those set in Canada.

This book contained several interesting ideas, but if you are looking for a great book on 419 scams I think I Do Not Come To You By Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is head and shoulders above Will Ferguson’s.

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.Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Vintage)

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Five words from the blurb: death, impulsive, walk, heal, life

Cheryl Strayed was just 26 when her mother died of cancer. Her marriage collapsed and her life fell apart. She began taking drugs and she struggled to find happiness. In an effort to put her life back on track she decided to trek 1,100 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail; from the Mojave Desert to Washington State.

Cheryl was an infuriating narrator. As I read her story I swung from deep sympathy (for the loss of her mother), to anger and frustration (at her selfishness, affairs and drug taking). She was naive and stupid, but I admired her determination. In the end the great thing about this book is how inspirational it is – if she can turn her life around in this way, anyone can.

It was an entertaining read and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for some hope and inspiration.

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Categories
2012 Commonwealth Writer's Prize

Beneath the Darkening Sky by Majok Tulba

Beneath the Darkening Sky Shortlisted for 2013 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize

Five words from the blurb: child, soldiers, Africa, plight, resonates

Beneath the Darkening Sky is a very important book. It highlights the plight of African child soldiers; explaining how they end up carrying guns and murdering people at such a young age. It is narrated by Obinna, a nine-year-old boy who is taken from his village and forced to become a soldier. It shows how innocent children become hardened to suffering and death and how abuse slowly turns them into violent individuals.

Obinna is an engaging narrator. His thoughts and emotions jump from the page and give the reader a shocking insight into the horror these children have to endure. The way Obinna’s attitude changes over the course of the novel is cleverly done as it enables the reader to understand and empathise with someone committing atrocities – a rare and special thing to find in fiction.

The descriptions were shocking in their simplicity. The passage below is a good example of the level of violence contained in the book and the sad confusion experienced by children who have never witnessed it before:

The Captain steps away and points his shining machete at one of the boys, an older one with scars on his cheek. The boy screams like he’s won something and runs forward, his own machete raised. What’s he doing?
The boy swings his machete down, onto the old man’s neck. The old man’s head is not joined to his body. Both are lying on the ground, blood pumping out of the neck just like a goat killed for a feast. The rebels cry out in celebration. The killer boy grabs the head from the ground. The old man’s eyes are still open. Maybe he’s still alive. Maybe they can put the head back on.

Beneath the Darkening Sky is powerful book that doesn’t shy away from the truth. It can be seen as a cry for help; giving a voice to the thousands of children who aren’t allowed to choose their future. It is also a fantastic story with lots of twists and turns. If you enjoy reading about the darker side of humanity and like to experience a full range of emotions then this is the perfect choice.

Highly recommended.

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Uncategorized

Books I’ve Abandoned Recently

It’s been a while since I mentioned books that I’ve abandoned and as a consequence there are quite a few! Here are the books that failed to hold my attention in the last few months:

A Man In Love (My Struggle 2)

A Man in Love by Karl Ove Knausgaard

Five words from the blurb: relationships, parenthood, life, honesty, write

I loved the first book in this series, but the writing quality seems to have taken a nose-dive with this one. It is much lighter, less profound and I quickly became bored with it. Such a shame.

And the Mountains Echoed

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Five words from the blurb: Afghanistan, brother, journey, fate, apart

I’ve loved all of Hosseini’s previous books, but this one had too many characters. The plot meandered excessively and I failed to connect with anyone. I didn’t mean to abandon it, but after a month of not caring enough to want to continue I decided to end my attempts with this one.

The Best Book in the World

The Best Book in the World by Peter Stjernstrom

Five words from the blurb: idea, writer, bestseller, worldwide, quirky

This book sounded similar to How I Became A Famous Novelist by Steve Hely, but unfortunately the satire didn’t work for me.  I found it silly, rather than amusing. Perhaps the humor is lost in translation?

The Maid's Version

The Maid’s Version by Daniel Woodrell

Five words from the blurb: Missouri, explosion, killed, mystery, justice 

This book had some great scenes, but I found the narrative disjointed and so failed to become emotionally invested in the story. It’s a shame because I’m sure there is a great story buried in here.

A Marker to Measure Drift

A Marker to Measure Drift by Alexander Maksik

Five words from the blurb: Aegean, starvation, brutality, cave, tourists

I loved Maksik’s controversial debut novel, You Deserve Nothing. Unfortunately his new one lacked that vivid passion. I hate to say it, but Maksik should stick to writing about what he knows.

Schindler's Ark Winner of the 1982 Booker Prize

Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally

Five words from the blurb: Jews, Poland, defied, compassionate, saviour

I’ve always wanted to watch Schindler’s List, but avoided doing so as I hadn’t read the book. I finally attempted to remove this gap from my knowledge by starting Keneally’s book last week. Unfortunately Schindler’s Ark read like a research paper. It was packed with facts, but they were so dry they made reading a real struggle. I admire the work that went into producing it, but I think this might be one of those rare situations where the film is better than the book? 

Three Strong Women Winner of 2009 Prix Goncourt

Three Strong Women by Marie NDiaye

Five words from the blurb: lawyer, family, future, psychological, journey

I’m afraid the writing style of this book put me off from the very beginning. The sentences lasted for the entire paragraph and it was so wordy that I spent my entire time internally shouting “get on with it!’. If you like books that describe everything in minute detail you’ll probably love this one. 

The Flamethrowers

The FlameThrowers by Rachel Kushner

Five words from the blurb: fascination, motorcycles, art, dreamers, education, Italy

If you have a special passion for art or motorcycles you’ll probably love this book. Unfortunately I don’t and the occasional bits of fantastic writing weren’t enough to pull me through this almost plotless book.

Did you enjoy any of these books more than I did?

I’ll be back to tell you about some books I loved soon!

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Booker Prize Uncategorized

Eleanor Catton wins the 2013 Booker Prize!

The Luminaries

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton has just won the 2013 Booker Prize!

I’m very pleased. It wasn’t quite to my taste, but it deserved to win and I correctly predicted it would last week. It is always wonderful when the best book wins…I only wish I’d put a bet on!

Categories
1990s Chunkster Classics

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

A SUITABLE BOY [A Suitable Boy ] BY Seth, Vikram(Author)Paperback 01-Oct-2005

Five words from the blurb: love, India, independent, struggle, destiny

After 10 months I’ve finally finished A Suitable Boy! It has been a strange reading experience as half the time I loved it and the rest of the time I was battling the urge to abandon it. 

The book is set in 1950s India and gives a complex picture of what life was like as the country struggled to adapt to its Independence. The main plot revolves around Mrs. Rupa Mehra trying to find a ‘suitable boy’ for her younger daughter, Lata, to marry; but it is much more complex than that. There is a massive cast of characters, each with their own subplot, and the book covers many different aspects of Indian politics, religious conflict, and family life. It is an impressive record of Indian history during this time period, but I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped.

The book had a frustrating structure:

  1. 30 – 50 pages to become familiar with a set of characters
  2. Enjoy them for about 20 – 30 pages before being thrown straight into the lives of entirely new group of people
  3. Repeat this process about 10 times
  4. After about 750 pages some of the different sets of characters start to come together (but by this point I had forgotten who many of them were and had to do some research!)
  5. Continue to add new characters
  6. After about 1000 pages finally understand what is happening
  7. Finally, after 1500 pages, experience a massive sense of relief that it is all over!

I might have enjoyed the book more if I’d read it quicker, but reading was such a battle that I dreaded the experience. I often fell in love with it 20 pages after picking it up, only to be thrown out of the narrative a few sections later. It was infuriating! I did enjoy the last 500 pages, but that still meant I struggled through 2/3 of the book. 

I normally love epic reads like this, but I think A Suitable Boy reinforced my need for a small cast of characters – I’d prefer to know everything about a few people, rather than a little about lots. Perhaps my struggles were compounded by the fact it reminded me of my favourite book, A Fine Balance. Mistry’s book managed to convey many of the same themes, but within a smaller, more memorable cast of characters. I wonder how many characters readers will remember from A Suitable Boy a few years after finishing? 

Vikram Seth plans to release the sequel, A Suitable Girl, in 2015. I wont be reading it.

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