-
Chris M - 31/08/2010
J. D. Salinger's most famous and revered novel resides on that fabled shelf of classic "read before you die" literature. Now I have finally got around to reading the book I can begin to understand why. I say finally because The Catcher in the Rye has been on my mental to do list for some time now. However, I was always reluctant to begin reading it. I believe at some point I subconsciously conceived the outrageous idea that this was some kind of novel centred on farming, largely due to the title's inclusion of the word rye - this of course being an agricultural cereal grain. I am ashamed to admit that this thought, born of ignorance at a young age hijacked my opinions into early adulthood and prevented me from reading the book! Why I am so averse to reading a novel centred on farming I find hard to explain. Although in secondary school I was rather upset and perturbed by Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, which focuses on the misfortunes of two migrant field workers and perhaps this experience scarred me!? Alas, I digress... The Catcher in the Rye has nothing remotely to do with farming and depending on your interpretation can best be described as a teenage, coming of age novel, widely accepted to be set circa 1950.
The Catcher in the Rye is a subjective narrative in the first person. This technical jargon means that Salinger's protagonist, Holden Caulfield shares his thoughts and emotions with the reader almost as if he is speaking out loud. An incredibly acerbic and cynical teenage boy from a wealthy middle class New York family, Holden would seem to hate almost everyone and everything. The only people he really seems fond of are the memory of his deceased younger brother Allie, his sister Phoebe and a girl named Jane whom he has romantic feelings towards. In many respects Holden is a typical teenager - he is angry and disillusioned, cheeky and sarcastic, and of course he knows it all. After being expelled from his current prep school a few days before the Christmas break, Holden decides to leave early, head into New York City and check into a hotel. The escapades that follow are largely a comedy of errors, which for example include our young narrator having a rather disastrous encounter with a prostitute and her pimp. On the surface the narrative is mostly a comical and entertaining description of Holden's experience in New York, incorporating a plethora of cynical tirades on society in general. However, beneath the surface one finds an exploration of the major conflict in Holden's own psyche, which sees him simultaneously struggle to reject childhood whilst embracing adulthood, or in other words, trying to grow up. This certainly makes for interesting reading as Holden attempts to lead what he perceives is an adult existence by visiting bars, drinking and flirting with women. However Holden's adult experiences are counterproductive to his attempts to come of age and by the end of the book he has retreated back into childhood.
If I was forced to pigeon hole this book I would describe it primarily as a comedy. I found it to be laugh out loud funny from start to finish. Even the sad or sentimental parts of the book are made hilarious by Holden's often blasphemous use of colloquial 1950s New York language. I really enjoyed reading The Catcher in the Rye and I seriously regret not doing so sooner. I experienced many of the feelings and cynicisms that Holden himself describes throughout the book and I feel that Salinger's masterpiece may have proved a reassurance to me during these complicated and confusing years. With this book teenagers can find reassurance through affinity and adults can be reminded, whilst both can enjoy the laughs. If you have never read this book I implore you to give it a try, because as Holden might say, "it'll really knock you out".
-
Mike Kenny - 31/08/2010
The first novel in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series (The Colour of Magic) was published in 1983 so it's no surprise that I feel like I've been following the series for my whole life. Pratchett is one of the best-selling authors in the UK and is a prolific writer - Unseen Academicals is the 37th novel set in Discworld - but his standards never slip.
In Unseen Academicals Pratchett focuses on life above and below stairs at the Unseen University in Ankh-Morpork and turns his satirical eye on the world of football. The faculty of wizards at the Unseen University are faced with a difficult decision - either survive on only three meals a day or form a football team to compete in a tournament that would ensure funding for the University from a wealthy family of patrons. They are not keen to lose their meal privileges. Unfortunately for the wizard, football in Ankh-Morpork is a particularly dangerous sport and deaths are common. The wizards therefore team up with Lord Vetinari, beloved dictator of the city, to compile a set of official rules for football, which includes the banning of handling the ball and proscribes the use of unofficial balls. The rules might well make the game somewhat safer, but they're certainly not enough to guarantee the wizards victory in the tournament.
While the wizards are concentrating on training and tactics, four ordinary citizens of Ankh-Morpork are becoming mixed up in some shady footballing business. Mr Nutt is a candle dribbler who must shake-off his race's reputation for being mindless killing machines when he is appointed as trainer for the wizards ahead of their big match. Mr Nutt's co-worker and friend, Trev Likely, is the son of the most famous deceased footballer in Ankh-Morpork but has unfortunately promised his mum that he will not play in the match. Glenda is a friend of both Mr Nutt and Trev and works in the Unseen University's Night Kitchen making the best pies in the whole of the Discworld. Juliet works for Glenda, fancies Trev and might just be the best fashion model to ever grace the Disc. These four disparate characters all end up advising the wizards during the build-up to their epic match against the former street footballers of Ankh-Morpork.
With Unseen Academicals Terry Pratchett has written yet another cracker of a Discworld novel. I'm not a big fan of football myself so I wasn't sure whether I would find the set-up here to be as interesting as the previous novels but it was quickly clear that Unseen Academicals is a satire on the old formula of 'team of no-hopers coached by a washed up, one time great player must play and beat the favourite team' and the situation of the wizards having to win using official non-magic rules in order to guarantee the continuation of their slothful lives is just as hilarious and entertaining as the previous satirical Discworld novels (Pratchett having parodied the post office and banking, amongst other famous British institutions, in recent novels). I've always enjoyed witnessing life in the Unseen University and several well-loved characters from previous novels (such as The Luggage and Rincewind) crop up again to great effect in Unseen Academicals. Each of the four new characters introduced in this novel were strong and likeable and help to drive the plot forward. I particularly liked the enigmatic and stoical Mr Nutt. The plot knits together well through a series of amusing happenstance and the pace of the story is lively. The tone here is less dark than that of the more recent Discworld stories and there are many laugh-out-loud moments.
I can't wait to see what will be happening in the Discworld next!
-
Darragh - 31/08/2010
James' last adventure...
Finishes off with the Brigands,
meets his Dad,
Uncle Ron gets out of prison and comes after James,
Kerry and James....
An excellent book, punchy, exciting, mysterious, compelling, addictive, unthinkable, and what's more, you'll really wish it was true.
-
Michelle Moore - 19/08/2010
I saw this book advertised online and being a huge 'Wilow' fan couldn't resist reading it.
This written account of Warwick's story from birth will be an unstoppable read and you will not be able to put this book down. It tells of his first acting job, though his countless number of films from 'Star Wars', 'Willow' and the 'Leprechaun' and 'Harry Potter' franchaises though to his work on commecials. It also delves into his life helping little people find work in the acting business which is really inspiring.
The moments that will touch you however is when he talks about his home life. From meeting his wife, the birth of his children Annabelle and Harrison and the death of his sons Lloyd and George. Reading such an emotional life story will bring tears to your eyes.
Warwick has put some of the most personal and proundest moments of his life in this book and no matter how hard you try, you wil not be able to put it down until the end. It is the best Biography since River Phoenix and Michael. J Fox.
-
Kelly Marsh - 17/08/2010
Angela Clark is an English girl living it up in New York, she has a great boyfriend and a great job writing for The Look magazine. When she is sent to interview British actor James Jacobs in Hollywood Angela and her best friend Jenny imagine they will be spending time lounging on the beach and hitting the shops of rodeo drive. Of course life in Hollywood turns out to be not quite what she expects and after a paparazzi photo of her seeming to be kissing James Jacobs is published, Angela has to convince her boss and more importantly her boyfriend that Hollywood hasn't gone to her head. This is another fun book in the Angela Clark series. I wish I had her life!
-
dushyanth - 15/08/2010
I have been searching for grubtown tales book for almost 3 yrs
and I have found this website and waiting for this book - thankyou
-
Kathie Pick - 09/08/2010
This is on the reading list for AS level English Literature in 2010, and I have read this over the holidays in order to be prepared for the new term.
Set in pre-war France - Stephen, an independant minded young Englishman, falls in love with Isabel, a married French woman. Through circumstance, Stephen finds himself without his love on the battlefields and trenches of the Somme, where the conditions push him to the very limits of human endurance.
Sebastian Faulks has created a masterpiece of literature, about an absolutely desolate period, allowing the audience to feel part of the absolute horror and occasionally poignancy of the First World War.
-
Editor - 04/08/2010
I absolutely devoured this story. It is thoughtfully presented in diary entries and letters from Harrison, that cover ordinary matters of daily living and Harrisons development from childhood through to independence; his experiences of love and sexuality; friendships and relationships; employment and cultural influences, within a political landscape that covers American and Mexican political history from the great depression to the beginning of the Cold War. The character of Harrison develops from a self contained undemanding boy who attempts to please his mother by essentially staying out of her way unless she needs him to be there, to a sensitive, warm and witty young man who pleases others by feeding them a diet of good food and good words. His complete lack of political guile makes him such an interesting vessel for steering this story, which is essentially based around the life and passions of others. The intriguing characters are not merely incidental, and the plot is beautifully played out around their colourfully creative and revolutionary leanings. Their involvement within a global class of artistic intellectuals, who are genuine comrades rather than merely useful to each other, is apparent through their shared values, freedom of expression, and respect of the rights of the person who is willing to labour in the service of others.
What I love about Kingsolver's writing is her ability to get so much out through the vessel of one thoroughly absorbing character. She does it with Orleanna Price in the Poisonwood Bible, and again here with Harrison Shepherd . In one sense, they are victims of the decisions of others, but she manages to make them into unassuming heroes, whose own graciousness is aspirational. Others around them can see more of their qualities, than if fact they can see of themselves, and just when you think that life has offered them a cruel fate, she manages to create an ingenious and plausible twist. I want her to come to dinner to discuss how she does this, but I expect to be intimidated by her extraordinary ability.
This review would not be complete by saying something of the ultimate character in this book; an inanimate object that is the ultimate vehicle for this fascinating story (sorry for the vagary - avoiding spoilers). It is to this objects protector that credit for recognising the value of truth must be attributed. She recognised that through care of a seemingly unimportant object, she was preserving history.
I cannot praise this book highly enough. Read it! Additionally, Kingsolver alludes to the paintings of Frida Kahlo; if you get the opportunity to see an exhibition, they are as fascinating as descriptions in the book suggest.
-
Editor - 04/08/2010
Knowing that this book was hotly tipped to win the booker prize, I purchased it for holiday reading. The hard cover is a beautiful cloth bound image of Japanese artisty, and without a slip cover, I dared not take it to the beach, lest I spoil it.
I have to admit that I am struggling with this book. I desperately want to reach that point where I understand why there is such a hype about this novel, but I am about a third of the way in, and keep finding other books that I would rather re-read instead.
The first chapter is thoroughly engaging. The year is 1799, and a Japanese concubine, Miss Kawasema, endures a horrific labour. Her attendants presume the child is dead, and discuss the brutal ways they may remove the dead foetus to prevent the death of the mother.
This initial scene reads as vividly as a film script, and is a fascinating insight into the cultural inhibitions of the time, where the male Dr has been refused permission to attend the birth by the magistrate, and passes messages to the midwife from behind a screen .The relationships are a bit confusing but I assumed this to be my unfamiliarity with both Dutch and Japanese names. However, this was my first observation of an obvious error where clearly the use of a thesaurus has let down the author as he interchanges the terminology of foetus with embryo, which to any A level biology student is an obvious inaccuracy, and illuminates an overly pretentious method of writing.
However, because the characters are so interesting, I was drawn into the story, only to be disappointed to discover that these characters have totally disappeared and some 150 pages later, have failed to return. Now I feel like I am on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean, but without any of the fun, and a mixture of confusing dialects and languages, with very little, other than De Zoets fear of being caught owning a Psalter, to keep me engaged.
As I know I am a long way from the plot, I will try to keep going but I expect it to take me beyond the announcement of the booker prize winner to reach a conclusion. Perhaps it is more suited to a male audience; or is targeted towards a film producer? I suggest you read some of the reviews on Amazon before making your final decision to buy this book, as it may just fail to tickle my personal taste buds.
I promise to update if I do reach the end....watch this space but dont hold your breath!
-
Angie Stewart - 31/07/2010
This is a fantastic easy reading book. If you've seen the film, don't let it stop you reading the book as the book adds a whole new dimension. Telling the story completely through Andreas eyes and adding quite a bit that is not in the film, the book is hilarious and at the same time gets your heart pumping with frustration that Miranda can be just so unreasonable and Andrea has no choice but to put up with the long hours, bullying, constant put downs & public humiliation at work. At the same time other parts of her life get neglected just so she can get through this year of working for Miranda which should then land her, her 'dream job'. In the end of course, she snaps with a hilarious scene resulting in.....I won't ruin it for you.
-
Kelly Marsh - 31/07/2010
This is a good book but can't say it inspired me to take up knitting! Here Lydia Goetz owns a wool shop and also runs a knitting group called Knit to Quit. It is not a particularly successful group as there are only four members: Phoebe Rylander whose engagement has recently been called off, Alix Turner who wants to stop smoking before she has a baby, Margaret, and Bryan Hutchinson who is suffering from stress. This book also visits with old characters from the Blossom Street books like Lydia herself and her husband Brad, Anne-Marie and Ellen from the bookshop. I recommend this book.
-
Danny - 30/07/2010
This book looks great on my shelf but I think my copy must be broken - I have been praying for weeks for a Porsche but I'm still driving a Ford Cortina :(
-
Kelly Marsh - 30/07/2010
I wasn't going to buy this book straightaway when it came out because I think hardback books are too expensive but then I was browsing in the bookshop on my lunch break and couldn't resist! There were a few pounds off though so it wasn't too bad. I have read all of Katie Fforde's books and have liked then all so far and also like this one although it is not her best. Here we have Sophie Apperly who is a practical woman but is looked down on by her family for not being academic like them although she really is clever in her own way. When her friend Milly invites her to New York Sophie jumps at the chance to leave her family behind. In New York she meets an old lady named Matilda who invites her home for thanksgiving although her grandson Luke doesn't approve. Luke agrees to help Sophie help her family's money troubles but only it she will help him in turn!
-
Kelly Marsh - 30/07/2010
This is the first history/romance book that I have read but I would read more. I found this book to be very funny (I don't know if all her books are the same way) and also liked learning about the time that I didn't know anything about. The hero is named Sebastian Grey and he is the heir of the Earl of Newbury, a man in his 60s. However, the earl is on the lookout for a new wife and if he has a son with her then Sebastian will not be the heir anymore. Annabel Winslow has come to London from the country and catches the eye of the earl. She finds him a bit repulsive but wants to help out her family so agrees to marry him. But this is before she meets Sebastian!
-
Joanne Leddington - 30/07/2010
It's an oldie but a goodie: Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the third of her novels to feature Hercule Poirot, is one of the Grande Dame of crime's best known and most controversial books. Wonderfully written, extremely well plotted and with an innovative twist ending, it is considered to be one of the most influential crime novels ever written.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd takes place in the picturesque village of King's Abbott and is narrated by Doctor James Sheppard, who serves as Poirot's assistant during the course of his investigations (Captain Hastings having popped off to Argentina with his new wife at this point in time). A wealthy widow named Mrs Ferrars who had been dogged by rumours that she had murdered her husband is found dead of what is initially believed to be natural causes. Until, that is, a man named Roger Ackroyd, a widower who had hoped to marry Mrs Ferrars, reveals that the lady had confessed to him that she had indeed murdered her husband and then committed suicide. Shortly after this revelation Roger Ackroyd is murdered.
As Poirot begins his ingenious investigations, the suspects seem to include: Ackroyd's neurotic sister-in-law Mrs Cecil Ackroyd; her daughter Flora; big-game hunter Major Blunt; Ackroyd's personal assistant Geoffrey Raymond; Ackroyd's heavily indebted stepson Ralph Paton; Parker the snooping Butler; and a nervous parlour maid named Ursula Bourne who resigned on the afternoon of the murder.
There are plenty of false clues, irrelevances and red herrings in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd so that even the most committed mystery buff may have difficulty unravelling the plot. This is a great book (it would serve well as an introduction to Hercule Poirot even though it is the third book to feature him) with all the secret liaisons, large country houses, clandestine marriages, poisoners, murders, suicides, unacknowledged children, mysterious pasts and torn scraps of clothing that fans of Agatha Christie have come to expect and love. The Murder is Roger Ackroyd is a clear contender for the crown of perfect murder mysterious, I recommend it highly.
-
Vega B. - 29/07/2010
Vampire literature - Love it or hate it, in recent years the prevalence of contemporary vampire literature has been established the world over. This follows the genre's phenomenal ascension and sustained dominance at the zenith of many countries best sellers lists. This is in no small part due to a certain saga, the name of which can currently be found on the lips of readers and cinema goers alike. Yes, of course I refer to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. The Twilight saga has sent shock waves through the literary world, grabbing publishers by the scruff of their necks, shaking them violently and screaming in their ears "VAMPIRES EQUALS MONEY!?!?!?!". Naturally, in the wake of Twilight's success capitalism did as capitalism does, with a multitude of publishers following suit by printing every vampire novel they could find in their in-tray and waste paper basket. As a result the genre of late has become heavily diluted in a sea of poor quality novels. And so rather perturbed I decided to travel back in time to 1897, to sample vampire literature in arguably its purest and most unadulterated form...Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Thoughts - I expected Dickensian style prose. I worried it might be outdated and inaccessible to a young 21st century reader like myself. I expected an elderly man of a book but instead found a spritely young teenager, full of life and youthful exuberance. For most intents and purposes Dracula could have been written yesterday. It retains freshness and exudes a modernity that belies its one-hundred and thirteen years. Bram Stoker's novel appears to share in the immortality of the authors own terrifying un-dead creation. A more comical person than me might insert some further double entendre here, but this is a serious review after all... The only signs of its age are apparent in the relationships between male and female characters and the differences to be found in the characteristics of the two sexes. Some may find the prose chauvinistic or sexist, but considering the views of the period in which Dracula was written, the attitudes within the book are representative of the time. I found this aspect to be rather comical in a quaint, innocent, old fashioned kind of way. The men are stereotypically brave and dauntless and daren't shed a tear in front of another man for fear that their masculinity may be called into question. This coupled with women who faint at the slightest alarm or whiff of danger leads to an unexpected element of humour from this gothic horror.
Plot - Count Dracula is a Transylvanian aristocrat and secret vampire. He is rich and powerful beyond measure in his homeland, but craves the buzzing metropolis of 19th century London and all the human spoils within. In London he can feed on the life blood of the countless inhabitants and create legions of 'undead' in his own image. Many English professionals are hired in London to handle the Count's affairs and various purchases of property in preparation for his arrival in England. Jonathan Harker, a solicitor at a London firm is responsible for the purchase of Dracula's Carfax mansion and travels to Dracula's Transylvanian castle in order to complete the deal. Upon arrival Harker soon discovers the Count's terrifying secret and is imprisoned under promise of death while Dracula sails for English shores. Harker must escape! His fiancé awaits him back home in England. But will the Count come into her life much sooner than Harker can return...
Verdict - Dracula is an epistolary novel, which means that structurally the story is delivered as a chronological series of mixed sources, i.e. diary entries, private letters, telegrams and newspaper reports etc. I loved this style and felt it added an air of realism to the story whilst allowing the author to develop the characters much further than would be traditionally possible with other styles of writing. Providing access to many character's private thoughts, especially through diary entries, made me feel like I knew them all inside out. I felt like I was truly enveloped in the Dracula universe.
Dracula is a classic horror novel of unfathomable importance to so many modern books, TV shows, theatre and films etc. Its importance is so often overlooked and I fear its very existence is forgotten by many. It is a tale of horror, love, adventure and human endurance with elements of superstition, history and religion all thrown in. It makes for a compellingly chilling read if you can stop yourself cringing over the numerous stereotypes! I recommend this book for all fans of vampires, and horror but more importantly, all fans of literature. I would be especially interested to hear what fans of the Twilight saga make of the 'daddy' of vampire literature! Happy reading!
-
Kelly Marsh - 27/07/2010
This is a good book but I actually liked the film more. Andrea Sachs wants to be a serious journalist but takes a job working at top fashion magazine Runway. At first Andrea looks down on her job and hates her boss Miranda Priestly (who does do some quite outrageous stuff) but she soon gets pulled into the world of fashion and becomes quite over the top and bitchy herself. Not as funny as the film (Andrea is quite annoying here) but still a good read and some good laughs.
-
Kelly Marsh - 27/07/2010
I love all of these Shopaholic books. I got into the books after watching the film and now I have bought them all. Confessions of a Shopaholic is the first book (and is mainly the same story as the film) and is the very funny story of Rebecca Bloomwood, a financial journalist who loves to spend! I love following Rebecca through many shops, funny incidents and the search for love.
-
Mike Kenny - 22/07/2010
I'm not generally a fan of vampire novels and have found the recent mega craze for paranormal romances (Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, etc) to be pretty annoying since it has resulted in there being even less space in bookshops for science fiction but, after seeing Justin Cronin interviewed on breakfast television, I decided to give in to the hype and read The Passage.
The story of The Passage is truly immense (as is the book itself actually) and it is only the first volume in what is apparently going to be a trilogy. I'm anxious to avoid spoilers since this is a very original story but to whet your appetite: The Passage begins in 2018 in a post apocalyptic world where the planet is overrun by vampire-like humans who have been infected by a virus. The virus began its life as an immunity-enhancing drug based on a virus carried by South American bats but it quickly mutated into a far more deadly thing. So far this probably sounds disturbingly like the plot for a Resident Evil game but The Passage quickly expands on this rather overused premise. While the first half of the book deals with the creation and spread of the virus, the second half is set one hundred years in the future and primarily follows a group of survivors living in California. A young girl named Amy takes centre stage in the story as it seems she may be the best hope for destroying the vampires and restoring humanity.
On the whole, I found The Passage to be an excellent book. The plot was complex and engaging and I quickly realised that I had done the book a great disservice by assuming that it was yet another attempt to cash in on the success of Twilight. I thought both halves of the story were very good but would say that I probably preferred the second half as that involved the more original aspects of the story and I really grew to like the characters involved. Even though The Passage is an epic novel, the story was so exciting and engrossing that it actually ended up being quite a quick read. I don't know how long it will be before the next book in the trilogy comes out, but there is also apparently a film version of this novel to look forward to in the future.
-
Erin Britton - 13/07/2010
The 11th July 2010 marked the 50th anniversary of the publication of Harper Lee's sublime novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. An instant classic that is still being bought and enjoyed in huge numbers today, To Kill a Mockingbird is based loosely on people and events from Lee's own childhood in the American Deep South and primary concerns issues of racial inequality and the destruction of innocence.
The storyline of To Kill a Mockingbird must be one of the most instantly recognisable in the history of American, if not world, literature but, briefly, it follows imaginative tomboy Jean-Louise "Scout" Finch through several illuminating and turbulent years of her childhood. Six-year-old Scout lives with her brother Jem and widowed lawyer father Atticus in the "tired old town" of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout and Jem befriend a boy named Dill [based on Harper Lee's childhood neighbour, the author Truman Capote] who is visiting Maycomb to stay with his aunt. The three children begin a campaign to make their mysterious neighbour, the reclusive Boo Radley, come out of his house. Their peaceful lives of childish games and the way they view their town and neighbours are changed forever, however, when Atticus is appointed by the court to represent Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a truly wonderful novel and its lessons about the importance of tolerance and understanding are just as relevant today as they ever were. As a story, it is by turns humorous and tragic, magical and brutal, while as a piece of social commentary it serves to highlight a deeply disturbing facet of American history. Harper Lee is an exceptional writer, her prose style is elegant and warm and demonstrates a clear love for the people and places of her youth, however flawed they ultimately proved to be. In a way, the huge success of To Kill a Mockingbird did something of a disservice to readers since, without the massive public scrutiny and adoration for her work, Harper Lee would surely have gone on to write further novels, but it would be impossible to deny that the triumph and praise that has been heaped on the book was undeserved. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend To Kill a Mockingbird to anyone who is seeking to read a truly great novel.
As to this particular edition of To Kill a Mockingbird, it is a delightful book to own and read. It is a stunningly designed clothbound, hardback edition released to commemorate the book's 50th anniversary and is beautiful to behold. This would make an excellent gift or special purchase for readers who love To Kill a Mockingbird and would appreciate a particularly fine edition to add to their book collection.