Fifty Shades of Grey - by E L James

I mainly read this book because I seemed to be bombarded with opinions about it and thought that it was time that I had a view. Although I know several people who will dismiss a book without reading it, I do not take that approach. Here are some things I heard about it and my take on them:

• The book is badly written. It is not brilliantly written, but it is not that bad either - I have seen much worse. I was appalled at a reference to an elevator rising at "terminal velocity". This is wrong on many levels, but no worse that the commonly cited "meteoric rise" of people's popularity etc.
• The book is nothing but a load of sex scenes. There is quite a lot of sex. It is not excessively explicit and it makes sense in context. It is certainly not like a porn movie where any hint of a story is just an excuse to have more and varied sexual situations.
• There is no story. I think that there is. It is about a couple of weeks in the lives of two young people, their attitudes to relationships and how their past and upbringings have affected them.

I will probably read the 2nd and 3rd books in the trilogy. I do, at least, want to know what happened next.

What I'm reading

I have started Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James. Everyone else seems to have read this, so, when my wife was loaned a copy and told me what she thought of it, I thought I'd give it a go. Here's the blurb:

When literature student Anastasia Steele interviews successful entrepreneur Christian Grey, she finds him very attractive and deeply intimidating. Convinced that their meeting went badly, she tries to put him out of her mind – until he turns up at the store where she works part-time, and invites her out.Unworldly and innocent, Ana is shocked to find she wants this man. And, when he warns her to keep her distance, it only makes her want him more.But Grey is tormented by inner demons, and consumed by the need to control. As they embark on a passionate love affair, Ana discovers more about her own desires, as well as the dark secrets Grey keeps hidden away from public view …

Knots And Crosses - by Ian Rankin

Having read and enjoyed other books in this series, I was looking forward to this one. My only reservation was that it was the very first and the author's second published book. Overall, it is a good read, with reasonably well defined characters and a well thought out story that kept be on board. I wonder whether the original ending, where Rebus is killed, might have been more powerful, but there would be the obvious downside of no further books.

Some of the writing is a little klunky - Rankin has sharpened his act tremendously since this book was written. It is not bad writing - it just needs some attention to detail. For example, some words over-dramatise situations - he "escaped" instead of left is one instance. Rebus's SAS background is quite interesting, but essentially believable. However, having a father and brother who were stage hypnotists does challenge credibility a bit.

If I had not seen Rankin's work before, would I read more on the strength of this? Yes, I think I'd give him a chance.

What I'm reading

I have started Knots And Crosses by Ian Rankin. I have read some of the Rebus books before, but if I have read this one - the first of the series - I have no recollection. This is an upcoming book club book. Here is the blurb:

And in Edinburgh of all places. I mean, you never think of that sort of thing happening in Edinburgh, do you...?' 'That sort of thing' is the brutal abduction and murder of two young girls. And now a third is missing, presumably gone to the same sad end. Detective Sergeant John Rebus, smoking and drinking too much, his own young daughter spirited away south by his disenchanted wife, is one of many policemen hunting the killer. And then the messages begin to arrive: knotted string and matchstick crosses - taunting Rebus with pieces of a puzzle only he can solve.

The Quality of Mercy - by Barry Unsworth

I approached this book with slight trepidation, as it appeared to be a "serious" novel set in the late 18th Century. I feared that it would be tough going. The first third of the book was, I found, a little hard, but I persevered. At that point, I was into the story and motivated to continue.

There are a number of inter-related threads in different locations and the story is told from a number of characters' points of view. I was worried about the thread that takes place in the mining village, as the characters speak in dialect, which can be hard to understand. But this is not over-done and my fears were unfounded.

The story progresses well and kept me turning the pages. In the process a number of aspects of life at that time are considered: notably the slave trade [and its possible abolition], the fate of miners and the differing courtship rituals of the upper and lower classes.

With any novel, I feel a need to be able to trust the integrity of the author. In this case, I feel reasonably confident that I have learned something about England in the late 18th Century.