I have started Enigma by Robert Harris. This is one of 2 books which we are reading as a pair for my book club. The other one is The Secret Life of Bletchley Park, which I read a while ago. Here's the blurb:
Bletchley Park: the top-secret landmark of World War Two, where a group of young people were fighting to defeat Hitler, and win the war. March 1943, the Second World War hangs in the balance, and at Bletchley Park a brilliant young codebreaker is facing a double nightmare. The Germans have unaccountably changed their U-boat Enigma code, threatening a massive Allied defeat. And as suspicion grows that there may be a spy inside Bletchley, Jericho's girlfriend, the beautiful and mysterious Claire Romilly suddenly disappears.
21 Sept 2013
Harvest - by Jim Crace
This book is set, I believe in the late 1700s - although there is no clear statement of the fact - but that is when the first Enclosures Act was implemented. The story is simple and simply told and clearly shows what the implications of the new law were to be.
It is well written and gave me a new insight into what life in a remote village was like at that time. Compared with the world today, people's lives were incredibly simple, with almost no contact with the outside world. The writing is in the first person, which gives the author a freedom to describe the world in a vivid way.
The title of the book is somewhat ironic. The story takes place at harvest time, but, far from being a time of rejoicing at the produce being safely gathered in, it is a time of destruction and sadness. Is it a fair contender for the Booker? Yes, I think that it is. Will it win? We shall see on 15 October.
It is well written and gave me a new insight into what life in a remote village was like at that time. Compared with the world today, people's lives were incredibly simple, with almost no contact with the outside world. The writing is in the first person, which gives the author a freedom to describe the world in a vivid way.
The title of the book is somewhat ironic. The story takes place at harvest time, but, far from being a time of rejoicing at the produce being safely gathered in, it is a time of destruction and sadness. Is it a fair contender for the Booker? Yes, I think that it is. Will it win? We shall see on 15 October.
17 Sept 2013
What I'm reading ...
I have started Harvest by Jim Crace. I got this book as it is (or at least was) the front runner for the Mann Booker prize and I thought that it would be interesting to read something topical. Here's the blurb:
As late summer steals in and the final pearls of barley are gleaned, a village comes under threat. A trio of outsiders – two men and a dangerously magnetic woman – arrives on the woodland borders and puts up a make-shift camp. That same night, the local manor house is set on fire. Over the course of seven days, Walter Thirsk sees his hamlet unmade: the harvest blackened by smoke and fear, the new arrivals cruelly punished, and his neighbours held captive on suspicion of witchcraft. But something even darker is at the heart of his story, and he will be the only man left to tell it . . . Told in Jim Crace’s hypnotic prose, Harvest evokes the tragedy of land pillaged and communities scattered, as England’s fields are irrevocably enclosed. Timeless yet singular, mythical yet deeply personal, this beautiful novel of one man and his unnamed village speaks for a way of life lost for ever.
As late summer steals in and the final pearls of barley are gleaned, a village comes under threat. A trio of outsiders – two men and a dangerously magnetic woman – arrives on the woodland borders and puts up a make-shift camp. That same night, the local manor house is set on fire. Over the course of seven days, Walter Thirsk sees his hamlet unmade: the harvest blackened by smoke and fear, the new arrivals cruelly punished, and his neighbours held captive on suspicion of witchcraft. But something even darker is at the heart of his story, and he will be the only man left to tell it . . . Told in Jim Crace’s hypnotic prose, Harvest evokes the tragedy of land pillaged and communities scattered, as England’s fields are irrevocably enclosed. Timeless yet singular, mythical yet deeply personal, this beautiful novel of one man and his unnamed village speaks for a way of life lost for ever.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - by Mark Haddon
Another quite short book which I could read quickly. Having said that, I often felt that I needed a bit of a break, as the writing is rather "full on" sometimes. Overall it is an excellent book, which deserves all the critical acclaim that it has received.
The basic story line is very simple, the the death of the dog being almost incidental. The really interesting aspect of the book is being able to see the world through very different eyes. One hears a lot about Aspergers and people being "on the spectrum', but I felt this book gave a very good insight. Christopher's response to things in the world is almost wholly logical, with the possible exception of the colours to which he is averse and his avoidance of physical contact. Because he takes in so much information, he is unable to ignore lots of the dross, which most of us do not even notce.
I think this is one of the rare books that will stay with me for some time.
The basic story line is very simple, the the death of the dog being almost incidental. The really interesting aspect of the book is being able to see the world through very different eyes. One hears a lot about Aspergers and people being "on the spectrum', but I felt this book gave a very good insight. Christopher's response to things in the world is almost wholly logical, with the possible exception of the colours to which he is averse and his avoidance of physical contact. Because he takes in so much information, he is unable to ignore lots of the dross, which most of us do not even notce.
I think this is one of the rare books that will stay with me for some time.
13 Sept 2013
What I'm reading ...
I have started The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. I have been reading to read this for a while, as I have heard good things about it and wanted an easy holiday read. Here's the blurb:
This is Christopher's murder mystery story. There are also no lies in this story because Christopher can't tell lies. Christopher does not like strangers or the colours yellow or brown or being touched. On the other hand, he knows all the countries in the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7507. When Christopher decides to find out who killed the neighbour's dog, his mystery story becomes more complicated than he could have ever predicted.
This is Christopher's murder mystery story. There are also no lies in this story because Christopher can't tell lies. Christopher does not like strangers or the colours yellow or brown or being touched. On the other hand, he knows all the countries in the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7507. When Christopher decides to find out who killed the neighbour's dog, his mystery story becomes more complicated than he could have ever predicted.
Yesterday Morning: A Very English Childhood - by Diana Athill
This is not a long book, so it took me very little time to read - more or less one aeroplane flight. It covers the first 16 or so years of her life in the 1920s and 30s, but is quite detailed. I have to say that I was surprised that anyone could remember such details from so long ago, but she does conjure up some very vivid images.
Overall I enjoyed reading the book, but, if I have a criticism, the latter part of the book did seem to be a bit of a sales pitch for her other books. I think I would sooner have a single 450 page volume than three smaller ones.
Overall I enjoyed reading the book, but, if I have a criticism, the latter part of the book did seem to be a bit of a sales pitch for her other books. I think I would sooner have a single 450 page volume than three smaller ones.
10 Sept 2013
What I'm reading ...
I have started Yesterday Morning: A Very English Childhood by Diana Athill. This is my next book club book [suggested by me]. As always, I enjoy autobiography and I have previously read one of Diana Athill's books and enjoyed it. Here's the blurb:
A remarkable, truthful and vivid recollection of childhood, from the author of Stet, After a Funeral, Don't Look at Me Like That and Instead of a Letter. Here Athill goes back to the beginning in a sharp evocation of a childhood unfashionably filled with happiness - a Norfolk country house, servants, the pleasures of horses, the unfolding secrets of adults and sex. This is England in the 1920s seen (with a clear and unsentimental eye) from the vantage point of England in 2001. It was a privileged and loving life: but did it equip the author to be happy?
A remarkable, truthful and vivid recollection of childhood, from the author of Stet, After a Funeral, Don't Look at Me Like That and Instead of a Letter. Here Athill goes back to the beginning in a sharp evocation of a childhood unfashionably filled with happiness - a Norfolk country house, servants, the pleasures of horses, the unfolding secrets of adults and sex. This is England in the 1920s seen (with a clear and unsentimental eye) from the vantage point of England in 2001. It was a privileged and loving life: but did it equip the author to be happy?
The Hypnotist's Love Story - by Liane Moriarty
This is a book that delivered on my expectations. It has an interesting storyline: girl meets boy, boy has stalker, girl is hypnotist who discovers that the stalker is a client. Although perhaps rather unlikely, this thread does provide an ideal vehicle to play with some ideas. Importantly [for me], the story has a clear beginning, middle and end; also there is a straight, simple timeline.
The book is written from two perspectives: Ellen, whose world is described in the third person, and Saskia, who speaks directly to the reader. This device means that, even though the viewpoint changes frequently, the reader [well, this one anyway] is never lost. It is quite a long book [over 400 pages], but I felt that this was about right, giving the author the opportunity to look at details and not rush to the end.
Ultimately, the book is about love, as implied by the title, and explores different kinds of love, how love can change over time and how one's own perception of loving and being loved is not a constant.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and would read further work by the author.
The book is written from two perspectives: Ellen, whose world is described in the third person, and Saskia, who speaks directly to the reader. This device means that, even though the viewpoint changes frequently, the reader [well, this one anyway] is never lost. It is quite a long book [over 400 pages], but I felt that this was about right, giving the author the opportunity to look at details and not rush to the end.
Ultimately, the book is about love, as implied by the title, and explores different kinds of love, how love can change over time and how one's own perception of loving and being loved is not a constant.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and would read further work by the author.
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