Holidays in Hell - by P J O'Rourke

I enjoyed this book. PJO's cynicism and occasional outrageous statements amused me. But at the same time, he paints vivid pictures of the places he went and the people he found there. The destinations were various political "hot spots" and other places in the news at the time of writing [mid-1980s]. My only problem is trying to remember what all the politics was about back then - a lot's happened in the world in the last 20 years.

I am bemused about the title. He's an American, but he's using the word "holiday" in the English sense, where they would normally say "vacation". Perhaps it should have been "Vacations in Valhalla".

Time to listen to the Bookclub programme now ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started Holidays in Hell by P J O'Rourke.

This is the next Bookclub selection. It's actually a book I'd had on my shelf for quite a while. I like travel writing and autobiography. I think the best travel writing tends to be of an autobiographical nature and that's what this is. So I'm looking forward to it. I will try to read it more quickly, as the programme goes out in a week's time ...

Margrave Of The Marshes by John Peel & Sheila Ravenscroft

Well, the verdict after reading this book is: yes, John Peel is someone I'd have liked to meet. I have a clear impression that he really was the guy he portrayed on the radio. I said before that I felt that I knew him. I guess I now feel that I know him a bit better.

The book is very nicely put together. Part 1 is a series of numbered chapters, which is a lightly edited [I think] rendition of the material that John was in the process of writing when he died. Part 2 was written by Sheila to finish of the story and takes the form of continuous text, with no chapters as such. This sounds odd, but works well.

I am aware that I am a slow reader and, at present, I don't get that much time for reading [compared with when I'm travelling]. I am normally keen to get through a book, as there are so many more on my shelf. In this case, I was more reluctant and seemed to read more and more slowly, even though it was well-written. I just realised why: I knew what the end of the story would be and was not in a hurry to get there...

What I'm reading ...

I have started Margrave Of The Marshes by John Peel and Sheila Ravenscroft

I was rather upset when John Peel died suddenly in late 2004 - I felt I'd lost a friend. I wasn't alone - many people seemed to be affected by his early death. Generally, I don't "do celebrities"; most celebs are, IMHO, rather talentless individuals who happened to be in the right place at the right time. JP was different. Anyone who listened to him on the radio felt that he was a personal friend. He always seems so open and accessible. This biography, started by John and finished by his widow and family will, I'm sure be interesting reading. I have a feeling he was a "what you see is what you get" kind of guy. We'll see. My list of "people I'd most like to have a beer/chat/dinner with" seems to get shorter by the day ...

Flashman - by George MacDonald Fraser

This is the story of a thoroughly unlikable chap - a cad or a bounder, if ever I came across one. This terminology says it all really, as the story is set in the early 19th century. It's a rather unlikely romp through India and Afghanistan with our hero doing very little heroic, but having the luck of the devil. It has very good pace - a true adventure story, but with a tongue firmly in cheek. I enjoyed reading the book and will seek out others in the series. I look forward to listening to the Bookclub programme now.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser. This is the January Bookclub selection - I'm getting a bit behind with my reading, but at least the BBC make it easy to catch up with the programme later. I am hoping this is a little more like light reading after the last two books ...

We Were the Mulvaneys - by Joyce Carol Oates

This book took quite a while to get through. Partly this was because it's quite long [450 pages], but also because I have been devoting less time to reading than I'd like to. It wasn't hard to read and is very well written.

The story is about a family over something like a 15 year period, written mainly from the viewpoint of the youngest member. There are the parents and 4 children - 3 sons and a daughter. When the daughter is raped, a train of events almost leads to the complete destruction of the family - hence the title of the book.

There are ups and downs in the book and a real feeling [for me] of how life can make you feel out of control. Obviously, the rape is a terrible experience for the victim, but I had never considered how such an event might have wider implications. I have read other books on this subject [like "Lucky" by Alice Sebold], which have given me some insight, but there always seems to be more facets. In this book, the idea that the victim ends up with such a low opinion of themselves - a low self esteem - is introduced. I am not clear whether this comes from the event itself or from the reaction of her family and community.

All in all, I am glad that I read the book and feel that I have gained from it. It makes me sad that a "dream family" can fall apart like this, but I am encouraged by the description of how the individuals came out of it OK.

What I'm reading ...

I have started We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates.

I have owned this book for some years. I bought it first when it was announced as a future Bookclub choice. Then that programme got cancelled, as the author was unwilling to travel after 9/11. I was, therefore, pleased to see it recently re-listed. So the time to read it had come ...

The only downside is that it's the story of a family with tragic circumstances - just like the last book I read.

Family Planning - by Tim Parks

This was an interesting read. It had its humorous moments, but was, on the whole quite serious. A lot of the story is told by means of letters between the main characters. I like this style - it gets you into the head of the individuals.

All through the story, we are told that Ray is the mad one. I began to gradually wonder if he was the only one. Most of his immediate relatives seemed to have screw loose.

As is so often the case, I found the ending rather disappointing. The future is mostly set, but there was no clear "closure".

What I'm reading ...

I have started Family Planning by Tim Parks.

This is the first fiction book I have read by Tim Parks. He is an English guy with an Italian wife and lives in Italy. He used to appear quite often on the Home Truths radio program, talking about the oddities of life in Italy. I read a couple of books by him on the same topic. This one is about a family - an oldish couple and four grown-up children, one of whom has some mental difficulties and still lives with his parents. I have the impression that a key issue is what happens to him in the longer term.

A Wayne in a Manger - by Gervase Phinn

I wanted some easy reading, after the last book, and this fitted the bill, as I read it in two sittings. I have always enjoyed Gervase Phinn's books - his keenly observant style has always appealed to me, as he described his days as a school inspector in the Yorkshire Dales. This book is a collection of pieces around the theme of Christmas. I bought it at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, where I attended Phinn's talk and had him sign my copy. If I were being cynical [me?], I'd say that a successful author is pretty smart to get away with repackaging some work that had been published before, charge a good price for just over a hundred pages of large type and get it on the market in good time for Christmas. Fortunately, I enjoyed it, so I won't be cynical ...

The Gunpowder Plot - by Antonia Fraser

This book was, I admit, a bit of a struggle. Maybe just too serious for bedtime reading - not badly written, just detailed and heavy going. But I got through it and learned quite a lot.

My preconceptions are probably the same as anyone who has grown up with the standard Guy Fawkes mythology. I thought that Guy was the ring leader of a small band of terrorists, who burrowed under the Houses of Parliament in order to blow up the government. I had no real idea what their motivations were. I was wrong on numerous counts:

• Guy Fawkes's first name - regardless of our "Penny for the Guy" habit - was Guido.
• He was not the ring leader - that was Robert ["Robin"] Catesby - Fawkes was just one of the team, who happened to be caught.
• They didn't dig underground. The explosives were simply in a ground floor room under the chamber.
• They were planning on killing most of the royal family, not just the government.

Although there are some other theories, it seems that the plotters were Catholic fundamentalists, who wanted to overcome the government to ease their oppression. 400 years later and only the names have changed ...

It seems likely that the plot would actually have failed, as reports indicated that the gunpowder had "decayed" [as it will do if not stored correctly], but that may have been propaganda.

I was taken with a phrase used to indicate that something was unlikely to happen: "We shall see Tottenham turn French".

Tomorrow I will listen to the Bookclub programme and maybe pick up some more insights. But now on to some lighter reading ...

Cheltenham Literature Festival

I guess it goes hand in hand with enjoying reading and loving books, but I really like to take any opportunity to meet authors or just see them in person.

Last year I discovered the wonderful Cheltenham Literature Festival, which is only 45 mins drive away. On that occasion I just went to see Roddy Doyle talk [my daughters Josie and Emmeline both went to sessions that interested them]. This year, I went to two sessions. Last week I went to one which was presented by the people from a favourite Radio 4 Programme: From Our Own Correspondent. Today I went to see the inimitable Gervase Phinn, who, at 10:00 on a Sunday morning made a whole hall full of people laugh and cry in good measure. Josie also went to a story-telling session last week.

The whole festival is a great event and I must take full advantage in future years. I regret not going to see Alan Bennett this year ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Gunpowder Plot by Antonia Fraser.

This is a serious history book. Not really my usual line of country. It's the next Bookclub book, so I'll give it a go. The broadcast is on 6 November - the day after Guy Fawkes Day, which is the 400th anniversary of the Plot.

The Man Who Loved Only Numbers - by Paul Hoffman

This book delivered. It is a biography - and I always like to get glimpses into other people's lives - but it is also very informative about what goes on in the world of higher mathematics. This is all presented in a very informal manor, with more than a little humour. Although I am certainly not a mathematician, I am interested in numbers and the examples of number theory were fascinating. I am just frustrated that I don't really have anyone to discuss my ideas with ...

Nobody could read this and not come away with a feeling of regret that meeting Paul Erdos is now not an option. One also feels a kind of affection for such an eccentric character.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Man Who Loved Only Numbers by Paul Hoffman.

I had never heard of Paul Erdos, the subject of this book until I heard an edition of the Radio 4 programme, "A Further Five Numbers" [programme #3], when they were covering the number 6. The example of why 6 is important turned to levels of connection - any two people on Earth are separated by, on average, six "jumps". This moved on to a discussion of Bacon and Erdos numbers. A Bacon Number is the separation of an actor from working in a movie with Kevin Bacon. If the actor has worked with KB, they have a Bacon Number of 1. If they have worked with an actor who has worked with KB, their number is 2, and so forth. For an Erdos Number it is about the closeness to having written a mathematical paper with Paul Erdos.

This book is his biography from his birth in Hungary in 1913 to his death 83 years later. He was a mathematical genius. But he was incapable of almost anything else. He would show up at colleagues' houses, unannounced, with a view to staying for a while. He was welcome because, even though he was hard work, his insights could save months or years of work.

The Buddha of Suburbia - by Hanif Kureishi

I finished this book in time for this afternoon's radio programme! Of late, I always seem to be a few days late and use the BBC's "Listen Again" facility. So, I guess this was quite an easy read.

The story is about Karim Amir, a teenage boy with an Indian father and English mother growing up in London in the '70s. Although humorous in many ways, there are lots of observations on society at that time [and now perhaps] and the attitudes to ethnic minorities. It's broadly optimistic, but not without its dark moments.

I found Karim hard to identify with or even like. He led, by my standards, a rather chaotic lifestyle, but I don't think that is particularly unrealistic. Perhaps I am now unable to get inside the head of a teenager. There is a lot of sex in the book. I am tempted to say too much, as, although some is very relevant to the story, I'm not sure that it all is.

I was intrigued by a random fact that I learned from the book [I like to think that I can learn things from fiction]. Some people's eyebrows are linked across the top of their nose - like they have one long eyebrow. It seems that the Romans thought this a sign of nobility; the Greeks thought of it as a sign of treachery.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi.

This is another book that I'm not sure I would have picked up on my own. It's the next Bookclub selection. It is described as a "comic novel" and I can see that it is humorous, but I think some of the Indian culture is wasted on me. I came across a simile that I rather liked: "Dad liked to stand out like a juggler at a funeral".

Gridlock - by Ben Elton

This really is a very unlikely story. A CP sufferer invents a revolutionary engine, which could change the world. The story is of his conflict, aided by his wheelchair-bound girlfriend and black traffic-warden mate, with the automotive industry. An additional thread covers the downfall of a government minister, who gets embroiled in the affair.

For all its unlikelihood, it is a cracking story and I enjoyed it a lot. It has lots of funny and/or surreal moments - that is Elton's style. I am not quite sure what we learn about his attitude to the car industry, the government, public transportation and the environmentalist movements, but I'm sure he has one ...

A greeting

Not much to do with my reading, but relevant nevertheless. I enjoyed this greeting which is used by the BookCrossing community:

May your shelf never be empty;
May your heart always be full;
May you never lose your place,
In life or in your book.
May your friends list grow.
And may the next story always
Be more enchanting than the last.

My book

Not strictly to do with my reading activities, but a book matter nevertheless ...

A book, that I've been working on over the last year, was finally published recently - details here. It is very nice to hold it in my hand after living with it for so long. Earlier in the week I, was at a trade show, where I was invited to do some signing at the publisher's booth. It seems that it was their best selling book at the show. All I need now is a few Amazon 5* reviews ...

What I'm reading ...

I have started Gridlock by Ben Elton.

As I have commented on previous occasions [here and here], I never really expected to like Elton's books, but I was wrong. His writing never fails to impress me. And, so far, this book has not disappointed me. It's an unlikely plot, with extreme characters and outrageous jokes, but I like it a lot. The most interesting facet is the lead character suffers from cerebral palsy - he refers to himself as a spastic. Controversial eh?

The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith

On the surface, this is a series of stories about Precious Ramotswe and her detective agency. And they are charming, often funny, stories that interweave all through the book. But it is also about Mma Ramotswe's history and its parallels with her cases. Furthermore, it documents the current state and recent history of Botswana.

I really enjoyed the book. The stories engaged me and I like the mix of short ones, that are covered in a single chapter, and the longer ones that reappear and progress from time to time. I was constantly given a clear vision of the people, their lifestyle and sound and colour that characterizes Africa.

I look forward to reading more.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.

I have been meaning to start off on this popular series for some time. After just reading a couple of chapters, I'm hooked. It is amusing and engaging and the African voices speak to me very vividly. I have a plane journey tomorrow and look forward to reading more ...

Le Grand Meaulnes - by Alain-Fournier

This story is essentially about a close friend of the narrator, who has the nickname "Le Grand Meaulnes". He has a rather unlikely [it sounded to me] adventure, which results in his meeting the love of his life. Later on he ends up marrying her and then abandons her while she is pregnant to go on another unlikely quest. She dies soon after the baby is born and he returns later.

Maybe I'm missing something. Perhaps there are some essential metaphors that I'm not seeing, but I found the story unconvincing and a bit dull. Win some, lose some.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier. An example of classic French literature, written about a century ago. Not my usual kind of reading matter, but it's the next Bookclub book. So I'll give it a go. Needless to say, despite the suggestions on the programme to the contrary, I am not attempting to read it in the original French. The translation I have seems an easy enough read.

Harry Potter and The Half-blood Prince - by J K Rowling

As I expected, I did have some trouble remembering some of the "history", but it mostly came back to me. I found it an easy enough read, being able to get through 100 pages at a sitting without undue effort.

Although it was easy to keep reading, I guess I didn't really find the story exciting - at least not until the last 50 pages or so and then it all seems to be over at once. I wasn't very happy with the ending, feeling that it just fizzled out. There are plenty of threads to pick up in Book 7 and I guess I'll read that when it appears.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Harry Potter and The Half-blood Prince by J K Rowling.

I was coerced into turning out at Midnight on the day this book was published. This was so my daughter Emmeline could get her hands on it before her sister took it off to the US for the week. 24 hours later, Emmeline had finished reading it. I am, of course, the last in the family to get the chance.

This is the sixth book in the series. I have read all the prior ones, having got them straight after publication [from 3 onwards]. The only problem is that they come out at approximately yearly intervals and I really can't remember the details of the story so far. Life is too short to re-read stuff. I guess it'll all come back to me. I am sure that Em will enlighten me, if I have problems.

Blood Rain - by Michael Dibdin

The story is about the hero being on Sicily investigating a Mafia- related case. His daughter Carla is also there and becomes friendly with a judge and suspicious about some tampering with the computer system that she is working on.

For the most part, I enjoyed this mystery story. It has a good pace and wasn't hard to read. Also, there is a dramatic turn of events in the middle of the book [start of part 2]. I am motivated to read other books in the Aurelio Zen series, but I do have a few concerns:

Most significant was the ending. The book has one, but I am unsure that I understand it. I also don't know if there is a further volume in the series that will clarify the matter.

The author is prone to giving rather more detail at times than I feel is strictly necessary for the progress of the story. In one place we are told about Carla's upcoming birthday [p51]; we are told again about the birthday shortly after [p65].

I am always concerned about technical inaccuracies. On page 300 we hear about the use of a "stick of plastic explosive". I don't think that plastic explosive comes in sticks.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Blood Rain by Michael Dibdin.

This is the next Bookclub book. It is odd to be reading a detective story set in modern Italy having just read the one set in the Roman Empire. So far the book seems interesting - quite intricate, but that's fine. It seems to change viewpoint quite often, but I will be OK with that, so long as I never get confused about who's "speaking". I have slight doubts about the name "Aurelio Zen" ...

Shadows in Bronze - by Lindsey Davis

The adventures of Marcus Didius Falco as a "private informer" and his romantic pursuit of Helena Justina make a good story in themselves. The setting in ancient Rome - or specifically in the Roman Empire - give it an interesting twist. I also have reasonable faith in the author's integrity. So I have some confidence that I am learning something as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of the series.

Presentations for Dummies - by Malcolm Kushner

Another book I have been reading in preparation for a session I am running at work next week.

My experience is that Dummies books are very variable - obviously depends upon the author. But when they're good, they're often very good. This is such an example. There is hardly a page that doesn't have a good idea or some new insight. Even as a very experienced presenter, learned a lot from this book.

It is not without humour, of course. I particularly enjoyed:

There are 3 types of presenter: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened.

An old philosopher's advice to presenters: speak up to be heard; stand up to be seen; shut up to be enjoyed.

A Japanese proverb: Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis.

I was recommended Lindsey Davis' book a while ago and read the first in the Falco series, The Silver Pigs, which I enjoyed. Didius Falco is a kind of private detective in the Roman Empire, which I think is an interesting idea. This book carries on where the last left off [but I think it could be read by itself].

Inconceivable - by Ben Elton

I enjoyed the style and form of this book. In many ways it reminds me of Bridget Jones.

Sam is one of these people who is very taken with all the trappings of being successful, but doesn't seem to have grasped [early in the book] that, to be successful, you have to do an exceptional job of something.

Lucy is totally obsessed with the idea of having a baby. My observation is that such single-mindedness is not uncommon. As a man, I put it down to hormones. I would like to hear a woman's perspective on this book.

I thought that the self-referential nature of the book was curious. Sam is writing the screenplay for a movie with the name Inconceivable. It reminded me of How to be Good, where a book of that name is being written.

Elton did not disappoint me. It's a good read and I was in there right up to the end. And it does have a satisfactory ending - particularly when you realize that the story isn't really about Sam and Lucy trying to have a baby.

Present Yourself! - by Michael J. Gelb

I don't recall where exactly I got this book or why I chose it. My guess is that I saw a good review somewhere. Looking at the mug-shot of the author on the back, I clearly didn't find it on a book shop's shelves [I looked at his Web site and the intervening years have been kind to him!].

I read it this afternoon, as I am preparing a short session on presentation techniques for my work. I wanted to do some background reading to get more ideas. I didn't find many new ideas in this book, but what I did find was a very good encapsulation of the concepts that I see as important. And there are some thought-provoking angles on what presenting is all about. All in all, a very useful concise [100 pages] book on the topic.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Inconceivable by Ben Elton.

I felt that I needed some light reading this time. I unexpectedly enjoyed Elton's Popcorn a while ago and acquired some more of his books. I selected this one from my shelf as it is just a tiny bit too tall for the place it was stored ...

The story is about a couple who are attempting, but failing, to start a family. Part of their therapy to is write letters to nobody in particular to help them gather their thoughts. The book is an alternating sequence of these letters. It is essentially a two-person diary. It has shades of Adrian Mole ...

I'm enjoying it so far. I was taken with the phrase "nuttier than squirrel shit".

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat - by Oliver Sacks

I'm not sure about this book. It is supposed to be a series of pieces about specific cases, where patients have a brain disorder, written for the non-specialist. Although the author does spend a lot of time looking at the implications and meaning of his patients' conditions, he seems to be unable to stay away from medical jargon. I am challenged by phraseology like this: "Similar hyperosmia, sometimes paroxysmal, may occur in encephalitics on L-Dopa, and some patients with Tourette's syndrome." Having to look up 3-4 words just to get through once sentence is too much.

Although many of the stories were interesting, my concentration would lapse as the author rambled on about the higher significance of the patient's condition.

I didn't find it that hard to read, but I'm glad I got it finished and can move on.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat by Oliver Sacks

I had heard of this book, but knew nothing about that. This would have continued, except it is the next Bookclub selection. The book is a series of essays - case studies - about people with neurological problems. They are mainly right-brain malfunction, which have interesting effects. Doesn't sound like a bundle of laughs, but what I have read so far is interesting.

How to be Good - by Nick Hornby

The story is told from the viewpoint of a middle-aged woman doctor. Her husband is having a kind of mid-life crisis. He is adjusting his lifestyle to become a better person and "do good". The book is about the development of their relationship. She begins to question how good a person she is.

It is not a comic book, but it has its moments. I had long since given up on any notion of absolute good and evil, but this story was food for thought.

What I'm reading ...

I have started How to be Good by Nick Hornby.

I have had this book on my shelf for some time, having read High Fidelity and About a Boy a while back. I guess that I feel like some light-hearted reading.

How To Build A Time Machine - by Paul Davies

This book proved to be a surprisingly easy read. It has a good pace and isn't full of mathematics - none actually. I guess it has given me just a tiny bit more insight into modern physics and cosmology. But I remain stuck with some of the fundamentals ...

Take the time dilation experiment with the twins. One stays on Earth, the other flies off somewhere at near light speed. When the travelling twin comes home, they are younger than the one that stayed behind. I am happy with that and can even handle the equations. But it's the relativity bit that I struggle with. Who was moving at high speed? They are simply moving apart from one another - why is the one in the rocket "special"? There isn't supposed to be an absolute frame of reference, so surely their relative speed is what counts.

Guess I don't get it...

Radio programme broadcast

On Sunday [5th] the Bookclub programme, that Emmeline and I went to the recording of, will be broadcast at 16:00 on BBC Radio 4 [repeated at the same time the following Thursday and available thereafter on Listen Again at bbc.com].

I have exchanged email with the producer and I am assured that Emmeline's [opening] question will be included. I don't know if my contributions got used. We will find out on Sunday.

What I'm reading ...

I have started How To Build A Time Machine by Paul Davies.

I don't remember how/why I got this book. Maybe it was some Amazon targeted marketing ... But, anyway it is my kind of thing and I thought it time to read something a little serious. The book is really about modern physics' view of time and the likely feasibility of time travel. I read a review which warned that it was not a manual on how to knock one up in the back yard over a bank holiday weekend [shame!].

The Snapper - by Roddy Doyle

It was no surprise that I enjoyed reading this book. Guess that's why it only took me a few days.

The story is basically about Sharon getting pregnant out of wedlock by mistake and the implications on her, her family and those around her. It is a serious story, but hardly a page goes by without something making you smile or laugh out loud.

Doyle is a master at evoking a feeling of "being there". I have no experience of being in a working class Irish household, but I do feel I've been visiting one over the last few days. I think it is his rendition of the very individual dialect that makes the dialogue come alive. At times, I have to wonder if they are talking English at all! Here are some examples of local turns of phrase:
"Snapper" = baby - I guess this comes from "whippersnapper".
"Young one" = teenager or young person, usually referring to the opposite sex.
"Old one" = elderly person.
"Mot" = wife.
"Having a baby for X" = "X is the father of my baby".
"Gas" = good time; laugh.
"Ride" = have sex with (verb); good person with whom to have sex (noun).
"Eejit" = idiot.

I have another of Doyle's book on the shelf, which I will savour for a while. It's sequel is also available - that is what he was reading from when I saw him in Cheltenham. Sounded good.

What I'm reading ...

I have started The Snapper by Roddy Doyle.

This is the second book in the Barrytown Trilogy [along with The Commitments and The Van]. I have read the other two and, for some reason, never got around to this one. I am a big fan of modern Irish writing and Doyle is a key contributor to the excellent work from that country. I had the pleasure of seeing him at the Cheltenham Literature Festival last year and that whetted my appetite for his latest work.

Dimension of Miracles - by Robert Sheckley

The story is, on the surface at least, a fantasy romp through the galaxy. I found some parts more convincing than others and some of the writing style was a bit laboured.

There are distinct parallels with Douglas Adams' work for sure. The idea of Earth being specifically constructed is familiar, but the idea that God simply sub-contracted the work is different from DA's more "industrial" approach. The sentient city of Bellwether reminded me of the ship-board computer, the doors with attitude and Marvin.

I was interested in the concept of locating somewhere in the Universe effectively in five dimensions: 3 spatial, time and probability. They could find Earth in space and select the right time, but then it was a matter of choosing the correct "version" of Earth.

And what was the "predator" all about?

I was rather dissatisfied with the ending and wondered whether this was some kind of comment upon the world that we live in. Overall, I was left with a feeling that the author was drawing some far-reaching metaphor which I am not intellectual enough to grasp.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Dimension of Miracles by Robert Sheckley.

This book has been lent to me by a friend, who saw the similarity to some of Douglas Adams' ideas in the Hitchhiker's Guide, which it pre-dates. It certainly seems off-beat enough ...

Bravemouth - by Pamela Stephenson

Although I don't rate Pamela Stephenson as a writer and this book is less well crafted than Billy, it is still good to read a biography from "close to the source". It's an affectionate account and I enjoyed it. I particular liked Jimmy Tarbuck's compact description of what Billy Connolly is: an observation comic.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Bravemouth by Pamela Stephenson.

A while ago, I read Billy, which was Pamela Stephenson's biography of her husband Billy Connolly. This book is a follow up and describes, in more detail, one year [his sixtieth] in his life. I am a big fan of Billy Connolly. I have a feeling that he is just the same person in real life as we see in his shows.

Small Island - by Andrea Levy

I was right about the structure of this book being good. I found that it led me through very well. I never felt lost as I have done with other books which employ multiple timelines and viewpoints. As I observed, each chapter is written from the viewpoint of one of the 4 main characters. The chapters are grouped into sections. Each section is set in one of the 2 timeframes: "before" [war years and just after] and "1948". The chapters are contiguous in time within the section.

Although the book is ostensibly about the Jamaicans arriving in England, it has a lot more to offer in terms of insight into that time period: life in wartime London, post-war India and a lot of perspectives on prejudice in general. I was quite shocked by the extent to which this seems to dominate society at that time. People seemed to really compartmentalize themselves and others by race, gender and social class. Although there are many derogatory terms for black people quoted, one that made me sit up was "darkie". Although perhaps less coarse than many, I clearly recall it being used a lot by older people when I was a child. Fortunately it seems to have died out.

Although it is quite a long book and took me a while to read. The structure and the pace of the book kept me turning the pages. In particular, towards the end, things speeded up and I found it quite unput-downable.