A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)

Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities



A book starting and ending with two of the most evocative and well known quotes in the English language:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity...

It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.

They sum up this brilliantly told story. It has a brutality beyond any other I've come across in Dickens. It has his usual pathos for characters, good and bad combined for many of them, evoking both sympathy and malevolence during the book. His commentary on the French Revolution displays Dickens' usual trick of having us in two minds as to whether it is right or not - or rather getting us to understand the source of brutality and why it is inevitable. At times the pathetic nature of the characters reminds me of Jane Austen but I guess she was a little more genteel. There's an obvious link to the Scarlet Pimpernell story that I've found out was written later.

It's a truly gripping story which as it gets to the end is impossible to put down. Descriptions of the terror of the time are remarkable. No wonder people queued to get their hands on the latest installment.

Charles has to give us a little light relief and amongst the grimness there is some fun had at the expense of the working class supporting characters. The climax has reference back to earlier domestic strife which brings a bittersweet comedy at the height of tension for the reader.

For me, as I suppose many others, the focus on the rich and privileged compared to the poor and downtrodden is brought together in the final scenes when the poor frail girl is supported by one of our privileged heroes.

Like Thomas Hardy and John Irving I've come to the conclusion that I should really read all Dickens' novels.

Instances of the Number 3 (Salley Vickers)

Salley Vickers
Instances of the number 3



I found this a slightly contrived read with mild titillation a bit like M&B. To the uninitiated that's Mills and Boon which I've dipped into due to living, not in the M&B sense, with an English graduate who devoured them and swore by them. It's nothing like Mitchell & Butler mild. I digress, but it's the sort of digression and unneeded fact that peppers this book. The themes give me something to think about after I've finished the book but it's the getting through it that's hard given the unexplained discrepancies, mild prejudices (why is it improbable that oriental's run hotels in France?) and inaccuracies (Turnham Green name origins, was that an in joke?). I guess that given it was food for thought then it was worth the read even if unlikely to read more of Salley.

Cannery Row (John Steinbeck)

John Steinbeck
Cannery Row



I've read this a few times and it's one of my favourite books. A brilliant mix of philosophy and a heart felt observation of the human condition and down right hilarious in parts. Such beautiful characters you feel like you know them. It's food for the soul and the possibly the best opening paragraph written in some ways summing up the whole book if not Steinbeck's works. It's on a par with Pride and Prejudice's first sentence for humour. A short book that can be read and read again and I'm sure enough has been written about Steinbeck so I'll simply give a taster...

“Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream. Cannery Row is the gathered and scattered, tin and iron and rust and splintered wood, chipped pavement and weedy lots and junk heaps, sardine canneries of corrugated iron, honky tonks, restaurants and whore houses, and little crowded groceries, and laboratories and and flophouses. Its inhabitants are, as the man once said, ‘whores, pimps, gamblers, and sons of bitches,’ by which he meant Everybody. Had the man looked through another peephole he might have said, “Saints and angels and martyrs and holy men,’ and he would have meant the same thing.”  Simply beautiful.

The Progressive Patriot (Billy Bragg)

Billy Bragg
The Progressive Patriot



In great anticipation and with plenty of time on holiday I settle down to read one of my heroes much admired for both music, passion and politics. I very rarely leave a book unfinished but in this case I struggle through to page 100 and then just can't continue giving up before the mid book photos which I've sneaked a preview of already. I accept the detailed history of both Barking and it's bard's family (as our Billy is affectionately known) but I find it hard to believe that Bragg's ancestors were responsible for the modern labour movement and the 8 hour working man's day. The potted history of English radicalism is, well, potted and light failing to mention Cromwell's much darker side which is part of him whatever you think about whether he was a man of the times and the ends justified the means. The flights of fancy about Rudyard Kipling's potential roaming around Barking was acceptable but the straw that broke my willingness to carry on was Billy banging on about how Simon and Garfunkel are the most insightful lyricists of our time. I just couldn't carry on with the duo's mournful wailings running through my head. It's alway's dangerous reading the autobiographies, for this is what this is at least the first half, of your heroes and I've gone off certain Arsenal players due to this. There again others pull you in and you want to explore their works, whether music, writing or sport, all the more. In this case I'd prefer to remember Billy by his performances rather than his writing. Must go see him again and refresh my mild adulation of him. For me he's still the guy who shouted out updates to England world cup ties during his Glastonbury sets back when no one much who pretended left wing views could like football much less scream at players of any one country to score against the other. Back before it became so trendy that large screens were needed at Glastonbury to show England getting beat by the Germans. Again. Oh god, I've strayed so far from BB's internationalist views - but I guess that's what this book is about - being patriotic and having a sense of pride in your country without being prejudiced and xenophobic. Hmm, maybe I should've persevered...

Conversations in Sicily (Elio Vittorini)

Elio Vittorini
Conversations in Sicily



Read whilst on holiday in Sicily this is a short novel about a voyage through Sicily ending with time spent with the traveller's mother. Written at the time of Mussolini it has hidden meaning and even though written over 50 years ago it invokes some of the Sicily that is still apparent. The prose is repeated and the cadence flows like verse. Shakespeare is name checked a lot but it seems earlier in style as it's near fantasy, delusional and enchanting reminiscent of Don Quixote. It's very rare that I read a book in a day but as I'm on holiday and it's such an engaging read and the style of the translation so authentic that I tore through the 200 pages pausing only to eat and wander down to the beach. I left it for the next holiday makers to read hoping that they are English speakers.

The Time of Our Singing (Richard Powers)

Richard Powers
The Time of Our Singing




Complex and rich story by a strong story teller which is a compelling read. For me though the wrong characters are followed who have, for me, the least interesting lives and are the least likeable. The ending leaves some chunky loose strings as there are too many important characters that are cut short. It's very technical which it part of it's charm. But at times I felt like I was missing some of the meaning given that I'm not an expert in nuclear physics and chamber music - and the detail that was there seemed a little over researched rather than a natural flow. Ultimately I felt that it was too rich a story for a albeit thick best seller and should have been an epic trilogy. There were some unlikely scenarios in the book which to be fair are never a bad thing if you only realise this after the fact and as I was engaged by the stories and at times enthralled it must be a good book. Not sure I'll search out others by Richard though.