The Master And Margarita (Mikhail Bulgakov)

Mikhail Bulgakov
The Master And Margarita

An odd tale involving the devil and his minions causing havoc in Moscow intertwined with the story of Pontius Pilot and the crucifixion. A fascinating story and very readable. Not being around when it was written in 1920s - 20s USSR I can only guess that it's somehow paralleling the biblical story of good and evil with the evolution of the revolution from a people's uprising into a tyrannical dictatorship and the resultant Stalinist purges. And possibly hitting out at contemporary religious superstitions in what was meant to be a country without religion. Plus a bit of sniping at the arts establishment I'm sure. A review of academics analysis will no doubt prove my take on the book wrong and I wrote this resisting the urge to have a look on-line. A great book and I'll have to read more by Bulgakov. This translation also has reference notes which is fairly essential to really understand the storyline.

White Bicycles (Joe Boyd)

Joe Boyd
White Bicycles (making music in the 1960s)

Very interesting and readable book about an American who comes over to the UK managing old blues and soul bands and then stays. He starts managing folk bands including Fairport Convention and sets up the UFO psychedelic club in the West End where Pink Floyd build up their following. He gets involved in a lot of the British folk and psychedelic scene and also in the States too. Oh yeah, he was a stage manager at Woodstock too. Lots of interesting anecdotes although no really salacious stories which is good really as with those you do wonder with those whether they're there simply to sell the book. The "American in London" stories are amusing too. All in all a good read and made me listen to some of the old folk bands. Unfortunately they still sound crap. Fun to read about though.

The Steel Flea (Nikolay Leskov)

Nikolay Leskov
The Steel Flea

A strange little tale, and it is very short, about Russian craftsmen bettering British crafts. Oddly written with sometimes nonsensical sentences and words which I assume this translation is attempting to match the original Russian feel of the book. It may be a tale mourning the loss of artisan craftmanship. Or maybe simply a weird little tale. Thoroughly enjoyable. I'll end this now or this review may be longer than the story.

The Wasteland and other poems

T. S. Eliot
The Wasteland and other poems

I can't really give a fair review of this as I find it hard to get to grips with poetry much as I try. Interesting enough but I tend to zone out of poems and forget what was going on. If anything was. I guess that shows why I don't "get" most poetry. A classic. Apparently.

Clock Without Hands (Carson McCullers)

Carson McCullers
Clock Without Hands

Another compelling read by CC which flies pretty close to the wind in it's language and at times I did wonder what people would think if idly reading over my shoulder on the tube. She is John Steinbeck like in describing awful or pathetic, or both, characters with pathos. The main character in a way is someone dieing but all around worse is happening and he is just an outsider bystander who has a sad life only realising his realistic potential when it's too late. Or because it's too late. Like Steinbeck there are lots of characters intertwined without necessarily having a major impact on the plot. Or plots. Or is there a plot. A pathetic, in the older sense of the word, story that incites both pity and hatred in equal measures. At the same time. As complex a tale as I've read in so few pages. I'd like to read her biography...

Wessex Tales (Thomas Hardy)

Thomas Hardy
Wessex Tales



A series of short stories showcasing the best of Hardy's humour, fondness for the common man and with his usual insight into our needs, wants, foibles and anxieties. Hardy's women come through particularly strongly in some of these stories and indeed the last story has an alternative ending suggested that Hardy would have preferred except that literary form insisted on the original. As always, readable, interesting and compelling.