The Onion Eaters (J P Donleavy)

J P Donleavy

The Onion Eaters

A strange tale which I didn't really enjoy reading that much but which was interesting enough to finish. Unlikely situations and characters in the extreme. An odd mix of great descriptive and stream of consciousness passages, bathos and pathos, fairly graphic sex and violence and just plain stupidity. Felt a bit like Tom Sharpe although it's so long ago I read him I may be wrong. If his other books are like the good bits I'd read them but probably won't bother. A curate's egg of a book.

The Race Against the Stasi (Herbie Sykes)

Herbie Sykes

The Race Against the Stasi: The Incredible Story of Dieter Wiedemann, the Iron Curtain and the Greatest Cycling Race on Earth

An interesting and horrifying account of an East German cyclist who defects to West Germany for love. Mainly. I don't think that's a particular spoiler. The book is half comments made during interviews by a variety of people including the cyclist himself. The other half is news reports from the state newspaper and Stasi files. The book goes through a logical sequence so you can follow the thread of both the cyclist before defection, why he did that and the impact on his family back in the east and their relationships. The interesting bit is his cycling life and subsequent marriage and family relations. The horrifying is just how detailed the Stasi information gathered was even whilst he was a top cyclist in East Germany with very little indication that he would defect. It brings home just how many informants must have been working for the Stasi (170,000 regular?) and just how big the Stasi must have been (90,000) to collect all that information and act on it. Files were kept current on about a third of the population and possibly one in six people were informers at some time. Everyone expected that someone they knew well would be an informer. I can't quite imagine that. Not being able to trust your closest friends, or at least having some doubt about them. Or even your family. Even your spouse. There again the British police seem to think it's legitimate to have affairs, polygamous marriage and babies with those they have targeted as dissenters including fairly innocuous environmental activists. Maybe our security forces are just a little less obvious but just as all encompassing. If so... just take heed that the revolution is an inevitability so choose your side wisely. I digress from the book though as it's not about the Stasi as such but about Dieter with the Stasi files on him being somewhat incidental to his story. As it's snippets of interviews, state news reports and Stasi files it is not an easy flow to read but I guess that's the manner of such stories. A very irritating point is that the Stasi files are redacted (I think either at source or by the author) and therefore when referring to people there are a lot of "(?)" even though often you can tell who it refers to - or at least you're pretty sure. A good description of the now defunct Peace Race which was run between various eastern bloc capitals but attracted a fair few riders from western Europe and north Africa. Enjoyable.

On Java Road (Lawrence Osborne)

Lawrence Osborne

On Java Road

Having not finished any books for a while I've finished a trio of great ones in a week. Blame E P Thompson for the lack of read novels but my appetite has been sated in the last week. This one I got through in a weekend mainly due to train journeys Balham Chester Balham Manchester Balham. With delays. This is an account of the Chinese take over of Hong Kong and the impact on a British (white) journalist ex-pat and his very wealthy long time friend from Chinese HK parentage. It is threaded around the demonstrations of the young against tightening Chinese rules. Violence and infidelity of the protagonists is mirrored in the treatment of protesters both by security services and pro-China vigilantes. It has an ambiguous ending but I guess it's a statement that the Hong Kong situation has not played out to it's ending as yet. Maybe. Well worth taking if travelling up and down England drawn by the lure of football.

The World in the Evening (Christopher Isherwood)

Christopher Isherwood

The World in the Evening

Excellently written account of a man looking back on his life with all it's faults and how he'd mistreated others especially his romantic partners. In many ways quite intellectual although very readable and you feel as if you are getting under the skin of the narrator or at least as much as they realise themselves. The descriptive passages are great showing a mixed up mind which you never know whether it's quite unravelled by the ending. Well worth a read.

Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier)

Daphne du Maurier

Rebecca

A brilliantly readable novel I think the first I've read of hers. Welcome relief from all the other non fiction books that I've been reading over the last few months. I wanted a good story to let myself flow into and this was a great present from Debbie for our wedding anniversary. Not a particularly appropriate story for an anniversary but better than the one I gave Debbie. That's to come. The descriptions of place, time and feelings are brilliant really letting you get into the head of the main character. It's a pretty dark book with moments of light and not my usual fare but it's so well written I couldn't put it down. The first few pages tell you the current situation and the rest of the book is how she got there. So in some ways you know the outcome but there are a number of twists and turns. But the book is all about the feelings not about the plot so it's hardly a spoiler. A bit of a gothic novel in a way (whatever that means) and I had the feeling of Mary Shelley or Henry James (although I'm not an expert on him and didn't like the only book I read). A book of loss and sadness and not fitting in. I must read more of Daphne.

The Making of the English Working Class (E. P. Thompson)

E. P. Thompson

The Making of the English Working Class

A comprehensive history and analysis of the social changes within English society from the late 1700's to the mid 1800's obviously focussing on the rise of the working class movement. It covers a wide range of topics from Methodism to Luddites to Owenite cooperative communities. I won't attempt to summarise any further such as weighty tome by such a distinguished author but to say that a theme throughout is what could have been if the radical edges of the various movements had won out and how much better society could be. Many of the pressures degrading working conditions and pay for workers are very much happening now including the repression of trade unions, the right to congregate and demonstrate and freedom of speech. And that's the UK I refer to. Written by a committed socialist and peace campaigner (a leading light of CND) it is an illuminating read. I would be fascinated in his view on how society has travelled since his death 30 years ago given the rising tide of conservatism and capitalist lobbying controlling governments accelerated under Thatcher, Blair and the variety of recent Conservative PMs. I would love to read his views on the global Covid lockdown and shredding of the right to congregate or even go outside. As such a long book it's taken me ages to finish and I've had others on the go too. There are obviously critics of the book especially regarding some of the wider international context of both working class movements, industrialisation and imperialism but as an inward looking analysis it is a brilliant read. After all, Thompson does explicitly state "English".

Around the World in 80 Trains (Monisha Rajesh)

Monisha Rajesh
Around the World in 80 Trains: A 45,000-Mile Adventure

 

A very interesting journey by a journalist and her fiance around the world by train covering some of the harder to reach places such as North Korea and Tibet. It's a great account of train travel with an obvious love for it and the insights it gives into local lives which you don't get travelling by plane or car. Brings the romance, and hardships, of train travel to life. It may have been around the world but it's the northern hemisphere and misses out South America (which to be fair has very few working railways), Africa (I have no idea about whether there are rail networks there), India (but see her previous book) and west of India (I think train travel difficult there too). That's nitpicking on my part though. Monisha certainly has an empathy with the people she meets and is stoic in her handling of difficult situations. It wasn't a book I couldn't put down but was great to dip into for a few hours at a time then leave for a while which I guess shows that Monisha's descriptions of herself and Jem stuck in my mind. 

Martin Eden (Jack London)

Jack London

Martin Eden

Interesting story about a working man's thirst for knowledge colliding with the world of the privileged well educated and monied. The sacrifices he makes in his endeavours are starkly contrasted with the ease of education of his infatuation. There is a love story entwined as the foil to the points being made. Interesting and too. Excellent read that I couldn't stop despite having another few on the go at the same time.

The Nat Hentoff Reader (Nat Hentoff)

Nat Hentoff

The Nat Hentoff Reader

Various essays and articles by a fairly libertarian (left wing) American covering education and much to do with discrimination. Probably should have read when first published (the articles not this collection) but it seemed like the most interesting book in our work library. 

Hit Refresh (Satya Nadella)

Satya Nadella

Hit Refresh

Interesting read if you're into IT although by the end it moves from a personal account of the MS CEO's life and drivers and more written by his marketing team. Not as interesting as some of the early books about how MS (and Apple etc.) came into existence. 

Foster (Claire Keegan)

Claire Keegan
Foster

An interesting novella set in Wexford, so apt for my holiday reading albeit in the north of Ireland, about a young girl who is farmed out to aunt and uncle for the school holidays. A tale of love, devotion and security with a few morals to tell, a few twists and a couple of ambiguities in my mind. Very readable which I did one evening. 

Faster! Louder! (Boff Whalley)

Boff Whalley

Faster! Louder! How a punk rocker from Yorkshire became British Champion Fell Runner

A very entertaining story about a punk rock fell runner which highlights the similarities between the two lives lived although at times it is a bit tenuous. Nevertheless an excellent read with some great memories for an ageing punk including the notorious Christmas on Earth festival in Leeds in the snowy winter of '81. God that sounds like an old timer reminiscing about the gold rush - back in '81. The other link for me is to where Gary grew up and trained around Otley where my mates Ramsay and Jo live. Probably why they gave me this book of course! Boff was in Chumbawamba and lives in Otley. Although I was one of the cross country runners at school who slouched behind to have a smoke and take short cuts watching the "winners" (not that we thought of them as that) reach the finish line it still made me think "why didn't I go hill running" as I did quite like running down slopes and screes. Just not running up them I guess. Anyways, a great read and classic pictures.

I don't usually include gratuitous images but what a line-up hey...

,,, ho let's go

Our Mutual Friend (Charles Dickens)

Charles Dickens

Our Mutual Friend

An epic tale of love, avarice and betrayal which has two distinct but intertwined stories each worthy of a novel of it's own although the intertwining makes this greater than two could ever be. The last of Dickens novels is a masterpiece with surprises til the end. The love stories are of the true love of self sacrifice offset but the love of obsession and wanting possession. Part of the beauty of the novel is how these two are switched by more than one of the characters. Dickens also gives a decent dose of humour and sensitivity whilst railing against the poor law, the attitudes of those who are rich and in power and in the bigoted attitude towards Jews. I won't give spoilers and no few sentences can do the book justice but a highly recommended read. What I don't understand is how such a complex and rich story could have been read in monthly installments without the readers forgetting the characters and plot of the previous month. If it were me I'd have to read all previous installments when I receive the next. Maybe that's my age or in the 1850s people had less to fill up their minds not having the endless stream of drivel we enjoy from the internet and TV. Or maybe they did but had a better memory than me. Read.

README.txt (Chelsea Manning)

Chelsea Manning

README.txt

A brilliant account of Chelsea's life and incarceration and release. It's a great mix of her struggles with family and ability to demonstrate her sexuality; life on the edge of society; lifting the lid on how wars are fought by the USA (and presumably other large powers) and her arrest and treatment. I had a tangental brush with Wikileaks in a previous job In some ways an inspirational story that ends with release both from prison and also being able to transition into a woman. On the other hand knowing that what Chelsea revealed is still going on and she was fortunate to get a commutation by Obama. It's unlikely that his successors would have done the same and likely that Chelsea would still be in prison.

Racing Through the Dark (David Millar)

David Millar with Jeremy Whittle

Racing Through the Dark: The Fall and Rise of David Millar

Published in 2011 so before Lance Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France and other titles and his subsequent admission to doping. Along with others. This gives a heartfelt and fascinating account of David Millar's rise in pro cycling, his descent into doping and subsequent arrest. Then him pulling himself back onto the bike and becoming a vociferous mouthpiece against doping. At times I wonder if he was a much a victim as he makes out but the reality was that you were at a massive disadvantage if you didn't dope. David's actions and words since he was arrested are certainly consistent with him being truly sorry for his doping and much of that because of how he failed his fans, family and friends. A great read combining cycling, doping, personal struggles and the wider context. However, doping and being on the edge of the rules continues to dog cycling including the "clean team" Sky and the accusations of the dishonest use of TUE (banned substances allowed for certain medical conditions). David's dismissal of Bradley Wiggins' chances in the tour seem premature given that he then won it. But again, what was in the jiffy bag? Overall a great read about professional cycling and the ongoing problems it faces. But as David points out, cycling has more testing than any other sport so it's not surprising more dopers are found in cycling. 

God Dies by the Nile and Other Novels (Nawal El Saadawi)

Nawal El Saadawi

God Dies by the Nile and Other Novels

Three stories about life as a woman in Egypt written in the 70's and I think 80's. The author couldn't publish in Egypt and so I'm not sure if they were written beforehand and published outside Egypt at later dates. I guess I could investigate. The stories are all disturbing and show how badly treated women are in Egypt at least in the part of society that the author describes. Mistreatment and rape are covered the latter in an oblique although certain manner which I assume was needed when published otherwise could face wider bans for being supposedly salacious. The stories are all in a different in style too. God Dies By The Nile is a sorry story about male dominance, rape and pregnancy facilitated by the power wielded by local authority figures, the submissive nature of the general population and the non existent rights of women. It's well written very descriptively in a traditional narrative way. Searching is a strange tale of a woman trying to find her lover who has simply disappeared and who has a dead end job. Her education drives her to strive for a better and more interesting life. The Circling Song is a disturbing story of the rape of a child and the father setting the twin son to go after her with the intent of an honour killing due to the disgrace of her being pregnant. Her flight to Cairo is met with similarly horrific treatment. Up until now the narrative is fairly traditional but then the story goes into a bit of a strange non-narrative stream of consciousness a bit like Kerouac or Joyce. You get the gist of what's going on but the story line is hard to follow and maybe you're not meant to as the two children, for that's what they really are, merge into one and the same. All are interesting and as I say disturbing. I won't comment on the social and religious forces that allow these stories to continue to mirror real life as I am not from that society and my views on any religion would offend many. Suffice to say that the author was stripped of a prestigious career post due to her writing and activism, was imprisoned and then forced to flee Egypt as her life was in danger. A truly brave woman in stark contrast to those who she railed against.

Let Me Take You by the Hand (Jennifer Kavanagh)

Jennifer Kavanagh

Let Me Take You by the Hand: True Tales from London's Streets

A seemingly fairly random number of conversations with people who work or live on the street. It supposedly updates Mayhew's reporting but doesn't come close. And the song reference is misleading. It's very patchy and often shows that the author really doesn't know London but is dipping in and out. Seems like she thought it was a good project but really lazily executed. I did find some of the anecdotes interesting but it wasn't gripping and I gave up half way through having been subjected to a racist rant by an Australian rickshaw cyclist with no commentary or view expressed by the author. Summing up the lazy attitude to the subject. This is the second book I've read about London lives that seems targeted at those who are interested in the cosmopolitan nature of London but turn out to be channeling the right wing conservative reactionary press.