The Death of King Arthur (translated by James Cable)

The Death of King Arthur (author unknown)

A very readable account of the last days of King Arthur and the folly or perhaps pre-determined fate that lead to his downfall. Full of valiant knights jousting, treachery and adultery. Indeed a lot of the story is about Lancelot rather than Arthur. Interesting account of how Britain was split up amongst various kingdoms at the time as well as northern France. Well worth a read.

Bloody Sunday in Derry (Eamonn McCann)

Eamonn McCann
Bloody Sunday in Derry : What Really Happened

Mix of the stories of those who were killed by British paratroopers and events leading up to the massacre, taking apart the Widgery report, then analysis of how this is part of a wider strategy to maintain the status quo at the top of British society. The personal stories are all a few pages long being accounts by relatives or close friends. What comes out here is the long lasting effects that the deaths had on close family but also that any anger is directed against the British state rather than individual soldiers who killed unarmed and often fleeing people. The chapters about the lead up are very interesting and then detail as to why the initial official investigation (Widgery) was so flawed and a whitewash. This edition was published in 2000 just as the follow up inquiry (Saville) had started which then led to an overturning of the Widgery findings and an apology by the British government.

Little Constructions (Anna Burns)

Anna Burns
Little Constructions

A very dark novel about violence and child rape although nothing is explicitly described. Set in a small town in Northern Ireland (I assume) which is effectively run by one man and his gang of murderous brothers. Much is about how those who have been damaged by the gang, including themselves, try to make sense of their lives often retreating into an unreal world of fantasy. The legacy of parent to child violence, neglect and rape are the main thrust of the novel and how one woman tries to achieve some sort of normality, whatever that means in such a close knit and affected community all equally affected by violence. I've not been able to find out why Burns wrote about such themes or whether she has been affected by them or seen first hand. Or whether she simply decided that there are stories out there that need to be told. And this story is told in a very touching and sensitive way in my opinion. Despite the dark themes of the novel there is a lot of humour too making it a challenging read as you find yourself laughing at the detail which is a part of a wider sub-plot that is not a laughing matter at all. That seems to be Burns' way to find humour in the wider tragedy, similarly in Milkman. The story line(s) can get very confusing not least as everyone's names begin wit a J (and some variations on that for the same person) and there are two Toms. Again, I think Burns' way of messing with our heads or maybe forcing us to really concentrate on the characters' stories. The narration is confusing too as it's written as if it's someone telling a story and then saying, ah, well, I'm not sure whether that happened; that didn't happen as I told it; did I mention this important fact that I should do now; not to go into too much detail about a minor character but this is their story. So you never quite know whether the story line you are reading will turn out to be significant or even true and whether the narrator is making it up as they go along. Towards the end the narrator becomes part of the story and is no longer above but within. This oddness in the story telling reminded me of the brilliant At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien. Strangely I re-read that back in February just before reading Milkman and didn't see a connection in the story telling style but on reflection Milkman has a similar narration style to Little Constructions although that stories facts don't chop and change with the narration. If this review is confusing then I've successfully summed up the book. I recommend giving yourself time for this book... it's not too long but once you've started you won't want to put it down. Except to take a breather from the darkness.

The Earth (Emile Zola)

Emile Zola

The Earth

An excellent story and great descriptions of people and countryside. Reminded me of Victor Hugo which maybe was just the French based story. The descriptions and stories of peasants (as they are referred to) are very much like Dickens and Hardy. Although there are a lot of references to casual sex which maybe was acceptable in France but not in Victorian Britain. A short summary of what is a great book. Must read more...

French Revolutions (Tim Moore)

Tim Moore
French Revolutions

Whilst cycling the route of le Tour is commendable Moore's complete lack of preparation seems a little far fetched and it seems that his panniers were full of books and magazines. I only read this as I'd bought it before I'd read his book of cycling the iron curtain which I had to put down... "His descriptions of individuals are often very harsh and in the context of stereotyping bordering on xenophobic. I'm sure (I hope) that this was all in the interest of amusing anecdotes but it grated so much that by the time he got down to Germany I had to give up on the book."  Moore's descriptions in his French travels were just as bad but as it was about le Tour I persevered to and and past Germany. This book he sounds even more of an entitled bigot and also comes over as a bit of a sleaze bag. Which goes with entitlement. His self deprecation feels very false given his comments on others. Fitting that his ride coincided with the period in which Armstrong dominated le Tour before having all his titles stripped and the records stating that there was no winner.

Need for the Bike (Paul Fournel)

Paul Fournel
Need for the Bike

A series of musing on and descriptions of bike riding written by a French writer and poet, and seemingly a bit of a philosopher. Fascinating reading as much I can relate to being a keen cyclist. His descriptions of racing I think may be his interpretation of others as I've not read that he was a racer. A great read.

Cutting For Stone (Abraham Verghese)

Abraham Verghese

Cutting For Stone

A long and interesting read although I didn't find it totally engrossing. Maybe due to the characters none of whom you are particularly rooting for or maybe as I don't like reading about medical procedures. And a little too much religion for my tastes. The fact that I could put it down at critical points in the story when interrupted suggests that it wasn't a page turner for me. Having said that it is very readable bar the in depth medical descriptions which seems to be a theme in books I've recently read. There again the author is a medic. Interesting story lines too set in Ethiopia when Haile Selassie is overthrown with both him and the new rulers coming under heavy criticism. The story hinges on what if's and coincidences. I was given this by Debbie and whilst reading in the garden put it down to eat and then it was gone. I assume stolen by a fox. So had to take out of the library. Weird.

1923 (Ned Boulting)

Ned Boulting 
1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession

Well known and knowledgeable author writes a typically engaging and thorough book in which his love of the sport comes through. Buys a piece of film at an auction which turns out to be 2 minutes of the 1923 Tour de France and then he investigates who's in the film and their stories. Bring into play everything from their personal stories and of their great grand children and also branches out to cover two world wars and a great deal of French and German history. So many rabbit holes to travel down and incidental and in some ways trivial facts but the way that Ned threads them together is fascinating. Never thought "why is he telling me this" until after I've read enthralled and often after I've gone down my own Wikipedia rabbit hole to find out more. Not many could engage you with their personal obsession in the way that Ned does. You can watch the film on-line too.

George Orwell's 1984 Graphic Novel (Matyáš Namai)

Matyáš Namai
George Orwell's 1984 Graphic Novel Adapted and Illustrated

Orwell's classic dystopian novel reimagined and illustrated. The story is depressing and it seems that we are closer to this society than shortly after Orwell wrote it obviously concerned that the world would go down this route by the end of the 20th Century. Many would say that parts of the world had but the doublespeak whereby leaders reword history and current events on-line is accepted by so many. As with any graphic novel the richness is in the illustrations and these are great. But inevitably at the expense of words which makes me feel that I should read Orwell's version again both to see if it's the same as this version (it's a very long time since I would have read it) and whether the nuances will depress me further. 

Tell Me Everything (Elizabeth Strout)

Elizabeth Strout
Tell Me Everything

A few years since I read the two "Olive" novels and Debbie told me that this is just as good. Pulls lots of characters from her other novels together but you don't feel that you needed to have read them. The underlying story is of one person (Bob) and his relationships with a few others but those relationships spawn further stories and there are a few random ones thrown in seemingly gratuitously. There is a thread of poor and / or abusive childhoods with stories untold and sometimes mis-remembered; and love affairs and extra-marital affairs and obsessions and just simply love between two people. A very readable book that I got through in a few days helped (or not) by the fact that my leg was bashed against a train step. Another untold story...

Orbital (Samantha Harvey)

Samantha Harvey

Orbital

A beautifully written book with enormous praise related to just that. (see cover) But to me I wasn't grabbed by either the way it was written or the content. I did try but gave up halfway through. Others love it.

The Trumpet-Major (Thomas Hardy)

Thomas Hardy
The Trumpet-Major: A Tale

An excellent story set near Weymouth (where my grandmother was from) in the early 1800's (times when my ancestors would have lived there) when invasion by Napoleon was seen as imminent. A romantic tale really about three men who woo or don't in turns our heroine. As ever Hardy conjures up the lives of ordinary village folk weaved into a compelling storyline. Some of the actions and deeds are questionable and in some ways makes the story less believable but there again I'm looking at it from a very modern perspective. Indeed Hardy wrote this a number of decades after the events and I understand that he made significant revisions to his novels during the 1870s, 80s & 90s as public tastes and accepted themes changed over those decades. If you think about what was acceptable in 1970 compared to 2000 it's quite a change. A great book set in Hardy's Wessex.

The Secret Magistrate

The Secret Magistrate



A factual book about what a magistrate does and some behind the scenes info. Very readable with a good mix of duties incorporated with some very interesting cases. An eye opener for me as I had no idea as to the legal position of magistrates. Interesting and entertaining.

Girl in a Band (Kim Gordon)

Kim Gordon
Girl in a Band

A very interesting story of Kim's childhood and early adulthood... weirdly until she joined Sonic Youth when the story gets a lot less interesting and seems to be just about the songs and band. OK, what did I expect? Quite a lot is about what a shit Thurston was (is? - I didn't get that far) and how Sonic Youth were the most innovative band ever with a fair bit of writing off others. All this I had a real problem with as SY were good but not the best. Also dismisses English music scene at the time which shows that Kim has a very poor understanding of the underground scene and indeed breaking bands, DJs and other music makers. I got so bored I gave up. Couldn't face hearing about a marital break up as if it's the first ever.

Why Fish Don't Exist (Lulu Miller)

Lulu Miller
Why Fish Don't Exist : A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life

As the subtitle says... a odd book covering the work of a fish collector born in the 1850s, the author's family, her challenges in life and loves. I won't try to summarise as the book is so diverse in it's topics. Taxonomy of species is a thread throughout but it's so much more than that. Both funny and sad. 

Middlemarch (George Eliot)

Middlemarch
George Eliot

An excellent read as recommended by my Long Distance Classic Novel Buddy (Zayn). A fascinatingly interweaved story focussing on a families and people. A lot of themes here from love, self denial, friendships, greed and hubris. All within a small town setting which apparently is Coventry in the early 1800s. The wider context is the parliamentary struggles to reform MP selection moving from the Rotten Boroughs to wider franchise. Eliot has a brilliant way of getting into the minds of her characters and you are drawn into their lives so that by the end you want to know a bit more about the rest of their lives. It's one of those novels that you can't put down and then as you get towards the end you slow down as you don't want it to end. A great read. I don't usually quote from books but there were quite a few that I found fascinatingly insightful and very relevant to today...

"But Fielding lived when the days were longer (for time, like money, is measured by our needs), when summer afternoons were spacious, and the clock ticked slowly in the winter evenings."  How true is that today - I'm sure a lot of people my age feel that when we were young the days were longer as not filled with electronic messaging.

"And certainly, the mistakes that we male and female mortals make when we have our own way might fairly raise some wonder that we are so fond of it."  Again, we continue to make the same mistakes.

"...for since professional practice chiefly consisted in giving a great many drugs, the public inferred that it might be better off with more drugs still, if they could only be got cheaply"  How much more true is that today - and how GPs deal out the pills (bought by health service at great expense from big pharma) instead of looking at root causes.

"...we all know the wag's definition of a philanthropist: a man whose charity increases directly as the square of the distance."  Again, ignore the man at the tube instead give ostentatiously to "big" causes.

Milkman (Anna Burns)

Anna Burns
Milkman

A compelling and engaging book albeit very strange. Set in what I assume is Belfast in the 70's Troubles it tackles issues ranging from the political situation through to personal mental health through to feminism. The narrator is an 18 year old woman whose name we don't know indeed nearly all the characters aren't named in fact I can only remember one called Peggy. The young woman lives in a Catholic area which is at war with the British army and run by Catholic paramilitaries who deal out a rough form of justice. She becomes the focus of sexual attention by Milkman who is high up in the paramilitaries and she descends into a state of mental instability. In addition to this there are many other issues going on in her life and within her family and she is ostracised by her community being considered outside the pale. There are some very dark moments and at times the book is brilliantly ominous making me unsure as to whether I want to read on. But I can't resist the tale and pick up the book soon enough (i.e. within hours not days). Having said this there are many heart warming passages and some extremely funny laugh out loud moments both funny funny and also related to the darker parts of the plot. The characters are brilliantly written and I felt at least a couple could have their own stories. I'd love to know what happens to the wee sisters when they are grown up. Well worth the read.

The Custard Heart (Dorothy Parker)

Dorothy Parker
The Custard Heart

A thin small pocket book of three very short tales including Big Blonde and You Were Perfectly Fine in addition to the book's title story. All are about 3 womens' trials and tribulations so uncomfortable reading.

At Swim-Two-Birds Novel (Flann O'Brien)

Flann O'Brien
At Swim-Two-Birds

A strange tale or indeed multiple tales going from the mundane to the completely surreal. It's brilliantly written and the story within a story allows full rein to the weirdness of the narrative. I won't try to summarise the story(s) except to say that the device used for the plot(s) enables those to take on a life of their own. I read this years ago and remember it as a very confusing but maybe that's just my memory as the stories are easy to follow even if they chop and change have that surreal twist injected every so often. I suspect that Michael Moorcock read this. As would many of course. Lent by Simon tho I wonder if this is my original copy...

Fatherland (Robert Harris)

Robert Harris
Fatherland

Gripping murder mystery tale within a harrowing tale of a totalitarian regime if Hitler had won the war. Many of those aspects were real including people and documents. I'm not a great fan of this genre as often think why did you do or didn't do that but it is a real page turner which I finished in a couple of days. Well written too. Not sure I'll rush out and buy another of his books but would read if one came my way - as this did from my dad.

Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story (Daniel Rachel)

Daniel Rachel

Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism and the Soundtrack of a Generation

As you will guess... the story of 2 Tone from inception to demise. Really interesting read but as ever you see the darker side of your heroes. The book has a lot of input from those who were there so it feels like a very measured and fair analysis. There are times when people disagree as to why things went the way they did and among the funny and disturbing stories the author gives at least two opinions indeed often you feel that the four of them (whoever them are) can't all have remembered it that way. And there are times when people recognise that their memories are wrong. I guess with so much going on in such a short time blended with euphoric gigs, drugs and alcohol then memory is bound to be affected. One thing that did irritate is that there is only passing reference to the fact that reggae and blue beat, along with many other Caribbean and north American music, were popular in the UK before The Specials and their stable mates came across them. A small gripe as I guess that is part of the narrative. Covers quite a few bands including ones that faded into obscurity but were taken into the 2 Tone fold. For all that a fascinating read into what were just a few short sharp years where a multi-racial label showed that having bands as such worked well (I know that 2 Tone wasn't the first here) despite that many albeit a minority of fans were far right NF / BM supporters intent on causing violence at gigs. But the late 70s and early 80s had that across many genres including the post punk punk bands. Worth reading.

The Real Arsenal Story (Alan Roper)

Alan Roper
The Real Arsenal Story : In the Days of Gog

A history of the early days of The Arsenal until the end of the 19th century and a little bit after. To be honest it's probably more for Arsenal fans rather than the casual reader although does give an excellent insight into the game and clubs as it and they were fully formed. Match reports suggest very different style of play which I guess is inevitable. If we moan about offside and VAR these days there was originally a 3 player rule where you had to have 3 defenders between you and the goal otherwise you were offside. The other angle is the fans who were just as feisty, if not more so, than today regarding perceived injustices by the umpires. There is a fair bit about the lives of the players and hardships they endured which is one reason that The Arsenal were the first team to go professional in the south thereby being banned from competitions and shunned by other clubs. All very well ex public schoolboys with wealth bleating that the game should be played by amateurs but as the northern rugby clubs decided why shouldn't working lads get paid for a job. Typical of Arsenal to be innovative and to look out for local workers. Of course it also meant that they could attract top players from other clubs thereby attracting larger crowds so the club owners had an eye on the money much as they do now. The story ends just before WWI also there is a bit about the 1930s I think a bit gratuitously although interesting to Gooners.