Small Island (Andrea Levy)

Andrea Levy
Small Island

Started reading on holiday in Cornwall and Devon - very white population so strangely linked to the whiteness of the London population experienced by the novel's protagonists. Oddly split stories which touch in parts but randomly. Two stories of white English couple split by WWII the other of Jamaican dreams of living and working in England. Joint reference points are shared experiences of the war. Seems a little artificial to be honest although each of our narrators find themselves either frustrated in their ambitions or relationships. The racial aspect underlying the stories comes to the fore briefly in a violent affair in a cinema but this suggest that the American racism is far worse than the British. However later in the book when Jamaicans are living in London this aspect is flushed out until it reaches a violent outcome. The end of the book is a little romantic in many senses of the word with a twist in the tail leading to an outcome I hadn't anticipated but one that didn't seem too odd whilst reading.

Although I enjoyed reading this novel I didn't think it brilliant and felt a little short changed. The characters and situations seemed to be building up to a tumultuous climax and whilst I guess there is for the characters the wider context of post war post Windrush Britain is dealt with more delicately than needs be. A fairy tale ending, as in fantastic, where something a bit more gothic is needed. What I mean is that it seems that the author has striven to square up all the main characters weaknesses so that they all cancel out in relation to each other. Not the usual outcome of wars either for victors or victims.

Shots From The Hip (Charles Shaar Murray)

Charles Shaar Murray
Shots From The Hip

A series of reviews from CSM mainly music related from back in the day to when the book was published in the early 90s. Charles had a particular style which I enjoyed reading in the late 70s when I was an avid NME reader. He's very enthusiastic about the bands that he likes and ones that are authentic (although I guess that's very subjective) and very scathing about the bands he doesn't like or such as flabby white rock groups. I guess that my musical and political tastes coincided with CSM, and the NME in general, meant that I appreciated his reviews and writing. In re-reading some of CSM's articles they haven't lost any of their wit or relevance. In fact rather than seem dated Charles' thoughts are prescient both in musical predictions and his musings on society in general and the music industry's place within it. I was personally impressed by his references to punk in early articles and his understanding in the mid 70s that the New York protopunks and subsequent London punks would blow away the dinosaurs of rock, albeit temporarily and albeit for some of us, and bring rock to ground zero. I also loved his love of blues. Now I'm sure that any compendium of journalistic articles will pick out the ones that are the best written and predict the future but having read so much of CSM in the 70s and early 80s I know that he authored an awful lot of current and entertaining copy. And that's the beauty of this book, it is entertaining whether Charles being enthralled by a first Ramones gig or taking the piss out of the rock establishment. Hey ho let's go.

Reg Harris (Robert Dineen)

Robert Dineen
Reg Harris: The rise and fall of Britain's greatest cyclist

A very well written biography of someone who sounds like he probably deserved the accolade. It charts both Reg himself and also the shenanigans that was professional, and it seems amateur, cycling through the decades. A good read and Reg himself comes over pretty well compared to other sports biographies considering that most top sports people have a drive for success that can seem very selfish and for spectators can seem unsportsmanlike. The thing we do like is that determination and self belief that often results in rebelliousness against the authorities, in this case UK cycling bodies. Certainly someone who loved the sport and couldn't quite extricate himself from it. Worth reading whether a cycling fan or not.

Eating People Is Wrong (Malcolm Bradbury)

Malcolm Bradbury
Eating People Is Wrong

Another book I got from the free bookshop in Stratford shopping centre by an author I'd not read before. The story's centred on a red brick university professor who seems to be very comfortable in his job and life style. It starts off at a fairly lazy pace introducing the various characters most of whom are in some way disconnected from the real world living in, or trying to enter, an academic bubble. The resulting relationships, formed and unformed, and misunderstandings, often unwittingly engineered by the very ones who are misunderstood, make for awkward yet absurd situations that at times are laugh out loud. Maybe it's the setting but it's a bit like a softer, yet no less enjoyable, Tom Sharpe without the crudity and without being led into unbelievable outcomes. That's partly the beauty of this book in that the outcomes are very real and ones that we have all felt to some degree. Although to be honest my time at a redbrick university was in no way alienating. If I had been a little more alienated instead of spending all my time socialising maybe I would've got a better degree.

As the story goes on the plot moves from gentle ha ha into a darker phase whereby the amusing situations have a harder edge and stronger effect on our heroes and those who live comfortably in the world counterpoint the feelings and actions of those who don't. The inevitable outcomes of the initial situations come home to roost bringing with them a pathos reminding me of Orwell (Coming Up for Air) or Hardy (virtually everything). Like both these authors Bradbury links the personal upsets and challenges of the characters to the wider societal changes both within their immediate environment (a college in this book) and in society. Along the way there are comments on the young angry brigade of writers and artists (this was written in the late 50s) which remind me of more recent attitudes to striking young artists. By the end of the book the transformation from comedy to alienation is complete and we leave our main man in a situation much further from any distance that he felt within the college. Indeed in a situation where thought is replaced by bodily function. Contrary to this another of the characters seems to have gone the other way whereby his mind has informed his body's condition. Either way the outcome seems similar. And inconclusive.

The book title comes from a sketch by Flanders and Swann that ends by likening eating people to fighting people. I guess the point of the title is that where you draw your line in relationships and society is a moving point and inevitably different from others. And also heavily informed by society at large. This chimes with my recent conversion to veganism (bar the odd cheesecake that I thought was made of tofu instead of ricotta) which has made me think deeper about how far I am willing to travel down the road of ethically and environmentally friendly food sourcing. Figuratively travelling personally but in actual miles too. Not eating honey (which was a surprise to me when I turned vegan but thought in for a penny in for a pound and gave it up) is one step down the road but now one of my greatest dilemmas is drinking almond milk as most almonds are grown in California and rely on the transport of millions of bees back and forth across the USA with resultant death and stress on those poor defenceless creatures. OK, not so defenceless if a swarm attacks you but I guess you know what I mean. Not sure how I got to this when reviewing a book about academic life but I'm sure that some sociologist out there (Matt?) will explain and add in the Comments section...

Couples (John Updike)

John Updike
Couples

Never read any Updike before, that I can remember, and I found this in a free bookshop in Stratford. Not an independent or underground bookshop - one that gives you 3 books free of charge. A no lose situation I thought, as one of Updike's characters may say. And that's the problem. His characters all seem a bit one dimensional and very irritating. And unlikeable. Add to that the descriptions of infidelity, not graphic but mainly from the emotional viewpoint, and other character's views of these shenanigans creates a very dated and boring novel. I guess it was written in the mid 60's and by all accounts it was pretty risque at the time so maybe this was a breath of fresh air east coast style. But reading now it falls between being provocative, sexy, titillating or illuminating. I thought at first that the style was something I could hang onto but even that becomes tedious and predictable. It's as if it's written for a magazine in a formulaic way. I got a third of the way through and whilst I found the book amusing, not funny amusing but it passed the time, I wasn't hooked. Pausing my evening's reading to make a cup of tea I came back and just couldn't face opening the thing up again. I was bored. Life's too short to read Updike, at least my remaining life is. Maybe I should've read it back in the 70's when it was only 10 years old and when I was a pubescent youth and open to a bit of titillation. But I'm sure he didn't write for frustrated British early teens. Christ, I'm beginning to write like him. I don't often give up on a novel but the bookmark is forever lodged between pages 158 and 159. Not enjoyable.

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (Carson McCullers)

Carson McCullers
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

An excellent book written with real pathos and empathy with the main characters. These characters are well built up and we see their strengths and weaknesses. The strengths are a sense of commitment to their beliefs those being ones that we can identify with. The weaknesses are an otherworldliness that distances them from those around them and in some sense from us as readers. The main protagonists, ironically given the way that Carson writes, don't seem to have empathy for others or understand how they cause distress for their loved ones and try to force their views on others. The hub of attention is a deaf mute who is used by others as someone to pour their hearts and dreams out to but turns out to be someone who truly doesn't understand them and is simply a person for them to use as therapy. I think the point Carson makes is that everyone needs a shoulder to lean on and not necessarily one that tries to help resolve your problems.

The stories weaved into the characters reminds me of Steinbeck's Cannery Row which is one of my favourite novels which I can go back to time and again. This book isn't as riotous and laugh out loud in it's anecdotes but has the same sensitivity to descriptions of outsiders with their flawed characters (aren't we all?)  There is at times an uncomfortable undercurrent of underage sex which is realised in a gentle and romantic way.

Overall a novel I really enjoyed, as did Debbie, leaving me wanting to read more by this young author (was at the time of writing) who had a troubled life. This was her first novel published 5 years before Cannery Row. Recommended.

Fifty Bicycles that Changed the World (Alex Newson, Design Museum, London)

Alex Newson
Fifty Bicycles that Changed the World



Coffee table style book with great pictures and the history of the bike told across 50 major innovations. Couple of omissions but who's quibbling with such a sumptuous feast laid out for us. This is a series of "50 things that changed the world" and the bike and car series must be more serious than 50 bags or shoes that changed the world. Really? Loved this book though. Thanks workmates.

Easy Rider (Rob Hayles)

Rob Hayles
Easy Rider: My Life on a Bike

Very readable book by someone who I thought came over a little arrogant on telly but I've changed my opinion of him. He comes over as a very honest and down to earth guy who just loved cycling, or at least racing and winning. Obviously very driven to get as far as he did and with that must come an inner belief in your ability to win each race so maybe I mistook that for arrogance, along with his very laid back attitude.

As an urban commuter cyclist who occasionally ventures out into the countryside on my hybrid I've never known team or event cycling but watch le Tour and a few other races when on TV. Rob gives a real insight into how it was to make a living out of cycling and his career spans the time from when British cyclists were not particularly well thought of and when you had to join a continental team to survive - up until the professionalisation of GB cycling when we ruled the world. It's a good read and whilst it doesn't give too many secrets or scandal away it lets you in on the hard world of cycling. Some amusing and some heart warming anecdotes make it an easy and absorbing read. In many ways I enjoyed this more that Bradley Wiggins' book. I will look out for him on telly now feeling that I know where he's coming from.

The Moon and Sixpence (Somerset Maugham)

Somerset Maugham
The Moon and Sixpence

An enjoyable book which isn't too taxing but runs deep. Narrated by an educated and presumably a man of comfortable means the tale tells of a stockbroker who suddenly abandons wife and kids to become a struggling, nay starving, artist in Paris and then makes his way to Tahiti. He is presented as an awful and selfish character who has no empathy for anyone else and indeed seems to go out of his way to upset and ridicule friends and acquaintances. Our (anti) hero settles down into a seemingly idyllic existence in Tahiti where his non-conforming attitude seems to be more acceptable than in Europe, until he is brought low by a terrible disease and passes away. Of course his paintings then become much sought after and expensive. If this sounds a bit obvious then the story is not so and in fact the narrator recognises the risk of this. Rather than the physical story the (spiritual) character of the protagonists comes through strongly and whilst nearly all are slated by the narrator in the end we have a sympathy for their faults. If that's what they are. The book doesn't explain the title but after finishing and a spot of googling I find that it relates to a character from an earlier Maugham book who was "so busy yearning for the moon that he never saw the sixpence at his feet."

Overall a story that gripped me and finished in a weekend cycling tour in Normandy. Me, not the story characters. Not bad for a book from a free book store. Free as in no payment, rather than the independently free alternative bookshops from a few decades ago who charged for books. Paying for art and literature would be anathema to our hero and it's perhaps fitting that I picked up a free copy printed 60 years ago by an author who died 50 years ago.

Believing Cassandra (Alan AtKisson)

Alan AtKisson
Believing Cassandra: How to be an Optimist in a Pessimist's World



An apparently classic text on sustainability that's been recently updated. The premise is that environmentalists are Cassandras (as of Troy) who are cursed in that no one will believe their predictions and that they will only have the pleasure of telling everyone else "I told you so" when the World (i.e. human and other life forms) start to decline due to our appalling pillage of our natural resources. It starts off quite theoretical and then becomes quite scary adding to my understanding of what a bad state the World is in and how it's getting worse. It then becomes very upbeat and optimistic, the clue's in the subtitle, saying why he believes that the human race will pull back from the brink of destruction and re-define "growth" as useful and sustainable rather than purely measured on spend (oil slick cleanups add to GDP and therefore are good for growth in our bizarre world) and destruction of resources and unsustainable pollution. A great point is that we've managed to get ourselves into this terrible state within 200 years so why can't we get ourselves out of it. A very readable book with strongly personal accounts of his actions and involvement in the sustainability movement. And yes, sustainability is mentioned a lot. Not sure who to give to next - someone who is already a convert or a sceptic.

Please Kill Me (Legs McNeil, Gillian McCain)

Legs McNeil, Gillian McCain
Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk



A potted history of American punk and it's origins from MC5 through to multiple death by drugs. It's all quotes stitched together to make the history giving a really good insight into the times and how the New York punk set lived. From a classic punk point of view (the UK viewpoint?) it covers Richard Hell and The Ramones but the rest is pre punk or simple rock and roll bands. I think Americans would have a different view. The Sex Pistols make an appearance along with Malcolm M but I think mainly because of Sid's descent into dope and the subsequent arrest on Nancy's death and his own death. There is a lot about the drugs and bands which may have not been as (openly?) into that scene (Talking Heads, Blondie, Devo) have less of a look in if any. The British scene is scathingly dismissed in the most part as copy cat with a few whinging about the supposedly pseudo political stance of The Clash and others. There is little about the background to British punk and their influences but I guess it's an American book of quotes from friends of the authors who lived in New York. Having said that it's got a few holes in analysis it's a damned good read with some very funny bits and getting pretty sombre by the end. And if you're looking for titillation here's the spoiler - everyone seems to have slept with everyone else whether man or woman. Apart from Bebe Buell and Johnny Thunders.

Healing Planet Earth (Edward Esko)

Edward Esko
Healing Planet Earth



A 60 page pamphlet explaining the environmental impact of our food consumption linked to the macrobiotic theory on how food affects us as individuals. Very well written although not all would agree with the conclusions and some of the links. As environmental impact was one of the main reasons I became a vegetarian plus the individual health concerns reading this makes me think I should try out the macrobiotic diet. No tomatoes though? I recommend reading this even if it may seem a little dated but remember when first written in the early 90s most environmentalists were considered loonies.

The Secret Agent (Joseph Conrad)

Joseph Conrad
The Secret Agent



I thought that this would be an intellectually challenging read but in my view it's a novel with an interesting plot but spoilt by lazy caricatures with even the plot let down by being lazily finished. Conrad seemingly dislikes anarchists and paints them all as short ugly lazy fat revolutionaries who obviously have psychological problems. The only intellectual effort was in looking up the odd long and obscure word but I stopped doing that when one on-line definition pointed out that the word was very seldom used except by Conrad. Maybe instead of thinking up obscure words the efforts should have been put into the plot development. Apart from my vocabulary challenges this was an easy read and the last two chapters sort of redeemed the book. It was a bit like reading a Hammer House of Horrors plot. Shadows of knives indeed! Maybe back when written in the early part of last century it didn't seem to be so hackneyed but other great authors managed to avoid poor plots and characters. I picked this up in a Books for Free shop (healthyplanet.org) and it was a Penguin "Modern" Classic (my quotes) printed in the mid 1950's with a 3/6 price tag. Anyone under 50 will need to look up that currency notation. Not sure I'll rush off to read his other classics even if for free...

Keeping Up With the Germans (Philip Oltermann)

Philip Oltermann
Keeping Up With the Germans



I hesitate to read books written by foreigners about British culture, or indeed books written by Brits about other cultures. They are often lazy caricatures and at best reinforce why you think you have a great culture with inane positive generalisations. Also I often  pick holes in what is written, not surprisingly as I have always lived in England bar a year or so travelling / bumming around the Americas. Although this book has all of the above in parts I guess that goes with the territory and the author understands that and has made a real attempt to analyse both German and British cultures by the innovative instrument of various meetings between both nationalities from the last couple of centuries.

I wasn't sure whether the book was by a German noting British oddities which is apparent when Philip first comes to live in London's suburbia noting bathrooms with carpeting and separate hot and cold taps (something which my German friends just cannot get their heads around). Or by a truly anglicised German looking at German customs such as new year walks up the Brocken in the Harz mountains which is somewhere I've had the pleasure of visiting. The book goes into much deeper analysis of both cultures and the national psyches and how each look at each other and is both intriguing and compelling.

A couple of notable sections are the impressive build of sash windows with their perfectly balanced counterweights hidden from view (ever opened one up?) but ultimately being either draughty or painted shut and therefore needing to be replaced. And the German obsession at new year with an English sketch from the music hall era called Dinner For One which I'd never heard of until my German friends showed me it a few months ago whilst visiting Berlin. To me it's an amusing sketch with little dialogue in the style of Norman Wisdom or Eric Sykes when TV was B&W and shut down at 10.30 with the national anthem. To the Germans it's a national institution. Go watch... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lzQxjGL9S0  Going back to my hesitation in reading books like this the sketch is everything you would expect a foreigner to think about Brits - class separation (butler with my name James), empire artifacts, eccentricity, heavy drinking, slapstick and finally crude innuendo but of course nothing explicit. But to be fair funny all the same and may sum up the public face of Britain from the 1950s although obviously not now.

In conclusion an enjoyable book that made me think about both German and my culture, and how both are perceived. Interested in how it comes across to a German very interested in British culture and how to a Brit who's married to a German and works regularly over there. Let me know boys.

Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance (Johnny Rogan)

Johnny Rogan
Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance




This book was written just after The Smiths split so is pretty old but came highly recommended and therefore I thought worth a read. I was never a big Smiths fan having seen a massively overhyped show in the early 80s. Admittedly it wasn't them doing the hyping but a few of my mates raved about this new band that were the saviour of post punk indie rock and pop with a singer who had the detached attitude of Johnny Rotten. So I went along to see them at Birmingham University (gigography in the book says 30/9/83) and was somewhat disappointed watching a band with very little audience engagement and a fey singer sneering at the audience with gladioli affectedly hanging out his back pocket singing and screeching. I remember that the music wasn’t as astoundingly innovative as my mates had made out with a fairly competent rock rhythm section and bluesy guitar. If I’d seen them cold without warning and Morrissey had said hello to us then maybe I’d have appreciated them more. Maybe he wasn't into playing to a load of students at what would have been a freshers week gig. Henceforth I was never a fan although liked a few of their more upbeat tunes and obviously danced around to them at the ubiquitous indie disco. I probably saw them at Glastonbury too as when they played I think I was there and there weren't as many stages as now to choose from. Looking back I can see the brilliance of some of their songs but there's still a hell of a lot of miserablist whining to scour through before the gems.

So to the book rather than my musings. It's put together mainly through interviews and the only Smith who seems to have cooperated is the drummer Joyce. I read that Morrissey hated the book but he's a cantakerous old git so not sure that means a lot. It's well written and although at first it seems a bit thrown together with odd memories of those he's interviewed as time goes on the storyline becomes more coherent soon giving us a rich insight into the band and their challenges. The early days of Morrissey at school are very reminiscent of my schooldays although perhaps my school was a little more interested in teaching and less in corporal punishment. But not a lot. As ever when reading these band biographies I regret not taking the time to learn the guitar and become a rock and roll star but guess many do learn and few make a living out of it. The Smiths come over as a fairly dysfunctional group. Brilliantly gelling as musicians, which I guess it's all about, but communications between themselves and certainly with others outside the group were appalling eventually leading to their demise. The Morrissey / Marr team's independence, or control freakery, seems a major contribution to stress as nothing was contractually agreed and in trying to keep control of management they just had to do too much. Or disappoint people who were trying to help them. The author seems to have a genuine respect for all the group and the book reads fairly. A few very interesting snippets especially the close involvement of Grant Showbiz of Here and Now fame (look em up). Ironically it was the punk meets hippy psychedelic dance funk crossover bands that Here and Now preceded that made me think that The Smiths, pretty early on in their career, were the last of the indie popsters who would be swept away with richer soundscapes. Acid house and the rave scene did indeed seriously damage indie guitar bands but they reemerged with Brit Pop.

Overall a good read and of interest whether you're a Smiths fan or simply want to read the life story up to the demise of The Smiths of admittedly two of the great songwriting duos and one of the more interesting and controversial characters from British popular culture from the last few decades.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (John Boyne)

John Boyne
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas



A very tenderly written book in language as if for kids which it probably was. I'd never fancied reading it as tend to avoid distressing subjects if sentimental which I thought it may be. As both my daughters (16 and 11) have read and raved about it I thought I'd give it a go. Glad I did and finished in two sittings. It has an innocence reminiscent of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (which I really should read again) but maybe that's a lazy comparison. The worries and pains of the main character are both sharply contrasted with but at the same time sympathetically compared with those of his imprisoned friend. On one level it's a story about loss, friendship and being a child. That's the way it's written and it's only when I stop to think about the context does the horror of the situation make itself felt. That dark side of the relationship is brilliantly understated and even obviously violent episodes are explicitly not described to us keeping us in some ways more innocent than the children themselves. My second session was at midnight in bed and a feeling of dread washed over me not wanting to know what happens but rushing towards the end. The ending is so delicately described that I had to read again thinking about what was happening rather than what was described. Even the very last scene has a pathos that suggests empathy rather than hatred. The last lines bring us back to the context and how this world really isn't as innocent as the story is written. This morning I asked my 11 year old daughter if she knew what happened at the end and she described quite mechanically the horror and said that they were told at school and also by her 16 year old sister. Definitely written for children who maybe don't read it with the sentimental eyes that I did cos they are themselves going through the pains of being young and made to do what others (myself included) tell them to often without any real understanding as to why. Maybe that's what ultimately unites the two friends despite the obvious difference between their situations. In the end their friendship brings them together united in their inability to decide their fate.

News of a Kidnapping (Gabriel García Márquez)

Gabriel García Márquez
News of a Kidnapping

I usually find GGM very readable and love the way he richly builds up characters and situations making you feel part of it. However although this is meant to be his best book I found it really difficult to get into. He brings so many characters in to play and has a seemingly scattergun approach as to who you get to know and who not. Added to this anyone without the advantage of being in power or with influence is seemingly dismissed by him as if their or their family's pain is nothing. Maybe this is deliberate as I guess in Columbia at this time life was very cheap and no one cared about the working class. The dead driver is dismissed with a sentence whereas we are told to feel sorry for our privileged kidnappee as she's roughly manhandled into a car. He also bangs on about the poor food and conditions that his privileged characters have to endure and it's only at the end of the book that one of the "bad guys" points out what I was thinking all the way through - i.e. that this is how most people live in the Columbian slums anyway so stop complaining. And as a veggie lentils don't sound so bad anyway and pulses are the staple diet for most in South America.

The narrative lurches from kidnapped to political workings all the time without really going into any context but maybe it was written for Columbians who'd lived through this period. I was in Columbia in the late 80s and so followed the disastrous times then and into the 90s but even so I could have done with a quick recap as to who Escobar was and how the situation with him, other drug cartels and the para military / police militias had come about and their atrocities in the slums.
I felt little sympathy for the main characters especially as they came from the social and political elite and had access to power including the president and indeed Escobar too. Maybe also it's because we don't get into the prisoners' personalities and the mental stress is reported as if in a news bulletin rather than in an empathetic way which is odd for Marquez as he's very good at that in other books I've read. I also wondered if something was lost in translation although the translator is Edith Grossman who I've read and though did brilliantly for Don Quixote and The General in His Labyrinth.
I got more into the book when it moves to less prisoners so you get to know them better and when it goes into the mechanisms of political influence and the governments way of dealing with Escobar and then learning about him. The release of the last two and Escobar's surrender were interesting although sometimes a little unbelievable and again could have had more context (written for Columbians?) as to who he was and how built up such an empire - cartels and the govt war on narcotics and police atrocities in the slums. The ending feels a bit rushed with nothing on the aftermath except for Escobar's fate.

In the end I was glad I persevered and enjoyed the 2nd half more than first. Not at all sure it's his best book though...

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.

Mysore (R. K. Narayan)

R. K. Narayan
Mysore



A travelogue by a great Indian author about an area he obviously know very well. Very engaging accounts of local towns, villages and tourist sites plus of course temples and other religious places. A lot of history is thrown in amongst these accounts. I read this on my phone and took about 3 months as only read on the tube when I'd forgotten paper books. Narayan's novels are well worth reading and really place you in the India that he describes. This travel book captures some of that vivid description but at times can be a little rushed and dry. But it does make me want to read more of him.

Simon Bolivar and Spanish American Independence, 1783-1830 (John J. Johnson)

John J. Johnson
Simon Bolivar and Spanish American Independence, 1783-1830



I won't go into how El Libertador freed (most of) South America from the Spanish mainland as you can wikipedia it. This book goes through that process with a critical eye including Bolivar's initial failures and the not so great bits of his legacy. What makes this book interesting is the analysis of Bolivar's view of how to run government in the Americas which seems to slide from democratic through to dictatorship over his (short) lifetime. This seems to have been due to failures of the revolution and reversion to Spanish rule. He concludes that the only way to liberate South America is to have a dictatorship backed up by the army. His idea was to replace Spanish rule with American born dictators but that seems to be restricted to those of European descent. He views slaves of African descent and native Indians as to unsophisticated and uncivilised to entrust to power and would cause anarchy if given any power or the vote. He frees slaves reluctantly as he promised that to the Haitians when they helped him out early on after one of his knockbacks. The other shock (to me anyway) was how Bolivar brutalised the continent by declaring a take no prisoners policy in the wars which he seems to have regretted later in life and was certainly regretted by his peers. Although undoubtably a great war time hero the failure seems to be the cult of Bolivar and his being invited to be president of much of South America.

The second half of the book is a series of papers. Some written by Bolivar and some critiques of him. The last ends with the depressing thought that South America has become a colony rules by Spanish descendants rather than from Spain. The vast majority of the populations are forced under the yolk of dictatorships and military juntas. The latter were Bolivar's preferred form of government. Given that he came from the richest family in Venezuela perhaps the result of his "liberation" was no true liberation of the masses. After starting this book thinking Bolivar was a hero I ended it thinking that he was a tyrant who put in place the form of government that still lasts today. After 300 years of Spanish domination the masses have endured another 200 years since Bolivar's liberation. Overall a depressing read for myself. I travelled in South America and was somewhat surprised that every town in the northern countries had streets and monuments dedicated to Bolivar. I was surprised because I didn't think that the current despotic rules would appreciate celebration of a liberator. Now I know why they did. He liberated the ruling classes from the Spanish mainland but the freedom stopped there. The struggle for freedom continues for most of the continent.

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Simon-Bolivar-Spanish-American-Independence-1783-1830-John-Johnson/9780894646874?utm_source=SV-Body&utm_medium=email-Service&utm_term=Simon-Bolivar-and-Spanish-American-Independence-1783-1830_title&utm_content=order-details&utm_campaign=Order-confirmation

Arthur Lee: Alone Again Or (Barney Hoskyns)

Barney Hoskyns
Arthur Lee: Alone Again Or



A book about Love's main man who seems like he was anything but. In the book someone refers to them as Hate. Pretty hard read mainly because not especially interesting and a mishmash of references to interviews and seemingly random journalist pieces. Not a lot of real insight from the author himself into either Arthur, Love or the 60s. One irritating aspect of the book is that Barney keeps on saying Love were the punks of the hippie era as if punk was about being an egomaniacal arsehole which it wasn't. Confrontational yes but not backstabbing idiots. And the album raved about in the book (Forever Changes) sounds nothing like either 60s garage or punk - more like uninspiring 60s west coast folk with the best tracks sounding a bit like The Who but not nearly as good. Some are a straight rip off of The Who. Saying they were revolutionary seems crazy as others were properly out there. Maybe live they were better but not recorded. Their 1st recording Love has a couple of more raw and garage like tracks but that's being generous as they sound like they were recorded in a garage. Having said this lots of other bands that I respect seem to respect Lee and Love so maybe I've missed the point. But coming back to the book it hasn't inspired me to listen further.

http://www.abebooks.com/Arthur-Lee-Alone-Again-Barney-Hoskyns/8472018712/bd