"A beautiful read. on every level" Independent on Sunday
Arthur and Jake: brothers, yet worlds apart. Arthur is older, shy, dutiful and set to inherit his father's farm. Jake is younger and reckless, a dangerous man to know. When Laura arrives in their 1930's rural community, an already uneasy relationship is driven to breaking point...
In case any readers of this blog think I only read what Richard and Judy tell me I should, I would like to make clear that I read this before it appeared on their list of Summer Reads! Just as I savoured Mary Lawson's Crow Lake, I loved this book. The plot synopsis on the back cover I felt was a little misleading, it is not really Laura's arrival in the story that drives the brothers to breaking point, rather than Jake's return to the town, years later. A visit that ultimately ends in a tragedy.
The story switches between past and present and the main character, Ian, son of the local doctor, who works at Arthur's farm in an effort to be near the beautiful Laura, narrates the present. He is unaware of the history between Jake and Arthur and somewhat absorbed in his own troubles, and this somewhat contributes to the ensuing tragedy. Ian is a very likeable character, and his friendships make for some poignant reading. He, like Arthur, is old beyond his years, solid and dependable.
The relationship between the Dunn brothers is told from Arthur's point of view, and I really sympathised with Arthur. Jake is clearly his mother's favourite, and Arthur is assigned to keep Jake out of danger and trouble, a difficult job when Jake is so very reckless. It seems that he has a deep dislike and resentment of Arthur, and it is difficult to see why.
This novel was longlisted for the 2006 Man Booker Prize, along with The Testament of Gideon Mack, but did not make the shortlist which M.J Hyland's Carry Me Down did.
I look forward to her next book!
"Evokes beautifully the big joys and sorrows of most people, no matter how small their town" The Times
Showing posts with label Man Booker Prize. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Man Booker Prize. Show all posts
Sunday, 7 October 2007
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
Carry Me Down - M.J Hyland
"Instantly likeable" The Times.
John Egan has a gift. He can tell when people are lying. Hoping that this talent will bring him fame, he has written to the Guiness Vook of Records. But while he waits for a letter in return, his obsession with the truth begins to threaten his already fragile family.
John Egan is an unnaturally tall, awkward eleven year old living in Ireland with his parents and grandmother. As his father observes, he is an "odd mixture" of "little boy and a grown lad" and the story spans a year in John's life, from age eleven to age twelve. His ultimate ambitionis to appear in the Guiness Book of Records, with which he is obssessed. When he realises that his father is lying to him, he recognises in himself a talent that could fulfill this ambition- he is a human lie detector. He begins to keep a record of the lies he detects in his "Gol of Seil", yet becomes accomplished at lying himself.
His relationship with his mother seems unnaturally close, and his home and school life are a constant trial to him. When the family are forced to move, his world becomes increasingly difficult, and his mental state more and more precarious. His father becomes wayward and his mother depressed and together with his fixation on the truth, John helplessness spirals out of control.
I did not enjoy this as much as M.J Hyland's first novel How the Light Gets In. I found it a little slow, and felt there were undercurrents of something awful in John's past that is never explored. Although I sympathised with John, I did not feel that his character was as well constucted as that of Lou in the Hyland's debut. John's character seems somewhat autistic, yet this is never really confirmed or denied.
I was suprised that this was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, whilst How the Light Gets In was ignored.
Although I enjoyed the book, I could not really say what kept me reading and I was glad to reach the end, and move on to something else.
"Enthralling and absorbing" Observer.
John Egan has a gift. He can tell when people are lying. Hoping that this talent will bring him fame, he has written to the Guiness Vook of Records. But while he waits for a letter in return, his obsession with the truth begins to threaten his already fragile family.
John Egan is an unnaturally tall, awkward eleven year old living in Ireland with his parents and grandmother. As his father observes, he is an "odd mixture" of "little boy and a grown lad" and the story spans a year in John's life, from age eleven to age twelve. His ultimate ambitionis to appear in the Guiness Book of Records, with which he is obssessed. When he realises that his father is lying to him, he recognises in himself a talent that could fulfill this ambition- he is a human lie detector. He begins to keep a record of the lies he detects in his "Gol of Seil", yet becomes accomplished at lying himself.
His relationship with his mother seems unnaturally close, and his home and school life are a constant trial to him. When the family are forced to move, his world becomes increasingly difficult, and his mental state more and more precarious. His father becomes wayward and his mother depressed and together with his fixation on the truth, John helplessness spirals out of control.
I did not enjoy this as much as M.J Hyland's first novel How the Light Gets In. I found it a little slow, and felt there were undercurrents of something awful in John's past that is never explored. Although I sympathised with John, I did not feel that his character was as well constucted as that of Lou in the Hyland's debut. John's character seems somewhat autistic, yet this is never really confirmed or denied.
I was suprised that this was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, whilst How the Light Gets In was ignored.
Although I enjoyed the book, I could not really say what kept me reading and I was glad to reach the end, and move on to something else.
"Enthralling and absorbing" Observer.
Tuesday, 20 March 2007
The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-time- Mark Haddon.
"Outstanding...A stunningly good read" Independent.
Christopher Boone is 15 and has Asperger's Syndrome.He knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He likes lists, patterns and the truth. he hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he finds a neighbour's dog murdered, he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his whole world upside down.
I did not know very much about Asperger's Syndrome before picking up this highly lauded novel, but feel that Christopher's character gives a stunning insight into this condition. I enjoyed the inclusion of maths problems, maps and diagrams, contributing to the exploration of an autistic mind.
It is easy to sympathise with Christopher, his naivety and logic is by turn heartbreakingly sad, and hilariously funny. I felt outraged on his behalf when the truth about his mother is revealed, but certainly not pity. It is clear from Christopher's observations about his parents that he does not grasp the havoc his condition has wreaked in the lives of his parents and this innocence makes the story all the more moving. Throughout the book, Haddon uses dramatic irony whereby the reader has more understanding of situations and events than the narrator himself. Christopher's inability to understand social interaction and to respond to social cues makes for some memorable deadpan comedy.
"I also said I cared about dogs because they were faithful and honest, and some dogs were cleverer and more interesting than some people. Steve, for example, who comes to school on Thursdays, needs help to eat his food and could not even fetch a stick. Siobhan asked me not to say this to Steve's mother."
The title of this amazing novel is a quotation of a remark made by Sherlock Holmes in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story, "Silver Blaze". Christopher's obssession with both this detective and the truth leads him on a quest, piecing together the jigsaw of lies and deceit surrounding his family. This book will appeal to both adults and children alike, and should in every school library. It won the Whitbread Novel of the Year (now called the Costa Book Awards), the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the South Bank Show Book Award, and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
Christopher tells us, "This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them."
He is wrong, the book is laugh out loud funny, but also moving delightful and extremely memorable.
"Superbly realised... A funny as well as a sad book" Guardian.
Christopher Boone is 15 and has Asperger's Syndrome.He knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He likes lists, patterns and the truth. he hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he finds a neighbour's dog murdered, he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his whole world upside down.
I did not know very much about Asperger's Syndrome before picking up this highly lauded novel, but feel that Christopher's character gives a stunning insight into this condition. I enjoyed the inclusion of maths problems, maps and diagrams, contributing to the exploration of an autistic mind.
It is easy to sympathise with Christopher, his naivety and logic is by turn heartbreakingly sad, and hilariously funny. I felt outraged on his behalf when the truth about his mother is revealed, but certainly not pity. It is clear from Christopher's observations about his parents that he does not grasp the havoc his condition has wreaked in the lives of his parents and this innocence makes the story all the more moving. Throughout the book, Haddon uses dramatic irony whereby the reader has more understanding of situations and events than the narrator himself. Christopher's inability to understand social interaction and to respond to social cues makes for some memorable deadpan comedy.
"I also said I cared about dogs because they were faithful and honest, and some dogs were cleverer and more interesting than some people. Steve, for example, who comes to school on Thursdays, needs help to eat his food and could not even fetch a stick. Siobhan asked me not to say this to Steve's mother."
The title of this amazing novel is a quotation of a remark made by Sherlock Holmes in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story, "Silver Blaze". Christopher's obssession with both this detective and the truth leads him on a quest, piecing together the jigsaw of lies and deceit surrounding his family. This book will appeal to both adults and children alike, and should in every school library. It won the Whitbread Novel of the Year (now called the Costa Book Awards), the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the South Bank Show Book Award, and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
Christopher tells us, "This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them."
He is wrong, the book is laugh out loud funny, but also moving delightful and extremely memorable.
"Superbly realised... A funny as well as a sad book" Guardian.
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian- Marina Lewycka
"Mad and hilarious" Daily Telegraph.
"Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamorous blonde Ukranian divorcee. He was 84, and she was 36. She exploded into our lives like a fluffy pink grenade, churning up the murky water, bringing to the surface a sludge of sloughed-off memories, giving the family ghosts a kick up the backside."
Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must put aside a lifetime of feuding to save their emigre engineer father from voluptuous gold-digger Valentina. With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she will stop at nothing in her pursuit for Western wealth.
This book was laugh out loud funny and it's characters an absolute triumph! The use of the language spoken by many of the characters-half English, half Ukranian- really brought them to life. Lewycka brings humour to the struggles of immigration, but really captures a sense of these difficulties without seeming flippant. For me, some of the less likable characters, Vera, and Valentina for example are made vulnerable and human leading you to empathise with their take on the world. Despite the humour of the book, there is a darker theme, the past adversities suffered by the older generations. An evocative portrait of early twentieth century Soviet Union emerges, and is an education and a delight to read. This novel was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Bollinger Everyman Prize for Comic Fiction.
Fantastic.
"Thought provoking, uproariously funny, a comic feast." Economist
"Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamorous blonde Ukranian divorcee. He was 84, and she was 36. She exploded into our lives like a fluffy pink grenade, churning up the murky water, bringing to the surface a sludge of sloughed-off memories, giving the family ghosts a kick up the backside."
Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must put aside a lifetime of feuding to save their emigre engineer father from voluptuous gold-digger Valentina. With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she will stop at nothing in her pursuit for Western wealth.
This book was laugh out loud funny and it's characters an absolute triumph! The use of the language spoken by many of the characters-half English, half Ukranian- really brought them to life. Lewycka brings humour to the struggles of immigration, but really captures a sense of these difficulties without seeming flippant. For me, some of the less likable characters, Vera, and Valentina for example are made vulnerable and human leading you to empathise with their take on the world. Despite the humour of the book, there is a darker theme, the past adversities suffered by the older generations. An evocative portrait of early twentieth century Soviet Union emerges, and is an education and a delight to read. This novel was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Bollinger Everyman Prize for Comic Fiction.
Fantastic.
"Thought provoking, uproariously funny, a comic feast." Economist
The Testament of Gideon Mack- James Robertson
"Superb" The Times.
"If the devil didn't exist, would man have to invent him?"
For Gideon Mack, faithless minister, unfaithful husband and troubled soul, the existence of God, let alone the Devil, is no more credible than that of ghosts or fairies. Until the day he falls into a gorge and is rescued by someone who might just be Satan himself. Mack's testament - a compelling blend of memoir, legend, history and, quite probably, madness - recounts one man's emotional crisis, disappearance, resurrection and death. It also transports you into an utterly mesmerising exploration of the very nature of belief.
Initially, I was disappointed in this book. I found the descriptions of the Scottish Highlands and the church, a little tedious and was impatient to get to Gideon's alleged meeting with the devil. This does not occur until about the last quarter of the book. However, the narrative of Gideon's childhood and the history of how he formed his ideas began to enthrall me. The characters all seemed very real and often I felt as though I was living these events with them. There were very many beautifully written, moving and exciting scenes. By the time I reached the end I was savouring every word.
This novel is another Richard and Judy's Book Club page turner and was also longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2006.
Exquisite!
"Fascinating, extraordinary, strange, rich" Sunday Telegraph.
"If the devil didn't exist, would man have to invent him?"
For Gideon Mack, faithless minister, unfaithful husband and troubled soul, the existence of God, let alone the Devil, is no more credible than that of ghosts or fairies. Until the day he falls into a gorge and is rescued by someone who might just be Satan himself. Mack's testament - a compelling blend of memoir, legend, history and, quite probably, madness - recounts one man's emotional crisis, disappearance, resurrection and death. It also transports you into an utterly mesmerising exploration of the very nature of belief.
Initially, I was disappointed in this book. I found the descriptions of the Scottish Highlands and the church, a little tedious and was impatient to get to Gideon's alleged meeting with the devil. This does not occur until about the last quarter of the book. However, the narrative of Gideon's childhood and the history of how he formed his ideas began to enthrall me. The characters all seemed very real and often I felt as though I was living these events with them. There were very many beautifully written, moving and exciting scenes. By the time I reached the end I was savouring every word.
This novel is another Richard and Judy's Book Club page turner and was also longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2006.
Exquisite!
"Fascinating, extraordinary, strange, rich" Sunday Telegraph.
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