"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 Richard and Judy's Book Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Richard and Judy's Book Club. Show all posts
Sunday, 7 October 2007
Friday, 5 October 2007
The Girls - Lori Lansens
"A graceful meditation on partnership, identity and enduring love" The Times
In twenty-nine years, Rose Darlen has never spent a moment apart from her twin sister Ruby. She has never gone for a solitary walk or had a private conversation. Yet, in all that time, she has never once looked into Ruby's eyes. Joined at the head, "The Girls" (as they are known in their small town) attempt to lead a normal life, but can't help being extraordinary. Now almost thirty, Rose and Ruby are on the verge of being the oldest living craniopagus twins in history, but they are remarkable for a lot more than their unusual sisterly bond.
This book is just superb. From the very first page, I was entranced by "The Girls" and feel that Lori Lansens has written a beautiful, emotional and effortlessly satisfying novel. Another Richard and Judy favourite, I was suprised that this didn't win book of the Year (Jed Rubenfeld's The Interpretation of Murder took the honour).
Ruby and Rose are born to a teenage mother in Leaford, a small fictional town in Ontario, Canada, during a tornado. Raised by the nurse who delivered them, Aunt Lovey and her Slovakian husband Uncle Stash, the Girls are loved fiercely and encouraged to become individuals in their own right. "You're lucky to be you" Lovey tells the twins, "You girls are remarkable. Most people can't say that."
Lovey and Stash are also remarkable. Alongside and entwined with Rose and Ruby's story, is the beautiful and touching tale of love between their adoptive parents. They tell each other, "You" meaning I love you and every other expression of love, simply in that one word.
Tied up in the story are a nearby family, the Merkels, whose young son Larry disappeared during the tornado on the night the girls were born. Mrs Merkel, Cathy,who was present at the birth, never gets over the loss of her son. She and her husband Sherman, play an important part in the story and are part of the secrets Rose and Ruby keep to protect one another.
Rose, who has aspirations of being a writer begins the story, and soon Ruby joins in with chapters of her own. Ruby's chief interest is finding Indian artifacts, and is not particularly keen on the idea of their wrting the book, "Whowants to read a book about a couple of sisters who work at the library in a boring small town, even if they are joined at the head?"
The love between the girls is really what makes this story so very special. They do not seem to mind that they are joined and have worked out a system of fairness whereby each sister has a turn at doing what she wishes to do. When asked if it was possible to separate them,would they proceed, both reply that they wouldn't want this.
They do quarrel, but ultimately share a bond that is unforgettable. "When Ruby and I were little, she used to put her delicate hands inside my shirt, on the skin of my back, or sometimes my tummy. Her clubfeet she'd pres to my thighs. She'd giggle and tease, "I'm taking your warm Rose. I'm taking all your warm." I never minded, and never protested, because I felt that while she was taking my warm, I was taking her cool."
I found this story unbearably at times, there is so much joy interspersed with so much tragedy.
I've lent or recommended this novel to many people, all of whom have enjoyed it immensley. It is quite unforgettable and in Roses's words, "The story of me, of Ruby and me, of Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash, and the Merkels and the others, it's hard to let go."
"Utterly entrancing...touching, tender and, at times, beguilingly funny" Daily Mail
In twenty-nine years, Rose Darlen has never spent a moment apart from her twin sister Ruby. She has never gone for a solitary walk or had a private conversation. Yet, in all that time, she has never once looked into Ruby's eyes. Joined at the head, "The Girls" (as they are known in their small town) attempt to lead a normal life, but can't help being extraordinary. Now almost thirty, Rose and Ruby are on the verge of being the oldest living craniopagus twins in history, but they are remarkable for a lot more than their unusual sisterly bond.
This book is just superb. From the very first page, I was entranced by "The Girls" and feel that Lori Lansens has written a beautiful, emotional and effortlessly satisfying novel. Another Richard and Judy favourite, I was suprised that this didn't win book of the Year (Jed Rubenfeld's The Interpretation of Murder took the honour).
Ruby and Rose are born to a teenage mother in Leaford, a small fictional town in Ontario, Canada, during a tornado. Raised by the nurse who delivered them, Aunt Lovey and her Slovakian husband Uncle Stash, the Girls are loved fiercely and encouraged to become individuals in their own right. "You're lucky to be you" Lovey tells the twins, "You girls are remarkable. Most people can't say that."
Lovey and Stash are also remarkable. Alongside and entwined with Rose and Ruby's story, is the beautiful and touching tale of love between their adoptive parents. They tell each other, "You" meaning I love you and every other expression of love, simply in that one word.
Tied up in the story are a nearby family, the Merkels, whose young son Larry disappeared during the tornado on the night the girls were born. Mrs Merkel, Cathy,who was present at the birth, never gets over the loss of her son. She and her husband Sherman, play an important part in the story and are part of the secrets Rose and Ruby keep to protect one another.
Rose, who has aspirations of being a writer begins the story, and soon Ruby joins in with chapters of her own. Ruby's chief interest is finding Indian artifacts, and is not particularly keen on the idea of their wrting the book, "Whowants to read a book about a couple of sisters who work at the library in a boring small town, even if they are joined at the head?"
The love between the girls is really what makes this story so very special. They do not seem to mind that they are joined and have worked out a system of fairness whereby each sister has a turn at doing what she wishes to do. When asked if it was possible to separate them,would they proceed, both reply that they wouldn't want this.
They do quarrel, but ultimately share a bond that is unforgettable. "When Ruby and I were little, she used to put her delicate hands inside my shirt, on the skin of my back, or sometimes my tummy. Her clubfeet she'd pres to my thighs. She'd giggle and tease, "I'm taking your warm Rose. I'm taking all your warm." I never minded, and never protested, because I felt that while she was taking my warm, I was taking her cool."
I found this story unbearably at times, there is so much joy interspersed with so much tragedy.
I've lent or recommended this novel to many people, all of whom have enjoyed it immensley. It is quite unforgettable and in Roses's words, "The story of me, of Ruby and me, of Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash, and the Merkels and the others, it's hard to let go."
"Utterly entrancing...touching, tender and, at times, beguilingly funny" Daily Mail
The House at Riverton - Kate Morton
"It's a corker...probably my favourite of all the summer reads" Judy Finnegan
A story of love, mystery, and a secret history revealed.
Summer 1924. On the eve of a glittering society party, by the lake of a grand English country house, a young poet takes his life. The only witnesses, sisters Hannah and Emmeline Hartford, will never speak to each other again.
Winter 1999. Grace Bradley, ninety-eight, one-time housemaid at Riverton Manor, is visited by a young director making a film about the poet's suicide. Ghosts awaken and old memories- long consigned to the dark reaches of Grace's mind- begin to sneak back through the cracks. A shocking secret threatens to emerge, something history has forgotten but Grace never could.
Set as the war-shattered Edwardian summer surrenders to the decadent twenties, The House At Riverton is a thrilling mystery and a compelling love story.
This beautiful novel was the winner of Richard and Judy's Summer Reads. Clearly Kate Morton has done extensive research on this period, and the bibliography at the back is testament to this. Morton writes that this period of history has always fascinated her, and this is clear from the way she engages the reader, painting a credible picture of the time.
The characters are very rich and believable, but I would have liked to learn more about Frederick and his secret past. I loved the upstairs-downstairs theme in the book, and enjoyed the banter the servants enjoy.
Some reviewers felt that the book was too long and contained unecessary detail, though I strongly disagree. I loved the confessional narrative of Grace, and felt that these details were important in understanding her loyalties to the sisters, especially Hannah.
Ultimately, the secret is revealed, and though it didn't really suprise me, I felt it was written both cleverly and originally, in Hannah's letter. The ending is sad on a number of levels, but I shan't give anything away.
"An extraordinary debut...written with a lovely turn of phrase by someone who knows how to eke out tantalizing secrets and drama" The Sunday Telegraph.
A story of love, mystery, and a secret history revealed.
Summer 1924. On the eve of a glittering society party, by the lake of a grand English country house, a young poet takes his life. The only witnesses, sisters Hannah and Emmeline Hartford, will never speak to each other again.
Winter 1999. Grace Bradley, ninety-eight, one-time housemaid at Riverton Manor, is visited by a young director making a film about the poet's suicide. Ghosts awaken and old memories- long consigned to the dark reaches of Grace's mind- begin to sneak back through the cracks. A shocking secret threatens to emerge, something history has forgotten but Grace never could.
Set as the war-shattered Edwardian summer surrenders to the decadent twenties, The House At Riverton is a thrilling mystery and a compelling love story.
This beautiful novel was the winner of Richard and Judy's Summer Reads. Clearly Kate Morton has done extensive research on this period, and the bibliography at the back is testament to this. Morton writes that this period of history has always fascinated her, and this is clear from the way she engages the reader, painting a credible picture of the time.
The characters are very rich and believable, but I would have liked to learn more about Frederick and his secret past. I loved the upstairs-downstairs theme in the book, and enjoyed the banter the servants enjoy.
Some reviewers felt that the book was too long and contained unecessary detail, though I strongly disagree. I loved the confessional narrative of Grace, and felt that these details were important in understanding her loyalties to the sisters, especially Hannah.
Ultimately, the secret is revealed, and though it didn't really suprise me, I felt it was written both cleverly and originally, in Hannah's letter. The ending is sad on a number of levels, but I shan't give anything away.
"An extraordinary debut...written with a lovely turn of phrase by someone who knows how to eke out tantalizing secrets and drama" The Sunday Telegraph.
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
Families have secrets they hide even from themselves...
It should have been an ordinary birth, the start of an ordinary happy family. But the night Dr David Henry delivers his wife's twins is a night that will haunt five lives forever.
For though David's son is a healthy boy, his daughter has Down's syndrome. And, in a shocking act of betrayal whose consequences only tome will reveal, he tells his wife their daughter died while secretly entrusting her care to a nurse.
As grief quietly tears apart David's family, so a little girl must make her way in the world as best she can.
I was really disappointed by the Memory Keeper's Daughter. Selected as a Richard and Judy Summer Read, and handling the subject of down's syndrome, I expected Kim Edwards to have written a poignant, sympathetic and moving novel. I certainly did not find it so. The story moves slowly, and although I realise that in the 60's and before, children with this condition were commited to nursing homes and asylums, I found it unconvincing. Dr David Henry's reasons for giving away his daughter Pheobe, were based around the fact that his own sister had a heart defect, and died prematurely, impacting on his childhood and the lives of his family. This I could just not relate to.
The bulk of the book is centred around David, his wife Nora, their son Paul and how David's act of deceit poisons the happy family they are meant to be. Paul's teenage rebellion was probably the most realistic part of the story.
I was hugely disappointed with Edwards' treatment of the subject of down's syndrome. Little is made of the struggles Caroline faces in raising Pheobe, save the fight to get her educated at mainstream school. I did however feel that her handling of the relationship between Pheobe and her boyfriend Robert was sensitive and touching.
I have a cousin with Down's syndrome, and maybe this coloured the novel for me. I would not recommend it.
It should have been an ordinary birth, the start of an ordinary happy family. But the night Dr David Henry delivers his wife's twins is a night that will haunt five lives forever.
For though David's son is a healthy boy, his daughter has Down's syndrome. And, in a shocking act of betrayal whose consequences only tome will reveal, he tells his wife their daughter died while secretly entrusting her care to a nurse.
As grief quietly tears apart David's family, so a little girl must make her way in the world as best she can.
I was really disappointed by the Memory Keeper's Daughter. Selected as a Richard and Judy Summer Read, and handling the subject of down's syndrome, I expected Kim Edwards to have written a poignant, sympathetic and moving novel. I certainly did not find it so. The story moves slowly, and although I realise that in the 60's and before, children with this condition were commited to nursing homes and asylums, I found it unconvincing. Dr David Henry's reasons for giving away his daughter Pheobe, were based around the fact that his own sister had a heart defect, and died prematurely, impacting on his childhood and the lives of his family. This I could just not relate to.
The bulk of the book is centred around David, his wife Nora, their son Paul and how David's act of deceit poisons the happy family they are meant to be. Paul's teenage rebellion was probably the most realistic part of the story.
I was hugely disappointed with Edwards' treatment of the subject of down's syndrome. Little is made of the struggles Caroline faces in raising Pheobe, save the fight to get her educated at mainstream school. I did however feel that her handling of the relationship between Pheobe and her boyfriend Robert was sensitive and touching.
I have a cousin with Down's syndrome, and maybe this coloured the novel for me. I would not recommend it.
Tuesday, 3 April 2007
A Stain On The Silence- Andrew Taylor
“One of Britain’s best crime writers of psychological suspense.” The Times.
The last person Jmes wants to meet again is Lily. But now she’s dying of cancer, and he is wholly unprepared for what she has to tell him. Twenty four years ago, she gave birth to a daughter- and James is the girl’s father.
James was just a teenager when he and Lily- stepmother of his best friend Carlo- had their brief affair. Practically part of the family, he would spend his summer holidays at their sprawling house in Chipping Weston, lapping up the breathtaking freedom and excitement. Though perhaps there was too much freedom and too much excitement- because those days came to a terrible end. An end that James has been trying to forget ever since.
Yet Lily has one more secret to reveal. Their daughter is now a wanted woman. She’s on the run for murder. Soon James is compelled to reach back into the past and discover the bitter fruits of his and Lily’s unfortunate union…
Andrew Taylor, author of the bestselling The American Boy is fast becoming one of my favourite crime writers. A Stain On The Silence jumps from past to present, gradually revealing long held secrets and deceptions, keeping the reader gripped and desperate to discover what happens next. Although James, the main character is a bit spineless and rather wet, I soon sympathised with his plight. There is an element of never knowing who is lying and who is telling the truth, and the reader shares James’ confusion. His friend Carlo is a dark and menacing character whom I would like to have seen more of. Lily is a puzzle, is she good or evil? Unfortunately we never really find out. The ending is a shocker, I was not expecting it to conclude this way, with no conclusion! What did happen to felicity? A sequel in the future? I certainly hope so. I still have a lot of questions. I wait with baited breath.
Taylor’s novels The American Boy (A Richard and Judy Book Club selection) and the Office of the Dead both won the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Daggers. Taylor has also been shortlisted for numerous award including the prestigious CWA Gold Dagger.
"there is plenty to engage the reader in the roller-coaster plot that twists and turns until the very last page" Big Issue.
The last person Jmes wants to meet again is Lily. But now she’s dying of cancer, and he is wholly unprepared for what she has to tell him. Twenty four years ago, she gave birth to a daughter- and James is the girl’s father.
James was just a teenager when he and Lily- stepmother of his best friend Carlo- had their brief affair. Practically part of the family, he would spend his summer holidays at their sprawling house in Chipping Weston, lapping up the breathtaking freedom and excitement. Though perhaps there was too much freedom and too much excitement- because those days came to a terrible end. An end that James has been trying to forget ever since.
Yet Lily has one more secret to reveal. Their daughter is now a wanted woman. She’s on the run for murder. Soon James is compelled to reach back into the past and discover the bitter fruits of his and Lily’s unfortunate union…
Andrew Taylor, author of the bestselling The American Boy is fast becoming one of my favourite crime writers. A Stain On The Silence jumps from past to present, gradually revealing long held secrets and deceptions, keeping the reader gripped and desperate to discover what happens next. Although James, the main character is a bit spineless and rather wet, I soon sympathised with his plight. There is an element of never knowing who is lying and who is telling the truth, and the reader shares James’ confusion. His friend Carlo is a dark and menacing character whom I would like to have seen more of. Lily is a puzzle, is she good or evil? Unfortunately we never really find out. The ending is a shocker, I was not expecting it to conclude this way, with no conclusion! What did happen to felicity? A sequel in the future? I certainly hope so. I still have a lot of questions. I wait with baited breath.
Taylor’s novels The American Boy (A Richard and Judy Book Club selection) and the Office of the Dead both won the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Daggers. Taylor has also been shortlisted for numerous award including the prestigious CWA Gold Dagger.
"there is plenty to engage the reader in the roller-coaster plot that twists and turns until the very last page" Big Issue.
Restless- William Boyd
“Boyd is a first-rate storyteller and this is a first-rate story…An utterly absorbing page-turner” The Times.
It is 1939. Eva Delectorskaya is a beautiful 28-year-old Russian émigrée living in Paris. As war breaks out she is recruited for the British Secret Service by Lucas Romer, a mysterious Englishman, and under his tutelage she learns to become the perfect spy, to mask her emotions and trust no one, including those she loves most. Since the war, Eva has carefully rebuilt her life as a typically English wife and mother. But once a spy, always a spy. Now she must complete one final assignment, and this time Eva can’t do it alone: she needs her daughter’s help.
I literally could not put this novel down. Spy novels are not usually my thing, and I bought it only because it was featured in Richard and Judy’s Book Club.
The story jumps between past and present, each chapter telling us a little more of Eva’s secrets, which we learn alongside her daughter Ruth. In this way, there are two heroines, both immensely likable. The plot is full of twists and turns, drawing the reader deeply into its intrigue. I was quickly absorbed by the world of spying and like Eva, trusted no one and suspected everybody!
One disappointment for me was that promising subplots involving a student of Ruth’s and the uncle of her son came to nothing.
I loved the ending however, and intend to read more William Boyd.
This novel was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2006.
"Restless is enormously readable in every respect: a confident, intelligent, ambitious novel" Guardian.
It is 1939. Eva Delectorskaya is a beautiful 28-year-old Russian émigrée living in Paris. As war breaks out she is recruited for the British Secret Service by Lucas Romer, a mysterious Englishman, and under his tutelage she learns to become the perfect spy, to mask her emotions and trust no one, including those she loves most. Since the war, Eva has carefully rebuilt her life as a typically English wife and mother. But once a spy, always a spy. Now she must complete one final assignment, and this time Eva can’t do it alone: she needs her daughter’s help.
I literally could not put this novel down. Spy novels are not usually my thing, and I bought it only because it was featured in Richard and Judy’s Book Club.
The story jumps between past and present, each chapter telling us a little more of Eva’s secrets, which we learn alongside her daughter Ruth. In this way, there are two heroines, both immensely likable. The plot is full of twists and turns, drawing the reader deeply into its intrigue. I was quickly absorbed by the world of spying and like Eva, trusted no one and suspected everybody!
One disappointment for me was that promising subplots involving a student of Ruth’s and the uncle of her son came to nothing.
I loved the ending however, and intend to read more William Boyd.
This novel was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2006.
"Restless is enormously readable in every respect: a confident, intelligent, ambitious novel" Guardian.
Tuesday, 27 March 2007
Richard and Judy's Book Club
Many of the reviewed books are also recommended reads from Richard and Judy's Book Club or Summer Reads.
These include:
The Interpretation of Murder- Jed Rubenfeld. Book Club 2007
This Book Will save Your Life- A.M. Holmes. Book Club 2007
The Testament of Gideon Mack- James Robertson. Book Club 2007
The Girls - Lori Lansens. Book Club 2007
Getting Rid of Mathew - Jane Fallon. Summer Read 2007
The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards Summer Read 2007
Love In The Present Tense - Catherine Ryan Hyde. Book Club 2007
The House at Riverton - Kate Morton. Summer Read 2007
Restless- Willaim Boyd. Book Club 2007
The Other Side of the Bridge - Mary Lawson Summer Read 2007
The Boy in the Striped Payjamas - John Boyne. Children's fiction choice
The American Boy- Andrew Taylor. Book Club 2005
These include:
The Interpretation of Murder- Jed Rubenfeld. Book Club 2007
This Book Will save Your Life- A.M. Holmes. Book Club 2007
The Testament of Gideon Mack- James Robertson. Book Club 2007
The Girls - Lori Lansens. Book Club 2007
Getting Rid of Mathew - Jane Fallon. Summer Read 2007
The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards Summer Read 2007
Love In The Present Tense - Catherine Ryan Hyde. Book Club 2007
The House at Riverton - Kate Morton. Summer Read 2007
Restless- Willaim Boyd. Book Club 2007
The Other Side of the Bridge - Mary Lawson Summer Read 2007
The Boy in the Striped Payjamas - John Boyne. Children's fiction choice
The American Boy- Andrew Taylor. Book Club 2005
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
Love In The Present Tense- Catherine Ryan Hyde
"A remarkable story of the magic of love" Daily Express.
Mitch is a 25-year-old with commitment issues. Leonard is a five-year-old kid with asthma and vision problems, who captivates everyone he meets. Pearl is Leonard's teenage mother, who's trying to hide a violent secret from her past. Life has given Pearl every reason to mistrust people, but circumstances force her to trust her neighbour, Mitch. Then one day, with a heart full of agony, Pearl drops Leonard off with Mitch and never returns. Pearl, Leonard and Mitch each have a story to tell and as their lives unfold, profound questions arise about the nature of love and family. How do you go on loving someone who isn't there? With Leonard's absolute conviction in 'forever love' always present, Leonard and Mitch grow up side by side and piece together the layered truths and fictions of their almost magical lives. The answers are heartbreaking, but ultimately triumphant.
I read this book as it was selected for Richard and Judy's Book Club, novels I have yet to be disappointed by. The author, Catherine Ryan Hyde, I was suprised to discover is also the author of Pay It Forward an enchanting film (starring Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey and Haley Joel Osment) and an even better novel.
The book is riveting from the first page. Beginning the story is Pearl, a neglected and lonely child, hungry for love. "So much of how it was started when that cop got out and came up to me. But I didn't know all this when it first happened. I didn't know there would ever be a Leonard, or that this man would be his father, or that anybody would have to die.
The reader knows Pearl's story, yet Mitch and Leonard are clueless, and throughout the book Leonard tries to find his mother. Despite the fact that she is not around, her son believes Pearl is always with him, and his concept of "forever love" is a sweet one.
I did feel that in places the book was a little twee and sacharine, but the story is a beautiful one, and so I can overlook this.
Mitch is a 25-year-old with commitment issues. Leonard is a five-year-old kid with asthma and vision problems, who captivates everyone he meets. Pearl is Leonard's teenage mother, who's trying to hide a violent secret from her past. Life has given Pearl every reason to mistrust people, but circumstances force her to trust her neighbour, Mitch. Then one day, with a heart full of agony, Pearl drops Leonard off with Mitch and never returns. Pearl, Leonard and Mitch each have a story to tell and as their lives unfold, profound questions arise about the nature of love and family. How do you go on loving someone who isn't there? With Leonard's absolute conviction in 'forever love' always present, Leonard and Mitch grow up side by side and piece together the layered truths and fictions of their almost magical lives. The answers are heartbreaking, but ultimately triumphant.
I read this book as it was selected for Richard and Judy's Book Club, novels I have yet to be disappointed by. The author, Catherine Ryan Hyde, I was suprised to discover is also the author of Pay It Forward an enchanting film (starring Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey and Haley Joel Osment) and an even better novel.
The book is riveting from the first page. Beginning the story is Pearl, a neglected and lonely child, hungry for love. "So much of how it was started when that cop got out and came up to me. But I didn't know all this when it first happened. I didn't know there would ever be a Leonard, or that this man would be his father, or that anybody would have to die.
The reader knows Pearl's story, yet Mitch and Leonard are clueless, and throughout the book Leonard tries to find his mother. Despite the fact that she is not around, her son believes Pearl is always with him, and his concept of "forever love" is a sweet one.
I did feel that in places the book was a little twee and sacharine, but the story is a beautiful one, and so I can overlook this.
Monday, 19 March 2007
The American Boy- Andrew Taylor
"A wonderful book, richly composed and beautifully written, an enthralling read from start to finish" The Times.
England 1819: Thomas Shield, a new master at a school just outside London, is tutor to an American boy and the boy's sensitive best friend, Charles Frant. Drawn to Frant's beautiful, unhappy mother, Thomas becomes caught up in her family's twisted intrigues. Then a brutal crime is commited, with consequences that threaten to destroy Thomas and all that he has come to hold dear. Despite his efforts, Shield is caught up in a deadly tangle of sex, money, murder and lies- a tangle that grips him tighter even as he tries to escape from it. And what of the strange American child at the heart of these macabre events- what is the secret of the boy named Edgar Allen Poe?
I Have for the last 2 years, been picking this book up at the library, only to replace it on the shelf, believing that it was not my kind of read. How wrong I was! The prose is masterful and put me in mind of Dickens, evoking a compelling portrait of early 1800's London society, with all it's corruption. Edgar Allen Poe's character is peripheral, yet his role in the story is central to the events that unfold. The characters are extremely vivid, epsecially the villainous Carswell, and Shield, as the narrator has the readers sympathy and respect. I liked the short chapters, most of which ended with mini cliff-hangers, making it impossible not to read on. Both the immaculate attention to historical detail, and the twists of plot make for a deeply satisfying read, and that the ending allows the reader to draw their own conclusions enhances rather than detracts from the finished work.
Andrew Taylor's novel, "The Office of The Dead" won The CWA Historical Dagger for Fiction and featured in Richard and Judy's Book Club, 2005. I will definitely be reading more Andrew Taylor.
"A most artful and delightful book, that will both amuse and chill" Daily Telegraph.
England 1819: Thomas Shield, a new master at a school just outside London, is tutor to an American boy and the boy's sensitive best friend, Charles Frant. Drawn to Frant's beautiful, unhappy mother, Thomas becomes caught up in her family's twisted intrigues. Then a brutal crime is commited, with consequences that threaten to destroy Thomas and all that he has come to hold dear. Despite his efforts, Shield is caught up in a deadly tangle of sex, money, murder and lies- a tangle that grips him tighter even as he tries to escape from it. And what of the strange American child at the heart of these macabre events- what is the secret of the boy named Edgar Allen Poe?
I Have for the last 2 years, been picking this book up at the library, only to replace it on the shelf, believing that it was not my kind of read. How wrong I was! The prose is masterful and put me in mind of Dickens, evoking a compelling portrait of early 1800's London society, with all it's corruption. Edgar Allen Poe's character is peripheral, yet his role in the story is central to the events that unfold. The characters are extremely vivid, epsecially the villainous Carswell, and Shield, as the narrator has the readers sympathy and respect. I liked the short chapters, most of which ended with mini cliff-hangers, making it impossible not to read on. Both the immaculate attention to historical detail, and the twists of plot make for a deeply satisfying read, and that the ending allows the reader to draw their own conclusions enhances rather than detracts from the finished work.
Andrew Taylor's novel, "The Office of The Dead" won The CWA Historical Dagger for Fiction and featured in Richard and Judy's Book Club, 2005. I will definitely be reading more Andrew Taylor.
"A most artful and delightful book, that will both amuse and chill" Daily Telegraph.
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
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.
Sunday, 11 March 2007
This Book Will Save Your Life- A.M Holmes
"Very funny and engaging....packed with unexpected pleasure" Guardian.
Richard Novak, L.A stocks and shares trader, is having a mid-life crisis. Following an episode of excruciating pain, he winds up in the emergency room to realise that he has cut out of his life, everybody other than those he pays. As his emotional thaw begins, he encounters bizarre situations and characters and turns into something of a hero. he befriends, Anhil, a doughnut shop owner, Cynthia, a woman crying in the produce section of a store, and Nic, a reclusive writing genius. At the same time, he repairs his relationship with his teenage son, whom he left after his divorce. This aspect of the novel makes for some very poignant reading.
Some of the events in the book are pretty unbeliveable, and I did find myself wondering why Richard was so nice! Despite this the book is a real gem, and the characters endearing and colourful.
Another Richard and Judy Book Club winner!
"Funny, peculiar, heartening, this book might not change your life, but it could radically enhance a few days of it" Financial Times.
Richard Novak, L.A stocks and shares trader, is having a mid-life crisis. Following an episode of excruciating pain, he winds up in the emergency room to realise that he has cut out of his life, everybody other than those he pays. As his emotional thaw begins, he encounters bizarre situations and characters and turns into something of a hero. he befriends, Anhil, a doughnut shop owner, Cynthia, a woman crying in the produce section of a store, and Nic, a reclusive writing genius. At the same time, he repairs his relationship with his teenage son, whom he left after his divorce. This aspect of the novel makes for some very poignant reading.
Some of the events in the book are pretty unbeliveable, and I did find myself wondering why Richard was so nice! Despite this the book is a real gem, and the characters endearing and colourful.
Another Richard and Judy Book Club winner!
"Funny, peculiar, heartening, this book might not change your life, but it could radically enhance a few days of it" Financial Times.
The Interpretation of Murder- Jed Rubenfeld
"Spectacular...fiendishly clever" Guardian.
On the same morning that Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung arrive in Manhattan to deliver a series of lectures, a debutante is found bound and strangled in her Broadway penthouse appartment. The following day, beautiful heiress Nora Acton is discovered tied to a chandelier at her parents home. Nora is unable to speak, and has no memory of her trauma. Freud and his American protege Stratham Younger are called upon to psychoanalyse Nora in order to help her regain her memory and to uncover the murderer's identity. The ensuing mystery is a real page turner, exploring Freud's ideas and the heated resistance to them combined with a beautiful evocation of New York in the early 1900's. Although Freud's visit to America was successful, it is widely believed that he suffered some form of trauma there, blaming the country for some of his pre-existing ailments. Rubenfeld has skillfully combined fact and fiction, producing an exciting crime novel with attention to historic detail. The whodunnit element of the story is fastly paced and keeps you guessing.
Another Richard and Judy's Book Club classic.
I loved the analysis of Hamlet and Freud's Oedipus complex, as well as the based on fact squabbles between the two psychologists. The author's note at the end of the novel clarifies which parts of the book are historical fact, and which are complete fiction as well as explaining any adjustments he made.
"Rubenfeld writes beautifully...an intriguing mystery" Sunday Telegraph
On the same morning that Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung arrive in Manhattan to deliver a series of lectures, a debutante is found bound and strangled in her Broadway penthouse appartment. The following day, beautiful heiress Nora Acton is discovered tied to a chandelier at her parents home. Nora is unable to speak, and has no memory of her trauma. Freud and his American protege Stratham Younger are called upon to psychoanalyse Nora in order to help her regain her memory and to uncover the murderer's identity. The ensuing mystery is a real page turner, exploring Freud's ideas and the heated resistance to them combined with a beautiful evocation of New York in the early 1900's. Although Freud's visit to America was successful, it is widely believed that he suffered some form of trauma there, blaming the country for some of his pre-existing ailments. Rubenfeld has skillfully combined fact and fiction, producing an exciting crime novel with attention to historic detail. The whodunnit element of the story is fastly paced and keeps you guessing.
Another Richard and Judy's Book Club classic.
I loved the analysis of Hamlet and Freud's Oedipus complex, as well as the based on fact squabbles between the two psychologists. The author's note at the end of the novel clarifies which parts of the book are historical fact, and which are complete fiction as well as explaining any adjustments he made.
"Rubenfeld writes beautifully...an intriguing mystery" Sunday Telegraph
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