" A painful, funny, humane novel; beautifully written, addictively readable" The Times.
At fifty-seven, George is settling down to a comfortable retirement, building a shed in his garden, reading historical novels, listening to a bit of light jazz. Then Katie, his unpredictable daughter, announces that she is getting remarried, to Ray. Her family is not pleased- as her brother Jamie observes, Ray has "stranglers hands". Katie can't decide if she loves Ray, or loves the way he cares for her son Jacob, and her mother Jean is a bit put out by the way the wedding planning gets in the way of her affair with one of her husband's former colleagues. And the tidy and pleasant life Jamie has created crumbles when he fails to invite his lover, Tony to the dreaded nuptials.
Unnoticed in the uproar, George discovers a sinister lesion on his hip, and quietly begins to lose his mind.
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon, creator of the unforgettable Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is an absolute treat. I didn't think he could improve on that novel, yet he has really pulled it off. George is convinced he has cancer, but cannot talk about this fear with his family. He keeps his thoughts to himself, compounding his morbid fears, his imagination running away with him... "If he drank enough whisky he might be able to summon the courage to crash the car. There was a big stone gateway on the A16 this side of Stamford. He could hit it doing 90 m.p.h with no difficulty whatsoever. But what if his nerve failed? What if he were too drunk to control the car? What if someone pulled out of the drive? What if he killed them, paralysed himself and died of cancer in a wheelchair in prison?"
Some of George's inner musings are hilarious, such as his opinion on his homosexual son, Jamie..."He didn't have a problem with homosexuality per se. Men having sex with men. One could imagine, if one was in the business of imagining such things, that there were situations where it might happen, situations in which chaps were denied the normal outlets. Military camps. Long sea voyages. One didn't want to dwell on the plumbing but one could almost see it as a sporting activity. Latting off steam. High spirits. Handshake and a hot shower afterwards. It was the thought of men purchasing furniture together which disturbed him. Men snuggling. More disconcerting somehow, than shenanigans in public toilets."
At the start of the novel, George was really the only character I liked, (excluding Ray), yet the flawed family members all come good by the end of the novel, and though it is a happy ending it never verges on trite.
I loved the exchanges between Katie's son Jacob and the family, Haddon certainly has a talent for capturing the innocence and comedy of childhood.
I adored Ray's character, and Katie's taking him for granted annoyed me at times, yet this is merely testament to how utterly believable the characters are. I couldn't quite understand why the family were all so opposed to the wedding as I felt that Ray was without a doubt the most consistently lovely character.
I would recommend this book to anyone and eceryone. It is laugh out loud funny, in places shocking and horrifying (George taking his "lesion" into his own hands), and made me weep several times. This novel transcends genre..read it!
"Haddon's style is a readers bliss. He writes seamless prose. The words are melted into meaning...Haddon's gift is to make us look at ourselves when we think we're looking away, being entertained." Scotsman
Showing posts with label The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Show all posts
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
Eye Contact- Cammie McGovern
"Compulsively addictive...heartbreaking" Daily Telegraph.
For nine years Adam has been the centre of his mother Cara's world. And, she thinks, she has been the centre of his. Until the day he disappears. When he is found in the woods behind his school, beside the body of a little girl whom Cara has never heard of , it feels as if her world has been torn apart. As Adam locks himself in silence, unable to tell his mother what he has seen, Cara's desperation to discover the truth becomes fiercer and more urgent than ever. A heartrending, haunting story of the tangled bond between a mother and her child, Eye Contact grips the mind as it engages the heart.
I adored this book. The description on the back cover in no way describes the intesity and complexity of this novel. At it's heart is a clever, twisting whodunnit murder mystery, yet it is so much more than this. Moving through different narrators, we meet not only autistic Adam, but also the charming Morgan, who, like Cara, is determined to solve the mystery for his own strangely logical reasons. If Mark Haddon gave us an insight into the autistic mind with his The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-time, this novel goes further, exploring how a child with what is loosely termed special needs, interacts with the world, and the effect this has others, particularly the mother. The theme is constant throughout the book, with the mothers' of Kevin, Amelia, Morgan and Chris, as well as Cara. The question faced by every mother, irrespective of a child's disabilty, of when to protect and when to let go is confronted throughout the book. Cara's meeting with Olivia, the murdered Amelia's mother left me literally sobbing. Amelia too was on the autistic spectrum, and the similarities and differences between the two unlikely friends is devastatingly moving.
The complexities of high-school are bewildering enough without being on the autism spectrum, and McGovern demonstrates this with insight and clarity. The issue of bullying, central to the novel is dealt with candidly, the cruelties children infict upon each other presented unflinchingly.
"Grasps the complex, often cruel hierachies of childhood" Lionel Shriver, author of We Need To Talk About Kevin.
I loved the sub-plots in the novel, the skeletons in the closet involving Cara's childhood friends, Kevin and Suzette, and the deaths of Cara's parents. Cara and Suzette's reunion gave me goosepimples! I felt completley drawn in to the private world of each significant character, and read slowly, not wanting to miss a single detail. I shall be recommending this stunning novel to everyone I know.
In an author's note at the back of the book, Cammie McGovern, the mother of a nine year old autistic son, tells us what moved her to write this book:
"...I wanted to write a hopeful book- one that reaffirms what I have come to believe: that even in the presence of a devastating disorder like autism, happiness, joy, success, love and even friendships are still possible. That for my son and the countless other children coming of age with this mysterious, isolating condition, there is a place in the world for them and an important role that they will play."
Breathtaking!
"Nobody who knows an autistic cjild could fail to be moved by this fantastic thriller...Wise and moving, as well as gripping" the Times.
For nine years Adam has been the centre of his mother Cara's world. And, she thinks, she has been the centre of his. Until the day he disappears. When he is found in the woods behind his school, beside the body of a little girl whom Cara has never heard of , it feels as if her world has been torn apart. As Adam locks himself in silence, unable to tell his mother what he has seen, Cara's desperation to discover the truth becomes fiercer and more urgent than ever. A heartrending, haunting story of the tangled bond between a mother and her child, Eye Contact grips the mind as it engages the heart.
I adored this book. The description on the back cover in no way describes the intesity and complexity of this novel. At it's heart is a clever, twisting whodunnit murder mystery, yet it is so much more than this. Moving through different narrators, we meet not only autistic Adam, but also the charming Morgan, who, like Cara, is determined to solve the mystery for his own strangely logical reasons. If Mark Haddon gave us an insight into the autistic mind with his The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-time, this novel goes further, exploring how a child with what is loosely termed special needs, interacts with the world, and the effect this has others, particularly the mother. The theme is constant throughout the book, with the mothers' of Kevin, Amelia, Morgan and Chris, as well as Cara. The question faced by every mother, irrespective of a child's disabilty, of when to protect and when to let go is confronted throughout the book. Cara's meeting with Olivia, the murdered Amelia's mother left me literally sobbing. Amelia too was on the autistic spectrum, and the similarities and differences between the two unlikely friends is devastatingly moving.
The complexities of high-school are bewildering enough without being on the autism spectrum, and McGovern demonstrates this with insight and clarity. The issue of bullying, central to the novel is dealt with candidly, the cruelties children infict upon each other presented unflinchingly.
"Grasps the complex, often cruel hierachies of childhood" Lionel Shriver, author of We Need To Talk About Kevin.
I loved the sub-plots in the novel, the skeletons in the closet involving Cara's childhood friends, Kevin and Suzette, and the deaths of Cara's parents. Cara and Suzette's reunion gave me goosepimples! I felt completley drawn in to the private world of each significant character, and read slowly, not wanting to miss a single detail. I shall be recommending this stunning novel to everyone I know.
In an author's note at the back of the book, Cammie McGovern, the mother of a nine year old autistic son, tells us what moved her to write this book:
"...I wanted to write a hopeful book- one that reaffirms what I have come to believe: that even in the presence of a devastating disorder like autism, happiness, joy, success, love and even friendships are still possible. That for my son and the countless other children coming of age with this mysterious, isolating condition, there is a place in the world for them and an important role that they will play."
Breathtaking!
"Nobody who knows an autistic cjild could fail to be moved by this fantastic thriller...Wise and moving, as well as gripping" the Times.
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.
Sunday, 11 March 2007
The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas- John Boyne.
"A small wonder of a book... A particular historical moment, one that cannot be told too often" Guardian.
The front inside flap of the hardcover edition of this novel reads as follows: "The story of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is very difficult to describe. Usually we give clues about the book on the jacket, but in this case we think that would spoil the reading of the book. We think it is important that you start to read without knowing what it is about............".
I think I would have preferred not to have read the deatil on the back cover of the paperback edition.I agree and will not give away too much detail of this heartbreakingly beautiful story.
Nine year old Bruno cannot understand why he has been uprooted from his lavish Berlin home to live in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no-one to play with. And who are all the people on the other side of the huge fence who all wear the same outfit of striped pyjamas and caps? One day, whilst exploring, Bruno meets Schmuel, a boy in striped pyjamas who lives on the other side of the fence. The two become friends with heartbreaking consequences.
I literally could not put this book down. Bruno's character, his innocence and childlike take on things were an absolute delight. The lightness of the prose is in sharp contrast to the horrors of war that are at it's heart. In some ways, the writing is reminiscent of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, and is equally good, if not better.
A truly brave and deeply moving novel.
"A powerful and emotionally-charged piece of literature" Yorkshire Evening Post.
The front inside flap of the hardcover edition of this novel reads as follows: "The story of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is very difficult to describe. Usually we give clues about the book on the jacket, but in this case we think that would spoil the reading of the book. We think it is important that you start to read without knowing what it is about............".
I think I would have preferred not to have read the deatil on the back cover of the paperback edition.I agree and will not give away too much detail of this heartbreakingly beautiful story.
Nine year old Bruno cannot understand why he has been uprooted from his lavish Berlin home to live in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no-one to play with. And who are all the people on the other side of the huge fence who all wear the same outfit of striped pyjamas and caps? One day, whilst exploring, Bruno meets Schmuel, a boy in striped pyjamas who lives on the other side of the fence. The two become friends with heartbreaking consequences.
I literally could not put this book down. Bruno's character, his innocence and childlike take on things were an absolute delight. The lightness of the prose is in sharp contrast to the horrors of war that are at it's heart. In some ways, the writing is reminiscent of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, and is equally good, if not better.
A truly brave and deeply moving novel.
"A powerful and emotionally-charged piece of literature" Yorkshire Evening Post.
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