The Octogon

A Vegetable Gardeners Year by Dirty Nails #2

2012-01-20T12:31:00.000-08:00

I spoke about A Vegetable Gardeners Year back in 2009 because I borrowed it from the library as part of the 2009 mini challenges. Back then I only read parts of it with a view to buying it in the future to read all the way through. I did this throughout last year. The book is set into weekly chapters that correspond to the weeks in the year, so I read it in real time and finished it in December.

I covered why I liked it back then, and you can use the link above to read my thoughts at the time.

This time around, in its complete state, it is a pleasant companion that offers practical advice with personal musings from Mr Nails, and delightful drawings to accompany the prose. On completing it last month I thought it was worth a mention again.

I used it as a calming and lovely book to read before I went to sleep and I am happy that I read it all the way through. You can use it as a dipping in book as well though.

Recommended for gardeners, nature lovers and anyone who loves the outdoors.

Dirty Nails has a Facebook page (use the link)

Another blog that I follow, The Cottage Smallholder, has also mentioned Dirty Nails's book On The Plot.

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

2012-01-11T11:07:00.000-08:00

I picked up my second hand copy of this book for £1 at the Liverpool Bluecoat Book Fair, quite a while ago. I had tried to read The Infinite Plan by this author over 10 years ago and could not get into it at all. It was abandoned about a third the way through it.

I currently own 4 Allende titles, all have made their way to me through various routes, but it is not until now that I have attempted another. The high regard for this author led me to add her onto my list of 2011 challenges and I finished this book on the 31st December, just in time to count.

Spanning 4 generations of the eccentric Trueba family in Chile, South America, we follow all of the colourful stories and adventures of the various members. This is an epic story that reminded me, in scope, of East of Eden by John Steinbeck, covering various episodes in the countries history.

The narrative, however, is slightly different to Steinbeck, with 2 members of the family relaying their experiences in the first person, by Esteban Trueba, the patriarch who lives through all of the events depicted, and what seems to be a third person but later is revealed as the granddaughter, Alba, who relays the family history through the notebooks of her grandmother, Clara the Clairvoyant. It is here where the book is at its most quirky, when describing the spiritual life of the house and Clara's connection to the other world beyond this one, adding a whole new dimension to this families story.

Every character is relayed with love and affection, for their strengths and their weaknesses, and it feels as if the author has relished telling you about them. A lot of the stories, especially during the first half, are humourous, narrated with a twinkle in the eye of the teller. Some stories are fantastical, others tragic, none are dull or run of the mill. Observations on life and the human condition are told in such an interesting way so that the pages fly by without noticing.

I was immediately engulfed by the warmth that emanates from this book, enjoying it from the first page. The language is uncomplicated, with an irresistable clarity. There is poetry, but the main draw is the characters. It is not a series of episodes or short stories, but a long narrative with detailed links holding every generation together. Each generation flows into the next so that by the end you carry all of them with you and view the family as a whole, made up of very distinct characters, some of whom are not altogether likeable, and it is the women who come over strongest.

The last chapters of the book deal shockingly with the effects of political unrest, revolution and dictatorship, and how individuals can be swept up by this, with horrific and tragic consequences, adding yet another angle to the history of this family.

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a long while to read, not because it was difficult or any way laborious, but I am a slow reader and the type was quite dense on the page. I can see why it is considered one of the authors masterpieces and a prominent title from fiction of recent times.

Highly recommended for fiction readers generally, and particularly for those who love epic family stories and Latin American fiction.

You can visit Isabel Allende's Website by using the link.

A study guide for The House of the Spirits can be found by using the link.

There is a movie of The House of the Spirits made in 1993 starring Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Winona Ryder and Antonio Banderas. I have not heard great things about it sadly, but I may look out for it for comparison.

Previous book reviews at The Octogon - 2010

2012-01-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

This very colourful map illustrates all of the countries that I visited during my reading life in 2010. A lot of travelling has been done between the words on the page and my imagination, without moving from a comfy armchair, country bench, deckchair or waiting room, wherever I find the time to pick up a book.

Previous book reviews at The Octogon during 2010...
A Month in the Country by J L Carr
An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
Emma by Jane Austen
Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett
Tethered by Amy Mackinnon
The Blue Fox by Sjon
The Girls by Lori Lansens
The Iron Book of British Haiku
The Magic Apple Tree: A Country Year by Susan Hill
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale
The Vagrants by Yiyun Li
The Zahir by Paulo Coelho
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Octogon Challenge 2012 - updates

2012-01-11T09:33:00.001-08:00

I am using this post to keep updated with my progress through the resolutions that I have set myself throughout 2012.

1. To not buy any new books, only acquiring them as gifts, borrowing, or second hand if I have to. This is to get my TBR pile under control and ties in with the The TBR Double Dare run by Ready When You Are, C.B. (see my sidebar)

2. To read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

3. To read 1 or 2 titles that came up during our lit hol discussions

4. To read 3 literary articles and blog about them

5. To compare 3 book to film stories

6. To read at least one dystopia novel

7.To read the Zola I have wanted to read since 2009 (this is the 3rd year it has made it on this list)

8.To read another George Eliot if possible

We will see how many I complete by the end of the year.

There are also the books recommended by my work colleagues which I will mark in red when they are completed. We only have to read at least one of the 3, but may well read more.

AR - The Dubliners by James Joyce, Seize the Day by Saul Bellow and August: Osage County by Tracy Letts
BD - The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick and Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer

I am looking forward to reading as many of those as possible.

Looking back and looking forward...

2012-01-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

This contemplative painting (by Isabel Cortade Obrero) seemed appropriate for the time of year where I revisit the books and stories encountered during 2011 as well as share some plans for 2012.

I didn't read as many books as I would have liked during 2011, clocking up a total of 15 books altogether. I am a much slower reader than other bloggers but this is 4 down on last year. It may be my commitment to the Lit Theory book that I wanted to make notes on each month, taking up novel reading time, or that I chose a couple of longer books later on in the year. Also there were 5 non-fiction books in that total, more than usual. There were also much more male authors, at 9, as opposed to female writers at 4, with 2 sets of short stories with various authors. This is a complete reversal of male/female ratio compared to last year. While interesting this is always coincidental, the sex of the author does not determine what I read.
The Nationalities of the authors was as follows...
English - 5
American - 4
Portuguese - 1
Scottish - 1
Peruvian - 1
- 2 of these titles were in translation.
The genres of the titles read in 2011 were as follows...
Historic Drama - 4
Gardening (non-fiction) - 3
Drama - 2
Modern drama - 2
Short Stories - 2
Apocalyptic/dystopia - 1
Literary History - 1
- 3 of these titles were prizewinners
- 4 of the titles were known classics
- 1 of the titles was by a new writer
Favourite reads during 2011 were...
Blindness by Jose Saramago
The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
Tinkers by Paul Harding
The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy
Oldest and Newest...
Oldest - The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy, 1887
Newest - Ox Tales: Water by various authors, July 1999
Favourite cover design...
The Great Gatsby from the Oxford World Classics range, use the link to have a look.
Unexpected disappointment...
Whit by Iain Banks
Favourite character...
The hobo requiring dental attention in Tinkers by Paul Harding, one of my favourite passages from a book this year. I laughed and cryed within the space of a few pages, then had to read the passage again. Pure magic.
Challenges for 2011...
My 8 resolutions (and their result in red) were...

Read another Bronte not yet, but I have Shirley and Wuthering Heights

Read Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton Completed

Read an Eastern European writer Uncompleted

Read an Isabel Allende The House of the Spirits

Read a short story collection Ox Tales: Water

Read an Iain Banks Whit

Read another Carson McCullers Uncompleted

Read another Zola (carried from 2009) not yet, but I have L'Assomoir

Not as good as last year, but as I always say, they are guidelines and not set in stone.

I also found an unread Literary Theory book, The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter, on my shelf and set myself the task of blogging about my progress each month, which I did complete.

My work friend AR and I set each other 3 books each, of which we had to read at least one during the year, and we both read one of them. Mine was The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, his was Moments of Reprieve by Primo Levi. I have just started Generation X by Douglas Coupland which was one of his other titles for me.

Other events for 2011 included my 2nd Novel Holiday based on Thomas Hardy in Dorset.

So what about 2012? My 8 resolutions this year are...

To not buy any new books, only acquiring them as gifts, borrowing, or second hand if I have to. This is to get my TBR pile under control and ties in with the The TBR Double Dare run by Ready When You Are, C.B. (see my sidebar)

To read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

To read 1 or 2 titles that came up during our lit hol discussions

To read 3 literary articles and blog about them

To compare 3 book to film stories

To read at least one dystopia novel

To read the Zola I have wanted to read since 2009 (this is the 3rd year it has made it on this list)

To read another George Eliot if possible

We'll see how I get on.

My work friend AR and I are swapping some titles again to challenge each other, and we have another friend in the loop this year too. So AR and BD between them have given me The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick, Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer, The Dubliners by James Joyce, Seize the Day by Saul Bellow and August: Osage County by Tracy Letts. I really enjoyed doing this last year.

Mainly I hope I fit in more books than I did last year. Other things coming up in 2012 will hopefully be another lit hol, as well as a sort of lit weekend, details to follow shortly. All very exciting.

Wishing you all lots of lovely books and lots of reading time during 2012

December Roundup

2012-01-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe that the madness of Christmas has come and gone for another year. It has been a full on month, but how did the reading go...

Read - 2 books

Completed -

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

The House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende

Currently Reading -

Generation X by Douglas Coupland

Notes from Walnut Tree Farm by Roger Deakin

The Organic Year by Patricia Gallimore

TBR Pile - currently at 117 according to GoodReads with 9 added over Christmas...

The Last Kestrel by Jill McGivering

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick

Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Dubliners by James Joyce

Seize the Day by Saul Bellow

August: Osage County by Tracy Letts

The last 6 of these are for some new challenges for 2012 which will be covered in detail in my next post.

Challenges -

Finished The House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende for #4 of my own 2011 challenges

Finished The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter which I wanted to make notes on each month.

Wishlist Additions -

Dark is the Sky by Jessica Chambers

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Discoveries -

An interesting new blog...Ready When You Are, C.B.

Events -

Seeing Hugo at the cinema, Martin Scorcese's cinematic version, in the best 3D film that I have seen, of The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, reviewed here at The Octogon in July 2009

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T12:33:00.000-08:00

Next year it is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens and there are lots of events to celebrate this during 2012 (click the link to see more.

Love him or not, you cannot deny his influence on our experience of Christmas today, with the Victorian imagery and many brilliant versions of A Christmas Carol and Scrooge to watch. I ran into the Alastair Sim film a few days ago and I never tire of the story.

I am also looking forward to watching the BBC's Great Expectations with Gillian Anderson as Miss Haversham, starting on British TV next week. I was surprised by how much I loved reading it as a novel.

Charles Dickens had strong links to my home town Liverpool. Visiting it often, it is said that he loved the city and there are some streets in Toxteth named after his characters...Pickwick Street, Macawber Street, Dombey Street, Pecksniff, Nickleby, Copperfield, Dickens and Dorrit Street (where my Grandad lived when he was a boy!). A lasting testament to the authors regard for Liverpool.

It seemed right to include Dickens in this Christmas message.

Wishing you all a happy and peaceful Christmas

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

2011-12-12T12:12:00.001-08:00

It has taken me a year to complete this book in stages and after last months Irony and Revulsion in Kipling and Conrad and Waiting: James's Last Novels I am covering the last 2 chapters here today.

Chapter 18 - Wyndham Lewis

Wyndham Lewis has been thought of by some as the 'most Modernist of Modernists' (p277), innovative, fascinated by negativity, using wide subject matter. Particularly interested in characters who were apart from others he often used the adjective 'acrid' to describe them and made it his own. Descriptions of these revolting personalities incorporated physical details similar to Conrad and his fat men. Their shapelessness is revolting. He includes a character who exposes himself to a woman, an act that is not driven by sexuality or violence, but instantly abhorrent in a nauseating manner.

In Enemy of the Stars Lewis explores distasteful relationships by presenting us with two male friends who continually antagonise each other. This antagonism is what bonds them together. Samuel Beckett drew our attention to 'pseudo-couples' and their use in literature (a device Beckett used in many of his plays) and Lewis' male characters fulfill this description. Their disgust with themselves and each other leads to physical violence. Their fury leads to a distasteful conclusion where one of them is stabbed. Lewis also uses laughter to illustrate revolting characteristics in his novels.

Dickens was also interested in negative characters and uses of description, but he used them as the antithesis of goodness and righteousness. Lewis was interested in negative characteristics for themselves. He thought that disgust or amusement were the only elements to make a character count.

In the novel Tarr he uses mysogeny, with many distasteful rants against women imparted by the characters. Women are opposite to men, more fluid and indeterminate, more messy according to Lewis' characters. Modernism did not invent degenerate characters (see Shakespeare's plays or Rembrandt's paintings) but it certainly took them to another level. Lewis' novels went beyond James, Conrad and Kipling. Complex irony involved a comedy element that had not been explored to this extent before. Modernist artists and writers had demanded effort from the public to appreciate their art form. Writers and artists in the post-modern era became even more candid in their treatment of desire and disgust.

Chapter 19 - Stephen Hero and Bloom the Obscure

David Trotter suggests that the two motives behind Modernism were to appeal to a more varied market for fiction by increasing effort in the reader in return for more intense experience, and a need for a new set of subjects and experiences with the back drop of economic, social or political change. The novel said to represent all of this is A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. Exploring character development it incorporates desire and disgust. Trotter compares other works by Joyce as to their innovation and Modernist traits to illustrate the development of Modernist ideas.

Contemporary works that illustrate the above points include...

By Wyndham Lewis -

Enemy of the Stars

The Wild Body

Tarr

By James Joyce -

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Ulysses

In conclusion

Far from being a chore, this book has been a pleasure to read, very thorough, exploring themes in detail without becoming bogged down in remes of examples. It did not matter that I had not read all of the books mentioned but I do think some background reading is necessary to get a base to start with. There were plenty of surprises and lots to learn along the way, and structuring this into notes each month has helped the information to bed in more successfully. I would consider doing something similar with another book from this range in the future (I already have my eye on a title) and I am glad that a previously dormant book on my shelf has been put to good use. I am really glad that I read this book and completed my own challenge to do so all those months ago when I found it on my shelf.

November Roundup

2011-12-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

Remembrance day is such a huge presence during November, and especially from an artistic point of view, the poppies, photos, paintings, music (the emotional Nimrod by Elgar for one), and of course the literary works, most famously the poetry. I find it very emotive and very important for all of our generations.

On to the books...

Read - half a book

Completed - none

Currently Reading -

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (which I am really enjoying even though I am being rather slow)

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox

TBR Pile - Still at 109 (according to GoodReads), same as last month.

Challenges -

Still reading Isabel Allende for #4 of my own 2011 challenges

I have covered the penultimate 2 chapters 16 and 17 of my literary theory book The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 that I am making notes on each month.

Wishlist Additions -

The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller

A Gathering Storm by Rachel Hore

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai: A Novel by Ruiyan Xu

Discoveries -

To Be Shelved, a blog about book covers, bookshelves and publications.

Events -

I totally missed the deadline to sign up for the Book Bloggers Holiday Swap this year which I was gutted about because I loved it last year. I hope those who remembered to sign up enjoy it as much as I did last year.

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

2011-11-23T02:26:00.000-08:00

On the home run with this book now. After covering Disgust and Henry James' Odd Women last month, it is time to move on to the penultimate 2 chapters.

This month it is chapters 16 and 17 that I will make notes on.

Chapter 16 - Irony and Revulsion in Kipling and Conrad

This chapter examines, through many references to the novels of both of these authors, the use of irony and revulsion together, which was typical of the time. Revulsion, either in the characters or the reader can isolate and destroy 'social cohesiveness', whereas irony, with its 'mutual understanding' binds characters, or reader and characters together. The use of both can not only balance a piece of writing, but make it much more interesting.

Kipling wrote many books about torture, examining detachment and in particular the torturers point of view. Descriptions of the victims deliberately arouse disgust, and beyond any irony, isolating them further, reducing them to nothing. Clearly this can evoke powerful feelings in the reader (I found some of the passages very difficult to read). How detached can the reader be? At the time, some of the passages in his books were considered to be 'excessive' and Kipling himself described as 'rather nasty' a scene involving a leper in 'The Mark of the Beast', in a collection called Life's Handicap written in 1891. Kipling continually identifies with the torturer in the numerous torture scenes he writes about. In other stories revulsion is imparted through mixed race relationships, something Kipling felt strongly about.

Conrad concentrates more on using physicality to evoke revulsion, particularly 'fat greasy men' (p253) of which there are many in his books, and are afforded long distasteful descriptions that centre on the blurring of physical identity, generically, culturally or otherwise, by the conditions of obesity.

Conrad also writes about torture on occasion, but unlike Kipling, he includes the victims point of view.

Chapter 17 - Waiting: James's Last Novels

Kipling, Conrad and James all wrote about impurity and exclusion, but whereas Kipling and Conrad continued along this vein, James changed direction and in his last novels and wrote about lives changed by desire and the vulgarities that he saw therein.

In all of these novels run themes of waiting, lateness, being held up, at railway stations, for meetings etc., 'because everyone must learn to wait in a book about desire' (p268). The theme of delays and waiting are used to high effect in The Ambassadors where a male character struggles with his sexuality, missing encounters with women in a novel where 'He will always be too late' (p271). Self-suppression becomes the only way for him in an exploration of desire. It is here that his secret homosexuality is disgusting to him and waiting itself is the meaning and the point.

In The Golden Bowl we have a female protagonist who keeps herself waiting for the Prince's return, an endless wait that she chooses, and that James uses to convey feelings of desire and frustration.

Contemporary works that illustrate the above points include...

By Rudyard Kipling -

Traffics and Discoveries

Life's Handicap (particularly 'The Mark of the Beast')

Plain Tales from the Hills

A Diversity of Creatures (particularly 'Sea Constables')

Weir of Hermiston

By Joseph Conrad -

Nostromo

Almayer's Folly

An Outcast of the Islands

Lord Jim

The Secret Agent

Heart of Darkness

By Henry James -

The Wings of the Dove

The Ambassadors

The Golden Bowl

Look out for the last 2 chapters from this excellent Literary Theory book next month.

Tender: Volume I by Nigel Slater

2011-11-15T13:50:00.001-08:00

I don't think that I have recommended a cook book before. I do grow veg in my garden, not much, but enough to use in cooking, and there is nothing better than planning a dish around ingredients that you have grown yourself.

I came across this book in the kitchen of one of our friends at the farm that I work on once a year in Devon. A substantial book the size of a decent house brick, it has a presence before you open it. Inside there is a healthy mix of writing in short headed paragraphs and lovely photographs. Each chapter is dedicated to a vegetable that you may grow yourself. It begins with a personal appreciation of that vegetable by the author, diary and tips on growing it, uses in the kitchen, what it likes to share a plate with, and then recipes to try.

Nigel Slaters prose has a gentle reverence that is never sycophantic, and often a humourous tone relaying the realities of gardening and cooking. He tells us about how he dug over his town house garden and filled it with fruit and vegetables, some of which were successful, others not so much.

I was drawn to the book on the shelf and when I opened it I wanted a copy straight away. It is a treasure, something practical, but also a good bedside read too. I have found it inspiring, full of ideas and beautiful too, just like my own garden.

If you like to use your own produce, or just fancy growing a few edibles yourself, you could do worse than this book.

I have already asked Father Christmas for Volume II which is all about fruit.

You can read more about Tender: Volume I by using the link.

October Roundup

2011-11-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

I love pumpkins and I have one of my own ripening in the window. He still has a couple of green freckles but is nearly orange all over. It has been great seeing him grow from a seed out of last years Halloween Pumpkin.

On to the books...

Read - 1 and a quarter books.

Completed - The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Currently Reading -

The House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox

TBR Pile - Now at 109 (according to GoodReads) with no novels added in October

Challenges -

Finished The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton for #2 of my own 2011 challenges.

Reading The House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende for #4 of my own 2011 challenges.

I have covered chapters 14 and 15 of The English Novel in History 1895-1920, the Literary Theory book I have been making notes on each month.

Wishlist Additions - Amazingly, after loads last month, there have been none in October.

Discoveries -

Our Sweet Little Time: a year in haiku by Hamish Ironside

The 365 Penguin Classics to Read Before you Die daily calendar

Book Swept a blog that combines pictures, book titles and quotes in a very innovative and beautiful way.

Events -

World Book Night is taking applications for givers on next years event. Use the link to see the 100 most popular books voted for on the site.

Autumn brings warm evenings by the fire, perfect for spending time with a book. Winter is just around the corner, I see lots of reading time coming.

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

2011-10-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Steaming through this Literary Theory book that I found unread at the beginning of the year, it is time for the next two chapters.
We covered Awakenings and Sex Novels in September. We now move on to chapters 14 and 15...
Chapter 14 - Disgust
While sex was being used to sell books, feelings of disgust were also being used in literature of the day to provoke reaction in the reader, particularly in the popular genre of detective stories. Disgust is an involuntary reaction, complete and spontaneous, and often influenced by cultural parameters. Different cultures find different things disgusting.
A good example is the description of an open wound on the drivers leg as he transports Tess and Angel to their wedding in Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. It is deliberately placed by the author, especially as Tess and Angel cannot see it, but we as readers are made to think on it as something out of place. We instantly react to it, and Hardy clearly uses it as a literary device.
Disgust was also used to distinguish class, with lowly work having its own sights and smells giving rise to reaction, and a certain elevation of feeling in the higher classes. Revulsion can also signify change of character for the worst, or as a reaction by another character. We cannot control our feelings of disgust and this gave authors a 'point of entry into the subconscious'. (p217).
Reactions of disgust come into their own in detective novels, describing violence, death or bad character. Death was central to these novels instead of sex, and the physical disgust of a corpse is mirrored by the moral disgust of a murder, and these are powerful emotions to use. Murders are messy, hinting at violence, inciting horror and also fascination. Corpses are dirty and the detective has to sift through the dirt to solve the murder. The detective, in contrast, like Sherlock Holmes, is emotionally unattached, clinically precise and very British. The epitome of deduction and control, and therefore the antithesis of the chaos of crime.
Chapter 15 - Henry James's Odd Women
Henry James wanted to expand his literary prowess by attempting to write from the point of view of characters most unlike himself. So during 1896 and 1899 he wrote a series of novels from a womans viewpoint.
An obvious example of these novels is The Turn of the Screw, a ghost story provoking horror and revulsion, and told through the point of view of the governess employed to take charge of two children in a seemingly haunted house.
There are arguments that this is not a ghost story, but one of hysteria and sexual repression, but James' own notebooks concentrate on the feeling of evil and corruption from across a divide. The devil is duplicitous and the 'two devils' in James' novel replicate this. Also there is the repetition of possession as the children become the medium for the two ghosts. Horror can be connected to disgust and James was clearly intrigued by this.
In The Turn of the Screw and also What Maisie Knew both used social and sexual vulgarity, of 'classes mingling promiscuously' (p241) to evoke feelings of disgust. The women in these novels are vulnerable because they stand at the gate through which vulgarity pours. Their strength in this position does not count. Other than their refusal of desire and revulsion they are denied their own identity. This makes them unique in the fiction of the period.
Contemporary works that illustrate the above points include...
Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Ulysses by James Joyce
The Sherlock Holmes novels of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
What Maisie Knew by Henry James
The next two chapters will be covered in November.

Our Sweet Little Time: a year in haiku by Hamish Ironside

2011-10-18T12:40:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since I recommended a Haiku poetry book and indeed since I got a new one. Inpress Books are an online bookstore for independent publishers and have a great collection of Haiku books. The prices are reasonable with free postage in the UK and now they also operate a loyalty scheme.

Every now and then they e-mail me promotions and it was from one of these that I picked up on this little treasure. It follows a year in Hamish's life, month by month, in Haiku poems and accompanied by illustrations by Barnaby Richards. The poems offer snapshots, thoughts and observations of monthly events, including the birth of his daughter.

This is a lovely book, I love contemporary Haiku and I found many of these already among my favourites. The book as a whole is a complete set of intricate parts that fit so well together.

The best Haiku are those that, for 3 lines, can provoke emotional reactions. Even when their subject is sad the best ones can issue a warmth from the strength of feeling in such a tiny compact form. There are many of these in this book.

I love Haiku and have done for a long time. Our Sweet Little Time is an excellent and welcome addition to my collection and I will dip into it often.

Recommended for Haiku fans, and also for those new to this form of poetry.

You can check out the British Haiku Society by following the link.

You can also read excellent Haiku poetry online at sites such as The Herons Nest.

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

2011-10-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

This was one of the titles I received on the Book Blogger Holiday Swap from last Christmas. Annabel Gaskel from Gaskella was my Secret Santa and the book was one of a number of goodies that made their way to my house. I started it while I was on holiday in Sweden and I have wanted to read it for some time.

Set in New York during the late 19th century, the novel follows the tightly knitted and highly constrictive society of the rich and privileged, governed by manners, etiquette and duty. This is a world where nothing is said outright, communication is subtle and with few surprises. Their lives are mapped out for them, and their biggest fear is any kind of discrepancy that would mean a blight on their families good name.

The narrator explains the intricate hierarchy of families while introducing us to the main players while attending the opera. Our main character, Newland Archer, handsome, successful and from a respected family, is soon to announce his engagement to May Welland, pretty, dutiful and from another good family, when the arrival of her cousin Ellen, throws a cat among the pigeons. The Countess Ellen Olenska, beautiful with bohemian leanings, was a childhood friend of Newland's, but has lived in Europe after marrying a Russian Count. Ellen's return, after the breakdown of her marriage, causes the New Yorkers tongues to wag, especially as her ways are not those of the families she had left behind. As her family try to support her, while limiting the damage her presence can do to them, Newland and May agree to bring their engagement forward in order to deflect public opinions of Ellen. Newland, however, has begun to question the constraints of duty and longs for a freer view away from duty. When he is asked, as a lawyer, to advise the Countess against seeking a divorce, an act that would do untold damage to her and taint her family, Newland finds himself becoming helplessly drawn to Ellen, and she to him.

I started this book not knowing how I would find it. I saw the movie with Daniel Day Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer years ago, so I knew it was not an action packed affair, relying on the agonies of restraint, suppressed passion and the unsaid. A few people have said that they had to suffer its boredom on college literature courses, so I was very pleasantly surprised to find a lot of humour right at the beginning, while the narrator gives us a wry view of the great and the good. I found myself reading passages out to friends because I found it unexpectedly funny. The names are fantastic...Newland Archer, Lawrence Lefferts, Sillerton Jackson, and there seems to be a constant twinkle in the eye of the storyteller.

The sumptuous interiors of the houses and the expectations in behaviour are fascinating, and as alien as an anthropological study of an ancient tribe from a rainforest. Where this novel shone for me was the breathless intensity of forbidden feeling between Newland and Ellen, and the stifling lack of honest expression between Newland and May.

There were times where this compression of feeling was painful. On leaving Ellen after a brief meeting, where his feelings, as yet inexpressed and new, threaten to engulf him, this is a man who is surrounded by those who frown on feeling anything much,

'He bent and laid his lips on her hands, which were cold and lifeless. She drew them away, and he turned to the door, found his coat and hat under the faint gas-light of the hall, and plunged out into the winter night bursting with the belated eloquance of the inarticulate.'

The language is elegant and succinct, and I enjoyed reading this book very much because of it. I am guessing it was the suppression of feeling that made you, the reader, feel so much when it was alluded to. It is clear that Newland adores Ellen, it is shouting out of him, silently. His examination of his feelings for May are equally painful.

This is not a book for those who like pace and movement. It is populated by detail and stiff characters, dictated to by endless tradition. I can see why some, who are made to read it, view it with dread and boredom. I however really enjoyed it. Its lack of outer feeling made me feel so much. It reminded me of Jane Austen's witty and detailed examinations of the well off. I liked the historic setting, in a world changing so fast and desperately hanging on to their values for fear of any alternative.

Recommended for classics fans and those who enjoy historic society novels, and Jane Austen fans looking for something different.

For discussion questions on The Age of Innocence use the link.

September Roundup

2011-10-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to post as usual last week but a nasty cold waylaid me and I find myself at the end of another month. It is my favourite time of year and I often feel hugely nostalgic because I have vivid memories of going back to school wrapped up against wind and rain, kicking through leaves, when I was a child. Now I am older autumn means moving from the garden to spend more time in the kitchen, baking, preserving and making hearty meals.

But how has the reading been going?...

Read - 3/4 of my book

Completed - none, but I'm not far off

Currently Reading - The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox

TBR Pile - still at 110 (according to GoodReads) with no more added this month after a lot of new books in august.

Challenges -

I am close to the end of The Age of Innocence which was #2 on my personal challenges this year.

I covered chapters 12 and 13 in The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920, the literary theory book that I have been making notes on each month.

Wishlist Additions -

The Leper by Sigmund Brouwer

Mice by Gordon Reece

The Secret World of Slugs and Snails: Life in the Very Slow Lane by George Gordon

The Contagious Power of Thinking by David Hamilton

The Taker by Alma Katsu

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Discoveries -

The Literary Gift Company, a website that sells the ideal gifts for your book reading friends and family.

Events -

This years Chapter and Verse Literary Festival starts at the Bluecoat in Liverpool on the 12th to 17th October.

Hopefully there will be a few more books under the belt by the end of October.

Bits and Pieces

2011-09-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

This fantastic map has the names of 181 British authors all over it, forming the places that they are associated with, and you can buy it at The Literary Gift Company as a poster. You can also see it in more detail too. It may help with decisions for our future literary holiday locations. There is also a USA version, and the website has brilliant gift ideas for anyone who loves books.

The Bluecoat Centre in Liverpool is hosting its Chapter and Verse Literature Festival from the 13th to 17th October. The festival is following the theme of 'A New England' this year. There are various talks, debates and workshops taking place.

I went to see the new Jane Eyre Film last week. It is one of my favourite books so I do not tire of watching a new movie or TV version. This one is really beautifully shot, atmospheric with gorgeous locations. Mostly enjoyable but there is something missing between Rochester and Jane here. Their relationship seems rushed and inevident, in a story that thrives on sexual tension and hidden passion, I just did not feel it which was a shame.

Bloomsbury have an extensive part of their website dedicated to reading groups, including reading group guides to many books that are worth checking out, if only to see which ones you have read.

Finally, I am still reading The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton and loving it. I have wanted to read it for ages and it is not disappointing so far. Look out for my review when I have finished it.

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920

2011-09-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

After a little break during August I am back on schedule with this Literary Theory book that I have been making notes on each month.

We covered Englishness and Spies in July so it is time to cover chapter 12 in Part II and chapter 13 in Part III.

Chapter 12 - Awakenings

Books that sold a minimum of 50, 000 copies were known as a bestseller but this was not always a good label. They did however promise more than entertainment, and this could have been in the form of spirituality or instruction of faith. Sexuality could sell books as long as it was presented as regenerative. Regeneration could be acheived if the character was saved from a kind of inertia resulting in lack of character. In the female character this was the bland condemnation caused by marriage or spinsterhood. Awakening of desire in females was considered to be powerful and essential at the same time, but more dangerous and less contained within the bounds of social and literary decency.

As the numbers of female readers grew the liberation of modern young women in fiction ensured a bestseller. Desert romances became popular, telling the stories of violent sexuality and mysticism in the French Sahara. The muscular desert men will make the city female all woman. Acknowledgement and celebration of desire are where these novels are closest to serious fiction. E M Forster and D H Lawrence both explored the awakening of desire in women. and exploit the romantic stereotype to this end, exploring as well as denigrating it. Romance needed to be broken to acheive sexual awakening in women. Mystycism supercedes romance.

There are parallels between Freuds studies on the sexual fantasies in women and Lawrence's novels, particularly The Rainbow and Women in Love, polarities of character which develop sexual maturity. There is also a lot of imagery involving horses, being broken in violently, like the women, or stallions being ridden by women. Lawrence criticises 'half-heartedness' or a 'sort of rottenness in the will' in womens characters. This degeneration can be reversed by a sexual awakening.

Part III The Psychopathology of Modernism

Chapter 13 - Sex Novels

There were 2 preoccupations in fiction at the end of the 19th century, desire and disgust, and the Edwardians were no strangers to either. There was however more attention being bestowed upon these elements at this time. The prominence of regeneration theories ensured an equal amount of attention given to 'rottenness' and 'images of monstrosity' (p197), Mr Hyde, Moriarty, Count Dracula, the picture of Dorian Gray and Kurtz in the jungle, are just some examples. However Edward Garnett (a literary advisor) advised that sex novels were valuable because they challenged the norm.

There were two movements of this type of novel: the first being New Woman novels of the 1890's which were seen as a threat to the institution of marriage. The second wave was linked to the suffrage movement around 1905. Sex novels should not be too closely allied with the womens movement however, but the exploration of women's sexuality was prominent, and causing a lot of controversy.

The most ambitious and influential novel regarding a female character, who not only found herself in sexually charged situations and consequences, but also elicited a sexual response from every male character and the narrator as well, was Tess from Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles.

Another contraversial book at the time was The Blue Lagoon by H de Vere Stacpoole, about an adolescent boy and girl shipwrecked on an island. Sexual gratification takes place, unusually, before any real desire, being a mechanical instinct in the first instance. Desire and exploration comes later, making this novel a departure from convention.

Representing the body in new ways was another angle that the Edwardian writers took. Erotic detail came out of minute detail. The Victorians had become preoccupied with scars in description, expressing moral identity. The Edwardians developed this as a provocation to desire giving 'bodies a new presence in fiction' (p203). There was also the offence caused by H G well's Ann Veronica because a woman made advances to a man.

Morality was increasingly being regulated by the state, with many initiatives being born to clean up any influences that were thought to be amoral. Criminal law was being used to reform public morality and erotic fiction became a target with lots of outcry and bannings. Censorship was not a government concern so pressure had to be exerted by the public.

It seems that passages were taken from books and paraded as amoral, but many of these were taken out of context. Lesbian undertones, alluded to in The Rainbow by Lawrence for example, were assumed by the author to be explainable by characteristic context, but the opposition did not see the passages in this way.

Any writing that included sexual activity as a means of procreation were seen as justified, it was recognition of sexuality that was frowned upon. Sex was not to be equated with pleasure. Terrorism, spies and perversion were all seen as social decay and therefore a threat to society and the human race.

Contemporary works that illustrate the above points include...

A Room with a View by E M Forster

Women in Love and The Rainbow by D H Lawrence

Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

The Blue Lagoon by H. de Vere Stacpoole

Ann Veronica by H G Wells

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Look out for the next 2 chapters in October!

One Day by David Nicholls

2011-09-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

This book has proved quite a hit on our novel holidays, being a recommendation and a lucky dip choice, so when someone else, who came with us this year, bought it for me last Christmas, it seemed appropriate to read it while away in Dorset. I thought I would finish it there, but actually finished it in Sweden.

Telling the story of Dexter and Emma, who meet on the last day of university in 1988 and remain friends over the next 20 years, we catch up with them on the same day each year, 15th July, St Swithins Day. As each chapter ends you jump another year ahead for the next one, and find out what is happening with them both and their relationship with each other.

Told with lots of humour, and wry observations of couples in the modern age, the concept of advancing a whole year with each chapter invites cliff hangers, pre-empting of plot, and lots of anticipation in the reader. It is a clever ploy, and works excellently here. The book is clever without being over complicated.

The ease with which the pages turn allows you to bond with both characters completely. You feel as if you know them, or have known someone like them, and become involved very early on. We are allowed into their secret feelings and will them together. Some of the other characters are very well developed too, Dexters mother, Emma's excrutiating boyfriend Ian, or the robotically imperfect Sylvie, making this book a very satisfying read. It is not slushy or sentimental, but identifiable, funny and engaging.

I really enjoyed taking Emma and Dexter on both of my holidays. In fact it was the perfect holiday book, easy to read, as well as to put down and pick up. I laughed out loud a couple of times, and there was a chapter near the end that made me cry openly. The nostalgia from the 1980s and '90s was also a pleasure, and the last chapters completed the book really well. Someone I work with was also reading it at the same time and we shared some of the same scenes that stuck in our minds. It is now out as a film so it will be interesting to see how they have interpreted it.

I really enjoyed it and will recommend it. I would also love to read another by the same author. If you are in the mood for something warm and moving, spanning life in England from the 1980's, not too taxing but very entertaining, then give this book a go.

You can read about this book and the others by David Nicholls on his website by using the link.

For some book group discussion questions for One Day use the link.

August Roundup

2011-08-31T13:28:00.001-07:00

My apologies for my absence for a few weeks, I have been on holiday in Sweden and spent some of my time trekking these handsome beasts (picture from Spot Sweden). I stayed in a wonderful place called Kolarbyn, where you stay in small huts in the woods, and the moose safari was organised through Wild Sweden. Highly recommended as an unusual and very beautiful place to stay. I also visited a friend who lives there, had a few nights in a log cabin on a lake, and got quite a bit of reading done too.

Read - one and a quarter books

Completed - One Day by David Nichols

Currently Reading -

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox
The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

TBR Pile - currently at 110 (Gulp!) according to GoodReads, with 8 books added this month...

Thanks for the Memories by Cecilia Ahern

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Trespass by Rose Tremain

The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes

The Hireling by L P Hartley

The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seirstadt

The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas

The Last Elf by Silvana de Mari

Challenges - with my 2 holidays and therefore being away for most of August I haven't managed much on the challenge front, including my Literary Theory book I have been making notes on. Hopefully I will be back up to speed with this in September. I have started The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, #2 of my own challenges.

Wishlist Additions -

The Fish Can Sing by Halldor Laxness

Discoveries - Another good book blog I have discovered is Ready When You Are CB. Take a look at the link.

Events - The big event in August was this years Novel Holiday, Thomas Hardy and lovely Dorset for a week.

Not strictly a literary event, but the holiday in Sweden included a stay in woodland that was straight out of every fairy story that I read when I was a child. The kind of woodland thick with trees, moss covering the floor, quiet, mysterious, and full of mushrooms.

The year is turning, September is on its way...

Thomas Hardy holiday in Dorset

2011-08-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

This years Novel Holiday took a group of 6 of us to Dorset to explore the haunts of Thomas Hardy while examining one of his novels - The Woodlanders. We also covered Tinkers by Paul Harding and On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan.

The cottage here (courtesy of an article in the London Evening Standard about Hardy's Dorset) is where Hardy lived, in Higher Bockhampton during his early life, and it really is as beautiful as it appears. It is just over a week ago since we started our Hardy exploration and this was our first destination. Right on the edge of Puddletown Woods it was a really lovely start. I had total garden envy.We also went to Max Gate, the house he designed and where he spent his latter years, and also Stinsford Church where his heart is buried (his ashes are in Poets Corner in Westminster Cathedral in London). All of these locations were very close together, on the edge of Dorchester (Casterbridge in nis novels) and do-able in one day.

We had spent about an hour and a half discussing The Woodlanders the day before, while sitting in the late summer sunshine, in the garden of our holiday cottage in Netherbury. We talked about so many things, including 'Did Giles even deserve Grace?' to 'Romanticism or Darwinism in the descriptions of the Woods?'. Of course we also talked about whether we loved it or hated it, and whether we would read any more Hardy. We unanimously loved Marty, and were frustrated with Grace, many of us feeling she needed a good slap. A few of us also wanted to slap Giles, but most of us elicited a sigh when he was mentioned, especially when Rufus Sewell from the film came into it. Sigh! It was a lively discussion and a great book to talk about.

We also visited Chesil Beach and almost got blown away, it was so windy, but quite atmospheric. It was difficult to walk on the shingle and we all agreed that there was no way that Florence would manage to run far along it in the novel. We had talked it over in the conservatory that morning. Tinkers also provoked interesting debate, being both a vivid and also an ethereal read.

Of course we did many other things during the week...Mapperton Gardens, Cerne Abbas Giant and many lovely walks around Netherbury.

It was an excellent week, Dorset was totally beautiful, as was our lovely cottage in Netherbury, and we ate, drank and talked loads. My thanks to my friends who made it a brilliant week.

We are currently looking into possible locations for next year! So many to choose from...

July Roundup

2011-08-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

Lovely Calendula flowers and so easy to grow. Their colour never fails to make me smile.

Time to recap everything bookish for July...

Read - 1 and a quarter books.

Completed - The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy

Currently Reading -

One Day by David Nichols

Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

TBR Pile - Currently at 102 (according to GoodReads) with one book added...

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Challenges - made notes on chapters 10 and 11 from The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 the literary theory book I am summarising each month. Look out for the next 2 chapters during August.

Wishlist Additions -

The Hearing Trumpet by Luis Bunuel

The Sentimentalists by Johanna Skibsrud

The Giver by Lois Lowry

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Discoveries - lots of interesting things about The Woodlanders during my research for our Thomas Hardy literary holiday next week, some of which I will share when I post about it after I get home.

Events - Watching One Summer, the fantastic TV series from 1983, that I first saw when I was 14 and now have on DVD. Starring James Hazeldine, David Morrissey and Spencer Leigh it is probably the most influential TV series I have ever seen, and has not disappointed 28 years later.

Off to Dorset on friday, back the following week when I will let you know how all things Thomas Hardy went.

The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy

2011-07-25T13:18:00.001-07:00

The old hardback version of this book that I have, not dissimilar to the copy pictured here, is a 1939 edition and it came in a box of old books given to me by a friend. It has a preface written in it by Thomas Hardy himself in April 1912. It is my third Hardy novel, the others being Far from the Madding Crowd (studied twice, read at least 3 times, much loved), and Jude the Obscure (read once which was enough, very good but hard going), although I feel as if I have read more having seen many TV and film versions of his novels. This title is the set Hardy novel for my literary holiday in Dorset in a few weeks.

Set in the deep woods of 19th century England, this story tells of the inhabitants of Little Hintock, their interactions with each other and their essential relationship with the woodland around them. We have Giles Winterbourne, stalwart and loyal, respected by those around him, a worker in the woods with a unique understanding of the trees that he works on. Giles loves Grace Melbury, daughter of George Melbury, who had sent her to an expensive school to learn how to be a lady and better herself. Edred Fitzpiers is the unconventional young doctor from a rich family, Felice Charmond is the rich widow inhabiting the nearby manor house with a taste for young men, and Marty South is the poor young worker, who stays on the sidelines but plays a central part in the plot.

This is a story about relationships, promises, marriage and thwarted love. It is also a contemplation of the beauty of old woodlands and the tiny microcosm of society within them. All of Hardy's novels explore a disappearing way of life, rural traditions practiced away from the towns and cities, but this one seems even more so. It is as if the people in this novel are entirely seperate from any other society, and the trees close up around them, sealing them in.

Hardy's novels are not known for their cheeriness, although to say they are without humour would be misleading, and this story has its fair share of tragedy and heartbreak. Hardy is most memorable when exploring missed love affairs through circumstance or bad timing, and all of the agonies of the 'what ifs?...' that he evokes in the reader, and this one uses all of this to excellent effect.

I really enjoyed inhabiting their woodland haven with them, following their days as they walk among the trees. The woods are a tangible character throughout and form some of the most memorable imagery. The story was easier than Jude with a well rounded feel to it, very moving and beautiful to read. The last few paragraphs touched a nerve and had me gulping back tears. Grace is not like Hardy's stronger females such as Tess or Bathsheba, but I really liked Giles, and I think Marty gets my favourite character award due to the skillful writing as she is not in it very often.

One of the easier Hardy novels, though not without sadness, and a must for English classic fans or those who love rural novels as I do. I look forward to discussing it on holiday.

The Thomas Hardy Society is a good place to call in on for Hardy fans.

There is also an interesting article titled Hardy's Romanticism in The Woodlanders if you wish to read further.

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920

2011-07-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Time for the next 2 chapters of this literary theory book that I rediscovered unread earlier on this year and hope to comment on each month.

Last month we covered Declension and Frontiers. We now move on to chapters 10 and 11 of Part II on Nation and Society.

Chapter 10 - Englishness

England had a strong sense of itself, its own identity, and it had emerged from its national attributes, 'political, legal and administrative stability, and a widely intelligible vernacular.' (p154) With the expansion of England into Britain and a rapidly growing industrialisation, cultural images and narratives of a sense of nation became more important. It is believed that this emphasis on Englishness was responsible for a decline in 'entrepeneurial spirit' and a rise in literary criticism at the time.

The Boer War was blamed for a change in perceptions away from country born intelligence to city based intelligence. Urban life was destroying the race and only a return to living off the land would reintroduce our identity. In literature, historical depth was needed, and Rudyard Kipling explored this along with a return to ancient dialects and regional language patterns to continue nationality. Language was seen to be degenerating with the loss of Anglo Saxon. William Barnes, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Ezra Pound all championed the return of Anglo Saxon vigour.

Barnes thought that Latin and French words had weakened the English language, and the purest English was in Wessex, the furthest from international influence. Hardy and Kipling embraced the Wessex dialect to authenticate characters.

Along with connections to ancient speech patterns was a fascination for ancient architecture. Stonehenge, Avebury, Silbury Hill and other ancient places enhanced a feeling of understanding of an old, wise knowledge that belonged to England, and authors used them to create an accessible magic.

Englishness was beginning to enter the realms of fantasy, no more so than in those who adopted the act of being English. A famous example of the time was Ford Madox Ford, author, poet and editor of literary journals. He spoke with a pronounced precision, claimed a connection with the land and the simple life, medievalism, adopted Toryism, became a cricket enthusiast and the ways of the old school tie. Yet his origins were German, his real surname was Hueffer. It was a performance, validating itself in an emphasis on tradition over the new. It shook up perceptions of being English. Hueffer wrote extensively about Englishness but warned about 'the Heart of England' being an illusion developed by people in cities seeking a more traditional source of national identity.

Chapter 11 - Spies

Patriotism continued in the form of the popular spy novels but here the emphasis is on protecting the national identity from outside influences. The genre replaced the imperial adventure stories as anxieties moved from frontiers to Great Power rivalry.

It is not coincidence that spy novels arose at the same time as the British Secret Service, and its leader was convinced of an invasion by the Germans. To reaffirm his suspicions literature came to his aid. Popular caricatures can often be mistaken for real people. These novels also became heavily didactic as the secret agent became a 'symbol of stability' in a world that was quickly changing.

Where the sensation novels of the 1860's emphasised anxieties of bigamy, or wrongful incarciration in lunatic asylums, the 1880's brought terrorism in the form of the Fenian bombings. Terrorism was international and brought to the fore the fact that Britain was part of a big scary world and not an isolated island bubble. Terrorists were secretive and once a member you could not leave. They were driven by ancient grudges and insults, killing for revenge. Any invasion would be impossible without an influx of spies, living among us, ordinary lives waiting for instruction to wreak havoc. Such a situation, emphasising enigma rather than battles, needed a new type of hero, a sleepy Englishman thrown into an extraordinary situation, having to save not just himself but his country too. Luxurious and high up places provided sophisticated settings for these novels. The threat to England widened as paranoia grew, and E Phillips Oppenheim as well as other authors, became interested in secret societies as the spy novel gained influence.

Lord Baden Powell likened spying to scouting, adventure for anyone tired of life. The thrilling occupations of a spy were a national regenerator and John Buchan's character Richard Hannay embodied that. He was 'nomadic, protean, occasionally violent, a symbol of the instability needed to revitalize a complacent, suburbanized society'. (p180)

Contemporary works that illustrate the above points include...

She and Kim by Rudyard Kipling

The Secret Places of the Heart by H G Wells

England, My England by D H Lawrence

The Heart of the Country and The Spirit of the People by Ford Madox Hueffer

The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

Four Just Men by Edgar Wallace

The Mysterious Mr Sabin and The Great Impersonation by E Phillips Oppenheim

Just to let you know this post has come out later than planned because after spending 2 hours composing it some days ago, on publishing it something happened and the entire post was wiped with no trace. Gutting!

Please look out for the next 2 chapters some time next month

June Roundup

2011-07-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

The famous Liverpool Everyman Theatre closed its doors for a few years while it is being rebuilt and Hope St hosted a whole day of commemorative events on saturday so that the public could say goodbye to the present building, which has played a part in many up and coming careers like Pete Postlethwaite, David Morrissey, Jonathan Pryce, Julie Walters, Bill Nighy among so many others. Slung Low ran the proceedings and gave our present Everyman a good send off. It was a great and very moving day for everyone there.

On to the bookish side of things from June...

Read - 1 and a half books

Completed - Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

Currently Reading -

The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy

Watching the English: The hidden rules of English Behaviour by Kate Fox

The English Novel in History 1895-1920 by David Trotter

TBR pile - currently at 102 (according to GoodReads) with 3 more added...

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

Out of the Woods by Will Cohu

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Challenges - summarised chapters 8 and 9 from The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920, the literary theory book I am reading each month.

Wishlist Additions -

The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott

The Astral by Kate Christensen

The Reservoir by John Milliken Thompson

Don't Breathe A Word by Jennifer McMahon

The Hardy Tree by Iphigenia Baal

Discoveries - The Taxi of Knowledge initiative that is taking place in Cairo. Read about the taxis that are carrying books in them for passengers to read.

Events - The Everyman Theatre Finale

On that note, we move onward through July...

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

2011-06-27T13:17:00.001-07:00

I was lent this novel by a friend. She didn't tell me much about it other than it was by the author who wrote Fight Club and I should read it. I got an inkling that she had not altogether enjoyed reading about the main character. I have not read anything else by the author but I loved the movie of Fight Club so I figured it was going to be an interesting one.

Once again this year I was reading a book about a former member of an enclosed religious cult now let loose on the modern world (see Whit by Iain Banks) but it is there that any similarity between the books ends. What one tells you in great detail, the other uses language to hint at, allowing the reader to fill in the rest.

This is the story about Tender Branson, told by himself, as he hurtles deliberately to earth, alone on a jet soon to run out of fuel, recording his life on the Black Box recorder. A former home help hired out by his community, who have now committed mass suicide, he is one of the few hundred survivors of the cult, and the number is dwindling further due to cult member guilt and a murderer popping off the survivors. Soon our narrator is the only one left and becomes an evangelising celebrity sucked into the shallow world of fame and lies.

The book is intriguing from the start with the chapters and pages counting backwards. The narration is punchy, glib, and economical with words and information while we can fill in the gaps readily with our own observations on the image driven modern life of the West.

Tender Branson is not a loveable character, in fact I didn't care a whole lot about his fate at all. Seriously warped by his constrictive upbringing and then the banality of the outside world, he gets off on advertising his own phone number as a help line for the desperate so he can listen to their suicidal rantings. When, on his encouragement, one of them does himself in, he obsesses about finding his burial place. Enter Fertility Hollis, the victims sister, who can predict future disasters, and the plot goes off on several tangents at once, advancing our protagonist through many bizarre and extreme scenarios, before hurtling towards its conclusion.

This book is driven by comedy, not realism, and it takes everything that is bad about Western society, multiplies it by fifty, and gives us it back to laugh at and be appalled by it. We recognise this world but it has mutated to an alarming proportion. It is fast paced with multiple plot strands. Some of the strands end up ridiculously off-kilter.

This is not a book I would have read ordinarily so I enjoyed the refreshing angle, the unusual setup and the narrative which I thought was clever and suited the comment it was making. I did find that it lost pace in the second half though, and the ending just went nowhere so felt as if it ended abruptly with no surprises. Please be warned, if you are easily offended, have a staid sense of humour or have issues with suicide or extreme behaviour, this is not the book for you. However if you like Fight Club the movie you will certainly get the authors style, and if you want a satirical comment on how absurd aspects of our lives, especially driven by the media, have become, then this book will entertain. I will be careful who I recommend it to, but I have recommended it already.

A totally bonkers ride with scarily resonant messages, however extreme.

You can check out Survivor on Chuck Palahniuk's website by using the link.

There are quotes from Survivor, use the link, but remember, there will be spoilers.

The English Novel in History 1895-1920

2011-06-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

Here are the notes on the next 2 chapters from this book that I found earlier this year and am serialising throughout 2011.

Last month we covered The Relevance of Ulysses and Degeneration. We now move onto chapters 8 and 9 in Part II of the book about Nation and Society.

Chapter 8 -Declension

The short era of the slum novel was coming to an end by the 1890's, leaving Zola behind for the 'romance' of Dickens and his depictions of the more 'cheerful' aspects of the poorer classes. At the same time a new class was emerging from the areas quickly becoming the suburbs, spreading out from London's centre and the major industrial centres, as well as coastal resorts now easily accessible by railway. This new 'tribe' of city dwellers was of special interest to the cultural anthropologists, and was also composed of avid novel readers, too leading to a flourishing fictional genre that 'celebrated or gently mocked suburban lifestyles and values', (p129). The characteristic most obvious from such writing was the monotony of suburbia, the elimination of variety, producing a certain type of person that denied differences, or sense of community. We no longer seemed to witness a society united by common human bonds, but one that thrived now on individual capacity and desire. This uniformity could be viewed in 2 ways, the Dickens view of benevolence, or the Ruskin view of pettiness and destruction.

Authors Arnold Bennett and Virginia Woolf took opposing views about characterisation at this time. Woolf embraced the new concepts of identity and their depiction in literature, Bennett felt that she neglected depth of character while trying to be clever in her writing. Woolf rejected the traditional tools and conventions of portrayal, preferring to convey character through 'poetic awareness'. In Modern Fiction, the more aware someone is of their own identity, the more representable they become. Modernism itself has been said to be a 'poetic of awareness' (133).

Bennett on the other hand preferred to use the differences between people as essential to their portrayal. These differences, particularly between gender, were key to Bennett's characters.

Where there is awareness of character, there must also be unawareness. Bennett championed the right to a characters unawareness. This required a new type of plot. Traditional English novel writing had included revelations throughout as a character develops, and prejudice and habits make way for a when the 'naked self confronts a naked world' (p135). Layers of character needed to be stripped away to reveal the truth, the final transformation. Bennett found himself between 2 traditions, so a new plot was formed, to illustrate a personality that does not develop, that is stuck in a kind of inertia and unable to progress. Bennett called this type of personality, one 'not shaped by development or degeneration' (137), as 'declension', and few people in his novels escaped it. 'Declension involves a gradual loss of energy, will, presence, significance.', (p137).

Hysteria during the 19th century was considered to be a serious disablement, mainly in women, due to hormonal attributes that could run genetically through families, as portrayed in Zola's novels regarding members of the same family's degenerational characters. Whereas Zola would portray Nana's degeneration into hysteria, Bennett took the Freudian stance in his novels, of hysteria brought on by a traumatic incident, in the form of declension instead. Sinclair, Joyce, Lawrence and Mansfield all use this basis for their stories of declension.

Chapter 9 - Frontiers

In opposition to realism came romance and during our modern era of writing romance had new territories, that of empire. Anxieties about society and degeneration were explored in naturalist novels, anxieties about the decline of Empire were explored in romance. Imperialism was having to reassert itself amongst so much competition from other countries wanting the same resources. This regeneration was the source of a lot of reproduction in our culture.

Studies on colonization have revealed that far from moving the colonizers identity abroad, as was often the intention, the reality was a new identity formed out of survival in the colonies and adapting to the new conditions. Renewal or regeneration of identity was also seen as a threat, reinforcing the conviction of the West in decline. Colonial experience however, was to provide writers with fascinating new angles and comparisons to use in their work, even for an anti-Imperialist writer like Henry James.

America had already embraced the regeneration of individual and collective identity with its own frontier myths. In 1893 Frederick Jackson Turner read his paper to the American Historical Association, stating that 'American social development has been continually beginning over again on the frontier. This perennial rebirth, this fluidity of American life, this expansion westward with its new opportunities, its continuous touch with the simplicity of primitive society, furnish the forces dominating American character.' (p145). As the Americans have had to readapt to the new conditions of the perpetually moving frontier, so must Europeans adapt to influences as they march across continents with their own frontiers. However, the British novels, unlike the American writing, illustrate the process of renewal, strength out of weakness. This renewal can be emotional as well as political.

Writers were now taking their characters, exhausted and purposeless, who would have descended into degeneration, to new territories where they can find new identities through emotional and political commitment. The only way to complicate this narrative was to mix up the two in one novel, as A.E.W. Mason did in The Four Feathers.

Contemporary works that illustrate the above points include...

Howards End by E M Forster

Clayhanger and Hilda Lessways by Arnold Bennett

Nana by Emile Zola

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

The Half Hearted by John Buchan

The Great Amulet by Maud Diver

The Tragedy of Korosko by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope

The Four Feathers by A E W Mason

Look out for the next two chapters from this fascinating book in a post next month.

Through the Kitchen Window by Susan Hill

2011-06-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

This is the third of my Susan Hill books about her life in the country. After being totally enchanted by The Magic Apple Tree last year, I bought Through the Garden Gate and this title. Susan Hill's voice has an gentle and honest quality, and I have become a fan of her writing.

This book is quite short and you would be able to read it in one sitting. Illustrated again by Angela Barrett, the pictures enhance the main themes of the book, which are home, family, living in a community, and cooking things that you have grown yourself. The whole book is infused with recipes alongside the authors recollections, stories and recommendations.

Arranged seasonally we are taken through a whole year in her kitchen...hearty meals in winter and dishes that help you get over a cold, young greens in spring, picnics, salads and fruit in summer, bottling and preserving in autumn. Naturally each seasonal festival is also included, The Christmas table, Easter treats, and suggestions for using whatever is in season.

The recipes are of a traditional nature with family in friends in mind, Fruity Tea Bread, Dorset Apple Cake, Sausage and Onion Plate Pie. Many dishes are mentioned without the recipe, as a nostalgic memory or appreciation. We also have 'Ten Pleasures of the Winter Kitchen' and sections on Damsons, Asparagus, Rhubarb and many more.

Again this is a book to treasure and dip into, very sensory, and a haven to retreat to during a busy day. Out of the 3 books this is my least favourite, and The Magic Apple Tree remains miles ahead, but if you like books about country living and Susan Hill's mesmerising writing voice, this is worth looking up.

To see more book illustrations by Angela Barrett, who mainly does childrens books, but whose contribution to some of Susan Hill's books can not be understated, use the link.

May Roundup

2011-06-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

Spent a whole day making Elderflower cordial while working on the farm last week, a drink forever associated with summer. The picture here, together with the recipe, can be found on Farm in my Pocket.
Read - almost 2 books
Completed - Through the Kitchen Window by Susan Hill
Currently Reading -
Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk
Watching the English: the hidden rules of English behaviour by Kate Fox
The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter
TBR Pile - Now at 99 (according to GoodReads) with 5 added this month...
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Challenges - summarised chapters 6 and 7 from The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920, the literary theory book that I am making notes on each month.
Wishlist Additions -
I'll Never get out of this World Alive by Steve Earle
The Juggler by Sebastian Beaumont
Discoveries -
There is a flickr group called mybookshelves where you can add pictures of your own collections of books. The group was started by the Guardian and there was an article about the mybookshelves group here. Instructions on how to include your own photos of your bookshelves can be found on the Guardian's book blog.
Events -
Macbeth at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool starring David Morrissey and Julia Ford. Brilliant production with strong performances and an excellent set. It is also one of my favourite Shakespeare plays.
There was also the bookswap at work which was very successful, good fun, and I got 3 new books to read.
Summer came upon us when we weren't looking. Onward into June...

3rd Blogiversary

2011-05-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot my own blogiversary this year, so nearly 10 days late, it was The Octogon's 3rd birthday on the 18th May.

Its been an amazing 3 years, lots of books, events, discussion and friends. A whole load of lovely things have come my way since I started this in 2008, many unexpected and surprising things, and I have enjoyed all of it and hope to continue for a long time yet.

I am off on holiday for a week, to work on the farm in Devon, so I'll catch up with you on the 5th June with a roundup of everything that happened in May.

Be back soon...

Book Swap

2011-05-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

It was time for another book swap in work. It has been 2 years since I organised the last one, and a number of people had enquired about whether we were having another, mainly because they had been having a clear out and had books to bring in. A good book swap is only as good as the books that take part, so the time was ripe to capitalise on spring cleaning ventures.

Throughout the day there were about 60 books on offer as various members of staff brought them in boxes and bags. There were some excellent titles on offer too, and many people were seen clutching their new books, showing other people, talking about which ones they had already read.

I have got better over the years with letting books go. I used to keep them all, but lack of space and a willingness to share have overcome this. Don't get me wrong, there are millions of books in our house, millions. I have just learnt that I cannot keep every one.

I took 3 books in... An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge, Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett, and Ox-Tales: Water by various authors. All 3 had gone at the end of the day, the Bainbridge going first. Ship Fever was an acquisition from a previous book swap.

In return I came away with 3 new exciting books... Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, and Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson.

Oxfam did well out of the ones that remained at the end, about 20 in all.

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920

2011-05-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

It is time to fill you in on 2 more chapters from this really interesting literary theory book that I am making notes on as I read it throughout the year.

Last month saw chapters 4 and 5 on Thresholds and Interiors. This month sees the last chapter of Part One: Economies and Styles, and the first chapter in Part 2: Nation and Society.

Chapter 6 - The Relevance of Ulysses

If ever a book was thought to be the most prominent of the Modernist era, it is James Joyces' Ulysses, 'a novel which turned the whole genre inside out', p95. Difficult to market because of its 'peculiarity' it was to use this as part of its marketing ploy. It was rejected by mainstream publishers, but played upon its own 'uniqueness', with Joyce even producing a readers guide to help with its level of difficulty. All of this singled out readers who would invest time and energy in their reading, imbuing the book with a certain kudos and its readership as a literary elite, at least in the world of contemporary novels. 'Ulysses was defined by its difficulty' p97, even its title inferred a knowledge of Homer, to be going on with.

The first 10 episodes of the book are written in what is known as 'initial style', combining dialogue, first-person present-tense monologue, and third-person past-tense monologue. All pretty normative. This style evolves into a periodic structure, with the use of adverbials, descriptive words or passages which mean nothing as they are read and demand patience from the reader to be remembered for a later part of the book. These adverbials support inferences, and it is with this knowledge lies the art of decoding the narrative. Relevance of narrative is often layered and not laid bare. Joyce deliberately complicates his linguistic structure to avoid meaning.

This style of writing and form of communication exemplifies Modernist writing. Readers had to abandon all previous codes of reading and understanding novels. In later episodes technique overrides content and the story loses emphasis to expression. Huge amounts of effort in the reader produce small amounts of information. As the book progresses, the book becomes more difficult to process, with relevance seeming to be abandoned. As the reader strives to make connections, it can appear as if 'the joke is on us' p107.

PART II - Nation and Society

Chapter 7 - Degeneration

During the second half of the 19th century people became obsessed with the degeneration of the race. The theory of degeneration emerged from the natural and medical sciences. The 'decline of the white races', p112, included documentation of regression, an 'organic process' that was hereditary. This social theory was seen as the cause of crime, poverty and disease. Connecting to the 'age-old anxiety about the end of the world', p112, it reinforced theories regarding decadent lifestyles and the arts in general. This theory, as the new century got under way, became a habit of mind and was referred to often. Any social problem could be connected to it.

Naturalist fiction encorporated plots of decline, physical and moral exhaustion. Emile Zola's early novels, following strands of the same family from novel to novel, illustrated downward spirals through the generations of alcoholism, disease, poverty or madness.

Zola was not hugely popular in Britain, but he was notorious and Henry James noted a pessimism had descended upon the British writing of the time. Zola's grimy plots and downwardly mobile characters provided a stage for social comment. This led the way for 2 new genres, slum fiction and the New Woman novel.

Pioneered in the 1880's by Gissing and Besant, slum fiction took the French pessimism and incorporated women protagonists who, following failed relationships, plummed the depths of existence, with violence, abandonment, prostitution or death. These plots differed in blaming external circumstances for their downfall, rather than a hereditary malfunction. The women start off spirited, but have the life beaten out of them by circumstance.

Deformed children, illustrating the degeneration of bloodlines, was popular in naturalist fiction, as was hysteria in women. Professor Moriarty of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and Count Dracula were all examples of the degeneracy that people feared and these characters were described as such. 'Parasites, outcasts and madmen' p118.

Another off shoot of these theories was the continuation of race, in order to halt degeneration, through preservation of bloodlines. Women should mate with racially sound men, and this came into the fiction of the time. Examples can be found in the novels of D H Lawrence where the characters discuss racial purity, as well as E M Forster.

Contemporary works that illustrate the above points include...

Ulysses by James Joyce

The Time Machine by H G Wells

Germinal, L'Assomoir and La Terre by Emile Zola

A Mummer's Wife by George Moore

The Unclassed by George Gissing

Women in Love by D H Lawrence

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Look out for the next two chapters which will be covered some time in June.

Tinkers by Paul Harding

2011-05-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

I saw this one in Waterstones and it caught my interest. It has since been chosen as one of our set books for this years Novel Holiday in August.

George is dying, ill and bedridden, he starts to hallucinate, about the clocks that were his job, their intricate mechanisms, and also about his father, a salesman who peddled his wares in the poverty ridden backwoods of Maine in 1927, as well as battling with epilepsy and griefs about his own father.

This book drifts between memories, some lucid, some hazy. There are stories about things that happened as well as lengthy descriptions about the countryside and the beauty of nature. There are also heightened descriptions of epileptic fits coming on, how clocks work and what George can see and make sense of from his death bed.

Some passages in this book are a pure joy, lovely to read, and rich with story and detail. There was one particular passage recounting an old hermit who lived in the woods that I had to read again immediately because it moved me to laugh and cry. There are other passages that are dense and need concentration, but you are rewarded most of the time with literature that is exciting, involving and beautiful. There are also however places where it was difficult to keep up with what was being relayed, and about whom. While this emphasised the main characters loss of grip on reality, I felt I had also missed out on its meaning.

I found the ending moving, as Georges reality slips into unconsciousness, and elements of the book are successfully brought together. There is little straightforward narrative, the passages jump about and some offer little clue or continuation. This can enrich or baffle in turn. The parts describing Georges father on his cart full of household wares, trading in the woods were the most lucid, and also the most memorable. I also loved the passages about clocks, told with a craftsmans respect and love for his art.

This book will not appeal to those who like straightforward prose, but if you enjoy dense literature, where you need to stop every few pages to take it in, then you will find this a very rewarding read.

I really enjoyed it on the whole, mainly for being about a particular view of American history, and its unusual descriptive style for the genre.

A good one for reading groups with lots to discuss. For discussion questions about Tinkers use the link.

April Roundup

2011-05-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

How gorgeous are these Alliums, which are just like mine blooming in the front garden. They are so effective when grouped together. Lovely April, when the flowers come to life!

Read - 2 and a quarter books

Completed -

Through the Garden Gate by Susan Hill

Tinkers by Paul Harding

Currently Reading -

Survivor by Chuch Palahniuk

Through the Kitchen Window by Susan Hill

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

TBR pile - 94 books (according to GoodReads) with none added. I've been good this month.

Challenges - summarised Chapters 4 and 5 from The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920, that I am serialising each month here at The Octogon. Look out for the next 2 chapters during May.

Not strictly a challenge, but I have also read one of the set books for our literary holiday in August in Dorset. Look out for my review of Tinkers by Paul Harding next week.

Wishlist Additions -

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Discoveries - a new blog OverBooked written for followers of the Topsfield Library in Massachusetts. Some nice reviews and a good selection of books.

Events - Finally got my finger out and organised our next bookswap at work after a 2 year absense. A number of colleagues had requested it, probably after having their spring clearouts. It is set for monday 16th May and I'll let you know how it goes.

It is a sunny May Day (and bank holiday/Royal Wedding weekend) up here in Liverpool. I hope it stays awhile.

Onwards into May...

Through the Garden Gate by Susan Hill

2011-04-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

After being totally enchanted with The Magic Apple Tree last year, by the author who is otherwise known for her ghost stories, I managed to buy second hand copies of her other similar books, about living in the countryside. Through the Garden Gate is the first of the 2 titles.

The illustrations by Angela Barrett draw you into this lovely book, where Susan Hills voice describes the various gardens throughout her life. Starting with The Gardens of my Childhood, and on to other chapters covering Herb Gardens, Rose Gardens, Wilderness, Winter Gardens, Vegetable Gardens, Potted Gardens, and Night Gardens, among others, you get a little burst of pictures and musings in each chapter. This book is about sharing a love of gardens rather than a tome of practical information. It is an indulgence, for writer and reader.

I loved the reference to Alice in Wonderland at the beginning, and the Ten Delights of a Garden which included such carefree thoughts of 'Rhubarb plants left to spread, tower and run all to seed...The smell of tomato plants inside a conservatory...Pincushion moss growing in the crevices of a stone wall'. Susan Hills gardens are not the ordered kind of exotic blooms, tamed into submission and planned to the last detail. They are places to get lost in, marvel at how they do their own thing, a little bit wild, but always beautiful, surprising and full of wonderful things. A partnership between gardener and garden with an adventure around every corner. Exactly the kind of garden I would love to have, but try to emulate with my modest bit of ground at the front and back of the house.

Although not quite as amazing as The Magic Apple Tree, it is certainly a book to dip into if, like me, you enjoy listening to Susan Hills voice, taking you around gardens of the imagination, that you would love to visit for real. A book to get lost in, very sensory, and a short read that some of you could polish off in one go.

The nearest places I have seen that come close to the ideal gardens of my imagination are The Forbidden Corner in Yorkshire (like visiting every childrens story you read when you were a child) and Newby Hall near Ripon, for a beautiful historic garden with quirky details, including a gate that was taken from Newgate prison in London when it was closed down in 1902.

I would love any recommendations for beautiful or interesting gardens that you know of.

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920

2011-04-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

A train journey to and from Hull during one day last week provided an excellent opportunity to read and make notes for this months installment from this literary theory book.

Last month we covered chapters 2 and 3, about Labour and Gold Standards. Here are another 2 chapters for this months installment...

Chapter 4 - Thresholds

Earlier in the 19th century novels had been available in 'three-decker' form, that is in 3 volumes. This made novels expensive and out of the range of many peoples income. However, with the advent of serialisation in popular journals, there was a new format for writers to make use of. With the new one-volume novels at the end of the 1880's, at 6 shillings, the demise of the 3 volume novel came in 1895. Circulating and public libraries remained the main buyers of fiction, but to secure individual sales meant more profits for the publishers. The desires of the reader -consumer were now key, leading to the rise of the modern bestseller. This also led to a new diversity in writing.

To acheive bestseller status and the mass market, there needed to be recognition of the smaller groups of people within that mass market. W D Howells, Henry James's American mentor and friend, identified 2 markets for the novel. There was one type of fiction 'which was the equivalent of the circus or the variety theatre' which was 'essential to the spiritual health of the masses' (p66). The 'cultivated classes' demanded a different type of writing, one that was determined by fashion. This impacted on the way authors wrote. Modernism became 'the literary equivalent of the theory of marginal utility' (p67).

A new purpose drove the writing style of the Modernist period. The metaphor became the mode of choice when representing the world in fiction. It was argued that the Modernist writer did not want to experiment with the 'free-play' of language, so much as 'test our powers of inference', how a reader processes the text, making us dig deeply into our own emotions and experiences of the world, challenging our assumptions and generating rich contextual effects. Relevance theory 'analyses communication in terms of effort and effect'. Previous works had kept attention, memory and reasoning to a minimal effort. However the writers of the Modernist period could not be put into this category, that is James, Conrad, Lawrence, Joyce or Woolf could not be described as writers whose work required little effort in the reader. Many writers, especially James, stretched their readers by their use of syntax. 'Disturbances of linguistic structure alert us to the possibility that we may have to work very hard indeed in order to understand what the writer might mean us to infer' (p70). Lawrence employs a loose sentence structure devoid of any anticipatory devices. In Sons and Lovers and The Rainbow the awakening of the characters as they develop in the novel is portrayed as a negative experience, 'an awakening from an old life, rather than to a new life.' (p78). These new stylistic devices illustrate a new kind of change where the change remains unexplained.

Chapter 5 - Interiors

Expanding the theory of Modernist writers using established styles and then disrupting them, to stretch the experience of the reader by making them work for the meaning in the writing, we examine descriptions of rooms in various fiction to define relevance in the work.

In the popular fiction of Arthur Conan Doyle, we can compare Holmes and Watsons descriptions of a room as a crime scene to illustrate relevance and irrelevance. Watson describes the room using stereotype to convey meaning, whereas Holmes describes the seemingly irrelevant details with his superior obsevant eye to deduce the rooms secrets. 'Holmes embodies the Principle of Relevance, the guarantee that effort will be adjusted to effect.', (p82). Richard Hannay from The Thirty Nine Steps was the same, ignoring stereotypes to arrive at alternative scenarios.

Many authors set out to examine the 'condition of England' in their writing. Rooms represent the people who own them, providing excellent material to examine the condition of England. Rooms, houses, dwellings and establishments were endlessly used to represent the wider society within them. H G Wells in In the Days of the Comet uses description sparingly, using seemingly irrelevant items to provide an absence of relevance to enhance a world governed by irrelevance. Wells is at his best when forcing us 'to confront a surplus of information we cannot make sense of,' thus commenting on the condition of England'.

Galsworthy, Forster and Walpole all gave us houses with descriptions of relevant details to convey the owners character. Woolf and Lawrence identified the limitations of this. Wells invites new possibilites by using irrelevance, demonstrating the need for change in writing. Conrad destabilises characters identities by describing interiors from the outside, shattering their own illusions of themselves. Woolf also plays with expectations of narrative in Jacob's Room by describing the contents of Jacob's Cambridge University room being devoid of anything informative within. Jacob is simply not present in his possessions. His only presence is ghostly, and this is only in the minds of those who search his room after his death.

Contemporary works that illustrate the above points include...

Ulysses by James Joyce

Sons and Lovers by D H Lawrence

The Rainbow by D H Lawrence

The Thirty Nine Steps by John Buchan

In the Days of the Comet by H G Wells

Howards End by E M Forster

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Victory by Joseph Conrad

Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf

Look out for the next installment from this literary theory book which will be posted on this blog some time in May.

Caught by the river: A Collection of Words on Water by various authors

2011-04-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

This lovely book was bought for me as a Christmas present from a friend in 2009 and was a perfect bedside table book to dip in and out of.

Evolving from the website about angling, music and culture, caughtbytheriver.net, this is a collection of stories, essays and musings about the varied rivers of Britain. Covering many of the usual suspects, The Severn, The Ouse, The Irvine and The Thames, and quite a few lesser known treasures, this book allows us to while away the hours in the countryside with the authors. Sharing a passion for rivers the authors too are an interesting array of journalists, known writers and musicians. Frank Cottrell Boyce and Irvine Welsh sit alongside Jarvis Cocker and Edwyn Collins, Roger Deakin alongside Lord Peregrine St Germans, at home describing currents, Kingfishers and shopping trolleys.

The subjects are as varied as the writers. There are a fair amount of remembered fishing tales, but also canoeing adventures, childhood wanderings of legendary proportions, as well as rivers as personalities that we live with and provide a sense of place and stability, or a little known peaceful retreat. Among my favourites were The River Cary with author and journalist Gavin Pretor-Pinney, Tickling Fish by Lord Peregrine St Germans, or Way Across the River by punk historian Jon savage. To be truthful though there was not a single chapter I did not find enjoyable.

As I said, this was perfect to read before sleep because it was so relaxing and each chapter was reasonably short. The words are peppered with illustrations by Robert Gibbings and John Richardson making this book very special. You can buy some of the maps as prints from the caughtbytheriver website.

The blurb on the back describes the book as 'a uniquely modern take on an age old writing tradition -a rock 'n' roll nature book even'. Highly recommended for not just anglers, but lovers of the British countryside, and for those who appreciate the quiet moments we enjoy by our waterways.

March Roundup

2011-04-03T09:09:00.001-07:00

I have been a huge fan of Sophie Ryder's sculptures since I saw her big bronze hare hugging a greyhound in the city of Bath in 1999. I had to find out who the artist was because it stirred such emotion in me. If you google image her name you can see lots of examples of her work, which is mainly huge bronze hares, and so appropriate to the month of March. The drawing to the left is by Ryder too. Take a look at this wonderful artist by using the link above.

Anyway, on to the books...

Read - 2 and a half books

Completed -

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

Caught by the River: A Collection of Words on Water by various authors

Currently Reading -

Tinkers by Paul Harding

Through the Garden Gate by Susan Hill

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

TBR Pile - Currently at 96 (according to GoodReads) with 4 books added...

Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Notes from Walnut Tree Cottage by Roger Deakin

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

Challenges -

Finished The Great Gatsby, one of the titles I have from AR, a work colleague for a personal challenge to read at least one of three books recommended.

Summarised Chapters 2 and 3 of The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920, that I am serialising each month. Will soon be on page 90 and ready for the April bulletin.

Wishlist Additions -

Anthills of the Savannah by Chinua Achebe

Nightwood by Djuna Barnes

Corag by Susan Fletcher

Discoveries - the website Literature-Map is a fun site where you can type in your favourite authors and it conjours up a cloud of other authors that you may also like. Give it a go.

Events -

World Book Night on the 3rd of March was an interesting and successful night with lots of books given and received.

I also went to see one of my favourite theatre companys, Propeller, doing Shakespeares Richard III at The Lowry in Salford. Totally brilliant. A cross between Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween. Great fun!

It's April showers all day here in Liverpool. A rainy sunday, good for reading books!

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

2011-03-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

What a lovely cover to this book! It is the Oxford's World Classics range. I read this famous book because a friend in work and I have issued each other a challenge, of 3 titles, to each other. We only need to have read one of the three by the end of the year, and this was one of the titles he chose for me, being one of his favourites. It was my first Fitzgerald novel. I have no idea why, but I have always thought this story was about a car, or a racing driver. Bizarre, but anyway...

Narrated by Nick Carraway just after WWI, in the early 1920's, we follow his observations of some of his wealthy neighbours living around Long Island, near New York city. Nick starts with his old college acquantance Tom Buchanan, an egotistical bully, now married to Nick's distant cousin Daisy, and their terminally bored and unimpressed golfing friend Jordan Baker. Nick is invited to their fashionable gatherings, and becomes privy to the knowledge of Tom's extra marital affair, along with how low Tom's behaviour can go. Nick then also becomes fascinated by the mysterious Gatsby who lives next door, throwing lavish parties for the rich and famous elite of Long Island and New York. Many stories and rumours abound about Jay Gatsby, his background and the legitimacy of his fortune. When Nick does meet him, he finds a complicated but generous man who has courted hopes for a lost love affair with a woman from 5 years before. As the story progresses, all of these characters lives become entwined, unforgettably for Nick.

The most compelling element in this book for me, was the passion that Nick Carraway has in telling this story. He is constantly attracted and repelled by the people he describes. The sense of place, the 'Jazz Age' in America between the wars, is so palpably created, even for a Brit like me, that you fall into this novel and into another age with ease. I was as fascinated and also repelled by the characters with Nick, while enjoying being enveloped by the era. Possibility, privilege and feigned boredom.

The descriptions throughout are wonderful, and one of the most enjoyable aspects of the novel. Rich descriptions of the great and the good...

' "Perhaps you know that lady," Gatsby indicated a gorgeous, scarcely human orchid of a woman who sat in state under a white plum tree.'

The writing was a total pleasure and I will read another of Fitzgerald's books on this alone. The last few paragraphs are some of the saddest and meaningful that I have come across.

I think that non-Americans will approach the book much differently, as I did, as a romp through a definable era, written with skillfully beautiful prose. I think a lot of Americans have the added personal exploration of American identity, the American dream, its definition and disputable loss. Wherever we come from, this is a quality piece of writing. Fully realised you can see why it is considered to be the writers masterpiece.

I totally recommend this book, generally because it is a skillful comment on an American post WWI state of mind, and for book groups because there is loads to talk about.

LitLovers do a guide, including discussion questions for The Great Gatsby. Just use the link.

For those of you interested in visiting the F Scott Fitzgerald Society website, use the link.

I now want to see the film with Robert Redford.

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920

2011-03-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

It is the middle of March (already, I know), and time for this months summary of the Literary Theory book that I found earlier in the year, and challenged myself to read and blog about it. Following on from last months summary about the rise in consumerism during 1895 - 1920, and its influence on writing at the time, I am covering another 2 chapters today.

Chapter 2 - Labour

With the rise in consumerist tendancies there had to be a work force producing the items fantasised about and desired by the buying public. Hand in hand with production lines was the need for electoral reform addressing injustices in the conditions of the working classes. Socialist fiction found a voice during this time. Political representation for working people came to the fore in fiction, as a huge advance in trade union membership took place during the period. The 2 main political parties of the day spent a lot of effort courting the working class vote. Socialism was on the rise with many organisations springing up to fight the workers cause, and although their memberships were not huge, their rallies, pamphlets and journals prompted new thought and consideration.

Writers were now promoting anti-bourgeois theories using the literary field which was mainly regarded as bourgeois. The working classes had little or no time for the leisurely pursuit of reading, that is if they could read at all.

Did the largely middle-class writers have the resources to represent accurately the working classes? Many writers chose to get around this by not highlighting the work so much as the anxieties that came with casual and unstable employment. This is famously addressed in Robert Tressle's novel The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.

Authors needed to recognise the anxiety in the working classes caused by the conflict between earning and working to provide, and desiring the things advertised in shop windows and the media, and how this affected identity.

In contrast, working class writers, who had gained an education and moved up the social scale, tended to use their writing to justify their social mobility, concentrating on 'voyages of self-discovery', or the Bildungsroman (novel of development). This category of writing is typified by Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, where Jude longs for the University Spires and the aspirations of learning to take him from the labours of being a journeyman Mason. Freedom through knowledge was a widespread ambition. Hardy also uses descriptions of the workers and the toll that this has on their bodies and physical appearance in The Woodlanders. Work affects identity, 'To live and work is to deteriorate, until you are your deteriorations.' (p35). Likewise, Arabella in Jude is entirely defined by her work.

During the late 19th century there was an increase in the number of working middle-class women. This was not only a means of survival, but also identity, 'paid public work would give them dignity and independence' (Vicinus 1985, p.6), p39. New opportunities included journalism and literature. This lead the way for female pioneers such as the Suffragettes and the Land Girls.

The First World War managed to dilute any bitterness regarding politically active women because they had to take on a wide variety of jobs while the men were fighting, proving their ability beyond the home. There are many novels that take on the subject of womens work during this period.

By the end of the war, writing was exploring individual consciousness instead of work and community, now explored using stream-of-consciousness techniques.

Chapter 3 - Gold Standards

During this historical period the English Sovereign had a talismanic symbolism equating to solidity, being made of solid gold. Solidity was seen as a virtue, the English hero being its embodiment. Descriptions of 'solid', or 'mint' as a compliment were rooted in the reputation of the British Sovereign being the same. The shilling however is seen as a mere 'token' and the banknote as completely unreliable.

Imaginary money, bank notes, cheques, exchange bills etc., although used more and more, were eyed with suspicion. The gold standard was 'a defence against irresponsible expansions of credit' (p51). This monetary hierarchy was used to describe reliability and this imagery was widely used in writing. 'Mint' equalled quality and everything that was perceived of in the English Gentleman. Hallmarks guarantee origin and purity. When Tarzan meets Jane, he kisses her hand and betrays the 'hallmark' of good breeding, despite living years in the jungle.

Likewise, the same imagery is used when exposing a fake and dubious character, 'He looked as genuine as a new sovereign, but there was some infernal alloy in his metal', from Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad.

Contemporary works that illustrate the above points include...

Workers in the Dawn by George Gissing

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressle

A City Girl by Margaret Harkness

Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy

The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

The 39 Steps by John Buchan

Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad

Look out for the next installment from this Literary Theory book, exploring the age of Modernism and its influence on writing, in April.

Whit by Iain Banks

2011-03-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

I have had this book for so long I can't remember where I got it from. I suspect I may have bought it, about 15 years ago, as a book by an author I had heard a lot about but never read. I have finally got around to reading it.

This is the story of Isis Whit, a teenager who has lived all of her life on a self sufficient farm near Stirling. Isis narrates her story, but she is no ordinary girl, because Isis is an Elect of God, a position held by those born on the 29th February in the Luskentarian sect, founded by her grandfather. Isis is devout, following all of the teachings to the letter, living simply without adornment or any technological labour saving devices, in the community at High Easter Ofference, their farm.

An important 4 yearly event is coming up for the Saved at the farm, the Festival of Love, a free loving event to begat new Elect of God the following year, God willing. There is a problem though. Morag, Isis's cousin and guest of honour as an accomplished musician at the festival, has renounced her faith and gone awol. Isis is sent forth amongst the Unsaved to find Morag and return her to the community.

This book is a satirical look at the world through the eyes of someone who has lived apart from it, by a different set of codes. An observation of modern Britain by someone naive to its workings and ways. When Isis finally catches up with Morag, it seems that she has embraced the ways of the Unsaved with gusto, and Isis has a lot to learn about herself, life outside the farm, and also some truths about her own faith.

Although very easy to read, I found this book difficult to get into. I liked the sound of it, the fish out of water themes, the kooky sect, the impending comedy. I found little of it tickled my funny bone though (other than a plane ride and a cup of tea), and the over stereotyped characters got on my nerves (the hippies were like Neil from The Young Ones, the wayward grandmother like Joan Rivers). Isis herself had little potential for development, and I knew I was plodding on out of a determination to finish it. It did however get going about 2/3 into the book, in a surprising way, when Isis returns to the farm, and the plot took off and became interesting for almost the first time. It was then that I steamed through the rest of the book.

I don't think this book was the best Iain Banks for me to start with, and I have read mixed reviews about it on the web. I do have another by this author and I will give it a go, maybe in a while. It hasn't put me off, I didn't hate this one, I just found the first chunk of it laborious and it was a shame that it didn't hold you until near the end.

You can read more about Iain Banks and his work by using the link.

I read this to complete #6 of the 2011 Octogon challenges, to read a book by Iain Banks.

World Book Night

2011-03-06T09:27:00.000-08:00

There has been a frenzy of paperbacks as World Book Night got under way yesterday. My box of books (Beloved by Toni Morrison) arrived last week but I waited until yesterday to hand them out. I still have some for people that I am running into this week, but they have all been accounted for.

Originally I hoped to get a womens centre in Liverpool to get involved, but after 4 attempts at contact with no response, I gave them out to family, friends and work colleagues. This was done directly, giving them to those who had shown an interest, but also by leaving some anonymously in our staff room with a note saying 'Take a book'. Both ways were fun, with some interesting conversations about the book itself, as well as the event. I sat in the staff room at lunch time, quietly watching peoples reactions, and some had already been taken, but one man, who does not really know me, so was unaware of my involvement, was really made up, showing his friends and saying he had not read that one but had heard it was good. It was nice to see him go away smiling and saying what a great idea it was. I also saw someone else walk by with a newspaper and a book under his arm. Another copy finds a home.

I have heard a lot talk on the net, positive and negative, about this event, and there have been some good alternative events supporting independent bookshops. There have also been some teething problems with the website, but all in all I think it went well.

I think anything that promotes reading is a good thing and this event has got people talking about books, watching the programs about peoples favourites and I have enjoyed all of it. Plus I got a book from another giver...Northern Lights by Philip Pullman.

It will be interesting to see if there is a lasting impact from the event. The WBN people are planning another for next year so hopefully books will get some similar national attention then. It has been fun celebrating the importance of books with others, and getting to share one of my favourites with so many. I hope, if you were involved, that you got to enjoy it too, either by giving or receiving a book, and sharing your thoughts about books in general.

February Roundup

2011-02-27T08:50:00.001-08:00

You know when the snowdrops show that winter is nearly ended and soon it will be spring. It has certainly felt that way the last few days, a bit warmer, shoots poking through, lighter in the evenings.

It has been quite a full month for reading too...

Read - 3/4 a book

Completed - none

Currently reading - Whit by Iain Banks. Slow progress but I will finish it.

Caught by the River: A Collection of Words on Water by various authors.

The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 by David Trotter

TBR Pile - currently at 96 (according to GoodReads) with 5 added

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

Generation X by Douglas Coupland

After Dark by Haruki Marukami

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell

Challenges -

-Currently reading Whit to complete #6 of The Octogon 2011 challenges.

-Summarised the intro and first chapter of The English Novel in History 1895 - 1920 and now on page 60 so the next summary will be posted soon. To read the first part use the link.

-Bought 2 of the titles I need for the challenge I have running with AR from work, to read at least one of 3 recommendations by the end of the year.

Wishlist Additions -

Into the Forest by Jean Hegland

House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski

Tiger, Tiger: A Memoir by Margaux Fragoso

Discoveries - A lovely and interesting website that celebrates book cover art... The Book Cover Archive

Events -

The month started with a Waterboys concert at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. This tour was a bit different because Mike Scott had set Yeat's poetry to music. The tour is called An Appointment with Mr Yeats and it was brilliant.

World Book Night is gathering speed for next saturday, 3rd March. I was chosen as a giver and I collect my books on monday, so look out for my post about giving them away. There has been quite a bit of TV coverage, including 2 series about books...Faulks on Fiction which I really enjoyed, celebrating characters in novels, the hero, the lover, the snob and the villain. There is also a series on at the moment called My Life in Books presented by Anne Robinson, where 2 guests talk about the books that have meant the most to them. I have only seen one or two but again, good to see these types of program being aired.

I saw 2 good plays this month...

The Rivals at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket in London with Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles

Oedipus at the Liverpool Playhouse, a new and exciting adaptation by Steven Berkoff.

Finally too, I got my next Novel Holiday sorted, based around Thomas Hardy in Dorset.

So a pretty busy month, if not in pages turned, then in planning, seeing and pondering.

Thomas Hardy Holiday

2011-02-21T14:56:00.000-08:00

After the success of last years holiday based around Jane Austen in Hampshire, there are 5 of us taking part in this years visit to Dorset in August and the landscape and places associated with Thomas Hardy.

We have a cottage not far from Dorchester which has several places to visit nearby including where he was born, Dorchester (known as Casterbridge in his novels) where the museum has an exhibition dedicated to Hardy, and his house Max Hill that he designed himself. There is also Stinsford Church where his heart is buried.

Our set book to discuss is The Woodlanders, plus we have a contemporary set book, Tinkers by Paul Harding. An additional place in Dorset of literary interest is Chesil Beach, the location of the title of Ian McEwan's book On Chesil Beach, which we may include during our stay.

There are of course loads of other things to do, beautiful coastline, walks, countryside, so that we don't get Hardy'd out.

Everyone last year said they enjoyed the Jane Austen holiday so I was glad to do another one and even though it is a while off I am really looking forward to going, and also putting it together.

The English Novel in History 1895-1920

2011-02-13T10:13:00.000-08:00

You may remember my recent post about reading this book, The English Novel in History 1895-1920, throughout the year, as a personal challenge for 2011, and blogging about it as I went, writing summaries about the major points and notes on what it covered. This post will cover the introduction and first chapter.

Introduction

The author Henry James, a contemporary of the era in question, examines the rise in the popularity of the novel. He saw this as a profitable time for writers and an opportunity for writers to expand and embrace diversity.

James divided the mass of material into high, middle and lowbrow works. Highbrow meaning James, Conrad, Lawrence,Joyce and Woolf. Middlebrow included Wells, Bennett, Galsworthy and Forster. Lowbrow authors were too many to mention.

James claimed that 2 things had stunted the growth of the novel, prohibition restricting content and style, and recycling the same stories and style over and over again.

Another influence of the time was the ideology of production being replaced by the ideology of consumption (see below for chapter one where this is explored).

James and Woolf insisted that 'consciousness should be represented from within' (p3), bringing about the emergence of Modernist writing characterised by reforming the relationship between the writer and the expectations of the reader and pushing innovation. This led to the view of Modernism as the 'literary response to a breakdown in social order and continuity' (p3).

Chapter One: Consuming Passions

During this era we see a major shift in priority, from production to consumerism, the acquirement of items to help living standards and boost status and self esteem, especially in the middle classes. This was taking place in Great Britain, USA and Europe primarily at this time. This chapter examines this change in society and how it was reflected in contemporary writing.

'Age of demand, ...abundance, ...luxury, retail revolution, consumer capitalism' (p11) are all terms used by social and economic historians to describe the period. There was still dire poverty but living standards improved, especially for the working classes compared to earlier in the 19th century.

Consumerist tendencies were fuelled by the elements of choice available, the promotion of desire, to want things or a particular image to attain a projection of a desirable life. Lawrence Birken, who wrote a study on 19th century consumerist ideology brings attention to the 'symbolic badge of individualism' (p13) which also fed the need to acquire certain things.

There was a definite move from the necessary to the luxury of the desired item during this era.

Other things that promoted this shift was the popularity of technology which altered patterns of life. Scientific discoveries such as the telephone, aviation and the automobile added to the acquirement of desirable objects, and the literature of the time is littered with references to these new technologies.

Shopping changed as an experience. Stores with fixed prices became popular, leading to window shopping, and shopping as a leisure activity rather than a chore. This in particular affected the experiences of women, getting them out of the home, inhabiting a more public space, asserting independence, indulging desires as well as entering new forms of employment in department stores and sales environments.

On the back of all of these changes advertising flourished, perpetuating the dream with manipulative and utopian devices. Advertising served to arouse desire.

'Purchases now satisfied desire rather than need' (p22).

In the writing of the time, this newer level of consumerism altered conceptions of identity.

Contemporary works that illustrate the above points include...

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Ulysses by James Joyce

The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman by H G Wells

Howards End by E M Forster

This wraps up my first bulletin from this book. Look out for the next one some time in March.

Ox-Tales: Water by various authors

2011-02-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

I bought this one at the bookshop in St Pancras Station, London, last year, just because I liked the look of it. One of four titles, Oxfam compiled these books based around the elements to raise money and also awareness - WATER for water projects, FIRE for conflict areas, EARTH for agricultural development and AIR for climate change. The writers donated their stories for free and for some reason I was drawn to the Water volume (number IV) although all of them looked interesting, and together they looked good on the shelf.

It didn't take long to read and as with all short story collections, some of the tales registered more than others. There are some highly acclaimed writers in each book.

The stories that stood out in this volume were...

Crossing the River by David Park - a different take on ferrying the dead across the river to the afterlife.

What she did on her Summer Vacation by Zoe Heller, an interesting tale of a young girls encounter with another couple on a beach.

The Piano Man by Joanna Trollope, how a family deals with the sudden death of their husband and father.

Look at Me, I Need a Smile by Michael Morpurgo, about an elephant ride on a beach to heal the past.

This was a stronger collection of short stories than the last few I have read. The Joanna Trollope I really enjoyed, but generally they were all pretty good, and most have some link to water, in one way or another. Not a bad read.

To find out about this title and the others in the Ox-Tales collection use the link.

I read this to complete #5 of my personal challenges, to read a short story collection.

The Octogon Challenge 2011 - updates

2011-02-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

I am using this post to stay updated with this years challenges, completed parts are in red...

1. Read another Bronte Carried to 2012

2. Read Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton Done

3. Read something by an Eastern European Writer

4. Read an Isabelle Allende Read The House of the Spirits, finished December 2011

5. Read a short story collection - Ox-Tales: Water, various authors, read in January

6. Read an Iain Banks Whit

7. Read another Carson McCullers

8. Read another Emile Zola (carried from last year)

World Book Night

2011-02-03T04:26:00.001-08:00

I am very excited to have been picked as one of the 20,000 givers for World Book Night on the 5th March. The book that I chose was Beloved by Toni Morrison, the first book I reviewed on this blog in 2008. I wanted to choose one I had read and found inspiring, and that may introduce readers to a new style of writing that they may not have encountered before.
I will keep you posted on plans on how to give my 48 copies away for this event. There is an organisation I have in mind who may want to be involved.
This is a great idea and I am thrilled to be able to take part.

January Roundup

2011-01-31T12:24:00.001-08:00

This is Ightam Mote, a National Trust property in Kent showing its wintery gardens off beautifully. You can read more about this English moated manor house by using the link. I think these houses and gardens, or their cafe's are excellent places to spend time with a book.

Lets have a recap of everything booky in January...

Read - 2 books

Completed -

Blindness by Jose Saramago

Ox-Tales: Water by various writers

Currently Reading -

Whit by Iain Banks

Caught by the River: A Collection of Words on Water by various authors

The English Novel in History 1895-1920 by David Trotter

TBR Pile - currently at 94 with 6 added...

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

Tinkers by Paul Harding

The Small Hand by Susan Hill

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

L'Assomoir by Emile Zola

Help by Oliver Burkehart

Challenges -

I seem to have 3 challenges on the go this year. The first one was the 8 reading resolutions for The Octogon this year and I have completed # 5, to read a short story collection with Ox-Tales:Water (review coming soon).

Then I set myself the task to read my literary theory book The English Novel in History 1895-1920 to serialise. I am currently on page 34 with the first chapter summary coming up soon. You can read more about this challenge by using the link.

Lastly I am taking part in a personal challenge with AR, a friend at work, to recommend 3 books to each other, ones we think the other will enjoy, and to read at least one of these throughout the year.

His titles for me were...

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

Generation X by Douglas Coupland

No Exit: A Play in One Act by John Paul Sartre

My titles for him were...

Blindness by Jose Saramago

Germinal by Emile Zola

Moments of Reprieve by Primo Levi

He is already ahead of me because he has almost finished the Levi.

Wishlist Additions -

Annabel by Kathleen Winter

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

The Worm Forgives the Plough by John Stewart Collis

Bloodroot by Amy Greene

Solo by Rana Dasgupta

The Sound of the Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tora Bailey

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Discoveries -

My unread course book The English Novel in History 1895-1920 by David Trotter during a tidy up at home.

Events -

World Book Night on the 3rd March, a big event to give away loads of free books. Look out for an event near you. I have applied to be a 'book giver' but they were so overwhelmed with volunteers there is a delay on notification. It is a slim chance to be chosen but fun nevertheless. The book I chose was Beloved by Toni Morrison. I will let you know if I get to do this and what my plans are for the books if I get them.

Blindness by Jose Saramago

2011-01-23T08:44:00.001-08:00

I bought this book about a year ago with some book tokens. I had just seen the movie of The Road and then read a review of this one on another blog so I must have been in that kind of mood at the time.

Translated from the original Portuguese this story takes place in an unnamed city where its occupants suddenly go blind, painless white blindness, and it appears to be an epidemic because those who are only in the same room go blind shortly afterwards. As the blindness spreads the authorities struggle to know what to do and attempt to contain the contagion by herding the blind into a suitable secure unit, in this case an abandoned mental hospital, guarded by soldiers. Strict rules are repeated each day over the tannoy system, they will receive food parcels 3 times daily, will receive no help for the sick or dead or in the event of a fire, they must organise themselves and dispose of any waste, and any attempts to leave will lead to open fire by the soldiers.

Hundreds of people are brought in, unable to see, in unfamiliar and less than sanitary conditions, except for one woman who has not been struck blind but lied to remain with her husband. Through her we are able to see the ensuing carnage, through her blind companions we learn about how debilitating their condition is, to an almost hopeless degree. It is never explained why the doctors wife is not affected by the illness, nor is the illness itself. These things are not important. The emphasis is on observing how the human race would cope.

The food is more and more unreliable, and trigger happy soldiers mow down at will those who come too close, as we follow the plight of the people in the ward that contains the doctors wife who can secretly see. Soon the little food delivered is taken over by blind lawless men with a gun, and they demand various forms of payment in exchange for food. Will the woman who can see be able to organise and help those around her and keep her sight a secret?

We are taken through every horrific indignity in detail, the will to survive in the bleakest circumstances, the cruelties of a society collapsed but also the humanities that help you to carry on, and the kindnesses, however small, that give hope.

It took a little while, no more than a few pages, to get used to the writing style. Dialogue is not punctuated conventionally, so when the characters hold a conversation their dialogue is a continuous paragraph seperated only by comma's. There are some beautiful descriptive passages though...

'the others took a little longer [to wake up], they were dreaming they were stones, and we all know how deeply stones sleep, a simple stroll in the countryside shows it to be so, there they lie sleeping, half buried, awaiting who knows what awakening.'

The characters are nameless too, known only by characteristics such as the man with the eye patch, the doctor or doctors wife, the woman who couldn't sleep etc.

'Blind people do not need a name, I am a voice, nothing else matters.'

This adds to the stripping down of identity and dignity that these people have to endure. The narrator has the voice of a wildlife commentator watching an ant hill or bee hive colony, impartial observation but allowing a wry humour to creep in and sometimes a strange empathy. This comes out especially while narrating the most depraved behaviour in the mental hospital, and there is a lot in this novel, including some unbelievably shocking images during which I needed to put the book down for a bit. It was not long before I picked it up again though because from a few pages in, I could not put this book down. Even during the most base descriptions of living conditions and the vilest kinds of debauchery I had to keep reading because I was so sucked into these poor peoples lives and fascinated by the descriptions of human behaviour. It is as if the narrator is saying 'This is how human beings are', and we know that the narrator is right. There is a painful reality to everything that happens in this book even if the circumstances are fantastic.

This book brought home to me that no matter how much we have made an effort to make our lives civilised, organised and easier (if not more complicated), it can be easily broken down by just losing one of our senses. Society is just that, socialising with each other to form a community with an often unwritten set of rules or agreed patterns of behaviour, which would be quickly lost in a race for survival if order is replaced with fear and anarchy.

It also made me think about what it is to be human, the kindnesses which would survive between people should all else be lost. Yes there are cruel and thoughtless people who would think nothing of using such an opportunity to unleash their own ways to control others to survive, but the majority of people are not like this and can try to work together.

Please be warned, this is not a comfortable read, with often shocking imagery, and it does not hold back on this, as well as descriptions of insanitary conditions. There is dirt and excrement everywhere. Do not let this put you off however. This is a monumental book and I totally loved it, I have not been this excited about a novel for a good while. The subject and narrative style is not for everyone, but this is a book that offers a lot to think about, talk about, and learn from. Appreciating being able to see, everything, is a starting point, but also seeing, totally seeing. As some of the characters say in conversation...

' Why did we become blind, I don't know, perhaps one day we'll find out, Do you want me to tell you what I think, Yes, do, I don't think we did go blind, I think we are blind, Blind but seeing, Blind people who can see, but do not see.'

There is a book group guide for Blindness, just use the link.

Jose Saramago won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998, just after this book was published and you can read about his life by using the link.

There is also a movie been made of Blindness, for more info use the link.

An amazing read that will be recommended by me frequently.

Another project for this year...

2011-01-16T10:42:00.001-08:00

I came across this book today, a course book from my Uni days. I hardly read any of it at all at the time, it is practically new. So I have decided to read it chapter by chapter and share what I learn throughout the year. It would be such a waste if it went unread.

I quite like reading literary theory and I enjoyed writing about 2 articles I read for a challenge during 2009, one by Helene Cixous about Feminism, and another by Edward Said about Culture and Imperialism, so I want to include regular posts during this year that dissect what I read along the way.

This book covers an exciting time during novel writing, the period known as literary Modernism, looking at the way writers responded to "contemporary preoccupations such as the spectacle of consumption and the growth of suburbia, or to anxieties about the decline of Empire, racial 'degeneration' and 'sexual anarchy' "and covering mass-market genres as well as classics.

I am looking forward to revisiting this historical period and maybe learning about and exploring some more about the influences and writing evolutions of the time. Writing about it in stages on this blog will help me retain it and I hope will provoke interest in those of you who join me.

Look out for future summaries based on the chapters of this interesting book.

The Distance Between Us by Maggie O'Farrell

2011-01-09T07:49:00.000-08:00

This book was bought for me as a present quite a few years ago. I don't know why it was there for so long because it looked like a good read, but I suppose personal challenges and my mood at the times of picking a new book just went in another direction, until now. I had never read anything by this author before.

We have 2 different sets of characters, whose stories run simultaneously, and come together later on in the novel. Jake is from Hong Kong, but with white parentage. His mother met his father while backpacking around the world. Unbeknown to him she is pregnant when they part company. Now in his 20s, Jake and his girlfriend of a few months are involved in a New Year crush in town, where one of their party is killed, he is injured and his girlfriend is dying in hospital. She asks of him the unthinkable before she dies, to marry her, but she lives and he is trapped, having to move to England to take care of her.

Meanwhile, in London, Stella runs across a man she thinks she knows on a bridge and collapses with fear. Knowing it is her past catching up with her, she packs in her life in London and flees to a remote hotel in Scotland without informing her sister. They have been closely bound all of their lives, through illness and an unfortunate incident at school. By coincidence, Jake's past also brings him to the same hotel.

This book is essentially a love story, 2 people running away from oppressive relationships and running into each other along the way. It includes sections that inform you of their wider families and how that has contributed to their situations. A lot of these sections are various explorations on claustrophobic family relationships, their effect and trying to escape them in order to be yourself. This was conveyed so successfully that there were parts where I wanted to scream.

The book also explores families settling in Britain away from their own countries. Stella's family are Italian, relocated to Scotland, driving the sisters together for survival at school from the bullies and generally feeling different. Jake is a non-Chinese native of Hong Kong, now living in Britain. These sections are skillfully done and obviously researched well.

On the whole I enjoyed reading about Stella and Jake, especially the parts in Scotland at the hotel, both of them denying their pasts to try to find where they are. The hotel provides a kind of buffer of anonymity, which can only ever be temporary.

I did find, however, that there were lots of mysteries that came up early in the book and were not referred to until the end, as in Stella's reaction to the man on the bridge. Or not resolved at all and never referred to again, such as Jake's search for his father, so that the focus of the beginning of the book was let go and replaced by the love story.

I also found Jake and particularly Stella so reserved and emotionally cocooned within themselves that I did not feel involved with them as much as I would have liked.

There are a lot of issues in the book to talk about, resettled families, the relationships between sisters, running from the past. There are some lovely descriptive sections and incidents related from both Stella's and Jake's point of view showing a skillful writer. I would possibly consider reading another by this author even though this one felt a little uninvolved and disjointed on the whole,but altogether it was a pleasant and untaxing read, a book that would be suitable for relaxing with on a sunny holiday.

Maggie O'Farrell has her own website which includes a reading guide for The Distance Between Us. Just click the links.

Looking back and looking forward

2011-01-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

I love this part of the year, reviewing what we have done, and setting some goals for the next year.
The image on the left will accompany my reading resolutions for 2011. You will see this picture on my sidebar which will link to my progress throughout the year. Many thanks to my friend LCS who designed this picture for me. My 2011 reading resolutions are explained further on in this post, first the stats from 2010...
In total I have read 19 books, one up on last year but in keeping with my pace of reading. Nothing like many blogs who are into the 100's but a good amount for me. The female writers clocked up as 12, whereas the male writers came in at 7, so very different to last year when it was equal. While interesting, it is purely coincidental.
The nationalities of the authors was as following...
English - 8
USA - 4
Canadian - 2
Danish - 1
Brazilian - 1
Icelandic - 1
Russian - 1
British (as in born in Northern Ireland and then living in Scotland and Wales) - 1
- Three of these books were in translation
- Three were non-fiction
The genres of the books read in 2010 were as follows -
Historical drama - 7
Drama - 3
Fantasy - 2
Spiritual Adventure - 1
Crime drama - 1
Romantic drama - 1
- 3 of the books were prizewinners
- 5 of the books are known as classics
- 2 of the books were short story collections
- 1 book was by a new writer
Favourite reads of 2010...
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Emma by Jane Austen
The Blue Fox by Sjon
A Month in the Country by J L Carr
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Magic Apple Tree: A Country Year by Susan Hill
Favourite Cover Design (a new category for this year)...
The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint, design by John Jude Palencar (click the title to see)
Other accomplishments during 2010...
Organizing and taking part in my first Novel Holiday, the Jane Austen literary holiday in August.
I also set myself some directional reading challenges to complete during the year and the results of these are printed in red...

Read another Jane Austen - Emma
Read another Russian - The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Read another short story collection - Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett
Read another American classic - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Read an Irish classic - uncompleted
Read another Zola - uncompleted (but carried to next year)
Read another Charles de Lint - The Mystery of Grace
Read another Elizabeth Gaskell - Cranford

I enjoyed setting these goals, not as a rigid challenge, but just to organise and focus my reading with my TBR pile in mind, and to see where I got with it.

So onward into 2011...

My new reading resolutions, 8 in all, in keeping with the spirit of The Octogon...

Read another Bronte
Read Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Read an Eastern European Writer
Read an Isabelle Allende
Read a short story collection
Read an Iain Banks
Read another Carson McCullers
Read another Zola (carried from last year)

These choices are simply prompted by my TBR pile as well as personal wishes. It is not set in stone and will be interesting to see how far I get.

Also for 2011 there is a possibility of another Novel Holiday to organise. I'll be getting on to that in January so watch this space!

There it is, a whole year in one little post, although we know it is so much more than that. Many thanks to all of you who have joined me along the way, checked out the blog from time to time, left comments. Also thanks is due to all the other book bloggers who make up this unique and inspiring community. All the best for 2011.

December Roundup

2010-12-31T09:03:00.001-08:00

Thanks to my friend holgachick for this frozen leaves photo taken last year. It has been pretty frozen here in Britain this month so it is a good picture to start with. Here is how the reading went this month...

Read - 1 book

Completed - The Distance Between Us by Maggie O'Farrell (finished earlier today!)

Currently Reading -

Blindness by Jose Saramago

Caught by the Water: A Collection of Words on Water by various authors

TBR Pile - Currently at 87 (according to Goodreads) with 6 new ones after the Christmas gifts were added...

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned by Walter Mosley

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

The Natural Navigator by Tristan Gooley

One Day by David Nicholls

No and Me by Delphine de Vigan

Challenges - will be covered in the next post Looking back and looking forward

Wishlist Additions

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Discoveries - Some lovely new blogs from the Book Blogger Holiday Swap...

Gaskella

The Mountains of Instead

Events -

Book Blogger Holiday Swap

I will be doing my end of year wrap up with loads of lovely lists and statistics (love it!) in my next post. Wishing you all a Happy New Year. Stay safe and happy!

Poetry Books reviewed at The Octogon

2010-12-31T08:49:00.000-08:00

There seem to be a few Poetry titles that I have talked about in the past so I have given them their own section for reference. Click on the title for the review...

Short and Sweet: 101 Very Short Poems

The Dead Sea Poems by Simon Armitage

The Unswept Path: Contemporary American Haiku

Haiku Humour: Wit and Folly in Japanese Poems and Prints

The Haiku Year

The Iron Book of British Haiku

Our Sweet Little Time: a year in haiku by Hamish Ironside

Previously reviewed books at The Octogon - 2010

2010-12-31T08:21:00.001-08:00

A very colourful map to accompany this year of literary travels during 2010. Click on the titles to read the review...

A Month in the Country by J L Carr

An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

Emma by Jane Austen

Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett

Tethered by Amy Mackinnon

The Blue Fox by Sjon

The Girls by Lori Lansens

The Iron Book of British Haiku

The Magic Apple Tree: A Country Year by Susan Hill

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale

The Vagrants by Yiyun Li

The Zahir by Paolo Coelho

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Previously reviewed books at The Octogon - 2009

2010-12-31T07:32:00.000-08:00

This map illustrates all of my literary travels during 2009. Click on the book titles to go to the review...

A Mercy by Toni Morrison

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

Inventing the Abbot's and other stories by Sue Miller

Jigs and Reels by Joanne Harris

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society by Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Haiku Humour: Wit and Folly in Japanese Poems and Prints

The Haiku Year

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Previously reviewed books at The Octogon - 2008

2010-12-31T06:59:00.000-08:00

This colourful map catalogues all of the countries I visited during my literary travels in 2008. Click on the book title to take you to the review...

A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Fasting and Feasting by Anita Desai

Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

If I Told You Once by Judy Budnitz

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Never Let Me Go by Kasuo Ishiguro

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

One Life by Rebecca Frayn

Short and Sweet: 101 Very Short Poems

The Abortionists Daughter by Elisabeth Hyde

The Amnesia Clinic by James Scudamore

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Dead Sea Poems by Simon Armitage

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue

The Unswept Path: Contemporary American Haiku

Book Bloggers Holiday Swap - my presents

2010-12-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

I was a good girl and opened mine yesterday and what a lovely surprise...my Secret Santa had sent me the following presents...

2 books -

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (which I have wanted to read for ages), and

Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned by Walter Mosley

plus 2 lovely Christmas Tree decorations that look handmade.

There was also a lovely Christmas card that included the details of my Santa. Thank you so much Annabel Gaskell from Gaskella for my presents which are all lovely. Not only have I got some excellent new books to read, but also another book blogger to call in on.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T08:22:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope Santa has brought you lots of books and you are getting to spend time with those you love.

I have opened my book blogger holiday swap gift and will cover it at length tomorrow in my post, but just to say it was a very generous present and lots of fun to take part in.

This photo of a real snowflake is from a book all about them called The Snowflake: Winters Secret Beauty by Kenneth Libbrecht and photos by Patricia Rasmussen and you can read more about it by clicking the link.

A Meme

2010-12-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

I did this meme last year and thought it was good fun, and then saw it again over at Stuck in a Book so I have done another with this years books.

You have to answer the questions using the titles of the books that you have read throughout the year. Try not to repeat your answers. It can be a bit tricky and some answers need a little bit of imagination, but here goes...

Describe yourself The Blue Fox (Sjon)

How do you feel? The Deeper Secret (AnneMarie Postma). Also used this one last year but I finished it in January.

Describe where you currently live The Magic Apple Tree (Susan Hill)

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? A Month in the Country (J L Carr)

Your favourite form of transportation Ship Fever (Andrea Barrett)

Your best friend is Emma (Jane Austen). My best friend is not called Emma but it is the only title that fitted!

You and your friends are The Girls (Lori Lansens)

What's the weather like? To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)

You fear The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (Kate Summerscale)

What is the best advice you have to give? Atonement (Ian McEwan)

Thought for the day The Mystery of Grace (Charles de Lint)

How would you like to die? The Distance Between Us (Maggie O'Farrell)

My Soul's present condition An Awfully Big Adventure (Beryl Bainbridge)

How would you answer?

Book Blogger Holiday Swap: an update

2010-12-12T09:29:00.000-08:00

Just a quick message to say that my Secret Santa package has arrived and looks very exciting. I haven't opened it yet but hope to post a picture of it in the next few days. I am old fashioned so will open it nearer to Christmas itself but I have had a good feel/rattle/smell. As soon as it is open I will blog about it, I just wanted my Secret Santa to know it has arrived safely with many thanks. Exciting!

My package went off in the post last monday and hopefully, snow permitting, has reached its secret destination.

Stay warm wherever you are!

November Roundup

2010-12-05T10:45:00.001-08:00

This photo was taken by my friend (holgachick) recently up in Northumberland where they have had about 10 inches of snow. There has been some snow here in the North West but not nearly as much. Time to recap my reading for November.

Read - 1 and a quarter books.

Completed - 2 books...

The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

Currently Reading -

The Distance Between Us by Maggie O'Farrell

Caught by the River: A Collection of Words on Water (various authors)

TBR Pile - currently at 82 (according to GoodReads) with 2 books added...

Through the Kitchen Window by Susan Hill

Through the Garden Gate by Susan Hill

(I have become a bit of a fan!)

Challenges - finished Cranford for my 'read another Elizabeth Gaskell' directional reading challenge from January.

Wishlist Additions -

The Distant Hours: A Novel by Kate Morton

The Last Days of Ptolomy Grey by Walter Mosley

The Crossing Places: A Ruth Galloway Mystery by Elly Griffiths

Half a Life by Darin Strauss

Discoveries - More country living books by Susan Hill from the '80s

Events - The Book Blogger Holiday Swap (see my sidebar). Mine is parcelled up and ready to go to its surprise destination. Such a great idea and thanks to Nicole from Linus's Blanket for hosting this.

Christmas is well and truly on its way. Hope you are warm and toastie where you are!

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

2010-11-28T09:45:00.000-08:00

I got this one from a box of old books that a friend gave me some time ago. After seeing the brilliant series by the BBC a couple of years ago, starring Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, Philip Glenister and so many other famous names (for full BBC Cranford Cast click here), I wanted to read the novel and see how closely it had been adapted. I also set it as one of my directional reading challenges in January, to read another novel by this author. This is my 3rd Gaskell novel having read Cousin Phyllis and North and South previously.

Written and set during the 19th century this story is essentially a character study of the genteel ladies who inhabit the small Cheshire town of Cranford throughout a series of happenings and local events. Narrated by a young lady called Mary Smith on her many visits to Cranford, she is privy to all the gossip while she stays at Miss Matty's, an old friend of the family as well as a respected and loved member of the community. A paucity of males in the town due to war, illness or old age means that the Cranford ladies have free run to visit, gossip and also to support each other. There are some men, but this story is about early-Victorian middle aged women of certain social standing.

The tone of the book is one of subtle and gentle humour that never fails to hit its mark. After a briefing on town etiquette as regards visiting others and acceptable topics of conversation, we are introduced to the ladies who form the bulk of Cranford society as they prepare for such things as a visiting magician, the protocol regarding a certain Lady Glenmire as a guest, contact from a former suitor of Miss Matty's and the threat of robberies in the local area.

Those who like a substantial meaty plot which progresses at a fast pace will be disappointed with this book. It is gently paced, about small happenings and the interest lies in getting to know the characters who are portrayed with warmth and more than a little satire in a small setting. It is all in the detail.

I really liked it. It is clever, witty and acutely observational. The time period is palpable and a delight. I grew very fond of the ladies, particularly Miss Matty, who lives in her older sisters formidable shadow even after her death. I also liked Miss Pole with her concrete belief in her own exaggerations. It is the kind of period setting that becomes very comfortable very quickly. I felt as if I was there with them, through the various interiors, taking part in town life.

An English classic which would be great for those who love the study of 19th century manners and lots to talk about for reading groups.

There is a free online version of Cranford if you click the link.

The Gaskell Society website can be visited by clicking the link.

There is even a Cranford walk around Knutsford in Cheshire.

The Magic Apple Tree: A Country Year by Susan Hill

2010-11-22T14:08:00.001-08:00

I picked this one up in Oxfam when I was stocking up on Herbal Medicine books and I was totally drawn to it. By the author of The Woman in Black this is a completely different kettle of fish altogether. Documenting a whole year of her life in Moon Cottage in a small Oxfordshire village during the 1980's.

The book is split into seasons, starting with winter, and then split into chapters covering such things as village life, creatures, cooking, the garden, people, the wood, festivals and many other subjects. Overlooking all of it is the Apple Tree in the garden, gnarled, weathered and constant. Throughout there are lovely engravings by John Lawrence depicting the year passing around.

We are taken through all the lovely transitions of nature and how Susan and the other villagers lived alongside it, worked with it, and with each other to share their strengths and look out for each other. This is not a book about self sufficiency but about people living side by side. In fact Susan says she doesn't believe anyone can be totally self sufficient and she has seen many a well-meaning person arrive in the village only to depart a year or so later. The secret is not to exist alone but to exist as a community and this is a strong message that comes through in the book.

Susan's voice is unassuming and very easy to listen to, describing the beauties of the home she clearly loves and the people of the village. I loved hearing about the Twomey brothers who make cider, the WI autumn fair where jams and cakes are on show, the carol singing in winter, the preserving week in autumn, the hens, the cats, the walks with the dog in the woods. It is not about a super-woman ploughing the land single-handed in all weathers, but an attainable life in a small community, and what that meant to the author. It is quiet, observant and gentle. Looking for lights in the other houses, picking damsons, riding your bike up and down the lanes.

I totally loved this book. I felt a calmness descend upon me whenever I picked it up. Described as a 'comfort book' it was a pure pleasure to read and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in country life with nature and the English countryside on your doorstep.

Susan Hill has her own website and you can read about this book and lots of others by clicking the link.

Book Blogger Holiday Swap

2010-11-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

Michele over at A Readers Respite has reminded us about this event again this Christmas and I have signed up for the fun. I think the deadline for signing up is today. It is such a brilliant idea and thanks go to the organisers. I remember seeing this event on the blogs last year so I am glad to be taking part for this Christmas.

I am really looking forward to finding out who I am to be Secret Santa to. You can read more about the Book Blogger Holiday Swap by clicking the link here or on my sidebar.

I am about two thirds through Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell so hope to be able to blog about it soon. I have also nearly finished The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill which I have enjoyed immensely so look out for that too.

October Roundup

2010-11-01T13:33:00.001-07:00

Apples are such a part of this time of year, colourful fruits on trees, as well as duck-apple at Halloween. A neighbour brought us a bag full from the tree in his garden and I have been cooking appley things. Also, with evenings drawing in it is easier to spend time indoors with a book.

Read - 1 and a quarter books

Completed - Tethered by Amy Mackinnon

Currently Reading - Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell as well as continuing The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill

TBR Pile - Currently at 81 (according to GoodReads) with one book added...

The Peoples Act of Love by James Meek.

Challenges - I am reading Cranford because one of my directional reading challenges from January was to read another Elizabeth Gaskell.

Wishlist Additions - none this month, probably a good job too.

Discoveries - Slung Low Theatre (not strictly true because I encountered this theatre company in the summer) who have brought their unique and brilliant style of theatre to Liverpool during October and created a buzz around the Hope Street area with Anthology (see below).

Events -

Anthology, part of the Unbound season at the Liverpool Everyman Theatre, by Slung Low. Seven different stories all playing simultaneously, written by seven writers. Each night you see one story, determined by a prop, a feather, party popper, spoon, milk bottle...put on your headphones and follow your actor outside the theatre to tell you a story, with the streets of Liverpool as your setting. It has been so much fun, moving and very addictive. I managed 5 of the stories over 5 nights and loved all of them. Sadly this event has finished but I hope Slung Low come back to Liverpool soon. Very memorable.

Also Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatra at the Liverpool Playhouse with Kim Cattrall and Jeffrey Kissoon. A notoriously difficult play, done with lots of style and sophistication.

It has got colder and darker, time to curl up with a book...

Tethered by Amy Mackinnon

2010-10-24T09:57:00.001-07:00

I was intrigued by this novel after reading many reviews around the blogs last year. I was attracted by the unusual story, and also by the cover on the American version (although our English cover is also quite attractive). I finished it only a few hours ago.

Clara is a reserved young woman who seeks refuge from a troubled past in her work as a mortuary attendant, safely hidden from the living. Her only aims in life are to be as invisible as possible and to honour those whose bodies come her way. Her passion is for the flowers that she lovingly tends in her ornamental greenhouse, and their traditional meanings, which she uses with appropriate care when preparing the dead and including a personal bouquet. The more unsavoury parts of her job are preferable to any interaction with the people she comes into contact with. There is affection, but at a distance, with Linus, the caring owner of the Funeral Home and his wife Alma, who have come to call Clara their own. There is also Mike, the police officer from the various crime scenes they have attended together, including that of his wife 3 years earlier. Clara has enough bolt holes when the closeness of others becomes too much within her carefully planned life. That is until a young girl, a child, is discovered playing in the funeral home, reopening a distressing case of a murdered girl and forcing Clara to revisit the parts of her past she has fought to forget.

This book is very easy to read and the pages turn over very quickly. The subject matter is interesting and mysterious, without descending into unnecessary distaste. Clara is a fascinating character who drives the story and I found myself caring for her a great deal. The accounts of her painful dealings with other people, her rejection of any contact, her self-loathing and tangible pain and her need to disappear and not be noticed were so well written. I loved all of the references to flowers and their meanings, and the relief she feels when safe in her greenhouse.

The plot took a number of interesting twists and turns, accelerating the intrigue towards the end. There is more than a hint of the supernatural, making you question her perception of events throughout, and I found the final sequence very moving.

There are accounts of recovering dead bodies and preparing them afterwards, and you should be aware of this. These passages are sensitively dealt with but there are details some readers may find too much for them. I personally found these parts of the book essential in discovering Clara's character, which for me was the most satisfying part of this novel. I have never quite come across anyone like her and I enjoyed reading about her very much. The other characters are well constructed too, and develop throughout the book.

As the book progressed and Clara starts to let her guard down, with others as well as with you, this proved to be a really good read and I highly recommend it to readers who love mystery and crime, as well as those, like me, who love a strong main character and an unusual story. I will be keeping an eye out for more by this author. A brilliant first novel.

Amy Mackinnon has her own website should you want to read more about her. Just click the link.

My version of this book contained its own book group discussion questions too!

The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint

2010-10-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

I was totally into Charles de Lint novels about 20 years ago and read 3 in succession...Yarrow, Greenmantle and Moonheart and I loved them, so when I saw a review of one of his novels last year I added him to my personal challenge list to read another. The wonderful cover illustration and story description attracted me to this particular one.

Grace is a car mechanic, covered in tattoos and specialising in hot rods and customising Fords. She loves her cars and rockabilly music.

Grace meets John, a lonely graphic designer still haunted by his brothers death when they were children, at a Halloween party and they instantly fall for each other. The problem is that Grace was killed in a botched store robbery 2 weeks earlier and is allowed to go back to her life only twice a year. One of those nights is Halloween. As the sun comes up, Grace disappears from the bathroom and John is left wondering who she is and where she went. Exploring theories about spirituality, the hereafter and love, we are taken on a journey with Grace and John as they both try to work out what has happened.

I was excited about this book as soon as it arrived because I loved the cover, the book felt nice in the hand, and I like stories that bend reality. It was very easy to read and I got into it very quickly. The chapters swap between the points of view of Grace and John, but the book is dominated by Grace who proves to be a pretty captivating protagonist. I loved the whole adventure into the afterlife and found the details inventive and interesting. I was rooting for the couple throughout the story and loved the swapped points of view. I found the end quite moving too.

I did find the reason for the existence of the in-between state of the after world, that Grace and the other characters find themselves, unconvincing, as well as its conclusion. However I was enjoying the rest of it enough for it not to cause a problem. I also found the sudden shift in direction in the last part of the novel a little bewildering because up to that point Grace and John's relationship had been the main driving force in the book. I did take away a lot of interesting parts of the story with me however, and found the love story really beautifully written.

I am glad that I have revisited this author from my past and I will most probably read more. It was a gentle, heart felt and original novel and I am sure that many readers will find a lot to discuss within its pages.

Fantasy Literature has a list of all Charles de Lint Novels on their site.

An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge

2010-10-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

A friend bought me this book a while ago, simply because it is set in my home town and in the Liverpool Playhouse Theatre in 1950. I have never read anything by Beryl Bainbridge even though she was from Liverpool too, and I have to say that even though she was known for her outspoken opinions, her comments about Liverpool people have irked me somewhat. Bainbridge died earlier this year so I thought it was time to put my own prejudices away and give this book a go.

It is 1950 and Stella has been taken on as assistant stage manager just as the Liverpool rep company are about to stage Peter Pan for Christmas and she has fallen for the director, Meredith. Working with all of the other quirky characters who work at the theatre we learn about Stella, her background and vulnerability. The story comes to a head with the return of O'Hara, the legendary actor who is standing in for the lead.

I really enjoyed revisiting locations in Liverpool, some of which I remember but are long gone, like Reece's cafe, Blackler's store and the old Clayton Square. Of course our own lovely Playhouse is still there and going strong. I did however find it really hard to follow at times. It seemed to jump about unpredictably within chapters. It wasn't until towards the end that I started to connect with the the style of the writing and appreciate the subtle layering that was taking place. This was the only time that I began to see why Bainbridge has such a strong following. Sadly for me it was a little late to help me connect with the characters. At times it felt I was seeing them through a fog and only getting snatches of their existence.

I am glad that I did get to see some of the wring talent within the book because a lot of the start was quite sketchy. I did love the trip down memory lane though and I think the writing style will give readers a lot to comment on and discuss.

Book Rags do a study guide for An Awfully Big Adventure with topics for discussion.

To read more about Beryl Bainbridge click the link.

September Roundup

2010-09-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

A few days late with this post due to a nasty little cold virus I picked up at the weekend. Been taking the Rosehip Syrup I made a few weekends ago which is rich in Vitamin C as well as A, D and E, and it tastes good too, hence the picture to your left. The only good thing about being holed up is having a little more time to read...

Read - 2 books

Completed -

An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge

The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint

Currently Reading - Tethered by Amy MacKinnon

and also The Magic Apple Tree by Susan Hill

TBR Pile - currently at 81 books (according to GoodReads) with one book added...

The Magic Apple Tree: A Country Year by Susan Hill

Challenges - I set myself the challenge, in my directional reading post at the beginning of the year, to read another Charles de Lint novel, and I have now done that with The Mystery of Grace. The review will follow soon.

Wishlist Additions -

The Human Bobby by Gabe Rotter

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

Discoveries - I guess you could say I have rediscovered an enthusiasm for Charles De Lint novels.

Events - It is not a reading event in itself, but has lead to the acquirement of books on the subject so I am going to include it for that reason. I went on a Herbal Medicine course in Manchester, run by the Low Impact Living Initiative (LILI). It was a brilliant day at Hulme Community Gardens, and so inspirational that I not only immediately went off making lots of remedies that I learned on the course, but I raided some local bookshops for books on the subject. I didn't include them above because they are reference books and not novels, but I wanted to share them just the same...

The Readers Digest Ultimate Book of Herbs

Grow Your Own Grugs: A Year with James Wong

The Holistic Womans Herbal by Kitty Campion

The Food Pharmacy by Jean Carper

Herbal Medicine:The Natural Way to Stay Well with The Herb Society by Dian Dincin Buchman.

Most of these I got second hand so it didn't break the bank and I have had a lot of fun increasing my knowledge in this area. It has been especially useful in looking up cold and flu remedies in the last few days!

Updates

2010-09-19T09:22:00.001-07:00

A couple of bibs and bobs that have come my way this week as well as some booky things to share with you.

As many of you know it has been Book Bloggers Appreciation Week this week and although I haven't played a very active part in it I do think it is an good way for book bloggers to interact and learn more about each other. It is an excellent source for finding new blogs and there have been some good articles and interviews too. One in particular caught my eye about the difference between American and British blogs, but there are lots of articles of interest...click the above link if you fancy a look for yourself.

The Chapter and Verse Festival is running again at the Bluecoat in Liverpool from the 9th to the 19th October. Tickets for various sessions are now on sale. Follow the link if you want to know more.

The Poetry Book Society is encouraging readers groups to try poetry for one of their meetings based on one of the nominated books for the T S Eliot prize. The poets included are Derek Walcott, Simon Armitage, Seamus Heaney and Annie Freud. From the 21st October you can download discussion questions, biographies and photos for these authors books. I think this is a great way to get groups to read poetry and if you want to read more about this scheme click the link.

I released another BookCrossing book just over a week ago in the Bluecoat gardens. The book was Amsterdam by Ian McEwan and it had been taken later in the day so lets hope someone logs it on the site and I can follow its progress.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

2010-09-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

I must be one of only a handful of book bloggers who have not read this book...until now. We did do some chapters at school, but not the whole book. It was time to correct this and complete my 'read another American classic' category in my directional reading challenges for this year.

The story is told through the point of view of 2 children, Scout and Jem in the Deep South during the 1930's, and the lead up, during and aftermath of a trial where there father, Atticus, is defending a young black man accused of raping a white girl. Racism, class and childhood are all explored during this episode of their lives.

The story is told with warmth and humour, and a lot of the first part of the book follows their childhood games, curiosities, schooldays, friendships and rivalries. Because it is told from the childrens point of view, particularly Scout the youngest daughter, we are given a nostalgic take on the other characters, quirky neighbours, poorer class mates and the tales and adventures we all recognise from when we were younger. The adult world of court rooms, prejudice and politics are recounted as an interjection in their lives, and with an incomprehension that we as adult readers can share with them. Their simplistic view of the proceedings makes the adult complexities seem absurd at some points. However, the wisdom and kindness of their father, a literary hero of famous proportions, is a joy.

Like so many other readers, I loved this book. I was surprised by how much of a back seat the trial took, especially during the first part. I enjoyed the humour and the Deep South accents, and those important times during a young persons life where games overtake reality, in a way that makes them just as real. I also found that the lessons within it were not rammed down your throat.

While reading around the internet about this book, obviously most people speak with affection about it, but I found more than a couple of comments saying it was the most racist and unsavoury book ever written. I am glad that there are a variety of views but I feel these people have missed the point and I cannot agree. The story contains the views of some racist characters during a much earlier era, to which the book is sympathetic and consistent. In highlighting the racism that was rife at the time, where black Americans were easy targets for abuse and exploitation, the book brings attention to the injustices of the past in a balanced way, and this is important historically as well as a sociologically. It is also entertaining and very human and it is clear to me why this book is so highly regarded.

This year celebrated the 50th anniversary of this influential and much loved novel and there is a dedicated website for To Kill a Mockingbird 50th anniversary, just click the link.

There are To Kill a Mockingbird book group questions here.

The Vagrants by Yiyun Li

2010-09-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

I had heard a lot about this book on the blogs last year and then bought it as part of a 3 for 2 offer at Waterstones. I took it on holiday as something different to read after being surrounded by Jane Austen.

It starts in 1979, in an industrial town in China called Muddy River, just a few months after the death of Chairman Mao. It is also the day that a young woman called Gu Shan, is to be executed in the town for losing her faith in Communism. We follow several people through this day and the effect it has on them, her parents, the TV news presenter who has to report on the execution, Nini, a young crippled girl, the seven year old schoolboy Tong, the young layabout Bashi who is looking for a girl, and a few others along the way. The second part of the book moves forward a number of months to the day of a public protest over her death and the repercussions this has on many of them for years to come.

The political situation plays a very tangible backdrop for the stories of these very ordinary people, a lot of whom we can easily relate to. The writing is easy to follow and I was quickly caught up in the characters lives, concerned about where they were going and how it would progress for them. I found Yiyun Li's style captivating and skillful in making the thick grey atmosphere of fear and oppression, and also poverty, very realistic. You can feel it closing in on you as you read, and are grateful that you were not born in such a society.

The shocking elements in the book are told in such a matter of fact way I sometimes re-read them to make sure I had read it right. Without sensationalism we are given quite a few scenes that made me reel, and are more worrying for being almost an aside at times. This was everyday for those in China at this time. But these are recognisable people too, kind people, mean people, ambitious people and those just trying to survive. I particularly liked the Hua's and the baby girls they had tried to adopt along their way, in the absence of any children of their own. I also liked the story that followed Nini, a crippled burdon on her family so therefore an unpaid slave, and her friendship with Bashi. There were some moments of humour too, such as the comments about the women getting perms now that it was no longer thought frivolous.

This is a serious story though, important to be told and well written. It is not light hearted, and it is difficult and harrowing in parts. There were times that I wanted to put it down and do something cheerful for a bit before coming back to it.

An excellent choice for book groups as there is a lot to discuss about the historical context, the writing style and different personal opinions about the book. I am glad I read it, because of its significance on a human level. I was also glad that I was able to leave that world behind at the end, and seek out something more light hearted, so as to counteract the heavy damp cloudy feeling that I had after reaching its last few pages.

You can download a readers guide for The Vagrants by clicking the link.

There is also an interesting interview with Yiyun Li, if you are interested, follow the link.

August Roundup

2010-08-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

This is a picture that I took while on holiday in Hampshire at the beginning of the month, in beautiful Mottisfont Abbey gardens, owned by the National Trust.

Read - 3 and a quarter books, not a bad month at all.

Completed -

A Month in the Country by J L Carr

The Vagrants by Yiyun Li

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Currently Reading - An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge

TBR Pile - currently at 83 books (according to GoodReads) with 5 added...

The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Ines of my Soul by Isabelle Allende

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint

Challenges - read and finished To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee as my 'read another American classic'. Also bought another Charles de Lint (see above) to read another of his, as set by me at the beginning of the year for directional reading challenges.

Wishlist Additions -

Wildwood by Robert Deakin

The Ninth Life of Louis Drax by Liz Jensen

The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald

Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff

Juliet by Anne Fortier

Discoveries - A lovely website called Forgotten Bookmarks written by someone who works in a secondhand bookshop and records everthing that they find in the books, from photos, lists, letters, tickets and lots of unusual things. I spent ages on it and some of the finds are really moving.

Events - Of course the rest of my Jane Austen holiday at the beginning of the month, and also planning the next one! Lots of ideas and information coming in already, as well as interest from a number of people.

A Month in the Country by J L Carr

2010-08-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

I know I only got this a month or so ago, and with over 80 odd books on my TBR pile I don't have any excuses really, except that I could not resist this one, for reasons explained on my Rural Novels post. It is only 85 pages so more of a novella really.

Set in Yorkshire just after the First World War, Tom Birkin arrives at Oxgodby to restore a medieval wall painting in a small church. He is also seeking refuge and peace after the horrors he has seen, betrayed by a stammer and a twitch. Tom is our narrator, as he reflects on that long-ago summer from old age, with nostalgia for a lost rurality and more than a little humour. Living in the bell tower during that hot summer he describes his sleepy and beautiful surroundings, and his relationships with the local's with affection, his friendship with Charles Moon who was also in the war, his crush on the vicar's wife, and his admiration for the artist who created the fresco and the mysteries it holds. During his stay amongst the quiet and rhythmic hum of the countryside, Tom Birkin begins to heal.

The humour of the narration makes this book very easy to read, and the warmth of the summer is tangible through Tom. This is not a fast paced book full of action. It is instead a wonderful meditation about people and their surroundings, and appreciating it for what it is, before it is lost forever. Tom is irresistably drawn into the lives of the locals, by his routine, and by the mysterious painter who never managed to finish the work on the chapel wall, which is of a rare quality. There are some sadnesses along the way, especially Moon's background in the war. These are only alluded to, and the rest is left to your imagination. Their experiences are not less for this. You know Tom is haunted enough to get a tic and seek some peace. This is an upbeat study about how one man tries to quiet his mind, told with witty observations and warmth.

I already knew the story having seen the film (which adds a few details where the novel holds back) so I knew what it was about. I loved the film, with Colin Firth and Kenneth Branagh, and I really enjoyed reading this book. The whole thing feels like something to savour and I recommend it highly.

Bookrags has a study guide for A Month in the Country, which may be of use for book group discussion.

There is also a good article from The Independent about the author you may find interesting, entitled The Last Englishman: The Life of J L Carr by Byron Rogers

There is also A Month in the Country dedicated site.

Novel Holiday - Jane Austen in Hampshire

2010-08-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

You may remember back in April I spoke about organising a holiday in Hampshire for some friends, our first Novel Holiday, with a set book in an area that included places to visit that celebrated either the book or the author. We got back just over a week ago.

We stayed in a lovely wood cabin in the New Forest. There were 4 of us altogether, myself L, and S, A and R. R stayed for 4 nights, and the rest of us had the cabin for a week.

Although Bath is heavily associated with Jane Austen, Hampshire is where she lived most of her life so it was perfect for this type of holiday.

Our set books were Emma by Austen, and also a contemporary novel, The Blue Fox by Sjon, which we were to discuss on holiday. I didn't know how that part of the holiday would go, but I needn't have worried because the discussions went really well.

We talked about Emma on the first morning after breakfast. Accompanied by a handout with some context, the conversation covered opinions about the book and the characters, and went on to include feminism and the rights of women, marriage, and also the historical contexts of the book. Not everyone had finished the book, but the discussion still went on for an hour and a half anyway. R, who had read all of Jane Austen's novels years ago, really enjoyed re-reading Emma so much, she said she wanted to read the others again. A had not read it but wanted to at the end of the discussion and started the book while on holiday. When we had finished talking, it seemed a good time to have our bookswap, where a number of books found new homes. I came away with 2...The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw, and The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.

The following day was our Jane Austen day. We visited Steventon first, where her father and brother had been rectors at the village church, and Jane lived her earlier years in a house that is no longer there. You can see her brothers grave in the church yard and the setting is really peaceful. We then drove to Chawton where her house in the village is now a Jane Austen museum. She moved here after living in Bath and there is a lot of memorabilia here, as well as information about her life. The table where she wrote her later novels, Emma and Persuasion, is still there. The gardens are also pretty, as is the village. We didn't have time to walk to the church but Jane's sister and mother are buried there. Lastly we drove to Winchester where Jane is buried in the cathedral. You can see her grave stone as well as the monument to her life and work. The cathedral has also exhibited a display about her life.

The following day we spoke about The Blue Fox. I had enjoyed it, as had R. S and A were more perplexed by it and A felt she hadn't understood it at all. Our discussion, which took about an hour, confirmed this to her. We examined the format of the book, the style, and also its 3 parts. As we did this, more meanings came to light. We also discussed whether the references to Icelandic legends enhanced or detracted from the book, with none of us knowing the background to them. Two of us thought that it added to the mysteriousness, but two of us felt they were missing out on some of it.

After talking we did our lucky dip book. I got Ines of my Soul by Isabelle Allende. We then talked about our recommendations and I compiled a list, as well as a list of all the other books that had come up during our discussions, to send on after the holiday.

Of course we did lots of other things that were not book related...walking in the New Forest, a visit to Salisbury, and also a day at Mottisfont Abbey (a National Trust property with beautiful gardens full of butterflies, including a Victorian walled garden). We also watched the excellent and very funny Lost in Austen series on DVD.

Everyone has said they really enjoyed the holiday and would be interested in doing another one next year. No one said that they were sick of Jane Austen at the end, mainly because we didn't overdo it and interspersed it with other things too. Hampshire and the New Forest were perfect for this. A beautiful part of the country. In fact A went back and immediately watched a film version of Emma while finishing the book, and wants to buy a copy of Lost in Austen.

I really enjoyed it. I thought the balance of stuff to do worked very well, the discussions went better than I could have hoped, and I loved the whole week. I also enjoyed putting the whole thing together.

I am currently researching our holiday for next year.

July Roundup

2010-08-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

This lovely picture is of Jane Austen's House in Chawton, Hampshire, where I was exactly one week ago. You can read more about it on InfoBritain. My post about the Jane Austen holiday will be coming soon, I just couldn't resist this picture.

Read - 1 book

Completed - The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Currently Reading - The Vagrants by Yiyun Li

TBR Pile - at 81 books (according to GoodReads) with one book added...

A Month in the Country by J L Carr

Challenges - completed my own challenge to 'read another Russian' with The Master and Margarita.

Wishlist Additions -

The Allotment Book: Seasonal Planner and Cookbook by Andi Clevely

On the Plot with Dirty Nails by Joe Hashman

Discoveries - A Month in the Country by J L Carr

Events - The beginning of our Jane Austen holiday in Hampshire, to be covered in my next post.

Loving the new Sherlock series on BBC at the moment with Benedict Cumberbatch as a modern day version of the famous sleuth.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

2010-07-27T01:49:00.000-07:00

When I said that I wanted to 'read another Russian' at the beginning of the year, a kind person e-mailed me with this book as a recommendation. I liked the sound of it so it joined my wishlist and a friend then bought it for me. It sat on my TBR pile for a few months until I saw that it was the favourite novel of Sjon, the author of The Blue Fox (review here), so it was time to give it a go.

Written just before Bulgakov's death in 1940, but not published until 1966 this novel follows the events affecting some of Moscow's literary elite when the devil and his motley band of followers (including a big black cat called Behemoth and a naked lady) pay them all a visit, resulting in carnage and chaos in the city. Posing as a magician and calling himself Woland, the devil takes over someones flat, causes several people to be admitted to the local mental hospital, undertakes a show at the Variety theatre causing the audience to strip naked and run out of the theatre with fists full of paper that they are convinced are money and lots of other mischief. The only people resistant to Woland are The Master, currently residing in the same mental institution previously mentioned, since his disappointment over his own novel about Pontius Pilate, and his ex-lover Margarita. Woland invites Margarita to a ball where history's most macabre characters are due to attend. But beforehand, she is transformed into a witch and flies over Moscow and Russia to a lakeside. This is one of the novel's more fantastical scenes, as well as the ball itself where Margarita is guest of honour and has to receive the bizarre and the wonderful while sitting naked. Margarita manages to pull this off and is rewarded by Woland. Interspersed with all of this are sections from The Master's book about Pontius Pilate and the events of the day of the trial and execution of Yeshua Ha Nostri, or Jesus of Nazareth as we know him more commonly.

The language of this translation and the literary style of the novel is not difficult to read, and certainly the narrator in my version resembled the chirpy, friendly voice that reminded me of the narrator in Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (which I never completed). This constantly cheery voice may possibly be to convey humour but the resemblance to a Blue Peter TV childrens show presenter seemed to totally belie the subject matter. This is probably personal to me, and could be a voice I have concocted in my own mind, but it is one of the reasons I stopped reading the Susanna Clarke novel.

I have found the review of this book to be one of the hardest ones I have had to write, not only for the complicatedness of the novel, it's story and themes, but also because of how I feel about it. When I told a work colleague, who has also read it, that I was writing this review, he said, 'Where are you going to start...?'

There were parts of this novel that I enjoyed immensely. Mostly the beginning few chapters, and the sections about Pontius Pilate as an alternative view of an ingrained story from the Bible. I also liked it that Woland was not your conventional kind of devil, showing a generous and also a compassionate side. However there were other sections where I was aware of my attention waning. Hordes of more naked women ended up boring me. I like fantasy realism a lot (see my review of The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue) but some style of fantasy may just not be to my taste I guess.

When I was trying to think of what to say in this review I realised that I have probably enjoyed the novel more afterwards, while reading about it's innovative stance on social and literary issues in Russia at the time, rather than during the actual reading of it. There is another author, a hugely loved and inspirational writer, who has had the same effect on me, and that is Virginia Woolf. I can see the reason why they are important, I can admire their forward thinking and talent, I enjoy learning about them and their work and some parts are memorable, but the reading of the book itself was hard work.

This book is an excellent choice for reading groups however. There is such a lot to talk about both with the story and also its literary and social context and it will probably raise a whole array of opinions. I am glad I read it, some of it will stay with me, even though I didn't find all of it enjoyable.

There is a dedicated site for The Master and Margarita, click the link.

Penguin does a Master and Margarita reading guide if you click the link.

Rural and Pastoral Novels

2010-07-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

I first saw this film many years ago. Made in 1987 it stars a young Colin Firth and Kenneth Branagh and is set in the English Countryside in 1919 during one balmy summer. I have seen it a few times since and I have always loved it. So much so that I have found myself recommending it twice in the last two weeks.

Then, (how is this for a coincidence), I was in Waterstones in Southport at the weekend, and they were promoting books about the British Countryside and there was the novel of the same name by J L Carr. It was the last copy left on the display so I snapped it up and can't wait to read it.

Apparently the film has been quite scarce in recent years and there is a website dedicated to reviving A Month in the Country on DVD.

Anyway, it got me thinking about how much I love stories set in the British Countryside, 'Far from the Madding Crowd' so to speak. I can be a bit of a country bumpkin and totally buy into the nostalgia of it.

Here are some of my favourites...

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

Precious Bane by Mary Webb (my all time favourite book)

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Cousin Phyllis by Elizabeth Gaskell

and numerous Catherine Cookson's from my youth.

On my TBR pile I have...

The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

and now A Month in the Country by J L Carr.

Do you have any favourite pastoral novels?

June Roundup

2010-07-04T09:23:00.001-07:00

After having a great weekend last week in Shropshire and seeing Othello at Ludlow Castle as part of the Ludlow Festival, this logo seemed a good place to start.

Read - 1 and a half books

Completed - 1 book...The Girls by Lori Lansens

Currently Reading - The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

TBR Pile - No books added so the pile is at 80 books (according to Good Reads).

Challenges - My current book by Bulgakov complies with my personal goal to 'Read another Russian' this year.

Wishlist Additions -

The Natural Navigator by Tristan Gooley

The Passage by Justin Cronin

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Kings of the Earth by Jon Chich

What is left the daughter by Howard Norman

The Unit by Nimmi Holquist

Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo

Discoveries - The Ludlow Festival

Events - Othello at Ludlow Castle, really good production on a summers eve in Shropshire. Would love to go again and will be keeping an eye on the program for next year. I love outdoor theatre!

Now preparing for our Jane Austen holiday at the end of July, and also make progress on The Master and Margarita.

Updates

2010-07-01T11:57:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post to fill you in on how things have been going here at The Octogon. I was camping in Shropshire last weekend so missed my usual slot here on the web, and it seemed like a good time to regroup some thoughts.

We have had some gorgeous weather here in England, warm and sunny. Perfect weather for camping. My lovely friend and her cool sis, who both live in Nottingham, invited me camping to test out their new Bell Tent that they want to take to Bestival in August. We chose Shropshire on my recommendation because it is kind of between Nottingham and Liverpool, and one of the most beautiful and less well known counties in England. I had not visited for about 15 years but used to go quite a lot because it is the place where my favourite author came from...Mary Webb (Precious Bane, Gone to Earth etc). All of her novels were set in the county during the 18th and 19th centuries and you can visit lots of the natural locations that appear in the books. It is one of my favourite places and I have lots of special memories there.

Coincidentally, we were staying near Ludlow and the Ludlow festival was on and we got tickets to see Othello at Ludlow castle on Saturday night. It was brilliant, a real treat. I didn't know what to expect at all. Of course the weather was fantastic, and Ludlow is a lovely old medieval town. The play was full and everyone was dotted about, lounging on the grass inside the walls, having picnics and drinking wine and Pimms in the evening sunshine. The performance took place within the castle walls itself. The set was impressive and the production was really good, very exciting all the way through with excellent performances and direction. A lovely summers evening thing to do and a great location. We have already mentioned going again next year, and we know it has quite a following. The play is not the only thing happening at the festival...click the link above to see for yourself. It was a great weekend.

I am still reading The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. I am about a quarter of the way through. Some parts are interesting, then others drag a bit and my concentration wanes so it is slow progress at the mo. I need a good session with it to pick up the motivation again.

Lastly, over at Book Club Girl there is a link to an interesting article in the LA Times about Book Bloggers and their relationship with publishers which I wanted to mention. Click the link to take a look.

Thats where I am at for now. Hope the sun is out where you are!

Tree Wisdom by Jacqueline Memory Paterson

2010-06-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

I bought this book with some book vouchers that I was given as a graduation present. I like to get a book that feels like a gift with vouchers. I love vouchers!

At the time, a few years ago, I still had my caravan on a farm in Wales but realised there were only some of the trees surrounding it that I could identify, even though I had spent 10 years living alongside them. The gaps in my knowledge prompted me to buy this book.

I already had a pocket tree guide, but wanted to know more, about how each trees personality has been perceived and what they have been and are used for. This was the perfect choice.

I read the book straight off at the time and I remember whole chunks of it still. About how you still find lots of Yew trees in graveyards because they were associated with the afterlife, and how the Apple tree is the tree of love in many cultures (if you cut an apple in half there is a heart shape inside).

I still dip into the book, to remind myself of something I've read, or to use it as reference. Each chapter is dedicated to a tree type that complies with the ancient Ogham alphabet and has information on identification and where it is usually found, as well as uses and legends.

I was picking Hawthorn flowers recently on the Organic farm that I work on in Devon, to be dried for use in skin and heart remedies, so the book was brought down again from the shelf to re-read the relevant chapter. I remembered Hawthorn was one of the trees that fascinated me the most and is said to be held high in the affections of those who love the countryside. It always likes to grow near people, and in England it is the staple of most of our hedgerows because it is not greedy with the soil, so other plants grow around it happily. It was called the bread and cheese tree, because in the past, when people travelled the countryside looking for work, they could stave off hunger by chewing on its leaves. It is also known as The May tree because this is the month that it flowers (see my recent May Roundup post) and for this reason was a fertility symbol too and used as decoration during weddings.

Anyway, this book has been a treasure to me for a few years now and anyone who has an interest in trees and their folklore will find it a valuable addition to their book shelves. The cover illustration is beautiful too, making this book a lovely gift.

Just for the record, my caravan was surronded by a huge Ash tree down by the lake, several Alder trees, a Sycamore, some Hazel trees (when the mice broke into and squatted in my van one winter, they used my oven glove as a cosy warm place to sleep and the evidence left was a stash of empty hazel nut shells...the critters), Hawthorn, Holly and a Rowan tree. I almost forgot about the Larch tree too. I hope they are all still there.

The Girls by Lori Lansens

2010-06-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

This book was lent to me by my friends mum as an unusual read. I had seen a BBC documentary about Lori and Reba Schappell some years ago and so I was interested to give this book a try.

This novel is a fictional account of the lives of Rosie and Ruby Darlen, who are writing down their unusual life. They are the oldest living Craniopagus conjoined twins, so they are joined by the head and unable to be separated because of a shared essential vein. Other than that they are totally seperate people, different bodies, different brains, different personalities. Rosie wants to be a writer and so it is her voice that we hear for the first third of the book, telling their story through her eyes. She believes that their unusual story should be told, about how their mother abandoned them at birth, and how they were adopted by Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash, a kind and loving couple with no children of their own. Rosie tells us about their condition (Ruby has 2 club feet so has to be carried by her sister), their childhood on a Canadian farm, their closeness as sisters, and their relationship to their adoptive parents and their own story.

Ruby is coerced by her sister to include her own parts for the joint biography, and here the book takes on a new dimension, not just because we have a new voice, but there are some things that Rosie has chosen not to tell us. The sisters will not read each others writings until the book is complete.

It took me a little while to get my head around the fact that this book is fictional because I felt like I was reading a true story. It is very easy to read and I was engrossed quite quickly. It was when Ruby's voice came into it that realised I was completely attached to these sisters and I cared a lot about them. Each of them wheedle their way into your imagination with their stories, and their humourous encounters with other people. Some of their descriptions of peoples reactions had me laughing out loud. I was equally touched by their relationship to their kind and wise adoptive parents who bring them up in a world of love.

There are quite a few pre-emptive sections to warn you of something sad to come, and when it did I cried my eyes out. I can still get a lump in my throat when I think of it now. But this is in no way a depressing or self-indulgent story. It is inspiring, moving, funny and entertaining. It is about the closeness of families and a unique sisterly bond, and about being different. There is also a lot to say about identity, dependence and independence.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it surprised me by how attached I became to Rosie and Ruby. There were a few times along the way I had to remind myself that the were conjoined. Towards the end of the book Rosie says,

'It's easy for Nick (a friend) to say it doesn't matter if my story is ever read. He says, "Just that you wrote it Rosie, let that be enough." But I want more. So much more. I want this collection of words to transform themselves into visions of Ruby and me. I want to be remembered like long-ago friends.'

Lori Lansens certainly manages this with a skillfully written book that brings the twins to life.

For a Reading group guide for The Girls click the link

May Roundup

2010-06-06T08:07:00.001-07:00

Apologies for my brief absence. I was working on the Devon Farm that I went to last year and we spent some time each day picking Hawthorn flowers (as in the picture, courtesy of the Wild About Britain website), to be dried and used for heart and skin remedies. We had fantastic weather and it was a great way to spend the mornings, in the sunshine gently gathering these lovely flowers. Also known as The May, this tree is perfect for my months roundup. Back to the books...

Read - 1 and three quarters of a book

Completed - 2 books...

Emma by Jane Austen

The Blue Fox by Sjon

Currently Reading - The Girls by Lori Lansens

TBR Pile - now at 81 (according to Good Reads) with one book added during May...

Water a book of short stories, part of the Ox-Tales series produced for Oxfam

Challenges - finished Emma by Jane Austen

Wishlist Additions -

Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams

The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard

Babettes Feast by Karen Blixen

Discoveries -

The wonderful Almeida Theatre in London

Events -

Ruined at the Almeida Theatre, one of the best plays I have seen.

Kursk at the Everyman in Liverpool, totally brilliant, original and moving.

Also my 2nd Blogiversary!

June is already underway, as I try to integrate into ordinary city life after an idyllic week working on the farm in the sunshine.

The Blue Fox by Sjon

2010-05-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

This book has been on quite a few blogs for a while and highly recommended, so when I needed another non Jane Austen choice for our holiday in August, this seemed an interesting book to go with.

It is only 100 pages long and I read it in a day. Written by Sjon from Iceland (he writes lyrics for Bjork), it is set in the Icelandic wilderness in 1883. We are told two juxtaposed stories that become invariably linked as the tale comes together. The first follows Baldur Skuggason, a priest, hunting for the valuable Blue Fox in the snowy wastelands. Then we follow Fridrik B. Fridriksson a few days earlier, a naturalist who knows the priest. Fridrik had come back to his parents home 17 years earlier, to sell it and move on. But after rescuing Abba, a girl with Downs Syndrome, who had been shackled to a ship that had run aground, he had stayed and she had stayed with him. The last part revisits the Priest and the fox. All of them are bound together.

As I said, this is a quick read, which makes the depth of its imagery and meaning a skillful achievement. Some pages contain only a paragraph or even a sentence. It suits the rhythm of the book without being pretentious at all. Lyrical and poetic, but never difficult to read, you realise quickly that this book is special. Called a fable, and 'part-mystery, part fairy-tale' this book operates on lots of levels, some of which are incredibly moving (I was gulping back tears at one point during my lunch break at work so as not to embarress myself), and some of which are truly beautiful. It is also funny, no more so than when the Priest is enraptured by a cods head he has to eat. I want to read it again to enjoy the subtleties I missed the first time around.

The book has not suffered in translation as far as I can tell, Victoria Cribb deserves a mention for a translation that maintains its humour and warmth. The only thing that non-Icelandic readers will miss out on are some of the significant references to traditional stories and myths, as I did. It was, however, fun and interesting to find out some of them while reading about the book afterwards.

A beautiful book, full of intelligent passages and magical moments, memorable and moving. A good choice for book groups also. I am looking forward to discussing it on holiday later this year.

You can read an interview with Sjon about his book The Blue Fox on Me And My Big Mouth

2nd Blogiversary

2010-05-18T13:25:00.001-07:00

I almost can't believe it but The Octogon is 2 years old today. To celebrate this I have indulged my love of lists by compiling some categories about the books I have read.

My top 5 books...

Precious Bane by Mary Webb

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Passion by Jeanette Winterson

Books that made me cry...

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Books that made me laugh out loud...

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Books that I hated...

Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens

The Magus by John Fowles

Books that it was important to read...

Moments of Reprieve by Primo Levi

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Germinal by Emile Zola

Books that surprised me...

A Passage to India by E. M. Forster

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Empire of the Sun by J. G. Ballard

The Beach by Alex Garland

Books that disappointed...

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

Books I read after seeing the film...

Atonement by Ian McEwan

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood

Books that scared the pants off me...

The Shining by Stephen King

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Books that everyone else has read except me...

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

A book I loved but no one else seems to have heard of...

The Dreamer by Daniel Quinn

I compiled this list for my own record really, but I am sure there may be some in there that you agree or disagree with. Hopefully The Octogon will continue so that I get to indulge more lists like these for a while yet..