Holy Fools - Joanne Harris

I liked this book, but it took me a while to get into. It's one my dad got my mum because she's obsessive about 'Blackberry Wine' and didn't mind 'Chocolat' by the same author.
          I think that the cover design is distinctive, and I'm fairly sure that it's the only one which was done for this book, so you'd recognise it anywhere. Although they're about different people you can tell that the same author wrote this book and the two mentioned above from a simple glane at the covers, even without the name, because they are of a similar style which I think is reasonably unique to her.
           Another similarity that I've found between the three books, this is the only one I've read so far however I'm judging from my mother's descriptions, is that they're all set in France during a similar period, and they all explore sins and temptations. There is a common theme of food and of looking at the 'older, pagan gods' in favour of the Christian church, as all her heroines seem to outwardly respect the church, but secretly rebel against it.
           I liked also the fact that there was a twist in the plot which I think someone more astute than me may have picked up on, and which I half guessed, but which really wasn't very obvious. The characters were amusing and although the plot seemed tenuous it had enough twists, turns and excitement to make you want to keep reading.
          I didn't like the fact that it was written in three languages. Mostly english, dotted with some french words and quotes in latin. The quotes weren't too bad as i can't read that at all and so assumed each time that it was probably going to be translated for me and was definately from the bible. It was the french words, they were ones which everyone knows; soeur - sister, mere - mother, mer - sea. But then the names were often french versions of names we commonly use in England. As a result I found myself switching between the two languages not quite sure which my head should be reading in ... It couldn't make it's mind up.
            Overall I liked the book, even though there were parts which irritated me. It was amusing and didn't require too much effort or concentration, I think I may even have learnt one or two things from it.

Rowen

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

              

           This book I bought for two reasons; firstly it was in my version of '1001 books to read before you die' and secondly because I knew that I would be studying the relevent period of Russian history this year. It lived up to my expectations and did more or less what it said it would; described one day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, from the moment that he woke up until the moment he went to sleep.
             In history I've been studying Nazi Germany parallel to Russia, therefore I have a reasonable understanding of the Nazi Concentration camps whilst finding that the equivalent in Russia, the Gulag, are mentioned but never with any detail or depth. Because of the fact that they are in some respects described as being the same you find yourself making the assumption that they are Carbon copies of one another. However, after reading this book, you find that you can pick out a variety of differences, as well as similarities, between the two. It fascinated me.
            A year ago I read Primo Levi's 'If this is a Man', and I found myself drawing parallels with it as I read this book, this is unsuprising when you consider that one was written by a survivor of Auschwitz while the other was written by a survivor of a Gulag. I found a number of differences between the two; the first was that the prisoners in the Gulag's appeared to be valued more, possibly because they weren't classified as a sub-race, they were given more to eat. Secondly they appeared to be less supervised than in the Nazi camp except for when they were being moved to and from work-sites. Thirdly, a prisoner in Soviet Russia was actually able to fulfill his term, and go home, although it was likely to be to exile. One interesting quote I found was;

'Now he didn't know either whether he wanted freedom or not.'

          There were similarities to be found as well; Both camps apparantly had similar bartering systems between the prisoners; There was a similar hierarchy amongst the prisoners although the Gulag one was based more upon respect than the one in concentration camps which were built upon fear and hatred; and there appears to have been a similar attitude that you should live for the day but scrounge for the morrow and that above all you should keep your pride intact because that's what the camps were designed to drain.



Inside cover design



           My favourite thing about this book is the cover design which is striking. The pointing finger representing the Soviet power system and Stalin who simply had to point for you to be locked away. Open the cover and you're greeted by an equally striking image. A collage of pictures of prisoners and machinery, constructed in a way which best emphasises the clockwork nature of the Soviet superpower. I also loved the fact that when I bought the book from Waterstones it came plastic wrapped causing me to treat it with a certain amount of reverence, although not something I think would suit the majority of books it was perfect for this one.



          My least favourite thing about this book was that it had no chapters or divisions of any sort, beyond paragraphs, it was one long block of text from beginning to end. It made sense in the context of the book. Suited it even. But i really didn't like it. It made it hard to put down as there were no natural breaks and as a consequence I became reluctant to pick it up causing me to drag my feet whilst reading it.

          On the whole I found the book and informative, if slightly tedious read. I wanted to love it but I found it didn't quite equal other books of it's type; it didn't quite move me to compassion or tears.

Rowen

The Royal Wedding of William and Kate

               Like many people I love weddings. My cousin got married last October and it was a day that I thoroughly enjoyed; I saw my family, My cousin was happy, there were embarassing speeches and lovely food. The only thing I didn't like about the day was that I had to spend some of the morning finishing an essay.

             Today, for me, was very similar. I Loved it. I got to see beautiful dresses, crowds of people of whom many are from my national community and the Bride and Groom looked radiantly happy. I was in my element, as I have to say I'm probably a bit of a Royalist. I spent my morning camped out in the living room watching the BBC coverage up until the appearance of the Royal couple on the Balcony at Buckingham Palace.

             However there was once again an element of the day which spoiled it for me, just a little. Which is that my dad is the polar opposite to me and a Republican. Therefore he was making irritating background noise which made it difficult to hear a lot of what was happening. Despite that I have to say I've Loved it and would be glad to hear from anyone who is in the same boat as me; enjoying such occasions despite friends and relatives who do not?

Rowen

Good Time Girl - Kate O'Mara

I read a lot of trashy books, I have a thing about the predictability and comfortable happy ending which a Mills and Boon book never fails to provide. If I'm in a foul mood or simply bored I'll pick one up and read it, cos I know that chances are I'll have finished it in about a day and i'll be left feeling satisfied. I assumed this would be similar, a friend gave it to me with several Mills and Boon books that her grandma was chucking out. I was wrong.
            This book to the term trashy novel to an entirely new level and I can say quite honestly that I wish never to read a book like it. It wasn't just that it was trashy, but it had no plot, was riddled with affairs and some of the language used made me cringe. I still like Mills and Boon books, but for that kind of fix I think I'll stick to them from now on.

The Grave Tattoo - Val McDermid

The Grave Tattoo is a book I wasn't expecting to like, as I had suspicions of it a Silent Witness type novel, and it was a bit like that, but there was enough variation in it that it didn't overwhelm. The book is actually about the discovery of a lost William Wordsworth manuscript, which is gradually revealed to you at the end of each chapter, but it is interpsersed with suspicious deaths as someone kills for the manuscript.
           The thing that I liked most about the book is that it kept you guessing about who the murderer was right until the end of the book, and I think I guessed just about everyone but who the murderer actually was. If I'd been like my sister, an avid Silent Witness and similar programmes fan, then I probably could have used stereotypes to figure it out very near to the beginning of the book. I didn't like the book that it seemed to drop a couple of threads somewhere near the middle, or that it left some of the characters a bit unresolved, there was some stuff I'd have liked to have known that it didn't bring up.
          I also don't believe that it's part of a series of books, although if it had've been then I think I would have been interested, having finished that one, in reading more of them.

Rowen

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

Last night I finished reading Little Women which is one of the 'Great American Novels', I can't say I was overwhelmingly impressed with it, but it had both good and bad aspects. I read it because a friend got it for me as a Christmas present because it's in a book I have entitled '1001 books to read before you die' and I'm intent on reading them all, this is the 45th one that I've read.
      The book started out much too like a sermon for my taste, it was preaching very particular morals, and effectively criticising those who do not have them, as a lot of them are outdated, it made me feel uncomfortable. At this point it also didn't seem to have much of a plot, a situation which improved after reading approximately the first quarter. Meg got married and Beth got ill and there was a general middle, and then you skipped three years and the book once again declined as it lost all sense of timescale. Beth died, a part of the book which was very well written and moved me to tears, but then Laurie married Amy instead of Jo, a point which made me angry as the Author had been very nicely setting up a camaraderie which would naturally lead to Jo and Laurie rather than Amy and Laurie, and although it was explained it left me feeling so angry I had to put down the book and do something else to distract myself. This may be seen as good writing to have such an effect on emotion but I like my books to be comfortable reads and not want to throw them across a room for the troubles they afford me.
                I can see why this book is described as it is, but for me it will never be a work of brilliance, as is my opinion of the majority of the '1001 books' which I have so far read, one thing I can say is I'm glad I was guided to read it because it's widening my experience of books and causing me to look outside my comfortable genre of high fantasy.

Rowen

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

I've just finished reading 'The Book Thief', literally a few hours ago, and it's an unusual book. It's narrated by death as opposed to the main character, Liesel, which is the first strange thing about it. Secondly he's rarely met her, but he has met her more than once, which when you stop and think about it seems odd in itself. Thirdly in places the outcome of an event is told to you before you're told any of the accompanying circumstances.
            I bought 'The Book Thief' because I take history. One of my coursework essays is on the status of women in nazi germany, and my teacher for this area suggested it as a different perspective that I might like to read. She told me the basic plot summary and it sounded like the kind of book that I might like. I can't say it was the most entrancing book I've ever read, I can't even say it moved me as much as some books I've read, although that could be because of the reason I was reading it. I did however enjoy reading it, which is afterall the primary function of any good novel.
            I liked the fact that it was unusual and I also liked the fact that it made the perspective of a difficult era of history generally acessable through the eyes of someone, albeit fictional, whose story would probably have never been told.

Rowen