The Doctor's Wife

The Doctor’s Wife

By Brian Moore

Cape Publishing 1976

ISBN: 0 224 01322 X

Well, what a pickle this lady got into! A story of the older, married lady, emotionally abandoned by her husband, who finds love(?) in the arms of a younger man – or boy really.

This story or plot line has been told many times over the years, exploring the real cost of a five minute fling.  In this particular instance, it was over a fortnight, on holiday. I have to say, I began to feel very sorry for the main protagonist, Mrs. Redden. She was digger herself deeper and deeper in trouble, ably assisted by the young man, who seemed to be easing her into his manner of thinking throughout.

It is a very quick book to read in that it is quite a page turner. I found myself thinking for her, on her behalf.  I began to offer her advice. It reads as if you want to shout at her to point her away from what is the inevitable. She is quite a dunderhead for not seeing the most obvious problems with her urge to find emotional and sexual comfort. I must point out here that the part of the book that recounts the young man’s conquests are graphic, and leave nothing to the imagination. It is very explicit. However, once that section is finished with, it doesn’t return to it, and we concentrate on the after events and the conclusion. Bearing in mind this story is over 35 years old; I wonder if the author was stretching the literary boundaries of the day? It made me smile that whilst they couple were down to the ‘nitty gritty’ of the events, the author kept referring to her as Mrs. Redden, where she had been known previously, and subsequently as Sheila. Perhaps a relevant and subliminal point was being made there too.

Anyway, a story that begins at the end, with the following chapters that tell how we get to that conclusion, it is told  in a pithy way, with just the right amount of humour, loads of self pity and a awful lot of anger from Sheila. She is very believable as well; I imagine a difficult thing for a male author to do. But it is carried off well. It will be difficult for you to decide what will happen before you get there, and most of you who do read this book will feel sadness for her, (and him, perhaps), but how many of us will take it as a timely reminder of the results of neglecting your spouse, or the dangers of ‘playing away from home’?

BookerBookBloke Verdict 8/10 (except the naughty bit) 

Room - Emma Donoghue

Room

By Emma Donoghue

Picador 2010

ISBN: 978 0 330 51901 4

In light of the events that are currently hitting the headlines from the United States, it seems prudent to bring this novel to everyone’s attention.

This story is told by Jack, five years old, and lives in Room. Of course the world of Jack is not a complete one; he believes that his room is the complete world and anything he sees on the T.V. is not real. His mother and he are, in fact, incarcerated by a kidnapper, with Jack being born in captivity. He knows no different lifestyle; the life he lives revolves around keeping quiet at difficult times, being scared, and being an ordinary boy who has just left behind the problems of being a toddler. This story recounts the life that he and his mother have and the changes that are all around them both following their freedom.  The different emotions can’t be more polarised, and excellently portrayed.

At the time, it seemed that is could be imagining the events surrounding Jaycee Lee Dugard, from California, who was reunited with her family a year before the publication of this book. She too had lived in a kidnap situation for eighteen years and had children at the hands of her captors. But, this book could equally be exploring the house and events so fresh in the news today.

The book is told in a factual, unsentimental fashion, without emotion from Jack, but please rest assured that the book is full of it from the author. It is a one sitting book, pull up your drawbridges, refuse to be disturbed and have lots of coffee and tissues at hand. Oh, and if you lend the book out afterwards, don’t expect to get it back; no doubt your friends will pass it on, deservedly so, as this book should be read by as many people as possible. What we all see in our daily lives that we think of as strange may well prove to be pivotal for somebody else. What is it that’s said about the random act of kindness from a stranger?

 Anyway, this is a great book in its own right, a worthy shortlisted book for the Booker Prize in 2010. It is a different type of read from those that would normally make this list, which makes it stand out on my shelf at home. As always, I am more than happy to discuss and reply to any comments you may have and I apologise for the literary quality of this blog, I feel the need to get this book into the public domain quickly is paramount, so...

 

BookerBookBloke verdict 8/10

Utz By Bruce Chatwin

This blog is specifically for comment on the Man Booker Prize for fiction, based in the U.K. There are, at the moment, six shortlisted books each year, and as I read them, I will offer my review, without revealing the plot! I want to talk about the readability, style and the amount of quality reading to be enjoyed (or not!) I have no affiliation to anybody, so my comments are without outside influence. enjoy my thoughts, and please feel free to comment...

Utz

By Bruce Chatwin

Jonathon Cape, 1988

ISBN: 0 224 22608 9

I have been to a whole new country, in a distant time and read about at least two subject matters I knew nothing about. I was either going to love it or hate it; well, I loved it!

A short text, that got straight to the point, as long as you have your wits about you at the start. Set in Czechoslovakia, with a time that spans over many years (but specifically the early 1970’s) we are led through an almost personal tour of Meissen porcelain figures, and their owner, Utz. Or have we? What, exactly, do we get?

We get a brief overview of the politics of the country, with an equally brief look at the history, along with the sinister world of the contemporary country lifestyle; the restaurant menu, the clientele and the decor gives a vivid view of the day to day life of Utz. Or is it?

So, what about Utz? We are introduced to him, and then led to believe, via the title of the work, that he would be the main protagonist. And so he is, isn’t he?

The porcelain figures are the next items of enigmas. They are the main reason for the story if you discount Utz himself. We are introduced to them, given the point of having them in the plot, and then, they determinedly float around the text along with all the other strands that serve to make this text what it is. It drifts along in a floating way as if it is daring you to grab the story and make a rigid plot out of it. As each page turns, you just know that it will all pull together to make something tangible, then you will realise it already is. So, why doesn’t it seem like it is a solid read? Because it is writing at its most skilful – not a word is wasted, there isn’t a word in there that doesn’t count, and the whole text, as short as it is, is the right length to keep the book floating exactly where it should be.

Be ready to be introduced to nondescript characters, ordinary situations in a less than exotic setting and then be prepared to leave behind a completely different setting, situation and character. The work of this international travel writer is as good as it gets. Please don’t look for a goodie or a baddie; a crime or a whodunit, those things are not what this book is about. This is about the obsessive behaviour of people that collect things and why they would want t do that. Why do people want to collect things? You could, I suppose, ask me, as I collect these shortlisted books. Perhaps, after all, I do know what the book is about, I hope you get it too!

I have opened a new blog, reviewing good books that deserve maximum exposure for being good! Have a look at www.brenisthecritic.blogspot.com Thank you for looking, and happy reading...

In A Free State

This blog is specifically for comment on the Man Booker Prize for fiction, based in the U.K. There are, at the moment, six shortlisted books each year, and as I read them, I will offer my review, without revealing the plot! I want to talk about the readability, style and the amount of quality reading to be enjoyed (or not!) I have no affiliation to anybody, so my comments are without outside influence. enjoy my thoughts, and please feel free to comment...

In A Free State

By V.S. Naipaul

Andre Deutsch, 1971

ISBN: 0233 95832 0

What an intriguing book. It is as relevant now as it was in the early 1970’s, when it was written. That timelessness makes it, for me, one of the classic titles that will be around for many years to come. The content, unfortunately, will also probably be around for many years to come. Let me explain...

The book is a series of accounts of people who attempt a life in a country that is not of their birth, in an atmosphere that is foreign to them. Each one believes they are going to, or becoming part of, a free state. Three long accounts, and a couple of shorter ones, all different, but all fundamentally the same, all telling of the struggle of life, looking for something better than they have, trying to create a better place for themselves and the world around them. Their successes and failures are explored in detail, but we are left to ponder the greater issues; just as a great book should leave us to do.

But enough of the plotline! I do try to avoid giving away any of the story itself, so as to retain the integrity of the author’s work, but I can tell you this much. It is tightly written, in as much as it wastes no words. Each sentence has a relevance to the tale and each sentence leads flowingly into the next one. It makes the work easy to read. I, for one, found myself concerned for the wellbeing of each of the protagonists, thus making the book a page turner. One of those tales that make the chores of the day disappear; the bedside light stays on just a little longer, or ‘lunch can wait’ for another half hour.

The descriptive text is, as far as I can tell, accurate and exhaustive. Set in three main locations, the description on England resonated in me as somewhere I recognised, so I have no doubt that quality research or first-hand knowledge was brought to bear with regard to the other locations.  But it doesn’t automatically make it a pleasant read. It is possible to make the reader quite uncomfortable, when he describes some of the things we took as the norm but are, in fact quite alien in our modern society. Or at least I would like to think so!

The book was written more than forty years ago, when the world as we know it was completely different. The great shame is that he could have probably written it in the last twelve months, and the story line would still be just as contemporary. Everything has changed, but absolutely nothing has changed. This is what will make this book important for the next hundred years or so. Perhaps Naipaul’s exposure of human endeavours, frailties, hopes and self belief, along with despair, prejudice and insulation by society will serve to alter the way the world looks at itself. But I wouldn’t bank on it!

BookerBookBloke verdict: 8/10

Why not have a look at my short story about the life of Florence Nightingale, taken from a slightly different slant. It can be found at:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reflections-On-Fading-Lamp-ebook/dp/B00BFH9CL0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366787365&sr=8-1&keywords=reflection+on+a+fading+lamp

Snowdrops

This blog is specifically for comment on the Man Booker Prize for fiction, based in the U.K. There are, at the moment, six shortlisted books each year, and as I read them, I will offer my review, without revealing the plot! I want to talk about the readability, style and the amount of quality reading to be enjoyed (or not!) I have no affiliation to anybody, so my comments are without outside influence. enjoy my thoughts, and please feel free to comment...

Snowdrops

By A. D. Miller

Atlantic Books, 2011

ISBN: 978 1 84887 453 4

www.snowdropsthenovel.com

For a debut novel, this book is fab!  In fact, for any book, this is fab! Set in modern day Russia, it tells of the good, bad and ugly of this country, seen from the point of view of a foreigner and Russian alike. The accolades for this story, written on the cover of this book sum up the quality succinctly; ‘Totally Gripping’ says the Times; ‘Disturbing and dazzling’ says the Sunday Telegraph.

The term ‘snowdrops’ is used by the Russians to describe the bodies that die during the Moscow winter, outside, where their corpse is only discovered with the melting of the snow. The down and outs, the tramps, the homeless and the occasional murder victim all remain under the winter snow for months, until the scale of the problem reveals itself in the spring.

If you transfer this thought to the more cynical world of bribery, blackmail, love trysts and the universal fact of a man who has his head turned by a pretty girl, then you have the makings of a tightly written, enigmatic book that sweeps you on the first page and carries you full pelt until it drops you off on the very last page. If you are truly lucky, this will be done in one sitting.  You will encounter all the seedier, corrupt side of Moscow, the coercion of women with a plan, the naivety of a foreigner in a strange land (a chap with certain influences), the simple side of old Russia and all wrapped up in a slow burning plot that you think you follow but I was never quite sure if the plot line would change. In my usual way, I won’t write of the plot line itself so as not to spoil it, but I did feel sorry for Nick, the British lawyer, but I also wanted to shout to him to watch out. I don’t think he would have listened anyway!

It is clear from the text that the author has an understanding of Russia, both before the revolution and since. His biography tells me that he as spend time writing of the country, an understanding that comes through loud and clear. Who knows, he might have even known the character Nick when he was there. So vivid and expansive is his descriptive prose. I am looking forward to his next offering. I do urge you to put a day aside with a large packet of chocolate biscuits and a pot of aromatic coffee to keep you going, and read this novel. You will not be disappointed (I hope) and if you are like me, you will discover a world previously not explored and although the story has been told in various guises, you will feel it has been told in a fresh new style.

BookerBookBloke verdict: 9/10

Anthills of the Savannah

Anthills of The Savannah

By Chinua Achebe

First Published in Great Britain, 1987, William Heinemann

My edition, 1988, Pan Books

ISBN: 0-330-30095-4

I chose this book for my next review for several reasons; the title is reasonably well known, the author is of international standing, (he has also won the international version of the Man Booker Prize) and as he recently passed away, I thought it might be a small, but nice way to mark his passing.  That is, though, about as polite as I can be.

I am a fairly intelligent chap, with fairly broad experience in reading all sorts of literature, but I found myself getting lost in the book. I don’t mean I lost myself in the plot, or the descriptive landscapes or inside the mind of the main protagonist; I just got lost...about half way through. I’m not too sure why, the text is rich in colour, the reflections wise and the characters real. But it is all far too dense.

I try to give a review without giving away the plot, and this time it is relatively easy; I could have had a stab at it within the first two or three chapters, but then the emphasis shifted, still not a problem. But as we drifted into an African folklore tale, and a poem that serves over two pages I became gently aware that I had now no idea what was going on, or where the book was going. But I knew where I was going, backwards. I was beginning to turn the pages back to check on what I might has misread, or omitted to read in the first place. Clearly, this was not the way forward.

This sounds as if I am being as if I’m being churlish, but I’m not being derogatory in any sense. The text is obviously cleverly written, the scenery lushly described and the darker moments in the plot line were quite stark, and, quite honestly, a little scary. The poem is ok too. I have no doubt that the subject matter, the life of prominent people within an African dictatorship, is written, I imagine, true to life, warts and all.  A place I would prefer not to be.

So off this book goes, back onto my bookshelf, perhaps to be tried again at another date. The Literary Word tell me that it is ‘a tremendous work, and a brave one.’ I’ll be content, for now, to take their word for it. As I say on my profile, life is far too short to read books that fail to engage you. Move on to the next one, and that’s exactly what I intend to do now.

BookerBookBloke verdict: 4/10

God On The Rocks

God On The Rocks

By Jane Gardam

First published 1978, Hamish Hamilton

My Copy: Abacus, 1981

ISBN. 0-349-11406-4

I’ve moved back in time a little for my next review, as the publishing details suggests, back some 35 years. I have found myself in a world habited by a religious zealot, an unhappy wife, a maid, (common of course, from ‘way up north’), a confused child and sundry characters who are introduced as the plot unravels. Sounds difficult to grasp? Well, it certainly isn’t.

It is a very easy book to read, once you have transported your mind back to the writing styles of the late ‘70’s, and then back to the timeline being written about in the story, the mid 1920’s. We are left to discover the time in which the story takes place, which is o.k. as long as we are not being left to discover where the story takes place. Clever wording brings clarity to both of these questions fairly early on, but not soon enough for my liking.  It will help as well, if you are from the U.K. or are familiar with English accents; the dialect of one of the characters is important to grasp, otherwise her involvement in the plot line loses some of its relevance.  And, we are led up a garden path quite early on. Just as you think you are meeting the main protagonist, emphasis switches. Still with me?...

So, we have a story with some looking back, in a nostalgic fashion, some with regrets, some looking forward, wondering if it will be still as confusing as an adult. Add into the mix a father with stern religious views, a house full of mentally ill, an aged, vindictive but regretful elderly lady who doesn’t see her two adult children, and we have the backbone of this short novel.

I am amazed that all these strands can come together in such a few pages, but they do and it works. The title of the book works in two ways – that will make sense if you choose to read this book. God is indeed on the rocks, in the literal sense, and God is certainly rocking in the stability stakes; as are many of the characters. But, along with my amazement, I find myself sitting here thinking just how good a story it is.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is told in a lively fashion, sharply written and it is a page turner. I read it in a very short time, and my mind was kept alert at all times. I would recommend this with the caveat that if you are less familiar with the foibles of the English and their ways, you might just find yourself struggling to grasp the nuances of the text.

BookerBookBloke verdict 7(and a bit) out of 10

Why not try my short story about the life of Florence Nightingale. It can be found at:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reflections-On-Fading-Lamp-ebook/dp/B00BFH9CL0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365457999&sr=8-1&keywords=reflections+on+a+fading+lamp

or what about the final night of Guy Fawkes before his death. That can be found at:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mitigation-Thoughts-Fawkes-prison-ebook/dp/B004A15A6O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1365458067&sr=1-1&keywords=in+mitigation