AlisonY - from 5 Annually to 50 in 2015? Part III

The first frosts are appearing in N. Ireland - I feel the need for a nice winter picture to distract me from our current perpetually grey skies.

2015 Reading Track

January
1. On Chesil Beach - read (4.5 stars)
2. Fathomless Riches: Or How I Went from Pop to Pulpit - read (4.5 stars)
3. Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow - read (3.5 stars)
4. The Hours - read (5 stars)
5. The Major of Casterbridge - read (5 stars)
6. The Idea of Perfection - read (4 stars)
7. If nobody speaks of remarkable things by Jon McGregor - read (2.5 stars)

February
8. The Blind Assassin - read (4 stars)
9. Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson - read (4 stars)
10. On the Road - read (2.5 stars)
11. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer - read (4.5 stars)
12. The Woman in White - read (4 stars)
13. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf - read (5 stars)
14. Night by Elie Wiesel - read (5 stars)
15. Dress your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris - read (4 stars)

March
16. Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple - read (4.5 stars)
17. Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee - read (3.5 stars)
18. The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields - read (3.5 stars)
19. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - read (4.5 stars)
20. The Sense of an Ending - read (3.5 stars)
21. The Easter Parade by Richard Yates - read (5 stars)
22. The Go-Between - read (3 stars)
23. Stranger's Child - read (4 stars)
24. Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf - read (4.5 stars)

April
25. This is the Country by William Wall - read (4.5 stars)
26. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - read (4 stars)
27. Let me Go by Helga Schneider - read (3.5 stars)
28. Felicia's Journey by William Trevor - read (4 stars)
29. The Shock of the Fall - read (3.5 stars)
30. Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner - read (5 stars)
31. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald - read (4 stars)
32. Brooklyn by Colin Toibin - read (5 stars)
33. Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison - read (5 stars)
34. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner - read (4 stars)
35. Julius Winsome: A Novel by Gerard Donovan - read (3.5 stars)

May
36. The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill - read (4 stars)
37. A Death in the Family: My Struggle Book 1 by Karl Ove Knausgaard - read (4.5 stars)
38. Outpost of Occupation by Barry Turner - read (3 stars)
39. Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick - read (4 stars)
40. Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa- read (4 stars)
41. Death in Venice and Other Stories by Thomas Mann - read (3 stars)

June
42. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - read (3.5 stars)
43. The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat - read (4 stars)
44. Plainsong by Kent Haruf - read (5 stars)
45. HHhH by Laurent Binet - read (5 stars)
46. Cold Spring Harbor by Richard Yates - read (3.5 stars)
47. Villages by John Updike - read (4 stars)

July
48. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen - read (4.5 stars)
49. On the Night Plain by J. Robert Lennon - read (3.5 stars)
50. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier - read (5 stars)
51. Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir - read (5 stars)
52. The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks - read (4 stars)
53. For One More Day by Mitch Albom - read (4.5 stars)

August
54. Vanessa and her Sister by Priya Parmar - read (4.5 stars)
55. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom - read (3.5 stars)
56. The Death of Bunny Monroe by Nick Cave - read (3.5 stars)
57. The Murder of Halland by Pia Juul - read (4 stars)
58. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - read (4 stars)

September
59. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf - read (2.5 stars)
60. How to Listen So Your Kids Will Talk and Talk So Your Kids Will Listen - read (4 stars)
61. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers - read (4.5 stars)
62. Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them - read (5 stars)

October
63. Licks of Love by John Updike - read (4.5 stars)
64. The Road by Cormac McCarthy - read (4.5 stars)
65. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee - read (3 stars)

November
66. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx - read (5 stars)
67. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton - read (4.5 stars)
68. Swimming Home by Deborah Levy - read (3 stars)
69. Never Mind by Edward St Aubyn - read (4 stars)
70. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym - read (3.5 stars)

December
71. The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook - read (4 stars)
72. The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader - read (4 stars)
73. The Strong and Sensitive Boy by Ted Zaff - read (1.5 stars)
74. The Wine of Solitude by Irene Nemirovsky - read (3 stars)
75. in progress

52. Review - The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

This is the first Iain Banks novel I've read, and, well... wow! It's dark, macabre and violent, yet totally enthralling and thrilling at the same time. I believe that this was Banks' first published novel many moons ago, and what a debut.

I think many people are familiar with the story, but if you're not the novel is told by 17 year old Frank, who lives on a Scottish island with his father. He is, in a nutshell, seriously unhinged, and has more than a few terrible skeletons in his closet. Bank unfolds the story of Frank's life on the island, living with his oddball father and spending his days carrying out numerous shamanistic rituals of his own invention. Many of these involve violent acts against animals, which can be difficult to read in parts, but even they pale into insignificance once you learn about his actions from the past, which are horribly cruel yet terribly clever and wildly inventive.

These heinous crimes form an interesting comparative with the dreadful activities his brother Eric was locked away in a mental asylum for. Frank is disgusted by his brother's awful (but lesser) crimes, considering his own offences as sadly necessary to keep life on an even keel. For me, this was the real hook when reading this book - Bank so successfully handles the complex different layers of insanity and violence. His character Frank can be touchingly kind in one situation, and yet premeditatedly violent in another. His balance point of what is right and wrong, just and unjust, is totally out of calibration, and through Frank's eyes we understand how, to someone suffering from a severe psychological disorder, something terribly immoral and evil is seen from a disturbingly polar opposite perspective.

Brilliantly disturbing. 4 stars

Enjoyed your review of The Wasp Factory and a great picture to start your new thread.

>3 AlisonY: Excellent review. I was fascinated by The Wasp Factory, for some of the reasons you mentioned above. I also enjoyed The Crow Road, which has a wonderful first line: "It was the day my grandmother exploded."

I have a couple of books by Iain Banks on my kindle. I liked your review of The Wasp Factory, maybe I should move them up in the queue.

Thanks all.

>4 baswood: I haven't been up to the Giant's Causeway in ages, but it's a strange and interesting place. It's only about an hour's drive from where we live.

>5 ELiz_M: funny, The Crow Road was the Iain Banks novel I have on my wish list, but I happened to find this one on the library shelf. I think I'd like to read it - I believe it's also excellent, but more of an odd family saga.

>6 NanaCC: it's very dark and quite sick in places, Colleen, but extremely well written and highly imaginative. Not my usual kind of book, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

fun review. Nice to see some famous rocks on your thread (says the geologist part of me).

"Brilliantly disturbing" is an accurate description of The wasp factory.
I loved this book, and I also really liked The bridge by Iain Banks (although I prefer The wasp factory).

>5 ELiz_M: ELiz_M: Adding The crow road to my wishlist. :)

>8 dchaikin: my husband loves geology too Dan, and finds lots of things that I don't understand fascinating about those strange hexagonal stones.

>9 chlorine: oh, must check out The Bridge now too!

53. Review - For One More Day by Mitch Albom

I expected to hate this book - 'what if you could spend one more day with your dead mother'. It sounded schmaltzy, weep-inducing and full-on syrup overload. I suppose it was a bit of those things, but it was also a brilliant read which I would have read in one sitting if circumstances had allowed.

I had to get up really early this morning, and it was already way past my bedtime last night, but I kept telling myself "Just one more chapter...". This afternoon I was devastated as I thought I'd get to finish it on my commute from work but a neighbour chose to sit beside me and chat on the bus instead.

My point is, this is one of those books you don't have to think too hard about. From the first page you're 'in', and it's a gallop thereafter. If you've recently lost a parent this book may be too raw, but on the other hand it may give you some comfort and remind you that parents don't judge us the way we judge ourselves. They know that sometimes we're just busy living our lives.

A quick, beautiful read with some simple messages: it's never too late to right wrongs in your life, and your mother loves you no matter what. Amen to that.

4.5 stars - this is no literary masterpiece, but it's addictive nonetheless. Maybe it's all that sugary syrup...

The timing of my library purchasing Vanessa and her Sister at my request couldn't have been better (all hail our local library system!!). I watched the first episode of the new BBC Bloomsbury drama 'Life in Squares' a few nights ago, and whilst I enjoyed it I didn't fully understand the background of all the characters.

Vanessa and her Sister comes with a very useful 'who's who' preface which has already filled in a few gaps, and I think the book will be a nice accompaniment to the drama series.

Glad you enjoyed The Wasp Factory as I did. I've recently read two of Banks's Culture novels. He was obviously a very versatile and talented writer.

>13 StevenTX: I agree - The Wasp Factory was crazy and very imaginative. Not my normal kind of read, but that's no bad thing!

It is so annoying when you have to talk to somebody when you have planned to do some reading.

>15 baswood: I know! It's terribly unsociable, but when it's a good book....

>15 baswood: >16 AlisonY: I so agree. I'm plotting how I can sit and read while I wait for a train today instead of having to socialize . . .

>9 chlorine: Yay!

>15 baswood:, >16 AlisonY: I really want to get this mug for visits to my mum's house, as she expects me to be sociable first thing in the morning when all I want is my first cup of coffee and to read a bit.

>17 rebeccanyc: good luck - the fact that I had my book open and my bag on the seat beside me didn't seem to deter my village neighbour.

>18 ELiz_M: love it. Think we all need one of those!

>18 ELiz_M: ELiz_M: I definitely need one of those mugs!

>19 AlisonY: I pleaded social overload after the party and (surprisingly) got away with it. Then the train had signal problems and I had to resort to the NYT Sunday crossword puzzle to calm me down.

>21 rebeccanyc: lol! I think I'll have to try and be more forceful with my village 'bus mate' - my subtle hints are not working at all, and my return commute is now a reading write-off.

54. Review - Vanessa and her Sister by Priya Parmar

For me personally, this year has been an awakening to the brilliance of Virginia Woolf's writing. Her work is so raw, emotive and delicate it's impossible not to develop an interest in the complex and sadly fragile mind of Woolf as a character, and the Bohemian world of the Bloomsbury set that she evolved in.

As I haven't read any of the biographies on Woolf or her published diary extracts, and knew only sketchy details about the other members of the Bloomsbury group, I found this book hugely enjoyable. This book is narrated through the eyes of Vanessa Bell via fictional diary extracts, and I think this alternative viewpoint of Virginia and the Bloomsbury Group worked very well. Vanessa was highly talented and a Arts shape-changer in her own right, and whilst I started the book looking forward to learning more about Virginia, Vanessa's own story became equally fascinating.

As Dorothy Parker once observed, the Bloomsbury set "...lived in squares, painted in circles, and loved in triangles". She wasn't wrong - there were love triangles on top of love triangles on top of more love triangles. Spouses falling for in-laws, straight men taking up gay lovers, gay men taking up with married women, married women taking up with Sapphists. And most astonishing of all was the relatively small circle in which these relationships began and waned. Despite the complex inter-relations, the group stayed surprisingly intact; they stood by the Bohemian lifestyle they had paved the way with, and accepted that as part of their open values on relationships, friendships must survive even when hearts were trod on by those most close to them.

The fictional account of Vanessa's relationship with Virginia was fascinating. As they grow older and Vanessa marries, Parmar portrays Woolf as being tiresomely draining - an immature character who constantly needed to be the centre of her sister's world, who was jealous and tried to take for herself anything that took her sister away from her, and who forced others to treat her as a child, never taking accountability for the smallest everyday adult responsibilities.

Of course this book is a work of fiction, and we do not know just how near to the truth these observations are, but there is enough documentary evidence remaining from the Bloomsbury group to suggest that Parmar's interpretation is not too far from reality.

The insight to the rest of the group, and to the influential circles that they moved in was engrossing. Within the group itself there were hugely important intellectuals, writers and artists, such as EM Forster, John Maynard Keynes and Lytton Strachey, but their contacts and friendships reached as far as the outer edges of the royal family, to artists such as Cezanne, and to writers such as Gertrude Stein.

Perhaps if you have read non-fictional accounts of Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell or the Bloomsbury group this book may stray too far from the truth to be palatable, but for me this was a a thoroughly enjoyable interpretation of a fascinating group of people. Their lives were so extraordinary the truth was often stranger than fiction, so I expect Parmar didn't have to drift too far from reality to make this captivating work of fiction.

Quite coincidentally I was watching a separate BBC dramatisation of the Bloomsbury group at the same time of reading this book, and the two steer a very similar path in terms of interpretation of the characters and the facts about their lives.

4.5 stars - refreshing and captivating. Parmar did a fantastic job in capturing the language and outlook of Vanessa Bell and the group, to the extent that you have to remind yourself every so often that you are reading a work of fiction.

>23 AlisonY: Vanessa and her Sister sounds like a good one. I'm tempted to add it to my list.

>23 AlisonY: glad you took the plunge and read this. Sounds like fun and like it might be a good warm up for more serious Woolf biographical reading.

I don't like reading fiction about real people, but you make this one very tempting.

>24 NanaCC: I think you might enjoy it Colleen. This is a 'soaking up the atmosphere' kind of book - those who are mad for plot may lose interest from time to time, but I felt like I was looking through a keyhole into the Bloomsbury group world and was fascinated from start to finish.

>25 japaul22: thanks Jennifer. I think I might enjoy one of the Woolf biographies - I find her character, mind and world totally fascinating.

>26 FlorenceArt: I totally understand where you're coming from, Florence, and I think that's part of the reason why VivienneR didn't overly enjoy it when she read it. I had planned to avoid it for that very reason, but having ended up giving it a go I feel the author mostly sticked to the facts, and simply used the fiction to enable the reader to imagine really well what it felt like to be part of that world.

Excellent review of Vanessa and her Sister

>28 baswood: thank you - I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

55. Review - Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

I didn't deliberately plan that 2 out of my last 3 books read would be Mitch Albom books. The first one fell into my hands at the library - this second one cried out to me from the shelf of a pop-up charity shop I wandered into during my lunch hour at work. I felt like maybe it was a bit of divine providence, that this book was going to be something inspiring, dare I say it potentially life changing.

This book is Albom's true account of how, after many decades of drifting away from church and God, he is asked by his old Rabbi to give his eulogy when he dies. Feeling that he cannot say anything other than yes (but being decidedly uncomfortable with the request), he asks to spend some time with the Rabbi so that he can get to know a little more about his life in preparation for writing the eulogy one day. This evolves into 8 years of friendship and great learning from an amazing person, and results in a regeneration of Albom's faith in people and religion.

In parallel, Albom also meets an ex-prisoner ex-drug addict ex-dealer, who one day hit the bottom of the barrel of life and decided to give his life to God. Despite making six figure sums with his drug dealing, he turned his back on his life of crime and embraced a life of poverty serving God instead, dedicating himself to a crumbling church made up of a small congregation of homeless people, addicts, and those who had generally run out of second chances.

As with For One More Day, this was a book written in Albom's trademark easy-to-read style that pulls you in from the off. No matter how tired or jaded you're feeling, these are thought-provoking books that can be zipped through without taxing your grey matter too much.

HOWEVER.... somehow I expected more from this book. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I really thought Albom's journey might help plug some of the gaps in my own faith. It didn't. I know what he was trying hard to achieve, but somehow - despite the heart-warming stories of human goodness and absolute devotion to God - there was something missing. He didn't manage to provide any new insights into faith - he just recounted a couple of nice stories about two beautiful people.

3.5 stars - an enjoyable read, but.... not "enough".

56. Review - The Death of Bunny Munro by Nick Cave

This, the second book that the singer Nick Cave has written, is a black comedic tragic tale about Bunny Munro and the increasing velocity of his downward spiral after his wife's suicide.

Bunny is an unlikeable character - incapable of dealing with love, he's a modern day sex addict with an insatiable libido who uses his job as a beauty product door-to-door salesman as a fast-track route to his next shag. After his wife's death (no spoiler - we learn of that on the book jacket), he takes his son Bunny Junior on the road with him, and we observe the slow car crash of Bunny's life, as he struggles to deal with his own emotions and those of his grieving child. Having always considered himself invincible with the ladies, as his aimlessness and erratic behaviour increases he becomes stripped back to face the weak, pathetic and insignificant character he really is until there's nothing left to hide behind.

For the first few chapters I wasn't sure I would enjoy this book - it was very laddish, and I wasn't sure there was going to be much depth to it. But surprisingly, once I was a quarter of the way in I couldn't put it down. Cave does a great job of slowly destroying Bunny and exposing him as a man of immense weakness and zero achievement, portraying him in a comedic yet poignantly sad light.

I felt that Cave was heavily influenced by Updike's Rabbit novels, even to the point of similarity between the characters' names. Cave doesn't get anywhere near Updike's touching characterisation - I didn't like Bunny at all whereas I grew to love and pity Rabbit in equal measure - yet this a decent enough book. There were some writing tools employed (such as a maroon colour symbolism) which were perhaps a little too obvious, but all in all this was a good read. Whilst it was hard to sympathise with Bunny due to his immense self-centredness, as a reader I felt immense sympathy and sorrow for his neglected young son.

3.5 stars - I dropped half a star as it's hard to fall in love with a book where you don't feel anything for the character, but a job well done in this singer to novelist transition.

57. Review - The Murder of Halland by Pia Juul

Like all good Scandi design, this Danish crime novella's strength is in its simple yet unconventional lines.

Bess is a writer, and we very quickly find out that her long-term partner Halland has been shot dead in the square outside their home. What transpires is less about the 'whodunnit' and more about Bess' unconventional reaction to his death. She's a difficult character to get the measure of, and her unpredictability plus the mystery of Halland's death nicely builds the dramatic tension in this crisp, spare piece of work.

This was the first Peirene published work I've read, and I found the ethos of the publishing house interesting: "Contemporary European Literature. Thought provoking, well designed, short." Described by the TLS as "Two-hour books to be devoured in a single sitting: literary cinema for those fatigued by film", this hits the nail on the head perfectly.

4 stars - an intriguing, literary crime noir.

Enjoying your reviews, Alison..

Thanks Colleen.

Interesting to read your review of The Death of Bunny Munro by Nick cave (whose music mostly I love). Comparing it to Updike's Rabbit novels hit a chord with me especially when you say how as a reader we you can easily feel sympathy and understanding for an essentially weak character.

"Two hour books to be devoured in a single sitting" - Hmm it would probably take me 4 hours and three cups of tea.

>35 baswood: It took me about 4 hours and one glass of red wine...

I think the main difference between Rabbit and Bunny is that Rabbit was too weak to stop himself from drifting into unplanned affairs, whereas Bunny is a total predator who proactively goes out looking for sex, getting a sexual stirring from looking at practically every female he passes, whether they be young or old, good looking or otherwise. In that sense it was much harder to feel any sense of sympathy towards the mess he makes of his life.

Nice cover on The Murder of Halland. I remember hearing about Peirene Press on LT a couple years back and I think there were some books that looked interesting. Will have to go refresh my memory. Did you have any of their other books in mind for future reads?

>37 DieFledermaus: To be quite honest all of the Peirene books detailed inside The Murder of Halland sound really appealing to me, and they all have very good reviews.

Will throw the titles out here so you have them: Beside the Sea, Stone in a Landslide, Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman, Next World Novella, Tomorrow Pamplona, Maybe This Time, The Brothers, and Sea of Ink.

I'll definitely read some more from this publishing house if my library has them. All of the authors are award-winning and bestsellers in their own country, but perhaps not so well known here.

>37 DieFledermaus: > 38 Peirene Press does sound interesting.

>38 AlisonY: - Thanks for the list, Alison. I think Beside the Sea is the one I was thinking of reading back where I first heard of them. But some of the others look interesting as well, and I don't think I was familiar with any of the names. The library had several of the ones you listed as well as -

The Dead Lake - Hamid Ismailov
White Hunger - Aki Ollikainen
Reader for Hire - Raymond Jean
The Mussel Feast - Birgit Vanderbeke
Mr. Darwin's Gardener - Kristina Carlson
The Blue Room - Hanne Orstavik
Chasing the King of Hearts - Hanna Krall
Under the Tripoli Sky - Kamal Ben Hameda

I'll have to look out for the Peirene Press imprint. The Murder of Halland sounds like a book I'd enjoy. I read The Mussel Feast last year and thought it was brilliant (I did read it in German and so can't comment on the translation, except to be very pleased it was translated and that the translation was nominated for a translating prize).

>40 DieFledermaus: >41 RidgewayGirl: I had a wee look at the Peirene Press web site too - http://www.peirenepress.com/

Really interesting how they categorise their titles. They all sound very intriguing!

58. Review - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

It occurred to me as I was reading this book that it's probably the literary equivalent of Zinfandel, but you know what - on a warm summer's evening sometimes a chilled glass of Zinfandel hits the spot.

And so it was for me with The Girl on the Train. Was it the most eloquent writing I've ever read? No. Did I get travel sickness on the bus because I didn't want to stop reading it? Yes.

I guess this book would fall under the genre of chick lit noir. It's definitely aimed at women readers (failed relationships, exes, affairs), but it's also a gripping psychological thriller, which I thought was pretty well executed. There was nice pace, a good dollop of confusion about 'whodunnit', and it felt just about the right length.

4 stars - I really enjoyed this. A perfect summer easy read.

(And thank you to my lovely friend who bought this for me for my birthday a few weeks ago and who sometimes quietly visits this thread. There's nothing nicer than getting a couple of surprise shiny new books plopping through the letterbox).

I find that if I go into books like Girl on the Train knowing what to expect I very much enjoy them. I haven't read this one yet, but I'll keep it in mind for when I'm in the mood for that sort of genre.

I agree. Sometimes you just need to immerse yourself in something very readable - this was a good read.

>43 AlisonY: I've been going back and forth about this one. I see it has been popular, and I'm not opposed to breezy reads, but I always kinda wonder. I will probably put it on hold at the library after all.

I think that The Girl on the Train is very good at what it is, which is an escapist, suspenseful read. I enjoyed it -- although the ending was a little iffy, it was well written.

>47 RidgewayGirl: & >43 AlisonY: I think your descriptions are spot on. I enjoyed this one too, keeping it in the escapist mode. I call it a "Calgon, take me away" kind of book. (Really dating myself there).

I haven't been around for a month and still trying to catch up with everybody's threads. And I love that there are so many continuations like yours that open with full reading lists.

Your excellent review of The Wasp Factory has put it on my wishlist.

So glad you enjoyed Vanessa and her sister more than I did. I may try it again as it could have been just the wrong time for me.

>50 AlisonY: good to see you back, Vivienne.

Sad to read today about Oliver Sacks dying. I read some of his essays for the New York Times this year in which he discussed facing his own mortality, and they were incredibly touching.

59. Review - Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

I was so looking forward to reading this book. I loved To the Lighthouse and Between the Acts when I read them earlier this year, I devoured The Hours by Michael Cunningham which was based on Mrs Dalloway, and I also really enjoyed the film version. So it pains me to say that I really didn't enjoy Mrs Dalloway at all.

Like many of Woolf's books, the novel takes place in a very short period of time. Clarissa Dalloway is throwing a party, and the story takes us from her preparations in the morning up to the party itself in the evening. Throughout the day she is the linchpin of all the other characters, linking us with her own family, her old paramour, a young couple whose marriage is struggling due to the husband's depression after the War, and various other insincere society figures.

In the other two Woolf books I've read I really connected with the characters, stepping into their soul through the stream of consciousness narrative. They struck a chord with me, and I took them to my heart. I tried but failed to feel the same about any of the characters in Mrs Dalloway. The narrative swapped and changed regularly between characters, and I struggled to feel anything more than ambivalence about them all.

I enjoyed the alternating stream of thought between Clarissa and her old love Peter Walsh when they met for the first time in years. It was a clever portrayal of an interesting scenario: ex-lovers meet for the first time in years, both wondering what the other thinks of how they now look, both trying to put on a cool exterior whilst below the surface their emotions are all over the place, both wanting to say things they feel they can't. I wanted Woolf to tease the reader with much more of this, yet it was a fleeting moment that ultimately went no further, merely dangling a "what if" in front of the reader.

There were definitely some interesting trains of thought here and there, but without an emotional connection to the characters (good or bad) the narrative fell very flat for me, and it became something of a chore to read.

2.5 stars - flashes of genius, but a short book that felt very, very long.

>52 AlisonY: Mrs Dalloway has been lingering on my shelf for several years, and I just never have the energy to pull it off.

I like the new picture at the top of your thread.

I felt much the same as you the first time I read Mrs Dalloway. Not a lot happens, after all. At least on the surface. Then I had to read it for university and read and study it and I got a lot more out of it. Plus it's one of the key pieces in Woolf's oeuvre, and since I love her, I guess Mrs D has sort of grown on me. I did really enjoy tracing her walk when I was in London a couple of years ago and saying "I think I'll buy the flowers myself" and "What a lark!" I guess you could say that I appreciate it more than anything. But in the end, it's not my favourite Woolf.

>53 NanaCC: thanks Colleen. The pic on my thread are individual prints available on Etsy. Hmmmm - which to buy.....

>54 Nickelini: I can totally imagine that there's a lot in Mrs Dalloway if you study it, Joyce. I don't mind a lslow moving book, but this just didn't do it for me. Isn't it awful to think I enjoyed The Hours so much more than the classic book it was based on (and worse that I've just admitted to that out loud, lol!).

>55 AlisonY: Isn't it awful to think I enjoyed The Hours so much more than the classic book it was based on (and worse that I've just admitted to that out loud, lol!).

I don't think that's awful at all. I also don't think it's awful to prefer a film version over a book. Different pieces offer different bits of wonderfulness. I think you could embrace your preference for The Hours. Maybe say something like "look what fabulous things he did with the base material." Now that you mention it, I think if I had to choose, I'd go with The Hours too.

Well bummer. I haven't read any Woolf yet, but I absolutely plan to. I thought the shortish Mrs Dalloway would be a good one to randomly pick up some time. Guess it will actually be a bit of work. Good to know.

>52 AlisonY: The first Woolf I read was Mrs. Dalloway, and it remains the only Woolf I've actually enjoyed. I'm not sure why I didn't have a problem with it, because I have found other writing of hers completely impenetrable and I find myself just reading words to get to the end of the page. But after those other experiences, I'm inclined to just call it lucky and not examine too much why I liked it. :)

>52 AlisonY:: I find it interesting that you liked To the Lighthouse and not Mrs Dalloway. Mrs Dalloway is the only Woolf I've read and I did not enjoy it. I had the impression that To the Lighthouse was slower, more intricate, and I resisted reading it because I was sure I would like it less than Mrs Dalloway. Now perhaps I will give it a chance (some persons in my book club want to read it, so if they bring it up again I'll stop opposing it).

I have one more thing to add to the Woolf conversation. First, one of my profs used to say, "you don't understand Woolf until you REread Woolf," which doesn't help much the first time around. I think it's true. In the meantime, I suggest one of two approaches: Either just let the art wash over you and get out what you get out (what I did with The Waves--a most baffling novel), or find a good resource. I'm partial to Shmoop.com, which I find both enlightening and entertaining.

http://www.shmoop.com/mrs-dalloway/

Interested in this Woolf discussion as well! I read Mrs. Dalloway first, just a couple of years ago and almost immediately knew I wanted to read all of Woolf's novels (and, yep, Joyce, I think I want to reread them all as well, and maybe read that enormous Hermione Lee biography, yikes!). That's not to say I loved Mrs. Dalloway, but I was so intrigued by Woolf's writing, her ideas, how she describes setting, and her exploration of the minutia of daily life. I've only read Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and The Waves but I've enjoyed and/or loved them all. I do think that generally Mrs. Dalloway is the most accessible of the three I've read so I'm also intrigued that you loved To the Lighthouse and not Mrs. Dalloway. Also, I was totally bored by The Hours but know tons of people who loved it.

To each her own, right? Glad that you've read some other Woolf that you enjoyed so you hopefully won't be put off her forever! I'm still hoping my library buys that Vanessa and her sister book you read. It sounds like fun.

I love the pictures at the top of your thread, especially the Vonnegut.

>58 ursula:, >59 chlorine:, >60 Nickelini:, >61 japaul22: I can't stop thinking about why Mrs Dalloway didn't grab me when I loved the other Woolf books I've read, but reading through all the comments and previous Woolf threads I think different people get different things out of each of Woolf's books.

Joyce - you make a very valid point about the reading notes. I read the other 2 books referencing Sparknotes the whole way through, and I think it was very important as it explained a lot of phrasing to me.

By contrast, I read Mrs Dalloway pretty much solely on my bus commute in a very tiring week - I'm working two jobs, my kids are back at school so homework is back on again, and I had a head cold. I'm beginning to think I just wasn't in the right head place or circumstances to enjoy a Woolf novel. The lack of chapters and rarity of new paragraphs made it a difficult book to snip away at in short bursts. I need lots of time and calm surroundings to get the most out of her writing - oddly enough, if I'm at home I actually enjoy reading bits of her books out loud to myself as I enjoy the language more.

Maybe I need to come back to it another time. But, having said all that, I still don't think it will ever be my favourite Woolf book.

>57 dchaikin: Dan, I would definitely recommend you read Woolf, but where to start I have no idea. We all seem to have very different likes and dislikes where her novels are concerned. Helpful, huh?!

>63 AlisonY: "Helpful, huh?! - : )

>60 Nickelini: Joyce, I didn't know about shmoop.com. Glad you mentioned it.

60. Review - How to Listen So Your Kids Will Talk and Talk So Your Kids Will Listen by Adele Faber

This isn't the first re-read of this book for me, but of all the parenting books I've read over the years it's my favourite. The schmaltz is limited, and a lot of it is good common sense that's useful to be reminded of every now and again.

I was conscious that I've not been properly listening to my 8 year old recently, and that I can be quick to respond to things he says with a 'told-you-so' response, or to try and suggest for him how he fixes a problem. He's definitely reaching a new stage of independence, so this book has reminded me to allow him to be more autonomous, and to do his own problem solving.

So, this bit of calibration has already had two successes today. Firstly, I told my son I was going to try really hard to acknowledge his feelings more about things rather than immediately telling him what to do. His immediate response was "Mum - that's what I've been really wanting you to do". OK - point taken.

Secondly, I decided to use his desire for increased autonomy to both our benefits. He normally takes a year to pick his way through his dinner, but tonight I said - "I'm going to allow you to be independent and grown up about how you eat your dinner this evening". And what do you know, he did much better than usual (still at his speed rather than mine, but there was no battle).

4 stars - a useful tool for the most important job you ever get without a handbook.

My son is 8...maybe I should re-read too. Although it's actually my daughter who doesn't talk to me. She hides in room. (She's ten, almost 11) My son doesn't actually doesn't stop talking. Today on the way to baseball practice, after almost taking a wrong turn, i had to ask him not to talk until I had chance to figure out what I was doing. We was quiet for a good 20 seconds or so.

Anyway, great book. I do actually remember the acknowledge their feelings part. I still use that.

>67 dchaikin: ha - that's funny. In our house it's my almost 6 year old daughter who talks the hind leg off a donkey. She's very laid back and just throws herself into everything. My son is sensitive yet very wilful, so with him I have to think a bit more about what I say and how I say it.

Looks like a very interesting book.

>66 AlisonY: Great review, Alison - but a few decades late for me! Luckily he turned out just fine.

>66 AlisonY: I'm a big fan of that book too. I think the advice is excellent. I know when I remembered to use it with my kids it always went better than when I just went with my own natural instincts. Haven't thought of it in years, as my eldest is in second year university and the other is 15 (and generally an amiable child). They do press my buttons at times though (and I certainly press theirs). Maybe I should pull it out for a reread after all.

>66 AlisonY: Looks like I need to try this one. I've found that it's rare to find parenting books that multiple people agree are good, so I bet this is a winner.

>32 AlisonY: I'll have to check out The Murder of Halland - Scandinavian + mystery is usually a good thing.

>69 chlorine:, >72 japaul22: Like all "help" books there are bits you gloss over and take with a pinch of salt, but overall I think it's worth a read. I'm sure we can all manage fine without a parenting manual, but useful bits from this book have stuck with me over the years. My two are pretty well behaved, so I can't complain.

>70 VivienneR: Sure your kids have a Norin' Iron' Mammy, Vivienne - how could they turn out anything but great? ;)

>71 Nickelini: If you have an amiable 15 year old I think you have it pretty well sussed!

>73 twogerbils: I really enjoyed The Murder of Halland. Very Scandi, and most absorbing.

>74 AlisonY: I was considering reading it for my godson's sake, but I figured it was not an emergency since he's only 6. Then I mentioned the book to his father and he told me he was quite interested, as he regrets the little one does not tell him much about his days at school. So I guess I'll get to it rather sooner than later!

>74 AlisonY: I think that's fairly common, especially with boys. At open night I walk into the classroom and see all this project work I've not heard a solitary word about!

>52 AlisonY: "A short book that felt very, very long." I couldn't agree more.

>77 OscarWilde87: nice to know I wasn't entirely on my own with that one!

61. Review - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

I'm dumbfounded that this book was written by a 23 year old. It seems incomprehensible that someone so young could lay bare the truth of life for what it really is for so many people, peeling back the layers of the human soul like an onion until all that is found at it's centre is labour and love.

It is this sense of truth that makes this novel so compelling. McCullers takes human emotions to another dimension, slowly chipping away at the facades of her characters until finally the ice breaks and we're staring into the dark depths of their very souls.

The novel is written around five key characters, each fighting their own personal and social battles but bound by the common cords of loneliness, a search for truth, and ultimately shattered dreams.

There is Blount, the drunk stranger in town who's consistently angry and frustrated that he cannot get the truth of the evils of capitalism understood by enough people to make a difference. Dr. Copeland, the black doctor, is driven so fervently by his perpetual anger at the injustice of the treatment of coloured people by whites that he cannot get past his own children's passive acceptance of their degraded position in society. Mick, a young teenage girl from an impoverished family has an energised hunger for a life on a higher plain dominated by music, but cannot escape the realities of being cornered by the reality of her family's economic position. Biff, the enigmatic restaurant owner, quietly observes and tries to unravel the puzzle of the others, whilst his own personal life is complicated, unsatiated and compartmentalised. Finally, there is Mr. Singer, the deaf mute who underpins the other four. Patient and non-judgemental, the other characters and town at large are drawn to his quiet understanding and thoughtfulness, concluding that because he cannot answer them he must be of one mind with them. It is sadly ironic that despite becoming the most loved and trusted of all the characters, he is the most profoundly lonely, with others seeking continually self-solace from him without ever once considering if they bring anything to him.

It is impossible not to be touched by this book. Despite being a little slow in places, it silently creeps over you, and by the end you feel as if someone has removed the blinkers and you're squinting at the world in a whole new light.

Having said that, it's not necessarily going to be a personal favourite, but it's sheer literary brilliance is of much more importance than my personal preferences.

4.5 stars for an unrivalled truthful examination of human nature.

Nice review Alison. I've wanted to read this for ages, reading your review I kept asking myself why I haven't yet. Wondering what Blount would say on Steven's thread.

I was thinking the same thing, Dan.

Yes, The Heart of a Lonely Hunter in no way reads like what it is - the debut novel of a very young writer. I was deeply impressed with her understanding.

>80 dchaikin: >81 AlisonY: Ditto.

>79 AlisonY: The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is a book I've been meaning to read for years. Clearly I should not have waited for so long!

>82 RidgewayGirl: exactly. First novel, very young and she totally nailed it.

>83 rebeccanyc: I think Blount would have gone ape on Steven's thread!

>84 FlorenceArt: me too - there are too many good books and authors out there.

Great review of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. I think you described my reaction to it (and some other works) when you said you could appreciate its brilliance without it's being a personal favorite.

>86 StevenTX: thanks Steven.

Terrific review of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I have it on my shelf, and wonder why I haven't read it. I will have to do something about that. And, I agree with your comment that you can appreciate a book without loving it.

>88 NanaCC: thanks Colleen. For some reason having books on my shelf almost puts me off reading them if they sit there for too long - I start to imagine reasons why I won't like them.

Ugh, work so gets in the way of reading. Making very slow progress these days. But I have a plan. I'm SURE my lottery numbers will come up this Saturday.

Good luck, Alison! I increased your chances because I just knew my name would not be up in lights!

>89 AlisonY: I can never decide what to read first: the books I know are good, or the rest. If I read the "good" ones, I'll be left with dross on the shelves. If I start with the dross, sure, I might have a winner, but my reading will be uninspiring for a long time.

>91 VivienneR: ditto! I'll be glad when I can resurface from my current work pressures and start enjoying those sorts of dilemmas again.

Excellent review Alison

>93 baswood: thank you! Not managing to read much at all recently - most frustrating.

62. Review - Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose

This is a book where as soon as I got to the end I wanted to go straight back to the beginning again. It's no use borrowing it from the library and giving it back (says she who's done just that); this is a book that you need to own, to read and re-read over and over and over again, and to cover with pencil notes in the margin and copious underlining.

This book is so good IT NEEDS CAPITAL SHOUTY LETTERS. It's a phenomenal read, whether you're a wannabe writer or simply an avid reader who's interested in learning more about what makes a great book great. Examining all aspects of writing from words to narration to dialogue and gestures, Prose ultimately concludes that there are no fixed rules to great writing, but very different, well-executed strategies and observances which we can learn best through quality reading.

For example, we learn how Heinrich von Kleist used little or no physical descriptions of his characters in his writing, yet they leap vividly in our imagination. He defines his characters by their actions, whereas Jane Austen by contrast defines hers through their thinking. Two very different writing strategies, both extremely effective.

I warn you that this book, should you choose to read it, will do your wish list no good at all. Many, many pieces of narrative from a wide variety of amazing authors are used to exemplify the various writing points being made, and they were all amazing. I was disappointed that I didn't get to read on to the next part of the story with all of them, and it was a fantastic introduction to many authors I hadn't heard of before, as well as other greats which I just haven't got to yet.

If you write fiction, this book needs to be within grabbing distance for your next bout of writer's block.

5 stars - meticulously researched and well explained, you'll read in a whole new way after reading this book.

>95 AlisonY: Great review, Allison. That one might hop onto the wishlist.

I loved Reading Like a Writer too -- and she got me to read Chekhov!!!!

>97 rebeccanyc: She has me busting a gut to read Chekhov and a host of others. Just brilliant.

>96 NanaCC: Colleen - she's the most fantastic teacher. I learned so much about literature from this book.

>95 AlisonY: That one seems like worth taking a closer look

>95 AlisonY: Ooh that sounds like a really good read for anyone who loves to read and think about what they're reading & why, definitely going on my list!

>99 baswood:, >100 .Monkey.: hope you manage to get to it some day.

My kids' school thought it would be a great idea to give one day's notice that they needed to dress up as a European country for European Language Day. Great when you're a working mother!

With a pair of old gloves, my gym T-shirt, husband's old beret and a cousin's farm boiler suit we managed to pull together this at 8 o'clock this morning. Hope you can guess the countries, lol!

That is an excellent job given the time constraints!

And I love Reading Like a Writer. It caused me to read several books, become a Chekhov devotee and it altered the way I read. I should reread it. And get to Desperate Characters.

And this is a nudge to take Prose's Lovers at the Chameleon Club off the TBR shelf.

And, Kay, I loved Desperate Characters too.

>102 AlisonY: - I think you did a spectacular job. I just love it when the school treats parents as if we are just hovering offstage, waiting for our next instruction. The primary grades were the worst for that.

>95 AlisonY: I had similar thought to you on Reading Like a Writer. I took copious notes and promised myself I'd check it out of the library again sometime soon. I think I read it the year it came out, so it's definitely time for a reread! Maybe I should just buy a copy.

>103 RidgewayGirl:, >104 rebeccanyc: you are definitely persuading me to move Chekhov up the wish list. Any recommendations on which collection of stories to start with?

>105 Nickelini: I think this is definitely a book that once read has to be owned and dipped in and out of for many years to come.

>102 AlisonY: Nicely done! A one day's notice isn't really fair for working or non-working parents.

>102 AlisonY: Well done! I would never be that creative first thing in the morning!

And thanks, I've added Reading like a writer to my wishlist. Just what I needed.

>106 AlisonY: I enjoyed the collection Stories, which is organized in chronological order, and also The Complete Short Novels.

You did a great job and they look cute! Sorry, I must be stupid but I can't guess what country the girl is. The boy is Italy, right?

>110 FlorenceArt: OK, so it feels more than a little embarrassing answering this to you of all people, but she's supposed to be channelling her inner Marcel Marceau - France! Slightly better than a breton stripe shirt and bunch of onions stereotype - non?!!

>107 NanaCC:, 108 - thanks. About 50 flamenco dancers piled out at going home time, so I thought we didn't do too badly.

>109 rebeccanyc: - will check these out and get a Chekhov on my wish list.

I definitely got France! Very cute, excellent job for being so last minute!

>111 AlisonY: Oops! It figures that I couldn't recognize France though. LOL about the Flamenco dancers!

I'm sorry you had to scrounge around for costumes over a morning, but great picture. Cute kids.

Reading Like A Writer, I probably should just go and read that too. Very inspiring review.

>114 dchaikin: thanks Dan. You're a close reader anyway - I think you'd enjoy Reading Like a Writer.

Ha! That reminds me of a scene in Edisto, where the boy sneaks his mother's copy of The Screwtape Letters to read and is very disappointed.

cute. My cats need a book on dog training.

>116 AlisonY: Hilarious! Mockingbirds used to taunt my cat for hours, and I'm sure she would have appreciated such a book.

63. Review - Licks of Love by John Updike

This is a collection of short stories by John Updike published in the year 2000, along with a novella concluding the Rabbit series of novels ('Rabbit Remembered').

I'm not normally a short story lover, but this was an excellent read and I remain in awe at the brilliance of Updike's writing. Every story could have extended into a novel in it's own right - he can hook me in a page, whereas other writers might take 50 pages before I'm committed to the read.

I'm not sure that the Rabbit series needed this final novella as I think the final Rabbit novel finished off Rabbit's story, but having loved them all it was nice to be back in the world of the Angstroms for a short while. Rabbit is now deceased, so without him the story falls somewhat flat, but it was an enjoyable enough read.

4.5 stars overall for an amazing collection of stories.

Your great photo of the Northern Lights sent me off looking for information on them, as I have only ever seen them in winter. Apparently September and October are also great months for them as well as February and March when it is definitely winter in this part of the world, and when they are normally seen here.

>121 SassyLassy: I was pretty gutted to miss them last week. I seem to eternally hear it was a great set of conditions for viewing the Northern Lights after the fact! One day...

We lived in northern Alberta for about 20 years, a great place to view Northern Lights at any time of the year.

Gorgeous picture at the top of your thread!

Forgot to say, the photo is spectacular. Never imagined Dunluce Castle and the Northern Lights together.

>124 NanaCC:, >125 VivienneR: - yes, something very peaceful about it. Never can tell just how much photos are enhanced these days, but it's nice all the same.

64. Review - The Road by Cormac McCarthy

I don't generally read (or enjoy) science fiction / horror / post-apocalyptic fiction (call it what you will), and whilst McCarthy has always intrigued me I never thought I'd enjoy his writing. So I was wrong on all counts...

This is an incredibly tender, heartbreaking book, and whilst it's set in a post-apocalypse world for me that was almost secondary. This is a novel about the fierce bonds of love; a loving father ploughing onwards on a journey to nowhere solely for the sake of his son. A young boy full of terror and fear desperately digging deep for the courage that his father deserves to find in him.

Cormac McCarthy conveys so brilliantly the utter hopelessness of their situation. The world is destroyed, the few people remaining have largely turned violently dangerous, and there is no escape from the desolation, cold, hunger and fear. There is no reason to go on, yet they are driven onwards by a father's unrelenting love.

I found McCarthy's writing to be much more accessible than expected - almost spare. I get the impression that this is not necessarily the case for all his books, but I loved this, and I'll certainly take a risk on another McCarthy book in the future.

4.5 stars - I'm going to be walking down 'the road' in my mind for quite some time to come.

The Road made a deep impression on me, and reading your review has revived that. Thank you :-)

The only other book by him I've read is Blood Meridian, and boy is the writing different. I intend to read other books by him, but I'm not sure anything can top The Road.

Well, I read The Road years ago and I didn't like it. Partly it was because of the way they got rid of the mother (although I recognize it's a father-son tale) and partly I don't remember why. But I enjoyed your review.

>128 FlorenceArt: I get the impression from Dan's reviews that his other books are lot more difficult to work through. Did you enjoy Blood Meridian?

>129 rebeccanyc: thanks Rebecca. I had no issue with the way the mother went as I felt it was part of the story and deepened the father / son bond. For the first third of the novel I thought "this is OK but there's nothing dazzling here", but by the end I was totally gripped and right there on the journey with the 2 characters.

>127 AlisonY: The Road is in astonishing book. As an adult with all the distractions of life, it is not as easy to fall headlong into a book with the intense concentration of youth, but this book is an exception. The second time I read it, I had intended to skim through it to refresh my memory before bookclub and four hours later I looked up, once again devastated by it. I was so immersed I didn't even hear my roommates leave the apartment.

>131 ELiz_M: lol - sounds like me last night trying to stir a pot on the hob with one hand whilst holding the book in the other!

I've been neglecting my TBR pile at home recently, so I've decided to slow down on my library book ordering (or at least try to). I'd like to try and get to these guys after Go Set a Watchman, but I'm not sure Anna Karenina will work with short reading bursts on the bus. And I doubt very much I'll be able to resist browsing the library shelves when I take my kids...

, , , ,

What a terrific start on your TBR. I've read four of them, some more than once, and the fifth (the Wharton) is also on my TBR.

My Advice is to forget about Go Set a Watchman and go straight to those other books shown in >133 AlisonY:

Loved your review of The Road. It's funny, it really struck me when I read it, but I think I'm a different reader now, so I don't know that I would react the same.

Blood Meridian is not tender. It's about as far from tender as a book can get.

>131 ELiz_M: I've been debating with myself whether or not I should re-read The Road. This comment is very encouraging.

>136 dchaikin: thanks Dan. When I've 'looked inside' McCarthy's other books on Amazon a lot of them seem a lot denser in terms of prose. Are there any written in a similar vein to The Road?

I wouldn't let it scare you off - the language. That's a highlight. But The Border Trilogy isn't so dense. Especially All the Pretty Horses. The problem is the Spanish dialogue. There is a lot of it. But Suttree, Blood Meridian, Outer Dark and his first novel, which I'm forgetting, get very dense with lots of obscure words used in nonttraditional ways. That forgotten first novel does the best poetically. He really worked out the sounds with that book. It's quite beautiful, except that it's really slow.

Thanks Dan. Good to know.

Just catching up on my reviews after a few days away in the south of Ireland, which included a very interesting visit to Newgrange, the famous passage tomb which dates back to 3,200BC (predating the pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge).

The astrological knowledge of neolithic man at that time was staggering - the roof box above the entrance is perfectly aligned so that (weather permitting) a beam of light shines right through the passage to the centre of the tomb on the 6 days around the winter solstice, and there is perfect astrological alignment with 2 other tombs that have been uncovered in the area.

Incredibly interesting - our neolithic ancestors were certainly not the dumb Flintstone characters Hollywood makes them out to be.

Anyway, back to my last book.

65. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee



I decided to read this with no thought of TKAMB in mind at all, as it was clear from just about every review I'd read that there was never going to be any comparison. All I hoped for was an enjoyable read - nothing earth shattering, but something that would have me turning the pages.

Hmmm. If I divided this book into fifths, the first two-fifths were a total turnoff. I really disliked Scout / Jean Louise, which I think was the exact opposite of Lee's intention (or those who 'tidied up' the novel). I expect we were supposed to find her spunky, a free spirit, a grown up tomboy. Instead I found her annoying, rude and immature, and the writing was very two-dimensional. I couldn't have cared less about her relationship with Hank, and I got bored of past reminiscing which seemed to have little point.

The next two-fifths of the book, once the aspect of local / family racism was introduced, started to draw me in - the writing may still have been patchy, but there was a plot to get hooked into, and it started to get interesting.

Sadly, the last fifth of the book lost my attention again. Although it raised some interesting perspectives on the early days of the civil rights movement, it was all too drawn out, and I grew weary of Jean Louise as a character again. Her whole family and close friends seemed to be in awe of her independent character - I felt like she needed a kick up the you-know-what.

3 stars - an interesting middle section, but sadly lacking at either end.

I'm sorry that I didn't get to see Newgrange when I was in Ireland. If I ever get back, it will be on my list of things to see.

I'm not rushing to read Go Set a Watchman, and you haven't made me want to reconsider.

142 it's definitely worth a visit if you're in the area, Colleen. It's deceptively small inside and the inside tour only lasts about five minutes, so I wouldn't travel a long way especially to see it, but it's an interesting way to spend part of an afternoon nonetheless.

>140 AlisonY: The closest I have come to Newgrange was watching Neil Oliver's visit on tv. It is fascinating to know how well-informed they were back then. I found Navan Centre and Fort in Armagh, Northern Ireland interesting in the same way, although I believe it dates from about 2000 years ago.

No Flintstones until the 20th century!

Excellent review of Go set a watchman Alison. I suspected as much. But I also have doubts about the ethics of publishing when it seems obvious that Harper Lee didn't want it printed. That reason alone prevents me from buying a copy.

You've brought back some pleasant memories of a trip to Ireland that included Newgrange.

>143 VivienneR: I haven't been to Navan Fort yet Vivienne. Typically you always end up going to see things further away than those on your doorstep! Looks like somewhere interesting for the kids - will have to put it on the list.

>144 RidgewayGirl: you've probably seen more of the Rep. of Ireland than I have! I'd love to see more of the very south of Ireland - not made it down there yet.

>140 AlisonY:, wait, were you there during Samhain or just happened to post that day? Seems appropriate anyway. What a fascinating history there must be around it.

No - just happened to post on that day Dan. We went on the 30th. Really interesting place though - I'm still pondering over how they managed to get over 200,000 tonnes of stone up to the top of the hill Newgrange is built on.

66. Review - The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

This was a definite contender for book of the year for me. I'd seen the film a while back and enjoyed it (Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench... what's not to love), but the novel was even better than I'd hoped.

Quoyle (known by his surname) is one of life's good guys who's perpetually on the wrong side of lady luck. He missed the queue for good looks, is continually laid off from his job, and eventually winds up marrying the worst kind of woman who grinds her heel on his heart on a daily basis. When she's killed in a road accident (no spoiler - on the book jacket) he takes up his aunt's offer to take his two young daughters back to the family's homeland in Newfoundland for a new start.

This is an incredibly atmospheric book - life on Newfoundland feels so vivid, from the taste of the seafood to the grey winter days, the swelling seas and the camaraderie between the townsfolk who help turn Quoyle's life around. There is enough plot to keep you turning the pages, and yet it's gentle and unrushed, with writing that's made to be savoured.

This is a book that deserves a great review, but I'm totally knackered and incapable of stringing any eloquent sentences together. Just trust me - it's brilliant.

5 stars - a book that truly deserves a future re-read.

(On a related anecdote, I went to Newfoundland by accident for 3 days at the end of the 90's. I was in a plane travelling back to the UK from Mexico when the pilot woke us up in the middle of the night to announce we'd lost one of the two engines and would have to make an emergency landing in Gander, adding "I've tried this many times in simulation before, and with the grace of God we'll land OK tonight". Oh yeah - comforting stuff.

So, we dumped fuel for a long long time, did the whole 'brace' position for landing, had a little skid on the runway, and finally started breathing again when we finally came to a stop. Most of the plane passengers were dressed in shorts, so you can imagine the joy to step out into flurries of snow in our sandals in Gander. We weren't allowed our luggage for the first day, so 300-odd passengers descended on the local shopping centre to clear the shelves of jumpers. It still makes me laugh today when I think how those shopkeepers must have thought all their Christmases had come at once.

One think that sticks in my mind (apart from thinking my number was up, and the funny half-hour time time difference), was that the airport walls were covered in hundred of pictures of missing children. Can anyone shed any light on this? I assume these couldn't all have been Newfoundland children - would these have been children on some Canada missing list?)

>148 AlisonY:. I loved The Shipping News when I read it a few years ago. The atmosphere was wonderful.

Thats a great story of your accidental visit to Newfoundland. I also enjoyed The Shipping News and loved the atmosphere and the gentle pace of the story.

>148 AlisonY: Wonderful review of The Shipping News - and a wonderful story to accompany it. I think the shopkeepers have had incidences like that before and since. On 9/11 they were inundated with planes arriving unexpectedly when they were diverted to Canada.

Intriguing story of the missing children photos. I assume they were from a national or international list.

>150 baswood:, >151 VivienneR: glad you enjoyed The Shipping News too. I read quite a few negative reviews about it on LT which I was surprised at.

The Shipping News was one of those books that I appreciated but never actually connected with. I realized the writing was great and did love the setting, but in the end I just never connected with the characters. Possibly it was a case of the wrong book at the wrong time. I do still remember large chunks of the book years later which I think says something positive.

>153 japaul22: I do still remember large chunks of the book years later which I think says something positive.

That's interesting. I have given high ratings to books that, for the life of me, I can't remember a word. In that case I often go back and lower the rating. Then there are those marvellous books where sections are remembered word for word or I am still thinking about the characters for years. They get my highest ratings.

>153 japaul22: that's interesting that you didn't click with The Shipping News, especially as we often like similar books, Jennifer.

>154 VivienneR: unfortunately I seem to have a goldfish memory with most novels, but the odd book does stay with me.

Great story in your anecdote. I like the phrase "totally knackered", but I think that was a great review. I bought the book because I like the movie...but that was so long ago, I no longer remember the movie. Still haven't read the book.

>156 dchaikin: I remembered bits of the movie Dan and also enjoyed it. I couldn't quite get the image of Kevin Spacey out of my head as Quoyle, and really he's a bit too good looking to match the description of Quoyle in the book, but I think the movie did a pretty good job of catching the feel of the book.

You are brave to read The Wasp Factory. It is the one Banks I'm not even considering reading.

I could go on and on about why I love Mrs Dalloway, as a novel or work of art or whatever you want to call it, it might be her most accomplished work, but then I think it's not my job to convince anyone about what to read: there are so many factors that determine whether a book is the "right" one for any particular moment: age, circumstances, previous experiences with a writer, even expectations can feed into what happens the reader opens the page and begins. Some books always work, some never will work . . . In a way it's wonderful.

That book about listening and talking to your children sounds very very good. My daughter is 19 and we worked hard to "keep up" with her developmental changes, giving her the autonomy she was ready for as she was ready for it. It was worth it. We've never had any serious conflicts and she likes to talk to me, I'm pretty sure! Not too often now she's in college, but quite regularly.

So envious of your visit to Newgrange!

I adored The Shipping News. It's been awhile now since I've read any Proulx!

Why haven't I acquired and read Francine's book on reading like a writer? She was my advisor/mentor for a semester at the graduate writing program I attended decades ago and she is a phenomenal intelligence and a delightful person. The motto at the program was to "Read carnivorously" - and I do think by the time they were done with me I did and do read books differently. In a way it is like being a car mechanic, the first read is like taking a car out out for a spin, but then I have to go back and put up the hood and figure out "how it works," how they did it. I'll be so curious to see -- her obsessions then were Chekhov and Flaubert . . .

I absolutely loved The Shipping News. Although not from Newfoundland, Proulx captured the speech and humour marvellously. There were some wonderful characters in it. Despite the cast, I did not think the film did it justice, there was just not enough understanding of the book and the island itself seemed to be only a film set.

Liked your thoughts on Gander airport too. In the days before nonstop trans Atlantic travel, Gander was a refuelling airport for many international airlines. Due to the fog in St. John's it was also the international airport for the island until the recent runway expansion efforts at the St. John's airport This meant that any international trip out of province, and many national trips in winter, started with the dreaded trips to Gander from wherever you were in Newfoundland, usually longer than your scheduled flight.

During the days of refuelling, many flights from Cuba back and forth to Soviet bloc countries passed through there. Passengers were allowed to disembark and there were clear signs directing people to Canadian customs and immigration. Gander was proud of the role it played in aiding people who wanted to take this route.

As Vivienne says, Gander played a major role in 9/11 as a host airport and city for diverted planes flying to the US.

Here's a piece form the NYT on Gander. Ignore the screech in bit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/20/travel/tmagazine/gander-airport-when-the-going...

>159 SassyLassy: What an interesting article about Gander. I liked the story about Castro and his entourage playing in their first experience of snow!

>158 sibylline: macabre as it was I loved The Wasp Factory. I'm not sure 'enjoy' would be the right word to use, but it was very clever and wonderfully written. Probably the literary equivalent of car crash rubber necking.

Regarding Mrs Dalloway, I do feel that if I revisit it at some point in the future I might get more from it on a second read. I read it at a time when I was very busy with work, and I don't feel it's the type of book you can really properly appreciate through short bursts of reading on a bus. Having said that, I doubt it will ever be my favourite Woolf novel.

I am incredibly envious that you've had Francine Prose as a writing mentor! What a master class that must have been. Chekhov was a definite favourite of hers in the book, but I took away from it a long reading list of other authors I need to get to as well.

>159 SassyLassy: Thank you for the info. and link about Gander Airport - that's really interesting. I had no idea it had been a major landing airport back in the first heyday of international travel, but it makes sense thinking about it. Are you from Newfoundland originally?

I've just been musing about the thought of a trip in winter between Gander and St John's like you mentioned. That's a fair distance - I can only imagine what a nightmare trip that must have been in winter snow and fog conditions!

I've set down at Gander once - back in the days of flying on those student discounted charter flights. Fascinating stuff about it.

We might even have The Wasp Factory around somewhere as my husband has a stronger readerly constitution than me; maybe one day, when I have read all other Banks I will try it. I don't like thinking of myself as timid!

Over the years I have learned that there are many about whom one has to be patient. My first pass at Ulysses in my twenties, was hopeless. Now I am in awe. Timing is absolutely essential!

I think it is fair to say of the several advisors I had in that MFA program, she has had the most lasting influence on my reading and my writing. I should add Francine was also an indefatigable flea market/second hand store attendee back in the day (mid-80's) with a real eye for a bargain and so much fun to spend a day with, I can hardly believe I was so lucky now either!

67. Review - The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

I'm not quite sure where to start with this review other than to say I thought this book was full of many moments of utter brilliance. Firstly, there was the setting of the New York upper class at the beginning of the 20th century. I've read lots of society type books from this era, but I think this is the first (for me) that's been set in the US. Out went the Downton Abbey setting of the many English books I've read from the period, and in it's place was wonderful descriptions of the early inhabitants of those fabulous brownstone buildings of streets like 5th Avenue.



Secondly, Lily was the most fabulous heroine I've come across in a while. At first she seemed an unlikeable character - shallow, vain, and with aspirations focused solely on material gain and sustaining her ability to keep up with her social set. However, as the book unfolds she develops into the most complex character full of self-contradictions. On the one hand she wants to seek out a marriage into money, yet when opportunity knocks she can't take that final step. She equates marriage with the huge compromise of dull, pompous husbands, and interprets love as a fanciful dream which can never lead to happiness as it's destined to be attached to an insufficient income.

She's the least well off of her set, needing to stay in favour with her group more than any of the others, yet she lets them wildly misconstrue a number of incidents which ultimately lead to her downfall. She has ample opportunity on a number of occasions to set the record straight or to quiet rumours with some well-aimed counter mudslinging, yet she chooses instead to hold her head high in hushed dignity, protecting people who ultimately expose the false veneer of her material dreams for what they really are.

Ultimately Lily is a person of rare depth and character within her set, and cleverly Wharton reveals that to us whilst sadly holding Lily back for much of the book from discovering her true self. Her dialogue is razor sharp in places, and at times the book was very humorous.

4.5 stars - a very clever, unique read from the period.

>163 AlisonY: So glad you liked it as much as I did. Really fabulous book. And that's a great picture that you found.

I loved House of Mirth as well. It's my favorite Edith Wharton book so far.

>164 Nickelini:, >165 japaul22: you both have probably the closest reading tastes to me on CR, so no surprise you loved it too!

My spousal unit and I listened to The House of Mirth together decades ago (on tapes!). He was driving and we had to pull over so he could cry at the end. I'm very much a huge Wharton fan. I've been to see her house in the Berkshires, near Lenox. Quite a place!

Found your review, of the Knausgaard (on his book page). Very fine. I hadn't delved into the older reviews - partly because there were three identical reviews (with two different names attached) as I was trying to post my review (didn't post for most of a day, thought I'd lost it).

>167 sibylline: - that made me chuckle: bless him! It was sad.... I can imagine her house was pretty fabulous - the edition of the book I read had a chronology of her life at the beginning and she seemed to have inheritances coming out of her ears which wouldn't be too shabby nowadays never mind a hundred-odd years ago.

>168 sibylline: - thank you! I'll be interested if you manage to get to Book 2 before me to find out what you think. I believe it's a fairly weighty tome, so I hope it's worth it.

Book 2 will probably wait until Christmas as I intend to ask for all the presently translated ones. Starting around September we stop buying any books, make an effort to clear off a shelf or two, foment huge long book lists. Then that week after Christmas we lie about eating leftovers and reading.

68. Review - Swimming Home by Deborah Levy

A philandering famous poet, his war correspondent wife and their daughter are spending the summer with friends at a villa in the South of France when out of the blue a naked young woman steps out of their swimming pool. The poet's wife invites Kitty (as she's called) to stay in the spare room of the villa as she says there has been a mix up in bookings, knowingly lighting the touchpaper of their marital problems.

Kitty has a deadly combination of mental illness and obsession with the poet's writing, and the summer will never be the same again after her arrival.

This novel was a quick read, and although it was inevitably leading up to a big end event I felt like I didn't totally engage with the writing. The characters were all fairly unlikeable, and though I never felt like aborting the read, I felt immediately ambivalent about it when I'd finished.

3 stars - forgettable.

Swimming Home was a weird little book. I didn't like it much either.

Great review of The House of Mirth. But I think I'll pass on Swimming Home. Sounds like an abrupt change in book type - those two.

>173 dchaikin: yes - I don't think I would highly recommend Swimming Home. Jennifer summed it up perfectly - it is a weird little book.

69. Review - Never Mind by Edward St Aubyn

This, the first of the Patrick Melrose series of novels, is played out over a couple of days at Eleanor Melrose's country estate in France.

It's a raw portrayal of vile, pompous, privileged upper class British men with depraved sexual tastes stemming from a childhood of savage boarding schools and distant, bullying fathers. The worst of the characters is David Melrose, a violent perpetrator of domestic abuse whose open humiliation of his wife is tolerated and accepted by his old-boys' network. It is his violence towards his son Patrick which makes for the most difficult reading, however, not just the act itself but the after effect on the child and the abject failure of his mother to put her own suffering to one side and to recognise his.

I appreciated this book - the writing is very fine, with pages of noteworthy plaudits at the start of the book, and at times I found it reminiscent of Alan Hollinghurst's work. However, overall I don't think I can bring myself to say I enjoyed it. The book is semi-autobiographical, based on St. Aubyn's own childhood growing up with a horrifically violent father, and it was very difficult to read through certain parts.

I can understand why the series has received such critical acclaim, but for me I think one Patrick Melrose book is enough.

4 stars - an undoubtable literary talent, but hard to digest at times.

Post-note: this book is still bothering me. I found it really hard to write the review above - I was very confused as to what I thought about Never Mind, and I'm not sure I have described it properly, perhaps giving a false sense that it was violence filled which it was not. It's more a fly-on-the-wall over a short period of time in the lives of 7 main characters - the Melroses and their child, a younger social climber and his bimbo girlfriend, and a philosopher and his American partner.

There is one main scene of violence and others of more mental abuse, but essentially the book delicately portrays the impact of David Melrose's actions on his wife and son's personalities, and exposes the 'club rules' of the upper echelon in British society.

I did find it page-turning once I got into it after about 40 pages, but the characters, despite being excellently portrayed, were very unlikeable.

Still, it's a book I can't stop quite thinking about.

Your review left me curious, but your post script says more I think. Especially your last sentence. But now I'm surprised you think one book in the series is enough. Anyway, noting.

I think it's just that some of the subject matter was so grim I don't feel like I'm rushing to read further into the series.

>178 AlisonY: I've read Mother's Milk and don't remember it being grim at all.

70. Review - Excellent Women by Barbara Pym

Set just after WWII, Excellent Women is centred around Mildred Lathbury, an unmarried woman in her 30s who is considered to be one of life's 'excellent women'. On the cusp of spinsterhood, her good nature and efficient ways mean that she's often asked to get in the middle of other people's problems, from the couple downstairs' marital difficulties to the latest goings on at her local church.

Although on occasion her friends pay lip service to finding her a husband, in reality no one wants or expects Mildred to get married. Everyone needs her to stay just as she is, as a solid, dependable person who will always be there to offer tea and sympathy, and who can be put upon to do the favours no one else wants to do.

Mildred was a fun character with a bit more spunk to her than her friends gave her credit for, but ultimately she is a person who needs to be needed although she doesn't like to admit it to herself.

I liked the cover - I thought the Orla Kiely design suited the Woman's Institute sort of nature of the book.

3.5 stars - a comfort reading type of book. Fun but not startling.

Enjoyed your Pym review. I had never heard of her before Club Read.

I love Barbara Pym for when life is crazy and I want a quiet, comforting book that is still well written.

>181 dchaikin:, >182 japaul22: comfort reading indeed. Like Bunty for grown ups.

>180 AlisonY: That is a Pym that I don't have. So far I've enjoyed the ones I've read.

I usually go for quick light reads in Decemver, but I am engrossed in Francis Burney's Cecilia, as part of a group read in the Virago group. It was written in 1782, so the language makes it a slower read. But it is very good and I'm enjoying it. Kindle says that I'm 76% finished.

71. Review - The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook

Germany 1946. Hamburg lies in smouldering ruins, and the British forces are now occupying the city as part of the post-war recovery operation, tasked with the re-education of a fallen nation and the rebuilding of the city and its inhabitants.

The atmosphere between the British and Germans is tense; Germans are not allowed to resume their previous occupations until they have received full security clearance, most have been moved to holding camps, work is menial and food is scarce. By contrast, the British top brass have been moved into the luxurious homes of the city's displaced elite, living well with other people's fine art, personal possessions and household staff.

Colonel Lewis Morgan, when assigned the house of a wealthy local architect, takes the unprecedented step of electing to share the house with the widowed owner and his daughter rather than displacing them. Joined by his wife and son from England, the two families are forced together in a charged atmosphere of distrust, grief and guilt, where family and military loyalties are tested and the old rules no longer apply.

This was an excellent read, full of atmosphere, emotion and suspense. An enthralling fictional account of what must have been an incredibly tense period in history, and one which I've not read any detailed accounts of before.

4 stars - a gripping historical setting for a complex emotional story.

>185 AlisonY: This one sounds gripping indeed. Nicely reviewed too.

>186 sibylline: - thanks! Definitely an easy page-turner.

72. Review - The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader

An anchoress (or anchorite if male) was the term for very holy Christian women who elected to retire from the world and be sealed into a small cell attached to the outside of a church, where they would pray daily and devote their lives to God until succumbing to an early death.

These cells were very small - no more than 12 or 15 feet square - and only had 3 small windows: a squint into the church, a window to receive their frugal food and drink from those who tended to them, and a small window to the outside which was covered with a curtain but allowed light in. Some anchoresses were even enclosed with their own graves already dug inside their anchorhold.

To leave an anchorhold after committing to God in this way was considered a terrible sin, and once entombed an anchoress was expected to stay there until her death.

Robyn Cadwallader has taken this fascinating aspect of history and written a really superb debut fictional novel (so much so that once or twice I skipped back to the start to check it really was a debut - although she was already a creative writing lecturer so not a total novice). She strayed a little from historical fact around the set up of the anchoress Sarah's anchorhold, but this enabled her to weave a number of other characters into the story, which worked so well I'll forgive her for any embellishments. A book just about one central character in her cell would have been tough going after a while.

Set in the 13th century, Sarah, at 17, has elected to enter into an anchorhold after the death of her sister. Choosing to exist in a state somewhere between life and death, she discovers that whilst her body may be locked away it's truly impossible to run away from your thoughts, and the interest that the locals have in her has a way of dangerously distracting her from her life of devotion.

There's a great narrative running through this book. At the centre of it is Sarah, facing her physical, emotional and spiritual battles, but Cadwallader interweaves an excellent secondary story of the peasants who tend to her and come for spiritual counsel, the overbearing landlord who holds the life of all of them (including the anchoress) in his hands, and the conflicting emotions of the priest who hears her confessions.

The photos above show examples of an anchorage and the small squint windows into the church remaining from some anchorages long gone. They seemed to be most prevalent in England, but no doubt existed elsewhere.

All in all a really enjoyable read. It's terrifying to think how you would feel being locked away in a small space for the rest of your life, and I think the author did a good job with a fascinating subject.

4 stars - very enjoyable.

, ,

Interesting! I read a historical fiction book about Hildegard von Bingen (Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen)a while back and she was a companion to an anchorite until she was in her late 30s. I was fascinated (and horrified) by the whole idea of anchorites. Unfortunately, I didn't think the book as a whole was very good, so maybe I'll check out this one.

>188 AlisonY: An anchoress features in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I had to look it up when I was reading because the concept seemed so strange that I had a hard time believing it was real. That book sounds interesting.

>188 AlisonY: Wow. The book sounds great but I don't think I want to read it.

>188 AlisonY: Excellent review. Sounds fascinating and the kind of book you will never forget.

>188 AlisonY: Very interesting. I'm not sure I really knew what an anchoress was. I had a vague impression, but nothing like the actual fact.

The story around The Anchoress sounds fascinating. I'm immediately curious, however, about how bathing and going to the bathroom were handled.

>189 japaul22: yes, interesting that those who tended to anchorites had quite a limitation put on their own lives as well, although obviously not to the extreme of the anchorite.

>190 ursula: so there must have been anchorites in France as well then? I'm guessing they existed in many Christian countries.

>191 FlorenceArt:, >192 VivienneR: - thank you both!

>193 NanaCC: was new to me too, Colleen. It's hard to know whether to admire them or consider them totally bonkers.

>194 RidgewayGirl: everything was handled in the anchorhold. The toilet arrangements were a bucket in the corner - I assume that was disposed of by the maids through the little window. Washing was a wet cloth - I can't imagine any anchoress / anchorite smelled too fragrant.

>195 AlisonY: No doubt in my mind -- total bonkers is a nice way to put it.

Great review of The Anchoress

Just wanted to chime in and say great review. Fascinated by the idea of this.

>196 Nickelini:, >197 baswood:, >198 dchaikin: thanks for stopping by. Yep - very interesting detail from history. I wonder if they won't totally insane after a while - don't think it would take long to send me potty under those circumstances.

I'd imagine they were close to potty to start with.

You're right...

Also wanted to chime in to say that The Anchoress sounds fascinating. I knew of this strange piece of medieval history from a really great class in college where we discussed Julian of Norwich's works. Fascinating but very strange for modern life.

>202 janemarieprice: That would have been a fascinating class. I love all this kind of detail from history.

>202 janemarieprice: I just read the Wikipedia entry on Julian of Norwich. Wow, what a fascinating woman! It's a wonder she wasn't excommunicated. According to Wikipedia, it might be either because of her good name as an anchoress, or because she wasn't worth refuting, being a woman.

Fabulous review of The Anchoress, Alison! (I read your comments this weekend, but didn't think to post a reply until now.) I'll be on the lookout for that book.

Thanks Darryl. Hope you enjoy it if you get a chance to read it.

Wonderful review. I knew nothing of this. Thanks, too, for the images.

>207 sibylline: thank you. It's one of those fictional books where the subject is so interesting you just have to go straight onto Wikipedia afterwards to learn more about the real historical accounts.

73. Review - The Strong, Sensitive Boy by Ted Zeff

Catching up with a book I read a couple of months ago and forgot to write a review for.

I am the lucky mother of (as well as a beautiful daughter) an 8 year old boy who is very loving, bright, well mannered, and.... super sensitive. Although he does very well academically at school, he sometimes struggles to fit in a little bit in a class where most of the boys tend to be very rough and tumble.

I'm not sure what I hoped to get out of this book - perhaps some tips on how to help him cope with the school "banter" a bit more, and to get some insight on what potentially goes on inside his head, as he takes the slightest telling off massively to heart and worries about just about everything.

Zeff has written this book on the basis of conversations with 30 "sensitive men", and to be honest the whole book felt very weak. He tried to make scientific statements with no scientific data to back them up - he'd just wheel out one of his 30 chaps as an example when it suited him, and it was by no stretch of the imagination a proper psychological study on a specific personality type.

By the end of the book Zeff wanted us parents of sensitive boys to be talking to our child's teacher about our 'sensitive boy's special understanding' needed in the classroom environment. By this stage I was just cross - that would be the last thing my child would want me to do, and it would send a hugely negative message to him about what is, after all, a lovely personality type to have.

1.5 stars - I'm binning this rubbish and just thanking my lucky stars I've been blessed with such a caring and lovely child.

>209 AlisonY: That sounds like you made the right decision.

Glad you wrote that review. There are a lot of bad parenting books out there for each good one.

>209 AlisonY: "binning this rubbish" -- love it!

74. Review - The Wine of Solitude by Irene Nemirovsky

I don't know if it was the writing or just the translation, but I found myself totally indifferent to this bizarre novel.

A cold story full of colder still characters, it was like reading the narrative through a thick pane of glass. I couldn't connect with the characters, and the story ran along at such a pace that I kept feeling like I was only just catching up and getting into it when she'd be off at a sprint to the next part of the story.

It was my first Russian novel, so perhaps it's just a cultural way of writing that I don't get, or maybe I didn't pick such a great novel to start on my Russian literary journey. The internal dialogue of Helene kept reminding me of wooden English-speaking actors in cruddy B-movies speaking with horrendously fake Russian accents.

I believe this is Nemirovsky's most autobiographical novel. I feel a teenage "whatever" coming on...

3 stars - yawn.

>213 AlisonY: Interesting. This is on my shelf because I bought it after LOVING her partially completed book Suite francaise. I'd still recommend giving that one a chance some day. I also don't think of her as a purely Russian writer because she lived much of her life in France. I think she wrote in French rather than Russian but I could be wrong about that.

Anyway, now I think I'll leave The Wine of Solitude on the shelf a little longer so I don't ruin my glowing impression of her after reading Suite Francaise!

What else are you thinking about reading for Russian novels? Some of my favorites are from that region so I'll be curious to see what you wind up reading.

>214 japaul22: you could well be right about her writing in French, Jennifer. The blurb on the inside cover about her was covered over by a sticker from the library, but the odd word I could make out seemed to be about France. So, maybe it was just the writing then that didn't do it for me. I still liked it enough to read in pretty much one sitting last night, but I just never felt I was properly getting into it.

For 2016 I'm thinking that I need to take the plunge into Anna Karenina as that's been on my bedroom shelf for too long. Would also like to give Chekhov a go. To be honest I don't know that much about Russian literature, so open to recommendations.

We have a Russian software developer working with us at the moment who was giving me the low down on good Russian authors when he was over in Belfast a few weeks ago. I have a head like a sieve, so will have to get him to email them across to me, as there were a few that I hadn't come across before.

Oh, don't give up on Nemirovsky before reading Suite Française. It's a truly brilliant book and nothing removed about it.

I've only read some of the classics for Russian literature, but my favorites are

Anna Karenina (one of my all time favorites - I've read it 3 times)
War and Peace (about to do a reread of that with a group read in the category challenge)
Crime and Punishment
The Master and Margarita

I think the hardest part of reading Russian literature is finding the right translation for yourself.

I liked Fathers and Sons and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. And I agree with >217 japaul22: about Anna Karenina. I was surprised I liked it as much as I did, at least partially because I had tried it years ago and given up on it. But the second time around, it really clicked for me.

>217 japaul22: >218 ursula: thank you both - will have to get stuck into some of these in 2016 :)

Checking out of my 2015 thread for the last time.

74 books read, of which 64 were fiction / 10 non-fiction.

Favourite Fiction of the Year
The Major of Casterbridge
To the Lighthouse
Bastard Out of Carolina
Plainsong
Girl with a Pearl Earring
The Shipping News

Favourite Non-Fiction of the Year
Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them
Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail

It's been a great reading year - onwards and upwards to my new 2016 thread:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/206807