Affluenza - Oliver James

I've been meaning to read this for a while, and now that I have I'm really impressed. Perhaps the fact that I don't think I suffer too badly from Affluenza helps! Affluenza, James suggests, is an epidemic sweeping the English speaking world. It consists of an obsession with 'keeping-up-with-the-Joneses', excessive consumerism (buying stuff because you 'want' it instead of because you 'need' it), the need for increased wealth (beyond what you need), property fever - all leading to depression, anxiety and addictions.

Travelling the world's affluent cities (London, New York, Singapore etc) James interviews people who do and don't suffer from Affluenza, and tries to discover what makes some people more or less prone to the virus. He then goes on to suggest remedies, such as paying parents to look after their children (instead of forcing them back to work), teaching the it is not necessary to be rich and beautiful to be happy and how being playful, vivacious and authentic helps.

As someone he interview suggests, society is becoming populated by Tin Men from the Wizard of Oz - hollow inside.

I would have liked to have seen more interviews with normal citizens, instead of the stream of millionaires that he visited; and I'm not sure the very vicious attack on the Blairite government was completely necessary - I'd imagine that most governments (of all flavours and in all times) would have mucked it up just as they did (and do).

A fascinating read, certainly made me think about materiality, and asking myself do I 'need' or 'want' that?

11th - 25th January 2009

The Gargoyle - Andrew Davidson

The Gargoyle - Andrew Davidson

When I started this book I really wasn't sure, I liked the writing style (in the first person) but I was sure that a wasn't going to like the main character - a drug addict, pornstar idiot. Very early on in the book (and I'm not giving anything away here), he is horribly burned in an accident and winds up in hospital. I think this was also part of my reservations about the book - the graphic descriptions of the burns and the methods of treatment were too detailed even for me (and I have read many forensic thrillers and love watching CSI).

I also worried that it was beginning much like the Thomas Covenant series by Stephen Donaldson (although I've only so far read the first I thought it was fantastic), and contained perhaps a little too much 'god bothering' for my liking.

But, I'm glad I stuck with it. Essentially it's a love story - but don't let that put you off. The characters and the timescales are not like anything I've read before, and it wasn't long before I had warmed to the characters - wanting to hear their stories. On a time scale of 700 years, it's fascinating - taking you from Iceland to the USA and back through the years. The vivid stories within the story are wonderful in themselves and actually deserve to be published alone.

I thing that amazed me most about the book was that it's Andrew Davidson's first novel - unfortunately for him he now how a lot to live up to! It's been wildly successful, I just hope someone doesn't try to ruin it by attempting to make a film of it.

Lent to me Liz.
5th - 11th January 2009

Knots and Crosses - Ian Rankin

With the success of reading the Mankell book, and whilst waiting for the next one to arrive from Green Metropolis, I decided to try another thriller.

Many people have suggested that I might like Rankin's books, I love Scotland, and Edinburgh is a city that has always fascinated me - especially the darker less touristy bits! So, again borrowed from my mother in law I decided on the first Inspector Rebus book.

I have to admit to not 'liking' Rebus as much as Wallander - perhaps it was a mistake to swop one detective for another so quickly, and it took me some time to get 'into' this book. About a third of the way through I was ready to give up, I didn't care about the characters, I could see what was going to happen, and I couldn't be bothered - there are so many other books to read!

However, it's a short book so I gave it more of a chance - and although I can't rant about how good it was, it was worth finishing - even if it did have a rather predictable anticlimatic ending.

Maybe I'll pick up another Rebus book, maybe Rankin gets better as he develops the character - but I was rather disappointed with this - it didn't live up to the hype for me.

Lent to me by Jo.
2nd - 5th January 2009

Faceless Killers - Henning Mankell

I haven't read a detective thriller for a few years now, they kind of fell out of favour when I O.D.'d on Patricia Cornwell. But just before Christmas I'd happened upon three episodes of 'Wallander', a Swedish detective series made into films by Kenneth Brannagh (not my favourite actor but absolutely brilliant in this role).

After watching them I thought I'd give one of the books a try, and since my mother in law owned a few it was perfect. I started with Faceless Killers, the first of nine books about the detective.


An old couple are brutally murdered in their home in the Swedish countryside, and at the same time as having to deal with his increasingly senile father, his non-existant relationship with his daughter and is life generally spiralling downwards, Wallander has to try and find out who committed the crime.

Throw in racial unrest and snowstorms, and this makes for a better read than I'd expected. Nothing special, by no means particularly unique. But Mankell's writing style (or perhaps I should say the translators?) is easy and enjoyable. The story doesn't drag and by the end you feel you know Wallander and the people in his life - and you want to meet them again.

I can't say I want to 'own' this book, but I have ordered the next in the series, and I do hope that Brannagh will be making more programmes in the near future.

Lent to me by Jo.
December 2008 - 2nd January 2009