The High Deeds if Finn Mac Cool - Rosemary Sutcliff

I'm not sure how this Puffin book got onto my bookshelves but suspect that it came from Dads at some point (it's a 1967 edition). John picked it for me to read, and I'm glad he did.

It's really a collection of short stories of the Irish mythical king Finn Mac Cool, telling of his life and adventures, and those of his friends and enemies.

Having visited Ireland (a long time ago now), and some of the places mention it was great to read the stories.

Although connected by the characters, each story is separate, and since this book was, I think, written for children, each is quick and easy to read.  It's made me think that I should look out some folk stories about
England - King Arthur? Robin Hood?

Inherited from Dad
Read June 2012

Times Arrow - Martin Amis

I'd be tempted to say that this book has overtones of 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', but that would be unfair as I've not read Benjamin Button, only seen the film. But the device of time moving backwards is used to great affect in both. Times Arrow is narrated by sort of conciousness within the mind of a doctor (when we first meet him), who views the life described backwards - from being a doctor in America, to working in the death camps of Nazi Germany. Although a short book it took longer than usual to read as many of the sections needed re-reading in order to get my head around them, especially the dialogue (which often needed to be read backwards to make sense). The author has clearly thought through many things backwards, descriptions of some bodily functions are not nice to think about! However, the way the narrator sees and understands day to day life is fascinating, the giving of gifts, or administering of medical treatments - think about a person coming to a doctor feeling pleased and well, only to go through an opertation which makes them worse! Although it took a while to get into, and I didn't much care for the character, the unusual method of telling the story kept me gripped. No idea where I got the book, read on John's recommendation. May 2012

The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien

Jen wrote her MA English dissertation about this book, and when she told me about it I was intrigued.

'Weird' is a good word for it, another is 'Surreal', especially since the book was written in 1939 but not published until 1966 (the writer failed to find a publisher so withdrew the book, it was published after his death).

The unnamed narrator of the book tells the story of his life; being orphaned, discovering the writings of de Selby, breaking his leg (and having a wooden one fitted), returning to his family home to a man who is obviously a crook, murder, a quest for a box full of money, ghosts, policemen, imprisonment, unbelievable things and bicycles.

I'm not going to tell you what happens, it's a short book and well worth a read - very surreal in places, make sure you read the (sometimes extensive) footnotes, and certainly worth the effort.

Green Metropolis
24th January - 3rd March 2012

Mr Toppitt - Charles Eldon

I can't say that this is a good book, in fact I'd go so far as to say that it's a let down. The story begins with the writer of the 'Hayseed Chronicles' being hit by a bus in London, and taken to hospital by a passing American tourist. Told from the perspective of the son of the writer, the story centres around the fall out of the author's death, and what happens to the family. But the answer is 'not much', and I was left wanting so much more. I'm sure that it's ripe for being made into a film, in fact that's what it read like in many sections - a film treatment. Shame, it won't be staying on my bookshelves (in fact it's already gone!) Bought on Green Metropolis

Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsover

It's been a while since I've read a book that I really couldn't put down, but this one has probably come before many things recently!

The story of a family, who are taken by their father, a missionary, into the Congo, at a time of massive upheaval (1960s).

Each chapter is written through the eyes of the women; the wife of the missionary, and their four children.  They tell of their life amongst those they first regard as 'savages', slowly becoming involved and entangled in the Congolese rural way of life.

As you'd imagine, things are not easy; for the Westerners who want to impose their ideals and their god on the natives, but not for those who were born and raised in the harsh environment either.

A series of disasters occur, and these are seen by those who witnessed and took part.

I loved this book, it was totally fascinating, the descriptions of the country, the customs, and the believes of all the characters.  I learnt more about the history of the Congo (mainly though looking up places and names mentioned in the text), and I came to care what happened to the women.

If I had to compare with any other book I'd compare it to Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey - another story of misguided religion.

3rd - 19th March 2012

The Home - Bill Bryson

I really do enjoy Bill Bryson books, but strangely not the travel ones so much. I tend to go for the factual ones, like The history of nearly everything or Mothertongue.

Even when explaining something really difficult like quantum physics or language construction his writing style is engaging and understandable - even if I don't retain much of the information I have at least understood it at the time I'm reading it.

So, I was looking forward to this explanation of the everyday things we find in our homes.

Bryson is famous for the fact that he's an American very happily living in the UK, and he used his old rectory home in Norfolk as the basic outline for this book. Each of the rooms in the building were used to explore the elements of our homes, things such as electricity, gas, toilets, or even bricks, chimneys or stairs.

Fascinating facts about mundane items that we take for granted, and the people who invented, designed or utilised them, are discussed.  If I were to have any criticism about this book it would be that great chunks of it are about America (when I'm sure British examples could be found), but that's unfair, as I said at the beginning Bryson is American!

Bought in Waterstones.
22nd January - 23rd February 2012

The Death of Grass - John Christopher

First off I should point out that this book was originally published in 1956 - lots of things have changed, but so many things haven't!

The story tells of two brothers, one becomes a farmer of a valley farm in Cumbria, the other an architect in London.  When a worldwide virus destroys all variants of grass, and people start starving to death due to food shortages, London (and other cities) obviously becomes a dangerous place to be, especially when the plans of the government become known.

So a group of two families set off from London aiming for the Cumbrian valley, and hopefully safety, picking up others along the way across country.

I envisaged this book to be bleak and chilling (as described on the cover), but perhaps due to the state of the world now, or the fact that I've read The Road by Cormac McCarthy, I found this to be rather sedate and less brutal than I expected.

I guess above all, it's very English - stiff upper lip and do the right thing - especially think of the women and children.  It seems that the author thought that civilisation would fail first in the cities (probably right), but it's in the northern counties and towns which he shows personal brutality and survival instincts.

Like The Road, I read this book in two days!  If anything it's a bit of an extended short story, and very easy to read with no difficult or in depth plots - just the story about the main characters and their trip across the country.

I understand a terrible film was made of it - perhaps a remake is due, but it would need to be low budget and English made for it work - and it would need to be set in the 1950s (this is so not a Hollywood blockbuster).

Since I seem to be drawn to dystopian/post-apocalyptic books I was bound to like this one - I'll be looking out for his other books.

21st - 22nd January 2011