The main character here, Ashlyn Greer, is the owner of a shop that restores old books. However, she also has a talent for ‘feeling’ the echoes of prevThe main character here, Ashlyn Greer, is the owner of a shop that restores old books. However, she also has a talent for ‘feeling’ the echoes of previous book owners when she touches a book. Can you imagine that? We’ve all looked at scribbled notes in pencil in second hand books and wondered who wrote them – imagine if we could feel what they felt, know what they knew?
There is nothing quite so alive as a book that has been read
Ashlyn came across two books, her echo detector went off the charts when handling these books. They were nicely bound but without author names. Each book telling the story of a romance from many years ago, each in the first person and as with all relationships – each with a quite distinct perspective. Ashlyn needs to solve this puzzle, who are these people? What happened to them, Are they still alive? Who is telling the truth?
We read not to escape but how to live it more deeply and richly, to experience the world through the eyes of the other
Then there’s Ashlyn’s life – unfortunate thing has been through her own sorrow and hurt. An old fiancé who played one of the cruellest ‘tricks’ of all. She is certainly trying to find her way through her life and recover. Her book restorations being her main source of solace.
We have family conflict, relationship dramas, deceit, regret (oh lashings of regret), love, anger, jealousy, hate – and more. I won’t say if this ends happily or with sadness – is it a ‘cop out’ if I say it ends with multiple layers of emotion?
This is a page turner, beautifully written and even if this isn’t your genre there’s a particularly good chance you’ll be hooked.
To say this book attracted critical attention is putting it mildly. Surely, readers should not have been surprised. From the little I have read of UpdTo say this book attracted critical attention is putting it mildly. Surely, readers should not have been surprised. From the little I have read of Updike, there seems to be some common ingredients in his work. Such as an odious male protagonist, self-absorbed, sex obsessed with a dim view of women, and the world. Marriage and adultery also seem to be ever present in his work, some religion is thrown in too.
"……ferocious female nagging is the price men pay for our much-lamented prerogatives, the power and the mobility and the penis"
Sixty six year old Ben is our man, it’s 2020 and post WWIII – a nuclear war between the USA and China. This trifling matter is hardly explored by Updike. Sure, there are consequences from the war, such as – the collapse of the central government in the US, little or no public services, no taxes a shattered police force for example. But the purpose of this plotless story quickly becomes apparent. It’s about Ben’s musings about his life, his observations of what’s happening around him, and his meditations about scientific matters – such as spacetime, the end of the universe and much more.
There were times I questioned Ben’s sanity. For example, at one stage he wondered if he killed his second wife, due to her absence – you would be forgiven for thinking, he should know. He has an affair with a live-in prostitute, he even has intimate encounters with a fourteen-year-old girl. This, from a grandfather of eleven.
The book has a certain rhythm I found comforting. Each section commences with Ben’s highly detailed observations of his wife’s garden. I usually don’t like such things (gardening and over-detailed descriptions), but I was transfixed. It must be Updike’s writing. The garden descriptions were usually followed by his activities for the day, such as paying protection money to dodgy dudes, playing golf with mates, examining the thread of his underwear, looking at, and describing his erect penis and the like. The end of each section usually involved his detailed thoughts about scientific matters – such as the universe, quantum physics and time. I found this interesting.
I loved this. I’m not a fan of Ben, his faults are abundant. His thoughts are sometimes incoherent. However, can you imagine if our thoughts over one day were to be recorded? I would imagine, they would be equally ‘all over the shop.’ I know mine would be – would yours?
Prostate cancer makes a guest appearance. Updike nailed the details about the treatment and sequalae of this disease, particularly the impotence, incontinence, and long-term fatigue. Take it from me it was accurate. I wonder if Updike was a PCa brother?
There is a scene where a doe was shot by a professional hunter’s arrow. All because the poor animal was nibbling the plants in Ben’s wife’s garden. It was abjectly heartbreaking and really hit me hard.
"She bedded down and gave me this one long look like I was coming to her assistance, and then lay down her pretty little head on the leaves. I didn’t have to use a second arrow"
Updike really describes the seedier side of the male psyche very well indeed.
Water is my second John Boyne novel, the first being The Echo Chamber, which was a 5-star book in my view. I have taken to Boyne’s writing like a duckWater is my second John Boyne novel, the first being The Echo Chamber, which was a 5-star book in my view. I have taken to Boyne’s writing like a duck to water.
Wife and mother of two adolescent girls, Vanessa Carvin, self-exiles on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. This wee island has a population of only four hundred, it is close knit, there are no secrets. She rents an old one-bedroom cottage, a ten-to-fifteen-minute walk to the ‘town centre’ with two pubs and a handful of small shops. Boyne describes this remote, harsh environment beautifully.
The first things Vanessa does, on arrival, is change her name to Willow Hale and cut her hair very short. Despite the remoteness of the island, many people there would know her as she and her family have been in the news.
She is escaping a scandal of horrific proportions which had catastrophic consequences. This scandal forever changes the family dynamics and Willow needs space and time to (a) escape the attention and (b) examine her own role, or lack of action – in the crimes committed by a family member.
This is a haunting story. Willow Hale is a fascinating character, Boyne has created a character so real, I could almost touch her, and I certainly could feel her emotions. Her journey of introspection is complicated and believable. Her interactions with the locals are interesting and sometimes funny. Look out for ‘Bananas’ the cat.
There was a moment in this book that resonated with me to the extent it made me choke up.
A Cup of Tea, a short story written by Katherine Mansfield in 1921 is a story about charity. More specifically, a story about, the motivations of peopA Cup of Tea, a short story written by Katherine Mansfield in 1921 is a story about charity. More specifically, a story about, the motivations of people who provide charity, or kindness to those less fortunate than themselves.
Do we do it solely for the benefit of the recipient, or solely for the benefit of our own feeling of self-worth, or self-importance – to enhance our own ego - or a mixture of these motivations? I am sure most of us have thought about this in the past when donating something. I have – and I still haven’t figured it out.
This story involved a super-wealthy woman called Rosemary Fell, a woman who can buy anything she wants. Anyway, at the conclusion of a shopping trip she comes across a poor girl, the weather is terrible, and the girl asks for money for a cup of tea.
I won’t say any more about this six-page beauty only to say – it made me reflect on ‘why we help others in need’ in a very clever way. This story made me feel happy, uncomfortable, and ashamed – all in a matter of six pages.
Crossing the Line by Investigative Journalist Nick McKenzie is a masterful piece of work.
Let’s just start by talking about the subject of this book –Crossing the Line by Investigative Journalist Nick McKenzie is a masterful piece of work.
Let’s just start by talking about the subject of this book – Ben Roberts-Smith, an elite Australian SAS soldier who served numerous tours of Afghanistan. Roberts-Smith was awarded the highest award for an Australian soldier, that is, the Victoria Cross. This for bravery and valour in 2011, taking out two Taliban machine gun posts in 2010. As an act of bravery and worthy of this award.
There is no doubt Roberts-Smith was an elite soldier, his physique is commanding – he is massive, he is brave and a leader. However, there were serious allegations of war-crimes directed against this Australian hero. Allegations brought to light by a couple of brave journalists using the corroborating evidence of often unwilling SAS soldiers. Soldiers who were very uncomfortable with certain actions committed (alleged at the time) by Roberts-Smith.
Nick Mckenzie was one of the Australian journalists (Chris Masters being the other) to bring allegations of war crimes to light. Allegations of murder of people under army control. People who were not Taliban. I don’t like to use this term, but they were referred to as ‘dirt farmers’.
Ben Roberts-Smith lodged a defamation claim in the Federal Court against McKenzie and Masters. This hero or massive proportions, well spoken, looked the part and blessed with the backing of a media magnate in Australian media. This defamation trial was big. For Robert-Smith to win he would receive a massive payout – as there were allegations involving several murders. For him to lose – this would implicate him as a war criminal, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
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This book takes us inside the case and the trial, the difficulties of securing witnesses in a tight knit groups such as special forces, the intimidation of witnesses and much more. This account was absolutely riveting. Important.
On a personal level I have traversed a journey from believing ‘the fog of war,’ can result in atrocious things happening. I still believe that can happen. But there are some accounts, that don’t happen I the fog of war – they happen when a detainee is under control, and they are subject to atrocious behaviour.
Keep in mind, as this was a civil case (defamation), which is interpreted by the Judge (no jury) on the balance of probabilities, the burden of proof in a criminal trial (beyond reasonable doubt) is much higher. But this judge – deemed Roberts-Smith to have committed these acts.
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka is a gritty story about a serial killer and the women involved in his life.
Ansel Packer, a serial killer, is wNotes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka is a gritty story about a serial killer and the women involved in his life.
Ansel Packer, a serial killer, is waiting to be executed. The first chapter devoted to him is titled 12 hours, this starts the countdown to his death. His chapters are written from a second person perspective. The reader is the killer. This adds to the intimacy of his journey. We experience this unimaginable countdown, as he is processed from his home cell to the holding cell, we feel the brutal efficiency as he is shackled and walked towards the gurney. But these chapters also detail his thoughts on how to make sense of the world, his world. Ansel Packer was subject to unthinkable neglect and abuse as a child, as was his baby brother Ellis.
The chapters involving the women whose lives collide with Ansel Packer’s, have titles such as Holly, Lavender, Saffy, Blue – not all of these women are his victims, they include his poor mother, his lovely niece, a detective, his victims and others. The ‘women’ chapters are written in the third person, their stories paint a fuller picture of Ansel Packer, for me, it humanises him. This book however, is never outwardly apologetic towards him or his actions, the author does not shirk away from the brutality of the man.
Lavender knew, then, that the world was a forgiving place. That every horror, she had lived or caused could be balanced with such kindness. It would be a tragedy she thought – inhumane – if we are only defined by the things we left behind
This is a complex piece. It is rich, gritty, violent, and miserable. The impact of killers such as Ansel Packer is profound (obviously) – but the beauty about this book, is, we are presented with an opportunity to peek inside his mind and soul. In fact, we do more than ‘peek,’ we wear his skin.
The smile melted instantaneously off his face the second he did not need it – impermanent as wet paint.
I found this book incredibly impactful. It has temporarily erased my memory of some recent reads of mine, I cannot recall them. This story has raided and replaced my recent memory, occupied it fully.
For me, and not everyone will agree with me here – this book further illustrates the futility and barbarity of state sponsored executions. It also highlights to me – the impact capital punishment has on the ‘loved ones’ of the criminal concerned.
Ansel Packer is not a monster. He committed monstrous acts. He had some good in him, and he was certainly a product of an upbringing influenced by an abusive father.
The poor, poor mother….
"Dear Ansel, My love. My heart. My little boy. I….."
I don’t know what else to say.
No one is all bad. No one is all good. We all live as equals in the murky grey in between
Christopher Hitchens’ intelligent, rational, anti-theistic and witty God is NOT Great - How Religion Poisons Everything, is quite simply brilliant. ThChristopher Hitchens’ intelligent, rational, anti-theistic and witty God is NOT Great - How Religion Poisons Everything, is quite simply brilliant. This critique of theisms is broad in scope and oh boy, does he deep dive.
For those who know Hitch, you will be aware he approaches this topic with the grace of a jackhammer. An extremely articulate sledgehammer.
This book contains nineteen chapters with titles like Religion Kills, Arguments from Design, The Nightmare of the “Old” testament, The “New” Testament Exceeds the Evil of the “Old” one, Religion as Original Sin, Is Religion Child Abuse? and much, much more.
No religion escapes Hitch’s wrath:
"…….unbaptized children were sent to “limbo” who can guess the load of misery that this ‘diseased’ theory has been placed on millions of Catholic parents over the years?"
"The Koran is borrowed from both Jewish and Christian myths"
"Meanwhile, the hoarse proponents of “intelligent design” would be laying siege to yet another school board, demanding that tripe be taught to children."
”The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.”
"One must state it plainly. Religion comes from the period of human prehistory where nobody—not even the mighty Democritus who concluded that all matter was made from atoms—had the smallest idea what was going on."
"whole towns were pillaged and massacred in what the Serbs themselves termed “ethnic cleansing.” In point of fact, “religious cleansing” would have been nearer the mark."
Regarding the Mormons "………angels coming from heaven to inscribe messages onto gold plates for Smith to find, as embarrassing."
Do you get the picture?
There’s room for humour too: "A Buddhist hot dog vendor, makes and gives a customer his hot dog. The customer gives the Buddhist his money and waits for his change. He waits and waits. Then he asks the Buddhist “Where’s my change?.” To which the Buddhist replied – “Change must come from within".
Back to the Catholics (We'll put the treaty between the Vatican and Hitler's Nazi Party aside):
"…….advice given by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez de Trujillo, the Vatican’s president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, carefully warning that all condoms are secretly made with many microscopic holes, through which the AIDS virus can pass"
Violence, oppression, misery, paternalism, and subjugation permeate these pages.
On a more contemporaneous note (my view here): It’s laughable the way protestant evangelicals in the US are backing a person like Donald Trump. If that doesn’t make Christians think, what would?
I loved this guy, and it is so sad we lost him, and his brilliant mind, to oesophageal cancer in 2011.
Ancient Egypt – A photographic History by Nigel Fletcher Jones is a feast for the eyes.
One thing that will strike you, well it struck me – is how anciAncient Egypt – A photographic History by Nigel Fletcher Jones is a feast for the eyes.
One thing that will strike you, well it struck me – is how ancient, Ancient Egypt is. This book is divided into chapters covering time periods starting at 6000-2666 BCE – covering prehistory, to early dynastic, and ending in the Greco-Roman period 332 – 395 CE, and seven other time periods in between.
For sure we learn about the main players and the history of these periods, however, due to the MASSIVE number of characters and events involved, these are dealt with at break-neck speed. Believe me, I thought there were periods of the Roman Empire that went through Emperors like Kleenex Tissues, the Egyptians put the Romans to shame at times.
But it is clear here, the focus is the wonderful photographs, and wonderful they are!!
Each page is blessed with one or more high quality photographs, some pages (including double pages) only consist of photographs. This is coffee table fare indeed!
Favourites:
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The Silver Coffin, tomb of Psusennes I, 1001 BCE. Discovered in 1939-40, in an excavation that recovered some of the finest pieces found since the excavation of Tutankhamun’s tomb – this piece is magic isn’t it?
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Portrait of the boy Eutyches – a coffin painting on wood. Attached over the face of mummies buried in the ancient Egyptian tradition, the subjects are in Roman dress, and the inscriptions are in Greek – reinforcing the multi-cultural aspects of Roman Egypt. 100 – 150 CE.
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Statue of Thutmose III, a great military king. Also known as Thutmose the Great – he significantly expanded the Egyptian empire. Thutmose was the sixth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty and died around 1425 BCE – isn’t this a wonderful statue??
This is a 5 Star book for me – interesting history, combined with beautiful photographs. What more could one ask for?
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
Note: This review contains 3 pictures. If you can't see them or can't see all of them, it's probably due to the phone app you're using - which is a shame because they're wonderful. Cheers Mark...more
This book has been described as a piece of Dark Fiction - if that is indeed a genre, and it represents a spectrum, let’s say this littWhere to start?
This book has been described as a piece of Dark Fiction - if that is indeed a genre, and it represents a spectrum, let’s say this little bundle of joy inhabits the really horrific, dark, murderous and sick end of that spectrum.
The narrator lives in the Southern California State Asylum for the Criminally Insane – he has no hands because he, quite simply, chopped them off. His two-handed cell-mate is his scribe. The narrator creates a relationship with the reader immediately, he even apologises for introducing us to this journey of insanity. He warns us, the madness conveyed in this collection of twisted stories is CONTAGIOUS. Yeah, yeah – I hear you say – BUT there was a moment late in the book, where I was attending a séance hosted by our narrator – and I did indeed feel the chill down my spine as he ‘talked’ to me. It was at 1am admittedly, but yikes!!!
The various POVs of each story (don’t worry our narrator drops in now and then to keep us on his miserable track), are again, unique, dark and at times violently depraved. We follow the misfortunes of a prostitute, criminals, a child living in some sort of crack-house whose best friend is a TV, I think – the devil himself even drops in, and so many more reprobates.
I won’t pretend to understand everything here, it’s not just the content it’s the pace, it’s relentless, and it’s complex. The author is so clever, he changes format and style throughout. We even have poem titles “The Definition of Insanity”, and chapters that read like the Bible – or a variation of it.
There’s even a really clever transcript of an interview between an asylum doctor, who later took his own life, and a leader of one of the cults of the asylum concerned. The pages really did look like a photocopied typewriter written interview – even with images of the paperclips at the top of the page. Wow – authentic.
There’s not much joy here but reading this book and my experience was visceral.
The author, Jarelle Phillips, is a star. Up and coming, and remarkably unique and shocking, but wickedly clever.
I’m gonna stalk you and your books Jarelle Phillips – you deserve it!!
5 Stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review....more
This is a delightful book for small children about luck – good and bad. A little boy has been spooked by superstitions (such as opening an umbrella inThis is a delightful book for small children about luck – good and bad. A little boy has been spooked by superstitions (such as opening an umbrella indoors) and now believes he is been followed around by bad luck - La Mala Suerte.
This scares the life out of the wee boy, causing him to worry about his grades and his football. However, his mother did suggest to him one day – ‘we can make our own luck.’ Will it work?
A wonderful story about superstitions and luck for the little people in our lives, great artwork, too!
5 Stars
Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
Este es un libro encanta para los niños sobre suerte – mal y bien. Un niño este miedo porque el abrió un paragua a dentro. La Mala Suerte lo persigue. Su preocupado sobre su escuela y futbol. Pero su madre, lo dice “tu puedes hacer tu suerte”. ¿Esto funcionara?
Una cuenta estupenda, con arte excelente, sobre supersticiones y suerte para las personas pequeñas en nuestras vidas.
Muchas gracias a NetGalley por darme este libro para mi reseña....more
Liz Hayes is a very well-known Australian journalist. She’s been part of our television landscape for over 40 years. My first experience of Liz was waLiz Hayes is a very well-known Australian journalist. She’s been part of our television landscape for over 40 years. My first experience of Liz was watching the Today show on Channel 9 every morning in the 1980s. Morning TV was new and a bit exciting back then – for me anyway, and presumably others. After many years working on the Today show, Liz then worked for Australia's 60 Minutes, then after many years she had her own Investigative TV show.
I feel she’s always been around, I like her. She’s pleasant, knows her stuff, can do ‘light and fluffy’, but also can make a subject squirm if required.
This memoir covers Liz’s childhood and family life in regional New South Wales and details of her personal life. But most of the memoir covers her work – including the hundreds of people she has interviewed over the decades. From superstar musicians to serial killers. Also, she describes many of the hundreds of locations she has worked throughout the world – she and her various crews have been everywhere.
I loved this and found the whole thing relatable because I've watched much of her work.The writing was wonderfully conversational too.
”Well, here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into” the quote made famous by Oliver Hardy, to me, illustrates the fact that most ‘messes’ we find o”Well, here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into” the quote made famous by Oliver Hardy, to me, illustrates the fact that most ‘messes’ we find ourselves in are human made. This is one major take away from this clever book - The Echo Chamber, by John Boyne.
The Cleverley family (great name), consist of:
George: A National Treasure…….(quote: George Cleverley), the father of the family has worked for the BBC for decades as a light entertainment presenter. He is a household name and much loved. He is having trouble with the new terminology, and etiquettes required in the modern world. There are millions ready to pounce on the likes of him when he errs, and err he does. Oh, he is having an affair.
Beverley: Has a nice ring doesn’t it…..Beverley Cleverley? Mum is also partaking in extra-marital activities. Her marriage to George lacks the passion of years gone by. She is quite frankly a snob and would shudder at the thought of catching a bus and mingling with the great unwashed masses of London.
Nelson: The oldest brother. Now this boy is an odd specimen. He feels more comfortable wearing costumes in his daily life, than not. He wears Scrubs, police uniforms and more. This invariably gets him into trouble as he goes about his daily business. He is a teacher – and is bullied by most. Nelson takes social awkwardness to World-class levels.
Elizabeth: The middle sibling, she is uber-active on social media. Elizabeth enjoys using anonymous handles on social media – such as @TruthIsASword, so she can abuse with gay abandon. Obtaining a Twitter blue tick is a life-time goal hers. Elizabeth’s boyfriend, Wilkes, is a social warrior who doesn’t wash – I found him revolting and hilarious. The family could smell him well before he entered a room, oh and his underpants…….don’t get me started!!
Achilles: Perhaps the most detestable of the family – even though they all seem to adore him. He will think nothing of extorting a few grand from middle aged men. He is charismatic and gorgeous – just ask him.
There is one other cast member who needs a mention, a tortoise called Ustym Karmaliuk. Beverley is babysitting her Ukrainian lover’s pet as he needs to go back home to well……..put it about a bit. Ustym made my heart melt – poor thing.
So back to my opening paragraph. This book and the grubby characters of the Cleverley family inflicted considerable pain on themselves, with consummate ease. But, on top of that – humankind, as a collective, with the creation of all consuming social media and easy to obtain cellular phones, has made it even easier for us to exact damage on each other and ourselves.
There are some salient messages in this book, all while providing the reader with a great laugh. It is a wonderful, witty, ultra-sharp, satire on contemporary life, the power of the masses and cancel culture. It is also a wee bit scathing of aspects of wokeness. I feel so lucky to have read this. Oh, and John Boyne has written heaps of books, and this is my first. Happy Days ahead.
5 Stars
Woke: Aware, especially of social problems such as racism and inequality.
Self-disclosure: I am happy to be woke, using this Cambridge Dictionary definition my value systems fit very snugly within these words. I suppose the question is – how far do ‘we’ go?...more
Books such as this, should be compulsory school reading in this increasing intolerant, unempathetic society of ours. When one listens to right-wing, cBooks such as this, should be compulsory school reading in this increasing intolerant, unempathetic society of ours. When one listens to right-wing, conservative commentators on ‘shows’ like Fox News, or Sky News in Australia (go on, you know you want to.......), one would think LGBTQ+ issues have the future of our planet in their hands. When millions are starving, hundreds of thousands at war, the planet on the boil – a trans swimmer trying to get into the Olympic team, or teaching kids at school about trans and intersex issues spells the end of time, as we know it.
This book puts us into the skin, the mind and body of an hermaphrodite, intersex kid called Calliope. Calliope is raised as a girl, has XY sex chromosomes, but her testes have not descended, and her clitoris is larger than ‘usual’.
The reason I suggest ‘intolerants’ should read this is, to help them understand how difficult it is for people (young people) to deal with such issues. If this five hundred plus page story does not do that – then there is no hope.
But it is far more than just a book on ‘trans’ people – it is a sweeping family saga covering three generations from the war-torn city of Smyrna in Eastern Turkey to Detroit in the USA. It is wonderful historical fiction, covering the Greece/Turkey conflict - as old as the ages, immigrants and their challenges and life in an industrial city like Detroit.
Eugenides writes with no great fanfare, he describes the complexities of life and relationships with ease. He throws in comedic moment - because, let's face it, life can be funny. Very funny. But, I feel he also knows he is telling us a very important story. He does that indeed.
What a book, what an epic, what an author. One of my favourites - I need to construct my all-time top ten in 2024. This will be in it to be sure.
Mouthful of Birds is a disturbing collection of short stories by Samanta Schweblin.
If you enjoy stories starting with these openings such as this – yoMouthful of Birds is a disturbing collection of short stories by Samanta Schweblin.
If you enjoy stories starting with these openings such as this – you’ll love this collection.
If you pound a person’s head against concrete – even if you’re only doing it so they come to their senses – you will very likely end up hurting them.
Here’s ratings for each of these weird little babies:
1 Headlights: Newly married women being dumped (alive) at the side of a road. A bit chilling. 2 stars. 2. Preserves: A pregnancy version of Benjamin button. Fascinating & clever. 4 stars. 3. Butterflies: I love the message here. For all of those who don’t like killing anything, even a fly. 4 stars. 4. Mouthful of Birds: Says it all. 5 stars (shudder) 5. Santa Sleeps at our House: A Santa with a difference 3. stars. 6. The Digger: I had high hopes at the start, but this one had me flummoxed towards the end. 3 stars. 7. Irman: Unsettling story in a roadside cafe. 3 stars. 8. The Test: Couldn’t finish this one, cruelty to dogs. No rating. This did spark an enduring image of my time in Buenos Aires many years ago. Packs of dogs strutting through the streets of the capital – I particularly remember a beautiful Old English Sheepdog leading one pack. I often wonder what happened to that stunning animal. 9. Toward Happy Civilisation: A strange railway station, add a dash of “Stokholm Syndrome” and you’ll have a grim story that’ll have you on the edge of your seat, and a bit unsettled. 4 Stars. 10. Olingiris: The name of a fish. This one had me utterly flummoxed. 1 star. 11. My Brother Walter: An impactful, and quite insightful story about depression. 4 stars. 12. The Merman: No this isn’t Zoolander, BUT I loved this story about a woman falling for a Merman. 4 stars. 13. Heads against Concrete: Brilliant. Dark. Violent. Vintage Schweblin. 5 thunderous stars!!!!! 14. The Size of Things: A mum and a son, puzzles, model planes and silly games. 4 Stars. 15. Underground: A spooky story about digging and mining (I think). 3 stars. 16. Slowing Down: A memorable death. But I didn’t get it. 2 stars. 17. On the Steppe: Magic, suspenseful. 5 stars. 18. A Great Effort: An absent father, generational grief. So much here my body and mind sank. 5 stars. The best. 19. The Heavy Suitcase of Benevides: For art-lovers everywhere, if you like art of a different kind that is. A great way to complete this selection. 5 stars.
If you’ve ever experienced anxiety, you know this - The anxiety that pulled his throat towards his stomach, the author must’ve experienced every miserable malady available to humankind – because her descriptions of them are spot-on.
One of these stories involved a man seeing a massage therapist following trauma. The description of his sessions was an exact description of my sessions back in the day, even including the spontaneous sobbing (that I didn’t know was even there), Amazing writing.
Another personal experience with this collection: I dream about my dad a lot since he died. I love him like no other, we were best mates. But my dreams are always bad, we argue and fight, and it’s horrible – again Schweblin must’ve known I was going to read this with her “The pain that stiffened him and terrified him in his dreams, the pain that tied him to his father and to his own image in the mirror, the yellow pain”.
OMG – I love this author. I don’t know what it is, but every time I read one of her works she smacks me in the stomach. This is what reading is all about.
My overall experience with this collection is 5 Stars
Average story rating 3.47368 starswith a measurement of uncertainty of 3.5% and a biological variation of 4.6%. NB: Raw data available from markporton.wanker.com.au...more
Japan’s Holocaust by Bryan Mark Rigg provides a forensic account of the atrocities committed by Japan during WWII. There is no need to detail the too-Japan’s Holocaust by Bryan Mark Rigg provides a forensic account of the atrocities committed by Japan during WWII. There is no need to detail the too-numerous accounts presented in this book, safe to say – they are horrific.
The author presents reasons for these atrocities. Japanese society was racist, militaristic and they possessed an absolute devotion to Emperor Hirohito. This belief in their Emperor was total, his line was said to have over 2,000 years of unbroken lineage to the Sun Goddess. The author also describes the violent culture behind such practices as ritualistic suicide and attritional warfare. The Imperial Japanese Army was obsessed with degrading anyone who did not share their beliefs. Atrocities against civilians, POWS and rape against women and children were the norm. The Rape of Nanking being the most notorious.
I was astonished by the never ending and unbelievably brutal violence, both in scale and type, committed against defenceless, innocent people protected by international law. The number of references cited by the author was very high, 1564 in total. In my view it was unbelievable Hirohito escaped the death penalty during the Japanese war crime trials. He lived until 1989, as Emperor and he even opened the 1964 Tokyo Olympics!
The author presents an argument to suggest the dropping of the two atom bombs by the USAF saved many lives, as terrible as those weapons are the death toll would have been significantly more if the Allies would have had to invade Japan and its Islands. The Japanese belief in attritional warfare, their unwillingness to surrender and the practice of suicide (troops and their own citizens) when defeat is imminent, would have made sure of that.
There is a massive message here – we must call out, act on and be aware of the absurdity and danger of all forms of fundamentalism.
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Hirohito – the grandfather of the current Emperor, Niruhito
Hirohito fits comfortably in the same company as Hitler, Stalin and Mao Zedong.
5 Stars (I upgraded my original rating on reflection)
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review....more
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin is big, bold, wicked, funny, and totally engaging.
Beagin’s offering is certainly in my top three reads of this year, I loved Big Swiss by Jen Beagin is big, bold, wicked, funny, and totally engaging.
Beagin’s offering is certainly in my top three reads of this year, I loved it.
Greta is a transcriber for a sex therapist in a small town. The audio files are sent to Greta, and she performs her work, usually in her underwear, at home. She takes a particular interest in one of the therapist’s clients – a woman Greta calls “Big Swiss”. Greta imagines Big Swiss (she is from Switzerland) as a stunning woman with a massive presence. Big Swiss is a 28-year-old gynaecologist, she loves dogs but has never had an orgasm, she is married to a wealthy man in town.
Greta is forty-five, she is also a dog lover and lives in a shared home which is a bit of a shambles. For example, there is a bee hive inside the house and the old place is falling apart. Her mother suicided when Greta was a girl. Greta has also shed as many responsibilities as possible – she yearns for a simple life.
Anyone can see that Greta was not a horse person. Her hair was not long enough, and neither were her teeth, and as a child, she had not been mistreated by other children
I found myself constantly surprised by the acerbic humour littered throughout this book, it made me laugh and often shocked me, not in a bad way – but in a guffawing, losing my nasal contents type of way.
People age horrible. They suffer strokes. Their bodies and brains fall apart. But the male ego? Firmly intact until the bitter end.
The transcripts of the sessions between the therapist and Big Swiss are fascinating, explicit, and often funny. I could not get enough of being a fly on the wall here – that is terrible isn’t it? But I loved it.
Big Swiss and Greta meet at a dog park – and things kick off. This is an ideal group or buddy read book – I can imagine pro-Big Swiss readers, throwing muffins at Greta fans, and vice versa. There is a lot to digest here, lots of sides to take.
Okay, this is important, this book is not all beer and skittles. It has some horrible violence and covers control and power in relationships.
This book really is the finished article, one of the best. I will hunt down other books from this author right now. Oh, HBO are making a movie based on this book – starring Jodie Comer as Big Swiss, I cannot wait.
Free Love by Tessa Hadley is set in 1967 London and our main character – Phyllis Fischer, appears to be a happily married. She's a mother of two and hFree Love by Tessa Hadley is set in 1967 London and our main character – Phyllis Fischer, appears to be a happily married. She's a mother of two and her husband, Roger, is a decent diligent Government employee. They live in a ‘well-to-do’ area of London and seem to be ‘living the life.’
One evening an old female friend of Phyllis sends over her twenty-something son to Phyllis and Roger’s for dinner. This young man, Nicholas, is an opinionated, arrogant, brash part of the new breed of young politically active gang emerging at this time in the UK.
Later in the night, Nicholas kisses Phyllis. This awakes some previously hidden desires in Phyllis, and she needs to make some life-changing decisions that not only impact her, but those around her.
This is a wonderful study of late 1960s London. The hot mess of conservative post-war people who lived through WWII, and the new generation who seem intent on questioning and protesting about everything. But, for me, this is really a book about relationships (it is a Hadley after all) and the decisions we make, and more importantly the life-changing consequences of these decisions. Most of us will have something to relate to in this story. For me, there was a great deal to reflect on – and I found this experience quite profound.
How much freedom should we have in a relationship? Does total freedom mean indifference? For me, indifference is analogous to ‘not caring’? How do two individuals balance this out?
In some ways relationships are a recipe for disaster, new relationships even more so. The trail of events in this story needs to be read to be believed.
Phyllis is such an interesting character and gave me a great insight into the way this woman ticked. The other characters aren’t quite as well developed as Phyllis (thanks Jennifer!), and I found the last couple of chapters things became a little crazy and it seemed to finish in a bit of a rush. But it is still a 5-star read for me, as it was jam-packed with relevant and relatable themes and events.
Many thanks to Jennifer, who was a wonderful buddy-reader. She asked me lots of questions and I loved that, she also shared her perspectives in a way that questioned my own beliefs and prejudices, and that’s good too.
Jonathan Escoffery’s first book, If I Survive You is an intimate account of being black, poor, and dislocated in America.
The story commences with a JaJonathan Escoffery’s first book, If I Survive You is an intimate account of being black, poor, and dislocated in America.
The story commences with a Jamaican couple escaping Kingston for the US in 1979, during a period of intense political violence. The couple, Topper and Sanya, flee to Miami to set up a safer, better life. In time, the couple have two boys – Delano, the eldest and Trelawny, the main character.
There are eight stories here, all inter-related but non-consecutive. All involve the extreme challenges faced by immigrant families in the US.
The author presents raw accounts of alienation, discrimination, violence, family breakdown and poverty. My word if life isn’t hard enough. It makes one wonder how some people living these lives keep going. Perhaps many don’t. Also, relationships can experience difficulties at the best of times, but these people have so many struggles just finding a home, a job, food, and some security – no wonder marriages don’t last.
It makes one want to cry. Not from pity, but the abject hopelessness of this situation.
Take Trelawney for example, such a decent boy. He loved reading, he was considerate and quiet – his father took these qualities as weaknesses. But this boy, just wanted to, and strived to be a productive human being. Thwarted at every turn. How many times was he asked – “what are you?” Meaning – what type of person of colour are you, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Latino? Because you aint black, my man – that seems to be reserved for African Americans. I didn’t realise this tension existed.
The real sealer in this gritty expose of immigrant life is the author’s use of the second person narrative. Now, I can’t recall being exposed to this form of narration, but it really worked here. After a short while of total confusion (mine), I settled down and really got it. This second person POV really made this an intimate experience. Instead of reading what Trelawney was thinking for example, I was Trelawney!!. The reader is the primary character, Wow!!!! What a treat. This is why we read, yes??
Your father seems not to notice that you’ve spoken at all, and says ‘what if you do buy this house from me?’ which sounds like to you like ‘what if this house became exclusively your problem’?
Narration like this, puts the reader front and centre. A novel experience for me – and considering the nature of the subject matter here, the author made the poverty, violence, discrimination, much more personal, or as personal as it can be.
My favourite idiots, and I do consider myself an expert on this subject, are those that don’t consider themselves to be idiotic. They’re usually well-My favourite idiots, and I do consider myself an expert on this subject, are those that don’t consider themselves to be idiotic. They’re usually well-dressed, often qualified and inhabit that primordial swamp of senior/executive management of many, or even most organisations. We see them use jargon at meetings, tell staff how passionate they are about ‘employee well-being’ and they encourage us to ‘think outside the square’, ‘operate in that space’ and ‘reach out for one another’.
My favourite celebrity idiot is Alan Partridge. This is his third memoir. Unsurprisingly, he has considerable material. Alan is pompous, selfish, narcissistic, hopeless, misogynistic, racist, and self-aggrandising. But he does love Toblerone and his dog Seldom.
This memoir covers Alan’s attempts to breathe life back into his career as a presenter (TV or radio), but there’s more. There is a dual narrative here (described as ‘daring’ by Alan) as he also purchases and refurbishes a knackered lighthouse on the Kent coast.
There are so many laugh out loud moments here – I can’t get enough of this man. Steve Coogan the man behind the creation of Partridge, is very clever. He has developed this character for around 30 years. Partridge is a mature product, like an 18-month cheddar cheese.
I almost cried when Alan’s dog – “Seldom” – died at a fairground. Also, his denials of any romantic chemistry between Jennie and his co-host of TV’s “This Time” are unbelievably ridiculous. Allan treats his personal assistant appallingly and denigrates many other celebrities on British TV. Make no mistake, this bloke is bitter and pompous.
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Alan here pictured with co-host of “This Time”, Jennie. Alan was lucky enough to snag a guest gig on the show following the illness and consequent death of the previous male co-host. You can sense the sexual tension between the pair. You can right??
I particularly enjoyed Alan’s attempts to ingratiate himself with the locals in Kent. A community consultation session regarding the lighthouse is Alan at his cringeworthy best as things didn’t quite go as expected. Oh my, he really came across as a tosser.
This book MUST, MUST, MUST be listened to. The funny thing here is not only the content, which is very clever – but it’s Alan Partridge’s voice, his delivery. He stumbles from one disastrous statement to another.
Dad’s Army by Graham McCann…..The Story of a Very British Comedy commences with a thorough ‘real’ history of the creation of the HomAhhhh the memories
Dad’s Army by Graham McCann…..The Story of a Very British Comedy commences with a thorough ‘real’ history of the creation of the Home Guard in 1940 during WWII. The British felt the need to prepare an ‘army’ of volunteers of non-conscripted men (many old, women joined later) into a UK based force to repel a German invasion. The politics (Churchill was a big supporter) behind the creation of the Home Guard was fascinating, as were some of the difficulties – for example, no uniforms, no weapons, little organisation, and lack of training. Over 1.5 million were eventually recruited and formal structures, and better organisation implemented.
Dad’s Army was a legendary (9 seasons) BBC weekly comedy TV show created in the 1960s. This book discusses the creation of the show, and some of the many difficulties getting a show like this off the ground. Such as the issue of creating a comedy about a brutal war that only finished a few years ago. The detail here was just brilliant, the author provided a real behind the scenes explanation of program production.
Then we move onto the show. The writers, directors, actors, scripts, sets and so much more. For any fans of this legendary TV series, this really is a MUST READ. We are also treated to many of the funny scenes and lines – there were so, so many.
This clip is typical of the ineptitude of Captain Mainwaring:
One of my favourite memories, and it is still with me today – just like it happened yesterday. Is my brother and I, sitting with mum and dad watching Dad’s Army and Dad, not being able to breathe due to laughing – I’m not sure whether we were laughing at Dad, with Dad or at the show – probably all of that. Even just reading some of the lines and imagining the pompous face of Captain Mainwaring as he scolds Private Pike had bubbles of laughter ready to erupt out of my windpipe. Giving me so many warm memories, I almost wept.
Those who have watched this show will remember the pompous Captain Mainwaring, the posh Seargent Wilson (and their interplay), the dopey Private Pike, the ever obedient and dutiful Lance Corporal Jones, the grumpy and forthright Private Frazer, the old dear – Private Godfrey and the geezer Private Walker. There’s also a host of memorable support characters. If you read this, you’ll learn a whole lot more about them.
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The Cast of Dad’s Army
Sadly, we also learn about them passing away, to the extent that the show needed to be cancelled after an impressive nine seasons.
Now Dad’s Army is just a memory. My Mum and Dad are a memory too, as are the actors. But oh, what an emotional story. I’m sure I won’t be alone on that score. After I finish this review, I will be putting my own copy of this book, back to sleep in my bookcase and just the thought of that makes me choke too. Sometimes it’s nice to be happy and sad.
If a light-hearted show can do that – it can’t be half bad.
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