tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15095913268215513142024-02-19T19:13:00.852+10:00Between The LinesFor lovers of good coffee, good food & good booksMaxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-78525680711655186092019-02-14T19:42:00.001+10:002019-02-14T19:42:07.621+10:00The Plague Dogs ~ Richard Adams<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">My book club theme this month is a book narrated from an animal’s perspective.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">My library had a limited choice so basically I was looking at a re-read of </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Watership Down</i><span style="text-align: justify;">, or James Herbert’s </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Fluke,</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> when I stumbled upon an audio version of </span><i style="text-align: justify;">The Plague Dogs</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> by Richard Adams.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">I vaguely remembered trying to watch the movie, not liking it and switching it off within the first five minutes, so although I wasn’t terribly keen on reading the book, faced with a lack of options, I downloaded it.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I found the writing style very dated and at times a little off-putting (Digby Driver’s confrontation with ‘Annie Mossity’ had me cringing) but it unexpectedly pulled me into the unfolding drama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I became very fond of the upbeat Snitter and his cynical side kick Rowf, the two dogs who dare to escape from an animal testing facility in the north of England.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The narrative alternates between that of the dog’s point of view, the staff at the testing facility and a journalist who sensationalises the story to the point where the general public is in fear of two pathologically evil dogs who may be carrying the bubonic plague.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course this is far from the truth as Snitter and Rowf are just two frightened creatures who have suffered the most terrible injustices at the hands of men, and are just wanting to find a master they can trust.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The main theme of the novel of course is animal cruelty and greed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The various experiments that were being done on animals at the time of the novel’s publication (and likely still on-going) are attributed to the fictional testing facility (with the wonderful acronym of A.R.S.E.) highlighting the barbarianism of what is done in the name of science. Though, there is a slight nod to science at the end of the novel when a character acknowledges to his dying daughter that a cure will one day be found for her condition thanks to the animal testing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And man’s cruelty is highlighted in a different form when The Tod, a wily fox who helps Snitter and Rowf survive in the wild, comes face to face with the terrors of the fox hunt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The human characters are rather wooden with stilted and dated dialogue, but the time spent with Rowf and Snitter were wonderful as Adams has captured each breed’s personality perfectly with their dialogue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I read that the movie ending is closer to what Adams really wanted for the story, but thank goodness he was persuaded to write a conclusive ending for the novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the way through the book I was thinking ‘Puhlease let this have a happy ending’!! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yes, I bawled my eyes out at the end, as it was all I could have wished for!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Maxine<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-54645119609586785882018-10-23T22:05:00.002+10:002018-10-24T20:54:41.744+10:00Crikey! How Did That Happen? by Ian Strathcarron<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: justify;">After a long
literary absence we are able to return to some charming Wodehouse-esq humour with the (refreshingly unauthorised) biography of Sir Bertram Wooster, KG by Ian Strathcarron. Bertie is definitely one of
my favourite literary characters, and I have laughed my way through all of his escapades
in book form and on TV (with the wonderful Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry). So, when I was asked if I would like to review this book, I could not resist.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">Told by way of
short stories set seven years apart, we see Bertram grow from a likeable
youngster who ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wasn’t one of life’s great
thinkers but he gave it his best’</i>, to a young man with the best valet ever,
on to becoming a married man and so on with the ensuing adventures and
hobnobbing with the rich and famous on the side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The various
stories include Gussie Fink-Nottle and Aunt Agatha (who suggests that Bertie
concentrated on learning manners rather than his lessons) along with many other
Jeeves & Wooster favourites as Bertie ducks in and out of ‘the soup’ in his
light hearted way with and without the help of Jeeves across the years, and
around the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The tone of the
novel is slightly more serious than I expected as it tries to encapsulate the
events of the times, and inserting Bertie into some key moments in
history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In one story he finds himself
as an expendable decoy for the British while playing piano at a party given by
Mussolini, and in another helping out a pal who has been blacklisted in
Hollywood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">There is plenty
of namedropping along the way which actually triggered some fond memories for
me (mainly entertainers such as Arthur Askey, Willie Rushton and Hatti Jacques
for example), with Bertie being involved in the Royal Variety Performance Shows,
radio, TV and Pantomine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The author has
certainly put a lot of thought into these stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each one is nicely written with clever
imaginative scenarios, and although lacking some of the goofy charm of the
original works in the first couple of stories, I did find the whole quite a
nice ‘nod’ to Wodehouse’s much loved literary creation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-29838297316402807232017-02-18T19:12:00.001+10:002017-02-21T08:04:03.187+10:00The Bone Clocks ~ David Mitchell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whilst in a fugue recently, trying to find my reading mojo and searching the library catalogue for something that sounded even remotely original, I came across <i>Slade House </i>by David Mitchell. I'd read Mitchell's <i>Cloud Atlas </i>and <i>Ghostwritten</i> and hadn't been disappointed so this looked like the one for me. On reading the blurb it turned out to be the sequel to <i>The Bone Clocks, </i>and I had remembered a friend reading this and saying it was really weird so, not wanting to read the books out of order, I decided to give it a go.</div>
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OMG I loved this so much! Like <i>Cloud Atlas </i>and <i>Ghostwritten</i> the story is actually made up from intertwining short stories. Mitchell is so good at this style of story telling. Characters like Immaculee Constantin harked back to my favourite Clive Barker reads of <i>Weaveworld </i>and <i>Imajica</i>. </div>
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What I really liked about this novel though was the amount of time I spent with it, following Holly Sykes' journey from a feisty teenager suffering bizarre hallucinations to a selfless grandmother in a dystopian future caring for her orphaned grandchildren.</div>
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When Holly finally met Marinus, I really enjoyed going back to the start with her and with Marinus' explanations finding out what she, and her missing brother, had been a witness to. </div>
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Mitchell is very much a 'show, don't tell" kind of writer and never once treats his readers like they don't understand what's going on. <br />
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Characters from Mitchell's previous novels make an appearance here also, it's all so beautifully interwoven I am in awe of his writing. </div>
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Next up is <i>Slade House</i> and I so hope I'm not going to be disappointed, it has much to live up to.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "bradley hand itc"; font-size: 22pt;">Maxine</span></div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-66806936547766761212016-10-14T20:01:00.000+10:002016-10-15T11:40:21.015+10:00The Three Body Problem ~ Liu Cixin<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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<i><i><span lang="EN-US">**Warning – Spoilers!**</span></i></i></div>
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0f/Threebody.jpg/100px-Threebody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0f/Threebody.jpg/100px-Threebody.jpg" /></a><span lang="EN-US">I love Science Fiction but I don’t read it very
often – it’s so hard to find one that does not have those <i>‘Mad Max’</i> elements of
silliness that really irritate me.
However, after Googling something inspiring to read in the vein of <i>The Martian</i> (which I absolutely loved) I
came across a recommendation for the Chinese novelist Liu </span>Cixin's <i>The Three Body Problem</i>. The recommendation states it is a cross
between <i>The Martian</i> and <i>Conta</i>ct, however it is nothing like these
two novels. But, it is different and I enjoyed it so much that I have just
started <i>The Dark Forest</i> being the
second book in the <i>Remembrance of Earth's
Past </i>trilogy.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The <i>Three
Body Problem</i> is set along several time lines. It opens with the backdrop of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
Cultural Revolution, and a young women called Ye Wenjie who witnesses the
murder of her father. Her younger sister
and Mother have joined the Red Guards and Ye Wenjie is imprisoned for
something she has not done. All these events compound in causing her to lose
faith in humanity. When she is finally
released from prison, being an Astrophysicist, she starts work at the secretive
Red Coast Base (similar to S.E.T.I.).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">In the present day Wang Miao, a nanomaterials specialist, is plagued by the image of a countdown.
What is this the countdown for? He
is directed to a scientist who plays the video game <i>The Three Body Problem </i>created by the mysterious E.T.O. She tells Wang to stop
working on his latest project and it will stop. Wang has also been commissioned
by the police to investigate the E.T.O.
He sees the name of the game on her PC and decides to check it out
further. It’s a very unusual game where
the people of a planet called Trisolaris must endure chaotic eras in between
stable eras. The chaotic eras bring
immense heat or biting cold. The
Trisolarans must dehydrate their bodies and have them stored in order to survive. Each level of the game is a different
civilization as it progresses through eons of time, and the game itself only
appeals to a certain type of person.
When this person is identified by the E.T.O. they receive an invite to a 'meet-up' of the<b> Earth-Trisolaran Organisation.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">On the planet Trisolaris (named due to its
three suns) a signal has been received from Earth. The signal is received by a 'listener' who
sends a message back advising Earth not to respond, if it does then the
Trisolarans will be able to pin point its location and they will come and they
will invade. They will not be friendly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Ye Wenjie receives this warning at the Red
Coast Base and answers back that humanity has lost its way – please come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">It will take the Solarans 450 years to reach
earth, and based on mankind’s ever rapid advances from Stone Age to Steam Age,
from Steam Age to the Technological Age, and then to the Information Age, they fear
that by the time they arrive mankind’s science will have far surpassed their
own. The Solarans create a supercomputer
called a Sophon that can interrupt scientific research on Earth and send out
false results, effectively bringing scientific progress to an end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Back on Earth scientists are committing
suicide. All that they know, all laws of
physics, no longer apply or make sense.
The now retired Ye Wenjie’s own daughter commits suicide and Wang visits
Ye to see if she needs any help. It is
via Ye that he finds out about the Red Coast Base and that the Solarans are a
reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I loved the weirdness of the video game, the
discussions on evolution and man’s progression through time. I even understood some of the physics
(something I failed at miserably in high school, and what my own sister
lectures in at University in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">What surprised me was the graphic account of
Ye’s father’s murder during the Cultural Revolution. Being a Chinese novel I would have thought
that this may have been censored, but I'm so pleased it was not, as it gives a very authentic
background to Ye Wenjie's coldness and detachment from humanity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">This is my first novel by a Chinese author, and
I did struggle a bit remembering the names and who the characters were but you
do get used to them. I’m not sure how
the translation stands up to the Chinese language, but I do know that I want to
find out if mankind will survive the Solarans!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "bradley hand itc"; font-size: 26.0pt;">MAXINE<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-41721286006625309332016-02-05T19:00:00.003+10:002016-02-05T19:02:26.066+10:00Ulysses ~ James Joyce<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51LyHpzxVcL._SX317_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51LyHpzxVcL._SX317_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a>Words cannot explain how much I
loved this amazing piece of work by Joyce!
I was astounded and flabbergasted by his knowledge and use of
language. </div>
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The structure of Ulysses is based
on Homer’s <i>The Odyssey</i>, which I did
read first, however without my study guide I would have missed an awful lot of
the references, some of which were so clever that they were hilarious. It is definitely beneficial to read <i>The Odyssey</i> first to fully appreciate
the skill involved in creating the structure for <i>Ulysses.</i></div>
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It is also beneficial to read <i>A Portrait of The Artist as a Young Man</i>
to understand the character of Stephen Dedalus.
This I also did, and loved it, although it was heartbreaking in places.</div>
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<i>Ulysses</i> is set in <st1:city w:st="on">Dublin</st1:city>
and is basically one day in the life of Leopold Bloom, an Irish Jew (this in
itself has many connotations which I won’t go into as the Study Guides describe
it so much better than I). Bloom is a
bit of a loner, he’s on the outside of his group of friends, and he’s a
cuckold. He is however a very caring and
gentle man, who dearly misses his son Rudy who died in infancy. During the course of the day he finds himself
concerned about Stephen Dedalus and tries to be a father figure to him, and
after a challenging evening keeps him out of trouble.</div>
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Molly Bloom is Leopold’s
voluptuous operatic wife, who is having an affair with the director of her
theatre group. The affair is no secret,
and on the day that she is expecting her lover Leopold ensures that he fills
his day and evening away from home. </div>
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The events are mundane in
themselves, a funeral, a visit to the newspaper office, a trip to the pub, a
walk on the beach (where Leopold undertakes a lewd act), a visit to the ‘red
light’ district (keeping an eye on Stephen) and eventually home again into the bed
which is still warm from Molly’s antics.</div>
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The wonderful thing about this
work is how it is presented. First of
all there are so many things that need to be kept track of (ie the lemon
scented soap in Bloom’s trouser pocket which he buys in the morning, the
outcome of the local horse race, and the various people he interacts with) as
they crop up throughout the novel. By
various devices we learn about the history of <st1:city w:st="on">Dublin</st1:city>
and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Ireland</st1:country-region>, its notorious
figures (real and fictional) and politicians, along with the general mood of
the day towards current events and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Ireland</st1:country-region>’s
stance with <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region>.</div>
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The novel is written in many
styles which, if read without a study guide, would be an impossible task to
understand. Once you realise what Joyce
is trying to achieve within the style you marvel at his cleverness and revel in
the words. Such styles include one
section which demonstrates the evolution of the English language from stylised
Latin to <st1:city w:st="on">Dublin</st1:city>
slang. Truly amazing! One part is
written in the style of various prose such a newspaper accounts, diarists, sensationalist
novelists, romantic novelists etc and another section is written like a play
(the events in Night Town) etc. </div>
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But, for me the most beautiful sections
of <i>Ulysses</i> were those written as a
stream of consciousness. They were
incredible, and made me think about the way that my own thought processes work
and yes, like in the book, they do jump around and are unfinished. </div>
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The last section is written as
Molly’s stream of consciousness so that we finally get to see her point of view
and why she is having an affair. At
first she seems to despise Leopold, but by the end you realise she does love
him dearly and that realisation is the most beautifully written passage in the
whole novel.</div>
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<i>Ulysses</i> is without doubt the most challenging book I’ve read since
Thomas Pynchon’s <i>Mason & Dixon. </i>It took me a good five months to complete
with the assistance of a study guide, reading half an hour each morning before
work when I could guarantee no interruptions and no danger of falling asleep
which always happens when I read in bed! I finished it late last year but I
have been ruminating on it ever since, still trying to get my head around what
I have experienced, and I know that I will never read anything like it ever again.
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<span style="font-family: 'bradley hand itc'; font-size: 26pt;">Maxine</span></div>
Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-2814726633167545582016-02-04T20:06:00.001+10:002016-02-04T20:54:49.457+10:00The Harp In The South ~ Ruth Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Set in the slums of Surry Hills in Sydney, during the Depression,<i> The
Harp in the South</i> follows the misfortunes of the Darcy’s, a working poor Irish Catholic
family. It doesn’t matter where it is set, as this story can relate to
any family living below the breadline.
The daily struggles become the norm, and there’s plenty of families with
a father like Hughie – easily led when it comes to the drink and a few pounds in his pocket, and a daughter
like Roie (Rowena) - too innocent when it comes to the boys.</div>
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'Mumma’ Darcy battles daily to
make ends meet. Two growing daughters, a
husband who’s generally M.I.A. at the pub on pay day, an elderly mother, two eccentric tenants (not forgetting to mention Puffing Billy the
temperamental coal stove), and all living in a rundown cramped terraced house among many other struggling families.</div>
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There is plenty of humour, but
there’s horror too – the flushing out and killing of the bed bugs, a seedy
abortion house, and the ever present memory of Thady, the six year old son
who went missing whilst playing outside.
Mumma is constantly haunted by what could have happened to him, what he
would look like growing up, and this comes to a head towards the end of the novel.</div>
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On top of everything else,
there’s the sheer lack of privacy in the Darcy’s lives. Everyone ends up knowing their business, and
paper thin walls don’t help. Mumma is
constantly worried about what the neighbours will think, which clouds her
judgement when Roie is assaulted and she stumbles upon Roie's terrible secret which must be kept from the neighbours at all costs.</div>
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Originally published in the
Sydney Morning Herald (in twelve daily installments in 1947) <i>The Harp in the South</i> is the second part
of Park's trilogy, though it was written first. It is nostalgic in the telling, which at times
tends to gloss over the sheer awfulness of the Darcy’s lives, but it also makes
you realise that if you have your family around you then you can pretty much face anything. </div>
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Although I did read <i>Missus</i> first, <i>The Harp in the South</i> can be read as a standalone novel – but as I
want to know how it all ends up I am currently reading <i>Poor Man’s Orange </i>too.</div>
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<i>The Harp in the South</i> was our six
monthly ‘buddy’ read discussed via Twitter for January. (Follow
@CaffeineChapter, @johnson_mjj, @JudyAuthor, @TomJohnson_Art, @Italiankiwiblog
if you would like to join us for our next 'buddy' read!).</div>
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<span style="font-family: "bradley hand itc"; font-size: 26pt;">Maxine</span></div>
Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-59633062815820366392015-08-14T21:10:00.001+10:002015-08-14T21:10:17.511+10:00The Story of Lucy Gault ~ William Trevor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Set in Ireland, opening in 1921 during the Irish War of Independence, Captain Gault finds himself the target of arsonists who aim to set fire to the homes of protestant land owners. Trying to protect the house Gault lets off a gunshot which accidentally wounds one of the arsonists in the shoulder, a troubled boy known to Captain Gault. Filled with remorse Gault visit’s the young man and his parents and offers them money. It is incredible that he feels that he is the one who is in the wrong, but that is his perception. The money is refused, and in fear of repercussions for his actions he decides to move his family (wife and daughter) to the safety of England.</div>
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The Captain’s daughter Lucy is distraught at the thought of leaving her beloved ‘Lahardane’, but she is only eight years old and doesn’t understand the trouble surrounding them. No matter what she says, she cannot change her parent’s mind, so there is only one thing for it – she runs away. Lucy believes that once her parents find her they will understand just how much she doesn’t want to go and they will change their minds, however, Lucy injures herself and never makes her intended destination. A search is made for Lucy once it is realised that she cannot be found in her usual haunts and, when clothing is found on the beach, it is supposed that she has gone for a swim and drowned. Travel plans are delayed in the hope of finding a body, but eventually the grieving Captain and his wife leave, not for England as now that is not far away enough but for Europe with no forwarding address.</div>
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Henry and Bridget are two servants left to maintain the herd of cows and the grounds, and shortly after the Gault’s departure Henry finds a bundle of clothing – and within it a starving child close to death. His life and that of his wife’s will change forever.</div>
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With no forwarding address the Captain cannot be contacted and although various relatives are tracked down, the fact that Lucy has been found goes no further than these relatives for various reasons. </div>
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As Lucy grows up, her vigil for her parents remains unwavering. She is convinced that they will eventually return, but as the months turn into years this vigil will have an unalterable impact on her life and happiness. </div>
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I absolutely loved this, it is incredibly sad, but it is so beautifully written that you hardly notice how tragic it really is. </div>
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Maxine</div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-72503292210820995632015-07-27T20:15:00.001+10:002015-07-27T20:21:44.690+10:00Musings on my Recent Book Choices<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was thinking today about how various books have become interrelated in my reading choices. </div>
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A couple of years ago I was reading Maugham’s <i>Of Human Bondage</i> and by chance picked up another book where one of the characters was also reading <i>Of Human Bondage (Dr Blood Money</i> by Phillip K. Dick) and as he was actually reading out passages as part of his characterisation (being on radio in outer-space) I had to be careful of any plot spoilers!</div>
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Lately though it’s been Homer’s <i>The Odyssey</i> and James Joyce’s <i>Ulysses</i> that seem to have featured in my reading. Many of the books I’ve read in the past few months have made reference to <i>The Odyssey</i> (such as <i>The Untouchable</i> by John Banville) and one of my latest reads <i>Elizabeth Costello</i> by J M Coetzee is referenced back to <i>Ulysses</i> with the title character having re-written <i>Ulysses,</i> from the perspective of Molly Bloom, with a book called <i>The House on Eccles Street</i>. The constant reference to <i>The House on Eccles Street</i> had me intrigued so I thought I would check out <i>Ulysses</i>, and when I read that it was loosely based on <i>The Odyssey </i>my next reading schedule was set. </div>
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<i>The Odyssey</i> didn’t give me the same challenge as my copy of Chapman’s translation of <i>The Illiad</i> did, but I can see how it would have entranced youngsters for many years. It is more accessible and more of an adventure story. However, it was important for me to read it if I wanted to understand the structure of <i>Ulysses</i> and I do like to do things right!</div>
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I started <i>Ulysses </i>as an audio book, but I soon realised that I wasn’t ‘taking in’ the stream of consciousness passages whilst listening to it in the car (driving being my main focus). I bought the book instead and looked up Shmoop on-line who have a study guide for it and started again. I love the myriad of thoughts that go through a character’s mind in just one passage alone and it has made me notice my own thought processes and how they jump around and cut off in the same manner. (<i>Thought is the thought of thought).</i> I can quite identify with Stephen Dedalus, though my thoughts aren’t quite as high ranging as his!</div>
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As it happened, around the same time, I started a new audio book in the car <i>(Umbrella</i> by Will Self) and I couldn’t believe it when the opening quotation was announced …….</div>
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<i>“A brother is as easily forgotten as an Umbrella.”</i> James Joyce</div>
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…… and the opening passage began with Zachary Busner, the main character, singing “I’m an ape man, I’m an ape-ape man” rather gleefully indicating that the narrative style is copying that of James Joyce’s, and boy did I enjoy it, it was so cleverly written. The start of a sentence could be in one time frame with one character and by the end of the sentence you are in another time frame with a different character. Quite often I didn’t even notice the shifts, and rather than being annoyed I enjoyed the challenge of going back and finding where it happened, thinking ‘you crafty bugger’. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it half as much if I wasn’t doing <i>Ulysses</i> and was already ‘in the zone’ for that style of writing.</div>
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I’ll be with <i>Ulysses</i> for a while as I intend to take my time with it because it has had such a huge influence on literature and once I have read it I shall so enjoy those literary references that I could not have appreciated if I hadn’t done so.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt;">Maxine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-2033592077737205812015-05-06T20:06:00.000+10:002015-05-06T22:07:53.765+10:00A Dark Adapted Eye ~ Barbara Vine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This month’s Caffeine and Chapters Book Club read is an <i>Edgar Award Winning Novel.</i> Having never read any books from the list of winners I realised this was a genre I probably hadn’t tapped into. I liked the sound of this title over all the others on the list and so I downloaded it as an audio book.</div>
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I didn’t realise that Barbara Vine was the nom de plume of Ruth Rendell’s. I had recently read <i>The Killing Doll</i> by Rendell and thoroughly enjoyed her characterisations and the dark nature of the novel, so once I realised who had written this book I was quietly pleased about my choice.</div>
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What a great story it is. It is the tale of a family with dark secrets and the secrets are slowly unraveled by Faith, the niece of the main character Vera, after she is approached by a true crime writer who wants to write about Vera’s life. The title of the novel relates to the opening of Faith’s eyes to events in her family and seeing them with an adult’s new perspective.</div>
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The novel opens with Vera’s execution and Faith mentions just about all the main characters without us knowing who they are and how they will relate to the story. As the novel progresses some of these characters and their relationships are a revelation.</div>
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In short Faith’s father has two sisters – Vera and Eden. He places these two women on a pedestal as paragon’s of virtue and Faith finds it very hard to live up to their standards only to find that they were not very virtuous at all as she pieces together their past. Vera is much older than Eden and pushes her son away in favour of raising Eden when their parents die. Faith often stays with them on holidays only to find them whispering and keeping secrets and making her feel very uncomfortable a lot of the time. Vera’s son is very scornful and cruel to her but Eden appears to counter his presence with beauty and a strong love for her sister Vera.</div>
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Things take a turn when Faith’s family are told that Vera is expecting. She is a much older lady and with her husband away (this is set during the 2nd World War) they can do the math. They don’t receive much communication whilst she is pregnant but are relieved when they are told eventually by Eden that she has delivered a healthy baby boy – Jamie.</div>
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Vera is completely devoted to Jamie, but when she falls very ill she is devastated by the fact that Eden has taken him to live with her and her new very wealthy husband. Eden has been trying for a child of her own, but a miscarriage and subsequent problems mean that she can no longer have a baby. What ensues is a very bitter custody battle to try and bring Jamie back home to Vera, which culminates in murder and Vera’s execution.</div>
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What I loved about this novel were the insights by Faith describing the time she spent with the two women. What seems innocuous at first becomes darker when viewed in light of the later events. The characterisations are absolutely brilliant and their history quite complex. What we have here is a mystery story, but we are still left with a mystery at the end of it – well two actually. Who was Jamie’s father and who is actually Jamie’s mother?</div>
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This is a fantastic read and Barbara Vine/Ruth Rendell will be on my reading list for the rest of this year. With Rendell’s passing a few days ago I can see there are a lot of novels I need to catch up on.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Maxine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-70474052304667589772015-03-16T18:29:00.001+10:002015-03-16T18:41:08.356+10:00Strangers on a Train ~ Patricia Highsmith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Architect Guy Haines has the
ability to achieve anything he wants in life – a successful career, a fantastic
home, and a beautiful new wife……. but all this changes on the day he catches a
train to Metcalf to talk to his estranged wife about a divorce.</div>
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On the train Haines is subjected
to a very uncomfortable conversation with the wealthy but bored Charles Bruno, though
when Haines reaches his destination he has pretty much dismissed Bruno as a
harmless crackpot. But Bruno sees this
fortuitous meeting as the start of a very beautiful friendship ~ one that
will come at great cost. </div>
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Bruno believes that he has the
idea for a perfect crime, one that attaches no motive to the perpetrators, and
which will secure each of their futures.
But Bruno’s careful planning doesn’t account for Haines having a
conscience and the fact that there will be others who are determined to get to
the truth. </div>
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Highsmith had me on tender hooks
throughout this novel. Her
characterisations were excellent, I detested the smarmy alcoholic Charles Bruno
and felt all of the emotions attributed to Haines. The nightmare world that she portrays is
unshakeable as is the persistent Bruno.
Living out his fantasies Bruno drags Guy, a once honest man, down into
hell without the strength of character to make it back in one piece.</div>
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I did this one as a ‘buddy read’
with a couple of readers who I have connected with on Twitter. All three of us felt the high anxiety of the
storyline, and once we had finished we agreed that we needed something calming
to read afterwards!</div>
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Hitchcock made a movie by the same name, but he detracted from the novel considerably and it is extremely
dated by today’s standards.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt;">Maxine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-17639857161558023322015-02-13T19:50:00.000+10:002015-02-13T19:55:30.860+10:00A Dark Love Letter to Iceland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hannah Kent intended her debut novel to be ‘a dark love letter to Iceland’ and I think she has succeeded. I certainly feel a desire to visit this country with the beautiful place names and unforgiving landscapes after reading <i>Burial Rites.</i></div>
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This is the story of Agnes Magnusdottir the last person to be executed in Iceland back in the 19th Century. It is a story of abandonment, poverty, lust and murder. The narrative has been based on extensive research by Hannah Kent and whilst there may be some invention/speculation as to Agnes Magnusdottir’s true personality, and her relationship with the compelling Natan Ketilsson, the story on the whole has been based on historical fact. </div>
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There are several narrative voices which makes the story quite interesting. I don’t always like this device but in this instance it works. The story opens with Agnes in a very deprived state after her arrest and trial. She is relocated to her home valley and housed with an unwilling farming family for the duration of the period leading up to her execution. The family initially abhor this filthy criminal that has been brought to their croft, but as Agnes’s dignity begins to return they find themselves drawn to her and her impoverished history as she relates her story to a young priest who visits regularly to prepare Agnes for what is to come. </div>
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I liked how Kent opened each chapter with an historical document relating to the case. Ie how the axe was to be made, how much it was to cost, who they chose as executioner and why, and the specific preparations for the day of the execution.</div>
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This is not a happy story, but it is beautifully written. I did it as a Bolinda audio book and the narrator was excellent. Those Icelandic names just rolled off her tongue and I found myself repeating them because they are so gorgeous to pronounce.</div>
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After I read the book I went on the internet to find out more about Agnes Magnusdottir and whilst I mainly just found articles on Hannah Kent I did stumble across this blog post which I found interesting:</div>
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<a href="http://icelandica.net/tag/agnes-magnusdottir/" target="_blank">http://icelandica.net/tag/agnes-magnusdottir/</a></div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-22764043594770604632014-11-29T19:08:00.000+10:002014-11-29T19:08:41.519+10:00Ransom ~ David Malouf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ransom is a beautifully written re-imagining of one of the stories from The Illiad. </div>
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Patroclus is dead and the grieving Achilles, who has taken his revenge on Hector, is tormenting Hector's father King Priam by dragging the body behind his chariot around the walls of Troy. Each night the gods restore Hector's body so that Achilles must repeat the process day after day.</div>
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There is no honour in what Achilles is doing, the body should and must be given up for decent burial rites but Achilles is in deep distress and feels that the gods are mocking him by restoring Hector's defiled flesh each night.</div>
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King Priam cannot stand to see his son so treated and decides to talk to Achilles face to face, man to man, and ransom Hector's body. At first his advisors are against this, feeling that someone should go in his stead, but this is something Priam must do himself, and not as a King but as a father. He decides to remove all trappings of his wealth and wear just a white robe; a simple carter, his wagon, and his two donkeys are hired to carry Priam and his ransom to Achilles.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What happens on the way is no less a surprise to Priam than it is to Somax the carter, which gives him a story to tell his grandchildren and great grandchildren in the years to come after Priam has fallen at the hands of Achilles' son.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I absolutely loved this little novella. Having read The Illiad a couple of years ago, it was wonderful to find myself back in this classic story.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Maxine</div>
Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-60141674722894131492014-11-29T19:03:00.004+10:002014-11-29T19:03:28.731+10:00Family Matters ~ Rohinton Mistry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
When the elderly Nariman Vakeel breaks his ankle his world, and that of his immediate family, changes forever.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Set in Bombay, it appears Nariman is lucky for he lives in a spacious apartment with his adult step children Coomy and Jal, but after the accident Coomy struggles to deal with Nariman's daily toileting to the point she feels he cannot live there any more. He is taken by ambulance to live with his biological daughter Roxana who lives in a two roomed flat with her husband and two young boys. Already lacking adequate space the only place they can put 'Grandad' is on the living room couch. The couch and the living room is Nariman's world for the next few weeks.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I absolutely loved this story, you are quickly drawn into the lives of this family. The bitter Coomy, the hard of hearing Jal and the beautiful Roxana who must keep the family together despite the daily trials. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I felt so many emotions whilst reading it - I felt absolute love for Roxana, the imposition put upon her by Coomy only makes her stronger. She takes care of her father and all his needs without complaint. I felt anxiety at her husband Yezad who makes some terrible decisions to improve their financial situation so that they can buy the necessary medicines for Nariman, who also suffers from Parkinson's. I felt anger too at Yezad who will not stoop to help his father-in-law with his toilet requirements and will not allow his two sons to help either.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nariman's story unfolds through torturous dreams and you feel sorrow for this man who was once a professor and who now suffers his illness and situation with the greatest of dignity.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a very thought provoking novel as there are many other secondary characters that are wonderful but tragic, like Mr Kapur the owner of the Sporting Goods Emporium where Yezad works. He loves Bombay as a woman, and hates to see her falling from grace beneath the corruption of those in power. His strong opinions and Yezad's own deviation from the straight and narrow will be Mr Kapur's downfall.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This really is a wonderful read, and I felt sorry to say goodbye to Roxana and her beautiful boys on finishing the novel.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Maxine</div>
Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-6342767356572038112014-08-26T20:57:00.000+10:002014-08-26T20:57:49.009+10:00Middlesex ~ Jeffrey Eugenides<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Not content with the emotional impact, nor the anatomical insight, contained in a diary written by an intersex convent girl in the 19th Century Jeffrey Eugenides decided to write a novel instead that would satisfy the reader's inquiring mind.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Middlesex</i> is loosely based on the author's life and his own Greek heritage, however, Calliope/Cal (the protagonist) is his own creation and therefore the novel is not autobiographical.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I loved this book!! Not only does it explore the themes of nature vs nurture, rebirth and the impact of a recessive gene on three generations of one family, but it also chronicles the life of two immigrant silkworm farmers from their isolated hillside home in Greece to their new life in prohibition era Detroit.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Calliope, their grand-daughter is born a hermaphrodite; however this is not discovered until she/he reaches puberty. Told retrospectively, and commencing from the womb, Calliope takes us back to when her grandparents were young and how the recessive gene which is quite often found in isolated in-bred groups of people begins to rear its ugly head.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Really, this novel could have been distasteful however we are introduced to a wonderful group of characters with great personalities and eccentricities trying to make a success of their life in a new country, not knowing that their life choices are taking them down a road that will cause the teenage Calliope untold anguish. Calliope suffers from the usual female teenage angst..... when will her period start? Why is she so flat chested when her classmates are developing? Why does she have a crush on her best friend? Being of Greek heritage other tell tale signs are missed as she grows older .... the unwanted hair on her upper lip that needs waxing, the husky voice and the beginning of heavy set features. I truly felt for Calliope as she brought back memories of my own insecurities as an introverted teenager.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One thing I didn't get was why Calliope's brother was called Chapter Eleven. All the way through the novel I was hoping it would reveal itself. It does actually, but very subtly and being Australian I didn't pick up on it. American's would get it. I won't spoil it here, read the book and if you are still in the dark you can Google Eugenides' answer. It's quite clever.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 24.0pt;">Maxine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-37548964200346905412014-08-15T20:07:00.001+10:002014-08-15T20:07:39.730+10:00The House of Mirth ~ Edith Wharton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/The_House_of_Mirth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/The_House_of_Mirth.JPG" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-align: justify;">Whilst Jane Austen used her
knowledge of drawing room conversions as inspiration for her novels, Edith
Wharton has drawn upon her experiences as a member of </span><st1:state style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on">New York</st1:state><span style="text-align: justify;">’s Upper Class Society for her novel
</span><i style="text-align: justify;">The House of Mirth.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This book was wonderfully
written, with the conversations between each character feeling completely
natural. Wharton shows the fabulously
wealthy as being conceited, shallow and condescending, where their only good
advice is to make sure that you ‘marry money’, where ‘breaking in new people’
is tiresome and where the most laborious job of the year is going through your
furs.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Lily Bart, the novel’s
protagonist, is a popular and beautiful member of <st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place>’s Upper Class Society around
1890. She has no money of her own and
her parents are deceased, but her Aunt takes her in and as she is very wealthy she
makes sure that Lily has the best clothes to wear for any occasion. Lily’s
mother and her Aunt have groomed her to be a beautiful ornament, but whose arm
she is to hang off remains to be seen.
At 29 years old she is under pressure to marry, but she cannot make up
her mind. She loves Lawrence Selden but
she would be stepping down in the world if she made that match, and he
definitely could not afford her extravagances.
Percy Gryce is fabulously wealthy but he’s a mother’s boy and Lily’s
smoking and mounting gambling debts scare him off. Simon Rosedale, a Jewish suitor is
distasteful to her, but he begins to be her only option as time goes on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Whilst she ponders her future, Lily
finds herself in more than one compromising situation; although totally
innocent on her part they spark malicious gossip about her that will not go
away. When she is accused of trying to
steal away the husband of one of her friends, Bertha Dorset, whilst holidaying
on the <st1:place w:st="on">Dorset</st1:place>’s yacht the scandal ruins Lily’s
status. Lilly is innocent of course, but
Bertha is trying to deflect possible gossip about her own indiscretions with a
poet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As the rumours circle round Lily’s
Aunt is appalled by her apparent behaviour and in the final weeks before her
death she disinherits Lily leaving her only a small legacy which will just
cover a debt which is hanging over Lily’s head like a black cloud. The payment
of the legacy is withheld for almost a year until legal problems with the Will
are ironed out, and Lily is forced to find work. Having been groomed for nothing but
ornamentation Lily’s work output is poor, she is let go and her health and
state of mind begin to suffer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
No longer needing to aim so high
for social standing, Lawrence Selden is once again a possible match, but fate
will see to it that they can never be together.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What a tragic figure Lily Bart
is, and this novel highlights once again how social conventions of the time
make life extremely difficult for young single women. Thomas Hardy shows us time and again with his
novels, and now we see that it cannot be escaped even with the wealthy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As for the title, it comes from Ecclesiastes
7:4<i>: “The heart of the wise is in the
house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth”.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A great read.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 26.0pt;">Maxine</span> </div>
Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-76302480093614964702014-08-06T20:37:00.001+10:002014-08-06T20:37:34.425+10:00The Chimera Vector ~ Nathan M Farrugia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I
was contacted by the author on Good Reads requesting a review in exchange for a
free copy of this book.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I’d read a few
Matt Reilly’s and this was touted as being a comparable novel.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">To be fair, I haven’t read a Matt Reilly in a
while and my tastes run towards 19</span><sup style="font-family: Arial;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Century fiction these days, but
I read the novel in its entirety and what follows in my honest review.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i>The
Chimera Vector</i> is a science fiction action novel which proposes that the
economy and politics of the world are run by psychopaths (possibly a correct
assumption) and a group of re-programmed Fifth Column operatives aim to break
this stranglehold on humanity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So
far so good, but the story is much more complicated than this. The theme is inspired by current events (being
the ‘War on Terror’). The premise is that the war on terror is a façade
manipulated by the secretive agency ‘The Fifth Column’. I started writing down key points as they
came up, but I must confess that the book lost me in the end. Encryptions and viruses, counter encryptions
and viruses, double agents, triple agents, quadruple agents …… an Axolotl
vector which enables the carrier to heal like a Salamander and a bad guy who
has found the fountain of youth……. I can only suspend my disbelief so far. That is not to say that this book isn’t well
written, it is, but I felt it tried to be too clever by half. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It
wasn’t as fast paced as a Reilly, and it wasn’t as much fun. I didn’t care about the characters and ‘Damien’
and ‘Jay’ didn’t work for me as major character names. It’s not until three quarters of the way
through the novel that the pace actually picks up but I had trouble visualising
the scenes and locations as there’s not much in the way of descriptive writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This is Book #1 of the <i>Fifth Column</i> series and will, however, probably gain a following from the target audience (which
I believe would be young adult males who are into a bit of techno action) - it
just wasn’t for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 24.0pt;">Maxine</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-18623922229803964502014-08-01T19:18:00.000+10:002014-08-01T19:18:21.396+10:00Far From the Madding Crowd ~ Thomas Hardy <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Bathsheba
Everdene is a strong spirited girl, and whilst she thinks she knows her own
mind she has not a clue with regards to the workings of a man’s mind.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Farmer
Boldwood is a confirmed bachelor and even the beauty of Miss Everdene can’t
turn his head at market. Bathsheba’s maid points out Boldwood’s indifference to
her so, out of fun or maybe girlish spite, she sends him a Valentine Card
sealed with a stamp marked ‘Marry Me’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This
frivolous throw away moment changes <i>everything.</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Boldwood
becomes a man desperate to possess her, and presses her for her promise to
marry to the point of breaking her spirit. Bathsheba had already turned down a
proposal of marriage from the kindly Shepherd Oak when she first arrived in
Weatherbury and Oak’s status looked like it was improving but, as her own
situation improves by taking on her late Uncle’s farm, Bathsheba is in no hurry
to lose her independence. Unfortunately,
during her unwanted courtship with Boldwood, she is dazzled by a rake (Sergeant
Troy), who has already ruined one young woman, and the chance of future
happiness begins to unravel for all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Through
this emotional drama Shepherd Oak remains a staunch and loyal friend, putting
aside his own feelings to manage Bathsheba’s farm and trying to morally guide
her. In a time when propriety means
everything, he has to withstand gossip from the neighbourhood which insinuates
that he’s just hanging around Bathsheba and ‘biding his time’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Set
in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Wessex</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
I loved the country setting and also the minor characters that work the
farm. Their dialogue and actions hark
back to simpler times which consisted of manual labour, cider and gossip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This
novel highlights the fickleness of young women in matters of love. In an era
when a promise is a promise, and solemnly binding, there’s no room for mistaken
feelings. I’m not usually sentimental but Bathsheba’s realisation of Oak’s true
friendship towards the end of the novel, and Oak’s realisation of his one
dream, had me fighting back tears.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">As for the title of the
novel, it was taken from the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> Far From the madding
crowd's ignoble strife<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> Their sober wishes
never learn'd to stray;<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> Along the cool
sequester'd vale of life <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> They kept the
noiseless tenor of their way.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> Elegy Written
in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Throw away your bodice
rippers, and read a love story with real class!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 24.0pt;">Maxine</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-82820646890737165792014-07-07T19:48:00.001+10:002014-07-10T22:25:34.941+10:00Dying Embers ~ M R Cosby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This is the first time that I
have waited in anticipation for the release of a book by a home grown author.
Knowing that the style was inspired by one of my favourite writers, Robert
Aickman, I was very keen to read it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Aickman has the ability to
unsettle your nerves when writing about everyday events that at first appear
normal then go slightly off kilter. I
can honestly say that I wasn’t disappointed. These short stories are very well
constructed, and the unsettling nature of each varies in degrees as does the
strangeness. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Abraham’s Bosom</i> was one of my favourite stories as it brought to
mind how I felt on my recent visit to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Rangitoto</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>. My partner and I had walked off the beaten
track looking for lava caves and I became increasingly alarmed when I couldn't
hear any of the other trekkers and was unable to orient myself to where we
should be on our map. This story of a
jogger becoming separated from his running mate and experiencing a supernatural
event reminded me not only of Robert Aickman but also of Alfred Noyes’ <i>Midnight Express </i>by the last passage<i>.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Building Bridges</i> I found to be a nice cloying story about a father
wanting to reconnect with his family however forces move against him during a
visit to a museum exhibit. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>The Next Terrace</i> is the perfect opening story and lays the
foundation to what can be expected within the following pages and <i>Playing
Tag</i> I thought was a beautifully written story which really evoked the grounds of an English stately home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>La Tarasque</i> was probably my least favourite of the collection but
mainly because I couldn't identify with any part of it, and I’m still trying to
work out the title of the last story (<i>Fingerprinting)
</i>although I did really enjoy the story itself. I’m staying in some obscure small towns at
the end of the year on my first ever Aussie road trip, so I shall bear this
story in mind!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This whole collection has been
put together very nicely; Some of the stories are very subtle whilst others
grab at you, but what I liked most about these stories is that they are very identifiable
as being Australian (although you can’t take the P.O.M.E. out of the collection
either – just like me!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt;">Maxine</span> </div>
Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-47243655858120200732014-06-23T21:31:00.000+10:002014-06-23T21:38:19.118+10:00A Revelation<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://vecto.rs/600/vector-of-a-cartoon-crazy-woman-in-a-straight-jacket-coloring-page-outline-by-ron-leishman-23838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://vecto.rs/600/vector-of-a-cartoon-crazy-woman-in-a-straight-jacket-coloring-page-outline-by-ron-leishman-23838.jpg" height="320" width="308" /></a>“……., it is because I am insane—quite insane: with my veins
running fire,</div>
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and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
(Brontë, Jane Eyre,
1847)</div>
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</div>
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Through the ages there have been plenty of stories about mad
women. I have often wondered how
come there were so many scapegoats during the witch hunts, (I had put it down to schizophrenia but surely there could not
have been that many schizophrenics back then?). I have also wondered why did seemingly well-to-do 19<sup>th</sup> Century women turn to Laudanum and in
the process become opium addicts? And there's recent times too, I'm sure we've all heard about a Mrs so and so back
in the 60’s and 70’s who had just had '<i>a
breakdown</i>'? </div>
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At the moment I’m reading Victor Hugo’s <i>Les Miserables, </i>and in it he speaks of the previous nuns of the Petit-Picpus
convent, two of whom went mad in their middle years.
It’s all a bit weird don’t you think?
Well, these past two months have been an eye opener for me and all I can
say is thank goodness I am a 21<sup>st</sup> century woman and have been saved
from the fate of these poor women.</div>
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It started quite insidiously really - I just noticed that I was sleeping less. At the beginning of January I went from being an 8-10 hour
sleeper to around 6 hours a night. No
big deal, I felt ok and it was good to get stuff done on the weekend as I had
more time by getting up nice and early.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Then I started waking around 4am to go to the loo. I put this down to getting older but as long as I could
get back to sleep again I wasn't worried.
Only, I stopped being able to get back to sleep again, so I cut out my evening
cup of tea but this barely made any difference.
Then I started steadily waking up earlier and earlier by the half hour – 3.30am, 3.00am, 2.30am,
2.00am. I was starting to feel a bit
alarmed by what was happening by this time. I tried counting back
from 100, I downloaded meditation apps (which I would listen to over and over again in one night but to no avail), and I even tried an
astronomy course of lectures – but even they couldn't send me to sleep. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01673/ducking-stool_1673736c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01673/ducking-stool_1673736c.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a>Last month I went away for the weekend with my partner. I wasn't feeling great, I was feeling totally
strung out from lack of sleep, but I was hoping a change of bedroom for a
couple of nights would take away the fear I was beginning to feel every time I got ready for bed. On the first day we had a big day of walking
and eating and didn’t end up going to bed until midnight – I woke up at 1am. The next night I couldn’t even fall asleep,
by the morning I was quite distraught.
What was happening to me? Had I
ruined my ability to sleep because I'd been sleeping elevated due to my BPPV? Or was it due to my dieting habits? I had been under a bit of pressure at work but I wasn't worrying about it at night. I obviously couldn't go another night without
sleeping so I called my doctor’s but my usual doctor was on holiday. ......I had a specialist
appointment that afternoon so I decided to ask if I could have a script for
sleeping pills to get me through the week until I could see my doctor. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Just talking to the specialist about how I was feeling took
a major load off my shoulders, ‘no problem’ she said ‘ I’ll give you a script on the proviso
you talk to your doctor about starting HRT’.
HRT?? It had never occurred to me that this was a symptom of going through <i>‘The Change’. </i>I had been suffering horribly with hot flushes but that was all I knew about starting menopause. Not only is insomnia a common symptom, it is also the best kept secret.</div>
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The sleeping pills helped me fall asleep but I would wake
around 2 – 3am. Frustrating, but at
least I was getting<i> some</i> sleep. I told
my boss what was going on as I was really struggling with my concentration and
mood, but he was very understanding (another weight off my shoulders).</div>
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Finally I got to see my doctor and a blood test showed that my hormones were low
and I started HRT three weeks ago. I still
can’t fall asleep without the sleeping pills – this could take another couple
of months, and I still wake up around 2-30am but I am starting to fall back asleep
again. Yippee! I feel human again, and I can function normally again, and not only that - no more hot flushes.</div>
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Every day I think about what those poor middle aged women went through
without today’s medical knowledge. I’m not happy that I need HRT given the long term risks but really what is the alternative.... madness?</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 25.0pt;">Maxine</span></div>
</div>
Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-86448910652778511722014-05-24T18:41:00.000+10:002014-05-24T18:41:00.247+10:00Going Retro<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Sick and tired of the quality of most TV programmes these
days, I started looking back at the shows I used to enjoy. The ones that had a
decent story to tell, where characters weren't constantly yelling at each
other, and children showed respect for their parents.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I had to go way back unfortunately, but what I did remember
and have now re-watched brought back fond memories and I was very surprised how
the quality of the shows stood up. Yes, there is a kind of innocence about them but
I do feel that they hark back to better times.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Sky</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This is a series that I thoroughly enjoyed re-watching.
Initially all I could remember was a fair haired boy sitting crossed legged in
a cave with the most amazing blue eyes. A quick search on Google and I found
the DVD. <i>Sky</i> is in fact a God modeled very much on David Bowie and <i>The Man Who
Fell to Earth </i>who needs to get back to his own time and dimension. The synthesized soundtrack adds to the eeriness of this series
and as a kid I loved it. The benchmark was set for my future viewing habits<o:p></o:p></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PgVsujjDa-k" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<u><b>The Changes</b></u><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This was a favourite of mine when I was about 9 or 10.
Something causes society to turn against machines. Cars, tractors, radios etc
are destroyed or locked away never to be used again. Set in the south west of <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region> one young girl is separated form her
family as they try to flee to <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>,
this is her story of survival. Forget zombies.... when society moves back to a
simpler way of life, pagan beliefs and superstition become a dangerous foe. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oKT6RR88SkY" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<u><b>Shadows</b></u><o:p></o:p></div>
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All I could remember about this series was the episode <i>The Other
Window</i>, I don't know how old I was when I first saw it but it scared the hell
out of me, even just thinking about the ending frightened me for a long time. Of course, re-watching it with adult eyes it isn't frightening at all. This is a really good award winning macabre series for children that ran for three seasons.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Xf4syFSHAho" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<b><u>The Outer Limits</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I always preferred the original series of <i>The Outer Limits
</i>to <i>The Twilight Zone</i>. It brings back memories of babysitting on a Saturday
night and waiting for 11pm so I could watch this show. It's definitely dated
to watch now, but it's messages aren't. My favourite episode is <i>The Architects of
Fear</i>. I even think this episode inspired Bill Clinton judging by a report I read
recently about his term in office. Scary.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dctvOGl5nz4" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Tales of the Unexpected</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally how could I forget this one. With a wonderful theme tune and originally based on
works by Roald Dahl the later episodes were by various well known writers, and
acted by some very well known stars. The stories at times are a little
predictable but they all have a wonderful twist. Whether you guess the twist or
not matters little as the quality of each show is a joy to watch. For the
record my two very favourite episodes are <i>The Flypaper</i> and <i>The Man at the Top</i>.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tylvUviFYpQ" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Children of The Stones</u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I've only just got a hold of a copy of this one, and have watched the first episode. It's a shame that kids these day watch such violent shows, or rubbish like <i>Home and Away</i> where there's no respect between any of the characters. They're not learning anything except how not to speak to people. Programmes like <i>Children of the Stones </i>have a real sense of time and place, with a focus on the history and beliefs of the area. I love the opening title!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bLpcr7KTi9I" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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Another series I'm quite enjoying is <i>The Crow Road</i> based on the novel by Iain Banks which I have just read. But, that's a post for some other time :)</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 20.0pt;">Maxine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-27896864354248306832014-04-11T20:43:00.001+10:002017-02-18T19:15:10.986+10:00Chris Eaton, A Biography ~ Chris Eaton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1365401201l/17076464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1365401201l/17076464.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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Have you ever Googled your own name and wondered about the people that you share it with? Well, Chris Eaton has and the result is a work of fiction centered around the lives of various male and female Chris Eatons along with a few other quirky characters.</div>
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Perhaps we all know, have met, crossed paths with, a Chris Eaton in our own lives? I know I have, he's a charming Englishman who works at our Sydney head office and briefly worked with me in Queensland a few years ago.</div>
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You won't find a linear story here, but what you will find is your life paralleled with one of the Chris Eatons within the narrative. Encompassing a broad spectrum of lives lived, this is by turns a funny but thought provoking novel. At various points I did think that I was re-reading <i>Moby Dick</i> with the amount of facts and figures being presented on a multitude of topics, whether true or not I'm not sure as I don't think that the narrator was altogether reliable at times, but some of it was very interesting.</div>
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I did, to my surprise, find myself really enjoying this book. It was very well written, and I was interested in many of the topics (punk rock, salt ...... otoliths). I could not believe the book included the obscure otolith! These little buggers are dominating my life at the moment, causing me severe vertigo at their worst and light headedness at their best, and no-one around me has ever heard of them, yet here they were speaking to me from the page (Kindle) LOL.</div>
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There were many thoughts, feelings and interactions in this novel that I could identify with, and it made me realise that we are ALL THE SAME. We don't need to share the same name to experience the same hopes, fears, loves and life lessons.</div>
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This really is something different to read, and I can recommend it as a well written thought provoking independent novel.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 24.0pt;">Maxine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ps: I Googled my own name and I found mostly obituaries which was rather disconcerting!</div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-36789981559039727942014-04-07T21:58:00.000+10:002014-04-07T21:59:48.677+10:001Q84 ~ Haruki Murakami<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcROvkdgzUn1LV3gyHfVmfI6uxBUXH38u6dIa-LVpFAg36Jttzwbjw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcROvkdgzUn1LV3gyHfVmfI6uxBUXH38u6dIa-LVpFAg36Jttzwbjw" /></a></div>
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*Warning: This Review Contains Spoilers*</div>
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Two moons, little people, a cat town, an 'Air Chrysalis' and parallel story-lines that merge at the end. Sounds surreal and mystical doesn't it, and just my type of read from an author I usually enjoy. I didn't expect to be so wrong! This love story between Aomame, a cold blooded
assassin, and Tengo, a ghost writer, could have been intriguing but instead it was
distasteful, boring and extremely repetitive.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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I had several problems with the writing which totally frustrated me. For one, I
couldn't understand why there was such an in depth description as to the type
of head a man must have for Aomame to sleep with him. This was a ridiculous story-line to begin
with, but being constantly told that it must be a certain shape and
slightly balding didn't make sense as Tengo, her supposed soul mate, clearly did not have this head type at all, so what was the point?</div>
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When
we were first introduced to Tengo he was in the grip of a disturbing
vision/memory of his mother. These visions stop him completely in his tracks, he
cannot function, and we are told in great detail that this happens on a regular basis (a
bit like me and my BPPV!). Yet it
is barely alluded to for the rest of the novel.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The
writing (or maybe it was the translation?) came across as very
unprofessional. When you have only two characters in a scene and they are conversing
you don't need to say for example "Tengo said”.
We know who’s talking. and when
one of the two characters repeats the other character’s line (which happened way too much
in this novel I can tell you!) you don't need to say for example “Tengo
repeated”. Aaaaagh, it was too much!</div>
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There
were in depth histories of several secondary characters which served no purpose to the story, and sequences involving a ghostly NHK fee collector who we must suppose is Tengo's comatose father which also served no real purpose whatsoever. <br />
<br />
I did enjoy the character of Ushikawa, but the amount of time spent with him was wasted as he was killed off. I didn't get it, why did I have to spend so much time with this secondary character and learn about his past, his flaws and hear his inner thoughts, only to have him die and achieving nothing in the way of propelling the story in any meaningful way?<br />
<br />
My biggest gripe though is the fact that there
was way too much repetition over-all in the novel, especially the constant recapping of the story thus far and dumb explanations of what was going on by various
characters so much so that I found it pretty insulting to me as the reader.</div>
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I was so hoping for something magical like <i>Kafka on the Shore</i>, but this novel could
have easily been cut by a third and I think we should demand a re-write –
especially that of Aomame’s character, dialogue and motivation as that side of the
novel was just plain awful.<br />
<br />
I'm a very disappointed Murakami fan.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bradley Hand ITC'; font-size: 22pt;">Maxine</span> </div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-84205864984565392142014-03-15T15:42:00.001+10:002014-03-15T15:42:25.525+10:00The Shelter ~ James Everington<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The Shelter</i> is a novella by the independent writer James Everington in the style of Stephen King's <i>The Body </i>which resonated with me in the fact that it is about a group of children (in this case four boys) getting up to no good during a school summer holiday. Set in England, it brought back memories of those long six week holidays, with not much to do except going exploring with friends. It is something we probably don't let our children do today but, without Foxtel, Apple, X-box or PC's, our options for entertainment back when I was a teenager in the late 70's and early 80's lay in the outdoors.</div>
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The story of <i>The Shelter </i>is related by a thirteen year old Alan Dean who, with his best friend Duncan and two older boys that he knows from school, goes in search of an old air raid shelter that supposedly lies outside of their village. When they get there it's location seems a bit bizarre with the shelter being located in the far corner of a field, the atmosphere changes too with the incessant buzzing of wasps and a feeling of rising anger that threatens to overwhelm the boys themselves.</div>
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Driven by excitement and fear, and wondering if this is the resting place of Martin, a local schoolboy whose disappearance has dominated the news reports lately, they open the metal lid that covers the entrance to the shelter. Everything appears normal until a simple prank leaves Alan in a terrifying situation and open to a supernatural event. But did it really happen? </div>
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As children we are ready to accept the unknown, and in a state of heightened terror we can imagine any amount of horrors. Yet for all those nights of being too afraid to look under the bed, or in the closet or at that bundle of clothes thrown on the chair that looks like something unimaginable.......... did any harm ever come to us? This then brings doubt and cynicism into the mind of the adult, and the realisation that there never was anything there at all. This is the thought that the older Alan will ponder as he reviews the events of that summer.</div>
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The writing style does need some polishing, and the idea itself of using a group of bored children to propel the story along isn't all that original - just read Stephen King and Dan Simmons - but I found that I really liked it because of the memories that it stirred up for me and I almost (almost mind you) felt a pang for a genuine English Summer.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 22.0pt;">Maxine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-15663740493529836432014-03-08T17:17:00.002+10:002014-03-08T17:21:16.299+10:00As I Lay Dying ~ William Faulkner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's something about Faulkner that I really like, but I can't put my finger on it. I've only read two of his novels but I guess it's the quirkiness of the characters, and the secrets that come out during the telling of the story, that grabs my attention.</div>
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Addie Bundren is dying, her husband and children are waiting around for her to die, which is her wish. Her son Cash is out in the yard making her coffin which is also her wish. Her final wish though is to be buried in Jefferson with 'her people', and basically this is what the novel is about. We follow this hillbilly family to Jefferson to bury their mother, but it's not an easy journey and Addie will be several days dead before she is finally laid to rest.</div>
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During the journey we find out that Addie and her husband Anse were not happily married nor great parents, that one son is not Anse's biological son, their only daughter is not as pure as she seems and another son is dangerously mad. </div>
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<i>As I lay Dyin</i>g is told from the viewpoint of fifteen different characters, including the deceased Addie. I'm not usually a fan of using different narrators, but it works in this novel especially when the antics of the family are viewed by a more sane narrator. It is by turns both funny and sad.</div>
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Jame's Franco's movie adaptation of the novel is quite stunning. Using the split screen device he is able to capture the multi-narrator point of view for several of the scenes, and in others he has the characters staring into the camera narrating a monologue to the viewer. My favourite monologue is that of Cash as he describes the build of Addie's coffin. </div>
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What I like best about the movie is that it barely detracts from the novel at all, which is a rarity these days, so I guess Franco's not just a pretty face after all!</div>
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After enjoying this so much, and also <i>The Sound and The Fury, </i>I look forward to reading some more Faulkner later this year.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 26.0pt;">Maxine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509591326821551314.post-29550480483747262302014-03-01T22:18:00.000+10:002014-03-02T00:04:22.866+10:00Roadside Picnic ~ Arkady and Boris Strugatsky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Roadside Picnic</i> is a novella by Russian sci-fi writers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky and was adapted for the screen as <i>Stalker. </i>The movie and the book are very different but there are enough similarities to make it recognisable as the same theme.</div>
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The story centres on 'The Zone<i>',</i> an area made uninhabitable since an alien visitation destroyed it. It is illegal to enter <i>'</i>The Zone' without the appropriate authorisation and protective clothing, but people do. These people are known as <i>Stalkers,</i> and they make their money from the items that they bring out of 'The Zone'. Successful <i>Stalkers</i> become legendary as many don't make it out alive, and if they do then some are not always in one piece. The one thing that they all wish to obtain is the 'golden ball' for it is said that it will grant your innermost wish.</div>
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The novella follows a <i>Stalker</i> called Redrick Schuhart, who is known as 'Red' by his peers. It is well known that the wives of stalkers bear deformed children, and Red's daughter is no exception. Nicknamed 'Monkey' there is mention of golden silken hair on her body but, as the story progresses Monkey's hair darkens and her face becomes sunken, and she becomes disassociated from her family.</div>
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The title of the story relates to the alien visitation, which is likened to a roadside picnic. When we have a picnic we disturb the area that is home to the various creatures living there - insects and birds etc. We eat our food, play some games, leave our rubbish and then drive off without giving a second thought to the place again.<br />
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In the movie (directed by Andrei Tarkovsky) it is many years since the alien visitation and a stalker is taking two men into The Zone to find a room that will grant their wishes. This is an extremely beautiful and atmospheric movie to watch. Some of the scenes are like watching a painting. The music is gorgeous and captures the feel of the location perfectly.</div>
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More philosophical than the book, it asks the question: <i>What really is our heart's desire?</i> You might know what your dearest wish is but your innermost desire might be something in your subconscious ie you might wish for peace on Earth but subconsciously you might desire your brother dead............when the <i>Stalker </i>and the two men find the room this question plagues their consciences.</div>
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<i>Stalker </i>is a movie that you can watch on many levels. I love watching it just for the visual images, I like to watch it without any subtitles so that I can soak in the sound of the Russian language, and I watch it just to enjoy the soundtrack. This is certainly a beautiful piece of movie making.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bradley Hand ITC"; font-size: 30.0pt;">Maxine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Maxinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02690474483386488911noreply@blogger.com0