Overblown and Under-Edited?

Who are we to criticize a novel for being overblown and under-edited?  Granted, some of the classics are awfully long, some due to the fact that they were serialised, but I guarantee that unless a novel is of a substantial size you won’t be drawn in or get to know the characters so well.

I find that a lot of modern novels are generally not long enough. and some of these ‘indie’ authors on Amazon seem to be writing what I would term as ‘pamphlets’.  There’s no substance to them at all.  Some are okay for a VERY light read to pass the time but mainly they are forgettable.

I read this blog post recently http://www.inpotentia.co.uk/2011/09/four-legs-good-two-legs-bad.html?m=1 and have been thinking about it a bit as I disagree with a couple of comments that were made.  Especially the remark about Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants for example (I found this novel to be very entertaining and I like to think myself a discerning reader), and then there’s the dig at J K Rowling’s Harry Potter being woefully under-edited!  I’d like to see what my (adult) daughter and die-hard Potter fan would like to say to that.  I think they are wonderfully written novels, and very clever.  Their success and the fact that they have probably got more children (and adults) reading than any other series speaks for itself.  My son would never have picked up a book if not for Harry Potter.  I don’t think any real Potter fan would accept a novel of just a few hundred pages with no exposition or reference to the previous works.

I also read a review yesterday (on Good Reads) that criticized Anna Karenina for being under-edited.  You’ve got to be kidding!

So, give me an overblown under-edited novel any day, because I know that I’ll be thinking about the story and the characters long after I’ve tossed aside an indie ‘pamphlet’.

Actually, I totally digressed. as I really wanted to talk about Philip K Dick's Ubik.  I'll have to save that for another night!

Happy Reading!

Maxine

A Playful Dance

I was sad to receive an email from The Book Army last night informing all members that they were closing the site on the 21st December. Too much competition apparently, and I feel like one of the traitors having moved to Good Reads recently. Even worse, after spending a lot of time adding my books into Good Reads, the email included a link to export from the Book Army! ….. if only I had got that email a couple of weeks ago!!

So, I finished reading Antic Hay and I had to wonder what the hell it was all about! The title Antic Hay is from a quote from Edward II by Christopher Marlowe and refers to a 'playful dance'. I thought it would be the name of a character and was waiting all the time for him to turn up! The writing was very good, but I guess you would really need to have moved in the circles described to fully appreciate what he was getting at. The book was controversial when first published due to its sexual references but by today’s standards it’s pretty tame. It’s mainly about a group of idle rich set in the 1920’s in London. Although I didn't really enjoy it I did like the writing style so I will definitely try another Huxley.

I also finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and definitely enjoyed it more than some of the others in the series. Everything tied in nicely, though it did have a ‘Matrix’ feel to it when Harry finds himself in a deserted Kings Cross Station with Dumbledore and during the fight at Hogwarts Mrs Weasley sounded like Ripley from Aliens 2 (you know, at the end when she is in the loader) when she tells Bellatrix to stay away from her daughter!! I didn’t like the 14 years later chapter, I felt that was a little silly, but on the whole it was pretty good and I think I shall miss the characters now it is all over.

Tonight I’ll start the second novella in Full Dark No Stars, which is called Big Driver and I just need to decide on my next audio book. I’m getting a bit annoyed with the Media Drive downloads from the library as just lately I’ve noticed that a few words are cut off at the end of each chapter. That’s very annoying, and spoils the story somewhat as it could be a crucial clue to the plot so I will have to rethink where I get my audio downloads. However, I’ll probably do Northanger Abbey next by Jane Austen.

I have also bought a book from new author J W Collier called Opposing Energies. It is his first published novel, and I first heard of it via Twitter and then the author’s website (you see dad, here's proof that Twitter is a great medium to promote yourself.......).  I wouldn't normally buy a book on spec, but I was impressed with the website and the author comes across as a really nice guy, plus the book will be signed so I thought what the hell, it will be good to help promote someone new. I’m really looking forward to reading it, and as it was posted a couple of days ago, it will my next physical read after Full Dark. Plus, once finished it will be a new addition to my ‘shelf of fame’ where I keep all my signed books and my photo with Matt Reilly J

So, with another very wet Sunday heading my way it looks like I'll have plenty of time to curl up with a nice cuppa and my Kindle and get some of Adam Bede read so I can talk about that soon.

The Saddest Novel I Have Ever Read

This has to have been one of the saddest stories I have ever read.  The story is not Quasimodo’s it is la Esmeralda’s.  It is a story about an abducted child and a mother’s grief.  Quasimodo only really has a minor (but significant) role.

The best scene was when the recluse realised la Esmeralda was her child whilst holding her for the king's men to take her to be executed.  She then tries to hide her, but Esmeralda makes herself known when she thinks she hears Phoebus. No amount of begging will stop the king’s men from taking the ‘sorceress’ to be hung, it is heart wrenching.

The poet who I thought would become a major character was pretty much a redundant character but he saved the goat, so he was good for something.

Hugo was under pressure from his publisher to finish the novel, and this was evident in the writing ie he got on with the story.  A very dark novel but, I am really pleased I stuck it out and read it.  

Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde didn't take long to read at all, so I have now reached my target for the year, yippee!!  The story is told by two of Jeckyll's friends, and by a letter from Jeckyll to be read only upon his disappearance or death.

The novel explores the duality of man and that we all have this darker side.  This is evident is some people who have suffered a brain injury.  A darker side emerges - a temper, swearing, extreme moodiness etc.

Apart from a couple of specific events Hyde's depraved activities are only barely hinted at, we can only assume that he is visiting prositutes and opium dens.  Jeckyll desired to frequent these placed but the coventions of society restricted him - he has his respectability to maintain.  Now that Mr Hyde is unleashed he can run amok.  Hyde becomes the more dominant character, Jeckyll goes to bed and wakes up as his darker self.  It is only after the murder of an eminent man that Hyde shows a fear of the gallows and lets Jeckyll take the reins again - albeit briefly.

It's a very disconcerting read!

What am I reading next? Well, I'm half way through Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.  Harry's annoying me slightly.  For all he's been through he's a bit dim sometimes, and even though he's been told Voldemort's name has been tabooed he still had to go and say it and now he's put himself and his friends in mortal danger. What an idiot!!

Adam Bede is my next Kindle read and I might try my new Stephen King tonight..........

I Love Starting a New Book!

It’s lovely to start a new book isn’t it?  I always look forward to it with relish.  I finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and I’ve started listening to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.  At first I thought I was reading it out of order, the beginning in the Prime Minister’s office threw me a little bit until I realised it was a recap of previous events. 

Fred and George have their own shop in Diagon Alley now, which the gang visit whilst picking up requirements from their book lists.  Hermione finds a charm that guarantees day dreams – the side effects however include ‘vacant expression’ and ‘minor drooling’.  I love it!  Harry has been made Captain of the Quidditch team, which gives him the same rights as Prefects, so………so far so happy. 

The Time Traveller’s Wife has finally started to get my attention so now it’s been elevated to my lunchtime book and I even managed to read a few pages today.  I still have to stop and think sometimes, especially with lines like “I met Clare for the first time in October 1991.  She met me for the first time in September, 1977; she was six, I will be thirty eight.  She’s known me for all her life.  In 1991 I’m just getting to know her.”

Thank You Jeeves was a great disappointment – it was only 4 discs long and I wanted MORE!! I loved it of course.  Another one off the list – that’s two already this week. Actually I’ve had a bit of a panic attack as I only realised last night that it’s now mid September and I still have to knock off another 8 to reach my yearly target (as well as read my other books!).

Still reading through the Matheson short stories, my favourite from this batch I think so far is Disappearing Act. The narrator is finding that all the people he has known in his life are being erased from existence one by one……..will he or won’t he be next?

For my drive to and from work I’ve just started listening to Carry me Down by M J Hyland.  It has an Irish narrator which really lends a ‘feel’ to this book as it is set near Dublin.  It’s obviously going to be quite sinister, and there is a shocking murder scene involving kittens at the beginning.  I had to keep repeating to myself ‘it’s only a story, it’s only a story’.  It was quite graphic and upsetting (especially for a cat lover like me).  Yes, I could have skipped it but it may have some relevance to the story later on so I had to bear it.  Basically so far we can ascertain that the story is being narrated by an 11 year old boy.  His mum is 37 and his dad 38, both of whom (he tells us) are very good looking people and he believes that they must feel disappointment with him as he is very tall for his age, with a large nose, and his voice has already broken.  When talking with his parents he likes to study them and his mind will wander a bit only to be brought back to attention by the parent wanting to know what he is staring at.  His mother admonishes him a couple of times in the first chapters that this staring is unnerving.  There is also an underlying inference that the boy and his mum may be unnaturally close….?

The boy’s father doesn’t work, but he is apparently studying for the Trinity entrance exam, and as such they all live together with the boy’s grandmother in her home about two hours from Dublin.

The boy is fascinated with The Guinness Book of Records; he has every copy except the 1959 issue, and refers to it all the time.  I don’t want to Google the premise as it could ruin the plot line for me, but it appears that the boy will do something that he hopes will get him into the book….and it may not be very nice?  M J Hyland wrote How the Light Gets In which is on the 1001 list, so I may have to book a copy of that soon as so far I like the way she writes.

Damn Batteries!

I wish I was more vigilant when it came to keeping my toys charged up.

I went to Dreamworld yesterday to try out their Carvery and to take in the Australian Show.  Before we left we thought we would spend some time with the tigers.  Sita was there being menaced by the four juveniles.  One of the juveniles slipped passed a trainer and there was a bit of a scuffle and some roaring on Sita’s part - would have made great video footage…… only my battery was flat….and the opportunity was missed.

Today I had just started my ironing when I decided to finish listening to Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire.  I was on the last chapter so knew I only had half an hour to go with it. I just got to the part where Hermione was about to explain how Rita Skeeta managed to get all her inside scoops at Hogwarts…….when my iPod stopped because my battery was flat!  Can you imagine the agony, it was hours before I remembered I had been charging it up and finally found out she was an unregistered Animagus and had turned into a bug!

I’m also a bit fed up how iTunes catalogues the discs to my audio books.  The amounts of times I start a book and find that Disc 3 has been catalogued first grrrrrr.  As we speak I am reloading HG Well’s The Time Machine for that very reason. 

It was a quiet Sunday all up, but I was busy on the Book Army site getting my ranking ‘up there’.  I went through my bookshelves and have registered those that I have read.  Then I noticed Enid Blyton is on the site, so I went through all the Famous Five and Secret Sevens that I remember reading plus The Three Detectives by Alfred Hitchcock.  I remember reading one Enid Blyton book about two cousins spending the summer on a farm.  I couldn’t be bothered ploughing through 62 pages of titles, I went through 12 and nothing rang a bell so gave up.  Anyhoo, my ranking is now 90 so very happy with that.

I’ve uploaded a new Dean Koontz to listen to (Whispers) – yes, I am a glutton for punishment – but I’ll do The Time Machine & The End of Mr Y first.  Plus I need to get some 1001 reads done otherwise I won’t make my target.  I found another ‘Book of The Dead’ hidden behind my Stephen Kings, so will do that one instead of the awful Patricia Cornwell that I gave up on.  

Off to finish cooking my roast now........

No More Soggy Sandwiches!

I know I should have thought of this sooner, but I didn’t. Sometimes the most obvious solutions are hard to find. However after reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the problem was solved. If you want tomato in your sandwiches, blot the sliced tomatoes in paper towel first!! I was cutting out the middles of the tomatoes, or putting them separately in a tub – which was taking up the room for chocolate in my lunch box - I’m so happy, my sandwiches today were yummy and not a bit of ‘sog’ anywhere!

My reading came to an abrupt halt for a couple of days thanks to the pressures of work, however now the weekend is upon us and I will do my best to catch up.

Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire ~ Poor Cedric has been killed by Lord Voldemort, and I’m at the big reveal near the end of the book. I’ve really enjoyed this fourth instalment and only have one criticism – the characters look ‘wildly about’ a little too often. I find the phrase midly annoying, maybe it’s because it is the sort of thing I would write (I have no talent!), and I’m sure J K Rowling could give us a better adverb. However, she is the millionaire and who am I to criticise?

The Book of the Dead is what I call my bit of ‘fluff reading’. It’s just a bit of nonsense, but good for a light read and a bit of time out from the heavy stuff. It’s well written and the characters are promising to be interesting. Constance has got me intrigued. This is the last in the Pendergast Trilogy, and I should have read the others before hand but I’ll see how I go. So far we have a mysterious murder in the Egyptian exhibit at the museum, plus Agent Pendergast is in prison (he was framed) and is about to be liberated. His brother Diogenes (the bad guy) has just given Constance a white mouse but she lied about who gave it to her when the group who are going to break Pendergast out of prison saw it. What’s her motive? Why was she wearing a crinoline in the previous chapter…….? I don’t want to Google it as I’ll spoil the novel but if I’d read the other books it would be obvious I guess.

Have done a couple more chapters of the Time Traveller’s Wife too. I’m going to take this one slowly, but where I was confused before it is now all clear……. it’s a bit of a mind warp this one you have to keep stopping and reminding yourself what’s what!

Anyhoo, I'll sign off for now.

Happy reading and have a good weekend!

Harry Potter doesn’t just belong in the children’s domain

A few years back our head office sent up an ex Victorian policeman who was contracted to do an audit of our office and train us in compliance. I was a little afraid of this man when he arrived at our office; he was very stocky with a shaved head and looked every bit the law enforcer of the Victorian type. I was called in to his allotted office for my training, and as I sat down he pulled out his brief case and opened it. It contained two items – a buff manilla folder and a book - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I laughed, he smiled and the ice was broken. He turned out to be a lovely man, and I realised that some books do not just belong in the children’s domain. No matter how old we are, we are all still children at heart and warm to the sense of the magical. I don’t think that there would be anyone amongst us who would not love to shop at Diagon Alley, join in a feast or catch the Hogwart’s Express.

J K Rowling’s imagination is amazing. From the names of her characters, to the names of the Wizarding lessons….. everything is so well thought out and everything contains a sprinkling of her lovely humour.

It has been a couple of years since I read book two, but the characters are so well constructed that I got straight into The Prisoner of Azkaban with no real need of the reminders that are strategically placed throughout. Hermione, Ron and Harry have just come face to face with Sirius Black so I’m on a bit of a cliff hanger until I listen to some more on my drive to work in the morning.

I finished reading On Borrowed Time by Evan Green in my lunch break today. It read a little bit like a Matt Reilly towards the end and I even got caught up in the excitement, but then it got confused and the last few lines were a bit pathetic and a real let down. I’m a big believer in great opening and closing lines, so no marks there for this one.

A little bit about why I read several books at once……. I have a different book for different periods in the day. IE my drive to work is about half an hour each way, so I like to have an audio book for that drive. It took me a while to get used to listening to books, but as long as you have a good narrator you can’t go wrong. Audio books have just about tripled my reading output – or should that be input? I try and do all my book club reads as audio books (I’m not sure why…..). I even think that some books can be enjoyed more as audio – such as the PG Wodehouse Jeeves & Wooster stories.

In the evenings I like a physical book, generally a nice 400 pager that will last me a long time that I can savour for half an hour before sleep. Just lately that’s been a Dickens, though at the moment it is Solaris as I need to get that finished as it’s due back to the library on Thursday!

At work I like to have an easy light hearted/pulp book or short stories. Something that I can pick up and put down (on those rare occasions when I actually get a lunch break I still need to answer the phone).

I also have a ‘spare’ read. Something I’ll pick up now again. This is generally a horror book, something I won’t take too seriously but just to keep my ‘hand in’ with my favourite genre. Though I have gone against the rule and it’s currently Madam Bovary. I’m really enjoying it, so it may become my evening book.

I have many books lined up beside my bed and I'm just itching to get started with those!