tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55392403840683016872024-03-14T09:52:05.193+00:00The Babbling BookcaseWhere I babble about booksAFishCalledAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12345476082530591708noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-28441912923686937152013-10-07T08:10:00.001+01:002013-10-07T08:10:41.674+01:00Lady Chatterley's Lover
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Lady Chatterley’s Lover</span></b></span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 22.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0RjuyjuIL-0/UlJeGBkBQjI/AAAAAAAAAHI/TP1ApBZ4k0M/s1600/Lady+Chatterley's+Lover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0RjuyjuIL-0/UlJeGBkBQjI/AAAAAAAAAHI/TP1ApBZ4k0M/s400/Lady+Chatterley's+Lover.jpg" width="260" /><span style="color: #2458b6; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Author:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> D. H. Lawrence<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Publisher:
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Penguin Classics</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Published:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">1<sup>st</sup> June 2006 (Originally published in</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">1928).</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">RRP:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> £8.99<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">The first thing to say
about this book is that it really is quite surprising it was written so long
ago. Not only is the language blunt and
shocking by even today’s standards, but the subject matter- an exploration of
the role of sex within relationships, feels contemporary and ever-relevant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> The lead character Connie marries Clifford
Chatterley who, shortly after their honeymoon, is sent to war only to return
paralysed from the waist down and completely impotent. He becomes consumed in his success as a
writer and with his coal mining business pushing Connie away and increasing her
feeling of isolation. She eventually
sparks up a relationship with the groundskeeper Oliver Mellors and the
remainder of the tale follows their exploits and the consequences of their
affair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> I’m a lover of classic literature, but it can
get tedious reading stories that are much the same with women generally being
wet and pathetic creatures who are easily manipulated and controlled by their
male equivalents. It is refreshing
therefore that Connie is presented as such an independent woman. Of course we could argue for hours that she
is anything but strong and confident but ultimately she is a woman tired of her
life, wants more and goes and gets it despite the hurdles in her way. Hooray for her!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">I think the book is a very
honest analysis of relationships. We
would all love to think we could do the noble thing of sticking by someone who
has become disabled despite there being a lack of physical and emotional
connection , realistically though, this doesn’t happen. The book doesn’t shy from the fact that sex
is an integral part of human relationships and explores the voids that can
develop when people are just not suited to each other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">I did enjoy the book it
was shocking at times, warm and sincere although hearing how much Connie’s womb
tingled, flickered or other ridiculous sensation did get a little
tiresome! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Rating: 8/10</span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-58981620879267985482013-01-13T18:36:00.001+00:002013-01-13T18:36:31.849+00:00The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QnUH1zTmmE0/UPL9VzeM5_I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/GpL08bZHceA/s1600/Hundred+Year+Old+Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QnUH1zTmmE0/UPL9VzeM5_I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/GpL08bZHceA/s320/Hundred+Year+Old+Man.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
<b></b><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Author:</b> Jonas Jonasson</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Publisher: </b>Hesperus Press</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>Published:</b> 12<sup>th</sup> July 2012</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<b>RRP:</b> £8.99</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Funnily enough, this is the story of an elderly man named Allan Karlsson who on his 100<sup>th</sup> birthday decided he had had enough of the
constraints of living in an old people’s home so climbed out of the window and
disappeared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The title pretty much says
it all really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allan does not literally disappear
but instead embarks on an exciting adventure where he meets a plethora of
unique and extraordinary characters including gangsters, hot dog stand owners
and an elephant whilst managing to evade the police desperately trying to
locate him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Unlike the stereotypical portrayal of the elderly as weak
and feeble, this book characterises Allan as a strong-minded, witty man, completely
able to defend himself, at times a little too well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An interesting character, the Jonasson has
used Allan’s age to be able to intertwine elements of 20<sup>th</sup> Century
History, in a very Forrest Gump-esque style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
It is a good, solid read, with plenty to hold your interest
but for me I felt there was something lacking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Throughout the book, from start to finish I felt as though I was reading
a screenplay and not a novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
not necessarily a bad thing, except a novel is what Jonasson set out to
write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Books to me should make you feel
part of the world you are reading about, you should know the characters as you
know your friends; this is achieved through the depth of the description that
the author uses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet I felt like an
observer throughout this read, there wasn’t the development of the world for me
to feel part of just the description of one event followed by another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
I think this would make a great Swedish arthouse film of a
similar style to ‘Let the Right One In’, but to me it wasn’t quite the full
package as a book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating: 6/10 </b></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-36651463923808886192012-01-05T15:07:00.000+00:002012-01-05T15:07:31.104+00:00The Diary of a Nobody<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PZvk1RoO3Qc/TwW7cmHzWQI/AAAAAAAAADk/XP_haafdqxs/s1600/The+Diary+of+a+Nobody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PZvk1RoO3Qc/TwW7cmHzWQI/AAAAAAAAADk/XP_haafdqxs/s320/The+Diary+of+a+Nobody.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Author: </b>George and Weedon Grossmith</span><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Publisher:</b> Vintage</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 2010 (Originally 1892)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>RRP: </b>£5.99</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Everyone knows a Charles Pooter. He is a lower middle class man working as a clerk in the city. He is respectable, he has illusions of grandeur and fancies himself quite the comedian. He decides one day that he will keep a diary for a year detailing everything that happens in his life. He believes it will be an important record of his life, instead it ends up the trivial whining of a middle-aged man. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Although there are few real laugh out loud moments in the book, it never ceases to be amusing.<i> </i>I was not bored on a single page, my favourite moments being when he repeats jokes he makes when he believes no one noticed them (although it’s just that they aren’t funny). The relationships are completely believeable, the solid marriage he has with Carrie and the friendships he has with the loveable characters of Mr Cummings and Mr Gowings (names which when first reading them, really did make me laugh, such is my sense of humour!). The key events in the diary tend to centre on his son Lupin, who is not everything Charles expected him to be, he is loud, confident, funny and compulsive, everything Charles is not. Furthermore, Lupin finds himself in not only work troubles but also in a mess with love.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> It’s hard to believe that this book was first published in 1892 the people seem like real modern people. That may sound ridiculous but I’m sure I’m not the only one who has assumed that people living over one hundred years ago were prude and boring. This book is a glimpse into the real world of the late-Victorian era. It accurately describes the daily life, the jobs, the clothes, the food but it says much more about the people. Englishmen really haven’t changed as much as we imagine. A funny, warm and heartfelt read, it’s clear how this book has survived this long and I’m sure it has centuries left in it before the real nature of people change.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Rating: 7/10</b></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-62820220118759551942012-01-05T14:19:00.000+00:002012-01-05T14:19:53.938+00:00The Shining<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pcAkqMC3Gjo/TwWwJvSNgwI/AAAAAAAAADM/G2Ur2evHyqE/s1600/The+Shining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pcAkqMC3Gjo/TwWwJvSNgwI/AAAAAAAAADM/G2Ur2evHyqE/s320/The+Shining.jpg" width="199" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Author:</b> Stephen King</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Publisher: </b>Hodder and Stoughton</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Published: </b>2007 (Originally 1977)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>RRP: </b>£6.99</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> OK, I’ll admit it; I can be a snob when it comes to books. I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets wound up by the amount of low quality literature that’s around. If you set out to write a book, at least try to make it good. The thing that baffles me most about these substandard reads is that they always seem to have such a huge readership. The literary classics, for many, go untouched and instead they wait until a shockingly terrible adaptation is released on film...because obviously that’s the same as reading it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Having had that rant I now want to make it clear that I love Stephen King books. This may seem bonkers when you think I occupy most of my time reading the classics but everyone has their guilty pleasure. Sure he isn’t a great wordsmith but he is an amazing storyteller. His characters have clear voices, you feel as though you know them and the plot always oozes tension. The Shining is no exception. I have always loved the Stanley Kubrick film adaptation but now I have read the book I have realised that the film really doesn’t make much sense. The film focuses on Jack’s decent into madness, the book however provides the insight into how and why this happens. Most significantly, it provides the back story to the characters.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Jack is troubled. His past is full of anger and alcoholism. He broke his baby’s arm in a drunken rage a few years ago (an incident his wife won’t allow him to forget), he then went on to start a fight with one of his students losing his job at the college. He is offered the job as caretaker in an isolated hotel, ‘The Overlook’ situated in the mountains over the harsh winter months. He moves in with his family and from there he begins to unravel the violent past hidden within the hotel walls. His son, who has psychic abilities (the shining), is being pursued by the terrifying ghosts of the hotels past. The hotel longs to have the boy, Danny, as part of its collection recognising his great psychic power and manipulates Jack in order to get at him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> What Stephen King does so well is that he opens a window into the minds of his characters, we see their thoughts, we know their feelings. Danny sees right from the start of the book how the story will end and the suspense is heightened as we see this premonition become a reality for him. King expertly twists and turns making the situation for the family more and more terrifying. It is unbearable to read, you grow to care about these characters yet know what will become of them. The fact that grow to know the inner workings of Jack so well, makes his downfall painful to read, his not a bad man, he is a weak man manipulated to do evil things.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Do not think for a moment that because you have seen the Kubrick film that you know the story. Quite simply you don’t. There is very little that is similar between the two in my view. The twins aren’t in it, the tricycle isn’t in it, the ‘Here’s Johnny’ moment isn’t in it, the dead lady in the bath tub is though...eek! Instead there are other sinister characters lurking in the depths of The Overlook, the remains of a shoot out in the presidential suite, a continuous masked party in the dining hall and my favourite ‘ghost’ of a man wearing a dog suit, barking mad with blood on his face. Truly a gripping, terrifying read and for me has made the film, one which is already worthy of its own high accolade, complete.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Rating: 8/10</b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-26800525994911946732011-08-26T15:45:00.004+01:002011-08-26T15:52:41.298+01:00The Collector<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-meBftKzbZSo/TlewxglydII/AAAAAAAAADE/9Sgn78G2N1A/s1600/The+Collector.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-meBftKzbZSo/TlewxglydII/AAAAAAAAADE/9Sgn78G2N1A/s320/The+Collector.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Author:</b> John Fowles</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Publisher: </b>Vintage Classics</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Published: </b>2004 (Originally 1963)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>RRP: </b>£8.99</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frederick Clegg, a lonely, boring clerk becomes obsessed with the art student Miranda. He watches her from his office window, he follows her into shops, but seriously lacking in any confidence or indeed social skills he knows she will never be his. As his hobby he collects butterflies, an interest that he has been scorned for throughout his miserable, boring life and then one day he wins thousands of pounds in the pools. Suddenly he has a greater sense of power, a feeling that he can do anything and he sets his sights on making Miranda the latest addition to his collection of beauties. Knowing she will never love him, he buys a remote house, refurbishes the cellar and decides to keep her as his special ‘visitor’. His motives are as innocent as wanting to spend time with her, disgusted by any physical intimacy and he spends the time showering her with gifts. It’s not all roses and sunshine though and obviously these things don’t and never will end well. </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first section of the book is written from his perspective, you feel as though you really get inside the strange mind of this lonely and pathetic man and in some ways it stirs up sympathy towards him. It later switches to the diary Miranda kept whilst in captivity so you are equally able to understand how the experience effects her and how her feelings towards him change almost hourly from disgust to pity to fury. Seeing the story from both angles is an excellent tool to really help the reader know the characters and see how they change but I couldn’t help feeling annoyed and bored by the Miranda diary section. I just didn’t like her enough! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fowles apparently wrote the book to show the dangers of power getting into the hands of people incapable of handling it, of course the subject matter clearly establishes this but the fact Miranda is so unlikeable and arrogant takes away from the argument. I get that she is meant to be a strong-minded idealistic ‘artist’, but in my opinion she seemed just as inhuman as Frederick (and that’s saying something!). I think the book feels like an over-the-top sermon by one of those TV priests, preaching about God, what it is to be human and art, it’s relentless. References to butterfly collecting are clumsily added in here and there as though an afterthought during Fowles’ final draft. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate it, I genuinely found the character of Frederick quite interesting but that wasn’t enough for me.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Rating: 4/10</b></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-73084116693747504302010-10-01T11:55:00.000+01:002010-10-01T11:55:10.680+01:00I'm the King of the Castle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TKW973Y67zI/AAAAAAAAAC0/5Guml__8TNw/s1600/I%27m+the+King+of+the+Castle.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TKW973Y67zI/AAAAAAAAAC0/5Guml__8TNw/s320/I%27m+the+King+of+the+Castle.gif" width="208" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author: </b>Susan Hill</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publisher: </b>Penguin Decades</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Published: </b>1st April 2010 (Originally 1970)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>RRP: </b>£8.99</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This is the story of a boy named Edmund Hooper who lives in a grand old house with his widowed father and an old collection of moths. Mrs Kingshaw, a divorcee, is employed to live with them as a house keeper and brings her son Charles with her. The boys are made to spend time with each other by their parents but they instantly take a dislike to each other. Hooper intimidates Kingshaw and belittles him constantly, even Kingshaw's plan of escaping the bullying is ruined when Hooper follows him into the woods. They get lost, Hooper nearly dies and Kingshaw becomes more confident in who is, however when they are found everything reverts back to normal with Hooper dominating him. Their parents get closer and are oblivious to the torment happening under their noses until it's too late.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The blurb of the book describes the story as 'a chilling portrayal of childhood, cruelty and persecution, of parental blindness and of our own ambivalence to what are supposed to be the happiest days of our lives.' I think that sounds like quite a gripping storyline. Yes, the book certainly does explore the relationship between the two boys in great depth. Yes, we are given valuable insights in to the minds of each of the children to help deepen our understanding of the cruelty going on. Yes, the parents are too wrapped up in their own blossoming relationship to contemplate the effect on their children. Yes, the mother does come off looking particularly poor. But...the book was just not interesting.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> What I found particularly boring about this book was that nothing really happened. I don't feel that the bullying that went on was particularly intense, it was just a lot of boys calling each other babies. I got that the whole experience in real like for a child like Kingshaw would've been intense and horrific, but this is story-telling, you've got to grip your reader and it just wasn't full-on enough. On the whole the book was a series of incidents, most of which felt insignificant because I just didn't care about any of the characters at all. All the way through I was just thinking 'What now?' and tapping my foot impatiently counting down the pages. I can imagine, because of the amount of speech, that this book would be better performed on stage as a play. It may appeal to those who want to read about realistic scenarios but I want escapism, something completely apart from everyday experiences.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: 2/10</span></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-28536242341601059632010-09-26T11:03:00.000+01:002010-09-26T11:03:55.654+01:00The Children of Dynmouth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TJ8adULlNZI/AAAAAAAAACw/GDh1pmwEhpQ/s1600/Children+of+Dynmouth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TJ8adULlNZI/AAAAAAAAACw/GDh1pmwEhpQ/s320/Children+of+Dynmouth.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author: </b>William Trevor</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publisher: </b>Penguin Decades</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Published: </b>1st April 2010 (First Published 1976)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>RRP: </b>£8.99</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Dynmouth is a dull seaside town on the south coast of England full of seemingly mundane characters going about their monotonous daily business. Except Timothy Gedge. Timothy Gedge, a lonely teenager, likes to watch what the adults of the town are up to. He knows all of their secrets. Determined to become famous and enter the Easter Fete 'Spot the Talent' competition he uses his knowledge to manipulate the adults and children around him to achieve his goal, without any remorse for his actions.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Originally written in 1976 I can imagine that this book raised a few eyebrows and I think it still achieves that. The book tackles many difficult themes; infidelity, homosexuality, murder, suicide, secrets and the damage life has imposed on a teenage boy. Cleverly written, it feels like a film with each scene being seen through the eyes of a different character, this enables you to feel the effects Timothy's actions have on the people around him. The story unravels at a gentle pace much like the pace of life in this quiet town and feels as though it will reach a huge climax, maintaining suspense throughout. There are no hard-hitting action scenes in the book, instead the interest lies in the manipulation and creepiness of Timothy.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I did enjoy this book, it was macabre and gripping. Having a child as the central character, achieving all this destruction I found interesting; instead of being horrifying, I just found it sad. In the penultimate chapter Mr Featherstone states "His eyes were the eyes of the battered, exceot that noone had ever battered Timothy Gedge...Existence had battered him." Although the character of Timothy was strange, I did feel great pity towards him, an unwanted child, neglected of attention, determined not to work in the sandpaper factory and had developed distance from people. The book was really thought-provoking and I would recommend people give it a go. It's not action-packed but it is definitely full of intrigue.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: 7/10</span></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-15023068485646767272010-09-18T16:35:00.000+01:002010-09-18T16:35:34.102+01:00The British Museum is Falling Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TJTcNunmuHI/AAAAAAAAACo/GYqV8AO6uUA/s1600/The+British+Museum+is+Falling+Down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TJTcNunmuHI/AAAAAAAAACo/GYqV8AO6uUA/s320/The+British+Museum+is+Falling+Down.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author: </b>David Lodge</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publisher: </b>Penguin Decades</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Date:</b> 1st April 2010</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>RRP: </b>£8.99</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This story, originally written and set in the 1960s, follows a day in the life of Adam Appleby, a practising Catholic studing for his Literature PhD. He is happily married to his wife of just over three years and because of the Catholic churches stance on contraception already has three children. He wakes anxious that his wife might be expecting their fourth child, all the signs seem to be pointing that way despite their obsessive use of thermometers and charts to avoid such an event (and to kill the remaining romance of their marriage). He leaves desperately unhappy on his clapped-out scooter to the Museum Reading Room to work on his thesis. The day doesn't go well, in fact it goes terribly with a lack of motivation, fire alarms, a man-hunt, an explosion, failed job offers and a test on his marriage. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The book really delves into the thoughts and feelings of Adam throughout this day and as the book progresses you begin to feel a great affinity towards him and pity his lack of good fortune. There are plenty of in-jokes which make you feel part of his exclusive club and some great laugh-out-loud moments. David Lodge is clearly a very intelligent writer, references to literature are woven throughout the story and quotes about the British Museum add humour to the start of every chapter. Interestingly the role of narrator isn't consistent throughout and suddenly you are cast into the shoes of Adam and experiencing his day as him rather as an uninvolved witness. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> What was great about this book was how great it felt to laugh at this unfortunate character despite my conscious telling me he deserved more of my pity. The story was like a trampoline, with Adam experiencing joyful highs, immediately followed by crashing lows which just added to the pathetic-ness of him. My favourite section of the book was the epilogue, where we are suddenly transported into the mind of his wife in the middle of the night. It feels great to finally get to explore her character because during the rest of the book we are only concerned with whether or not she is pregnant again. It ends with a three-page sentence, a final joke since Adam's thesis was on the use of long sentences in literature. This is clever humour, to the extent that at times I felt I shouldn't be enjoying this much because by know means am I a literary boff, but nonetheless the story is so truly encapsulating it is definitely worth a go.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rating 8/10</span></span></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-42871734826784802292010-09-16T17:11:00.001+01:002010-09-16T17:14:46.609+01:00The Incredible Book Eating Boy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TJJBZ8UF2xI/AAAAAAAAACg/tc28YMQ1I4Y/s1600/Incredible+Book+Eating+Boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TJJBZ8UF2xI/AAAAAAAAACg/tc28YMQ1I4Y/s320/Incredible+Book+Eating+Boy.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oliver Jeffers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publisher: </b>Harper Collins Children's Books</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>RRP: </b>£10.99 (Hardback)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'Henry loved books. But not like you and I love books, no. Not quite...'</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This is the story of Henry, a boy obsessed with eating books. He soon discovered that the more books he ate the smarter he got. He ate a book about goldfish and then knew how to care for his pet. Soon he became exceedingly clever. But he kept on eating and eating and eating. Soon enough he realises eating books probably wasn't that good for him after all and things suddenly take a turn for the worse...don't worry though there's a happy ending.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This book is uniquely illustrated using a range of paper textures throughout. Behind each painting, text from all different types of books is traceable, it really adds to the book-mad theme of the story. The illustrations are simply designed but beautifully executed in a combination of paint and pencil line. The characters themselves have very expressionate faces which add an extra depth to the humour of the story. The text appears to be typed using a typewriter, again adding to the overall style and charm of the book. A wonderful disclaimer on the back and a big chomp taken out of the back cover really make this book stand out from the norm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This is definitely the best Oliver Jeffers book available, it's witty, individual and has a good message to children. It stresses the need for time and care when reading to fully appreciate what's written in front of you, rushing gets you nowhere and can often leave you confused. A real stroke of genius, this book not only promotes a love of books but gives useful guidance and food for thought (haha!) in a fun and exciting way. This is a must-read for everyone out there, young and old alike.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating: 9/10</b></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-15974718817914931332010-09-15T13:17:00.000+01:002010-09-15T13:17:41.192+01:00Creature of the Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TJC5NZ_5WCI/AAAAAAAAACY/hsGdT3IEkVA/s1600/Creature+of+the+Night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TJC5NZ_5WCI/AAAAAAAAACY/hsGdT3IEkVA/s320/Creature+of+the+Night.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author: </b>Kate Thompson</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publisher:</b> Definitions</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>RRP:</b> £6.99</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Aimed at teen readers this is the story of Bobby who is forced to move from Dublin by his mother to the countryside to avoid debt collectors and to stop Bobby getting into even more trouble. At only fourteen Bobby was part of a gang who would cause mayhem on the streets of Dublin, robbing people, stealing and burning cars and getting stoned. He is convinced that life in the countryside is not for him despite finding the farm equipment quite fun and tries at all costs to return to his old friends. But they've moved on, things aren't the same and when he lands one of his so-called friends in prison the rest turn their back on him. Life too in the countryside turns pear-shaped when his little brother starts to talk about a tiny old lady who visits at night through the dog-flap, convinced she's a fairy. Things get more bizarre culminating in the discovery of a gruesome murder.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This isn't a light-hearted story by any means. It follows the journey of a troubled family in a difficult time in their life but as a reader you feel great empathy towards the characters; you feel the loneliness of Bobby and sympathise with his young mother. As the book progresses you learn that Bobby's mother was only fourteen herself when she had him, the age he is now and he begins to realise the struggles she must have had trying to raise him. He is baffled by the trust people in the country put in him and although he keeps letting them down they don't give up on him, a lovely sentiment although unfortunately quite unrealistic.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This is a book of two stories; one about the transformation in the life of Bobby, righting his wrongs and learning new skills, the other about the dark superstitions of the countryside. I don't believe the two halves have been gelled successfully. To me it feels as though both halves have not been finished. The murder remains a mystery and in the epilogue we whizz to the future and find out he becomes a mechanic when a page previously he was still stealing money from his family. Personally I think this should exist as two entirely separate books, I don't feel that the stories compliment each other or add any depth. I also think the book will date terribly, lots of cultural references and slang that will probably be appealing to youths now will quickly become outdated. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rating: 5/10</span></b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-36897713664644070702010-09-14T17:53:00.000+01:002010-09-14T17:53:05.138+01:00Tuesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TI-oYS9RRPI/AAAAAAAAACQ/h4pAFczuIAM/s1600/Tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TI-oYS9RRPI/AAAAAAAAACQ/h4pAFczuIAM/s320/Tuesday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author/Illustrator: </b>David Wiesner</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publisher: </b>Clarion Books</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>RRP: </b>£5.99</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This is a picture book of very few words...twelve in fact. The words in this book exist only to tell the time, the rest of the story is told through dazzling and humorous images. The story itself begins before the inner title page, upon opening the book a sequence of images shows how frogs relaxing on their lily pads begin to levitate. The rest of the story follows the frogs' journey as they fly around town on their lily pads. Along the way they startle a man having a midnight snack, get caught in washing on a line and watch T.V in the house of a sleeping elderly lady. As the night begins to fade and day breaks however their lily pads gentle fall back to land and the frogs hop off to the nearest rivers, lakes and ponds. When the town awakes they are left wondering how on earth all these lily pads ended scattered around. The following Tuesday night brings an even greater surprise...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The action is captured in hues of green and blue</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">beautifully depicting not only the light at that time but also the mystery and magic of the story. Every frog is unique and able to express a variety of facial expressions which greatly amplifies the humour of the tale. It is easy to get sucked into the images with the amount of detail that Wiesner has included. More notably what sets this book apart is the way images are laid out on the page. Wiesner uses a range of comic book style boxes to sequence events and larger pictures are painted from a variety of interesting angles that help you see the action differently.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This book won the 1992 Caldecott Medal and it is clear from it's uniqueness and imagination why that is the case. The book has a lot of scope for exploration, it doesn't have to be read conventionally, children can study individual pictures, the book can even be read backwards. I tend to prefer books with more text although I imagine if text were to be added to this book some, if not all, of the magic would be lost. Having said that books to me contain words. Without words it's art. Art can tell stories, but art is never as great when it has been printed in a book. It needs to be seen face-to-face to fully appreciate it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating: 8/10</b></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-74829209252051194782010-09-13T20:39:00.001+01:002010-09-13T20:40:10.068+01:00The Chrysalids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TI59ptyRXsI/AAAAAAAAACI/42OYIOeFgL0/s1600/Chrysalids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TI59ptyRXsI/AAAAAAAAACI/42OYIOeFgL0/s320/Chrysalids.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author:</b> John Wyndham</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publisher:</b> Penguin Decades</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>RRP: </b>£8.99</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> David has a special talent. It's a secret and, as far as he's aware only he and seven others can do it. If the community were to find out, he would be outlawed...or worse. David (the narrator of the story) lives on a farm owned by his God-fearing parents in a post-nuclear age where any abnormalities are not tolerated. He discovers his ability to communicate telepathically using 'thought-shapes' and is terrified of his father and the community finding out. When they do, he has no choice but to flee with others with the same ability into the fringes where he receives some unexpected information.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The book feels contemporary in the way it is written, however the subject matter is very much of the era. Written in the 1950s fears of nuclear attack were rife and this book excellently explores some of the consequences of such action and its impact on humanity. Although the 'normal' people within the book believe they are doing God's work chasing down deviations, however little is known of the true image of the 'Old People' (people in existence before the nuclear attack). This results in monstrous actions and atrocities in the way they carry out their beliefs to an extent which makes them far worse than the deviations they seek to destroy. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the narrative was fantastically gripping and the way the action gradually rolled out kept me wanting more. I did feel that at some points the action moved a little too fast and I wanted more information and detail about events such as the battle between the spider man and David's father. I think this could have been a pinnacle moment in the story but instead it was washed over. This could be seen as a backhanded compliment, because had I not been as gripped, I probably wouldn't be bothered about getting more from the book. Although the character of David was developed fully I did feel that some of the other characters didn't feel too real to me. This is disappointing particularly within the book David explains how they way they use thought-shapes enables them to know and understand more about each other, this wasn't maximised. This was a great book, exciting and easy to read with such a fascinating storyline, definitely one to add to your to-read list.</span><br />
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</b></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Rating: 8/10</b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-76924338246519650472010-09-11T20:51:00.000+01:002010-09-11T20:51:08.876+01:00In Search of the Thunder Dragon<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TIvdldU22MI/AAAAAAAAACA/TaAqCNty2qg/s1600/In+Search+Of+The+Thunder+Dragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TIvdldU22MI/AAAAAAAAACA/TaAqCNty2qg/s320/In+Search+Of+The+Thunder+Dragon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Authors and Illustrators:</b> Sophie and Romio Shrestha</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publisher: </b>Mandala Publishing Group</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>RRP:</b> £11.99</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This is the tale of a girl named Amber (based on the daughter of the authors) who takes a journey to Bhutan. She meets her cousin and together they listen to the tales of their grandfather. He tells them of the dragons who create the thunder up in the sky and the children are determined to find them. Along the way they meet the oldest Monk in Bhutan, a flying tigress and the dragons themselves. They ride on the backs of the dragons as they create the thunder for the land below.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Bhutan is a tiny Himalayan kingdom with a strong heritage and a rich Buddhist way of life. This book is beautifully illustrated with art based on traditional Bhutanese style and captures some of the mysticism of the folklore and religion of the country. Each image is wonderfully detailed and there are hidden translucent dragons peeking out from the edge of each page (you'll need to catch the light to see them). The book captures the Bhutanese way of life fantastically and gives you a good insight into this unique culture. Although the text itself contains important cultural references such as the flying tigress (the hidden form of the wife of Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche), in my opinion it's not particularly well written. Some of the sentences feel clunky and overlong, possibly as a result of trying to add more description than is actually necessary. At times this detracts from the otherwise delightful storyline. This is such a shame, especially when the images are so clear. What is useful though, particularly as it is set in such a little-known place, the final page has some useful information about the country.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> This book gives a useful insight into another culture far different from my own. The mythical adventure is mesmerising but equally not as inspiring as I feel it should be. It is the only picture book from Bhutan I could find when studying the country with my class, and although not perfect, the images themselves reveal a lot about the country they are from. I really want to visit this country, it has such a rich culture of music, dance, art and peace...maybe one day!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: 6/10</span></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-58889669836172681332010-09-10T17:25:00.002+01:002010-09-10T17:29:22.454+01:00The Rabbit Problem<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TIpczYYTWnI/AAAAAAAAAB4/9c3uydVrnW4/s1600/The+Rabbit+Problem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TIpczYYTWnI/AAAAAAAAAB4/9c3uydVrnW4/s320/The+Rabbit+Problem.jpg" /></a></div><b>Author:</b> Emily Gravett</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Publisher:</b> Macmillan Children's Books</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>RRP:</b> £12.99 (Hardcover)</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Follow the journey of two rabbits throughout the course of a year as they do what rabbits do best...increase the population to almost breaking point. The pair live in Fibonacci's field and each month their numbers multiply following the famous sequence and leave the with a range of seasonal dilemmas- from running out of food, to over-crowding witness how these clever bunnies deal with their daily battles. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The book is beautifully presented with astonishingly detailed illustrations and quirky little trinkets to explore on each page, including recipes, birth certificates and more! Witticisms are hidden on every page and it had me chuckling more and more with every page turn. The dilemmas faced by the rabbits get more extreme until the final page which reveals a fabulous pop-up which had me in hysterics. What is fantastic about this book is although the plot is simple it is not constructed in the "Once Upon A Time..." way, instead you explore the story from the evidence on the page, details in the calendar and from the actions of the rabbits in the drawings. It is completely interactive and the reader is completely drawn into it. I think this method of storytelling will really appeal to children as it enables them to get carried away and is more of a novelty than other 'normal' books.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
I bought the hardback version for a friend who is obsessed with bunnies and although I haven't seen the paperback version in real life the front cover at least is not as grabbing. I'm also not sure how the pop up would work with paperback, or if it is in fact included, I can't see how it would withstand the obvious attraction and use it would receive. I love the fact that this story is based on a mathematical sequence, how often does that happen? A great tool for the classroom but also an enchanting book for children and adults of all ages. I know my friend went all gooey when she saw it!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Rating: 9/10</b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-77668522896580904802010-09-09T17:58:00.003+01:002010-09-09T18:10:19.281+01:00The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TIkTAT1q-XI/AAAAAAAAABo/r2Jj7sdCwXA/s1600/Infernal+Desire+Machines+of+Doctor+Hoffman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TIkTAT1q-XI/AAAAAAAAABo/r2Jj7sdCwXA/s400/Infernal+Desire+Machines+of+Doctor+Hoffman.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><b>Author: </b>Angela Carter<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Penguin Decades<br />
<b>RRP: </b>£8.99</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
This is a surrealist novel written in the 1970s about Desiderio, a man working for the Minister of a South American country who is given a secret mission to kill Doctor Hoffman a crazed scientist who has been reaping havoc on the capital city. Doctor Hoffman makes dreams realities (but not in a good way) using metaphysics and his desire machines, the capital city has been transformed into a place where time doesn’t exist and the land is covered in obscure flora and fauna. There is a snag however, Desiderio is in love with Albertina, the daughter of Doctor Hoffman and ultimately has to decide whether to give in his desires or fulfil his mission.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Having never read any surrealist literature before I didn’t really know what to expect so I read the blurb and it seemed quite an exciting plot, so I thought I’d give it a go. I was instantly struck by the amount of imagery in the book, the dreamlike world was full of strange and fantastical creatures all described with great care and attention. I found this great at first but soon got tired of the interruptions to the plot and just wanted a bit more action. When I began reading I found the whole concept intriguing but I soon became tired of the monotonous plot line, the character merely had one sexual encounter and moved to another community of outlawed people, learnt their language and had another sexual encounter and so on. Although when I reached the end of the book I understood why the sex scenes were necessary I personally found them repulsive (some waaaay more than others). Equally I felt there was a strong feminist undercurrent in these sections of the books with women being used as objects of desire often to their detriment; something I’m not sure has particular resonance today. I also was really bored of plants oozing their strong perfume everywhere which is all they seemed to do.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
I do think the book is technically excellent, the use of language is admirable and the idea is original and had great potential, I just don’t fell this was maximised. This is a book for those who are looking to do some profound thinking, I on the other hand don’t want to have to analyse a book to get even somewhere near its meaning. Disappointing.</div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Rating: 4/10</b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-23460609358758711522010-09-08T18:46:00.001+01:002010-09-08T18:46:55.452+01:00The Wolves in the Walls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TIfLzc-0CkI/AAAAAAAAABg/VNyKOhLPnNs/s1600/Wolves+in+the+Walls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TIfLzc-0CkI/AAAAAAAAABg/VNyKOhLPnNs/s320/Wolves+in+the+Walls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author:</b> Neil Gaiman<br />
<b>Illustrator:</b> Dave McKean<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Bloomsbury<br />
<b>RRP:</b> £5.99</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Lucy hears noises coming from the walls of her house and her claims that wolves are living in the walls are quashed by the other members of her family. That is until wolves <i>do </i>suddenly burst from the walls of their home and take over. The family are forced to flee to the bottom of the garden and Lucy tries to come up with a plan to get back their house. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
This is a picture book like few others. Aimed at older readers the images are dark and sinister and the plot gradually builds a sense of imminent dread which is suddenly released with a barrage of humour. The art works within the book are stunning, a blend of collage, paint, photography and drawing create an eerie and unique feel to the book. There are lots of hidden details etched on the walls of the house which add another dimension to the images created. The storyline is highly original and the references, jokes and familiar family characters all add to the appeal of older readers of all abilities. The character of Lucy is strong willed and relentless, children I have read the book with find it funny how submissive and weak her parents are portrayed. Although there are some notable features of common picture books, such as the repetitive phrases and the use of font size to add emphasis, this is no fairytale. There is no knight in shining armour. Instead the book screams to me “If you want something, go get it!”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
I have read this book with several classes of children and every time it has been a huge hit. I have great fun building up the suspense and horror elements and really going to town with the humour, the kids all end up enthralled and/or in hysterics. Some reluctant readers have even asked if they could borrow it to read themselves. This in itself speaks volumes. Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean have completed several books together and although this is my favourite, they are all well worth exploring.</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
Rating: 10/10</b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5539240384068301687.post-59329789103072287112010-09-07T21:37:00.001+01:002010-09-07T21:39:22.286+01:00Wuthering Heights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TIah67LW4PI/AAAAAAAAAA4/aMJqiqw2i08/s1600/Wuthering+Heights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hhxBR_17Nt0/TIah67LW4PI/AAAAAAAAAA4/aMJqiqw2i08/s320/Wuthering+Heights.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Author:</b> Emily Bronte<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Vintage Classics<br />
<b>Published: </b>7th February 2008<b><br />
RRP:</b> £5.99<br />
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I first read this book in my early teens and although at this age I found it a little hard to get to grips with, I was immediately drawn by the mood that is created in the atmospheric Yorkshire moors. Since reading the book again (and again and again and again) I have found much more to offer than the mere solemnity of the setting. The book is the diary kept by Mr Lockwood who arrives at Thrushcross Grange and ventures to neighbouring Wuthering Heights to meet his landlord Heathcliff. A storm results in him getting ill and being bedridden in Thrushcross Grange and the maid Nelly proceeds to tell the story of Heathcliff and how he came to become such an abrasive character. Essentially it is a twisted love story in which the wild youths of Heathcliff and Catherine become lovers, separated by their own stubbornness. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Although written over 150 years ago, I don’t believe it has dated. It contains much of what we see in soaps on television today; love, lust, violence, alcoholism, grief, abuse and death and remains relevant to many people’s lives. Although Heathcliff and Catherine are not the stereotypical romantic couple and are repulsive and dislikeable in many of their actions, I feel they are easy to relate to because they come to represent those dark parts of ourselves which we often try to hide. In fact, as the story progresses, you begin to feel great empathy with the characters, particularly at the death of Catherine where the heartbreak and turmoil that Heathcliff is left feeling becomes almost grotesque in its extremity. I believe it is impossible to be disappointed with this book, the characters feel so real, from the aggression of Heathcliff and Earnshaw to the humour provided by Joseph and his strong Yorkshire accent and the dramatic story line grips you from page one.<br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> 10/10</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0