I've read all Hollinghurst's novels and I was delighted to receive a proof of this from the publisher. He is such an exceptional writer of character aI've read all Hollinghurst's novels and I was delighted to receive a proof of this from the publisher. He is such an exceptional writer of character and place and time. I can sink into his novels and just know I'm in safe hands. Our Evenings definitely fits neatly alongside Hollinghurst's other novels: it's about a gay young man navigating his way through private education and life, but in this case the main character, David is mixed race and he is at his expensive school due to his benefactors, the Hadlows. We are reading David's memoir of boarding school, experimental theatre, love affairs, acting career, and his close relationship with his lesbian mother (I love how she is written), and there is a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Not my favourite, but I loved it. ...more
Tom Rachman strikes again. I loved this just as much as The Imperfectionists. Rachman is just so damn good at writing completely believable charactersTom Rachman strikes again. I loved this just as much as The Imperfectionists. Rachman is just so damn good at writing completely believable characters, those I love and those I hate. I listened to this read by Sam Alexander (who read it exceptionally well), and I loved it so much I'm going to have to buy the physical book. It is the life of Charles (Pinch) Bavinsky, and we first meet him when he is five in his father's painting studio in Rome in 1960. Bear Bavinsky is a famous, philandering, egotistical, larger-than-life painter and Pinch is both terrified of him and in awe to him, and really remains so for the whole of his life. And yet although everyone crumples in the path of Bear - his several wives, his many children and so on - Pinch has the last laugh, although it's still not funny. For the most part Pinch's life is a sad one (the cover might say this book has some dark humour, but I didn't find it), solitary, unfulfilled, dissatisfied, but so real. I wanted to shake him. I loved him. ...more
At the height of the pandemic Jay is working delivering groceries in upstate New York and living out of his car, when he delivers food to a remote houAt the height of the pandemic Jay is working delivering groceries in upstate New York and living out of his car, when he delivers food to a remote house on an estate of many acres. The woman who meets him at the door turns out to be Alice, his girlfriend from when he was an art student in 1990s London, and whom he hasn't seen for 20 years. Moreover Alice is still married to Jay's best friend, and fellow artist, Rob. Told in flashbacks (which I would have preferred to sink into more fully) we learn that Jay was a conceptual / performance artist who decided to disappear for his last piece. Jay is ill with the virus and Alice decides to hide him on the property. I really enjoyed this, both the present day sections and the past, and the writing. It asks some interesting questions: about whether art is art if there is no one there to witness it, whether art is real art if it is made for profit, whether the twenty years in which Jay was missing counted as part of his 'performance' even if it was documented, and when does a piece of art like this, end? It also asks questions about race but sometimes I felt these were a little shoe-horned in. ...more
This is so beautifully written, unsettling and vivid. Max is dead but moves through the house where his girlfriend, Hannah and he lived, watching her This is so beautifully written, unsettling and vivid. Max is dead but moves through the house where his girlfriend, Hannah and he lived, watching her as she grieves and time leaps on without him. We also learn about Hannah and Max when he was alive, and all the things she kept from him. And then we travel further back to when Hannah lived in Australia and the trauma her family wrought upon her. It returns full circle at the end in a very lovely way. Weirdly this has many similar elements as The Yield which I just read for my book group, but I enjoyed The Echoes so much more. ...more
The ultimate literary mystery writer. Faith's Severn tells the story of her aunt Vera, hanged for murder, the recounting prompted by a true-crime writThe ultimate literary mystery writer. Faith's Severn tells the story of her aunt Vera, hanged for murder, the recounting prompted by a true-crime writer who is researching what happened. The family is so ashamed of what Vera did that they have never talked about it openly until now. During the war, Vera shares her home with her much younger sister Eden, whom she adores, and her son Francis. But while Vera's husband is away she becomes pregnant and gives birth to another boy, Jamie who usurps Eden in her affections. It's twisty, elegantly written, and the characterisation is wonderful. And not an ending I was expecting. ...more
Lord Jim at Home by Dinah Brooke is a re-issue from 1973, which apparently was met with horror on its first publication. I can see why, but I loved itLord Jim at Home by Dinah Brooke is a re-issue from 1973, which apparently was met with horror on its first publication. I can see why, but I loved it. It is repulsive, disturbing, grotesque, and mordantly funny - I laughed out loud many times and then felt bad about laughing. It's a clever writer who can make a reader feel both delighted and appalled in the same moment. Dinah Brooke's writing is clear and crisp, and the images she creates in the reader's head are vivid and nightmarish. Lord Jim at Home is a story in three parts about the life of Giles Trenchard, born between the wars into an upper middle class family where he is cruelly treated by his father and his first nursemaid. He learns to keep his head down, and by doing this he survives school and escapes to the Navy. The second part is about long stretches of time doing nothing, and an hour or two of intense and terrible fighting. When Giles returns to England he finds he doesn't fit in anywhere, can't understand what he's supposed to be doing, and the third part is completely unexpected and yet makes complete sense in a weird and very dark way. Highly recommended....more
This might be my perfect kind of book. I LOVE true stories of physical danger and survival, and have read many. But this non-fiction account of how MaThis might be my perfect kind of book. I LOVE true stories of physical danger and survival, and have read many. But this non-fiction account of how Maurice and Maralyn Bailey's boat capsized and how they survived in the Pacific for four months in a raft and a dinghy, goes beyond that (fascinating) story, to what happened immediately afterwards and in the rest of their lives. It is a love story, and yes, there was a moment when I cried. In 1973 M&M set sail from England, heading for New Zealand, but in the pacific their boat is hit by a whale and sinks. They manage to grab a few provisions and scramble into the life-raft. They survive for 118 days floating in the Pacific, catching fish and birds and sharks, and eating them raw. When they are finally rescued they are given celebrity status. Elmhirst writes their story in wonderfully clear and precise prose, without melodrama and with exactly the right amount of detail. I listened to it, read beautifully by Florence Howard. This will certainly be in my top books of the year. ...more
Well, this was a difficult novel to read, and equally hard to review. I read it compulsively to find out what would happen but I was often repulsed byWell, this was a difficult novel to read, and equally hard to review. I read it compulsively to find out what would happen but I was often repulsed by it, not only by the story but by the choices Christopher made in writing his characters. Really this is a male power trip, full of misogyny, sexism, and casual racism. It was of course written in the 1950s, but that doesn't excuse all of it. A virus has wiped out grass in China. The virus spreads to Europe and the UK. The government knows that famine will be coming and apparently decides that bombing all the large cities will be a way of decreasing the population so that at least some people survive. John has a brother who lives in a secluded valley in Westmorland and after a tip-off from a friend, he gathers his family, as well as various other people and they set off out of London heading towards the valley. This novel is the story of that journey, first in cars and then on foot and what happens along the way. And let me tell you a lot of bad things happen along the way. Lots of killing, and not only in self defence, and rape. Civilisation falls apart very quickly, and the men with the guns take control. Christopher doesn't let any of the characters spend much time questioning the terrible events and their choices, including letting a man in his fifties taking a 'middle-teens' girl as his 'wife', after he shoots his own wife because he's bored of her being adulterous. And yet a boy with a blister on his heel is carried for miles by his parents. I know I'm seeing this with 21st century eyes, but it's a troubling book. Is it a dystopian classic, or a misogynous horror? If you've read it let me know what you think....more
I don't usually read psychological thrillers, too often they focus more on the twists and turns of the plot than characterisation or writing skill, buI don't usually read psychological thrillers, too often they focus more on the twists and turns of the plot than characterisation or writing skill, but not so here with The Night Visitor by Lucy Atkins. I've loved her later novels, so I thought I'd read some of her backlist, and this is such fun! There are twists and turns that I didn't figure out, but really it's about two women who are so well-drawn, so complex that they are both likeable and dislikeable and very real. TV historian Olivia comes across a diary written by a Victorian woman which is a confession to a murder. Vivian, the care-taker of the diary becomes Olivia's unofficial research assistant and knits herself into Olivia's life in a way that becomes increasingly difficult for her to untangle. It reminded me very much of Notes on a Scandal. ...more
I wasn't scared exactly, but there were moments of shivers up the back of my neck when I was reading The Woman in Black. I've seen the film but I'd neI wasn't scared exactly, but there were moments of shivers up the back of my neck when I was reading The Woman in Black. I've seen the film but I'd never got around to reading the book, and now that the film is far enough behind me not to remember much about it, it was fun to read this. Arthur, a young solicitor travels to a remote coastal village in the marshes to attend the funeral and tie up the paperwork of one of his firm's clients. During the funeral he sees a woman in black, and later when he has to visit Eel Marsh house, the dead woman's home, he sees her again, and worse. It's in the gothic tradition, although published in 1989, and Hill does this very well. I kind of saw the end coming, but guessing at it was also some kind of enjoyment....more
A thrilling, absorbing and immersive tale of artistry, adventure and romance. Thanks to the publisher for a proof. I really enjoyed this. The 1790s anA thrilling, absorbing and immersive tale of artistry, adventure and romance. Thanks to the publisher for a proof. I really enjoyed this. The 1790s and woodcarver, Abbas works with a French artist to carve an automaton of a tiger eating a British soldier (which can really be seen in the V&A) for Mysore's leader, Tipu Sultan. When Mysore is looted, the automaton is taken, and eventually Abbas teams up with a young woman to try to get it back from an English lady. It's all great fun! ...more
I've been looking for books set in 1980s England that were written at that time or just after and someone suggested The Radiant Way by Margaret DrabblI've been looking for books set in 1980s England that were written at that time or just after and someone suggested The Radiant Way by Margaret Drabble, and I enjoyed it very much. Liz, Alix and Esther have been friends since university days, and now they are in their mid-forties at a party to celebrate the New Year as 1980 starts. The novel follows them and those around them for five years, with a backdrop of what is happening in that period: Margaret Thatcher, privatisation, the miners' strike, AIDS, and more. There is not much of a plot - apart a bit about a serial killer (which I really enjoyed!) - it's really a character study. Dense, close writing about domestic and working lives, reminding me a little of Iris Murdoch....more
This has an interesting idea at its core: what would it be like for men if gender roles were reversed - if they were afraid of the [woman's] footstepsThis has an interesting idea at its core: what would it be like for men if gender roles were reversed - if they were afraid of the [woman's] footsteps behind them at night, if they had to close their curtains so that they weren't watched [by women], but I didn't think the execution worked. Bella, tired of being abused goes on a murderous rampage against men over one weekend in Brighton. There is an odd omniscient voice that tells us facts about Bella and so stopped me fully engaging with her, all the men are cliches (the ugly fat one, the man who sells her the gun), maybe that's the point, but it didn't work, and no one seemed to learn anything by the end. (Maybe also the point). But I was really reading it to get a feel of a contemporaneously written 1980s-based novel. ...more
After suspecting that her boss in 'the Service' is implicating her in his double dealing, Heather (aka Bird) goes on the run, heading north to ScotlanAfter suspecting that her boss in 'the Service' is implicating her in his double dealing, Heather (aka Bird) goes on the run, heading north to Scotland and onwards. heather is such an interesting protagonist: a woman in her fifties, wily, fit, independent and resourceful. This is a literary spy novel and Doughty includes wonderful descriptions of the landscape which Heather travels through as well as her memories of her father, also a spy. ...more
It doesn't feel fair to rate this book. I picked it up for research for the novel I'm writing now, and it was extremely useful for that. I felt for HeIt doesn't feel fair to rate this book. I picked it up for research for the novel I'm writing now, and it was extremely useful for that. I felt for Hewitt and everything he'd been through, but the book wasn't very well written, and could have done with a much more thorough line edit. Interesting how similar his childhood was to Lemn Sissay's: 10 or so years with a foster family, and then rejected; teenage years in two or more children's homes, stealing and some general bad teenage behaviour. ...more
Lessons is the story of the life of Roland Baines, cash poor, house rich, part-time bar pianist, looking back to when he was eleven and went to boardiLessons is the story of the life of Roland Baines, cash poor, house rich, part-time bar pianist, looking back to when he was eleven and went to boarding school, moving forward into his seventies, and sometimes sideways into other people's lives. And throughout there is comment on the times Roland is living through. The novel is ambitious, sweeping, and wonderful. Roland and all the people who come and go in his life have filled my head for several days as I read voraciously during any spare moment. I hope they will stay for longer. Roland has three significant women in his life: his piano teacher, Miriam, his ex-wife Alissa, and his second wife, Daphne. There is a reckoning to be done with all of them, although the last is really not her fault (there is a brilliant scene where he fights over her ashes with a junior minister on a bridge in Yorkshire and loses). Miriam seduces Roland when he is only fourteen and changes the course of his life. Alissa walks out on him and their eight month old baby, and becomes a famous and successful novelist. McEwan clearly draws much on his own life with this novel (North Africa, boarding school, discovered brother) but has Alissa says, everything is fair game. I liked how McEwan plays with this, and I also love the questions he raises around a woman leaving a husband and baby in order to create a masterpiece. It doesn't happen often, is it worth it? Will certainly be in my top ten reads of the year. ...more
I am about five months older than Lemn Sissay and it was impossible to read this book without reflecting on the juxtaposition of his childhood and minI am about five months older than Lemn Sissay and it was impossible to read this book without reflecting on the juxtaposition of his childhood and mine (I was for the most part provided with love, support, encouragement and truth by my family). This is Sissay's story from his birth to an Ethiopian mother who wouldn't sign the adoption papers that The Authority insisted on, to age 18 when he managed to move into his own flat. In between is his account of his foster family who abandoned him age 12 so that he was moved into several children's homes, the last of which was more or a less a prison. He intersperses his memories with the documents that The Authority's employees wrote about him which he didn't get to read until his late forties. It is powerful, moving, searing, and yes, shaming. ...more
When I read a book, I write a little review on Goodreads and I give it some categories, just to help me find it more easily later, or collect togetherWhen I read a book, I write a little review on Goodreads and I give it some categories, just to help me find it more easily later, or collect together with books that cover similar themes, and The Anniversary fits into so many, and that's what's interesting about this book. Genre-defying, subject-defying - once I was prepared to just go with it, I really enjoyed it. JB is a successful writer up for a big prize. She's been married for a long time to Patrick - a successful screenwriter and film director much older than her. For a long time they've helped each other with their work, but they've recently been drifting away from each other and so JB persuades Patrick to go on a cruise with her to celebrate their anniversary. But in the middle of a storm, Patrick falls overboard. JB continues to Japan, and then back to the UK and then to America to collect her prize, and then to Australia and finally back to the UK where Patrick's death is questioned. Is this a murder mystery? No, but almost. A literary thriller? Well, definitely literary. A courtroom drama? A little bit. A family drama?All those things and more. It's a slow unravelling of a marriage by an unreliable narrator, stopping on the way to think about art and artists and writers. I really enjoyed it. ...more
I have always loved Vashti Bunyan's music - ethereal, unselfconscious, unpretentious - and the only part of her story that I knew was that she was theI have always loved Vashti Bunyan's music - ethereal, unselfconscious, unpretentious - and the only part of her story that I knew was that she was the sixties musician who gave it all up and went to Scotland on a horse and cart. Of course that was only part of the story and not quite true anyway. So, it was fascinating to read about what really happened with Bunyan's musical career and that journey north. And I was delighted that the style of her prose is so like the style of her lyrics - unpretentious. Very enjoyable. ...more
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