Plot: A retired artist, Masuji Ono reflects on his life, and his changing environment in post-war Japan. This book focuses on the artists changing perPlot: A retired artist, Masuji Ono reflects on his life, and his changing environment in post-war Japan. This book focuses on the artists changing perceptions of his own past as well as the changing cultural landscape of Japan as a whole.
Favourite Quote:(This is also the opening of the novel). ‘If on a sunny day you climb the steep path leading up from the little wooden bridge still referred to around here as ‘the bridge of hesitation’, you will not have to walk far before the roof of my house becomes visible between the tops of two gingho tress. Even if it did not occupy such a commanding position on the hill, the house would still stand out from all the others nearby, so that as you come up the path, you may find yourself wondering what what sort of wealthy man owns it. But then I am not, nor have I ever been a wealthy man’.
Firstly I should just say this is one of my new favourite books so this is probably going to be less of a review more of just a post full of gushing praise. So with that in mind:
What I really loved about this novel was how beautifully/subtly written it is. This is particularly true of in regards to the shifting opinion the reader has of the unreliable narrator, (I would say in many ways that this book is a character study of the narrator/protagonist). You get a sense from the beginning that the narrator/protagonist is presenting his version of the truth. Especially when he directly talks to the reader using ‘you’ he begins to second guess the readers perception of him and you begin to notice how his importance in the world is different to other peoples sense of his importance. This is seen also when people are angry at the old ways of Japan he sees it as a direct slight to him. In many ways he is representative of many aspects of pre-war Japan and is therefore really distrustful of how prominent America and American heroes are becoming in both Japan and in his grandsons life.
The more I think about this book more layered I think it is and the more I have to talk about but to keep from spoiling the plot. I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did and I can understand why people would find this book difficult to get into or even slow. All I can say is that I personally found the writing beautiful and the protagonist so compelling tat I breezed through this book and even if you find it difficult to into I believe its a really rewarding read.
Who would I recommend this book to?: Anyone who is interested in a quiet contemplative, (this book mightn’t be for you if you like plots that thunder along at a mile a minute) and skillfully written book. in particular I would recommend it to people who like reading books written from the perspectives of unreliable narrators as this is the best example of that style of writing I have ever read. Personally I found this book much better than the previous Ishiguro book I had read ‘Never Let Me Go’, but if you have read and liked the unreliable narrator aspect to that novel I would also recommend this to you. ...more
Plot: Agnes Gray comes from a loving middle class family, due to her family's declining fortunes and rising debts seeks out a position as a governess Plot: Agnes Gray comes from a loving middle class family, due to her family's declining fortunes and rising debts seeks out a position as a governess for herself. This story covers the two positions that she holds during her career and the different ways each family treat her poorly. This is an incredibly realistic, semi-autobiographical novel which was written as a social commentary on the hypocrisy of the middle class in the ways they treated their governesses.
Favourite Quote:'I sometimes felt myself degraded by the life I led, and ashamed of submitting to so many indignities; and sometimes I thought myself a fool for caring so much about them, and feared i must be sadly waiting in Christian humility, or that charity which "sufferth long and is kind, seaketh not her own, is not easily provoked, beareth all things, endureth all things"'.
What I liked: I think this quote from the 1001 books to read before you die sums up what I liked about the book 'Drawn from her own experiences, Bronte offers a deeply personal and insightful account of the loneliness and painful ambiguity of a governesses role, which is such that she is at the complete mercy of her charges'.
I've read quite a few stories involving governesses, chiefly Jane Eyre and The Turn of the Screw but they have all been fantastical in some ways so it was really interesting to read a more realistic book about the role of the governess.
As well as the subject of the book being interesting it was also really well paced, which made it very well paced.
What I didn't like: Although Agnes is a very sympathetic character, while i was reading this book I couldn't help but think about the servants of lower class than her and how awfully they must have been treated. I would have liked Agnes to interact more with the rest of the staff. I do understand however that this book is about our eponymous protagonist and her isolation within the houses that she worked for.
One of the main things I like about the other Bronte novels I've read is the themes of gothicism and mystery. This book didn't have any of those elements, as I've previously stated this is an incredibly realistic novel. I found it hard not to think of Jane Eyre when reading this book, (both novels are about eponymous governesses with difficult charges, both protagonists are isolated in the houses and both books have a hint of romance), however Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books of all time so pretty much any book that I measure up to it is going to come up short.
In conclusion this is a very interesting novel which I'm glad I've read. I was expecting a little more gothicism and mystery from a work by one of the Bronte sisters however now I have experienced Anne's more realistic writing style I am interested in reading more of her work particularly The Tennant of Wildfell Hall.
This is a very hard book to review as there isn't really a plot or rather the plot is un-summarisable. Basically this book is stream of consciousness This is a very hard book to review as there isn't really a plot or rather the plot is un-summarisable. Basically this book is stream of consciousness meets poetry written in a couple of un-punctuated sentences at a time. Sometimes these thoughts are linear although often they aren't, some of the passages are extremely beautiful and some of them aren't.
The Best way I can think to represent the book is by quoting some of my favourite lines:
'past moments old dreams back again or fresh like those that pass or things things always and memories I say them as I hear them murmur them in the mud' 'the people above whining about not living strange at such a time a such a bubble in the the head all dead now others for whom it is not a life and what follows very strange namely that I understand them' 'all that always every word as I hear it in me that was without when the panting stops and murmur it in the mud bits and scraps I say it no more and now what to end if there anything left before going on and ending past too leaving only part three and last yes all alone alas' 'things said to me said of me to whom else of whomelse clench the eyes try and see another to whom of whom to whom of me of whom to me or even a third clench the eyes and try and see a third mix up all that' 'only me in any case yes alone yes in the mud yes the dark yes that holds yes the mud and the dark hold yes nothing to regret there no with my sack no i beg your pardon this no no sack either no not even a sack with me no' I appreciate this book isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. but if you like how the above extracts are written I think you'll enjoy the rest of the book.
I found it a little difficult to get into the rhythm of this book, but once I went with the flow of the book I found it really easy to hurtle through. (In that way it really reminded me of my first reading of Finnegan's Wake by James Joyce).
The book '1001 Books to Read Before You Die' talks of how difficult Beckett wanted this book to be, 'nothing occupied Beckett so much as the idea that his writing should be as difficult t imagine and to desire as it possibly could be'. 'But read this book for what it does to how language is and to how we are in consequence. In its most suspended animation, Beckett's prose turns into poetry', which sounds quite pretentious but I completely agree.
This is a very hard book to rate but I will say although I really liked this book, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I loved Waiting for Godot also by Beckett (which I gave 5/5) so I've decided to give it 4/5. ...more
Plot: Tita is the youngest daughter so in her family's tradition she is duty bound not to wed but instead to look after her abusive mother until she dPlot: Tita is the youngest daughter so in her family's tradition she is duty bound not to wed but instead to look after her abusive mother until she dies. Even when she falls in love with a boy from the village, who asks for her hand her sister is offered instead. Tita finds shelter in her exquisite gift for cooking, occasionally her gift transcends normal limits and she is able to project her feelings onto the dishes she cooks. This book follows the love, the loss, the sorrow and the duty bound up in Tita and her family.
Favourite Quote:On killing chickens 'It occurred to her that she could use her mothers strength right now. Mama Elena was merciless, killing with a single blow. But then again not always. Foe Tita she has made an exception; she had been killing her a little at a time since she was a child, and she still hadn't finished her off'.
Structure: This book documents 12 different stories from the lives of Tita and her family, these stories all revolve food, love (or the lack of it) and are all touched by magic. Each chapter also begins with a recipe detailing a dish that is important to the plot, I will definitely be trying to cook some of them.
The fact that this novel had such a precise structure meant that it had a great rhythm, which kept me reading. This is one of the few books that I finished and then felt I had to re-read almost immediately.
This book contained a lot my favourite things, beautiful writings and sensory descriptions of food so evocative they'll make you hungry. (The sense of place was also described well, although I have never been to Mexico where this book is set I felt like I knew where the author was talking about). Amazing magical realism that is as intricately woven as a precise recipe and as re-readable and enchanting as a folk tale. In short this is one of my new all time favourite books and I would recommend this book to everyone.
(I would say that this edition ISBN: 9780552995870, is also incredibly well translated.)...more
Plot: Benjamin has recently graduated Uni with fantastic marks, however when he gets back home he realises it was all for nothing. This whole book is Plot: Benjamin has recently graduated Uni with fantastic marks, however when he gets back home he realises it was all for nothing. This whole book is his post graduation existential crisis, (and subsequent affair). Seeing as how he is from an affluent if overbearing family he is supported financially after he decides not to go to grad school or get a job or do anything really.
Protagonist: The back of the book calls Benjamin 'the worst behaved yet most sympathetic anti-hero of the day'. To me Benjamin is none of those things. The only area I feel sympathy for him is his slightly overbearing parents, but I think everyone has experience with well meaning yet over zealous family. Whereas not everyone gets given a sports car for their graduation , or has a swimming pool in the backyard, or can afford not to work for months on end, (as Benjamin does and can).
As a recent graduate I can understand feeling like your degree was a bit of a waste of time if your'e having trouble finding a job (as I am). However Benjamin isn't looking for work, he doesn't have to.
Now not liking/sympathising with a character isn't the be all and end all of enjoying a novel. I really like reading about dislike able characters, but usually some other aspect of the novel does appeal to me, such as the writing or plot.
What I liked: Well... it was short. More of a novella than a novel, I read it in 2 very short sittings.
What I didn't: Apart from my misgivings about the characters, I also didn't think there was enough of a plot. I think I may have gotten more from the book if it covered a longer section of time. As it was I didn't find the actual story too memorable.
The writing style didn't really grab me either. This book is largely made up of dialogue, so much so it reminded me of reading the angst ridden plays I really love (such as Look Back in Anger and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf). What distinguishes those pieces of drama from this novella is that the dialogue in those plays is masterfully written, but i don't feel the speech in this book is. It is largely made up of unanswered and repeated questions.
Film Adaptation: I know the film is held up as a classic and I have heard that Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of Benjamin makes him more sympathetic. At some point I'll have to hunt out the movie because I feel this will be one of the occasions where the film is better than the book.
Favourite Quote:'The water rose up around his black suit to the level of his chest. Then to his neck. Just as the water level was at his chin the flippers began scraping against the bottom of the the pool. He let all his breath out and tried to force himself under but the air tank kept him afloat. He began thrashing with his arms but his head would not go under. The Arnold children began to laugh. The neighbours in back began to booing through the fence. By the time he reached the steps everyone in the yard was booing except for his father, who was standing at the head of the pool frowning at him.'
Would I recommend this book? No. I'm not apposed to a whole book of existential angst I just think there are much better written examples of existential angst.
Plot: This book is in two sections, the first documents passionate affair a teenage boy has with an older woman. The second part deals with the atrociPlot: This book is in two sections, the first documents passionate affair a teenage boy has with an older woman. The second part deals with the atrocities of the holocaust and who bears the responsibility of memorialising, remembering and condemning when the war is over.
Writing Style: This whole novella is written very plainly but very beautifully. I think Bernhard Schlink's skill is most effectively demonstrated when the tone changes halfway through the novella. The tone change is so incredibly subtle at the time but when I had finished reading they felt almost like two completely different stories.
Favourite Quote:'Did I fall in love with her as the price for her having gone to bed with me? To this day after spending the night with a woman, I feel I've been indulged and I must make it up somehow to her by trying at least to love her, and the world by facing up to it'.
Characters: Both Michael and Hanna are left fairly unexplored, whilst I was reading the novella I felt I could have used more information bout them. but when afterwards I felt like it was their enigmatic nature which meant they stayed with me.
Pace: The pace of this novella was very steady. A large part of the first section is very anticipatory with its use of past tense, which spurs the pace on but at a very steady gentle pace. there is also a twist in the tale that the reader works out long before its written on the page, which means you don't hurtle to the conclusion of the novel but sort of amble gently to the end.
What I liked: I thought that examining very heavy and emotive subjects through the lens of relationship was a really effective way to tell a multifaceted story.
For me this book was more interesting in part for the questions it raised about genocide, cultural guilt and the burden of the generation after atrocities are committed to equally condemn and understand the perpetrators. The passages where Schlink talks about condemning and understanding and the impossibility of doing them both at the same time to be particularly interesting, it really stuck with me. The novella also raised more questions about this than it answered which made it a very contemplative read.
Rating: 4/5
Overall I thought this was a beautiful novella that made foe a very contemplative read, that stayed with me for long after I had actually finished it.
Plot: This is going to sound spoilery, but rest assured everything I am about to tell you happens in the first 10 pages. Veronika has a seemingly charPlot: This is going to sound spoilery, but rest assured everything I am about to tell you happens in the first 10 pages. Veronika has a seemingly charmed life yet she has decided to kill herself. After attempting to take her life, she wakes up in hospital and is told that she, only has a few days to live'.
Favourite Passage:'Hatred. Something almost as physical as walls, pianos or nurses; she could almost touch the destructive energy leaking out of her body. She allowed the feeling to emerge, regardless of whether it was good or bad, she was sick of self-control, of masks, of appropriate behaviour. Veronika wanted to spend her remaining two or three days of life behaving as innapropriately as she could.
She had begun by slapping an old man in the face, she had burst into tears in front of a nurse, she had refused to be nice and to talk to others when what she really wanted was to be left alone, and now she was free enough to fell hatred, although intelligent enough not to smash everything around her and risk spending what remained of her life under sedation and in a bed in a ward.
At that moment, she hated everything: herself, the world, the chair in front of her, the broken radiator in one of the corridors, people who were perfect, criminals. She was in a mental hospital and so could allow herself to feel things that people usually hide form themselves, because we are all brought up only to love, to accept, to look for ways round things; to avoid conflict. Veronika hated everything, but mainly she hated the way she had lived her life, never bothering to discover the hundreds of other Veronikas who lived inside her and who were interesting, mad, curious, brave, bold'.
The Structure: It's written in very short sections, which means it's easy to pick up and put down, (its a good commute read).
My experience with the writer: I know a lot of people really love Paulo Coelho's work, but I just don't think his style of writing is for me. (Last year I read The Alchemist, and was disappointing after hearing nothing but hype about how life changing it was, I didn't really enjoy it). His philosophical/self help tone combined with the fact that he tends to wear his morals on his sleeve, which leads others to love him just doesn't sit well with me. I appreciate this is a personal thing the 1001 books to read before you die book says of this book, 'In a world of increasing uniformity, conformity and violation, the novel reflects its late 20th century provenance with it's blend of world religious sentiment, the self-help angle, and it's advocacy that life can have meaning if we do not heed the social mores that stifle, the human spirit.' I will say I enjoyed this novel more than The Alchemist, although the tone was very similar. The tone in both novels stopped me from connecting with the characters, and just made me lose interest in the plot. I was given a copy of The Devil and Miss Prym by a family friend, so after I read that I think I will have given Paulo Coelho enough of a chance.
I appreciate that Paulo Coelho used some of his own experience in a psychiatric hospital to shape the plot of this novel, but I thought this book would have been more focused on mental health rather than using a characters mental illness to give the reader generic life advice.
Overall I feel like this is one Author that a lot of people love but just isn't for me.
Plot: This is the story of a eccentric hippy mother who takes her two small children to Morocco, on her own journey of self discovery, and financial iPlot: This is the story of a eccentric hippy mother who takes her two small children to Morocco, on her own journey of self discovery, and financial instability. (The title does make sense once you read the book, but it really doesn’t before hand).
Form: This is an autobiographical novel, however it reads very much like a memoir with a dash of travel writing thrown in.
What I liked: The story is engaging and the characters are interesting. Along with the narrator there is her mother, (who is a little frustrating), and her older more straight laced sister.
The narrator Bea is a six year old version of the author, this point of view could have been annoying and overly cutesy but it really wasn’t. This is where you can see how truly well written this book is, the narrative voice is true throughout, it really does feel like a child is telling you the story.
This is particularly effective when the narrator gets distracted, or doesn’t fully understand what’s happening. As an adult reader I felt a lot more concerned about certain events and there effects on the children than the narrator was. As the narrative voice is simple, the chapters are short which sets a good pace making it a very quick read.
What I didn’t like: I felt at times like this book was building to a crescendo /high point of tension or drama but it never quite got there. To be honest it was a short pleasant read but I found it quite forgettable.
I would be really interested to read another book by Esther Freud as I really liked how this book was written, even when I wasn’t enthralled with this particular story.
Recommendation: If you enjoy reading memoirs of childhood/life writing or if the subject sounds interesting to you, I would say it might be worth a quick read.
(Originally posted at susanandherbooks.com)...more
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