The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Historical fiction
Published by Pan Books 2007
Despite the fact that it is a very long book with an extraordinarily bizarre style, the story is rather intriguing and especially after part one, it becomes a book you cannot put down. Stylistically, it is broken into parts with their own chapters and sections within those chapters which makes it easy to read in bite size chunks. However, there are breaks and gaps all over the place which can be a bit confusing.
In order to appreciate this text i believe you must have some interest in history or architecture with it being set in medieval times where the main characters' lives are based around the building of a cathedral. I find myself hoping the cantankerous William Hamleigh gets his comeuppance in the end and the other more faithful and affable characters who have been wronged throughout get to live happily.
I have enjoyed this book because we follow the main characters throughout their lives. We grow up with them as their stories evolve, their lives change and their personalities develop.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Overcoming Adversity
The King's Speech by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi
Biographical
Published 2011 by Quercus
An excellent read offering an insight into George VI's abrupt succession to the throne, his incredible battle with the speech impediment that plagued him since childhood, and his tough reign through the trauma of World War Two.
The reader comes to see how important Lionel Logue was in helping the King overcome his stammer, not only through his skills as a speech therapist but also through the friendship that formed between himself and the King. He was always a loyal friend to the King which provided the support he needed throughout his remaining years.
This documentary, in its biographical style, makes The King's Speech easy to follow and understand, creating a book you cannot put down.
There is a feeling of immense sympathy for the King as he endeavoured to overcome the ordeals and struggles in his life. Through this he became praised as a great monarch, remembered for ruling the people through a disastrous time of war and catastrophe, into a more peaceful time.
I found this book to be a wonderful tribute to two great men who deserve to be remembered and honoured each in their own right; the ordinary, Australian speech therapist and the Duke of York, King George VI.
Biographical
Published 2011 by Quercus
An excellent read offering an insight into George VI's abrupt succession to the throne, his incredible battle with the speech impediment that plagued him since childhood, and his tough reign through the trauma of World War Two.
The reader comes to see how important Lionel Logue was in helping the King overcome his stammer, not only through his skills as a speech therapist but also through the friendship that formed between himself and the King. He was always a loyal friend to the King which provided the support he needed throughout his remaining years.
This documentary, in its biographical style, makes The King's Speech easy to follow and understand, creating a book you cannot put down.
There is a feeling of immense sympathy for the King as he endeavoured to overcome the ordeals and struggles in his life. Through this he became praised as a great monarch, remembered for ruling the people through a disastrous time of war and catastrophe, into a more peaceful time.
I found this book to be a wonderful tribute to two great men who deserve to be remembered and honoured each in their own right; the ordinary, Australian speech therapist and the Duke of York, King George VI.
Friday, July 29, 2011
The Good Shall Conquer
J.K Rowling: The Harry Potter series
Adventure and Fantasy
What started out as a novel, about an exceptional boy who survived an attack from the most powerful, dark and evil thing in the world, became a sensational story about three unlikely friends whose journey will test their friendship, their loyalty and their magical talents.
All of this is in the name of that age old battle between good and evil. Their quest will transform their world forever.
Yes, i am of course talking about Harry Potter and his close friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
Adventure and Fantasy
What started out as a novel, about an exceptional boy who survived an attack from the most powerful, dark and evil thing in the world, became a sensational story about three unlikely friends whose journey will test their friendship, their loyalty and their magical talents.
All of this is in the name of that age old battle between good and evil. Their quest will transform their world forever.
Yes, i am of course talking about Harry Potter and his close friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The Life of a Lady
D.H Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover
Published by: Penguin Group 2011
Romance
Rather negatively, i found the writing style hard to get along with in its jumpy style. Stories with a flowing style, like most classic novels, tend to hold my interest better and tend also to be clearer to understand and follow. Not only is the style and language not to my taste but the actual content does not hold my interest either. This however, is not Lawrence's fault, but just down to my individual taste.
The complex heroine Lady Constance Chatterley shifts between an emotionless and empty woman to a pathetic and needy lover, bringing contempt and frustration to the pages as no amount of lovers, money, high society or good living ever seems to make her happy. Although the sex is explicit, there seems to be little romance or even love between the characters who share these intimate moments.
I can appreciate the struggle Lawrence must have gone through to produce a novel about such a delicate and complex topic, as he talks so openly about sex and the complexity of love.
Published by: Penguin Group 2011
Romance
Rather negatively, i found the writing style hard to get along with in its jumpy style. Stories with a flowing style, like most classic novels, tend to hold my interest better and tend also to be clearer to understand and follow. Not only is the style and language not to my taste but the actual content does not hold my interest either. This however, is not Lawrence's fault, but just down to my individual taste.
The complex heroine Lady Constance Chatterley shifts between an emotionless and empty woman to a pathetic and needy lover, bringing contempt and frustration to the pages as no amount of lovers, money, high society or good living ever seems to make her happy. Although the sex is explicit, there seems to be little romance or even love between the characters who share these intimate moments.
I can appreciate the struggle Lawrence must have gone through to produce a novel about such a delicate and complex topic, as he talks so openly about sex and the complexity of love.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Reality is not always the perfect picture
Jodi Picoult: Picture Perfect
Fiction - Domestic violence/family saga
Published by Hodder & Stoughton 2010
Picture Perfect tells two stories that come to coincide and inter-link with each other. One is of a melancholic Indian man's plight, who is trying so hard to forget his past, wishing he could erase his roots, trying to confront the racist issues his faces, whilst living an ordinary life. It becomes apparent that Will Flying Horse has a big part to play, almost acting as a guardian angel and saviour for the abused Cassie. The main focus is on the seemingly perfect, storybook Hollywood marriage which, as the story develops, rather despairingly turns into a harsh reality of domestic violence as it is clear that not everything is as it first appeared. Despite Cassie's nightmarish life though, she is overcome with the gripping emotions of love, loyalty and care as she vouches to stay with her husband Alex. What makes their relationship so intense is Alex's propensity to perform as a modern-day Jekyll and Hyde.
Here, Picoult portrays hidden depths, showing the reality and complexity of human existence. Her complex characters are never exactly what they appear to be as the facade begins to crack with reality seeping through the hidden secrets, mysterious pasts and forgotten identities and ancestral histories.
Will Cassie finally escape or can the relationship return back to its initial fairy-tale beginning? Either way, something has to change as it is clear Cassie cannot survive much longer in her current predicament.
Fiction - Domestic violence/family saga
Published by Hodder & Stoughton 2010
Picture Perfect tells two stories that come to coincide and inter-link with each other. One is of a melancholic Indian man's plight, who is trying so hard to forget his past, wishing he could erase his roots, trying to confront the racist issues his faces, whilst living an ordinary life. It becomes apparent that Will Flying Horse has a big part to play, almost acting as a guardian angel and saviour for the abused Cassie. The main focus is on the seemingly perfect, storybook Hollywood marriage which, as the story develops, rather despairingly turns into a harsh reality of domestic violence as it is clear that not everything is as it first appeared. Despite Cassie's nightmarish life though, she is overcome with the gripping emotions of love, loyalty and care as she vouches to stay with her husband Alex. What makes their relationship so intense is Alex's propensity to perform as a modern-day Jekyll and Hyde.
Here, Picoult portrays hidden depths, showing the reality and complexity of human existence. Her complex characters are never exactly what they appear to be as the facade begins to crack with reality seeping through the hidden secrets, mysterious pasts and forgotten identities and ancestral histories.
Will Cassie finally escape or can the relationship return back to its initial fairy-tale beginning? Either way, something has to change as it is clear Cassie cannot survive much longer in her current predicament.
Monday, October 25, 2010
The blindness of Matchmaking
Emma by Jane Austen
Out of Jane Austen's classic novels, it is Emma Woodhouse who is the most diverse heroine. Many critics have commented on her snobbish, almost disreputable and annoying qualities as a matchmaking busy-body. As the text moves forward, one finds they either stand firmly in her corner, fighting for her survival as the typical romantic Austen heroine, or they dismiss her character as an opinionated, egotistical woman who does not deserve the happy-ever-after ending she is bound to receive.
One infuriating aspect of Emma's character is that she is so obsessed with matching her acquaintances that she is blind to her own feelings and the fact that the person she loves has been right in front of her eyes throughout the entire novel.
Unlike Austen's other heroines, Emma is the most wealthy and while that allows her more freedom within her Hatfield society, it serves to influence her development into a rude and arrogant woman.
I initially viewed Austen's Emma as not being as great as some of her other novels (not featuring very high on my favourites list) but after writing on it for my undergraduate dissertation, it is now regarded as being one of my top favourite Austen books, alongside Pride and Prejudice (of course!)
Out of Jane Austen's classic novels, it is Emma Woodhouse who is the most diverse heroine. Many critics have commented on her snobbish, almost disreputable and annoying qualities as a matchmaking busy-body. As the text moves forward, one finds they either stand firmly in her corner, fighting for her survival as the typical romantic Austen heroine, or they dismiss her character as an opinionated, egotistical woman who does not deserve the happy-ever-after ending she is bound to receive.
One infuriating aspect of Emma's character is that she is so obsessed with matching her acquaintances that she is blind to her own feelings and the fact that the person she loves has been right in front of her eyes throughout the entire novel.
Unlike Austen's other heroines, Emma is the most wealthy and while that allows her more freedom within her Hatfield society, it serves to influence her development into a rude and arrogant woman.
I initially viewed Austen's Emma as not being as great as some of her other novels (not featuring very high on my favourites list) but after writing on it for my undergraduate dissertation, it is now regarded as being one of my top favourite Austen books, alongside Pride and Prejudice (of course!)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Bedford, we have a problem!
H.G Wells: The First Men in the Moon
Fiction - Science Fiction
Published by Penguin Group 2005
Dangers of the unknown
In this narrative, Mr Bedford explains the discoveries he and the mad scientist Dr Cavor make, as they journey through space. Bound for the moon in a flying spherical contraption, the two newly acquainted men set out to uncover the mysteries of space, and what they find is nothing short of absurd and ridiculous. They encounter extraordinary moon beings, who have inhabited the moon for what seems like quite some time, and wild plants that grow on the surface of the moon during daytime and crinkle up, dying slowly in the night. Even though disaster befalls one of the men, the story continues until we have been safely returned back to Earth, the planet that is inhabited by humans with ordinary lives!
In the early twentieth century, when this was written, space travel was a thing of the future and little was known about the mysteries of the moon and outer space. Anything that was written, around and before this time, was a mixture of speculation and fiction, the stuff of imagination!
Fiction - Science Fiction
Published by Penguin Group 2005
Dangers of the unknown
In this narrative, Mr Bedford explains the discoveries he and the mad scientist Dr Cavor make, as they journey through space. Bound for the moon in a flying spherical contraption, the two newly acquainted men set out to uncover the mysteries of space, and what they find is nothing short of absurd and ridiculous. They encounter extraordinary moon beings, who have inhabited the moon for what seems like quite some time, and wild plants that grow on the surface of the moon during daytime and crinkle up, dying slowly in the night. Even though disaster befalls one of the men, the story continues until we have been safely returned back to Earth, the planet that is inhabited by humans with ordinary lives!
In the early twentieth century, when this was written, space travel was a thing of the future and little was known about the mysteries of the moon and outer space. Anything that was written, around and before this time, was a mixture of speculation and fiction, the stuff of imagination!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Innocent until proven guilty
Jodi Picoult: The Pact
Fiction - Crime/Detective
Published by Hodder & Stoughton 2008
Just like Picoult's other crime based novels, the reader finds oneself completely trusting the alleged criminal protagonist. Picoult presents these characters as utterly decent people, who show no sign that something evil may lurk beneath, but who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In these novels, we take a leap of faith in order to trust human kind, to restore that which has long gone, the ability to believe in the innocent rather than to wrongly convict and judge them.
In The Pact, Chris has just seen his girlfriend die right in front of him and now the evidence is stacking up against him. Throughout the novel, Chris has the countenance of an innocent, decent man who is not capable of committing this horrendous crime but regrettably, the witness who could help him reveal the truth is gone forever. It is Chris' word against Emily's character!
Fiction - Crime/Detective
Published by Hodder & Stoughton 2008
Just like Picoult's other crime based novels, the reader finds oneself completely trusting the alleged criminal protagonist. Picoult presents these characters as utterly decent people, who show no sign that something evil may lurk beneath, but who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In these novels, we take a leap of faith in order to trust human kind, to restore that which has long gone, the ability to believe in the innocent rather than to wrongly convict and judge them.
In The Pact, Chris has just seen his girlfriend die right in front of him and now the evidence is stacking up against him. Throughout the novel, Chris has the countenance of an innocent, decent man who is not capable of committing this horrendous crime but regrettably, the witness who could help him reveal the truth is gone forever. It is Chris' word against Emily's character!
Money Matters
Karen Quinn: The Ivy Chronicles
Fiction - Comedy Drama
Published by Pocket Books 2005
Set in the upper east side of New York City, this novel describes the extremes that many American parents will go to, to get their darling children into the best prep schools. When the life Ivy Ames knows begins to crumble around her, as she loses her job, her luxury apartment and discovers her husband is cheating on her, she decides to move on with her life. She begins afresh as a private school admissions adviser helping those parents get their children into the best schools. Ivy is able to gain access to the information the parents need in order to win round the school committee. We cannot help laughing at the extremes these mad parents will go to.
Although Ivy thinks she has her dream job, where she starts earning enough money to reinstate the luxury lifestyle that her and her daughters are used to, some of the parents take it too far and begin dealing in things Ivy no longer wants to be part of. As she battles with angry parents and her own conscience, Ivy begins to see what it is she truly wants and what is most important to her. She ditches her former shallow and materialist morals for more improved and rounded ones; the new Ivy is morally superior to the old Ivy.
Fiction - Comedy Drama
Published by Pocket Books 2005
Set in the upper east side of New York City, this novel describes the extremes that many American parents will go to, to get their darling children into the best prep schools. When the life Ivy Ames knows begins to crumble around her, as she loses her job, her luxury apartment and discovers her husband is cheating on her, she decides to move on with her life. She begins afresh as a private school admissions adviser helping those parents get their children into the best schools. Ivy is able to gain access to the information the parents need in order to win round the school committee. We cannot help laughing at the extremes these mad parents will go to.
Although Ivy thinks she has her dream job, where she starts earning enough money to reinstate the luxury lifestyle that her and her daughters are used to, some of the parents take it too far and begin dealing in things Ivy no longer wants to be part of. As she battles with angry parents and her own conscience, Ivy begins to see what it is she truly wants and what is most important to her. She ditches her former shallow and materialist morals for more improved and rounded ones; the new Ivy is morally superior to the old Ivy.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The suffocating stability of tradition
Joanna Trollope: Girl from the South
Fiction - Family Saga/Romance
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing 2002
All the way through this novel, we are constantly reminded that the protagonist, Gillon, sees herself as the disappointment in the family. Due to her discontent with the life she is leading, Gillon spends much of her time moving away and starting again, only to end up returning home. Therefore, Gillon's big break that takes her overseas to England, affords her time away from her family and the chance of making new acquaintances, one of which will have a huge impact on her future.
Miles away in London, Henry, Tilly and William are having problems of their own. Here lies a complex love triangle. Besides Henry's inability to commit to his girlfriend Tilly, the other characters do not seem to hesitate when it comes to decision making, in fact, in some instances decisions are made in a blink of an eye!
A chance meeting brings nationalities together, job opportunities, friendship, broken hearts and a chance to escape. This novel is quite fast paced as we journey between London, England and Charleston, America. At first glance this may seem like a novel solely about romance but it is much more than that. Trollope explores the importance of those relationships that form in life and the complicated concept that is love.
Fiction - Family Saga/Romance
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing 2002
All the way through this novel, we are constantly reminded that the protagonist, Gillon, sees herself as the disappointment in the family. Due to her discontent with the life she is leading, Gillon spends much of her time moving away and starting again, only to end up returning home. Therefore, Gillon's big break that takes her overseas to England, affords her time away from her family and the chance of making new acquaintances, one of which will have a huge impact on her future.
Miles away in London, Henry, Tilly and William are having problems of their own. Here lies a complex love triangle. Besides Henry's inability to commit to his girlfriend Tilly, the other characters do not seem to hesitate when it comes to decision making, in fact, in some instances decisions are made in a blink of an eye!
A chance meeting brings nationalities together, job opportunities, friendship, broken hearts and a chance to escape. This novel is quite fast paced as we journey between London, England and Charleston, America. At first glance this may seem like a novel solely about romance but it is much more than that. Trollope explores the importance of those relationships that form in life and the complicated concept that is love.
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