book review

Jamaica Inn – Daphne Du Maurier

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As the world outside has gradually become red, brown and yellow with beautiful autumn leaves, and the mornings have grown foggy and damp, I have been feeling as though it is the perfect weather for curling up under my blanket and getting stuck in a good, thrilling book. What could be more perfect than a Daphne du Maurier with her chilling stories, usually set in a lonely location, with stormy weather and bleak countryside?

I have a large book with a collection of four of du Maurier’s “Great Cornish Novels” starting with Jamaica Inn. I first read this when I was quite young, and had forgotten the details of the plot. All I remembered was a feeling of tension, excitement and mystery surrounding the book. Eager to read the book again, I raced through it in only a few days. Indeed, it was hard to put the book down! Continue reading →

The White King – György Dragomán

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I have always found that a disturbing story, written from a child’s perspective, can be so much more moving and hard hitting than if it were written from an adult’s point of view. Books such as Niccolo Ammaniti’s I’m Not Scared and The Boy with the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne are very cleverly written, using simple, child-like language and ideas to tell a tale where the horror is just below the surface, not mentioned, but always felt. Only a talented writer could pull off the subtle style where the evils of the book are unspoken but ever present.

György Dragomán, it turns out is one of those talented writers. His second novel about twelve year old Djata growing up under a communist dictatorship is poignant and alive with childish energy. Continue reading →

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency – Douglas Adams

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If you are familiar with other books by Douglas Adams, you will be aware that he is a pretty wacky writer with some very original ideas. He has the unique talent of being able to write absolute nonsense and turn it into a readable story that actually makes sense. Sort of. Well most of the time anyway.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is bursting with eccentric characters, my favourite being the endearing and forgetful Reg, the Professor of Chronology at St Cedd’s, Cambridge. Odd things are happening in his house, as the protagonist of this story, Richard finds out when he is invited to dinner with the Professor one evening. After all, finding a horse in your host’s bathroom is not something you would normally expect to happen. Continue reading →

The Wild – Esther Freud

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When I picked up this book, I thought it looked like a charming story of the ups and downs of childhood. The front cover and the blurb on the back did not prepare me for the dark and intensely disturbing atmosphere of The Wild.

When Francine, a single mother and her two children move in with the bohemian William and his three daughters, life seems great. They have healthy meals, sing songs and have plenty of outdoor space to roam around in. Nine year old Tess loves her new home, where she has her own plot of garden and gets to look after chickens. Her older brother Jake and their vicious but loyal cat, Odin, aren’t so happy with their new family. As life goes on and Francine and William become more involved, Tess slowly begins to realise that the new man in her mother’s life is not as perfect as he appears to be and that she will never be fully accepted into his family. Continue reading →

Diaries of a Cultured Cat – Brigitte Downey

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When I first found this book, I couldn’t wait to read it. Being a cat lover, the title immediately appealed to me. Now that I have finished it, I have mixed feelings.

Diaries of a Cultured Cat is a nice, light-hearted read about Fluffy, also known as Lucia. She finds herself whisked away from her home in Kerry, Ireland where she spent her days as a kitten with her beloved Deirdre. The little girl, Deirdre and her cousin April, sneakily pack the young cat into April’s luggage to take home to Wimbledon, London, where Deirdre hopes she will lead a more cultural life than in the wilds of Kerry. Continue reading →

Oryx and Crake – Margaret Atwood

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Well Atwood has certainly done it again. While reading this book, I was transported to another world – a future world where mankind has gone too far and experimented one too many times with technology and genetics to a devastating result.

This new world is empty and cruel. The sun is harsh and the creatures have become wild and dangerous. The creatures are strange hybrids, spliced together to make odd cross breeds, my favourite being the rakunks, a cross between a raccoon and a skunk – but without the smell, making them perfect pets. There are also spoat/giders, wolvogs and pigoons. Continue reading →

All the Pretty Horses – Cormac McCarthy

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This isn’t the first book that I’ve read by McCarthy. I read The Road a few months ago and so I knew that I had to prepare myself when sitting down to begin All the Pretty Horses. If you have ever read a book by Cormac McCarthy, then you will understand that his writing is unique and often very depressing.

All the Pretty Horses is no exception. It is a book about love and friendship and although not quiet as desperate or bleak as The Road, it sure has its moments. Our protagonist is a sixteen year old of few words, who spends most of his time among the horses, whispering to them, calming them and of course riding them. A world without horses to John Cole Grady is unimaginable, which is why, when his mother tells him that their ranch is being closed, he decides to set out on horseback with is friend Lacey Rawlins, to find work in Mexico. Leaving their childhoods behind them in San Angelo, Texas, they travel towards the border and a time of their lives that will scar them forever. Continue reading →

Upside Down Inside Out – Monica McInerney

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I have said before that I don’t particularly like romance novels, but my friend gave me this one as a present, and I thought the summary on the back sounded quite intriguing. Set between Ireland, England and Australia, this book is about an unsatisfied shop assistant in Dublin and an unhappy, but successful business man in London, who meet while on holiday in Melbourne, and surprise, surprise, fall in love.

I am not really giving anything away, as the book does not pretend to be anything other than a romantic story about two strangers. The ‘twist’ is that both characters have secrets. Eva, the shop assistant, spends the whole holiday pretending to be a famous singer and sculpture called Niamh, while Joseph, who runs his own business, has her believing that he is a backpacker with no money. But will they accept each other for who they really are when the truth is finally revealed? Continue reading →

Inés of My Soul – Isabel Allende

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From the moment I opened this book, I was under a spell. And remained so  until the very last page. Isabel Allende’s words are bewitching and I am thankful that I was on holiday when I started, so I could have hours of uninterrupted, beach-reading bliss!

Throughout Isabel Allende’s magical historical novel about the conquest of Chile, I went through every emotion imaginable. The enthralling book tells of the exciting life of Inés de Suárez, the mistress of Pedro de Valdivia, who became the first royal governor of Chile.

Inés’ life wasn’t always so interesting. After her first husband leaves to travel to The New World in the Americas, in search of gold and glory, Inés becomes frustrated with her boring life in Plasencia, Spain. She makes a decision that will change the course of her life, and history. She decides to follow her husband, not for love, but for herself. She longs for freedom and adventure.  Continue reading →

Croatian Nights – A Festival of Alternative Literature – Various Authors

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This is a marvellous collection of short stories. Sex and alcohol are mixed in with a splash of violence and a good helping of humour. All this creates a delicious cocktail of weird and wonderful stories set in or about Croatia. A mixture of British and Croatian authors have contributed to this book celebrating alternative literature, many of the Croatian ones being translated for the first time.

I chose this book to take on holiday with me to Croatia and really enjoyed almost every moment. I don’t often read short stories, but found it just right for holiday reading.There is a variety of themes in the collection, including love, the aftermath of war, sexuality and tourism. The British authors mostly write from tourist or ex-pat points of view, with an emphasis on alcohol, sex and Rock and Roll. Continue reading →