Bad News by Edward St Aubyn

 

"He checked the pills again (lower right pocket) and then the envelope (inside left) and then the credit cards(outer left). This nervous action, which he sometimes performed every few minutes, was like a man crossing himself before an altar - the Drugs; the Cash; and the Holy Ghost of Credit."



The horrific events of Patrick Melrose's childhood described in Never Mind have been set aside in a swathe of vigorous drug taking. Patrick, in his twenties, is an enticing junkie.

A trip to pick up his father's ashes in New York, beginning with a hilarious Concorde flight, St Aubyn so evilly depicts the unpleasantness of flight next to a talkative bore.

 

Arriving in the 'States, Patrick's adventures are centered around reaching out to friends and potential paramours, but mostly scoring an ever growing supply of drugs which he surreptitiously partakes of throughout the novel. The eye patch, the dangerously unhygienic needles and the hilariously wacky pop culture riddled highs are strangely compelling and I simply can't wait to find where he lands next.

 

 

5 out of 5, this book will have you high on literature.

Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon

 

 

"Some days it seems like every lowlife in town as Tail' Em and Nail' Em on their grease-stained Rolodex."

 

 

Beyond the sexy looking cover and the literary pedigree of its author, this is an intriguing read. Maxine, a small time fraud investigator in pre-911 New York is the focal point of a winding story that includes a secret, underground web "Deep Web",  conspiracies, fraudsters and a continually returning ex-husband.

 

It is really difficult to describe the, at times, disjointed narrative and yet that did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel. This is a rather pitiful review on my part, possibly due to the fact I've got a headache - sorry readers.

 

I'd be interested to hear what others made of this.

 

 

4 out of 5 noses wouldn't bother with Hitler's aftershave.

 



1977 by David Peace

"My fingers  were turning cold, dripping blood."

The second of David Peace's Red Riding Quartet has left me feeling as tainted and in need of a shower as the first instalment. This gritty crime novel is not the kind of thing you might read for a relaxing up beat view of the world.

 

Tawdry, flawed human beings fill the pages with blood, sweat and other bodily fluids.

 

The vicious Yorkshire Ripper is on the loose and prostitutes are fair game. Brutality is everywhere along with bent coppers, hardened newspaper men and broken harlots.

 

As usual, the narrative is a little all over the place with a kind of horrific poetry about it. I'm perplexed that I wanted to revisit this grimy world after the first book, and yet I'm equally compelled to finish the series. There is something so real about it, its a car crash that you can't help rubber-necking at.

 

 

3 out of 5 stars, I couldn't say I loved it but it is kind of brilliantly executed. I guess I just needed the relentless misery to stop.

A Serpentine Affair by Tina Seskis

"Sissy was the first to arrive, as usual."



 

25 years of reunions have led to this picnic and some serious drama. Seskis perfectly creates that tension that exists between groups of friends, the underlying tensions, the groups within groups, the festering wounds that develop over years of shared experiences.

Jumping back and forth in time, the narrative draws the reader into a compelling mystery that keeps you guessing right up until the final page. I think perhaps we all have groups of friend that we grow out of, or move away from, and then there are the groups that stay together our of sheer bloody-mindedness. Lets just say this group is even more dysfunctional than most!

I was fortunate enough to secure a signed copy through a Goodreads' giveaway and was certainly not disappointed!


5 out of 5 picnics end badly when champers is consumed in the sun.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L.Stedman

"As he realised who Isabel was talking to, his neck tingled, and his pulse raced harder."





 

I don't know what was stranger, reading this on my phone ( which prolonged the reading experience far past the usual time frame) or shedding tears over my mobile phone.



Prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster. Who knew so much drama could be wrought from the solitary lifestyle of a lighthouse keeper and his wife.

 

Personally, I think this is a book best enjoyed where the events spring forth as a surprise. There is something cinematic in scope about it, I'm sure it would make an amazing film.

 

 

 5 out of 5  wise kids know their own father.

Cain by José Saramago

"That said, the lord plucked out of the air a couple of animal skins to cover the nakedness of adam and eve, who exchanged knowing winks, for they had known they were naked from the very first day and had made the most of it too."

If, like me, you're not the religious type, you might approach the old testament blood and gore fest with trepidation. Here José  Saramago, takes an entertaining approach to query how a loving god could wreck such carnage and pain on his loyal subjects.

 

Cain visits some of the most famous stories of the old testament, he cooks up a whole lot of trouble on Noah's ark, his mark grows with age and he is a bit of a pants man.

 

This is not quite as funny as Christopher Moore's Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, yet it is expertly crafted and delightfully entertaining. A new entry to the latest edition of the 1001 books series and was the author's final work.

 

 5 out of 5 donkey herders live long lives.



Ulysses by James Joyce

"May I bring two men chums to witness the deed and take a snapshot?"

One of those literary classics that I have avoided for way too long. I remember it sitting ominously on an ex-boyfriend's bedside table, actually I think he was still reading it after we broke up. I was mortified that a scientist was reading a classic that I hadn't even looked at yet.

I'd read that it was nonsensical and rambling and that put me off picking it up, well that and the lump of a size of it - the book - not the boyfriend - until, I finally gave in and decided to read the damn thing.

 

Let me just start out by saying, starting this with one hell of a hangover was so appropriate! Rambling tales, strange interludes with prostitutes, dense text, dialogue, there's a little bit of something for everyone here. Don't expect a sane, straight down the line narrative. But, who would expect that if they'd heard anything about this novel? Banned for obscenity for many years, yet don't expect to be too disgusted by the odd smattering of the f-word, and the odd mention of a 'French letter'.

 

Drunken ramblings of someone with a classical education is what comes to mind. Reading this book I answered someone in French and wrote an email with a smattering of Latin. Certainly, the 5 days I spent reading this were a little scattered.

 

I have ticked off about 6 different best of lists by completing this one, that is just an added bonus.

 

 4 out of 5 messed up meandering.