Pyramids by Terry Pratchett

 

“All assassins had a full-length mirror in their rooms, because it would be a terrible insult to anyone to kill them when you were badly dressed.”  

 

I was really optimistic at the beginning of this tale. The Assassin's guild section was hysterical and certainly in line with some of Pratchett's best work. Once Teppic moves back home and the novel concerns itself with the pyramids, my interest waned a little. This failure to light my literary fire may have had something to do with the medium through which I was experiencing the work - an e-book on my mobile phone. Reading  a page here and there, snatching a spare moment to delve back into Discworld was, in this instance, a trifle frustrating. Generally, I  love escaping into Pratchett's world, this was enjoyable with some classic lines, but ultimately not my favourite escapade.  4 out of 5 pass the pyramids.



A Spy In The House Of Love by Anais Nin

 

 

"It was the alchemy of desire fixing itself upon the incarnation of all women into Sabina for a moment but as easily by a second process able to alchemize Sabina into many others."

 

The torments of Sabina and her struggles with love, lust, morality and the continuing friction between the three really resonates. Here is a strong female voice torn between the joys of liberation, the struggles of fitting in and playing a part to keep the man she loves and who loves her. All she wants is the freedom to live the enticing life enjoyed by her male counterparts, but in doing so, she risks exposing the mask she wears to hold on to Alan, the nice, safe choice.

 

 

Nin's writing, as always, is like chocolate, delicate, tasty, moreish and delightful. At 124 pages, this is a particularly quick read, but the prose is dense with anticipation, struggle and is certainly worth picking up from the bookshelf. There is something so attractive about her writing which is at the same time, reassuring and testing. This short read beautifully expresses the duality of desire, of joy and deceit in equal measure.  5 out of 5. I want to read it again!

 



Solar by Ian McEwan

 

"He had it coming. His four previous wives, Maisie, Ruth, Eleanor, Karen, who all still took a distant interest in his life, would have been exultant, and he hoped they would not be told."

 

 

Finishing this novel in the early hours of this morning, I wondered what had propelled me to finish and stay awake? It begins strongly with a serial womaniser getting his come uppence in the form of a cheating spouse. Life and love continue to get murkier for the scientist. I kept reading thinking, while this is written well, I'm really struggling to feel any connection with a rather unpleasant fellow.

 

The novel won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for comedic fiction, however, I only found it amusing it parts. There was  an overwhelming sense of emptiness, that I found frustrating. 4 out of 5.

To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway

 

"Standing at the bar, Richard Gordon drank three ojen specials but he felt no better; the opaque, sweetish, cold, licorice-tasting drink did not make him feel any different."

 

There is something about this novel that is reminiscent of a battle with a large sporting fish, pulling the reader in, letting the line go slack and then coming back in for another bite. Supposedly described to Howard Hawks as" 'That piece of junk called To Have and Have Not"   and I have to credit the following source http://chef-du-cinema.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/tv-bites-to-have-and-have-not.html for that quote.

 

Clearly the concatenation of a number of short stories, this novel reeks of masculine adventure. It is a quick read with densely, suggestive prose that paints  an evocative tale.

 

I feel like getting on a boat with a big drinking, hulky guy and heading off into the sunset after reading this... perhaps that's just me.  5 out of 5.



The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson

 

"Darker forces marshaled in the smoke. Somewhere in the heart of the city a young Irish immigrant sank still more deeply into madness, the preamble to an act that would shock the nation and destroy what Burnham dreamed would be the single greatest moment of his life."

 

Looks like another non-fiction book has wheedled its way into my blog. Having said that, this one makes for compelling reading. Juxtaposing the architectural feats and project management nightmares of the Chicago World Fair of 1893 with the diabolical dealings of a local serial killer, the book alternates between horror, stress, disaster and the importance of boat selection.

 

 

The writing is fabulous, instilling a sense of excitement into the construction process, while downplaying the grotesque manoeuvres of Mr Holmes. At first I was a little shocked by the very different dual story lines, yet as the tale progressed I was increasingly fascinated. There were times where I would have rather focused entirely on one of the stories, as the prevailing storyline abruptly shifted. Those distracting shifts are my reasoning for deducting one point. In any case, this is an interesting and at times unbelievable story.  4 out of 5 trips around the Ferris Wheel.

The Human Stain by Philip Roth

"It was about midway into his second semester back as a full-time professor that Coleman spoke the self-incriminating word that would cause him voluntarily to sever all ties to the college-  the single self-incriminating word of the many millions spoken aloud in his years of teaching and administering at Athena, and the word that, as Coleman understood things, directly led to his wife's death."

 

Dense, unflinching and delivered at a rapid fire pace, the language of this novel is expertly crafted and draws the reader into the troubled world of ageing academic, Coleman Silk. The victim of a campaign purporting to out his racism and based solely on the misunderstanding of one word during a lecture, Coleman's inability to combat the accusation changes his life.

 

In his later years, Coleman is reinvigorated by his affair with illiterate janitor, Faunia. Her backstory is violent and paved with sexual abuse, heartache and disaster. Their unlikely relationship makes for compelling but often times disturbing reading. The physicality of their relationship engenders between them an atmosphere of trust that draws out Colman's deepest, darkest secret. A secret that will not stay hidden for such secrets leave behind a "human stain".

 

Midway through the book, I was sure that I would mark it around the 4 mark, but the emergence of the  voice of Nathan Zuckerman, the author of the story within the novel, towards the end made me reconsider. 5 out of 5.

A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre

 

 

 

"Annabel Richter born Freiburg in Breisgau, 1977, which made her about as young as she could be for a German lawyer, if that was what she was."

 

Renowned for his cold war spy novels, this present day thriller places the author's characters in a post 9-11 world where the shadowy men and women muddy the waters between ideology and intrigue. Issa, a young illegal immigrant to Germany has a murky backstory and access to a considerable sum of ill gotten gains in the form of his father's legacy.

 

I particularly love the imperfect nature of all the characters. The manner in which they relinquish their mores in an effort to survive a charged political atmosphere. A climate of fear is all pervasive, and this is personified by Melik and his family. Innocent good will is the first casualty in this spy game.

Having been a fan of Le Carre's work, I was motivated to complete this particular novel before its cinematic outing this year. I prefer to read the book first. It will be especially interesting to see Rachel McAdams in the role of Annabel, given that she seems quite all American which is contra to the character.

This was quite a brief novel in comparison with some of Le Carre's earlier works and yet it lacks none of their punch. Impending doom is all around and the pages turn at a progressively quickening pace to reach the much anticipated conclusion.  5 out of 5 thrilling page-turner.