Light Years by James Salter

"Life divides itself with scars like the rings contained within a tree. How close the early ones seem, time compacts them, twenty years become indistinguishable, one from another."

Reading this in snippets on the bus to and from work was probably not the best way, in hindsight, to enjoy it. Yet, this fragmented approach did not entirely detract from what is an amazing book. In truth, I had to re-read aspects of it - I found the names a little bit of a distraction - Viri, Nedra, Franca etc.

 

 

So what makes this book amazing? It is the dreamlike snapshots that so perfectly capture the way we remember the passing days of our lives. The inappropriate thoughts that pepper our subconscious, the biased perspectives of our own memory - these characters envelop these notions and make them their own.

 

Life is not all sunshine and roses, Salter seems to draw out the heights of ecstasy and the lows of agony in an almost tangible fashion. The fear of ageing is really at the heart of this novel and no where is that more apparent when Franca becomes "stricken by a young man" and the passing of time becomes signposted to Viri. Indeed, the end of the novel draws the curtain on life itself and yet retains a slightly optimistic note by virtue of the beauty of the writing and the sense that the lives of the characters have been rich in tone, colour and action.

While some consider this a masterwork, I still have to say I preferred A Sport And A Pastime, but I think that has more to do with the subject matter. The deterioration of marriages and the passing of youth are not the most upbeat of subjects after all.

5 out of 5, strange names, luscious prose, light years pass like minutes.

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

"Then he stepped back to the pine forest, disappearing with a soap-bubble pop."

Picking this deliciously addictive novel up was certainly a good idea. Unfortunately it means being drawn into yet another series - I seem to be midway through quite a number.

I'm a big fan of Terry Pratchett's humorous other worlds and placing them in this science fiction context really makes for a fresh new experience. This collaboration with Stephen Baxter is a real gem and both authors have apparently signed up for more to come which can only be a good thing.

Skipping across parallel Earths with a potato powered contraption might sound like a tall tale to spin, yet this is a tale which will draw you in and elicit a few giggles on the way. The Star Trek reference in particular made me laugh and Lobsang is delightful.

You too will want to give stepping a try after this.  5 out of 5 hop, skip and a jump to another world pronto.



The Past Never Ends by Jackson Burnett

 

"Chester Morgan believed in hunches. All good trial attorneys do, or at least used to, until procedural manoeuvring and endless discovery made litigation a contest of attrition to be won by wealth and endurance."

 

 

Don't be put off by the less than sexy cover - it reminds me of the Young and the Restless and certainly doesn't do this fantastic read justice - although I'm probably wearing my marketing hat at this point.

Chester Morgan is a delight - he mixes hard boiled noir detective with good hearted attorney for a winning and engaging combination. You are rooting for him to triumph and lord knows you want him to do more roller skating with strippers. Read the book for more information.

I loved the mix of the procedural limitations of the law and the notion of justice being reliant on having the pockets to sustain a trial. I'm currently studying law in the common law system and it is interesting to compare the two systems and see such similarities. It is even more dumbfounding to think that these notions are derived from a hard boiled crime novel. That in itself is a testament to the fantastic writing.

I took a considerably longer time than usual to read this novel. Perhaps, that is attributable to reading it as an epub on my phone, or, more likely, it is because I was reticent to leave the company of one Chester Morgan.

It would be remiss to end this review without mentioning the delightful supporting cast and in particular the ever resourceful office manager  slash investigator Shawn - here is a woman who gets things done!

5 out of 5, dead strippers still tell tales apparently.

Rope, a play by Patrick Hamilton

 

"And here is a chest, from which we're going to feed, the table having been commandeered for books."

 

Okay, so this is the play that formed the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's movie of the same name. I'm counting a play as a book for the purposes of my attempts to reach 250 books this year - a measly 70 pages to be sure, but a book of sorts none the less.

 

 

There are two major differences between the original play and the screenplay. In the play the murder has already taken place before the action commences and the play is structured around a number of acts, unlike the seamless shooting of the movie. That aside, it is an intriguing piece and one which I would love to see performed. Although first performed in 1929, apart from the references to dressing for dinner and musical choices, there is a somewhat timeless aspect to the dialogue.

 

 

Quick, thought provoking, thrilling and like a fine wine, it has aged well. 5 out of 5 beware of creepy guys selling old books.

Money: A Suicide Note by Martin Amis

"On the third morning I woke to find the sheets were dry."

 

How to review this one? John Self is a dirty wreck of a man lost in a sea of paranoia, drug and alcohol abuse and overloading on porn consumption. He is beyond sleazy and almost impossible to like. When the blurb talks of excess, it is certainly on point. Listed as a must read on a number of top lists, I guess it just isn't my cup of tea.

Is this well written, yes, I guess. Was it an enjoyable read, no, not at all.  3 out of 5, I feel like I need a shower after finishing this.

Emmanuelle by Emmanuelle Arsan

 

“What’s beautiful is the moment that was nothing and that you have made unforgettable.”

Well what to say here? The dodgy cover should have given me a bit of an inclination, if not the fact that it was a Perennial Forbidden classic. Yes it is racy, our girl E is pretty keen on getting down and dirty with just about anyone, but the structure of the novel is odd to say the least. It begins with classic porn style scenarios, light on logical detail, heavy on descriptions of arousal. I've never flown on a plane where you could do so much in front of so many people - not to mention the presence of the children being a little disturbing.

 

Landing in Bangkok, Emmanuelle avails herself of all sorts of diversions, one minute she thinks she's a Lesbian, but she's married and faithful because she's only ever cheated on her husband with a man when airborne - yes tis a little scattered. Inside her hormonal brain, the story loses any semblance of time or reality. She vacillates between being out of and in control; she just doesn't seem like a really realised person. Then, horror of horrors she smokes opium and gets all philosophical for pages on end. While some of the writing in this section is rather lovely, it just seems like a massive mood shift and all a bit strange, fear not the ending is suitably debaucherous.

 

My reason for picking this book up was its inclusion in Helena Frith Powell's top 10 sexy French books list which has certainly provided some eye opening works to date and this would probably rate at the end of the spectrum from my perspective. Moments of delicate prose, but mostly the purple kind.  2 out of 5, you'll never look at tuk tuk drivers the same way again.

Don't Move by Margaret Mazzantini

 

"New lovers are full of fears, Angela; they have no place in the world; they're travelling to no destination."

This is not a novel for the feint hearted as the saying goes. It is packed to the hilt with lust, grief, disgust, passion, terror, love, fear and countless other heightened emotions. The never-ending violent assault of it is hard to describe and yet so amazingly crafted that one can't help heaping praise in its direction, despite some ghastly behaviours.

 

Gritty, real, graphic; this is very much an adult novel. It's confessional style draws the reader in inescapably, to the point where I almost cried on public transport - embarrassing. I recommend you read this when you're having a good day so that you can appreciate its brilliance without getting dragged too far down in the mire. 5 out of 5 with added horizontal hokey pokery.