Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry

"He is profoundly ambivalent, as his prayers show, for when he prays to be reconciled with Yvonne he also prays to be alone, and when he wants to rise he asks that he may sink still lower."

What to say about a novel that took me so long to read ( seriously, 66 days). It felt like forever in any case. The cause of my dilemma, the thick prose- so many words crammed into a page, the drama of work and life and everything in between. It probably was not the best time to embark on a novel about a tortured relationship and the way in which alcohol can take over your life. There were times this month, when I though the action of the book had somehow spilled into reality, but I mopped that up - or at least I think I did.

At first, I wanted to hate this novel. Finishing it was torturous for me. I just needed some light hearted escapism in my life ( hence why I've finished so many Agatha Raisin books in the interim) and yet I persevered. Upon reflection, while it is not an easy book to read, it is expertly realised and I'm still thinking about it days after I'd put it down. I would say that is the reason for its critical acclaim. That and the sense of achievement you get from finishing it & despair at the ending.

It is amazing that the action takes place over such a short period when so much internal and actual drama occurs and that on reflection, is some of its brilliance. "But who could agree with someone who was so certain you were going to be sober the day after to-morrow?". There is no hope for the Consul, his estranged wife can never contemplate the internal struggles, the bargaining that goes on inside his addicted brain and he is doomed. She is such a tragic figure, living and dying on the fumes of what might have been.

If we look around the crazy world of the novel, is it not the crazy world of today? Is the alcoholic, in some ways, a realist, recognising the torment the world is in and reaching for escape  in a bottle? 

I'm not sure; that being said, if this novel didn't lead me to drink, it certainly upped my quotient. Death and destruction under the gaze of the volcanoes Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl, and throw in a whole heap of Mescal for good measure.

4 out of 5 drinks could be your last and the dog's too.

Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford

"She had to have men at her feet; that was, as it were, the price of her - purely social - daily bread as it was the price of the daily bread of her intimates."

This is an interminably lengthy novel that has taken me the better part of the year to finish, admittedly while consuming a vast array of other stories 'on the side' as it were. Quite appropriate really given the subject matter of the bulky tale. War, adultery, self-sacrifice, honour, doing the right thing and suffering for it; there is a lot going on within its many pages.

Thankfully, the sight of Mr Cumberbatch on the cover aided my perseverance some what and I was therefore able to finally complete all 906 pages. Having enjoyed Madox Ford's The Good Soldier, I had eagerly anticipated reading his other novel for quite some time and yet a busy schedule and the thought of such a heavy tome often dissuaded me from beginning it. Nevertheless, its inclusion on every must read list meant I was destined to tackle it eventually.

Now I can tick this one off from quite a few must read lists. On reflection, it is beautifully written with some gorgeous prose. Yet it is melancholy and difficult in subject matter and did I mention that there is just so much of it? I had even traipsed around overseas with it, hoping to make a dent during a plane trip or two. That never happened and my luggage merely remained heavy thanks to its presence. I'm sure, had I been stranded on a beautiful tropical island, I might have finished it a little sooner and had a more favourable impression.

4 out of 5 times when you have lots of time you can read an epic.

Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder by Evelyn Waugh"

"Their passion frightened her, and she came back from the confessional one day determined to put an end to it."

So this is one of those rare occasions where I've watched the movie before reading the book  and look how appropriate, my copy of the book is a movie tie-in.This one has been in my to read pile for an absolute age and going on my previous love of Waugh's other novels like Vile Bodies, I think I'd been saving it to savour.

That being said my praise is not completely effusive here. There are moments that are sublime, but it lacks the bite of some of his other works. This is more sad and reflective as, during the war, Captain Ryder revisits the scenes of his youth through his station at Brideshead as per the title.

As in Vile Bodies, Dipsomania raises its ugly head in the persona of Sebastian and his tragic story. My recollections, perhaps tainted by the cinematic excursion were more around the romantic tale and indeed the interlude of Julia and Ryder is rather fleeting but memorable.

For me this one seemed more about faith and love and relationships and frustration and guilt seeped out of the pages.

I think this one is a slow burn.

5 out of 5 memories fade.

Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon

Enter the world of Sam Spade, where dames are all dangerous

"When a man's partner is killed he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it. Then it happens we were in the detective business. Well, when one of your organization gets killed it's bad business to let the killer get away with it. It's bad all around-bad for that one organization, bad for every detective everywhere."

 

What a way to start the year book wise. I was not a Dashiell Hammett virgin - I absolutely loved The Thin Man (the novel and the movies) and Red Harvest and of course the unforgettable Bogart vehicle, so I was eager to immerse myself in the world of Sam Spade.

 

The noir voice that permeates will undoubtedly be familiar to most aficionados. This hard living, hard drinking pragmatist with a soft spot for the ladies is a delightful anti-hero. Women are two-faced, sexy, mysterious and compelling. What is Miss O'Shaughnessy's real story? Tearing through the book at a cracking pace, I found this book certainly did not disappoint. I can't quote directly from it, as I'd lent it to my father immediately upon completion - it was too good not to share.

 

For some further insight check out the Richard Layman, Library of Congress Web cast  - The Maltese Falcon at 75. His description of the novel as

"the most successful early hard-boiled detective novel, that violent subgenera characterised by a down-and-out detective who is nihilistic, hard drinking and a loner"
 

is a neat, summary of the Sam Spade character and the broader genre.

 

There is something smoky, mysterious, dangerous and seductive about Sam Spade's world that will no doubt ensure its continued popularity as a place to visit. 5 out of 5 for a quick visit to the shadier part of town.