A Little Bit of R&R...

I picked Dara O'Briain's 'Tickling the English' up after 'Brave New World' because I felt a bit sorry for my brain and thought it could do with a bit of light relief!

'Tickling the English' by
Dara O'Briain (Penguin, 2009)

I don't know whether it's my imagination, but there seem to be a lot of books about by comics nowadays, which made me a bit sceptical before I started reading.  I hoped I wouldn't feel ripped off by a callous money grabbing venture of the 'Oh, he's been popular this year, let's give him a book contract in time for Christmas' variety.

This book is essentially a collection of musings comparing and contrasting the English/British character, structured around some of the more interesting shows Mr O'Briain did as part of his 'Talking Funny' tour in 2008/9.  It meanders a bit, encompassing the people he meets on tour, polls and statistics and the enduring appeal (and stamina) of Ken Dodd, but by the end manages to draw everything together into a logical conclusion.

The style of this book was quite nice and just right for what I wanted at that time.  It wasn't completely vacuous (as I'd feared), but certainly wasn't heavy going either.  In fact, it was just pleasant.  There were a few moments where I felt a bit lectured to and wished there were more anecdotes about the shows, but that wasn't what the book was about.  On the whole, it was a nice, easy read.

However, this was very much the result of timing.  I would recommend this as a relaxing holiday read for the kind of curious mind which can't read anything completely devoid of information, but if you're hoping for a laugh-a-minute page turner, this isn't really it.

Do I think it was a money grabbing exercise?  If it was, I get the feeling that Mr O'Briain was dubious about it and wanted to use the opportunity wisely to make a point of importance to him.  Whether that was what his agent had in mind is another matter!  I'm not going to complain about the commerce of creativity though.  If it wasn't for the bestsellers, there wouldn't be the niche literature, so I see no problem with a world where both exist side by side.  I only get annoyed when one pretends to be the other...but that's another story.

I'm glad I read 'Tickling the English'.  It's good to chill out once in a while and that's exactly what I've done!

Don't Dys My Topia...

What a week!  I finished 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley last weekend, but this is the first chance that I've had to post about it.  I have found time to start another book though, so hopefully, despite everything, the wheels won't fall off my project and I'll keep the same pace.  Although I've only been going a month, I'm actually quite pleased with how things are progressing.  Just hope you're still finding my project interesting!

'Brave New World' by
Aldous Huxley (Flamingo
Modern Classics, 1994)

'Brave New World' introduces a vision of the future based on universal 'happiness', then proceeds to dissect it's pros and cons through the eyes of a number of key characters.  It is the year 632 After Ford and the modern world is using a combination of Henry Ford's production line techniques, Sigmund Freud's psychology and complex genetics to purpose-breed humans for specific life roles.  From the Alpha Plus humans (the Rolls Royces of genetic engineering) to the drone-like Epsilon Minus population (more like everyday, robust Fords), everyone's loves and hates are pre-programmed so that they are not only designed for specific jobs, but to be happy in them.  While the cloned lower castes contentedly undertake dull, repetitive jobs in the factories, the higher classes run the major state facilities, such as the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre.  It is here that we learn of the how modern humans are decanted rather than born, programmed rather than educated and drugged rather than doubtful.  Starting at the Hatchery, we meet the characters who will face crisis after discovering that there is more to life than the children of Our Ford have to offer.

I liked this book immensely, even though it was a bit of a challenge.  It's brilliantly written, but it's definitely fuel for the brain.  It's thought provoking from beginning to end and almost timeless in its ideas.  Most would class it as Science Fiction,but I think it's much more than that.  To me, it's about the philosophy of science and ethics and the points where ideas about what's best for people and society clash.  In fact, it's more like an essay or a discussion than a book and that's what makes it interesting.  'Brave New World' creates a picture of a flawed society where at least the majority of people are happy, then asks whether the sacrifice of art, literature, religion and love make it worth it.  Although it's often spoken about in the same breath as George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four', it's far less black and white and challenges you to consider what's worth sacrificing for a generally happier world.

I've decided it's time for something a bit more light hearted next, so let's hope I'll race through it and be back to blog soon!

Little Beauties

Ok, I've been mulling this over for a few days now and I've given up.  I've finished reading 'The Doll', a recently published collection of rediscovered Daphne Du Maurier short stories and I've tried to find a funny or clever way to say what I think of it, but, to be brutally honest, I don't think there is one.  So here goes.  I absolutely loved this book.

'The Doll: Short Stories'
by Daphne Du Maurier
(Published 2011
by Virago Press)

I've been gradually working my way through Du Maurier's books for a few years now and, assuming this project goes to plan, quite a few more will eventually feature in this blog.  I don't like to rush it when I find an author I like who has passed away, I work on the theory that they won't be producing anything new any time soon, so it's better to savour each work one at a time rather than gobbling them up and getting cognitive indigestion.  Du Maurier's work has been described as 'Romantic Gothic' and, so far, I've got to admit I've preferred her when she's being more Gothic than Romantic.  That's probably why I found 'Frenchman's Creek' a bit dull, but loved 'The King's General' and, of course, 'Rebecca'.

If, unlike me, you prefer the wild, romantic Du Maurier, then you probably won't get as much enjoyment out of 'The Doll' as I did.  This is a collection of some of her earlier, 'lost' short stories published in her early twenties and you can feel the influence of earlier gothic novelists, such as the Brontes, throughout.  Every story is a well observed, reflective exploration of often warped or dying relationships and unpleasant identities.  There's an amoral vicar, men who get what they want then leave the women they loved behind, selfish social climbers who don't realise they're selfish social climbers, people who react to every 'sign' when making decisions and those who ignore even the most obvious ones.

This is also a fascinating collection because you get the feeling that Du Maurier was finding her voice when writing these stories.  She tries different perspectives, styles and narrative devices, making this a real must-read for anyone interested in creative writing or English Literature.

Really, my only niggle is that I felt the collection was named after perhaps its weakest inclusion.  Although the idea behind 'The Doll' was interesting, I felt that it really wasn't the best of the stories included here and was perhaps only included because of its rather ambiguous plot and the fact it features a young man obsessed with a girl called Rebecca.  Certainly, this story won't be the reason I re-read the book again in the future.

Now my enthusiasm has been restored after the moderate disappointment of 'Frenchman's Creek', I can't wait to get back to some Du Maurier later in the year.  Just as well really, I've got another 17 of her other books to go!