Hello everybody! You may have noticed that I'm letting the side down again and am taking a while finishing 'The Unknown Ajax' by Georgette Heyer. By way of an apology. here are a few notes on some books I read before starting this blog. I hope you enjoy them and perhaps find something you'd like to read while you wait for a new post!
'Ross Poldark' by Winston Graham
This is the first novel in the famous `Poldark' series by Winston Graham. The books are probably better know via the popular seventies television series starring Robin Ellis, but don't let that make you think that they have nothing left to offer.
Ross Poldark, the son of a minor branch of the gentrified Poldark family, returns to his Cornish home after two years serving in the army in America wars. He left a headstrong and restless teenager, but returns older, wiser and ready to settle down. Unfortunately, the world has irrevocably changed in his absence. Ross' father has died and his drunkard servants have allowed his smallholding, Nampara, to fall into disrepair. Meanwhile, believing him dead, his sweetheart, Elizabeth, has become engaged to his cousin, Francis. The book follows Ross has he endures the despair of hopes dashed, begins to rebuilds his fortune and finds something to live for.
I had quite a job getting hold of this book, but it was worth the effort. I absolutely, completely and utterly fell in love with it. The story is dramatic, romantic, funny, tense, illuminating, atmospheric and engrossing - in short a must read for any lover of historical fiction. The characters are complex, realistic and rounded and the skilful use of humour adds colour to a story which could otherwise have slipped into doom and gloom. I just hope that the other eleven books in the series are as good!
'The Poison Tree' by Erin Kelly
I must admit that I am a bit of a coward when it comes to trying new authors. Unless a writer or book is recommended to me, I tend to stick to the same, small pool of big names who consistently tell interesting stories in the same sort of way. Having dipped my toe in the wider sea with Erin Kelly, however, may have changed my ways forever.
‘The Poison Tree’ tells the story of Karen, Biba and Rex and the summer that will change their lives forever. Although Karen is a straight A language student in her final year at a good university, everything has come easy to her and her life is cold and passionless. As the sweltering summer of 1997 begins, she meets the tempestuous and exciting Biba and gets drawn into the exotic life that she leads in tumbledown Highgate mansion with her brother, Rex, and an every-changing collection of wondering friends and lovers. As the summer wears on and uncomfortable truths emerge, the three twenty-somethings find themselves caught up in a sequence of events which will change their lives drastically forever.
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. It was suspenseful and intriguing and I found it very hard to put down. Ms Kelly successfully managed to challenge the reader to work out the truth while drip-feeding information at just the right pace so the final chapters remained a surprise. This is a very difficult thing to do and I’ve become frustrated with other books which don’t get this balance right. ‘The Poison Tree’ may not be high literature, but it’s a cleverly crafted, entertaining novel and an excellent summer read. I can’t wait to recommend it to friends and family.
'Hey Yeah Right Get a Life' by Helen Simpson
This is Helen Simpson's fourth collection of short stories. This book contains nine interlinking stories which examine the role of the modern wife/mother from different perspectives. We meet tough go-getters, feckless teenagers, alienated stay-at-home mums and men who just don't get it. Over the course of the stories we see how different women deal with being a wife and mother and see the extremes of experience they find.
In the beginning, I didn't enjoy this book. I found it difficult to sympathise with the characters and reading about women who sacrificed their autonomy and ambitions to look after ostensibly mollycoddled children grated on my sense of justice. However, I persevered and by the end I felt I had a much better grasp of the choices these women faced and the inner conflicts which plagued them. It was far from a comfortable read but felt like a very real reflection of how some women feel every day of their lives and made me a far less judgmental.
Although this is definitely not holiday reading, I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in women's issues and, specifically, the changing role of wives and mothers. You might surprise yourself and learn something new. I certainly did.
'The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' by Alexander McCall Smith
Weirdly, I was quite nervous about reading this book. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series has been phenomenally successful and there's nothing worse than feeling like you might be the one who throws a spanner in the works of the popularity juggernaut.
`The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' is the tale of Precious Ramotswe who, upon the death of her father Obed, uses her inheritance to set up the first female-run detective agency in Botswana. Although business is slow to start, the determined Mma Ramotswe's reputation for logical thought, common sense and discretion steadily grow. The people of Botswana quickly learn that whether it's alleged fraud, missing persons or suspected infidelity, Mma Romotswe's there to help.
Considering this is supposed to be detective fiction, I was very surprised how easy a read it was. The style used keeps things plain and simplistic and in the hands of another author, this may have made the book seem stereotypical and patronising to the people of Botswana and Africa generally. However, its simplicity and matter-of-factness seem right for some of the more harrowing aspects of the book, such as the story of Mma Ramotswe's unsuccessful marriage. Throughout, I could clearly hear Mma Ramotswe's voice and was moved at times by the things she and other characters had experienced.
The book also has a very episodic pattern to it. This is really useful if you read during your commute or can only dip into a book for a few pages at a time.
Unfortunately, this bitesize simplicity also made it almost instantly forgettable, which is a shame for an interesting and original book.
Although this book has more in common with a holiday read than a gritty crime novel, overall, I did enjoy it and may read some of the others in the series. Afterall, it's hard work reading complex books all the time!
