I read all of Alan Bennett's diaries in a row, which, given they were written over about 40 years it's unlikely this was how he intended them to be reI read all of Alan Bennett's diaries in a row, which, given they were written over about 40 years it's unlikely this was how he intended them to be read, since this would require a foresight hitherto unknown since Adam said unto Eve, "you and me babe, how about it?"
As is such, I probably both ruined my enjoyment of them but also catapulted that enjoyment, wherein I garnered far more insight than one would hope in such a man's life.
This particular entry in to the long-standing tradition of English diarists is the longest of AB's, with over half of the content given over to the diary entries themselves. This was a delight as to read more is what one wants from any continued series, but I found myself sometimes wishing there were less.
The main problem would be the sheer amount of politics. Not withstanding my agreement or disagreement, it was mainly that he could feel so much more about modern goings on than what had occurred in the 80s, which was either the same or worse as what goes on today.
The explanation being that possibly any more brusque or indeed harsher political views were not included in the 80s and 90s diary anthologies because he was a more prominent figure and boldly in the public eye.
But to think that he could not be even remotely moved by Margaret Thatcher's systematic dismantling of the entire Northern culture overnight seems unlikely, which I am choosing to believe to be the case.
In any regard, seeing how AB has evolved over time proves that my way of reading his books one after the other was a good decision. He doesn't seem to have changed an awful lot in the way he writes about everyday life (often pithy, sometimes sarcastic, perhaps sardonic), but his views and ways of looking at things has evolved as he has aged. He is still shy, but less so. He can still be angry, and probably more so. He still delights in small things,
His writing-diaries aside-is ever enchanting. I find AB to be an excellent communicator of knowledge and expert in explaining things without doing the actual explaining, or even possibly being aware that he is imparting his knowledge at all. That is the mark of a truly great writer, one who not only shows and doesn't tell, but one whose enthusiasm for their chosen subject is such that it bubbles over without it being acknowledged....more
A.B. probably won't like that I've shelved this under 'literary', but that's what it is, sometimes.
1980 to 1995, Bennett's thoughts on his work, some A.B. probably won't like that I've shelved this under 'literary', but that's what it is, sometimes.
1980 to 1995, Bennett's thoughts on his work, some tidbits of life and musings on how the world works slide next to reviews of books, prefaces to his own works and speeches he has made on close friends at their funerals to bible societies.
I currently have covid brain, my fingers knowing how to spell but deciding against it anyway. It is the first book I've read for several months-over half a year-a year that saw me almost nothing but sad. Very, very sad.
And thus, after experiencing something that stopped the sadness and brought joy and laughter back again, I turned to A.B. for more joy and laughter, and he has not disappointed.
Each of his non-fiction works (compendiums of diaries, speeches, reviews, musings) were added to my eBay basket and bought without second thought. They arrived one after the other and I held my hand over the first chronologically, 'Writing Home', tentatively wondering if I was ready to read again.
Turns out I was and fuck me if I haven't missed it....more
This is a very quick and cute children's adventure story about a pair of siblings who get swept ashore a mystical island around Hawaii and must traverThis is a very quick and cute children's adventure story about a pair of siblings who get swept ashore a mystical island around Hawaii and must traverse the land and creatures in order to return home.
It is written nicely, though I wonder at times if there wasn't a little too much for a child to work through, especially the often arduous conversations that sometimes pop up.
I will forever compare any children's adventure stories to Swallows and Amazons, and of course this comes nowhere near, but it is well-rounded and has some fun elements I'm sure some kids will enjoy, even if the name Chaeley (pronounced like Kayleigh) does irritate you the more you read it....more
If there's anything that encapsulates my childhood reading more it is Biff, Chip and Kipper. FRTF.If there's anything that encapsulates my childhood reading more it is Biff, Chip and Kipper. FRTF....more
A cute little novella. To begin with, I was quite captivated by the story of a non-traditional fairytale princess and a dragon whose only joy is to coA cute little novella. To begin with, I was quite captivated by the story of a non-traditional fairytale princess and a dragon whose only joy is to collect dusty papers of the history of all the inhabitants of the land, magic or otherwise. It proposes to show a fairytale from the perspective of a Fairy Godmother, as opposed to the usual omniscient storytelling we usually find there, coming at a time when fairytale re-workings were all the rage.
The writing is solid, but something I cannot put my finger on happened about half-way through and it became... Claggy. Claggy is a northern term that means, you know in summer, when the skin under your breasts gets sweaty and warm and sticky? That's Claggy. It stuck and I felt bored by it, but I also saw a hope that perhaps I might try another book. The plot itself is novella-sized and novella-developed and, although it starts out well, I don't think the length truly encapsulates the imagination of the author quite well enough....more
A very light steampunk adventure following Zoya as she is kidnapped by Sky Thieves, but discovers there's more to these pirates than first meets the eA very light steampunk adventure following Zoya as she is kidnapped by Sky Thieves, but discovers there's more to these pirates than first meets the eye.
It is written generally well and I find there was quite a lot happening to keep the plot ticking over nicely, but unfortunately for me personally it was far too childish to enjoy.
The characters were all a little flat, but genuinely I can imagine many children really enjoying this book. A fun, fast story with danger and some nice storytelling elements, if a little cliché at times. Just not the kind of story that I enjoy as an adult, even when it comes to children's books....more
From time to time I enjoy a book written primarily for children. They are usually fun, mostly written with a slight adult leaning that means the authoFrom time to time I enjoy a book written primarily for children. They are usually fun, mostly written with a slight adult leaning that means the author doesn't think the child reading it is an idiot and are quite often written better than a lot of adult books I read.
This, however, wasn't really any of it. I enjoyed that it was mostly based on true people from the Elizabethan period, but other than that I found it absolutely abysmal. There were typos all over the shop, the story itself was rather dire and the characters I found unbelievable and quite flat.
I don't think I am expecting too much from a "children's book", because I have read plenty that are wonderful, magical and sublime. This one is not any of those things....more
I spent a little while after umm-ing and ahh-ing whether to go for 3 or 4 stars for this one. In the end, I went for 4 stars purely because I spent 3 I spent a little while after umm-ing and ahh-ing whether to go for 3 or 4 stars for this one. In the end, I went for 4 stars purely because I spent 3 hours in the bath, topping up the warm water, and read the entire thing. I enjoy the feeling when a book makes you want to keep reading until the very end.
The final book in the Deadlock trilogy and we come to the end of quite a story. The plot itself is a little convoluted-it becomes more so during book two and three-and often it feels like there is too much happening, but the writing itself is nice enough to keep you interested without falling off completely.
I never quite got in to any of the characters: I don't think they were expressly fantastic but neither were they dull. They just seemed to perfome their duties very well, with maybe the exception of Frank, the more-protagonist than any other, who becomes the very centre of the story quite quickly. He develops nicely if not as much as one would hope, but overall the characters are fitting.
Without researching it a little more, the book does feel self-published. There are a lot of typos, so many mistakes and you can definitely tell it needed either an editor, or a better one. There were also times when it took a fair few pages to tell something that should really only take a couple of sentences, which any good editor could do.
Aside from these things, it is a very nicely done trilogy. It needs a bit more editing and probably quite a lot more proof-reading, but otherwise it is definitely enjoyable. The switching of timeline narrations was a little jolting at first, but once you realise what they're telling you, they become much easier to digest.
The plot, whilst it goes a little weird at the end of the first book and during the second for a little, turns in to something quite interesting with the show of those who are after the main antagonist Zed, though the fact they're not mentioned until quite late in makes it feel like it was a slightly rush job.
Honestly, this is a really nice trilogy, written well but with too many mistakes that are very easily rectified. It is fast-paced (at times) but with a really good editor it could be a very good fantasy series....more
The final book in the First Law trilogy, Joe Abercrombie's rather spectacular debut. Last Arguement of Kings sees all the threads of deceit and dastarThe final book in the First Law trilogy, Joe Abercrombie's rather spectacular debut. Last Arguement of Kings sees all the threads of deceit and dastardly plots come together, with twists and turns thrown in, alongside some rather Machiavellian outlooks on life and a more-than-satisfactory dash of that grimdarkness this series is so well-known for.
A lot of trilogys-or duology, or series-have those annoying "here's what happened in the previous couple of books in a nutshell" kind of beginnings, but with Last Arguement of Kings we are thrown in so nicely in to the fray there is little time to think. If you've made it this far, you've developed quite a soft spot for any of the characters: whether that's the formidable mage Bayaz, the despicably lovable Logan Ninefingers or the ridiculously sublime Glokta, all of whom are still as pathetically vile and awful as they have been in the previous books, and yet that makes us love them all the more.
The P.O.V switches wonderfully between all the characters as their threads finally twist together in surprising and not-so surprising ways. Some receive happy endings, some not quite happy ones, some... well, as happy as they probably deserve. Although happy is never the word to use where Abercrombie is concerned, it is a certain grimdark kind of happy.
The striking characters of this book and the series are Logen and Glokta. One is a maniacal killer-a berserker of that high fantasy trope-who believes in his heart of hearts that he isn't actually evil, just possibly misunderstood, and I would agree with him. He's redeemable as we view the world through his eyes and see that everyone else is as evil as he is, just probably not as obvious as he is.
And the other? can I ever express my adoration for Glokta? Unlikely. He is despicable and crippled and hideous: his heart is blacker than his manner, he attacks those just as the Gurkish attacked him, and yet I love him utterly. His demeanour is comendable: he could have given up after what happened to him like so many do. Perhaps his life choices could have been a little better, but I can always see those little sparks of hope and redemption that I'm sure aren't actually there.
Without thrm, these books would just be your average High Fantasy books: standardly political, sometimes clichéd but often nicely twisted, wars, swords, bastards. Abercrombie took all the tropes and shoved them deep in to his writing, but added his own spice to them.
I've never read anyone who can write fighting scenes well, and I can't say I enjoy them immensely. Maybe it's a boy thing, but I tend to skip over them. Afterwards you always find out who died and who didn't and you've missed nothing, but Abercrombie still seems to find a way to make them almost readable that I don't discount them entirely. They feature good action, obvious action, but always that little twist and cliffhanger.
The ending? What ending?
Okay, so there is an ending... of sorts. I suppose this is where "no happy endings" comes along and plops itself firmly in front of you, obstructing your view from the sinking sun on the horizon. The wars are won, the politics sorted out (as much as it ever can be) and the characters all settle in to the rest of their lives. But there are little things that make you think... What will happen next? And still, Abercrombie leaves those little cliffhangers, quite literally.
Perhaps they are a little disappointing, not quite the closure you wanted. But hey, that's life. You gotta be realistic....more
I skived off work to read this. Okay, so I'm my own boss and I can afford a day off since I work every day, ten hours every day, but still. Skived offI skived off work to read this. Okay, so I'm my own boss and I can afford a day off since I work every day, ten hours every day, but still. Skived off, ya hear?
I was a little hesitant to keep this at five stars to begin with, straight after I finished it and was basking in the afterglow but also cursing myself for not having done anything productive that day (except some admin, ugh) but I will keep it at five stars. It gave me a feeling which is my criteria for giving a book five stars. It's not always the same feeling and sometimes it is as simple as being the only book to ever make me cry. In this case, the feeling was I do not want to put this book down all of my deadlines be damned. I love that feeling: that's why I read.
Before They Are Hanged is the second book of the First Law Trilogy, and we are still following the same characters but their threads have weaved together nicely and the plot is beginning to thicken. I must confess I didn't recall half as much as what happened, but there were unusual memories that bubbled to the surface every now and then and I kept on guessing where we were heading.
We are also passed between main characters really nicely: sometimes it is one chapter, sometimes it's two, but I never feel lost. Each character has their own way, their style and that really entices me. I am still in love with Sand dan Glokta and know I shouldn't be. We are starting to see each character discover their redeeming features: Luthar is becoming less of an arsehole, Ferro a little less cold, Quai a little less pathetic, Glokta a little less torturer. I like that last one less than the others, because my darling torturer is perfect the way he is, hobbling and tapping about scaring everyone, but we can't have everything.
The political intrigue and the magical undertones are bubbling away nicely, sometimes in the background, sometimes in full view. There are clues being dropped everywhere and I find that exceptional. That is a mystery murder kind of plot device and yet it fits in perfectly here. I still cannot tell where this is going, despite having read it before. Maybe that says more than I can see, but 9 years is a long time and I could not tell you what I had for breakfast two days ago.
And, I would like to express my gratitude and offer my applause to Joe for removing the superfluous exclaimation marks from some characters dialogue. That was the main reason the first book irked me and he has amended it very well here: still, some characters use them too much, but that fits their personality. Maybe there are still a little too many as well, but it is so much better than before that it appeases me.
About the grimdarkness? I don't really see it. It's grim, yes. People are dying and swearing and I would say it is more realistic in some ways than a lot of battle books, but I thought that was life. To see the hope you do need to look carefully with a magnifying glass maybe, but it's there. I see nothing more than a cleverly constructed, well-written High Fantasy novel; with some clichés but also some nice twists; some darkness and some light relief; some detestable characters yet whom have hearts just as the rest of us. The serial killer brakes for the ducklings crossing the road....more
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