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Book Reviews
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Yuji Lloyd23 June 2011
Thomas Pynchon is a novelist renowned across the globe for requiring the utmost concentration when reading his books, and despite being written when the author was just a young 27-year-old man, The Crying of Lot 49 proves to be no exception within the author's stellar oeuvre. Don't allow yourself to be misled by its brevity as a novella compared to some of Pynchon's thousand-page novels; The Crying of Lot 49 will leave you behind if you aren't paying attention.
Like many of Pynchon's works, this novella takes the form of a quest. Our heroine is Mrs. Oedipa Maas, who begins her journey as a housewife in the suburbs of California in the mid-1960s. She returns home one afternoon from a Tupperware party, representative of the conformist life that she leads, to find a letter in the post that tells her that an old lover of hers, one Pierce Inverarity, a real-estate mogul, has died, and she has been named the executor of his will.
What follows is Oedipa's story as she tries to bring some sort of clarity and meaning to Inverarity's estate upon his passing. Yet the harder she tries to do so, the more impossible the task seems, and the deeper she delves into her paranoia.
This novella is often hailed as exemplary of postmodernism, seeking to go against the conventions of having one single, ultimate Truth, or a grand narrative, and it does so incredibly well. First published back in 1966, the novella was very much ahead of its time, doing things that would be done in the decades that succeeded it. As has become typical in Pynchon's writing, The Crying of Lot 49 features an array of wildly comically-named characters that have personalities to suit their name: Dr. Hilarius, Oedipa's psychiatrist; Manny DiPresso, a colleague of one of Inverarity's lawyers; Gengis Cohen, a well-respected philatelist; and of course, Oedipa herself. Often interpreted solely through the Freudian lens of her masculine counterpart, Oedipus, Oedipa in fact more closely reflects Oedipus in the fact that both are set upon a quest, which lies at the heart of both characters' stories.
What Pynchon does better than almost any other writer that appears in this novella is termed in literature and art as "mise en abyme," the idea of the greater story being reproduced within itself in a smaller form; the "play within a play" concept. Here, it appears more than once, which is an astonishing feat by the author. It appears first as a painting within a novel, in which the painting can be seen as reflecting Oedipa's journey; and then again later as a play within a novella, where the actions of the play, The Courier's Tragedy, reflect the wider action of The Crying of Lot 49, but it isn't until the novella is over that we are truly able to understand all of its parts.
The enjoyment that is to be derived from reading Pynchon is the fact that it often takes more than one read through his works to fully grasp exactly what it is that we have read, and even then we find ourselves turning pages back to make sure that we understand where we are in the story. His is a magnificent literary ability that few writers are worthy of comparison to, and more than four decades on, Pynchon is still writing at his best, having recently published a new novel, Inherent Vice, that is nostalgically set just a few years after The Crying of Lot 49, and makes for an incredibly interesting read in relation to his earlier novella, and seeing what has changed over the passing years.
Despite the tenets of postmodernism going against such things as the literary canon, Pynchon has nonetheless been welcomed as an important part of the American literary canon ever since he published his first novel, V., in 1963, and many of his works have appeared on a number of established critics' Top 100 Books of All-Time lists, and The Crying of Lot 49 is certainly one that frequently appears on such lists. If you can brace yourself for a book that will challenge you, and that is all but guaranteed to satisfy your desire to lose yourself within its pages, then Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49 is definitely a good choice to read. It will never fail to leave you wondering in which direction it could possibly be going next, right up until its closing words. It is truly an astounding accomplishment, especially from such a young author. It is nothing short of a literary masterpiece. -
Dave Majors20 June 2011
It's zombie fiction Jim, but not as we know it.
Jim Pike, former soldier and current assistant hotel manager, is looking forward to spending some time with his sister when she arrives in town to attend the Star Trek convention that is taking place at his hotel. Unfortunately for Jim, as the convention kicks into gear it becomes clear that there is far more than homemade Borg costumes to fear - zombies are attacking the hotel and having a good munch on the assembled fanboys as they do so. Channelling his inner Trekkie, Jim becomes the reluctant leader of a group of survivors who must battle through the hotel, dodging zombies at every turn, in order to escape.
This type of zombie/horror mash-up novel has been popular for a couple of years now and, while Night of the Living Trekkies isn't one of the most famous examples of the genre [I think that honour would have to go to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies], it is certainly my favourite. Certainly anyone who has attended a sci fi convention will feel at home within this book and will fondly recognise the host of stereotypes that Jim Pike has to deal with, but more casual fans of Star Trek and/or zombies should also find the book to be hilarious as well as action packed. Almost all of the action takes place within the hotel which adds a nice degree of claustrophobia to the blood and guts storyline and helps to increase the tension. As you get further into the story, the darker it gets and so Night of the Living Trekkies is really far more than a parody.
Night of the Living Trekkies is certainly quirky and more than a little odd, but I appreciated the fact that it is one of the few zombie novels to adequately [and, indeed, uniquely] explain how exactly the zombie plague happened to come about. The little nods towards realism as well as the clearly third wall breaking in-jokes really made this book appeal to me. I might have bought the book for the humour, but I stayed with it for the story.
Night of the Living Trekkies is top grade pulp nonsense. It's a thrilling, funny and occasionally bloody trek to the final frontier of zombie fiction with enough sci fi and fandom gags to keep even the nerdiest nerd satisfied. -
Danielle Hampson16 June 2011
After hearing excellent things about Harlan Coben's books I decided to buy a second hand copy of Tell No One from Amazon Marketplace. I thought at £1.82 I really couldn't go wrong and even if I hated it, it wouldn't really matter. The book was published in 2001 and was his first stand alone novel since his creation of his popular Myron Bolitar series.
The story begins with David and Elizabeth Beck, a young married couple, travelling to Lake Charmaine in Pennsylvania, a place they have visited since they knew each other as children. The romantic breaks ends with Elizabeth's kidnapping and murder and David left for dead in the lake.
Eight years after her body was found, Elizabeth's murderer is in jail on death row but David can't move on and thinks about her every day. When David receives an email from an unknown address on their anniversary, containing information that only he and Elizabeth knew, as well as a link to a video feed that would only be live for a minute at 'kiss time' - again a term that only Elizabeth would know. The video reveals a live image of an older Elizabeth who tells David, simply, "I'm sorry".
Is it a practical joke or is Elizabeth still alive? As David digs deeper into the mystery surrounding the night at the Lake it appears that someone is trying just as hard to keep the past covered up and David begins to fear for his own life. He ends up on the run, accused of her murder with only the assistance of Elizabeth's father, his sister's lover and a drug-dealer who owes him after he saved his child's life.
The main character is clearly David and I found him a likeable protagonist. The story is told from David's point of view and a reader you find that you start thinking from his perspective although we never know everything about him. He has spent 8 years mourning his dead wife in a state of misery never moving on, however, when questions arise about his wife's murder he proactively looks to solve it once and for all, not caring who he comes up against. He is a doctor who genuinely cares about his patients, especially TJ and his father Tyrese who feature throughout the book. He has good relationships with his sister Linda and her partner Shauna who is one of the only other characters explored in detail throughout the book. She is a high profile model with powerful contacts and one of the people that David feels that he can trust. Hoyt Parker, Elizabeth's father, is a retired Police Officer who has always grieved for his daughter and perhaps blamed David for what happened to her. As the plot develops, it becomes obvious that Hoyt harbours a dark secret and more information than he lets on about the circumstances surrounding his daughter's death.
Elizabeth really only appears in the book at the beginning before her murder. However, her character is explored throughout the book as David tries to uncover what happened to her and why. When some photos appear of Elizabeth covered in bruises from 8 years ago and David starts to look in her diary, it seems that he does not know everything about his wife's life and that she may have been keeping secrets of her own. What is obvious throughout the book, however, is that David and Elizabeth loved each other deeply and that he will do anything to find out what happened.
The book was every bit as gripping as people say it is and reviews tell me! I stayed up until 2.00 am the first night and spent the whole next day finishing it off so it took less than two days to read. It really is page turning stuff! The storyline was complex with intertwining storylines but written in a way that was reader-friendly for anyone from teens to an older audience, without being trashy. The author describes the relationships in the book beautifully and pulls you into the story from the very start.
Before I read the book I had heard that it was full of twists and turns which I love in a novel. However, this meant that I was looking out for them the whole way through and wasn't particularly surprised when certain revelations were made. I was actually quite disappointed that I knew what had happened to Elizabeth before the end as I would have preferred the suspense to continue until the final pages, although the final twist did make up for it slightly! It was an exciting ending because although the twist was a small thing in regards to the whole story, everything you thought through the book sort of changes in a second. However, no more secrets and a fairly happy ending - that's all I want in a book!
It's one of the best books in its genre that I've read in a long time and I would not hesitate to recommend. However, I would suggest not reading too far into it or many other reviews because this did ruin it for me in a way. A great 4/5! -
Danielle Hampson16 June 2011
The Prince of the Mist was published in 1993 but only released in the UK in 2010 after the success of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's other novels 'The Shadow of the Wind' and 'The Angel's Game'. It was written as a book for young adults but I believe this would appeal to all age groups and anyone who enjoys a really good mystery.
1943. 13 year old Max Carver's family escape their war-torn city to an old house by the sea. But great dangers lurk in their new house and its sinister, overgrown garden of circus character statues. Max and his two sisters soon start to experience mysterious events which they feel might be connected to Jacob Fleischman, a young boy whose family previously owned the house, who had drowned years earlier.
Max becomes friendly with Roland, a local older boy who has been raised by his grandfather, Victor Kray. Victor was the sole survivor of a shipwreck years ago, however the boys and Max's sister Alicia believe that the old man has more information than he is letting on about the shipwreck and that it might be linked to the death of Jacob Fleishman. Further investigation reveals the story of 'Cain', a mysterious villain who would grant local children whatever they wanted, in exchange for their undying loyalty. He was known as the 'Prince of the Mist' because he would disappear into the shadows and wouldn't be seen for a long time, but would always reappear just as the locals had forgotten about him. He would always come to collect, even if the person hid for years, Cain would track them down. If they did not fulfil his wishes he would come back to claim it himself or turn their body into stone.
Max believes that Cain was the reason behind Jacob's drowning and all the statues in the overgrown forest garden. The children also realise that they are in danger themselves and that they need to unravel the mystery of the Prince of the Mist before he comes for them.
I am a big fan of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's other work and think he writes beautifully. The Prince of the Mist was written for a younger audience but with its dark story and beautiful writing I think most people would enjoy the book. I love a good mystery and this was the perfect mixture of mystery, romance, suspense and tragedy. It's a fairly short book which is perfect for those who don't have a lot of time or a short attention span! His details really pulls you into the book into another world of mystery and adventure. It left me wanting to read more and I wish that Carlos Ruiz Zafon had some more books I could get my hands on!
I would recommend this book to almost anyone. It's short enough to keep the reader entertained but long enough to draw you in to the story and characters. It is suitable for anyone who enjoys a good story and those who are young at heart. 4/5 -
The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy)
Danielle Hampson16 June 2011
The Hunger Games is part of a trilogy of books by Suzanne Collins and the books have become some of the most popular young adult books of the last few years.
Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.
At the start of the book we are introduced to Katniss Everdeen's 'District 12', an area of the post apocalyptic country of Panem where the USA once stood. Far from the advanced image of the future regularly portrayed in films and books, 16 year old Katniss and her friend Gale must hunt for food to survive. Once a year the residents of all 12 districts of Panem gather together for 'The Reaping' at the Capitol. The event reveals the outcome of a ballot where two teenagers from each district are picked to compete in the 'Hunger Games'. When Katniss's 12 year old sister Prim's name is called out to represent District 12, a distraught Katniss immediately volunteers to be her tribute and enter on her behalf.
The Hunger Games is a huge televised event where 24 boys and girls aged 12-18 fight to the death and try to survive in a huge arena where they lack food and medicines and have to hunt for their weapons and supplies. The games are organised by 'The Capitol', as a punishment to Panem for a previous uprising and to show the residents that they are fully controlled and that even children are not free from their reign of oppression. Along with a local boy called Peeta Mellark, Katniss is taken to the Capitol and must prepare for the 'Games' with the assistance of District 12s only former winner, an alcoholic named Haymitch Abernathy.
In an arena with 23 other 'tributes', some of which have been training for the Hunger games since birth, Katniss is not expected to make it home. But survival has always come naturally to her as she has fended and provided for her family since her father died and she swears to her sister that she will return.
Katniss is a likeable protagonist who lives with her mother and younger sister in poverty since her father's death. Every day she hunts illegally with her best friend Gale knowing that if she is caught she could risk death at the hands of the Capitol. When she arrives at the Capitol to prepare for the Hunger Games she is groomed by personal stylists who makeover the 'tributes' to make them look more attractive for the televised event. Their inhuman show is entirely about entertainment and dehumanises children as young as 12 in the way that Battle Royale did. Katniss's situation is desperate and sad but as the reader I was entirely gripped by the story, the way the residents of Panem reacted to the games and Katniss's desire to win the games despite the fact she is a nice girl and doesn't want to kill anyone. The other character explored in detail in the book is Peeta, a boy from Katniss's school who is also chosen to take part in the Games. Their relationship is one of the most interesting parts of the story as they begin to form a friendship yet know at the end of the day that one of them must die and that if they work together and become the final two, they will have to kill each other.
I've been recommending the book to everyone at work and it's currently being passed among people in my office, generally to good reception! The character and story development make for fantastic reading and it is one of the most gripping books I've read in years. ecommended to everyone, although the young characters will appeal more to the teen audience. Excellent! -
The Demonata (8) - Wolf Island
Andrew 04 June 2011
This book is a mind chilling adventure where you can never be safe theres always something waiting to pounce at you. Its agreat book and i would recomend it to people with creative minds and people who are quite adventureous.
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A Clash of Kings: Book 2 of A Song of Ice and Fire
Mike Kenny03 June 2011
A Clash of Kings is the second book in George R. R. Martin's excellent, epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. Those new to the series should certainly begin with the first book, A Game of Thrones, rather than this book but, very briefly, it takes place in Westeros and is a mammoth tale of treachery, greed and war about the various threats that plague the Seven Kingdoms south of the Wall.
Beginning right where A Game of Thrones left off, in A Clash of Kings the Seven Kingdoms are in danger of being torn apart by civil war as each of the families seek to claim the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, the Night Watch are given the additional burden of sending a reconnaissance force north of the Wall to investigate the Wildings who live there. Further trouble lies in the East where Daenerys Targaryen has fled accompanied by Jorah Mormont, her few remaining loyal followers and three newly hatched dragons.
This is another fantastic book in this immense series. Martin has put so much thought into the series and, unlike many fantasy writers, this includes thought about the characters as well as the plots. Both A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings are real character driven yarns and, despite the massive cast featured in each of them, everyone comes across as being fully-developed and convincing. This concentration on making the characters believable and relatable is also reflected in the fact that this series is far grittier than many fantasy sagas. Martin really brings out the squalor and strife that plague the people of the Seven Kingdoms. A Clash of Kings is a brutal and exciting book that hooked me from the very beginning.
A Song of Ice and Fire is one of my favourite fantasy series and I would recommend it wholeheartedly to fans of The Belgariad, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Lord of the Rings and other classics of the genre. -
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions (Oxford World's Classics)
Erin Britton31 May 2011
How would a creature limited to two dimensions be able to grasp the possibility of a third? Well, that is the question that Edwin A. Abbott sets out to answer in Flatland, his delightful "romance of many dimensions".
Flatland is a two-dimensional world occupied by geometric figures. Women are simple line-segments, while men are regular polygons with various numbers of sides. The hero of the book is A. Square, a regular square and upper-crust member of the social caste of gentlemen and professionals. Square has a dream in which he visits a one-dimensional world [known as Lineland] which is inhabited by "lustrous points" and attempts to convince the realm's ignorant monarch about the existence of a second dimension. Square is then visited by a three-dimensional sphere, a concept that he cannot quite grasp until he visits Spaceland for himself.
The Sphere reveals that it visits Flatland at the start of each new millennium to introduce a new apostle to the idea of a third dimension in the hopes of eventually educating the whole population of Flatland about Spaceland. The Spacelanders have observed that the government of Flatland are aware of the existence of a third dimension but that they are suppressing the information and silencing anyone preaching openly about it. Square must therefore convince his people of the existence of the third-dimension whilst at the same time struggling to convince the seemingly enlightened Sphere of the possibility of a fourth [and fifth, sixth, etc] dimension.
Flatland is an extraordinary and illuminating book. Abbott uses the fictional world of Flatland to offer pointed observations on the social hierarchy of Victorian culture and the folly of any society that enforces rigid class divides. Social ascent in the main aspiration of every Flatlander but, although it is apparently granted to everyone, this social mobility is in fact strictly controlled by the few who top the social hierarchy. Abbott seeks to expose the folly of social prejudice, of two-dimension opinions in fact. While this social satire is excellent, Flatland's most enduring contribution to the world of literature is its examination of dimensions, with Isaac Asimov having gone so far as to describe it as "the best introduction one can find into the manner of perceiving dimensions."
This new OUP edition of Flatland illuminates the social and intellectual context that produced the work as well as the timeless questions that it raises about the limits of our perception and knowledge. It includes an Introduction, Textual Note, Bibliography, Chronology, and Explanatory Notes. -
Mockingjay (part III of The Hunger Games Trilogy): 3/3
Kelly Marsh21 May 2011
Mockingjay is the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. In this book Katniss Everdeen is persuaded by the rebels that she should become the Mockingjay which is a symbol of rebellion against the capital. I don't want to say any more about the story since this is the last book and so there are lots of surprising in store and many things are finished off. I will just say that the conclusion is really great and exciting and people who love this series will be very pleased and maybe even shocked.
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Catching Fire (Hunger Games, Book 2)
Kelly Marsh21 May 2011
Catching Fire is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. After winning the Hunger Games in the last book Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are sent on a victory tour of the country of Panem where they meet the president and find out that they have inspired a rebellion by the poor people of the 12 districts. It later turns out that in the next series of the Hunger Games all of the previous winners will have to fight again so Katniss decides that she will protect Peeta as he is in love with her. As they prepare for the next fight Katniss and Peeta hear about a mysterious 13th district that was thought to have been destroyed years ago but that might still exist. This is a really good book. I love following the story of Katniss and Peeta so I'm glad that I borrowed all three of these books from my friend so that I could read the story all the way through. This is another exciting story and the president is a really creepy baddie. There are lots of twists and turns in this book and I couldn't guess what was going to happen next.
