Curtain Call

Or "The Distinguished Thing" by Anthony Quinn is one of the most pleasantly surprising books I've read. A well known West End actress witnesses the attempted murder of a prostitute in a hotel. The only problem is, she was there having an affair with a married man, so she can't come forward as a witness. And while she doesn't, more women die. This, like the triumph that is "Station Eleven" by Emily St John Mandel has no main character, however, and focuses on the lives of the characters caught up in these events.

It's brimming with atmosphere, and the 1936 setting becomes a major part as it is used to show how humanity is heading towards a dark time, one from which it has arguably not emerged in a particularly moral-centric way. These very well developed characters simultaneously display the decay of their own lives as well as society for a tense and gripping read that is totally absorbing.

The identity of the killer, while the premise may suggest otherwise, is not actually the main storyline here, however when it is revealed to the characters (you'll probably have guessed a long time before), the dramatic impact is incredible. What makes this novel work so well is its unpredictability, and I'll bet you certainly won't expect THAT event towards the end to happen.

There's no wonder the critics love this book, it's extremely satisfying and thought provoking and entirely unconventional, and it's certainly one of those books where, when you finish reading it, you will mourn the characters, as after the length of the novel they will seem entirely real. I'm pretty sure this book is part of the 3 for 2 deal at Waterstones at the moment, so you have no excuse not to read it.

10/10

The Rest Of Us Just Live Here

Have you ever watched an action scene in a film where all the extras are running away in terror, and a lot of them get hurt, and for a minute you wonder whether or not they're going to be OK, but you never find out? This book is about those people. The basic idea here is that there's this big, clichéd YA novel going on (which the chapter headings are the chapter heading for, explaining that story) whereas the bulk of the book focuses on Mikey, just an ordinary guy trying to live an ordinary life while the "indie kids" are trying to stop an invasion.

But the thing is, it's not just about how the lives of the indie kids affect Mikey, not at all. His problems are real. For example, he suffers with OCD (real OCD, not "I'm a bit OCD" OCD) and he's about to leave his home town to go to college. By juxtaposing these real, emotional problems next to the exaggerated problems of the indie kids, Ness highlights how important and enormous anxiety is as well as the general worries of growing up, of being a teenager.

Now, if you know me, you know I've long been a fan of Patrick Ness (I think fan might be a bit of an understatement actually, but I digress) so it's hard for me not to compare it to his other books (which you should all definitely read). So I will say this - this is a very different read to "More Than This", his previous YA novel. Instead of big ideas and philosophy, this book shows the importance of real-life worries and how they are the real issues that YA novels are dealing with when they portray an exploding school or a tyrannical regime. This book is also a lot funnier (with Ness poking fun at YA traditions) and in places more "light" or even light-hearted, but seriousness does have its place here and is, perhaps, what makes this book's point. And while I would say that it's not his best, it comes pretty close indeed. I have never felt more emotionally attached to any characters in any book ever and the narrative sparkles with a wit and realism I've not really ever experienced in a book. I think this book also showed me how Patrick Ness succeeds where John Green fails - his characters are meaningful and likeable and always flawed in realistic ways just like a Green character isn't. They say meaningful things without sounding like 30-something pretentious novelists. That said, there are the occasional few lines where I was wondering "would anyone really say that?" but then I thought, perhaps here, in this situation, someone actually might.

This book looks at, in a world of "Chosen One"s, the boy who feels like he could never be chosen, like he's the least needed. And it's so beautifully, sensitively, cleverly and originally written that it works on every level in every way. At times when the storyline could go into "everything's resolved as if by magic mode" or is heading towards predictability Patrick Ness makes a point of changing the direction. It's a fresh, exciting, daring and brilliant novel that will probably become one of Patrick Ness' most popular books. Talking about it just won't do it justice. You just need to read it.

10/10

Look Who's Back

And yet again, I find myself in a strange position. I have no idea how to review this book. It's a difficult one, but for different reasons.

This book's premise is simple. Hitler wakes up in 2011 Berlin. And by the looks of things, it's going to be a bit of a black comedy. Unfortunately, it fails to really deliver. I think there are a number of reasons for this.

Firstly, this book has been translated from German, meaning lots of the puns are lost in translation. German humour is different to British humour on the whole as well, and satirical references to German culture are often lost on a British reader.

Secondly, Vermes has set himself an impossible task. How do you write a comedy about Hitler without downplaying what Hitler actually did and actually was like? You can't! It would be too disturbing and uncomfortable. Instead we get what I have previously seen described as a Nigel Farage with a moustache. Rather right wing, but ultimately harmless. And this is a dangerous and potentially insulting thing to do. Hitler was an evil man, to portray him as a bit grumpy at worst is perhaps a bit of an issue. There were, however, some moments that were supposed to be serious and not funny that worked really well as Vermes explored real repercussions of Hitler's actions. Sadly, moments like this were few and far between.

Thirdly, I was left with a sense of confusion about what the whole point was. Things happen in the novel, of course. But its plot is more of a device in order to show off Hitler. Yes, it's about his rise to power again, but there is no antagonist (well, you know what I mean) or "problem", just Hitler being Hitler all the way through. Vermes' satire depends on Hitler's ridiculous observations about the world, yet once in a while he will make a very true and pertinent point. The novel ends (spoilers) without explaining a) How Hitler ended up in 2011 or b) why Hitler was wrong. In fact, the novel ends with Hitler essentially getting what he wanted. And when you combine this with his increasingly accurate observations about the world, it's hard not to wonder whether Vermes might be trying to say that Hitler wasn't "all bad", something which I found quite an alarming message for a book.

And finally, the middle was really boring. There were a lot of confusing rants that sometimes didn't make a lot of sense and lots of flashbacks to the past. What little plot there was didn't continue for a while.

There were some redeeming factors, as there were a few jokes that genuinely were funny and some interesting characters and themes as well as the odd thought provoking moment as mentioned above. But overall, I'm sad to say, this potentially very good idea isn't really worth reading.

4.5/10

The Bone Clocks

This is going to be a very difficult one to review, because there was so much wrong with it, yet I still really enjoyed it. And it's basically six books in one. Sort of.

Basically, this novel is six "novellas" following the life of Holly Sykes (I mean, it wouldn't be a David Mitchell book if it didn't have six separate stories in it would it?) each of a different genre with a different setting and narrator. Now, in "Cloud Atlas", this worked really well, as the whole point of that novel was the connections between each story. In "The Bone Clocks", an overarching story is more present. This can mean that the narrative becomes very frustrating, as Mitchell chooses to have each "Novella" focus mainly on its narrator, meaning the Holly story is left alone for a good chunk of the book (which is over 600 pages long, so not a light read). This means, just as we are interested in an event, we are zoomed forward in time a decade to the next novella, to a different place and the narrative will eventually reveal what happened in the mean time. This can be effective, as sometimes there's an emotional punch we didn't expect, told as if it's been and gone and so doesn't matter, yet to the reader, it's a big shock. It's done well, but it's annoying. Also, there are no chapters, just big chunks of text, which I found a bit overwhelming to begin with. I think, to make it easier for all of us, I will review each story separately. One problem that I'll ignore is Mitchell's enormous stereotyping. So, when he write about the 1980s, he tries to fit as many '80s stereotypes in a possible, or when he writes about the early 2000s, of course, he has to include the Afghanistan war. It's almost as if, to the characters in the book, the only things that happen in a decade are the famous aspects.

1. A Hot Spell (1984)
This is a really nice introduction, narrated by a 15 year old Holly. It's sort of a typical rebellious teenager story with some great characterisation from the start. Holly's an instantly likeable and realistic character and Mitchell wastes no time getting her story going. There are occasional moments linking towards the book's fifth story (and arguably its climax) that make no sense at the time of reading, as they are most definitely within the "fantasy" genre, and so feel very out of place, however this novella is very entertaining and fun. 9/10

2. Myrrh is Mine, It's Bitter Perfume (1991)
This is probably the worst novella in the book. We follow the incredibly irritating Hugo Lamb through some very boring Cambridge jargon filled generic "being mean to people". This mundane conversation based novella comes straight after the cliffhanger (see what I did there?) at the end of "A Hot Spell" and so is incredibly frustrating, especially as Holly only enters about half way through. Things become a bit more interesting with her around, but looking back, while Hugo's character does become important, this one felt a bit pointless. 3/10

3. The Wedding Bash (2004)
By contrast, this one was my favourite. Narrated by Ed Brubeck (minor spoiler alert), Holly's now partner (a very well written and flawed yet likeable character), the narrative switches between a family wedding and Brubeck's reporting in Afghanistan. Suspenseful, intriguing and very realistic, this novella had just the right amount of everything, as well as a conclusion linked to the overall "Bone Clocks" story that had just enough mad fantasy elements in it to maintain an interest yet not put me off. This one was far easier to read than the previous one, making me feel almost relieved. 10/10

4. Crispin Hershey's Lonely Planet (2015)
Mitchell shows here that while he's inventive, he's certainly not original. Exactly like in "Cloud Atlas", the modern day story is a comedy about an author. I wonder why... This author in particular started off just as irritating as Hugo Lamb, making me dread the rest of the book. The first half was full of unnecessarily detailed jargon (again) but at least it featured Holly. The second half, by contrast, was actually very entertaining and intriguing, with the novella finishing on a very exciting, unexpected and tense note which was very well written indeed. 6/10

5. An Horologist's Labyrinth (2025)
The longest novella is basically where the first four have been heading. It's Jargon Central, with every other word Capitalised because it Means it's a name of Something Important. This gets incredibly irritating, and means that it's very confusing. The whole purpose is this: certain characters are able to live on past death as their own soul in a new body. This is a minefield for confusion, as that means each character has different names and bodies, even simultaneously as it depends who they are talking to. As it moved on, however, things were explained and the narrative became genuinely exciting, and the ending was very good indeed. The problem here is that everything was crammed in, highlighting my opinion that this entire story could have been told very differently, and not as six novellas, meaning there was more time for the central plot (this one) and less ridiculous peripheral jargon about people that don't really interest the reader. Mitchell fell into the format trap, where he decided on his format (his usual) before his content, meaning his brilliant ideas are somewhat wasted. 5/10

6. Sheep's Head (2043)
A very fitting ending, as while the climax of the novel was obviously "An Horologist's Labyrinth", this novella highlights what the real purpose of the novel was. It describes a potentially very real future in which climate change has meant society is collapsing, something very poignantly stated after a story about immortality and baddies who murder the next generation for their own gain (which is, it transpires, a metaphor for the real problem highlighted here). This one is very well written and acts as a reality check. Mitchell is basically saying "It's all very well me writing this fantastical story, but something much more serious is really going on, which is all the more real". I think climate change is a very important issue and really admire Mitchell for this one. 9/10

You can see why it's hard to think of this overall. It's all very disjointed and fascinating yet frustrating and gripping. Lots of things could have been done differently, yet the novel as a whole makes more sense at the end than it does when you are reading it, and I realised I enjoyed it very much, despite its flaws. Furthermore, its message is very important and thought provoking, so it's definitely worth a read. Its title, after all, means a lot more than is first apparent.

7/10

Ed. You know what? After giving this book a lot more thought and time, I'd like to give it a "hindsight" rating of 9/10.

Station Eleven

Dystopian novels are all over the place these days, yet this one, for many reasons, is easily the best. Yes, I said it, THE best. Emily St. John Mandel has created an absolute masterpiece out of familiar elements and brand new ones, resulting in a gripping novel not only about an apocalypse but about art, memory and what we value most in our lives.

The novel very cleverly interweaves many different narrative strands from the epicentre of the "Collapse", when a new strain of flu (written in a very believable way) wipes out 99% of humanity. After initially jumping around through time, links begin to be made to form an incredibly satisfying conclusion. One character is a member of "The Symphony", travelling classical musicians and Shakespearean actors who move between post-apocalyptic settlements to perform - an absolutely genius idea and one totally down my street. Throughout, both the flashbacks to before the "collapse", describing the ins and outs of characters' lives, and the narratives after the "collapse" remain gripping and beautifully written. There's so much in there that it would almost be a crime not to put this on English A level courses, as the more you think about it, the more there is to understand. It would also be a crime not to make this into a film, I think. I can imagine it now...

The writing style is deeply gripping, beautiful and clever, with moments that are absolutely breath-taking and speak volumes about how we find meaning in our lives. The characterisation is fantastic, with characters fleshed out without the reader even particularly noticing, with genuine empathy created right from the start. And the pacing is perfect, with the plot thickening at just the right times to make this extremely gripping and entertaining. I would go as far as to say that this book is serious competition to the best Patrick Ness novels, and for those of you that know me, that would seem impossible. I honesty cannot recommend this enough.

11/10 (see what I did there?)

The Miniaturist

Next on my holiday reading list was "The Miniaturist", Jessie Burton's debut novel. This was a very unique and intriguing novel, and reading it straight after "Sister Noon" highlighted just how good it was. Like Fowler's novel, this one focuses on a vulnerable female protagonist trying to find her way in the world, and it uses the entirely alien to me yet intriguing setting of 17th Century Amsterdam. Unlike "Sister Noon", this is actually very effective, and plot developments, twists and turns throughout the novel give the it a sense of unpredictability and can deliver genuine shocks and drama.

The premise is this. 18 year old Nella Oortman is recently married to 37 year old Johannes Brandt, but the household seems very strange and mysterious. A wedding gift, a miniature version of the house she is now living in, is furnished by a mysterious miniaturist, who uses their models to slowly reveal secrets about the house and the lives of the people in it. It initially feels like there will be a massive twist at the end, yet this is not the case. Instead, there are shocks and surprises woven throughout the narrative, leaving the ending for real, harsh consequences of what's been revealed. This, unlike some novels, is not neatly tied up by the end, yet the ending feels very fitting indeed, as Nella's development as a character is shown to have been the main focus of the novel.

 

Another pleasant surprise was the subject matter the book deals with. Without giving anything away, I will say that it ventures to surprising topics given its setting and time period. This means that occasionally some dialogue seems out of place or unrealistic, but on the whole this is not the case. Burton's research for the novel was obviously very thorough, with lashings of beautiful historically accurate description and detail. There were times when I was so taken in by the setting and the such high inequality and capitalist drives of the city as well as the oppression by rulers that, had this setting not existed in the past, I could have believed it to have been a dystopian commentary on modern society. Burton doesn't miss a trick here, interweaving multiple threads and secrets and building to one of the best and most unexpected (yet not "twisty") endings I could have hoped for. I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

9/10

Sister Noon

After very much enjoying "We are All Completely Beside Ourselves", I leapt at the chance to pick this up from the Waterstones "Buy one, get one half price" display. The epigram, "Words were invented so that lies could be told" seemed intriguing and potentially very clever, with the setting of 1890s San Francisco as a new one for me, adding to the intrigue. I was hoping for something similar to "Beside Ourselves", however I was utterly disappointed.

This novel is, at its heart, just gossip, that's the main point of it. It's based solely on what some characters think of others and what may or may not be true about them. This could be interesting if there were any secrets, but the gossip just sort of fizzles out with no conclusion. The reader is left utterly clueless. It might be fair to say "the reader has to decide for themselves what is true", but is it really worth it? Is there no shock twist? Nothing revealed at all? No. There is absolutely nothing. What this novel lacks is a plot. The characters, in part, are largely based on real people, especially Mary Ellen Pleasant, the most mysterious character in the novel. Fowler does in fairness describe the setting beautifully and there are moments when I felt some empathy for Lizzie, the protagonist. However, aside from a very small development in Lizzie's life happening towards the end of the novel (one which the title basically gives away anyway, and which isn't worth 250 odd pages of build up) nothing of any significance happens. There are one or two moments of plot, but when you're remembering a page on which a protagonist gets lost briefly in a corridor as one of the most eventful moments in the novel, well, lets just say the novel is hardly riveting.

 

The novel did strike a chord initially, as on page 12 Ms Pleasant comes out as a "Coloured Woman", and it was interesting to see how people perceived race differently, especially in light of Rachel Dolezal's recent statements in the media. This, however, like every other potentially good idea in the book amounts to absolutely nothing. Characters come and go like they have no importance, and with whatever tiny plot there was being side-lined for everything that simply wasn't interesting, "Sister Noon" quickly became a drag. I wouldn't recommend it, unless you want to read something purely for the interest of another setting. Afterwards I used it to squash two moths.

 

3/10