I love Barbara Nadel's Cetin Ikmen series of crime novels. Each is an intricately plotted, clever stylish mystery with a wonderful sense of place - Barbara Nadel brings Istanbul, and greater Turkey to life, with its wonderful mix of the prosaic and the exotic.
Pretty Dead Things is another stunning thriller in the series. Cetin Ikmen finds himself revisiting the Istanbul of the hippy trail of the 1960s when investigating a missing persons case. The case becomes more peculiar when a body turns up, in the course of the investigation, very publicly in the centre of Istanbul just as football fans from across Europe are about to descend on the city for the Champions League final.
Darkly humorous and compelling this is a fine, if gruesome, addition to the Ikmen series. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Recent reading, viewing, listening
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Tartan Hooey
Tartan Tragedy formerly published as The wild island, a Jemima Shore mystery by Antonia Fraser is one of the silliest books I've read in a long time. The basic detective story is decent enough - it was the first time in many reads that I didn't guess the murderer prior to the denouement, so it deserves some praise for that, but the story surrounding the murder is pure hokum.
A Scottish retreat turns into a murderous nightmare as alleged descendants of Bonnie Prince Charlie attempt to grab their ancestral home, feuding amongst themselves as they do so. There's also a full cast of Scottish peasantry, who just about manage to restrain themselves from tugging their forelocks. It is a truly awful book with some terrible dialogue, and just about every cliche you can think of thrown in.
All this, and even the dogs are poorly characterised - a crucial point in the novel is mistaking one dog for another - as they're of the opposite sex, and belong to a short coated breed, I wouldn't have thought this was too difficult for anyone with an elementary knowledge of anatomy!
Having damned the novel, I must also admit that it is compulsively readable but it's nowhere near the standard of Fraser's other Jemima Shore mysteries. It's worth reading for the laughter value - it's probably the only novel to feature death by labrador - but not much else.
A Scottish retreat turns into a murderous nightmare as alleged descendants of Bonnie Prince Charlie attempt to grab their ancestral home, feuding amongst themselves as they do so. There's also a full cast of Scottish peasantry, who just about manage to restrain themselves from tugging their forelocks. It is a truly awful book with some terrible dialogue, and just about every cliche you can think of thrown in.
All this, and even the dogs are poorly characterised - a crucial point in the novel is mistaking one dog for another - as they're of the opposite sex, and belong to a short coated breed, I wouldn't have thought this was too difficult for anyone with an elementary knowledge of anatomy!
Having damned the novel, I must also admit that it is compulsively readable but it's nowhere near the standard of Fraser's other Jemima Shore mysteries. It's worth reading for the laughter value - it's probably the only novel to feature death by labrador - but not much else.
Friday, 26 March 2010
...How the Ancient World shapes our lives
In the pages of Love, Sex and Tragedy: How the Ancient World Shapes Our Lives Simon Goldhill examines the impact of the ancient world, particularly that of Greece and Rome on how Western civilisation is now. It's slightly preachy in style occasionally, which can detract from the persuasive argument of this book that Classics matters because it's the foundation of Western society.
There are many "I didn't know that" moments throughout the book, ranging from the influence of Greek life on Christianity and Judaism - did you know, for example, that the Passover Seder as immortalised in the Last Supper, is actually based on the pattern of the symposium, a Greek drinking party? to Greek love - perhaps not quite what you were thinking of.
Sections of the book look at Greek, and to a lesser extent Roman, attitudes towards sex, marriage, and women, democracy - interesting to see that even at its height Greeks argued about the nature of democracy, and that Greek and Roman ideals would be corrupted to suit the claims of Fascism, the theatre - Greek theatre really was culture for all, sport and entertainment - are we that far removed from gladiatorial combat?, and religion.
What was stunning on reading this was re-discovering how much of our modern world owes its form or even existence to these earlier civilizations. I especially enjoyed the chapter on film, and the United States relationship with the Roman Empire. Fascinating stuff.
There are many "I didn't know that" moments throughout the book, ranging from the influence of Greek life on Christianity and Judaism - did you know, for example, that the Passover Seder as immortalised in the Last Supper, is actually based on the pattern of the symposium, a Greek drinking party? to Greek love - perhaps not quite what you were thinking of.
Sections of the book look at Greek, and to a lesser extent Roman, attitudes towards sex, marriage, and women, democracy - interesting to see that even at its height Greeks argued about the nature of democracy, and that Greek and Roman ideals would be corrupted to suit the claims of Fascism, the theatre - Greek theatre really was culture for all, sport and entertainment - are we that far removed from gladiatorial combat?, and religion.
What was stunning on reading this was re-discovering how much of our modern world owes its form or even existence to these earlier civilizations. I especially enjoyed the chapter on film, and the United States relationship with the Roman Empire. Fascinating stuff.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Funniest thing I've read in ages...
I did read some of the "William" books as a child, and never got on with them. Not sure why this was - I was a child from a working class background, and so a very different background to William, so I thought that perhaps this might have been the reason - but I loved the Chalet School stories, and Jennings, both of whom were very definitely set in a different world to my own. So quite why I disliked William I don't know.
I re-read one of the William books a few years ago, and still didn't enjoy it, so quite why upon seeing William Again on a library shelf I should have decided to pick it up, I don't know. However I did, and I'm very glad I did - it was completely hilarious, and a delight from start to finish. In spite of having a sick dog, and being v. worried, William made me laugh. There's some wonderful social commentary, and the interplay of the children with the adults is so funny. Richmal Crompton's writing is fabulous, and as fresh today as when it was first written. I can't wait to read the next one...
I re-read one of the William books a few years ago, and still didn't enjoy it, so quite why upon seeing William Again on a library shelf I should have decided to pick it up, I don't know. However I did, and I'm very glad I did - it was completely hilarious, and a delight from start to finish. In spite of having a sick dog, and being v. worried, William made me laugh. There's some wonderful social commentary, and the interplay of the children with the adults is so funny. Richmal Crompton's writing is fabulous, and as fresh today as when it was first written. I can't wait to read the next one...
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Snapshot in time
I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinkinga quote from the opening paragraphs of Christopher Isherwood's wonderful Goodbye to Berlin. Goodbye to Berlin was the inspiration for the stage play I am a camera, which later metamorphosed into the musical Cabaret.
This was one of my favourite books as a teenager, I read and re-read it so many times. However it's now some years since my last reading, and it was lovely to come back to an old friend, and find them just as you remembered. The real charm of Isherwood's semi-autobiographical set of short stories and novellas is that he is indeed a camera. Much of the time he is quite unjudgemental, just commenting on what he sees, and what is going on around him. He mixes in a wide variety of Berlin society of the early '30s ranging from wealthy business owning Jewish families, whose world is on the verge of crashing down around them, to the ordinary seemingly unpolitical Berliners, who by the end of the novel will be speaking reverently of Der Fuhrer.
It truly is an amazing snapshot of society at a time of great change, which will ultimately lead to horrendous destruction. The characterisation in the novel is superb, with even minor characters delightfully developed. And what a cast of characters - from the doomed Bernhard Landauer, and his naive cousin Natalia, to the deliciously decadent Sally Bowles. But it's Berlin itself, that fabulous city at the centre of the Weimar Republic, which shines through. And through Isherwood's wonderful writing, you too are standing at his side travelling through the weird world of the dying days of Weimar Berlin.
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Comfort reading
The Sunday Philosophy Club series by Alexander McCall Smith are sweet books. They're the comfort food of the world of fiction. Sunday morning in pyjamas with a mug of hot chocolate.
Although branded mystery stories, there's usually very little in the way of mystery in any of the books, and what there is, is easily worked out. What is enjoyable about these books is their gentleness, and the quiet interplay of the characters within them. They can be a bit twee, but they're enjoyable when you don't want your brain to be doing too much work.
The fourth in the series The Careful Use of Compliments v. 4 (Sunday Philosophy Club) continues to follow the lives of the philospher, Isabel Dalhousie, and her lover Jamie, with a new addition to the family, their young son, Charlie. Although there is conflict within the novel, everything resolves happily with even the most unpleasant characters appearing to have had a change of heart. Sometimes, this series can be mildly irritating, real life is rarely as happy and untouched as the life that Isabel leads, but sometimes you rather wish it was, that I think is the real charm and appeal of these books.
Although branded mystery stories, there's usually very little in the way of mystery in any of the books, and what there is, is easily worked out. What is enjoyable about these books is their gentleness, and the quiet interplay of the characters within them. They can be a bit twee, but they're enjoyable when you don't want your brain to be doing too much work.
The fourth in the series The Careful Use of Compliments v. 4 (Sunday Philosophy Club) continues to follow the lives of the philospher, Isabel Dalhousie, and her lover Jamie, with a new addition to the family, their young son, Charlie. Although there is conflict within the novel, everything resolves happily with even the most unpleasant characters appearing to have had a change of heart. Sometimes, this series can be mildly irritating, real life is rarely as happy and untouched as the life that Isabel leads, but sometimes you rather wish it was, that I think is the real charm and appeal of these books.
Friday, 19 March 2010
Better and better...
I've been working my way through Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series. I found the first one The Shape of Water very hard to get into, although I did enjoy it. I had a similar problem with The Terracotta Dog although it was worth perservering with as it was a good story.
However the third in the series The Snack Thief is a complete delight from start to finish. Endearing, funny, a very good mystery in which the world of the Sicilian police mixes with the murky worlds of terrorism and the secret service, this is a wonderful novel. There's rather more background to Montalbano himself, and his relationship with the lovely Livia, along with some more details about his family. As always with Camilleri, there is a real sense of place, with the backdrop of Sicily almost being an extra character in the book. And, also, as usual, plenty of mouthwatering culinary detail. It's also quite unusual in that one of the major characters is a North African terrorist - first published in Italy in 1996, it was written some years before the events of 911. But it's such an enjoyable read, I can't wait to read the next one...
However the third in the series The Snack Thief is a complete delight from start to finish. Endearing, funny, a very good mystery in which the world of the Sicilian police mixes with the murky worlds of terrorism and the secret service, this is a wonderful novel. There's rather more background to Montalbano himself, and his relationship with the lovely Livia, along with some more details about his family. As always with Camilleri, there is a real sense of place, with the backdrop of Sicily almost being an extra character in the book. And, also, as usual, plenty of mouthwatering culinary detail. It's also quite unusual in that one of the major characters is a North African terrorist - first published in Italy in 1996, it was written some years before the events of 911. But it's such an enjoyable read, I can't wait to read the next one...
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
A grim read
I first read A Canticle for Leibowitz some years ago. At the time what shocked me more than anything was the unexpected, and violent, death of the most sympathetic character in the book. I can remember physically being jolted upright by the shock of it.
On re-reading, this is obviously not a surprise, and what struck me this time round was the sheer bleakness of Walter M. Miller Jr's dystopian vision. Leibowitz had its roots in 3 novellas portraying humanity's resurrection from the ashes of a nuclear holocaust. In the first section of the novel humanity is still in an early stage of recovery: a monastic order in a desert area of Nevada/Denver/Utah has preserved some of the few written documents left to man after the holocaust. The second section moves on several centuries to a Renaissance type period where major scientific innovations, such as electricity, are being re-discovered; but already the seeds of war have been sewn and humanity seems to be set back on the path which will lead to its destruction. In the final section, in a society which is in advance of our own, a second nuclear holocaust becomes inevitable.
Miller's cyclical view of history is profoundly bleak. There is redemption, but this is inevitably followed, or preceded by, destruction. Ironically in a book which is full of characters' attempts to preserve knowledge, the lesson of the novel is that ultimately humans never learn.
Miller flew many combat missions over Italy during the Second World War, and was profoundly influenced by the destruction of the monastery at Monte Cassino. The parallels between that battle and the story of the Leibowitzian monastery are clear to see. Miller converted to Catholicism following the war, and its influence on this work is immense. Interestingly I thought that this does place the work very much as a creation of its time. I cannot imagine a similar work being written now giving religion such high status in a post-holocaust future.
Leibowitz makes grim reading, although there is humour, sometimes even the odd laugh-out-loud moment, this becomes less and less as the work progresses. Such a dystopian view however does have its good points - it makes the world around you feel considerably better than it did before reading A canticle for Leibowitz, and it continues to be one of the benchmarks for great science fiction writing.
On re-reading, this is obviously not a surprise, and what struck me this time round was the sheer bleakness of Walter M. Miller Jr's dystopian vision. Leibowitz had its roots in 3 novellas portraying humanity's resurrection from the ashes of a nuclear holocaust. In the first section of the novel humanity is still in an early stage of recovery: a monastic order in a desert area of Nevada/Denver/Utah has preserved some of the few written documents left to man after the holocaust. The second section moves on several centuries to a Renaissance type period where major scientific innovations, such as electricity, are being re-discovered; but already the seeds of war have been sewn and humanity seems to be set back on the path which will lead to its destruction. In the final section, in a society which is in advance of our own, a second nuclear holocaust becomes inevitable.
Miller's cyclical view of history is profoundly bleak. There is redemption, but this is inevitably followed, or preceded by, destruction. Ironically in a book which is full of characters' attempts to preserve knowledge, the lesson of the novel is that ultimately humans never learn.
Miller flew many combat missions over Italy during the Second World War, and was profoundly influenced by the destruction of the monastery at Monte Cassino. The parallels between that battle and the story of the Leibowitzian monastery are clear to see. Miller converted to Catholicism following the war, and its influence on this work is immense. Interestingly I thought that this does place the work very much as a creation of its time. I cannot imagine a similar work being written now giving religion such high status in a post-holocaust future.
Leibowitz makes grim reading, although there is humour, sometimes even the odd laugh-out-loud moment, this becomes less and less as the work progresses. Such a dystopian view however does have its good points - it makes the world around you feel considerably better than it did before reading A canticle for Leibowitz, and it continues to be one of the benchmarks for great science fiction writing.
Monday, 15 March 2010
A splendid sun
I read The Kite Runner about a year ago after seeing the film. Previously I'd had several false starts on it. I enjoyed Kite runner but was never as blown away by it as I'd expected to be. I was never wholeheartedly convinced by the characters, although I could appreciate the hero's motivation in rescuing his old friend's son, I remained unconvinced that he would have done it, and this, not unnaturally, impacted on my reading of the novel.
However I can say unequivocally that I absolutely loved A Thousand Splendid Suns, the book swept me away from the first page. It was moving, funny, a cracking good read, with wonderful convincing characters that you rooted for all the way through. It is a truly fabulous book. Even more amazing that a male writer could have got inside the hearts and minds of his 2 Afghan heroines, and portrayed their story so movingly and authentically.
In contrast to The kite runner where much of the story takes place outside Afghanistan, and is told to a certain extent from the viewpoint of Afghan refugees, most of A thousand splendid suns takes place within the borders of Afghanistan through all the changes that this turbulent country has had to face over the last 30 years. The book is a testimony to the resilience of the Afghan people, not least the women of that country. How ironic then that on the day I finished this wonderful novel there was yet another report of a bomb blast in Kandahar...
However I can say unequivocally that I absolutely loved A Thousand Splendid Suns, the book swept me away from the first page. It was moving, funny, a cracking good read, with wonderful convincing characters that you rooted for all the way through. It is a truly fabulous book. Even more amazing that a male writer could have got inside the hearts and minds of his 2 Afghan heroines, and portrayed their story so movingly and authentically.
In contrast to The kite runner where much of the story takes place outside Afghanistan, and is told to a certain extent from the viewpoint of Afghan refugees, most of A thousand splendid suns takes place within the borders of Afghanistan through all the changes that this turbulent country has had to face over the last 30 years. The book is a testimony to the resilience of the Afghan people, not least the women of that country. How ironic then that on the day I finished this wonderful novel there was yet another report of a bomb blast in Kandahar...
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
The guns of Navarone
Well written adventure tale with some incidents very loosely based on the partisan fighting in Greece and Crete during World War II.
I'm not usually a huge fan of fictional adventure stories, but this was an enjoyable read. Characterisation isn't that wonderful, but then that's not what this book is about, it's a real gung-ho adventure story that hits the ground running from the off.
There's the obligatory nasty Nazi, but generally the book is surprisingly even handed in its portrayal of the enemy. What I found most interesting was the transformation from the book to what has become its better known version, the film.
I think this is one of those very rare instances where the film is actually better than the book that first inspired it. The Guns Of Navarone [DVD] [1961] tightens up the plot and gets rid of a few of the discrepancies, and the major change in the sex of the partisans, and the traitor, add enormous drama. It's quite an object lesson in how to improve a screen play.
I don't think I would read The Guns of Navarone again, but it certainly provided me with an enjoyable afternoon, and made me want to re-read Ill met by moonlight, a real tale of daring-do in Second World War Greece - so extraordinary you really couldn't make it up.
I'm not usually a huge fan of fictional adventure stories, but this was an enjoyable read. Characterisation isn't that wonderful, but then that's not what this book is about, it's a real gung-ho adventure story that hits the ground running from the off.
There's the obligatory nasty Nazi, but generally the book is surprisingly even handed in its portrayal of the enemy. What I found most interesting was the transformation from the book to what has become its better known version, the film.
I think this is one of those very rare instances where the film is actually better than the book that first inspired it. The Guns Of Navarone [DVD] [1961] tightens up the plot and gets rid of a few of the discrepancies, and the major change in the sex of the partisans, and the traitor, add enormous drama. It's quite an object lesson in how to improve a screen play.
I don't think I would read The Guns of Navarone again, but it certainly provided me with an enjoyable afternoon, and made me want to re-read Ill met by moonlight, a real tale of daring-do in Second World War Greece - so extraordinary you really couldn't make it up.
Sunday, 7 March 2010
Last Thursday?
***SPOILER ALERT***
Jasper Fforde is one of my favourite authors. I love the Nursery Crimes series (please Jasper write another one soon!), but the first Ffordes I read were the Thursday Next books.
First Among Sequels is the fifth and latest in the Bookworld saga. Also, sadly, it distinctly had the feel of being the last - all the threads left open from earlier in the saga felt as though they were being drawn neatly together. And although at the end of the novel the Bookworld still existed, another important element - that of time travel - had been disposed of.
Although still very funny, and still equipped with all the literary jokes of previous novels, this was a much harder read - I constantly found myself (in common with some other critics) flipping back to re-check what I'd just read, and it didn't have the narrative flow that some of the earlier ones did either. I suspect that this was because the author was trying to make sure that everything was tied up by the end, so it didn't have quite the same breathless forward rush into the next novel that the earlier volumes had. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy it, because I did, but it certainly wouldn't be my favourite novel in the series - that place is reserved for the second one in the series, and the first Bookworld novel I read, Lost in a Good Book
Jasper Fforde is one of my favourite authors. I love the Nursery Crimes series (please Jasper write another one soon!), but the first Ffordes I read were the Thursday Next books.
First Among Sequels is the fifth and latest in the Bookworld saga. Also, sadly, it distinctly had the feel of being the last - all the threads left open from earlier in the saga felt as though they were being drawn neatly together. And although at the end of the novel the Bookworld still existed, another important element - that of time travel - had been disposed of.
Although still very funny, and still equipped with all the literary jokes of previous novels, this was a much harder read - I constantly found myself (in common with some other critics) flipping back to re-check what I'd just read, and it didn't have the narrative flow that some of the earlier ones did either. I suspect that this was because the author was trying to make sure that everything was tied up by the end, so it didn't have quite the same breathless forward rush into the next novel that the earlier volumes had. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy it, because I did, but it certainly wouldn't be my favourite novel in the series - that place is reserved for the second one in the series, and the first Bookworld novel I read, Lost in a Good Book
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