More reviews of books read back when the earth was still cooling
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
This book is delicious. I think I shall eat it.
There really are no words for how much I enjoyed this book. I will make an attempt to outline most of what I found so delightful about it, but I will do a very poor job, just to warn you. I originally picked it up because lemonlye liked it and said that the main character's voice reminder her of me. Well! That is because Cassandra Mortmain is me, only infinitely more beguiling. Her humor, her zest and her knack for observation and introspection make her first-person narrative both compelling and vastly entertaining. I wish I had the book handy so that I could post half a dozen excerpts to show you how falling-down funny this book is in places. As it is, I will have to satisfy myself only by telling you that the first sentence is "I am writing this sitting in the kitchen sink." A more auspicious beginning I cannot imagine.
A great part of what I enjoyed about this book was the humor. Cassandra's family gives new meaning to the term "dysfunctional" and her descriptions of the various members and their escapades are hilarious. But I appreciated the book equally for its serious parts and for the sensitive touch with which the main romance was unfolded. Cassandra's soul-searching is insightful and touching, and her rendition of the traditional teenage unrequited crush and subsequent angst is fresh and honest. Towards the end of the book, I started to get a little worried that the book's original light-hearted tone had gone forever, and that the book would end on a downer, but I was relieved to find that I was wrong. Speaking of the ending, it was neither complete nor entirely without a note of sadness, but I thought it exactly appropriate. It ended with hope, even if you're a cynical reader, and if (like me) you're a shamelessly sentimental reader who can squeeze a happy ending into even the tiniest crack given the chance, it ended with considerably more than hope. Thematically, the ending was perfect.
For some reason, I keep wanting to say that Cassandra Mortmain is Anne Shirley for post-moderns, which I don't think is exactly right, but it's close. She did strike me as a character that many Green Gables fans will identify with. I Capture the Castle deals with a lot more complicated issues, especially in the interpersonal relationship department, whereas Anne's stories (and relationships) are much simpler and more straightforward. Cassandra is called upon to examine herself and others much more deeply than Anne ever does while Anne has more opportunity for innocent whimsy. Anyway, I think that people who identified with Anne as teens will identify just as strongly with Cassandra a few years later. I did, at any rate.
Compulsory-ness rating: 10! ZOMG READ THIS BOOK!!!
Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
The Hottie Napoleonic Flyboys* and their dragon go to Imperialist China! Whee!
Naomi Novik possesses the ability to suck me into a story with the first paragraph. This is highly unusual in an author. A first line may be original enough to make me curious enough to read a few pages, and by the end of said pages, I may be engaged with the characters/setting enough to continue, but Novik is different. In a few lines, she ensures that I will try to read the entire book in one go, without stopping for bathroom or snack breaks.
I've already raved incoherently about Novik and Temeraire more than once, so I'll try to spare you most of the drool here. I will say that Novik does an excellent job of continuing her series without any loss of the core virtues that made the first book so imminently readable. Her worldbuilding continues to be awesome, her characterization flawless, her timing impeccable. I would endure much to posses her flair for dialog. Her depiction of China-with-dragons was engrossing to read, and the question of dragon's rights, if you will, was an interesting one. The central question of Temeraire 's fate (and Lawrence's, of course, since they are intertwined) kept me biting my nails until the very end, and I was immensely pleased with how everything turned out. Temeraire is still my favorite character, and I still adore his conversations with Lawrence. Must procure the next book in the series with Christmas money (actually, I need to buy all three books, since the ones I have now are mosellegreen's and thus cannot be lent out to everyone who will stand still long enough).
Compulsory-ness rating: 10! Read this one, too (but not before its predecessor, of course)!!
Children of Men by P.D. James
Thought-provoking and masterfully-written novel of a possible dystopian future.
I will freely admit that I originally picked this up because I saw that Alfonso Cuaron was making a movie of it. I love nitpicking book-to-movie adaptions, it was about a dystopian near-future, and I actually really liked the Harry potter film that Cuaron directed (insert horrified gasping followed by the sound of dozens of Potterfen defriending Marie here) so I figured it might make a worthwhile read. It was definitely worthwhile, if not exactly enjoyable (I mean, it's dystopian spec fic, after all). James, who is more famous for her detective novels, obviously knows what she's doing. The writing was first rate, the story both chilling and intriguing.
Like most dystopias, this one is centered around one big "what if" question: What if the human race just lost the ability to reproduce over night? James paints a deft portrait of a world slowly crumbling under the weight of it's own hopelessness and ennui, and the vision is compelling.
I found it easy to become engrossed in this book, despite the fact that I felt at best lukewarm toward the main character, Theo. It's a credit to James' skill that she is able to present a character that is neither likable nor particularly offensive in anyway (who is, really, very average in his small, selfish way) and still makes the reader care enough to read on.
Anyway, definitely a rewarding read. Judging from the trailer, the movie will bear only a passing resemblance to the source material, but it certainly looks interesting, if nothing else.
Compulsory-ness rating: 9. Will definitely be picking up more of this author's work in the future.
Autumn Term by Antonia Forest
The best girl's school story I've read yet. It is a lamentable pity that the rest of the series is so difficult to come by.
I picked this up because it was supposed to be representative of girl's school stories. If my reading in the genre so far is any indication, it is nothing of the sort. It's so much better than most of the school stories I've read so far, which tend to be peopled with rather two-dimensional characters and predictable plot twists. The Marlow twins and their accomplices are vastly more entertaining than, say, the denizens of Enid Blyton's work.
This is the first book in a series of books that all center on the Marlow family. In it, the two youngest members of the family head off to school for the first time, eager to prove themselves worthy of the family reputation for excellence. They swiftly discover that they're unlikely to make a name for themselves in academics or sports, and even the Girl Guides is closed to them due to a nasty misunderstanding (I stayed up long past my bedtime to find out what went down at the Guides court of honor). So the girls are forced to find more creative ways to try and make a name for themselves, which result in escapades both amusing and distressing.
Something I especially enjoyed about Forest's writing that I haven't seen in other school stories so far is dynamic characters. The good characters are not always good and the bad characters don't always stay bad. Most of them grow and change as the story and the school year progress, until the reader is left, at the end, with a very different group of girls than the one at the beginning of the story. The Malory Towers books, and even Angela Brazil's less-cardboard-filled books always seem to treat of a heroine who is good, who has good friends and who only gets in trouble because of misunderstandings as opposed to any actual wrongdoing. The antagonists in these stories are always portrayed as without redeeming merit, and they always get some kind of richly-deserved comeuppance in the end. In Forest's portrayal, everybody makes the occasional poor choice, and everybody has a chance to make up for it later, though not everyone chooses to take advantage of that chance. Even then, there are no anvils waiting to drop on those who choose not to redeem earlier mistakes. It's refreshing.
Of course, because this is, after all, my life, I happen to fall in love with the one series of school stories that is impossible to get a hold of for under $30 a book. Autumn term was reprinted only a few decades ago, making it easy to come by a used copy if you have teh internets at your disposal. However, none of the other books in the Marlow series have been reprinted in quite some time, and the last time it was reprinted, it was in limited numbers by Girls Gone By in England. So here in the states, if you want to read more Marlow twins, you've really got to pony up the dough, and be willing to scour ABE religiously. Woe is me.
Compulsory-ness rating: 9. Want sequels! Wah!
Yay, I'm caught up! (Well, not really, but almost.) Now I get to go read the new chapter of Calin!
* "Hottie Napoleonic Flyboys" and related elements are trademarked carbonelle.
This book is delicious. I think I shall eat it.
There really are no words for how much I enjoyed this book. I will make an attempt to outline most of what I found so delightful about it, but I will do a very poor job, just to warn you. I originally picked it up because lemonlye liked it and said that the main character's voice reminder her of me. Well! That is because Cassandra Mortmain is me, only infinitely more beguiling. Her humor, her zest and her knack for observation and introspection make her first-person narrative both compelling and vastly entertaining. I wish I had the book handy so that I could post half a dozen excerpts to show you how falling-down funny this book is in places. As it is, I will have to satisfy myself only by telling you that the first sentence is "I am writing this sitting in the kitchen sink." A more auspicious beginning I cannot imagine.
A great part of what I enjoyed about this book was the humor. Cassandra's family gives new meaning to the term "dysfunctional" and her descriptions of the various members and their escapades are hilarious. But I appreciated the book equally for its serious parts and for the sensitive touch with which the main romance was unfolded. Cassandra's soul-searching is insightful and touching, and her rendition of the traditional teenage unrequited crush and subsequent angst is fresh and honest. Towards the end of the book, I started to get a little worried that the book's original light-hearted tone had gone forever, and that the book would end on a downer, but I was relieved to find that I was wrong. Speaking of the ending, it was neither complete nor entirely without a note of sadness, but I thought it exactly appropriate. It ended with hope, even if you're a cynical reader, and if (like me) you're a shamelessly sentimental reader who can squeeze a happy ending into even the tiniest crack given the chance, it ended with considerably more than hope. Thematically, the ending was perfect.
For some reason, I keep wanting to say that Cassandra Mortmain is Anne Shirley for post-moderns, which I don't think is exactly right, but it's close. She did strike me as a character that many Green Gables fans will identify with. I Capture the Castle deals with a lot more complicated issues, especially in the interpersonal relationship department, whereas Anne's stories (and relationships) are much simpler and more straightforward. Cassandra is called upon to examine herself and others much more deeply than Anne ever does while Anne has more opportunity for innocent whimsy. Anyway, I think that people who identified with Anne as teens will identify just as strongly with Cassandra a few years later. I did, at any rate.
Compulsory-ness rating: 10! ZOMG READ THIS BOOK!!!
Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
The Hottie Napoleonic Flyboys* and their dragon go to Imperialist China! Whee!
Naomi Novik possesses the ability to suck me into a story with the first paragraph. This is highly unusual in an author. A first line may be original enough to make me curious enough to read a few pages, and by the end of said pages, I may be engaged with the characters/setting enough to continue, but Novik is different. In a few lines, she ensures that I will try to read the entire book in one go, without stopping for bathroom or snack breaks.
I've already raved incoherently about Novik and Temeraire more than once, so I'll try to spare you most of the drool here. I will say that Novik does an excellent job of continuing her series without any loss of the core virtues that made the first book so imminently readable. Her worldbuilding continues to be awesome, her characterization flawless, her timing impeccable. I would endure much to posses her flair for dialog. Her depiction of China-with-dragons was engrossing to read, and the question of dragon's rights, if you will, was an interesting one. The central question of Temeraire 's fate (and Lawrence's, of course, since they are intertwined) kept me biting my nails until the very end, and I was immensely pleased with how everything turned out. Temeraire is still my favorite character, and I still adore his conversations with Lawrence. Must procure the next book in the series with Christmas money (actually, I need to buy all three books, since the ones I have now are mosellegreen's and thus cannot be lent out to everyone who will stand still long enough).
Compulsory-ness rating: 10! Read this one, too (but not before its predecessor, of course)!!
Children of Men by P.D. James
Thought-provoking and masterfully-written novel of a possible dystopian future.
I will freely admit that I originally picked this up because I saw that Alfonso Cuaron was making a movie of it. I love nitpicking book-to-movie adaptions, it was about a dystopian near-future, and I actually really liked the Harry potter film that Cuaron directed (insert horrified gasping followed by the sound of dozens of Potterfen defriending Marie here) so I figured it might make a worthwhile read. It was definitely worthwhile, if not exactly enjoyable (I mean, it's dystopian spec fic, after all). James, who is more famous for her detective novels, obviously knows what she's doing. The writing was first rate, the story both chilling and intriguing.
Like most dystopias, this one is centered around one big "what if" question: What if the human race just lost the ability to reproduce over night? James paints a deft portrait of a world slowly crumbling under the weight of it's own hopelessness and ennui, and the vision is compelling.
I found it easy to become engrossed in this book, despite the fact that I felt at best lukewarm toward the main character, Theo. It's a credit to James' skill that she is able to present a character that is neither likable nor particularly offensive in anyway (who is, really, very average in his small, selfish way) and still makes the reader care enough to read on.
Anyway, definitely a rewarding read. Judging from the trailer, the movie will bear only a passing resemblance to the source material, but it certainly looks interesting, if nothing else.
Compulsory-ness rating: 9. Will definitely be picking up more of this author's work in the future.
Autumn Term by Antonia Forest
The best girl's school story I've read yet. It is a lamentable pity that the rest of the series is so difficult to come by.
I picked this up because it was supposed to be representative of girl's school stories. If my reading in the genre so far is any indication, it is nothing of the sort. It's so much better than most of the school stories I've read so far, which tend to be peopled with rather two-dimensional characters and predictable plot twists. The Marlow twins and their accomplices are vastly more entertaining than, say, the denizens of Enid Blyton's work.
This is the first book in a series of books that all center on the Marlow family. In it, the two youngest members of the family head off to school for the first time, eager to prove themselves worthy of the family reputation for excellence. They swiftly discover that they're unlikely to make a name for themselves in academics or sports, and even the Girl Guides is closed to them due to a nasty misunderstanding (I stayed up long past my bedtime to find out what went down at the Guides court of honor). So the girls are forced to find more creative ways to try and make a name for themselves, which result in escapades both amusing and distressing.
Something I especially enjoyed about Forest's writing that I haven't seen in other school stories so far is dynamic characters. The good characters are not always good and the bad characters don't always stay bad. Most of them grow and change as the story and the school year progress, until the reader is left, at the end, with a very different group of girls than the one at the beginning of the story. The Malory Towers books, and even Angela Brazil's less-cardboard-filled books always seem to treat of a heroine who is good, who has good friends and who only gets in trouble because of misunderstandings as opposed to any actual wrongdoing. The antagonists in these stories are always portrayed as without redeeming merit, and they always get some kind of richly-deserved comeuppance in the end. In Forest's portrayal, everybody makes the occasional poor choice, and everybody has a chance to make up for it later, though not everyone chooses to take advantage of that chance. Even then, there are no anvils waiting to drop on those who choose not to redeem earlier mistakes. It's refreshing.
Of course, because this is, after all, my life, I happen to fall in love with the one series of school stories that is impossible to get a hold of for under $30 a book. Autumn term was reprinted only a few decades ago, making it easy to come by a used copy if you have teh internets at your disposal. However, none of the other books in the Marlow series have been reprinted in quite some time, and the last time it was reprinted, it was in limited numbers by Girls Gone By in England. So here in the states, if you want to read more Marlow twins, you've really got to pony up the dough, and be willing to scour ABE religiously. Woe is me.
Compulsory-ness rating: 9. Want sequels! Wah!
Yay, I'm caught up! (Well, not really, but almost.) Now I get to go read the new chapter of Calin!
* "Hottie Napoleonic Flyboys" and related elements are trademarked carbonelle.