3 posts tagged “book”

As a general rule I don't give daytime television's Richard and Judy the luxury - no, any such opportunity luxurious or otherwise - to inform or affect any of my lifestyle choices. Except the one about not watching daytime television, upon which they have had a significant and perhaps even defining input.

But, last week, shame upon shame I picked up a novel which was recommended by them - The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce by Paul Torday. An interesting book - written almost completely back-to-front, with the final defining moments of the eponymous tragi-hero being at the beginning of the book, and the seeds of his journey downward being sown towards the end of the book.  It almost works, but there are points where the reader knows too much and it feels a little bit laboured in explaining some of the genesis of the tale.  It's basically a story of a lonely man at the end and at the beginning, sandwiching a middle section where Wilberforce seems to be adjusting and enjoying newly-found sociability and likeability until he becomes too embroiled in one particular obsession - wine.  Apart from that middle section, Wilberforce is an addict and sociopath and it's a task to find any sympathy for him, although he's certainly less offensive and therefore inevitably more likeable a character at the end of the book, where he is more-or-less a geek rather than a drunkard.

A very enjoyable and easy read - it's not taxing or laboured in terms of readability - however, and one that provokes a lot of discussion and thought about the nature of sociability, of addiction, and the fine line between interest and obsession. I particularly liked the discussion notes at the end of the book suitable for book clubs.  I will certainly keep an eye out for Paul Torday's forthcoming novel and also his first, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen.

It's not usual for me to be irritated by things.  In fact, it's an extremely rare occurrence - Halley's Comet is a little more frequent - for me to bother to get even the least bit perturbed by stuff.  You know, stuff.  People, the television, the media - the world "out there". (I am now pointing in such a manner such as to denote the world outside my door, as opposed to the world within, but being careful to be very vague as to what direction I point in, so as not to offend any particular compass point or any community residing within the path of my finger).

But last night I got irritated by, of all things, a segment on the radio which was a phone-in discussion about books which people had read and could not get out of their minds. I know what you are thinking.  You are thinking that I really pick the major targets to bear the brunt of my distinctly mild demeanour.  That I aim my barrage of even-temperedness right between the eyes of the big issues.. That I let flow the full force of my placid nature to the heart of the matter.  And you would be right.

What bugged me was that the listeners, or at least those who contacted the show and got on air, were unable to review the books. Let me rephrase that: they were incapable of reviewing the books.  They were asked to give some reasons as to why their chosen book had captured their interest so completely.  Several of the books were semi-factual or at least had a connection to the real world, mostly wars (which might go some way to explaining how these people were still awake at an unholy hour perhaps), but all were fictional in nature.  Almost without exception the reviewers failed to talk about the actual style of writing, the creation of the fiction, or the author's weaving of threads which so captivated them.

Instead they talked in almost absolutely literal terms about their selection i.e. "this book is about...". 
Even when directly (and increasingly despairingly) asked by the presenter how it was that this particular book got inside their head, the respondents were not able to distinguish between talking about the book in an almost dust-jacket-blurb manner, and providing some insight into it as a work of literature, as a means of emotional suggestion, as a journey of the imagination and senses. 

It' would be similar to eating in a restaurant and submitting the following as a review: 

"My meal was mushroom soup, bread, butter, carrots, potatoes, water cress, peas, steak, horseradish sauce, broccoli, lemon ice cream, wafer biscuits, and coffee.".

That is not a review.  It would almost pass as a shopping list for the condemned man. 

What did you like about your meal?  Did you like how it was served?  Was the mix of flavours to your liking?  Was it cooked to your satisfaction?  Was the cost reasonable?  How was the restaurant ambience?  Would you consider eating at the restaurant again?

Simply saying "this book is about..." does not constitute a review of it.  Rant** over.

* No, not like that.
** I know...scary.

I am not much accustomed to participating in memes.  I think perhaps I have only done one or two and always feel like I am not well equipped to do them and end up feeling rather inadequate about the whole thing.  However, this recent tagging by Wendy is one I think I can do and still be able to look at myself in the mirror with some respect remaining and credibility intact. Not that I tend to look at myself in the mirror - you'd try not to, if you were me, believe me.  It's purely figurative.  Without further ado - the meme.

The meme is to select a current book you are reading, turn to page 123 of it, snort five lines- sorry, skip five lines (sentences), and then provide reportage on the following three sentences.

The book I have just begun to read is Will Self's The Book of Dave.  Here are the three totally context-less sentences thusly referred to:

"Mister Greaves is prepared to pay for more bubbery and London bricks if you increase your industry. He is prepared to pay for the feathers of seafowl as well; however he will no longer offer you a price for the oil of these... these... toyist beasts!
At this the Hamsters let out a great groan, but the Driver, feeling the rhythm of his own rhetoric, was not to be halted:"

So, now you know what is on page 123, five sentences down, of Will Self's The Book of Dave.

I understand that to have successfully completed the meme, I now need to pass it along to three other people.  For no other reason than no reason at all, here are my three unknowing invitees:

Dale (who, let's face it, has been idling away for a while now and so surely must have many books on the go!  - kidding, Dale)

Brennig (who I am sure is reading something either uber cool or something uber anti-cool - either would be equally entertaining I am sure)

Lost Dwarf (whose recent reading material is sure to come up with something good for us)