The Waterproof Bible, Andrew Kaufman

 

This is an odd one! It is a strange mix of sci-fi characters set in what looks alarmingly like the real world. It is very enjoyable, a bit of light relief but also a comment on coming to terms with family, relationships and emotions. I felt like I was not quite getting all the nuances and metaphors, but it is also one of those books where you can take from it as much as you like, only skimming the surface is fun too.

Next up - Dracula!

The Art of Being a Woman, Patricia Volk

The Art of Being a Woman is, not surprisingly, non-fiction and is much less preachy than its title suggests. In it Volk tells of the two formative influences in her life; her mother Audrey Volk and the Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. They are polar opposites, her mother is 'the most beautiful woman in the world' and very conservative (she believed every woman should have a ring and a mink), Schiaparelli was seen as ugly and was hugely provocative, 'Shocking Life' was the title of her autoboigraphy.

 

The thing which makes this book compelling is not only the stories of the two women and how their personalitites shaped their lives, it is Volk's relationship with her mother. Reading Schiap's autoboigraphy at 10 meant she saw there 'was more than one way to be a woman' - it brought her out from her mother's shadow and seems to have given Volk a thicker skin when taking criticism. I think the reason I enjoyed this book most was the insight into someone else's relationship with their mum. The idolising weighed up against the irrepressable need to critique, the desire for approval against the desire to live how you need to. Surprisingly I found the Art of Being a Woman comforting above all else.

Next will be The Waterproof Bible, by Andrew Kaufman.

Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

I was very pleasantly surprised by Brave New World. I find novels with such a high reputation rarely turn out to be entertaining, the ideas come before a readable story.  Brave New World is an exception though, it is compelling both because of the world Huxley has created - the ideas of happiness are fascinating and somehow repellant even though they certainly have a logic - and the characters are a good mix of outsiders and those perfectly 'conditioned' to this new world. 

The book is set in the future, when the 'world controllers' have created a world in which everyone is happy. Children are engineered in labs, born and brought up in a huge factory where they are conditioned for the lives they are to lead. Mothers and Fathers are repulsive concepts and citizens are taught to never develop real relationships but to never be alone, everyone is a perfect consumer. 

The novel follows Bernard Marx and Lenina Crowne. Bernard is dissatisfied with the society and is an outsider others are wary of, whereas Lenina is a model citizen and very likable. It is this duality which makes the book such a success I think - you see both sides. All in all well worth a read, it gets you thinking but is entertaining and very readable too. 

I am now reading The Art of Being a Woman by Patricia Volk, who is talking about the two main influences in her early life, her mother Audrey Volk and the fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. 

Maggot Moon, Sally Gardner

Maggot Moon won the Costa Children's prize last year, I got this proof whilst working at Waterstones and it came highly reccomended. It is a lovey easy read, very simply and distinctively written. It is narrated from the point of view of Standish Treadwell who is living under an oppressive regime. His parents have 'disappeared' and a chain of events is triggered when a new family move in next door.

Maggot Moon feels simultaneously very small and very big. It deals with a very short space of time and Standish's family are quite isolated. It does however deal with some huge themes of politics, humanity and love and is dramatic. Well worth a read.

Thanks to Hot Key Books for the proof. Next I think is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

A Room With a View, E.M.Forster

Not a great deal to say about this one. It is funny and feels indulgent. Quite old fashioned and predictable, but deep and philosophical in places. Enjoyable.

The Shock of the Fall, Nathan Filer

Eye opening and enjoyable - the inside cover of my copy says 'There are books which let us into the hidden parts of life and make them vividly real' and this is certainly one of them. It is narrated by, and is about Matthew, whose older brother Simon died when he (Matt) was 9. Matt tells us of what follows, of his mum and dad trying to cope and the way in which Matt himself isn't coping. It is compelling - there are unanswered questions throughout and we are slowly allowed to fill in the gaps.

The Shock of the Fall is about mental illness and the different forms it can take. The author does a really good job of letting us know, without exactly telling us, what kind of person Matt is. You recognise him and it is like siting on the other side of the fence. It feels very contemporary and it feels very real.

Next up is one from the other end of the spectrum A Room with a View, by E.M Forster

Seven Years In Tibet, Heinrich Harrer

This is a brilliant book - it is an adventure story, travel book, and memoir. Heinrich Harrer was an Austrian mountaneer, ski champion and one of the four who first climbed the North Face of the Eiger. Harrer was climing in the Himalayas when the Second World War broke out and became a prisoner of war in India.

Seven Years in Tibet describes Harrer's escape from the POW camp, his journey into Tibet with Peter Aufschnaiter and their arrival and eventual acceptance in Lhasa. It is written very matter of factly, in the beginning Harrer states 'As I have no experience as an author I shall content myself with the unadorned facts.' He proves himself an excellent narrator, not romanticising or draging out any of his experiences. It is a pleasure to be in his company.

Whilst somewhat sceptical of the superstition of the Tibetans he is a curious and interested observer. It is clear Harrer has a great love for Tibet and its people. Forced to leave on the invasion of Tibet by China he writes:

'I follow all that happens in Tibet with the deepest interest, for part of my being is indissolubly linked with that dear country. Wherever I live, I shall feel homesick for Tibet.... My heartfelt wish is that this book may create some understandng for a people whose will to live in peace and freedom has won so little sympathy from an indifferent world'

A beautiful and intriguing book well worth a read. Next is 'The Shock of the Fall' by Nathan Filer.