Dracula, Bram Stoker

Dracula is brilliant! It is written through a series of diary entries by a group of people who are brought together by the discovery of who, and what the Count is. It is very elegantly written - both believable (to a degree!) and suspensful. It is also worth noting that the book is not at all cliche'd, garlic and stakes through the heart are instrumental - but feel necessary and again oddly believable!

The book starts with the diary of Jonathon Harker, who is sent by his employer to Count Dracula's castle in Transylvania. Dracula then makes the journey to Whitby and from there to London. Most of the action takes place in London before a 'thrilling chase' back to Transylvania!

 

It is, as you would expect, a little dated. In particular with the treament of Mina - Jonathon Harker's fiancee.  The men are all in love with her because she somehow is not always fainting. They seem to expect her to be in a puddle on the floor continuously and are completely in awe when she isn't. I think one of the guys actually describes her as having the brain of a man at one point. 

It is also quite religious - fears for the souls of the Undead and for other souls which may become Undead drive the protagonists. It is however unfair to judge the novel on standards from over 100 years after it was written, and these two flaws do not at all detract from the brilliantly enjoyable story.

Read it! Now on Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene which looks to be a witty one.

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