How to be Both by Ali Smith

How to be Both by Ali Smith

A tale of two centuries, two for one, buy one get one free. Whichever way you look at it, Ali Smith has done something quite unique, one novel with two loosely connecting stories. Some editions start with the contemporary take, others with the historical story. Whichever one you read first colours your view and enjoyment of the second and having read  it you can never unread it thus making it impossible to judge with an open mind which is better. The central question throughout both stories is ' which came first..' As in 'the chicken or the egg' Smith poses this question in many different ways, not least by deliberately alternating the order of the stories in different volumes. If a canvas has been used twice which picture comes first ? The picture we see first or the picture that was painted first? Conundrums like this reoccur throughout both stories taking the reader on a philosophical journey that jumps back and forward through time. Clearly a book trying very hard to be clever but almost too hard. Rather like the Emperors new clothes the reader feels honour bound to rejoice in the multi layered themes and ideas of this literary masterpiece but is it all just a rambling stream of consciousness. At its heart the age old problem of love and loss mirrored in two intertwining stories that crisscross through time and space.

We returned to an old haunt for this months discussion, Vercellis Italian  in Hexham. Not much to add, as good as ever, cheerful service food good bill not overthe top. 

Our next book is a step into un known territory....'Not Forgetting the Whale' by John Ironmonger.

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

'Do mine eyes deceive me?, what ghostly spectre looms at yonder window?'

Langley Castle provided the luxurious back drop for this months discussion of a truly Gothic tale. 

'The Castle of Ontranto' written in 1764 by Horace Walpole is credited as the first of the Gothic novels. This genre grew in popularity during the later part of the 18th century and early 19th century. Walpole the architect of his very own Gothic Castle, Strawberry Hill, triumphs in his depiction of the sinister goings on behind the gargantuan walls of Manfred's medieval Kingdom. The reader is taken into a ghostly world inside the Castle of Otranto. Set at the time of the crusades when religious beliefs and superstitions ruled  hearts and minds, the Christian Church controlled every aspect of life and went completely unchallenged, even by the mightiest warlord. At the heart of the tale the usual themes of greed, power, love  and lust motivate the main players. The story is apparently based on a dream Walpole had whilst sleeping in his newly built Gothic Castle. After putting pen to paper the prominent aristocrat used a pseudonym to publish his work, claiming it was a story from a bygone age. When he realised it was a hit with the public he claimed it as his own work explaining that he was combining two kinds of romance, the ancient and the modern.
A very well written literary gem. Tight plotting, well drawn characters, no wiffle waffle! Gruesome action throughout ignited by the dramatic opening scene, guaranteed a truly exciting read. The intrigue intensified with each twist and turn highlighting the deferential class bound society in Europe during the Crusades. Religion and or military strength determined and controlled the fate of the down trodden people. The characters in the book were strongly influenced by superstition and a strong belief in the after life. The place of women in medieval Europe was subservient and dependent on the largesse of men. Another literary reminder of the slow but steady progress towards an equal society. 

Lurking in the dark corners of the corridor, a knight in shining armour, thankfully no plumes adorn his helmet so not the giant of Walpole's dreams. Disappointingly the author never reveals the true identity of the giant knight. Real or imagined the ghoule brought terror to the inhabitants of the Castle of Otranto, setting in motion a train of events which led to death, destruction and the ultimate reinstatement of a young man's rightful inheritance. 

' Gothic ' has many meanings, including a German language, a type of architecture and a style of fashion. It is often used in reference to the Middle Ages, referring to all things old fashioned and unenlightened. The term evokes an atmosphere of brooding gloom, mystery and all things grotesque. Whilst certainly not grotesque, Langley Castle is steeped in its own history, beautifully restored and decorated in keeping with its proud past, offering its diners an evening of medieval splendour. On the whole service was good but surprisingly no offer was made to take coats. Just as well as the temperature dropped rapidly with no roaring log fire to stave off the cold night air. The food was of a high standard, the three course set menu at £40 per head was good value and included canapés and an amuse-bouche. 

Coffee and petit fours came at an extra cost but at £50 per head including drinks and tips all agreed it was good value. 

An excellent night steeped in Gothic grandeur. 

A return to the present this month as we endeavour to make sense of Ali Smiths 'How to be Both' 

The Devil’s Band by Richard Anderton

The Devil's Band by Richard Anderton

A band of Hussies discuss this epic swashbuckler at The Robin Hood Inn

                                  

This is the first of three books from the Devilstone Chronicles by local novelist Richard Anderton. Starting off in Tudor England this riproaring  yarn takes the reader on an adventure from the court of King Henry VIII to war torn Europe. It has all the right ingredients needed for a successful swashbuckler. Lots of action, tight scrapes and miraculous escapes, political intrigue, royal power struggles and a dash of romance. As the author explains on his website this book is not for readers under 15 because it's  "full of battles, brothels and black magic".  It's also full of historical facts, educating as well as entertaining.

Well written and engaging, the Hussies were drawn into the world of Thomas Devilstone as he tries to regain the power and influence he once enjoyed. Fleeing the Tudor Court he goes to Europe hoping to join with the supporters of the ousted House of York. In true epic fashion Thomas becomes embroiled in the Italian wars which raged across Western Europe. Time to refresh your knowledge of the great Hapsburg dynasty!  Throughout the book the reader learns of the social and political history of the time. The logistics of war were particularly fascinating and the level of detail Anderton goes into is impressive. 

All enjoyed this book although the incredible breadth of subject matter came at the cost of depth. The characters seemed a little under developed leaving the reader ambivalent to their fate. Lovers of the genre will no doubt enjoy this book and it will be interesting to hear how they feel it compares to works such as George R.R.Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" and Tolkien's ' Lord of the Rings'. It's certainly widened the Hussies's knowledge of History and gets an all round bravo from this reading group. 

Such a positive response to last month's choice may have been helped by the warm and welcoming atmosphere at The Robin Hood Inn. This was our third visit and it was definately third time lucky, a roaring log fire in the grate, tasty hot food, professional friendly service and quite good value (£14 per head including tip). An evening visit is definately on the cards.

Staying firmly in the past, next month's book is .......

                                    

Our Next meeting will be Tuesday 2nd March to discuss The Castle of Otranto.  Watch out for the blog!

A Prison Diary (Volume 1) HELL by Jeffrey Archer

A Prison Diary (Volume 1) HELL by Jeffrey Archer

                                 " A change of Genre come Hell or High Water "

                                     

....   This book was chosen as a total change of genre because the last three books, with varying reviews, were of similar ilk and although it was interesting to review three similar books by different authors, we feel a total change was much needed to see in the New Year.  2016!  Thankfully, the last book was so bad that anything Mr Archer has put on his prison paper will be a blessing ...

....   Archer was chosen as light relief.  His past reputation defines him as a masterful creative writer.  Easy to read, good fluidity and well thought out stories with engaging characters.  Not sure this criteria could be fulfilled with a straight forward account of life in prison, day to day monotonous regimes and real life characters.  We were wrong to think that.  Who would have thought that a book describing boredom and monotony could turn into a page turner.  This book is the first of a trilogy and takes you through his early unsettled days at Belmarsh to his eventual stop in an open prison.  It was a very interesting and easy to read, raising a few debatable issues along the way.  Issues regarding the running of the prison system, child abuse and drugs to name a few.  All his encounters are brief and their is some humour to keep you wanting more.  All the hussies agreed it was a good read ....  However ...

....  On the flip side of the coin. Prison life didn't really come across as 'Hell'.  It is well known that most celebrities are treated well in prison. Although from the 'charmed' life Mr Archer appears to have lead, it probably was hell for him.  At no point did he feel sorry for himself and it did make you want to find out why his sentence was so harsh as the details of his trial are not discussed in the book.   It was also thought strange and unbelievable that some of the toughest murderers in prison opted to sign up for creative writing classes, led by Mr Archer, after only a few weeks.  These characters are noted in the book and it is questionable how this trilogy of books could have be published as it was thought financial gain could not be made whilst in prison.  Another view which was put forward was that he was shameless about his sentence and shameless about exploiting the people he met.  The name dropping made him look self-centred with his me, me, me attitude, so much so that one hussie, although, values his writing skills, totally dislikes his manipulative character inside and outside of politics.  He encouraged writing and not politics on the inside, which gave the impression he is a writer first and foremost and although his experience could be used politically, it is thought he probably would not use it to change things.  Minor bug-bear was the varying price of his mineral water!!

....   Only one way to find out how 'Hell' turns out.  Finish the trilogy.  Now, from one trilogy to another.  Next month's choice, by popular demand.  A local Northumbrian writer's debut novel .. 

                                     The Devil's Band  by  Richard Anderton

                                   

....   Our discussion night was hosted at The Black Bull in Corbridge.  Numbers were halved that night due to the excessive rain falling over Northumberland.  The roads were treacherous so only two made it to the venue.  The Black Bull is a friendly village pub with a good value, varied menu.  The candlelite tables offered a cosy ambience in a relaxed atmosphere and the staff were attentive but not overly so.  A very enjoyable night was had by mothers and daughters alike.

                                        

.....   Our next meeting will be Tuesday, 2nd February 2016.  Venue to be confirmed.

12/01/16

The Lie by C L Taylor

The Lie by CL Taylor 

The Truth is that this is a very ugly book

Humble apologies to anyone who joined in with our latest read – The Lie  by CL Taylor.  It has to be our worst book yet.  Possibly one of the ugliest reads  around.  Ugly characters, ugly writing, ugly plotting.  

CL Taylor clearly hasn’t read any of the creative writing  recommendations which emphasise “show, don’t tell”.  This was tell, tell tell, supported by redundant dialogue and clichéd clichés  e.g.

 “I could sense his anger bubbling inside him like lava” 

The story moves between the present day and the past.  The present day tale is set around an animal refuge,  the past in a commune in Nepal.   Both stories involve ugly people doing ugly things which involve a lot of “puking”, “fucking”, “yanking down knickers” and “shit”.     At the refuge there’s abuse, “doggy diarrhoea”, puppies "caked in crap” and Freddy the parrot even squawks “Fucking Bastard”.  At the commune, there’s abuse,  “urine, vomit and faeces swirl around” and characters relentlessly fucking and saying “shit”, “twat” or  “fuck.”

To précis this non-shakespearian offering: 

We need a holiday. “But I am sick and tired I am of everything.”
We go to a commune, characterised by “Hunt the Cunt”  and “excellent little fuck pads”
 We don’t get on, “She flicks me the Vs. “
Disastrous things happen,  “puking in the toilets”,  “the stench of faeces and urine hits me”,
 “I’m not staying here you twat.”
Disaster turns to disaster. 
“Fuck”.  “Yeah”

The alarming thing about this book is that it has done so well.  It has numerous reviews on Amazon, most singing its praises.   

Is this what popular storytelling has become? 

  “FUCK”!

The venue for our discussion this month was The Duck House in Corbridge  which is rated well on trip advisor.  A restaurant upstairs, we visited the coffee shop downstairs. 

This photo - downloaded from trip advisor - isn't  representative of our visit.  Sadly, bad weather  combined with what sounded like major refurbishments upstairs made for a stark, drafty, noisy  ambience compounded by some intrusive piped pop music and a lack of basic condiments. 

The friendly owner was quick to apologise for this unusual state and warmed us up with complimentary hot drinks.  The hot chocolate was impressive as was the food which stood out amidst the chaos.  

The Duck House continues to develop and promises a successful revisit. 

Our next read might be ugly :

 But surely this will be a good read given Archer's masterful storytelling?  We will let you know! 

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

Definitely the kind worth reading.....

                                         

All agreed that this fast paced thriller kept the reader hooked from start to finish. Although clearly inspired by Patricia Highsmiths' 'Strangers on a Train' Swanson avoided producing a carbon copy of that classic work by adding a dramatic and shocking twist. The characters are interesting and engaging although all slightly mad, making it quite hard to decide who to root for ( Americanisms allowed as this is an American book). An enjoyable read during which the action crosses continents and reflects varied lifestyles within modern day America. Although the story is quite violent it has a light hearted tone which transcends the most gruesome parts of the story. Many and varied murderous acts, motivated by greed and deceit, are sugar coated, softening the true horror of the plot. This psychological thriller is a well crafted cat and mouse tale that isn't afraid to take risks. There are so many twists and turns that its almost impossible to predict who will emerge triumphant in the battle for revenge. The style of swapping narrators and recapping main plot points at regular intervals means that even the dopiest of readers can keep up. It is a little far fetched and relies heavily on coincidence but over all most loose ends are satisfactorily tied up.
This is Peter Swansons' second novel and is certainly a good advert for the author, we will look out for his debut novel 'The Girl With A Clock For A Heart'.

The Hussies returned to Vercellis Restaurant in Hexham for this months meeting, still noisy but again good value tasty Italian food. The service was no better or worse than you would expect in an Italian Restaurant, although it always seems a little odd when they blow out the candle and start setting the table for the next night, were they trying to tell us something?

This month we will be reading 'The Lie' by C.L.Taylor....

  

  

I Let You Go by Clare MacKintosh

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

 

....  Some of the Group Could Have Let This One Go!

                                

....   This book was high on the list of the Top Ten Summer Reads of 2015.  Tense, Fast-Paced, Compelling with an Astonishing Twist echoed the marketing blurb!  

....   The plot grabs you from the very beginning with a hit and run accident and very few clues.  Little by little a dual story emerges through the abused central character and the investigating police.

....   The writing style aggravated the group. The first third was not engaging.  The descriptive style was annoying and weak, and, the reader almost felt manipulated by the way the story led you to believe the unbelievable.  The second part was much improved with a faster pace resulting in the group classifying this as a page turner. The writing style was also much improved which enhanced the reading experience.  However, the final part became more incredulous and although the scary climax left you guessing it still left us feeling very flat.  Although we all agreed it was a page turner, the reasons why were split.  One group member thoroughly enjoyed the book despite the flaws noted whilst the other two felt it was lacking in writing style and characterisation.  It was also very noticeable that the writer was a former police investigator as the writing was more comprehensive following the police investigation, and the politics within the police was very apparent.  

....   I Let You Go does fit into the genre of The Husband's Secret, Gone Girl and The Girl of the Train, all of which the group enjoyed as holiday reads.  They were enjoyable, but, don't scrutinise too deeply as depth was lacking.

....   The Restaurant choice for our discussion was Winships, an historical building in the small village of Ovington.  As it was a mid-week autumnal night, it was very quiet, so, through no fault of their own, ambience was lacking.  For a small restaurant the menu seemed too extensive and that added to a specials board just resulted in a feeling that quantity of choice overwhelmed quality of food.  The portions were on the small side for the price and the menu descriptions inflated our expectations which were quickly deflated on arrival of the food, Although, we should  mention that the coffee was exceptional.  It was our first visit, so, maybe we should give it another try as reviews on the whole were good and we may well have been unlucky on the night.  The meal averaged out at £25 per head for two courses and coffee, no wine!

           

              Don't choose the drafty corner table!

            

               Good Flavoured Coffee!

....   Continuing with 'The Best Ever Book' genre, join us to discuss our October choice  ....

                 THE KIND WORTH KILLING by PETER SWANSON

              

....    We will meet to discuss this 'Thriller of the Year' on Tuesday, 3rd November.  Hope you can join us!

13/13/2015