Roman history comes alive - 5 star

Simon Scarrow’s Eagle of the Empire series is a superb read on at least 2 levels. The battle scenes are very realistic, and give the reader a sense of the hardships and dangers faced by foot soldiers, the legionaries, the backbone of the Roman army. Soldering was a 25 year posting, and if by some miracle you survived then peaceful retirement was your reward. Equally Scarrow’s books offer a fantastic insight into the mindset behind the Roman empire. Their ability to organise, to build, to construct, to invent, and their unswerving belief in the Romanization of the rest of the known world bringing education and peace to the masses, taxation and servitude in exchange for citizenship…”Civis Romanus sum” the ticket to a better world.

A Cato and Macro novel, and our 2 heroes are with the second legion as they attempt to push North their goal Camulodunum ( Colchester) Blocking their path is tribal chief Caratacus, his fanatical followers, all bound together by their hate of the Romans……”Vespasian felt a grudging respect for the Britons’ leader, Caratacus, chief of the Catuvellauni. That man had more tricks up his sleeve yet, and the Roman army of General Aulus Plautius had better treat the enemy with more respect than had been the case so far”......Yet amongst all this carnage and bloodshed Scarrow introduces at intervals some light descriptive humour…….”One particular warrior had proved extremely aggravating for the Roman artillery crews. He was a huge man, with a winged helmet over his blond hair and he stood naked at the water’s edge, shouting abuse at the Roman warships as he defiantly waved a double-headed axe. Every so often he would turn round and thrust his backside towards the enemy, defying them to do their worst”......

We cannot help but applaud at times the ingenuity of the invaders, their masterful fighting skills and in particular the “testudo” in literal translation, the tortoise…the best chance of Legionaries surviving a frontal assault was by quickly forming a wall and roof of protecting shields. As the campaign proceeds Emperor Claudius departs Rome to lead the final assault against Caratacus. Claudius is splendidly portrayed as a weak narcissist, his stammer only adding to his pitiful image. What better way for such an important leader to make a spectacular entrance atop a mighty elephant….”The elephant driver halted the Emperor’s beast and urged it down with a set sequence of kicks and orders. The front knees gracefully buckled and the Emperor, still waving nonchalantly to his cheering troops, was almost pitched out of his throne and only avoided the indignity by throwing himself backward and grabbing the arms. Even so the imperial wreath was dislodged. It bounced down the flank of the elephant and would have landed on the ground had not Narcissus leaped forward and fielded with a neat one-handed catch. The beast lowered its rear and the Emperor pulled a hidden lever to release the side of the throne, which folded out to provide a nicely angled series of steps down to the ground”......

This is wonderful storytelling with treachery and death a constant companion. The limited known facts of the period are woven into the narrative expertly complimented with some intuitive historical  observations…..”They are just men, Cato. Ordinary men with all their vices and virtues. But where other men live their lives with death as a side issue, we live ours with death as a constant companion. We have to accept death”.......”To fighting men on campaign, any opportunity to rest represented a luxury to be savoured, and the men of the Second Legion dozed happily in the sunlight”........”.....Julius Caesar, Hannibal, Alexander, Xerxes or any of them...It’s men like that who make wars not the rest of us. We’re too busy worrying about the next crop, how to guarantee the town’s water supplies, whether our wives are being faithful, whether our children will survive into adulthood. That’s what concerns the small people all over the empire. War does not serve our ends. We’re forced into it”......

Insightful, thrilling, well written, and oh so highly recommended!

A delight from start to finish - 4 star

Fern and Rose, fraternal sisters, are very close siblings. Rose might view herself as the more pragmatic decision maker, and Fern the organised librarian, mildly autistic, in her own ordered world. As young children they lived a chaotic transient, abusive existence, with their mum and various questionable lovers.

Rose and partner Owen, unable to have children, are overjoyed when Fern offers herself as  surrogate mum. The story is delightful, at times a little dark, and is told in the alternate voices of the two sisters. To say more would spoil the delights awaiting an expectant reader, with an ending that is surprising and very neatly executed. Recommended. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

Incredibly moving - 5 star

Jon McGregor had my full attention from the opening sentence….”Eleanor was in the kitchen when he got back from her mother’s funeral”.....The obvious question is why did Eleanor not attend? you are caught in the author’s trap you want to know the answer and so you start reading…...The seemingly ordinary story of the life of Robert Carter and his wife Eleanor Campbell and the fallout that happens when an offhand comment shatters irrevocably those values previously held to be true.

Told in a similar writing style to William Boyd and set over a time period of some 50 years it is the language of McGregor that adds so much and enriches the reading experience……”so he might have been rushing to catch his train and not turned and seen her there. These things, the way they fall into place. The people we would be if these things were otherwise”.......”the house empty behind them, unspoken regrets and recriminations swept out of sight like crumbs from the table, silence blanketing the room, the two of them avoiding eachother’s eyes”.......”Every step drew her deeper into the hollows of the landscape, the green hills and shining rivers and mist-tangled treetops, as though she was clambering into the postcard she used to keep propped up on the mantelpiece”...... The author addresses and opens up to examination Carter’s work as Curator of a Coventry museum, his relationship with Eleanor and how this relationship is tested over a chance remark. The reader is able to identify and immerse himself in the story as it unfolds. Jon McGregor’s real ability is the astounding way he brings to life the ordinary and mundane in colourful descriptive heartfelt prose. Wonderful writing, brilliant author, highly highly recommended….”David joked to Eleanor one worn-out evening, and they were happy, in the ordinary ways which had evaded them for so long”....... 

Stunning, poignant, a magnificent read - 5 star

What a stunning novel. Having just finished Lean Fall Stand I am still affected by the language and the theme of communication or not that runs through each chapter. Robert, Thomas, and Luke are mapping and carrying out important research work in Antarctica, a virtually uninhabited, ice-covered landmass. An area of extreme weather conditions where sunshine could turn to snowy stormy wipeout in minutes, clear visibility replaced by blindness...…”Glaciers and ridges and icebergs and scree, weathering and wind-form and shear. The air so clear that distances shrank and all the colours shone”...... When wipeout occurs the 3 colleagues are each  involved in separate challenges. Thomas, as the photographer, is cast adrift when the ice beneath him cracks and breaks. Communication is impossible conversation replaced by broken static over the airwaves. Fallout is swift and far reaching and as we move forward in the story Anna, Robert’s wife, is forced to reevaluate her everyday existence as she welcomes home a very traumatised husband. 

Robert has suffered a stroke, he is bedridden as not only his body but his ability to speak has deserted him…..”The effects of stroke include language impairments, reduced mobility, difficulties with swallowing, and cognitive deficits”......Communication once so accessible has gone his thoughts are trapped within a damaged body, unable to connect with his wife Anna following the tragedy that happened in Station K...Communication once so easy no longer present. And so begins the process of painful rehabilitation. The human state of existence relies on the need to communicate and when this is gone, and replaced by breakdown and misunderstanding, chaos ensues. Robert attends group therapy work making the acquaintance of fellow stroke victims all existing in their own bubble, a form of confinement…..and gradually a different “living” begins to seem possible.

It is inevitable that his illness will affect his relationship with his wife Anna. A career woman and always supportive of her spouse she is now faced with a new reality….life or a carer...both husband and wife slave to the stroke…..”His frustration at not being able to speak kept tipping over into frustration with her for not understanding”...... Understanding and support once the centre of their married life has deserted leaving sadness and heartbreak in its wake. Ultimately Lean Fall Stand is a book of hope and the ability of the human spirit to accept and move forward introducing a different type of communication. Many thanks to the good people of netgalley for a gratis copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and this is what I have written….Brilliant, poignant, uplifting, and at times even funny and oh so highly recommended.

Delightful and very enjoyable - 5 star

 

DS Tom Thorne is determined to find a young juvenile Kieron Coyne who has disappeared, suspected abduction,  whilst playing in his local park with best friend Josh supervised by his mum Cat and Josh’s mum Marie. Thorne is haunted by a similar case from the past, a case in which he hesitated and his indecisiveness has horrific and far reaching consequences. 

Cry Baby is a prequel and for fans of Tom Thorne gives a glimpse of a much younger but still very dedicated officer of the law. The nostalgic rewind to  a much simpler period in time makes for very enjoyable reading. We smile at the mention of the earliest mobile not so much a phone but a brick! We lament England's 96 Euro challenge, sympathize with Gareth Southgate’s famous missed penalty, and applaud a well disciplined German team who once again stifled the cries of ardent English fans who truly believed that finally football was coming home.

One of the strongest and most memorable characters appearing in all the Thorne novels is Phil Hendricks, maverick pathologist, adorned in tattoos, body jewelry, and piercings. It is delightful to see how the unconventional partnership of Thorne and Hendricks, will lead to a very long lasting, warm, and respectful relationship both at work and in their personal lives. The writing of Billingham is concise and clear and Cry Baby is a delight to read from start to finish.

The spirit of man - 4 star

“...caught on the barbed wire, drowned in mud, choked by the oily slime of gas, reduced to a spray of red mist quartered limbs hanging from shattered branches of burnt trees, bodies swollen and blackened with flies, skulls gnawed by rats, corpses stuck in the sides of trenches that aged with each day into the colours of the dead”............”This was not war he wrote; it was the monstrous inversion of civilization. To call it war was to imply that something of the sun remained, when in fact all that existed was a bruised sky in a bitter night of cobalt rain”......”Not a village had been taken, nor a single major objective achieved. Machine guns cut the men down like scythes slicing through grass”..

And so starts this epic novel of human endurance and human spirit told against the backdrop of the senseless slaughter of WW1 and the cold unforgiving heights of a treacherous Mt Everest. Before George Mallory embarked on his third, and what was to tragically prove his final attempt at ascending this great mountain, he was asked what was the purpose of conquering such a merciless foe he simply replied….because it is there. Yet such a simple response hides the enormity of the task that faced Mallory and Irvine as they set about vanquishing all their fears and summit this frozen mountainous landscape, many years removed from the mud and blood of never to be forgotten names...Ypres, Verdun, Somme (the Somme in particular accounting for more than a million men from all sides killed wounded or captured, British casualties on the first day alone amounting to over 57,000) It is perhaps of little wonder that the men who had survived the battle fields embraced with such passion a need to climb, a need to cleanse their souls, find some meaning in wasted lives, sacrifice, and perhaps by reaching out they might touch the hand of God…

Into the silence is a large novel that requires some perseverance and dedicated reading time to fully appreciate what is being described to the reader. I felt that the earlier part of the book with its gory WW1 imagery was some of the most disturbing I have ever encountered. The preparation for and the 3 ascensions of Everest were a little too detailed giving at times overlong historical and geographical descriptions as various permissions were sought and the lower reaches of Everest constantly surveyed in an attempt to select the best and most practical route for a successful ascent. This however is a minor criticism and for the most part I was enthralled by this boy's own adventure unfolding before me, where amongst other noteworthy facts oxygen was used for the first time. If we also appreciate how simplistic the standard of equipment was compared to the present then the achievements of these earlier innovators is outstanding. Many years were to pass before the ultimate fate of Mallory and Irvine was known, it had always been hoped that they had reached the summit and that speculation still remains today even though Mallory’s body was discovered in 1999 it gives little clue as to his final moments…

An important read not only for its historical significance but a wonderful study of the essence of man and his ability to rise above all adversity in the search of a dream…..”from that day it was certain that he had found in snow mountains the perfect medium for the expression of his physical and spiritual being”......”His great desire she wrote very simply was for the spirit of man to exercise itself freely and fearlessly and joyously as a climber on a hill”.......
Highly Recommended

A little ray of hope - 5 star

 

Nuri, his wife Afra, and their son Sami are residents in war torn Aleppo. By profession he is a beekeeper and carries out this dedicated vocation with his friend Mustafa. Running through this insightful story is a fond adoration of the daily life of the humble bee, the delicious honey they produce, and their importance in the ecological system. Life is irrevocably changed when a bomb explodes, killing Sami and blinding Afro. As the desperate situation in Syria/Aleppo disintegrates Nuri takes the decision together with his wife to make the perilous journey across Europe and obtain residency in the UK as an asylum seeker, and by so doing join his friend Mustafa who has already established a business in Yorkshire. What follow is not only the hardships of such an endeavour but a story of 2 people deeply traumatised attempting to save a relationship fractured by events in an escalating war...

….”But as the years passed, the dessert was slowly growing, the climate becoming harsh, rivers drying up, farmers struggling, only the bees were drought-resistant. Look at those little warriors Afra would say on the days when she came with Sami to visit the apiaries, a tiny bundle wrapped up in her arms. Look at them still working when everything else is dying”...”Nice to meet you he said...I wish you a day of morning light”....” How many tissues will people need to buy? Maybe this is a city of crying”....”Can you see the bees Nuri? Try to see them in your mind. Hundreds and thousands of them in the sunlight, on the flowers, the hives and the honeycomb. Can you see it?”.....”I am standing away from them by the glass doors, watching them, and I think about the little boy who never existed and how he had filled the black void that Sami had left. Sometimes we create such powerful illusions, so that we do not get lost in the darkness”.....

The beekeeper of Aleppo is a story of suffering and the remarkable ability of the human spirit to survive against a background of war, slaughter and heartache.Provocative, thought provoking prose, make this a story long remembered. Highly recommended.

Wonderful read - 5 star

Fioana Maye and husband Jack live a life of relative luxury in Grays Inn London She is a high court judge as well as an aspiring concert pianist. One morning Jack decides to find himself a younger lover as Fiona it would appear is not sympathetic to his needs, and so departs the family home. This does little to comfort a lady who is aware of the march of time, the unflattering affect and the cost that must be paid as the human body ages….”...her body looked foolish in the full-length mirror. Miraculously shrunken in some parts, bloated in others. Bottom heavy. A ridiculous package. Fragile, This Way up. Why would anyone not leave her?....” At work in the law court “my lady Fiona” is presented with a very difficult case and her decision will prove to have very far reaching and lasting consequences on all parties involved. A 17 year old boy is desperately ill in hospital and is refusing a blood transfusion which could ultimately save his life. His religious beliefs and that of his parents is viewed by the family as more important than life saving intervention…..”Religions, moral systems, her own included, were like peaks in a dense mountain range seen from a great distance, none obviously higher, more important, truer than another. What was to judge?.."

Written in the delightful prose of Ian McEwan, one of England's greatest living authors, The Children Act is mesmerizing. The writer captures beautifully the everyday life and the important work of the English High Court and through the eyes of Fiona Maye we begin to understand difficult decisions that must be made and consequences thereof. A wonderful book which I devoured in one sitting, full of insight, understanding, and profound observation...."Didn't you tell me that couples in long marriages aspire to the condition of siblings? We've arrived Fiona I've become your brother. Highly recommended.

The friendship bird :) - 4 star

On holiday and on a beach in Uruguay Tom Mitchell rescues a lone penguin from many thousands who have died due to oil polution. From this tragedy, perpetrated by arguably the penguins greatest enemy...humans, comes a novel of friendship, love and sadness as we laugh and cry at the survival of Juan Salvador (the penguin!) and the wonderful and lasting affect he has on all those who come into contact with him. Highly recommended!

I loved every word! - 5 star

 A truly delightful story. Imagine sipping a cool lager on a sunny afternoon or slipping away on a cloud of your dreams. Japanese storytelling is written in a clear and direct language, so easy to follow and engage with. Locations often range from the atmosphere of cocktail bars to the sleepy world of jazz music. Nocturnes by the wonderful Kazuo Ishiguro has as its theme love and music from the sights and sounds of an always romantic Venice to the picturesque quintessentially English Malvern Hills. It comprises 4 stories, loosely connected, cleverley presented, lovingly told….Highly, highly recommended.

Not for the faint hearted

 

If you indulge in Irvine Welsh then expect to be shocked, his writing and his descriptions are at times excruciatingly painful to read. Sergeant Bruce Robertson is a typical Welsh character, he takes what he wants lives life to access and does not care if his actions harm or destroy anyone in the process. He is at heart a narcissist possessing an inflated sense of his own importance involved in numerous female liasions with little or no empathy for others. However underneath this facade is a very troubled possibly suicidal man, and the author uses a very clever way to disclose this to the reader. Robertson's use of alcohol and recreational drugs, with little or no intake of nutrition, have caused a deterioration in his health and he appears to be harboring an intestinal worm. This parasite becomes the main source of information for the detectives's increasingly bizarre behaviour, a very original and highly entertaining element in a narration not for the faint hearted.

Floating on a sea of words

 Kazuo Ishiguro is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. His writing is seamless, it gently flows along unhurried soothing….Stevens is a long serving butler at Darlington Hall, this is a world of servitude, a world of privilege at a time where class distinctions were recognized and viewed as important. Stevens is content with his role, like his father before him he is a butler, he takes his daily duties very seriously and performs them with quiet efficiency. Through his eyes we the readers are silent observers to important historical events under intense discussion between elite decision makers in the days before WW2, a pivotal time in world history, the rise of Nazism and the impossible rush to inevitable conflict. Amidst this activity Stevens adheres to his expected and daily routine, and has little time to question his relationship, or otherwise, with the seemingly untouchable Miss Kenton. At heart The remains of the day is a love story told with sadness and humour, duty and loyalty appearing as more important than unrequited love. Lyrical and colouful this is a book that will delight from start to finish.

A masterpiece

 

Sometimes, even after many years of reading and reviewing, I encounter a novel that is outstanding in its content and thought provoking in the message the author conveys. The Kite Runner is a book that instantly demands the attention of the reader with writing that is simply sublime. Kabul, Afghanistan, a city, a country torn apart by endless occupation and constant fighting. First the Soviets attempt to influence and control then the Mujahideen emerge slowly changing into the more radical face of the Taliban. Often in the background America, the supplier of arms to influence and perhaps overthrow the government.

It is 1975 and a 12 year old Amir, together with his best and most loyal friend Hassan, are hoping to be successful in the local kite flying contest. An incident occurs that will alter the lives of both boys irrevocably as they follow their chosen path. Guilt and blame remain and many years in the future the opportunity occurs for some form of redemption. This is not an easy read there are no perfect happy endings and nor should there be because life is a game of chance, good and bad. The Kite Runner gives wonderful insights into the day to day hardships of a city at constant war with the fear of death always present from explosions, and gunfire. This is a society where women have few if any rights and men who view them as a possession to be used, threatened and abused at their desire. The heart-wrenching conclusion may be difficult to accept but offers a type of closure and hope for an uncertain future. A truly remarkable read, a book to be read and reread by young and old alike.