50 Book Challenge 2019 Part Five

23. The Hours Before Dawn by Celia Fremlin
Louise is a home counties mother of three. Her younger child has never slept, and she is physically and emotionally shattered. Her husband is oblivious, and her neighbours despair of her and her unruly mob.

Into this chaos comes a lodger, Miss Vera Brandon. Miss Brandon is a cool, collected academic with whom Louise cannot help compare herself unfavourably. Louise feels uneasy around Miss Brandon, to the extend of starting to believe that Vera is getting on rather too well with her husband. Then more serious incidents start to occur.

A very Mumsnet domestic psychodrama on how difficult motherhood and subsequent loss of self can be, with a spot of classic crime chucked in for good measure. Sharply funny, but equally suspenseful, as we are kept dangling as to whether the strange goings-on are a symptom of poor Louise's utter exhaustion, or something genuinely sinister.

24. Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark
Fleur Talbot, an impoverished aspiring novelist, gains employment helping Sir Quentin and his slightly dim cronies write their memoirs. However, their lives soon being to imitate those of Fleur's fictional antihero Warrender Chase and his set.

Fleur is a great fun heroine with assorted friends and lovers whom she uses to further her own ends whenever necessary, refusing to be cowed by her olders and betters. Just the right amount of silliness to be enjoyable.

Have any of you read Telling the bees? It's dropped about 70% in price so I'm wondering whether it's worth getting.
thanks.

Satsuki there is a backstop plan in place to prevent problems for the supporters and objectors of TTOD

61. Becoming - Michelle Obama

Much reviewed here already. I don't usually read memoirs/ autobiographies but had a strange urge to read this. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think she handled her role with grace and class and came across as very likeable.

Boiledegg yes, she chronicles recent German history brilliantly by showing how it impacts ordinary folk. I have finally got Visitation from the library and am looking forward to it!

Indigosalt I'm so glad you enjoyed The End of Days and many thanks for your thoughts on how it compares with Life after Life. As mentioned up-thread, I can very much recommend Jenny Erpenbeck's Visitation. I think part of the attraction of her books is the fantastic writing, but I also love how she captures the tremendous changes that Germany has undergone in the last century and how they have affected individual lives.

33. End of Days – Jenny Erpenbeck

The same concept as Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life, but told from the other side, so to speak. This book focuses on the many different lives one twentieth century woman may have lived. This didn’t have the epic, sprawling feel of Kate Atkinson’s novel; it is smaller scale and more intimate, with a much reduced cast of characters, and in my opinion, all the better for it.

Jenny Erpenbeck has been one of my finds of the year. I love her understated and precise writing style, with not one word wasted. This was a relatively slim book, but it a still took me a while to read as I found it quite dense. It makes quite a lot of demands of the reader, but the investment is worth it.

34. The Doll Factory – Elizabeth Macneal

I picked this up after seeing a positive review on here – I think by Too Much Splother? In 1850’s London, Iris and her twin Rose experience a miserable existence working in Mrs Whittle’s Doll Emporium. Iris seizes her chance of freedom and the chance to pursue her own artistic ambitions when (fictious) Pre-Raphaelite painter Louis Frost persuades her to become his model and muse. Meanwhile, evil taxidermist Silas Reed has also started to admire Iris from afar, but not in a good way…

After a bit of a bumpy start I began to fear this was going to turn out to be like The Miniaturist which I loathed. However, it definitely picked up as it went along and by the half way point I was gripped. This novel has an authentic period feel which is completely immersive. Her descriptions of the filthy streets and ramshackle houses are vividly convincing; you really get a feel for Silas’s claustrophobic lair, inhabited by all the poor stuffed creatures he has ensnared over the years. This book is at its heart a thriller, and Macneal excels at building tension and pulling the reader in to find out what happens next.

She is less strong on characterisation, which was good but not amazing, and dialogue, which bordered on the clunky and at times almost broke the spell for me. For example, I thought the relationship between Rose and Iris was not properly developed and their animosity towards each other didn’t really make sense.

This is Elizabeth Macneal’s first novel and although not perfect, I found this a very entertaining read. I would be interested to see what she does next.

27 Thus was Adonis Murdered Sarah Caudwell

This always appears on Top 50 type lists of detective stories, and I’ve had it on my ‘look for in second hand bookshops’ for a long time. It couldn’t quite live up to my expectations when I finally got hold of a copy...

A group of friends, barristers at Lincoln’s Inn, discuss Julia’s letters back from her Art Lovers holiday in Venice, and are alarmed to hear she has been detained for the murder of a fellow tourist. Are there sufficient clues in the letters to enable them to discover the true murderer? It starts out being all style and ends up being all plot. Funny, and satisfying in the end.

I have just finished Next Door by BLake Pierce Whilst this story was engaging and I was keen to find out what really happened it was also extremely implausible. I found it hard to believe that an FBI Intern would be allowed to be investigating a case which involved a member of their own family or that a qualified FBI agent and his senior would allow it. This got in the way of an otherwise good story. 2*s

Now onto The Strawberry Thief whilst thinking I need to tackle TTOD

103. The Strawberry Thief by Joanne Harris

I loved this. It’s the fourth in the Chocolat series and I do think you need to have read the others because there’s not a lot of backstory in The Strawberry Thief so while still an enjoyable story you wouldn’t really understand the relationships between the various people, and there are references to characters from earlier books that aren’t explained. I just love her writing - for me it really evokes the scents and colours of the places she’s describing, and I love the magical elements even though I am a huge sceptic of that sort of thing IRL! I’m now very torn because I really want to go back and reread the rest of the series, but I’ve got so many new books waiting to be read - nice dilemma to have!

Scribbly - thanks, it was that or HeTurnedMeIntoANewt...

Under the Pendulum Sun is Jeannette Ng's only book so far and I doubt it would become a series, although the ending is open enough to allow it. It does start slowly but I thought the resolution was absolutely outstanding, so would recommend sticking with it if you start it.

Clunky phone. I was editing:

It tells a lot about this book and the conflict that the author finishes with “Miracles only happen if one keeps believing in them.”

33. Educated by Tara Westover.

Best-selling memoir that says a lot about the state of America’s education, social and healthcare services as it tells the story (so far) of Tara Westover’s life. A rural upbringing with strenuous work for all the family, parental love obscured/transformed by mental illness, religion and isolation; it reminded me of Xiaolu Guo’s book of her upbringing in China, which I read earlier this year. Similar tone, experiences of casual violence and sequelae of education. Well written and giving lots to think about.

34. Destroying a Nation: The Civil War in Syria by Nikolaos Van Dam.

Informative analysis of the Syrian Civil War, which makes for rather depressing reading. I feel much more knowledgeable about the complicated conflict but have another book about Syria lined up that is more personal containing interviews with a range of Syrians experiencing the war.

It tells a lot about this book that that author finishes with “Miracles only happen if one keeps believing in them.”

Ha satsuki your post has got me wondering whether Darwin and Fitzroy would be Leave or Remain. I rather see Fitzroy as a Rory Stewart. Tory, obvs , but a gentle remainer. Darwin is hard to call. Doesn't like foreigners but not a fan of Tories. Oh , God, maybe he'd be a UKIPper!!

50bookers who liked Mythos Stephen Fry doing it over three nights at the Liverpool Phil. Quite tempted despite not having read it.

InMyOwnParticularIdiom (keep meaning to say I love your username) thanks for your review of Under the Pendulum Sun.
Is it a series? Sounds right up my street. I've fallen into an easy and most pleasurably luxuriant fantasy read and listen binge atm (ASOIAF rereading and the Temeraire series for listening). Just what the reading funk doctor ordered.

Do you use library audio Satsuki? Our county subscribes to Borrowbox, and I've got it from there (I think they have at least the first two audiobooks, which cover the first 6 volumes)

Bagheera was a panther - and very sexy!

I have read back but am a little out of touch with the conversation but re: jaguars are sexy what was Bagheera in the Jungle Book - a Puma? Asking for no reason....

Also there seems to be a split occurring around This Thing of Darkness. Those who have chosen to stray from the the status quo on this - have you even got a plan for a trade agreement?!!!

Sadik yes I found Widmerpool quite a sympathetic character at his introduction in the first book, in contrast the other characters are not particularly likeable, and I did warm to him rather. I found his later interactions in France hilarious and I’m looking forward to subsequent meetings with him after Fortuna’s description of how she heralds his appearances I can’t really justify paying out for audible at the moment but I imagine this would be great to listen to.

On a separate note, does anyone else feel painfully sorry for Widmerpool in the DTTMOT books?

I have a certain soft spot for him as we are one and the same including the dress sense. I think he comes into his own a bit more in the next few books. I do love the predictability of whenever something particularly dramatic or awkward is happening then Widmerpool pops up. I've found myself gleefully announcing his arrival out loud as I've guessed the narrator is about to say his name. This is usually when listening on headphones whilst walking the dog. He is rather an officious twonk later on though. On book 6 and hoping he is a feature of every book. He's one of my all time favourite characters so far.

Pepe ok fine, the jaguars were sexy.

I love Steeple Sinderby Satsuki - one of those books that is very slight at first reading but really stays with you, I think. The Battle of Pollocks Crossing is somehow similar to me (though very different in content!)

On a separate note, does anyone else feel painfully sorry for Widmerpool in the DTTMOT books? No wonder if he becomes awful (I imagine he does as the books go on) - but how dreadful to be a socially awkward child/young adult in such a milieu.

13. Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel

I picked up this book by a little known author - has she written anything else of interest I wonder? Anything new on the horizon? - after listening to the Backlisted episode on it. Despite enjoying WH and BUTB I had passed over this previously as I didn’t think I would be interested in a book about a psychic medium in the suburbs. I was wrong, it turns out I found it very interesting and it has cemented my admiration for Mantel and will send me scurrying to read everything else of hers in due course. It is book about hauntings, how you can never escape the horrors of life, as they merely go on to become horrors of the afterlife, strangling your existence in perpetuity. The sense of place in the book is perhaps it’s finest achievement. The punishingly real descriptions of suburbia, from sticky-walled chain pubs and the drafty disappointment of village halls, to the colourlessness of new build estates, all bound by the whirling, merciless motorways, heightens the claustrophobic horror of the supernatural world she pulls into the ordinary one. The dead are portrayed as still consumed by the petty struggles of life; they are as grubby, restless and greedy as they were in life, and there are a lot of them. Mantel uses ghosts to explore some very dark real world themes, it considers abuse, cruelty, spite and loneliness, but despite this is very funny and superbly written, with lots to say about the state of the nation, our common impulses and divisions, that feels pertinent to where we are now. A horrible, but brilliant, book.

Hello so late to catch up with this thread, had a really terrible time for reading with my health (and the health of my Kindle) but I have now finished some books and it feels like such a relief. I can’t remember where I finished reviewing but I think it was here:

11. A Question of Upbringing

I found this rather slow to get into but enjoyed it very much by the end and found it amusing. I am not keeping up with my plan to read one a month, but I have got the next two and will definitely be picking them up as and when. Pleased to see other favourable reviews here too.

12. How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers Won the FA Cup by J L Carr

I read this after being delighted with A Month in the Country and intrigued by reading about Carr and the fact that he never wrote the same kind of book twice. This is not just a book about football, it is about the life of a village, and the hopes and dreams, big and small, entertained by ordinary people, and the meaning given to life by collaborating with others towards a common goal. There is however, a lot of football in it, and it is a disjointed, slightly eccentric comic read, interspersed with instances of unexpected pathos. On the surface it is a vastly different book than Month, but it pulls on similar threads about life and one’s connection to the past; how the events of one’s youth can echo through the years, how one has no way of knowing what the defining people and moments of one’s life will be until they have passed us by. I was left with a similar feeling at the end, of exquisite, almost painful nostalgia, which made me look on the whole more favourably than perhaps I had whilst in the midst of it, which mirrors the theme of the book.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a more accessible read by Gabriel Garcia Marquez . A man is going to die - everyone knows it but no-one is able to prevent it.

I've read quite a bit recently, just haven't had time to come and update here.

29 The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
In 1930s Mexico the Catholic church and it's priests are being persecuted. In one state there is just one priest left and he is in hiding. Will he manage to escape or is he doomed? This is a very good read - Greene describes his characters and Mexico so well, you can feel the heat and humidity. The priest is neither entirely good or bad but just very human in his thoughts, fears, desire to serve the community, desire to escape.

30 Digging to America by Anne Tyler
One evening a plane carrying two babies who will be adopted by two families arrives in Baltimore. The two families stay in touch from this first meeting and the story follows various family gatherings over the following years. The families are from very different cultural backgrounds - one apparently All American, the other originally from Iran. Tyler is so good at writing about families, the dynamics between different family members. Enjoyed this.

31 Austerlitz by W G Sebald
This one was a bit of a challenge to read because of the style of reported conversation used throughout. Our narrator isn't named and he tells of a series of meetings he has with a man called Austerlitz during which Austerlitz tells of his life first coming to the UK as a refugee before World War Two and how he eventually is able to confront the past. If you can get over the sometimes double reported conversation and the lack of chapters to break up the story then this is a fascinating story. Only part that I found slightly annoying was the ease with which he was able to get in contact with someone who knew him as a child. Interesting use of photography in this book as well.

32 The Acceptance World by Anthony Powell
33 At Lady Molly's by Anthony Powell
34 Casanova's Chinese Restaurant by Anthony Powell
I read the first couple of books in this series a few years ago and wasn't that bothered but this thread inspired me to pick up number 3 and I enjoyed it so I read the next two. Will definitely look out for the next one.

Have finished 68. Lethal White, Robert Galbraith.
I now concede that auntie Remus and auntie Cote were right to warn us all. The book is bloated, and for a whodunit, that throws off the pacing and undercuts the climax: when the loquacious villain is helpful confirming plot details to the detective towards the end, I was distracted by wondering about all the other characters and plot lines that turned out to be irrelevant.

I'm also queasy about Robin endlessly being defined primarily as a Survivor of Male Violence. Obviously the effects can be lasting, but it seems to come up every few pages - the woman can't blow her nose without the narrator or Strike reminding the reader that she a Survivor of Male Violence. She may have nice-coloured hair and drive very safely, but her life's potential has been blighted and she is forever defined in terms of her victimhood. Stop making that her entire bloody identity.