Heartof Darkness

In a slightly unexpected display of commitment, I have read another book - Conrad's Heart of Darkness, described as "the first 20th century novel". To be fair, it's very short - 100 pages - which somewhat makes up for the length of the Count of Monte Cristo. I may have read it too quickly as it hasn't made much of an impact on me. The novel is based on the first-person narrative of a sailor describing a voyage he made into the "heart of darkness" - Africa. It's very much reflective of its time, and I found the casual approach to enslaving the "natives" difficult - his first experience on arriving in Africa is seeing a chain gang, who are dispassionately described but clearly on the brink of starvation, over worked, and uncared for. I understand that this is in part a reflection of the time - but it was written in 1890, a good half-century after slavery was outlawed, and so I would have expected the mentality to have changed. I always find it difficult to engage with the characters in a novel where they display these sort of attitudes - the natives are not really acknowledged as people at all, and the narrator expresses surprise when he finds that he is sad "in a way" about the death of one of those travelling with him ... because he had become used to keeping him in order. Other than this, it's one of those novels which isn't so much about events as about creating an impression and atmosphere via descriptions of places...I have a tendency to skim-read descriptions, looking for the real action, so I suspect I haven't really taken the best out of it. Certainly very readable, but I didn't find that it particularly engaged me. What to read next? I have a horrible feeling that it's time to take on Middlemarch, or possibly another Dickens or Russian extravaganza!

The Count of Monte Cristo

It's been quite a long time since I last posted. The Count of Monte Cristo is a very long book and I really struggled to wade my way through it. However, with the assistance of time waiting in airports and on planes I have finally reached the end - hooray! This mainly makes me happy because I can now read something else without guilt (bearing in mind that I have read at least 2 quick reads - with guilt! - as light relief whilst struggling through to the end of this). This is quite a difficult work to write about because I can see that it is a masterpiece - the ideas, construction, depth of imagination and sheer quality of writing make it so. However, it's densely plotted with complicated twists and turns, and the mid-section (about 250 pages !) was so long and apparently unrelated that by the time I got to the end section (about 350 pages...) I had entirely forgotten the cast of characters from the beginning. Given that this is a revenge saga, and only makes sense in the context of what happened at the beginning, I think this contributed to my lack of enjoyment. I would be tempted to read it again to see if I could gain a better overall picture, but it's so long and there are so many other books in the world to read! I found it ultimately unsatisfying and hollow - this is probably the intention, as it is built around the Count's determination to revenge himself on three individuals who did him a significant wrong, and he finds that revenge is not as sweet as expected....therefore there isn't a resolution that is pleasing to the reader despite an attempt at a vaguely happy ending. This can be appreciated from the literary point of view but not necessarily enjoyed as such! Definitely worth a read if you have a lot of time on your hands, and a good memory for characters through a long, twisting, turning plot. I have neither, but I'm glad I made it to the end! On another note, someone recently suggested to me that I diversify into blogging about parenthood...obviously not quite yet as I'd be writing about parenting a cat, but from later in the year. I'm undecided...writing about books is easy for me, and unthreatening as I can write in the personal but without actually mentioning anything personal; parenthood would be a whole different thing. We'll see - might come back to having time on my hands, and learning to type with one hand only!

Seeing Ben Folds

We went to see Ben Folds in Manchester last night and I wanted to blog about it. It's slightly outside my normal remit of books and cake, but I have justified it to myself on the basis that he is on the Lonely Avenue tour, an album co-written with Nick Hornby, and including some short stories written by Nick, therefore it was a literary activity. Clear? Good!

A warning, first - below, I will talk about the songs he uses to open and close the show, and some highlights of song selections. If you're going to one of the later gigs, and would rather be surprised, stop reading now, and come back and see if you agree with me when you've been!

The gig was at Manchester Apollo which was quite a nice venue, although not in such a great area. It used to be a cinema, and the Stalls area is now all standing, with seating in the circle. The main highlight of the venue for me (which maybe tells you something about my age) - we failed to get cash before going in, so went to the bar and asked if we could pay by card. No, but there's a bar on the top floor that takes cards. Up we went, and found the bar at the end of a quiet corridor that looked like it didn't lead to anything interesting. Not only did it take cards, but it was empty (when we arrived, though others followed), and was full of big white sofas and armchairs to chill out in. A cut above the average bar at a gig!

So, duly relaxed, we took ourselves off to find our seats in time for the support act, Kate Miller-Heidke, an Australian singer-songwriter. We were unconvinced for the first couple of songs, and started to write her off as a generic girl singer (lovely voice but difficult to distinguish from any other). However, as she progressed, we were much more impressed - some really interesting songs, imaginative use of voice techniques, a bit of comedy (check out "Are you f*cking kidding me?", a song about Facebook, but please note the parental advisory warning on lyrics!!), and an absolutely astonishing range. Definitely worth a listen.

Then it was time for Mr Folds. Last time I saw him, about 9 years ago now, he dual-toured with the Divine Comedy, and did his piece solo with a piano. This time, he had a four piece band - bass, the most energetic drummer I have ever seen (sorry Dan Matthews), a guy who switched between synth, French horn and random percussion, and a guy who switched between guitars, additional drums, and other random percussion. And, of course, himself on a grand piano.

I can't remember every single song that he did. They played for just over 2 hours, with 5 or 6 songs from Lonely Avenue, and the rest spread pretty evenly across the back catalogue. Highlights for me were...

- Opening with Levi Johnston's Blues, from Lonely Avenue - probably the best song on that album, about Sarah Palin's daughter's pregnancy incident.
- Belinda - another great song from that album
- Still fighting it
- Annie Waits
- Bastard
- Cologne, from Way to Normal - by far the best song on that one
- You don't know me, featuring Kate M-H as the female voice, again demonstrating her fantastic range, and performed with brilliant interaction between the two of them that really brought out the character of the song
- Landed
- Hilarious cover of Sleazy by Ke$ha, chosen because it was #1 in the iTunes chart at the point where they were deciding which cover to do. Don't know the original but I'm pretty sure the cover, whilst funny, was musically better!!
- Finishing (pre-encore) with Philosophy...still brilliant.

In terms of songs, as I write this, every one I remember is a highlight, so I'll stop there before I basically type out the set list in a random order. In terms of the show, I love the energy that Ben Folds puts into it - even at the end, after 2 hours without a break, he was bounding around as frenetically as at the beginning. He plays the piano with such force that he broke one of the strings, and so quickly that you start to wonder if he has 3 hands, or at least extra fingers. I've always loved his musicianship - as a pianist (albeit not a very good one), I can recognise how advanced his piano composition and technical ability is, and love the way that he makes the piano often the leading and central component of his music. After 2 hours, it felt like every song had been a fantastic choice, but at the same time, I could think of about the same number of songs again that I'd quite like to have heard, which is a testament to the strength and variety of his back catalogue/body of work. But most importantly, for a live performance, you can tell that consideration and planning has gone into every song - he doesn't just turn up and play through the catalogue, but brings something new to songs I've heard hundreds of times.

Only one criticism - the venue isn't that big and it wasn't sold out. Manchester, what's wrong with you?!

If you haven't heard anything by Ben Folds, go and check it out. The man's a genius - fact!

Next blog post...normal service will be resumed if I ever manage to get to the end of the Count of Monte Cristo. It's good, but my word it goes on for a long time!

Madame Bovary

Ah, Madame Bovary. I read this in the English translation, obviously - you would be waiting for some time for this review if you waited for me to plough through it in French. This is the terribly tragic tale of Emma, who makes a good, solid marriage to the sensible and not overly exciting Dr Bovary. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for her to become disillusioned as her marriage has not brought the rollercoaster of passion and excitement that she expected. They move to a quiet country town where Charles sets up his medical practice.

Without giving too much of the story away, Madame Bovary then embarks on a life of seeking romance, love and excitement outside her marriage. There are moments of ecstasy, moments of despair, against a background of spiralling debt to fund her lifestyle. Charles is resolutely oblivious.

It doesn't end well.

It was very readable, but to be honest, left me completely cold. I just wanted to shake Emma, and tell her to pull herself together. She was so deluded and silly that I had no sympathy for any of her difficulties or traumas, particularly during her increased neglect/ignoring of her daughter, and I found it really difficult to believe the debt-related strand of the novel. I can understand why it is a classic, but it isn't for me - the characters held no appeal for me, and I didn't really care what happened to them.

This probably displays that I'm not a purist, but I do prefer a story with an element of redemption in it...something that doesn't feature in Madame Bovary.

In other news, I can't find my Kindle - I'm pretty sure it's in the house somewhere but the exact location is a mystery. Hmm. My next reading project will have to be something in real paper...

Bram Stoker's Dracula

It's amazing how quickly you can read a book when it's totally gripping, you don't have any prior engagements for the weekend, and you then have to spend Monday lying flat on your back because your back seizes up for no apparent reason...

Dracula is one of those novels which has contributed so much to subsequent literature, film and general popular culture that it's definitely worth reading in order to understand all of those references.

It is also a cracking read.

The story is told through the diaries and letters of the main characters - a style which took me a chapter or so to get into, but once I got used to it, the narrative device is used really well & smoothly to create dramatic tension and move the story along.

Although I was obviously already familiar with the general outline of the story I didn't really know any of the detail, and so came to it fresh. It's really refreshing to read a novel of that period that is so geographically mobile, beyond the European Grand Tour - Van Helsing appears to travel to and from Amsterdam in a day or so, and the trip to Transylvania is undertaken with the minimum of planning and trepidation (other than the natural fear of hunting Count Dracula down in his homeland!)

**pauses for brief hiatus in blogging whilst lying on back as cat decides to stand on my chest between me and the keyboard**

It is easy to see how this earned its classic status - the mix of tension, horror, strong characters, and exactly the right level of description to create atmosphere and location without dragging the description out. Definitely worth a read, if only to understand the contribution it has made to so many other works. Interestingly, I can't help but suspect that JK Rowling got the idea for Voldemort & Harry's mental connection from the link between Dracula and Mina...just one of the many contributions!

Tale of Two Cities

I approached this with some trepidation. My only previous positive experience of Dickens has been the more child-focused - Oliver Twist (finished it, not overwhelmed, easy to read because I knew the story and - hanging head in shame - had seen the musical), and A Christmas Carol (likewise, knew the story, and it only takes about 10 minutes to read - definitely more impressed by this). The only "grown-up" Dickens that I'd attempted was Nicholas Nickleby. Now, there are very few books which have defeated me - as I read so quickly I tend to plough through to the end even if I'm really not enjoying what I'm reading. However, NN has defeated me not once, not twice, but three times - I think on the third attempt I even got past half way, and then realised that I just didn't care enough to make it through to the end. This left me with a bit of a Dickens hangover, and I have been kind of ignoring his works on this list in the vain hope that they'd go away and I wouldn't have to read them. That clearly isn't going to happen, and I realised that if I didn't start making headway I would get to the end of the list with just Shakespeare, Ulysses, and a pile of Dickens - a depressing few months' reading!

So, A Tale of Two Cities. One of the interesting things about reading on a Kindle is that you don't get to read the blurb on the back of the book - I didn't bother reading it when I downloaded it, as I knew I had to read it anyway, and so started reading this with absolutely no idea of what it was about. This is quite reluctant praise, but I have to say that it has entirely transformed my opinion of Dickens - I really didn't think that was possible! ToTC is set in the period of the French Revolution, and takes place across Paris and London. First and foremost, it is a cracking story. It did take me a little while to get into it, but as the revolutionary action really kicked off, it gained momentum and completely gripped me. There were unexpected twists and turns, peril, love stories (requited and unrequited), long-held grudges...brilliant, and all set against the context of a historical period that I know a little about, but not a great deal, so I felt that I was learning too. Always a bonus. I think that part of the reason I found it so gripping was, knowing nothing about it, after the initial period in Paris, when the action moved back to London, it appeared to be settling down into genteel 18th century life, with minor excitements such as marriage and (greatly understated) childbirth, and I prepared to lose interest. So, when it actually then plunged back into the danger and excitement of revolutionary Paris and la Sainte Guillotine, it definitely drew me back in.

The characters were also well-realised. Miss Pross and Mr Cruncher bring the element of comedy (particularly towards the end as they plan their escape, and as Miss Pross faces off with Madame Defarge), and Madame Defarge presents a fantastic image as she grimly listens, and knits the names of the enemies of the revolution into her coded woollen register of people to be punished. Minor characters such as the Vengeance add colour and interest. One interesting facet, in terms of characterisation, is that the "main" characters - Lucie and Charles - are fairly one-dimensional. They are worthy, and good, and act honourably, and Lucie faints at every appropriate juncture. The story revolves around them, but in actual fact it is the characters of Mr Lorry, Sydney Carton, Dr Manette and the Defarges who come to life, hold the story together, and move it forward. I don't know whether this is in some way reflecting the social order at the time, where those who were traditionally in charge lost control and were reliant on their "inferiors" for their lives - or, it may just be that I have no patience for the 18th century "good wife" kind of character, who is passive, quiet and good!

On getting to the end, I can see why the first third of the book, which seems to meander around talking about peasants and villages, is important, so it is definitely worth getting through, as the remainder is a more than adequate reward!

So, I didn't think I'd ever say this, but - I would definitely recommend reading this!

As a bit of light relief, I took a mid-novel break from a ToTC to read The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, which I had for Christmas. Based in the American South in the 60s, it explores the relationship between white women and the black women they employ to run their homes. Please read this - it's brilliant. It's really easy to read, but at the same time well-written and has great substance. The implicit and explicit racism of the society explored will make you angry, but it's not written in that "righteous indignation" tone which can sometimes make books feel too "worthy" to enjoy - it is simply placed before you as part of the novel, and you are left to form your own opinion. I won't go into the detail of the story, as I think it's all best discovered as you go along, but do take my word for it - I can't recommend it highly enough as a relaxing but engaging read!

Anna Karenina - finished!

I've been half-heartedly reading this for some time (see previous post) and realised that I couldn't bear to go back to work after such a long time off after Christmas without finishing it. This has meant that I've spent a lot of time reading in the last couple of days - there are worse ways to spend a very cold holiday.

Firstly, I'd like to thoroughly recommend to you keen readers that a slanket (blanket with sleeves) is a fantastic addition to your reading equipment. I was given one for Christmas by my brilliant friend Jo - I have rarely left the sofa since due to the extreme comfort (and occasional electric shock from the static it creates), and it has most definitely facilitated reaching the end of a difficult read.

Secondly - Anna Karenina. Hmm. As I read this, I couldn't shake the feeling that Tolstoy had about three different books in mind, and at least 6 essays on philosophical and religious concepts, as he wrote and, rather than writing separate works, rolled it all into one. My overwhelming feeling at the end was word fatigue. I think this is mainly due to the way Tolstoy seemed to be working towards a grand ending, then veered off for a few thousand words to discuss the rights and wrongs of war, before shoe horning the story back towards his ending...I think it would have been more powerful as a culmination without this diversion.

There are three main strands to the story - Anna & Vronsky, Kitty & Levin, and Dolly & Stiva. Anna & Vronsky are an exploration of what might happen if you follow your heart at the expense of previous commitments and promises - the social quagmire they find themselves in, the realisation of how much has been given up, and the guilt all chip away at the happiness of their new-found love and it is never going to end well. Dolly & Stiva as a storyline kind of hovered in the background - they feature strongly at the beginning but, once Dolly accepts Stiva's adultery and decides to move on with their marriage, fade into the background as a constant reminder of the stresses and strains of living beyond your means. Stiva seems to play the part of a catalyst for other events in the novel, often coincidentally popping up in unexpected places to facilitate meetings between other characters or the moving on of the story. Kitty & Levin were, I think, the most interesting characters, in the way that they develop and grow a happy and fulfilled relationship despite Levin's best efforts to sabotage it by over-thinking.

It is a majestic work. I suspect it would be made vastly more readable by removing the sections on the peasantry & musings on the best way to manage farmland and there were also times when it seemed to drift for 50 pages or so before moving things on. I suspect Tolstoy's aim in writing was more about the leisurely exploration of concepts than creating a tight, fast-moving tale...or if not, this is certainly what he achieved. I can't see myself reading it again - I actually didn't find any of the characters particularly believable, and also didn't think that any of them moved much beyond the initial character sketch/characteristics laid out for them. I suspect that each character represented a particular type of belief or person in society but I'm just not interested enough to do the reading which would give me that background knowledge...sorry! I would not venture to argue that it shouldn't be considered one of the greats - but it is probably one I won't even dip into again. As Daniel commented in my previous post - it's useful to have read it to understand other allusions to the work but that's about as far as it goes.

So, next - slightly unenviable choice between the three as-yet-unread Dickens novels on the list. I need to read one now or I will find myself at the end with all Dickens to go, and I can't think of anything worse!