Swallows and Amazons and War & Peace #1

I have started reading War and Peace and, indeed, have read approximately a quarter of it (loving the Kindle's display of the % completion, it gives me hope!). However, it's the kind of book which is such a hard slog that it makes me forget I love reading.

So, as a treat to myself, I decided that I will pause after each quarter of W&P and read another list book before continuing.

Firstly, W&P - I'm not hating the reading experience; some of Tolstoy's characters are brilliant. I particularly enjoy the soldier with the lisp, and am intrigued as to how that would have been depicted in the original version. There is definitely a sense of comedy within the work, as Tolstoy very gently satirises Russian high society. Whilst it was set within Moscow, at society parties and following the exploits of the young and rich, it was shaping up to be an enjoyable read. Then...the war...and we became mired in interminable descriptions, in minute detail, of battles and interactions and success and failure. There are so many characters that I still don't quite know who everyone is (not helped by the way that many of them have a couple of names), and so it's difficult to connect what goes on on the battlefield to the previous events of the novel. This is probably my fault for only reading a few pages at a time before going to sleep. My mother-in-law is currently reading W&P "again". I don't think this is something I'll ever need to say for myself, but finishing it once does seem achievable.

Swallows and Amazons, on the other hand, is a really quick, easy read, which I have finished over 3 days. It is quite a good thing to read during never-ending rain, as it's proper escapism, and reminded me that one day, there may be sun again! I had only got a few pages in when I realised I'd read it before, but as I had no idea what happened, I felt I should persist with reading it again. S&A so deserves its place in this list. It's a children's book, it's not massively complex, but it is a beautifully written story of a summer adventure when kids were allowed to go and camp on an island for a week with no parents. This is something I feel nostalgic about, even though it wouldn't have been allowed within my lifetime either; it's a very idyllic picture where these children could go off and live in their fantasy sailor world, rowing back to the mainland every morning to pick up milk from a local farmer, fishing, and engaging in wars with the local pirates. Children, imaginations running free, and learning life skills too...what's not to like. In fact, one of my favourite bits in the book was where Captain Flint unfairly accuses John of being a liar, and this deeply hurts and offends John. It made me nostalgic (again) for the sense of "honour" and "playing the game" that children in novels of this era always have, which just doesn't seem to exist any more - being called a liar was the worst insult that John could imagine, and it's difficult to see a child of today taking it the same way. Maybe I'm wrong!

If you haven't read Swallows and Amazons, do read it. It's a lovely book.

And now back to War and Peace...

9 to go...

I've just done a count up and I have only 9 books left to read - the end is in sight!

I'm planning to tackle War and Peace next but keep putting off starting it. Must read...perhaps I'll start it now.

In actual fact, I have accepted that I'm not going to read the complete works of Shakespeare. I'm also boycotting the Wasp Factory as I've heard others say that it traumatised them - I have a really visual imagination and so don't want to read something that I know will give me nightmares. Yes, I'm a wuss, but sleep is very important at the moment. So, only 7 left which I'm actually going to read. Woohoo! I'm going to have to start reading whilst still up in the evenings, as any pre-bed reading inevitably results in dropping off after 2 pages.

I'll keep you posted on progress.

One hundred years of solitude

I've been looking forward to reading this one by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. But at the end I'm left with mixed feelings. This is an elaborate family saga through about 6 generations living all in the same house but each in solitude due to their obsessions, quirks, ghosts and fixations. As ever, Marquez creates a magic-realist world where ghosts and impossible events exist without apology; it is beyond the suspension of disbelief but so beautifully and poetically written that you can enjoy the language without caring if it's believable.
It is a cold reading experience, with characters who are not designed to be related to, but an enjoyable one all the same.

The Wind in the Willows

I don't quite know how I hadn't read this before. I have seen the film and, I vaguely recall, played a bit-part in an am-dram production, so was familiar with the story.

It is a lovely children's book, worth reading as an adult. The loyalty of Mole, the bluff confidence of Badger, the generosity of Rat and of course the arrogance of Toad combine to create a compelling and, above all, nice tale. If you haven't read it, devote a few hours of your time to tales of the riverbank, Toad's trials and tribulations, and the battle of Toad Hall!

The Three Musketeers

For me, and perhaps anyone who was a child in the 80s, my expectations of Alexandre Dumas' Three Musketeers were entirely based on Dogtanian and the Three Muskahounds. It's not often that a cartoon dog offers an accurate interpretation of a literary classic, but bizarrely, it does.

D'Artagnan is impulsive, firey, proud, continually challenging people to duels. Athos, Aramis and Porthos are brave but vain and foolish. The cardinal is evil but somehow admirable. This much I knew from the cartoon.

However, to the book. It is a great read - pacey, intricately plotted, containing love interest, war, grudges, mysteries on both a national and personal level. It's difficult to describe without giving too much away, but I would thoroughly recommend reading it.

Things that bug me about London

I've passed through London twice this weekend on my way to the south coast. Last time I went on the tube I was 8 months pregnant and it was the height of summer. This time, I was relieved to note that I'm back up to full pace again, and transformed back into a londoner as I stepped off the train. Phew. However, it did lead me to thinking about the things that annoy me when passing through the capital.

- people who don't move at "london pace". I.e. the ones who step off tube trains and stand stock still, blocking the doors; those who meander through the corridors of the tube 4 abreast with no awareness of those around them; those who don't appear to realise they'll need their ticket until they're actually standing blocking the gate...you get the idea.

- people who don't organise their luggage, or who carry more than they can manage. We've all seen them - a suitcase, slightly too heavy to be able to carry it, a couple of other bags, clutching a book or magazine that doesn't seem to fit any of the bags. They look as though they're on the brink of dropping it all, and every staircase, escalator or ticket barrier requires a complete stop and redistribution of luggage. I appreciate that sometimes people will need to travel with a lot of luggage, but this type don't appear to have given any thought to how they're going to navigate the inevitable steps etc.

- people who invade your personal space. You've tucked yourself out if the way into a corner, perhaps awaiting the announcement of a platform number, and people come & stand practically on top of you, or pass by so close that you might be invisible.

So, yeah, people. I think I should become a recluse.

In other news, Rachel has survived her first weekend alone with Martin (with grand-parental assistance) and I am going to attempt to finish the 3 musketeers on the remainder of the journey. Bye for now, London.

Bleak House #2

Fanfare please! I have finished Bleak House!!

I think it's my favourite of the Dickens novels I've read, although as I've established on this blog, that's not necessarily a massive compliment.

It's a long book, and I would estimate that the first two thirds of the book is establishing characters and setting the scene for the dramatic ending. I found it quite confusing at times as there are so many different strands to the story, and seemingly unconnected characters, that it was difficult to keep track of them all. Naturally, they all get woven into the story, but I felt that it took far too long to get to that point. Esther, the main narrative voice, is quite a likeable character, although her uber-humility regarding others' opinion of her got a bit wearing at times.

The court case of Jarndyce v Jarndyce is a central theme of the book, with many of the main characters living their lives waiting for the outcome. I think that this was predominantly a way for Dickens to criticise the Victorian legal system and the court of chancery, and the various digs at the legal profession etc are mildly amusing.

There is also a comic character, Harold Skimpole, who is skilfully realised, and gradually exposed as a cynical manipulator - this is cleverly done.

Once Dickens actually gets to the point and starts telling a story, it gathers pace, is very readable, and very involving. It's just...why does it have to take him so long to get there?

Still, done and dusted, and I feel a sense of achievement at having finished it. I still won't be rushing to read any more though...