Brideshead Revisited (45) ... dreamy!

Within one minute of starting this book, I knew I was in safe hands. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh is almost perfect in every way - particularly this audio edition that I have just completed, narrated by the glorious Jeremy Irons! Our voice for this journey through the privileged classes prior to the second world war is Charles Ryder. It opens with him ending up in the grounds of a country house in the middle of the night - only to realise when he wakes next morning, that he's in a place never far from his thoughts, but one that he never thought he'd see again. He begins to relive the events that have taken place there, with all the members of the Flyte family - a dysfunctional aristocratic family whose Catholicism is a central theme. From his days at Oxford University where he falls under the spell of the beautiful, charming but fatally flawed Sebastian, we see him develop as both a man and an artist, as he meets and comes under the influence (to greater and lesser extents) of all the family - Lady Marchmain, Brideshead, Cordelia and especially Julia. It is, at it's heart, a romance not only between people, but also for a time and place that may never have existed anywhere except in our imagination. Charles falls in love with this family, but it's a relationship that is ultimately doomed as the social and spiritual differences cannot be ignored for ever. The characterisation is tremendously satisfying, with fully rounded and believable individuals - of which my favourite would have to be the outrageous, stammering Anthony Blanche. You cannot help but fall for the charm of these people - even though they are all far from perfect - but that's what makes them human. This book transports you into another world that you want to stay in for so much longer than you are given. It is aching in its prose and funny too. An absolute triumph. More, more, more!

My STAR rating: FIVE

Length: 326 print pages.
Price I paid: £7.99.
Formats available: print, audio CD, audio download, ebook.

Brave New World (87) - somebody's paradise

What a book! Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley should be read by everyone. It's a chilling exploration of what the future could hold if the majority of humanity turned it's back on ... well, what makes it "human". This is supposed to be utopia ... no illness, no ageing, no fear of death, no violence, no family and no religion ... well, kind of! Everyone is bred in test tubes, with eggs being divided and redivided to create myriads of twins. Whilst growing up, all babies and then children are conditioned to the way of life they have been bred to live - whether they are "alpha" or "gamma" or whatever. Different types of people are "happy" with their lot, no matter how grim their work - it's what they have been bred and conditioned to think and feel. Ambition is long gone. If people do start to "feel" uncomfortable - then there is a very simple solution - they just drop a dose of "soma" and all is well once again. In effect, everyone is drugged up to the eyeballs most of the time. Whether it's work, play or recreational sex - of which there is plenty - everyone knows their place. Living in this world is Bernard, who doesn't quite fit the mould. He cannot get to grips with his place in the world and is full of resentment. When he happens upon a "savage" - a boy who has grown up in the wild - where people do get fat or sick, but do believe in God or Buddha or whatever, he brings him back to "civilisation" in the hope of glory. The savage makes sense of the world through the Shakespearean plays he has read since an early age, and which he quotes to express his thoughts and feelings. Initially excited and intrigued by this civilisation, he soon becomes disgusted and turns his back on it. This is a great book - it is disturbing, funny, tempting and thought provoking, but a great story too. More books should have this effect on their readers. This will definitely stay with me.

My STAR rating: FIVE

Length: 237 print pages.
Price I paid: £1.00 in a second hand bookshop.
Formats available: print, audio CD or download, ebook

The BFG (56) - oddly dark

So, the last of the Roald Dahl titles on the Top 100 Reads list has just been completed ... The BFG, or Big Friendly Giant, is a bit of a dark tale that didn't sit comfortably with me. There are many dark elements to Roald Dahl books, but this one struck me as particularly so. Sophie, an unhappy orphan, is looking out of her window one night, when she spots a giant coming down the road and poking a trumpet in through a window. Surely, she's imagining this, and if not, what is he doing and where has he come from? But no, she's not seeing things ... the giant spots her, kidnaps her and takes her back to his country, in order to protect himself - as he fears he will be hunted down if people know there are giants. He explains that he uses the trumpet to blow nice dreams into bedrooms for children, and that he loves "human beans" in a good way ... not like the other giants living in his land. They head off each night to different countries for their dinner - which is as many humans as they think they can get away with. The BFG is disgusted by this, but feels helpless to stop them, as they are all twice the size of him. As he and Sophie get to know each other, they come up with a plan full of cunning and bravado, and of course, it involves the Queen! The BFG mixes up words all the time, which did start to get on my nerves. I wasn't too enamoured with the premise of the story either - all but one giant are bad, with absolutely no redeeming features. Far too black and white for my liking. There are some good bits, but not enough. Not a favourite of mine at all - I was quite disappointed I have to admit. 

My STAR rating: TWO.

Length: 199 print pages.
Price I paid: free - borrowed from local library.
Formats available: print; audio; ebook; multimedia CD.

Matilda (74) - a little girl with a big brain

This is more like it ... I feel I'm back on track with another book under my belt this week. It's Matilda, by Roald Dahl (get used to the name, there will be more) which I read in print. This is a great little book about a small girl who is badly treated at home - neither of her parents think much about her, if, indeed, they think of her at all. Her father, who is a dodgy car salesman, has taken a particular dislike to her for some reason, calling her stupid and a cheat on numerous occasions. Despite this poor treatment, she is a happy girl and keen to explore the world about her. As her parents won't do anything with her, or take her anywhere, she decides to take things into her own hands. She wants to read books (having taught herself to read) and one afternoon, when she is left alone in the house yet again, she heads off the library, where she begins to devour all the children's books and then, with the help of the librarian, delves into the realms of authors like Charles Dickens. So, by the time she starts school, she has accumulated a lot of knowledge. Her teacher, Miss Honey, recognises her intelligence and encourages her. But the headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, a veritable demon in a smock and breeches, starts to bully Matilda, her classmates and Miss Honey. Matilda is determined to work out a way to take revenge and, in the process, discovers that she has an exceptional talent! This book made me laugh out loud and you can't help root for Matilda as she takes on a great literary baddie in a classic case of brain versus brawn. I can highly recommend this book - good fun, where good triumphs over evil.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 232 print pages.
Price I paid: free - borrowed from local library.
Formats available: print, audio, ebook.

The Twits (82) - a bit of light relief!

After many, many weeks spent on two books (Gone with the Wind and War and Peace), I felt the need to get a few short books under my belt to keep me on track for my target of having completed 50 of the Best 100 Reads by the end of 2013. On this quest, I spotted a few Roald Dahl books on the list, and decided that this would provide some quick reads as well as a bit of light relief. And so I found myself finishing The Twits within an hour or so. It's the story of a horrible couple (The Twits) who only have nasty thoughts, never seem to wash and the only thing they seem to get pleasure from is playing nasty tricks on each other - hiding worms in spaghetti is one of the classics! Worst of all, they keep a family of monkeys in a small cage in their back garden. They are not treated well, and Mr Twit is "training" them to stand on their heads all day, everyday, and do everything standing on their heads. His aim is to then offer them a s a circus act. The monkeys would love to escape and their chance comes in the form of an exotic African bird who has flown north for the summer. In cahoots with other birds in the area (all of whom would be on the menu if the Twits could catch them), they come up with a plan to not only escape, but pay the Twits back for all the horrible things they have done. Guess what - they come to a sticky end! This is a book that children of a certain disposition will love, and I can see how much fun it would be to read aloud to a small child. For an adult, it made me smirk a few times. It is a light read that whiles away an hour or so and, I suspect if you were read this by a parent in your childhood, rereading it as an adult might well bring back warm and comforting feelings. (By the way - still going with War and Peace).

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 87 print pages.
Price I paid: free - borrowed from my local library.
Formats available: Print, audio.

Gone with the wind (21) ... is finally GONE!

Oh happy day ... I have, at long last, finished one of the epic books I have been reading. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell is a big book with big themes. Set during the American Civil War and its aftermath, the action focuses on Scarlett O'Hara - a beautiful, but unimaginative Southern Belle - she loves her dresses, she loves the parties, she loves Tara, the cotton plantation that is her home, and she loves being the most desired girl in the region, with a myriad of beaus constantly surrounding her. Life is good and going pretty much to plan - until the North and the South go to war over the issue of slavery. All the men go off to war - including the real object of her affection - Ashley Wilkes. Scarlett isn't interested in the war and tries to carry on as if it wasn't happening. However, when Ashley announces his forthcoming engagement to Melanie - a quiet, plain cousin of his - Scarlett does not take this well. After declaring her love for him, she is rejected, and in a fit of pique, goes off and marries another man. War then seeps into her life, when she is left a widow after a only a few weeks, but expecting her first child. She ends up sharing a house in Atlanta with Melanie, and hates it! Then a certain Rhett Butler starts to visit more and more often. Sparks fly as he is not taken in by any of her tricks, which drives her crazy. When Atlanta is overrun by the Yankees, Rhett helps them escape back to Tara, but then heads off to war himself. Scarlett rebuilds her life and becomes a hardened and determined woman who will "never be hungry again". The action continues and Scarlett, Rhett, Ashley and Melanie are all inextricably linked. The book never lets off and you never get comfortable. There is a lot to admire in Scarlett, but many a time you just want to give her a good, hard slap! It is a good read, though I did find it hard at times with the language used to describe the slaves - it was a very different time and place to now, that's for sure. If you can get your head around that, then I can recommend this book to anyone who loves strong leading characters and star crossed lovers ... with several stings in the tale.

My star rating: FOUR.

Length: 1010 print pages.
Price I paid: free - borrowed from my local library.
Formats available: print, audio (I think), ebook.