The Alchemist (94) - a small slice of heaven

What a cracking little book The Alchemist, by Paul Coelho is. The version I have just finished was on audio, narrated by Jeremy Irons, and the text and his voice made the experience one that will stay with me for a long time. Do not be fooled by the relatively short length of this book - it has deep, deep themes. The central character is constantly referred to as "The Boy" rather than by his name. He is a shepherd in Andalusia, quietly content in many ways, learning about life through his sheep. He became a shepherd because he wanted to travel, but he's only ever done so within Andalusia, moving his sheep from pasture to pasture as the seasons come and go. Then he meets a gypsy who tells him that he will find treasure at the pyramids in Egypt. He dismisses this particular bit of fortune telling until an old man strikes up a conversation with him and tells him the same thing ... at the same time, telling him everything about The Boy's past, including things he'd never told anyone. The Boy decides that he needs to pursue his dream of further travels, or his "personal legend" as it s referred to in the book, and sells his sheep and gets on a boat to Tangier, crosses the Egyptian desert where he encounters "The Alchemist", who helps to bring him to the end of his journey of discovery. The Boy is helped along the way by many guides (not all of them in human form) who keep him on the right path and teach him how to hold on to his dreams and strive to fulfil them. Gentle, thought provoking and with the ability to take you to far off places both physically and spiritually, this is a fabulous read, no matter what your personal beliefs may be. I loved this book and know that I will reread it - particularly when I might be feeling a little down or lost. Follow your heart and live your life!

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 197 print pages.
Price I paid: £7.99
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; unabridged audio CD.

Middlemarch (27) - Life in all its glory!

Happy to report that I've got another lengthy tome under my belt. Middlemarch, by George Elliot (or Mary Ann Evans as her mother would have known her) - has the subtitle of "A study of provincial life" and is thought to be based on Coventry in the early 1830s. Full of interesting characters and a variety of plots it gives an insight into the social history of the day. There are three main stories, all linked together with skill and a light touch.

We start with Dorothea Brooke - an idealistic woman who wants to do good with her life. Much to the surprise of her sister and uncle, she marries the unpopular Edward Casaubon - a middle-aged pedantic scholar - thinking that to help him him complete his "great work" is her destiny. The marriage sours almost immediately, and her friendship with Will Ladislaw, a cousin of her husband, doesn't help. When her husband dies, he sets a provision in his will that should Dorothea marry Ladislaw, she will lose her inheritance.

Next we follow Tertius Lydgate, an idealistic doctor who arrives in town and causes heads to turn - including that of local beauty, Rosamond Vincy - niece of Mr Bulstrode, the "money" man of Middlemarch who has a dark secret. Self-centred Rosamond seduces Lydgate in the sure knowledge that marriage to him would bring her fortune and status. She is mistaken, and proceeds to make both their lives miserable.

And finally, there is Fred Vincy, brother of Rosamond. He's not the sharpest tool in the box, but has a good heart. He longs to be married to his childhood sweetheart, the sensible Mary Garth, but is thwarted in his intentions when a presumed inheritance does not actually come his way. Mary loves him right back, but until he settles down and makes something of himself rather than acting the dandy, she will always turn him down.

These three stories weave in and out of each other as the book progresses, with each little drama counter-balanced by the lighter moments of life. All experiences are covered - hope, ambition, disillusionment, redemption, grief, love and charity. There is much humour in the book and this was brought out to a great extent by the brilliant narration of Juliet Stephenson in the audio version which I read. It's a book you can get your teeth into and I can heartily recommend it, though I did think there could have been a little editing in places, with some elements being repeated ... but maybe with such a long book, we readers needed to be reminded of things every now and then in case they had slipped our minds!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 736 print pages (with very small print!)
Price I paid: £7.99
Formats available: print; audio CD; audio download; audio multimedia CD; ebook.

Wind in the Willows (16) - the trouble with toads!

I'm on a roll again (but probably not for long) - having finished another title - Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, which I read as an ebook. This is the tale of Ratty, Mole, Badger and the ridiculous Toad ... and their various exploits on the river and in the Wild Woods! The actions starts with Mole deciding to explore the world above ground, and when he heads out to do so he is very fortunate in coming across Ratty who takes him in and gives him a home and shows him the delights of the river. Bliss! That is, until Toad bursts onto the scene in bombastic style. Toad is an obsessive, silly creature. Forever getting into scrapes, he is, quite frankly, too rich for his own good and hasn't got enough to do to keep him out of mischief. When his overwhelming desire for motor cars gets him into serious trouble with the law, his friends (including the sensible and slightly scary Badger) try to take him in hand. Unfortunately, Toad thinks he knows best, heads off and ends up in prison. What a troublesome creature he is, and a difficult friend to have. Will Ratty, Mole and Badger be able to put up with his antics for much longer and will Toad ever see sense? Well, you probably already know the answer to those questions. I have seen TV adaptations of this story and cartoons, but reading the original book (although without illustrations on the Kindle version I had) is definitely the way to go. As you read, you can experience the subtle nuances to the characters and how they interact with each other, or feel about the world they are living in. This is very much a massive round of applause for nature and the British countryside. There are delights to be had and chuckles at times, although I did find it a little inconsistent at times. I would recommend this as a good (but not great) read - worth it just so that you can tut at Toad's exploits!

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 192 print pages.
Price I paid: free in Kindle.
Formats available: print; audio CD; audio download; ebook.