The Giant, O'Brien - Disturbingly Sad

The Giant, O'Brien, by Hilary Mantel, was inspired by the true story of Charles O'Brien, an 18th Century Irish giant who was exhibited in London. We start in Ireland, where Charles is persuaded by a cohort of odd companions to travel to London to make their fortune. Not only is he a giant, but he is a great storyteller - enthralling audiences with poems and tales of romance or adventure. At first, things go well, and Charles begins to save some money which he intends to take back to Ireland to rebuild a favourite pub. The companions adjust to life in London which holds many new experiences, such as sleeping in a bed. But things soon begin to fall apart, with the reduction in people willing to pay money to see the giant, and the encounter with John Hunter, a surgeon who is fascinated with the giant and is determined to acquire his body upon his demise sin order to dissect it. And when Charles begins to grow again, this event looks to be coming sooner rather than later. There are some lovely passages, especially when Charles is telling one of his stories which are incredibly lyrical. I really loved the character of Charles who is at the centre of things but never really in control of his own destiny. His companions are a mixed bag and I found it hard to warm to most of them, and how they acted felt a bit prescriptive of poverty stricken Irish people, which was a little disappointing. As for John Hunter - yikes - a nightmare of a man who had little, if any, empathy for his intended target. I found this a hard read at times, but that could have been the tragic subject matter. Things just got darker and darker with each page and it left me feeling very much like I need a book to make me laugh. Others may love this book, but for me, after the first section which had a bit of optimism in it, the rest became a relentless journey into the darkness of how humanity treats those who are deemed "different".

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 224 print pages.

Price I paid: £4.50.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Craftland - Fascinating!

Craftland, by James Fox is, in a word GREAT! As its subtitle suggests, it is a journey through Britain's lost arts and vanishing trades. The author traveled the length and breadth of the country, from the Isles of Scilly to the Scottish Highlands to meet the amazing people who are still working in traditional crafts. We find out about the history of the particular craft and the impact it had on society and look to the future. From bellfounders to watchmakers, blacksmiths, cutlers, coopers and more, this is a fascinating look at both the craft and the incredibly skilled people who make a living from them. It is beautifully written and is full of facts without it becoming a chore. The balance between the details of the craft and the human element is perfect. However, it does not show things through rose-tinted glasses - these crafts are often physically challenging and don't always pay much, but the people who are keeping them alive are definitely a breed apart, and the world would be a sadder place without them. The danger of us losing these crafts is very real, and if we do lose them, what does that mean? In this age of throw away plastic goods of questionable quality, this is a look at trades that were essential for hundreds of years to everyone in the country. Who can say that what has replaced them has improved anything? Yes, some of the goods produced may seem expensive, but boy do they last and last and last! This book was recommended to me by a family friend - and I am so pleased she did, what a find! Don't hesitate, just read it.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 368 print pages.

Price I paid: £4.50.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Deadly Games - Murderous Spree On Campus!

Deadly Games, by Sally Rigby, is a book I found in my audio library that I had completely forgotten about, so it's been there for some time, languishing in the shadows. It is the first in a series where we are introduced to DCI Whitney Walker, a single mother who has worked hard to get to where she is in the police force. However, a recent error has put all this effort into jeopardy and her job hangs in the balance. So when a serial killer begins a murderous spree on the local university campus, it's a chance to prove herself worthy of her position by catching the killer swiftly. Coming to her aid ... kind of .. is Dr Georgina Cavendish, a lecturer in forensic psychology, who offers her assistance when one of the victims turns out to be her student. And so begins a cat and mouse game between the killer and those trying to stop them. Walker and Cavendish are both strong characters who definitely don't always agree, with the resulting tension and mistrust threatening to derail things. The investigation takes us down many possible roads and there are some lovely twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. I did like the premise, especially with two female leads, but there was something that didn't quite gel with me that I can't quite put my finger on. Yes, I was kept guessing for much of the time, and yes, I enjoyed most of the characters, but I think some elements were a little formulaic and repetitive. And when Walker's own daughter becomes a target of the killer, that kind of irritated me. This is a perfectly "enjoyable" police procedural which I could see being made into a TV series, but it doesn't quite hit the heights of Ian Rankin, Val McDermid or Jo Nesbo. Would definitely recommend as a holiday read however, and it may be that if I were to read another in the series, I would be more familiar and invested in the characters which might grip me more than this first outing.

My STAR rating: THREE stars.

Length: 260 print pages.

Price I paid: unknown

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Wish You Were Here - Tense Right to the End

Wish You Were Here, by Graham Swift, is set in 2006 and opens with Jack Luxton, a former Devon farmer and now owner of a seaside caravan park, receiving the news that his younger brother Tom, has been killed in Iraq. Jack hasn't seen or heard from his brother for many years and his reaction to the news opens up a gateway to the past that Jack had thought he'd left behind. Jack must go to the mainland to receive his brother's remains and arrange his funeral back in the village they were brought up in. This opens up painful memories of their youth, their dairy farm (which went through the terrible times of Mad Cow Disease and Foot and Mouth), their father and their dog - all the things Jack has fought hard to repress. Jack, with the help of his wife Ellie (who Jack has known from childhood as she grew up on the neighbouring farm), have turned their backs on all the grief of their former lives - but it all comes barrelling back with the news of Tom's death and threatens to overwhelm the life they have made on the Isle of Wight. This is a story that is hard to get a grip on to begin with as it flits between the past and present. But slowly and surely, the threads start to pull together and the tension really starts to build towards the climax and it becomes something of a page-turner! Grimness and a sense of doom pervades and there aren't many bright spots to alleviate things, which can be hard to take, but I'm glad I persisted. The characters are not always sympathetic, and it's hard to like them on occasion. However, life is messy and complicated and we don't always act in our own best interests either, so maybe I shouldn't be so hard on them. It is worth the effort to keep going with this book as the tension ramps up hugely towards the end and I really didn't know what was going to happen. If you don't mind trauma and perhaps feeling little drained by the time you put this book down, then this could be for you. 

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 368 print pages.

Price I paid: Free, borrowed from my husband.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.