Bookworm's Time Machine

"The past is another country, they do things differently there" (L.P Hartley, The Go-Between).
Right now I'm visiting the past via the medium of historical fiction. Well researched and written it can be a real window into another time, poorly done it can just be a headache. The Masquerade by Nicholas Griffin seems to be shaping up to be the former but I'm only 100 pages in, so anything could happen. What's your favourite fictional trip to the past?

Decisions, decisions

What to read, what to read next?? Since I finished my last epic read (see previous post) I've been reading what I consider "filler" reading, usually the crime thriller books or what's commonly known as chick lit. I don't consider myself much of a lit snob, but I find fluffy books that end happily ever after and the thriller-esque ones are something I can read in one (short) burst so I don't take them particularly seriously. They're mostly read to fill in the time gaps between one good read and another. A bit like a quick bite of something between meals. Something that's probably not very good for me but I do it anyway. Now all I have to do is pick the next, more substantial, meal of a book from the book mountain on my floor. Or maybe an old friend from the shelves....hmmmm.....Happy Reading fellow bookworms.

Finished!!

So I finally finished reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke this morning, that's the longest it's taken me to read a book ever! I suppose if I had actually sat down and read it and done nothing else it would have taken me a less time, but life has a funny way of intervening when you're trying to get some reading done.
In the end I really liked this book, long as it is. It's an interesting blend of historical fiction and fantasy, featuring real people like Lord Byron and the Duke of Wellington alongside Clarke's entirely fictional magicians. Bits of it were overlong and didn't feel necessary to the plot, it could maybe have been edited down a little and not suffer for it. It's well written and the plot is clever and explores all sorts of ideas drawn from the folklore of Great Britain and Ireland, woven into Clarke's own take on faerie (both the magical people and the land where they live).
The book's layout is interesting, each chapter is sprinkled with footnotes that make it seem more like a historical text than a work of fiction, making it a clever hybrid.
I recommend it to fantasy and history fans alike, and anyone who feels that 1006 pages is not a big deal!! Right, I'm off to read some more books!!

Free Books!

I like free books, it's why I like bookmooch.com, where the books are, technically at least, free. I also like rummaging in secondhand and charity shops for great books at cheap prices. The Guardian newspaper is currently giving away a free book every day, from a series called English Journeys, the books look lovely, and although they might not be my usual read, I'll probably give them a read, even if it's just because they're free. The Times also recently gave away free copies of classic novels, clearly newspapers are in favour of access to literature!
I wish there were more ways to get hold of free books, I love libraries but the books can be a mess and you have to take them back eventually. If anyone has a way of getting free books and would like to share (nothing illegal), please leave a comment. Happy Reading!

Bad Bookworm

I've been a bit neglectful of late, of my reading and my blogging.
Life has been intervening quite a lot recently. I had a birthday, a gig and various other social things going on, as well as reading the ginormous Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
Blog-wise I guess I'm just a little disheartened, I don't think anyone's reading this gibberish. If you are, please say hi!
I'm almost finished with Strange & Norrell, still a little way to go, but I haven't been reading it every day, so it's a lot slower going than it should be. A proper review when it's done. Also more blog posts. Right, off to do some reading before life interrupts me again!!

Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke

I am currently wading my way through this 1006 page monster of a novel. This is not a book for commuting. It weighs a ton! It's a work of historical fiction, set in 1806, supposing that magic never died out in England and that the two titular magicians are reviving the form in order to help the country fight Napoleon.
I can't say much about it as I only started it this morning, and it's not going to be a quick read. Not only is it long, it's also full of footnotes, which I suppose are intended to make it feel more like a biography or a real historical fact as opposed to fantasy. When I've finished it, I'll blog about it and how much I enjoyed it (or not).
Don't forget to check out this weeks recommendations on the right.

Childhood Classics Part Two (The Wind in the Willows)

I have to admit that Kenneth Grahame's novel was not one of my favourite's as a child, I preferred Roald Dahl and fairy tales, but I did read it. However, it was only on coming back to it as an adult that I appreciated just what a great book it is. Grahame wrote it for his son, the back story is quite sad, and I won't go into it here. It's not the first novel with talking animals who seem more human than wild. The characters have become archetypes, Toad stands for boorish people with money who go through life without any regard for others, Badger is the wise hero of the story, and Mole and Ratty are just terrific, messing about in boats! Their honest friendship keeps them sane when Toad drags them into his misadventures and scrapes, he might be the funniest character in the book, but he's also the worst. Definitely a bad example. There have been numerous adaptations, mainly for stage and television, as well as a series of spin-off novels by William Horwood (Toad Triumphant, The Willows in Winter, The Willows and Beyond).
But the original is a strangely beautiful piece, the chapter 'Piper At The Gates of Dawn' is extraordinary and feels like it's from another book entirely. Reading it as an adult does give you a different take on Grahame's one book than the simple face value that a child reader takes. I highly recommend it for adult and child readers alike.

Childhood Classics Part One (Peter Pan)

There's a few books that are such classics people just can't help tampering with them. In particular I'm thinking of Peter Pan and Wind In The Willows. Both have been made into films numerous times and both have had sequels (official and otherwise) written by various other writers determined not to let the story end where the original author decided.
Peter Pan is a gorgeous book, beautifully written and never quite sure where it falls on the growing up issue, Peter stays a child, but Wendy and the Lost Boys grow up. In the official sequel Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean, the grown ups have to become children again in order to save Neverland and Pan. I've only read one unofficial sequel, Wendy by Karen Wallace, as until recently when the copyright ran out, the various others were not allowed to be published or distributed in the UK. Other books reference it, such as Astonishing Splashes of Colour by Clare Morrall, which takes its title and some of its themes from Pan.
Then there are the film versions, Disney's is not good. I know some people love it, but it's so far from Barrie's original tale that it's hard to watch it now. The 2003 live action one is better, although it adds a few scenes not in the novel. I have to admit to a fondness for Hook, with Robin Williams playing a grown up Pan who has forgotten Neverland. It's quite sweet and seems to be trying to honour Barrie's story and not step all over it. Neverland is very well imagined and the pirates and Lost Boys are great fun. But really, for me at least, nothing quite beats J.M Barrie's great children's classic (which all adults should read to remember the magic of childhood) Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy as it was originally called!).