I’d had a short period of time where my reading pile had really shrunk, to maybe fewer than 30 books to read. I’m afraid to say that is no longer the case and a day wandering around book and stationery shops in London really didn’t help. But it’s all good.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd – Agatha Christie
Back to Twentieth Century books and this is not a lesser known book but Mr B confessed he’d not read any Christie and I thought he should start with a good one. So I bought him this and promptly reread it. I remembered the twist from years ago when I first read it but knowing whodunnit is interesting as you see how she sets this all up.
Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case – Agatha Christie
I’d not read this one before but had heard things about it. Narrated by Captain Hastings, it is indeed Poirot’s last case simply as he is very ill in this book. It is set in the same house as the first Poirot book – The Mysterious Affair at Styles – and the house remains morbid and unpleasant, even as it is used as a guest house by a band of different people. They all have one thing in common, their proximity to a number of odd deaths, all that have been pronounced solved but Poirot has his doubts. Of all the Christie’s I’ve read, the plot for this was the weakest. Usually she’s quite fiendish but I felt this was stretching it a bit far. Plus there are some dreadful conversations between the characters, a large number of them appear to be pro-eugenics which isn’t what you really want to find. I can see how this is an interesting end to a detective but wasn’t quite the send off you might hope for the Belgian lad.
The Magician’s Assistant – Ann Patchett
I was feeling a bit lost and blue with reading and then I remembered I had a couple of Patchetts unread on the shelf. This is an early book of hers, and it starts with the death of Parsifal, a rug salesman who is also a well-known magician. His widow Sabine is our storyteller and she explains her unusual set up – while she and Parsifal loved each other and she worked as his assistant for many years, he was gay and married her as a thank you for her devotion and to secure her financial future. Parsifal’s lover _ has already died from AIDS earlier in the book and Sabine is now trying to cope without either of these dear friends. News arrives out of the blue about Parsifal’s family, his mother and sisters, who live in Nebraska and, as she had been told they were dead, is something of a surprise. Parsifal’s name is really Guy and his family are small town salt of the earth types who visit her in LA and then invite her to stay with them in Nebraska. Can she assuage her grief and learn more about him, and why he lied about losing his family? This had a slow start but after a while I was in and I really enjoyed this. She’s such a great writer at characters and involving you in people.
The First Act of Summer – Joanna Glen
I was sent an advance copy of Joanna Glen’s new book as I’ve said positive things about her previous books. This is nice enough, a good holiday read. It is narrated by Hester who, coming up to her 60th birthday, has left her husband and come to stay in her family’s beach hut which is usually rented out. The hut has been used by her family for years and while she stays, she tells us the story of what happened one summer with her then-best friend Elias. This incident (I won’t go into detail for spoilers) has coloured Hester’s life and although she’s in contact with many others from that time, they have managed to move on in a way that she cannot. It’s a story about how much we can be continually impacted by the past and moments from our childhood and how it’s not too late to start again.
Intimacies – Lucy Caldwell
This is a set of short stories, Caldwell’s speciality and they all concern themselves with small but significant incidents in the lives of women. The opening story gave me a right jolt and although the others lack the same power, they are still a collection by a strong writer. She doesn’t always fall for the trap of giving us a twist or a surprise at the end, so beloved of many short stories and flash; these are pockets of intimacies as the title suggests.
I Shall Never Fall in Love – Hari Conner
My daughter lent me this. It’s a graphic novel set in the Regency period and is essentially Jane Austen’s Emma but with a twist – Mr Knightley is a trans character. In spirit it is true to the original, though the Emma character was a little more sympathetic here, and all the names were changed. I thought it was rather fun.
Bel Canto – Ann Patchett
I’ve been meaning to read this since it won the Women’s Prize quite a few years ago and, feeling pro-Patchett right now, I finally got round to it. In truth, it’s probably my least favourite of hers. I did finish it and I did enjoy it but it’s much less engaging than her other books. You don’t get quite as far into the characters because everyone is one part removed from you. To be honest, if this had been the first of hers I’d read there’s a good chance I wouldn’t have picked up another so I’m really glad I left it late! The story, for those of you who don’t know, revolves around a party in the large house of the Vice President of a South American country. It’s the birthday party of a Japanese businessman who they are hoping may invest in the country but he is only there to hear Roxane Coss, an opera singer hired for the evening. There is a raid on the house, and they are all held hostage by a revolutionary group and the novel concentrates on how each of the hostages and some of the revolutionaries manage the situation. It was interesting in a way, but I much prefer many of her other books.
The Two Roberts – Damian Barr
The Two Roberts is a fictionalised story of two real Scottish artists, Robert Colquhoun and Bobby McBryde, who were pretty famous in and after the Second World War and then who faded into obscurity. This novel charts their meeting, their falling in love at Glasgow School of Art and how they made their way in a world that didn’t recognise or sanction gay relationships. It’s ultimately a sad story, as you’d imagine, but very well written and I saw Damian Barr talk about it in Nottingham last year. An accompanying art exhibition is currently at Nottingham Castle and it was lovely to be able to put pictures to the book.
To the Sea by Train – Andrew Martin
Martin is a British train expert and this book charts the rise of railway journeys to seaside destinations and how the trains helped boost those towns, leading to the development of hotels, resorts, holiday camps and amusements, before it all started to fade away again. The ghost of Beeching hangs over each chapter like a grim reaper. In the recent report about young people not in education, employment or training, one of the key factors that impact their status is access to public transport. Taking the test, getting hold of a car and being able to pay insurance is far too expensive for a lot of young people outside of cities and these are just the places that don’t have public transport options, partly because of Beeching slashing a lot of lines. It’s not just about holidays folks, we need to think joined up and long term. Anyway, this is interesting, though with less focus on crazy golf than I’d like for a seaside book.
True Grit – Charles Portis
Back to Twentieth Century fiction and I’d seen both film adaptations of this and never read it. It reads excellently, narrated by Mattie, a young brave girl who hires a rough ranger Rooster Coburn to bring the man who killed her father to justice. Mattie rides with Rooster to track the man down and tells us all the adventures on the way, in the style of a educated-enough girl in the west at the turn of the century. It’s a distinctive voice and no wonder it’s been filmed. A rough but good read.
Moments of Pleasure
We had a few days away in London and took in the Marilyn Monroe at 100 exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery – some lovely shots of her, and some rather odd and intrusive paintings. We also caught The Truth, a French farce at the Apollo Theatre with Stephen Mangan, Ardal O’Hanlon, Sarah Hadland and Janie Dee. It was short, it was funny, it was well done and we very much enjoyed it.
E and I took part in the Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever in Birmingham this time, recreating the Kate Bush dance with about 500 other red-clad people. It’s such a fun way to spend your time. We also had lunch in a cafe there, the Kitchen Garden in Kings Heath, which is also a music venue, and the food and service were both excellent plus the line up of gigs for the rest of the year looks great too. Check it out.
Finally, we saw Operation Mincemeat which has been touring. I didn’t know a lot about the musical but it’s only five people in the cast and they cover over 100 different roles between them, plus giving you a good story, some laughs and cracking songs. I was in pieces for one of them (luckily the theatre was warm so they dried quickly) and thought the whole thing was really good.
Susan E Barsby 