February Books

[callmemadam]

A lot of people seem to have had what they call a bad reading month, by which they mean they haven’t read much. We’re not all in some Stakhanovite competition to see who can read the most books. One might read a lot of bad books or just one superlative one; which is more worthwhile? (rhetorical question). I only managed half a dozen but the first was very good indeed.

Miracles of Life by J G Ballard. Lent to me by huskyteer and finished within twenty four hours. Ballard is not really my kind of writer but I loved Empire of the Sun. It still bugs me that Hotel du Lac won the Booker prize in 1984 when Ballard’s wonderful novel was on the shortlist. Ballard was brought up in Shanghai, the privileged child of a prosperous expat. community surrounded by the appalling filth and poverty of the native Chinese. He spent two and a half years in a Japanese internment camp then after the war travelled to a depressing, defeated-seeming England, where he felt like an alien. These events help to explain how in spite of a public school education and Cambridge, despite living in the same suburban house for fifty years, he has managed to remain an outsider in his head. This autobiography is beautifully written and reads like a novel. Highly recommended.


An Old-Fashioned Arrangement, Susie Vereker. This is very entertaining light fiction. A woman is left on her own with no visible means of supporting herself and her son; the possible solution poses a moral dilemma with some surprising later twists. The setting, Geneva, adds to the charm.

Bunkle Scents a Clue, M Pardoe. I’ve already written about this one.

The Princess Diaries, Seventh Heaven, Meg Cabot. I’m behind the times here, as the tenth book in the series is in the shops now. I do like these books, mainly because the language is amusing (to me) and grandmere's (sic) behaviour so rivetingly dreadful. She is scandalously (to Mia) politically incorrect, as in her views on New York's 'fascist' anti-smoking laws. The princess joke is wearing thin, though, and there seems less plot with each book.

Mrs Malory and a Time to Die, Hazel Holt. My reliable bedtime friend. I’m reading these books as I get hold of them, completely out of order, so in this one Mrs M is watching her grandaughter’s riding lessons, while in the one I’ve just started the child is not even a twinkle in her future daddy's eye. I find Mrs Malory's social round of charitable work, shopping and lunches out very soothing.

La’s Orchestra Saves the World*, Alexander McCall Smith. This is set mainly during the Second World War, when La, living in Suffolk, starts an orchestra to bring people together and defy Hitler. The book is really about the redemptive power of music but this theme is secondary to the story of La and that’s where the problem lies. To love this book you have to love La, but she never really comes alive. For instance, on page 36 we have, ‘ Valerie laughed. La had always entertained her, with her dry sense of humour. She loved her.’ Unfortunately, there’s not a single example in the book of this alleged sense of humour. La is obviously a good person but her other attractions are not as clear to the reader as they are to the book's characters. This is telling, not showing. Then there’s the stylistic tricks the author employs, which work very well in the Botswana books but less well here. I’ve written about this before and I mean these kinds of sentences: ‘people did such and such. That was what they did.’ Towards the end of the book La goes on in this way for at least a page and it is irritating. I read the book quickly, enjoyed reading it, but felt it didn’t come off. Nice cover.

Comments

[geraniumcat.livejournal.com]

I've been reading the Hazel Holt books the same way, and find I don't mind at all that they are out of order - she's such a reliable friend. Now I have an excuse to buy some, as I realised my aunt in Italy will enjoy them, so I can buy them to send on.

[debodacious.livejournal.com]

I don't know Hazel Holt - will look out for her books. They sound right up my street; I do like a cosy murder at bedtime.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I do enjoy them. The Somerset setting is ideally English and as Mrs Malory has lived in Taviscombe for yonks the author can convincingly produce yet aother old friend or acquaintance from the hat for each novel, to provide a different milieu for the crime.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I don't mind that, either, I'm just glad to have another to read. It's a shame they're hard to find second hand.

[(Anonymous)]

I love what you wrote. Reading is one of life's great joys not contests. Have you read When We Were Orphans? The Ballard book reminded me of it, though WWWO is fiction. I read my first Mrs M. out of order, then bought the first two in the series. I've read the first, and look forward to the second. I just love the character. I wouldn't mind living her sort of life. :<) I liked reading about the new AMS book. I so love three of his series, and wondered about this one. Now I'm going over to your sidebar and doing some clicking. :<)

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I haven't read When we were Orphans; Ishiguro is one of those authors I feel guity about not reading.
No wonder Sheila Malory is popular. How often in fiction is the heroine an older, intelligent, literate woman? I'm sure she strikes chords with all sorts of people.
You might not guess from what I wrote above that I love AMS rather a lot, especially Scotland Street.
Good luck with the clicking. I've just found out how inefficient my subject tags are and resolve to improve them.

JG Ballard

[susievereker.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

Interesting. Will look out for this one.