Silent Sunday: Harry Potter Series.

Our family's Harry Potter 'for reading' collection.

Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Flynn. Gillian, (Pub. 2013) 496 pages.

Ok, I know, I know, I'm a bit late to the party with this one. I've never been one to catch on immediately! It's usually around a year or so later that I catch on to a particular trend; and getting involved in the hype surrounding this brilliant novel, is the perfect example. However for those of you who haven't yet read Gone Girl then please do! From looking at the reviews on Goodreads, this is a bit of a Marmite novel. You either love it or hate it. I definitely fall into the former camp. 

The story begins when Nick's beautiful wife Amy disappears from their home after what looks like a struggle in their living room. Each chapter alternates between Nick and Amy's point of view, Nick's being narrated in the first person, in the present day. Amy's epistolary diary entries date back three years, giving the reader a background to the story of their marriage. 
The book is divided into two parts. The first part gives Nick's thoughts and actions as he deals with the fallout of Amy's disappearance. His increasingly strange behaviour and secretiveness, set alarm bells ringing, not only for the police, but also for Amy's parents and Nick's closet ally; his twin sister Margo. Nick slowly but surely becomes the number one suspect in Amy's disappearance. Yet through the voice of her journals, Amy comes across as the perfect wife, willing to do anything to make her marriage work. Why on earth would Nick want to hurt his beautiful, intelligent, adoring wife? As the story progresses, the reader is taken on a journey of Nick's infidelity with a young impressionable student, along with his resentment of Amy's lifestyle and wealth and the couple's increasing financial difficulties. But is Amy all as she appears to be? She is an American Sweetheart; a national treasure. Her parents were the authors of a series of books, based on their daughter, featuring 'Amazing Amy' as their protagonist. She is certainly the beautiful, intelligent girl that everyone looks up to, but is she really as perfect as everyone believes?
In part two, the reader discovers what exactly has happened to Amy. I will not reveal this, in case you've not read it, but what I will say is the characterisation of Amy in the second part of the book is brilliant. Simply brilliant. Amy is all of the things that everyone believes her to be but flawed by all the usual worries and concerns that trouble all modern women. The reader gets to delve deep into the psyche of Amy Dunne and it is a deeply scary place: psychologically and realistically chilling. I found myself identifying with some of the warped thoughts (but thankfully not actions!) that go through Amy's troubled mind. The extremes she is willing to go to, for both herself and her marriage evoke both disgust and sympathy in the reader.
There are some highly explicit sex scenes which are quite detailed in the book, and the language at times is very colourful, but it all adds to the realism, and isn't overused for sensational effect.
This book really made me question the reality of any relationship. Whether anyone is truly their self with another person, or if you always put on some form of 'mask' to ensure the highest chance of happiness possible. Nick and Amy, like all good characters are flawed, but it is how far one is willing to accept the other in spite of these flaws that really make this novel great and realistic. 
The day I finished this book, I watched the film. As always, the book was far better than the film, there were far more layers to the characters and many more twists and turns than what is portrayed in the film. For me the film was average, but the book was a winner. If you've seen the film and wasn't a fan, please don't let that put you off reading the book. 
Have you read or watched Gone Girl? If you have please let me know what you thought about it in the comments box.

Book Review: Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough

Mayhem. Sarah Pinborough. (Pub. 2013) 352 pages.

I've followed Sarah Pinborough on Twitter for a while and her witty, sarcastic tweets are what made me interested in her writing. 

Happily, I discovered a copy of Mayhem in my local library and I immediately knew it was my sort of book from the beautifully illustrated cover.

The story begins in late nineteenth century London, at a time when the city is gripped in the fear and hysteria surrounding Jack the Ripper. However when the headless, dismembered corpses of unidentified women start turning up in the Thames, Dr Thomas Bond (physician and police surgeon) immediately knows he is dealing with a very different, far darker murderer than Jack. 

These murders actually occurred, and were dubbed the Thames Torso murders, but were over-shadowed by Jack the Ripper's work. Dr Bond was also the real surgeon who performed the autopsies and is often referred to as the first criminal profiler. 

Set in three parts, the story is written in both third and first person and is also sprinkled with newspaper articles from the time. The dominant point of view, is that of Doctor Bond, and his personal struggle to deal with the gruesome murders and get to the truth. However you also get the point of view of the detectives, a couple of the victims and of course, the killer. The killer is revealed probably just over half way through the book, but the story continues to be intriguing despite this, due to the supernatural element of the story. 

I particularly like the atmosphere created by Pinborough's writing. The polluted, dank and dark environment is brought to life by the language and dialogue of the characters.  I found the seedy opium dens of the time that Dr. Bond frequents really interesting. Especially as I have since discovered that the real Dr. Bond used narcotics to help with insomnia, which is thought to have contributed to his suicide. 

The author has also captured the sense of fear and the heightened state of alert that a Victorian, East London must have felt. 

Characters such as Dr. Bond are well-rounded characters and realistically flawed, and because of this, as a reader, you can empathise with them.

When I first began reading, I was a bit concerned that the story would be all about the shock of the horrific crime scenes without a decent storyline, but I was soon proved wrong. I think the first part is perhaps on the long side, as it takes a while to piece all the different components and view points together, but once they start coming together, the pace of the narrative picks up. 

For me, Mayhem is great. I believe it takes an extremely talented writer to take on actual historical crimes and weave them with their own fictional plot. All the murders in the book did actually take place, and I believe they remain unsolved. Pinborough has managed to maintain respect for the victims yet at the same time create a compelling novel. 

I can't wait to read more of her work, in fact, I've just ordered a hardback copy of  her 2014 book 'Murder', which again features Dr. Bond. I'll keep you posted on it!

Book Review: The Fault in our Stars by John Green.

The Fault in our Stars. John Green. Pub. 2012. Audible Copy. Narrated by Kate Rudd.

Iconic cover of TFioS

When I signed up to Audible, Amazon's audio book service, I was offered a free trial with one free book. I chose The Fault in our Stars (TFioS) by John Green, mainly due to the hype surrounding the book and its upcoming movie release. It was free and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Now, I have made the mistake before of reading a book because of the media hype... (Yes, I'm looking at you Fifty Shades), and have been immensely disappointed by the poor quality of writing and subsequent reading experience, that I wasn't expecting much from the much media-hyped TFioS.

However, I found myself listening to this audio book at every available opportunity. My 4 hour ironing stint passed in no time at all thanks to TFioS. Now, I cannot be certain whether it was the content and quality of the book that excited me, or the novelty of being able to 'read' a book whilst doing household chores. Whichever it was though, I found this book to be an easy, enjoyable read.

The Audible version of this audio book is narrated by Kate Rudd, whose voice I found to be a little irritating at times. However, that's probably just me and my dislike for listening to someone else speak for a long period of time without letting me get a word in! The dialogue of the different characters voiced by Rudd was exceptional, so much so that I knew which character was speaking without the need of being told who it was.

The book itself is set in Indianapolis and is written from the point of view of sixteen year old Hazel Grace Lancaster, who has terminal thyroid cancer, which has metastasised to her lungs, leaving her permanently dependent on oxygen. Despite this, against the odds, Hazel has responded to a drugs trial which means her tumours whilst ever present are not growing or metastasising further.

Too ill to attend school, and having very few friends, Hazel's parents insist on her attending a support group for children living with cancer. There she meets Augustus Waters, a 'hot boy' who has survived osteosarcoma and is living now, with 'NEC', no evidence of cancer and a prosthetic leg. He has only attended support group to support Issac, whom Hazel has become friends with via the group.

Hazel and Augustus swap their favourite novels and appear to bond over a love of literature, which is recognisable in their dialogue. I love the language used by the teenagers, it's wonderfully descriptive and full of metaphors. It is however, far too advanced for their years, it gives me flashbacks to that late 1990s series Dawson's Creek! (Who remembers that?) This is especially evident, juxtaposed with their typical teenage strops and love and video games.

Hazel's favourite novel, 'An Imperial Affliction' written by the reclusive Peter Van Houten, forms a base for the story. Her favourite book ends without closure. Determined to find out what happened to the characters of the book, Augustus plans to use his 'wish', granted to children with cancer (Hazel has already used hers) to take Hazel to meet her literary hero in Holland. Hazel however becomes very ill and ends up in hospital, as her 'crappy lungs' fill up with fluid. Following this episode, Hazel makes up her mind not to get romantically involved with Augustus, as she doesn't want to leave him broken hearted when she dies.

Once recovered, and after much persuasion, her parents and doctors agree that she can travel to Holland. Hazel, her mother and Augustus arrive in Holland, where inevitably, Hazel and Augustus fall in love and begin their relationship. The trip doesn't go exactly as planned because her hero Van Houten, is certainly not the literary genius they expected. Instead they find an alcoholic, bitter cynical man, who refuses to answer how his book ends. Nonetheless the trip isn't entirely wasted as the couple's true feelings are revealed as they admit their love for each other. Augustus also reveals an ironic twist in the tale that changes the whole perspective of the story.
More is revealed as the story ends, about Hazel, Augustus and Van Houten.

I've not really mentioned, that throughout the story, cancer is a major character of the novel. The struggles of daily life and the perspective of a cancer sufferer is very evident and real. Not only Hazel's struggles, but also those of her parents and the other kids at the support group. The protagonist Hazel, is philosophical and realistic, but her vulnerability is also evident. She has a wonderful sense of humour and her sarcasm about how cancer sufferers are treated by society is refreshing. Augustus is also a well developed character, but I find him a little less believable. He appears to be the most perfect gentleman, which at the age of sixteen, having been through an ordeal that would leave most young men quite angry and bitter I find a bit idealistic. He is wildly romantic and talks in vivid descriptive metaphors, which I found to be a little bit pretentious for a teenager hooked on war role playing video games.

There are other characters that I would have liked to learnt more about. Lidewij, (Van Houten's assistant), Issac and Van Houten in particular. They definitely have interior lives that would be well worth exploring further. It is touched on briefly, which I suppose is adequate, given the focus of the book is on Hazel and Augustus. All of the characters in the book have been affected by cancer, making cancer the antagonist character of the story.
There are some flat characters of the story, such as Hazel's only friend outside of support group. A shallow British girl Kaitlyn, who finds it difficult to connect with Hazel other than on a superficial level.

It is important to remember that this book is written for young adults, it is not an adult book. That said, it is no less enjoyable to read. The hype surrounding this book is no doubt follows the rising popularity in young adult fiction, whilst I found the novel compelling and touching, I've not found it to be life changing, like so many have suggested. In spite of this opinion, I can see how it could be for a teenager, its target audience. It's certainly an uplifting book, despite its subject matter. It has a positive message and it's characters are well-rounded with beautiful dialogue. It's certainly a book I will be urging my daughter to read when she is a few years older. Well worth a read.

Book Review: Paula Spencer by Roddy Doyle

Paula Spencer. Roddy Doyle. Pub.2006. (277 pages).

I first encountered the character of Paula Spencer in Doyle's earlier novel 'The Woman Who Walked Into Doors'. (1996).

The book was recommended to me by my literature tutor, as a good example of working class fiction, which stood out largely due to Doyle's creation of Paula Spencer, an ordinary housewife and mother, who endured years of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her husband Charlo. She was also an alcoholic. 

I enjoyed this book so much so that I chose it as the subject of one of my literature modules for my course.  

Therefore, when I discovered there was a sequel to 'The Woman Who Walked Into Doors', set ten years later, I couldn't wait to get reading in the hope that Paula had blossomed after Charlo's death.

The book begins on Paula's 48th birthday. She has been sober for four months and five days. Life around Paula has changed. Dublin is now home to coffee shops and delicatessens. She still works as a cleaner, but all of her colleagues seem to be young women from Eastern Europe. Her youngest children Jack and Leanne still live at home. 

The book's main focus is on Paula's daily struggle to remain sober and to rebuild  relationships with her children. Years of dealing abuse and alcoholism has distanced her from them. 

Her eldest daughter Nicola has made a success of her life and is frequently buying her gifts. Nicola was the child that witnessed most of her father's abuse towards her mother and perhaps is not resentful towards her mother because of this. Yet Nicola's generosity and concern annoy Paula, she feels humiliated by the support given to her from her daughter, but she's proud of her too. There is a lot of ambivalence in Paula's feelings throughout the book towards all of her children.

John Paul, her eldest son, left home a heroin addict in the previous book. Paula has been estranged from him for nine years, four months and thirteen days. He turns up at Paula's house, before she had stopped drinking. He's now clean. No more drugs, back from the dead. He asks if she is sober:

''John Paul looked straight at her. And she realised. It made her want to die or kill him-he expected her to answer''. (p.54)

John Paul idolised his father, he had no parent to guide him during his formative years, and the guilt that Paula feels because this throughout the book is overwhelming. Their relationship is very awkward and the sensation of 'the elephant in the room' is ever-present when they meet.

Leanne, her youngest daughter lives with Paula. Their relationship is dogged by skeletons of the past. Leanne was the most affected by her parents relationship. The book documents Leanne's descent into alcoholism, and Paula's subsequent reaction. There is so much anger in Leanne's character towards her mother and at times it can be difficult to understand why, especially as the narration is entirely third person from Paula's point of view. 

''Leanne scares Paula. The guilt. It's always there. Leanne is twenty-two. Leanne wets her bed. Leanne deals with it. It's terrible.

Her fault. Paula's fault. The whole mess. Most of Leanne's life''. (p.5)

The recurring theme of violence rears its head in this relationship, as Paula again becomes victim to a few outbursts from Leanne. 

Her baby, Jack, is now sixteen. Severely repressed, stays in his room, terrified of his mother falling off the waggon. It is clear he is Paula's favourite. She is concerned by his introspective personality, but there are no ambivalent of feelings towards him like there are for her other children. 

The narrative of the book is entirely third person, which I am not sure I like. One of the great features of Paula's characterisation in the first book, was her idiolect and free indirect speech. This still occurs, but there is no first person narrative whatsoever.

In some ways Paula Spencer is quite depressing. Life around her has changed, Dublin has moved with the times, society and culture has changed, Ireland is not such a repressive place as it was during the height of her abuse. Yet Paula hasn't changed, she has adapted somewhat. However, she is still a victim of Charlo's abuse. He enters her thoughts frequently and has left a huge psychological scar. She is the one shouldering the blame for the inadequate parenting received by their children, yet she is also a victim.

I warmed to Paula immediately in The Woman Who Walked Into Doors. In Paula Spencer, I didn't. This may have been Doyle's intention, to realistically portray the inner thoughts of a recovering alcoholic. Her thoughts towards her children, at times, are shocking and seem unloving, but considering her life are perhaps realistic. Likewise, the children's attitudes towards their mother, who was abused horrifically by their father seem to lack empathy. The blame appears to be all apportioned to her. Perhaps this is just due to the way the book is written from Paula's third person point of view and her perception of it? Or it could be because she was an alcoholic and 'absent' from them for a large period of their lives, that they cannot trust her?

A positive relationship, that remains, is the one with her sister Carmel. Carmel has been there for Paula through everything and remains firmly by her side. There becomes a point in the book where it is Paula's turn to be a rock for Carmel, which I believe she does. The sisterly bond is arguably the most enjoyable relationship throughout this book.

Whatever the reason for the awkwardness and difficulties in rebuilding the relationships with her children, one thing that is missing from this book is a resolution. I found myself turning each page, believing an almighty showdown would surely occur. It definitely was needed by the family, too many things had been left unsaid. Yet it never occurred. And I think that is the beauty of the book. Like its predecessor, the realism is solid. The atmosphere created between the characters is thick with tension that never really gets resolved. They're just getting on with life as best they can, hoping that each day will be less of a struggle, and that each day takes them a step further from the past.

I must admit, I was slightly disappointed in the characterisation of Paula this time round. I also desired more for her. I wanted her to have turned her life around following Charlo's death. I guess that's what all readers want for a good protagonist. But I do believe Mr Doyle has given his readers a slice of real life. Paula will never have a fairy tale life, like many of us, she is just getting by, taking each step as it comes.