The Giver by Lois Lowry (1992)
Read: December 2009
I was recommended this book by one of my students. We had been talking in class about how we experience sense and the example of the Matrix came up about our senses being fooled. This student kept saying "Just like in The Giver" and assuming that I knew it. I assumed the book would be an adult novel, but actually it's a teenagers book and one that they teach at school, so I managed to get myself a copy and read it over the weekend.
The Giver follows Jonus and his life in the community with his parental unit. Everything is controlled and determined, for example you have to apply to become a parental unit and then your compatibility is tested before you are given a partner - you don't get to choose, as you might choose wrong. Everyone has their job, that again is determined by the council - they don't let you choose you job as you may choose wrong. The story starts as Jonus is about to be assigned his job.
Jonus is assigned that of a Receiver. In fact he is The Receiver, as there is only one in the whole community. Jonus isn't allowed to tell anyone about his job and he discovers that he is the receiver of memories - the collective memories of times gone by. These memories show feelings, colours and experiences that the community no longer have since everything was regulated.
The book was really good and I had to agree with the student who recommended it to me that it was similar to the ideas in The Matrix and our class discussion about how you experience senses, and how we could possibly know whether what we feel, what we see is true, or an illusion. It was a good book for this age group too - I can imagine it would be really engaging for them and there is lots for them to think about at this level.
Sunday, 13 December 2009
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Sugar Street by Naguib Mafouz
Sugar Street by Naguib Mafouz
Read: December 2009 - January 2010
I started this term off reading some of the books bought over the summer, but realised that I wanted to finish the Cairo Trilogy before the year was out and so borrowed this from the Library to read over Christmas. I got about a third of the way through and then finished the rest in January. The story picks up a number of years on with the heads of the family showing their age, and the children living married life.
The constants are Amina and Ahmed, who are no longer called "the father" and "the mother" in the second person, but are always referred to by name. It is in fact the family name that plays a key role in the stories of this book. As the grandchildren are getting jobs, their father's name and their uncle's name secure them positions. Kamal falls for the sister of an old friend, where again the family name provides a link between the past and the present. In the closing chapters it is the family name, and that of the martyr Fahmy, that hopes to save the brothers from prison.
But the constants of family change in this final book. Ahmed Al-Sayed's deteriorating health means he gives up his business, but cannot give up his determination. The occasion of his death hits the family very hard, and there is mourning across the whole distract which he has inhabited. As the book closes, Amina is near-death and it is this that bring a realisation and close to the saga. Without Amina and Al-Sayed the children are at a loss and an era is drawn to an end.
With so many characters now in the family, it was hard to follow everyone's story and personal journey. Kamal continues to drive himself to distraction with his refusal to marry, but his desire for Aida and then Budur. The family do not know how to advise him and he doesn't know himself what he really wants. He chooses to follow his career and seems satisfied with his successes there, but you can see the longing for something more - although he would never commit to that.
I was unsure about Yasin at the end of the book. Throughout this book he had made a good attempt at his marriage, as had Zanuba with the position of being his wife. She had become accepted at the Coffee Mornings - the key aspect of life in Palace Walk - but he is still seen and sometimes acts as the wild sibling.
Al-Husayn is a constant for Amina, and it is right that he days end with a visit planned. Whilst religion has changed in meaning for many members of the family, it was still a point of belief (one way or another) for them all, which ended up defining most of their journeys.
Read: December 2009 - January 2010
I started this term off reading some of the books bought over the summer, but realised that I wanted to finish the Cairo Trilogy before the year was out and so borrowed this from the Library to read over Christmas. I got about a third of the way through and then finished the rest in January. The story picks up a number of years on with the heads of the family showing their age, and the children living married life.
The constants are Amina and Ahmed, who are no longer called "the father" and "the mother" in the second person, but are always referred to by name. It is in fact the family name that plays a key role in the stories of this book. As the grandchildren are getting jobs, their father's name and their uncle's name secure them positions. Kamal falls for the sister of an old friend, where again the family name provides a link between the past and the present. In the closing chapters it is the family name, and that of the martyr Fahmy, that hopes to save the brothers from prison.
But the constants of family change in this final book. Ahmed Al-Sayed's deteriorating health means he gives up his business, but cannot give up his determination. The occasion of his death hits the family very hard, and there is mourning across the whole distract which he has inhabited. As the book closes, Amina is near-death and it is this that bring a realisation and close to the saga. Without Amina and Al-Sayed the children are at a loss and an era is drawn to an end.
With so many characters now in the family, it was hard to follow everyone's story and personal journey. Kamal continues to drive himself to distraction with his refusal to marry, but his desire for Aida and then Budur. The family do not know how to advise him and he doesn't know himself what he really wants. He chooses to follow his career and seems satisfied with his successes there, but you can see the longing for something more - although he would never commit to that.
I was unsure about Yasin at the end of the book. Throughout this book he had made a good attempt at his marriage, as had Zanuba with the position of being his wife. She had become accepted at the Coffee Mornings - the key aspect of life in Palace Walk - but he is still seen and sometimes acts as the wild sibling.
Al-Husayn is a constant for Amina, and it is right that he days end with a visit planned. Whilst religion has changed in meaning for many members of the family, it was still a point of belief (one way or another) for them all, which ended up defining most of their journeys.
McCarthy's Bar by Pete McCarthy
McCarthy's Bar by Pete McCarthy
Read: November 2009
Came across this book when a colleague was having a book sale as they were leaving Egypt. Looked interesting from the cover - something about Ireland, traveling and a biography/non-fiction of sorts equals my cup of tea. Scotty read this first and managed to get hold of and read another by McCarthy, The Road to McCarthy, that I will read too in due course.
I initially liked the premise for this book; that if you see a bar with your name on it, you have to go in and have a drink. And so for McCarthy, in Ireland, he finds himself busy drinking! McCarthy goes on this journey relaly though to explore whether his Irish heritage, having living in England all his life. Whilst the idea was a good one to start with, I did find that the book rambled somewhat aimlessly around - maybe this was the idea and the natural way you woud explore Ireland, but I guess I just wanted a bit more direction and way-markers!
I'm not so sure about the ending, when he does finally manage to make the spiritual retreat that he finds advertised early on in the book. I didn't feel that his journey had to cumulate into something religious-based. Although maybe all will be revealed in the next book?
Read: November 2009
Came across this book when a colleague was having a book sale as they were leaving Egypt. Looked interesting from the cover - something about Ireland, traveling and a biography/non-fiction of sorts equals my cup of tea. Scotty read this first and managed to get hold of and read another by McCarthy, The Road to McCarthy, that I will read too in due course.
I initially liked the premise for this book; that if you see a bar with your name on it, you have to go in and have a drink. And so for McCarthy, in Ireland, he finds himself busy drinking! McCarthy goes on this journey relaly though to explore whether his Irish heritage, having living in England all his life. Whilst the idea was a good one to start with, I did find that the book rambled somewhat aimlessly around - maybe this was the idea and the natural way you woud explore Ireland, but I guess I just wanted a bit more direction and way-markers!
I'm not so sure about the ending, when he does finally manage to make the spiritual retreat that he finds advertised early on in the book. I didn't feel that his journey had to cumulate into something religious-based. Although maybe all will be revealed in the next book?
Saint - With Red Hands by Y Bridges and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or the murder at Road Hill House by Kate Summerscale
Saint - With Red Hands by Y Bridges (1954)
Read: November 2009
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or the murder at Road Hill House by Kate Summerscale (2008)
Read: November-December 2009
I was bought a copy of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by a friend as it had been Book of the Week on BBC Radio 4 earlier in the year and part of the Richard and Judy Bookclub - my friend and parents had read it and thought it was a good book. My father disagreed though and found me a copy of Saint - With Red Hands which tells the same story, but was written 50 years earlier, that he felt was a much better portrayal of the story.
The story is of the Kent family in the 1860's and the murder of their second youngest child. The young boy was murdered overnight when the family and a few trusted maids were in the house. The house was locked from the inside with no sign of a break-in and the case caused a lot of media interest and a lot of amateur sleuths to speculate as to the method, means and motivation of the murder. Both books cover the story of the family from the day the murder was discovered, to the cases' "conclusion" when a suspect is convicted years later. They dip into previous events in the family that may have contributed toward the motive, and also cover the story of Mr Whicher, the detective assigned to the case.
I read Saint - With Red Hands first and then waited about a month before reading The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. I wanted to leave a little gap, but not too long that I would totally forget the first book and thus be unable to compare them. It's hard to say whether I enjoyed one more than another as they had slightly different focuses and structures.
With Red Hands, for example examined the case chronologically starting with the day before the murder and then dealt with each event as it happened. Suspicions on the other hand only dealt with events in the order they were brought to the authorities attention. This meant details about a missing nightdress were given to the reader in a different order. In this respect I preferred With Red Hands as I could sleuth and make my own theories as I went along. Maybe I should have preferred Suspicions as then my sleuthing would have been at the same pace as Mr Whicher himself.
Suspicions was broader in scope than With Red Hands as it gave a lot of Mr Whicher's back story and that of the development of the detective wing of the Met which was taking place at the time of the murder. I did enjoy and find this aspect interesting.
I found that With Red Hands gave a more detailed account of the crime, witnesses, trial and evidence (lost or otherwise). There were some details that I read here that were hardly covered in Suspicions, which, because of the order I read them in, made me feel that I had enjoyed With Red Hands more. Maybe these details were left out because with time since the event they have been discredited.
The time since the event, and between the two books, allowed Suspicions to include more recent research, especially around the fate of the Kent family post-conviction. It followed the siblings to Australia and had detail and a range of evidence about their activities there.
Overall I think that The Suspicions of Mr Whicher was a lighter, more diverse read, but that Saint - With Red Hands gave a more detailed case file.
Read: November 2009
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or the murder at Road Hill House by Kate Summerscale (2008)
Read: November-December 2009
I was bought a copy of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by a friend as it had been Book of the Week on BBC Radio 4 earlier in the year and part of the Richard and Judy Bookclub - my friend and parents had read it and thought it was a good book. My father disagreed though and found me a copy of Saint - With Red Hands which tells the same story, but was written 50 years earlier, that he felt was a much better portrayal of the story.
The story is of the Kent family in the 1860's and the murder of their second youngest child. The young boy was murdered overnight when the family and a few trusted maids were in the house. The house was locked from the inside with no sign of a break-in and the case caused a lot of media interest and a lot of amateur sleuths to speculate as to the method, means and motivation of the murder. Both books cover the story of the family from the day the murder was discovered, to the cases' "conclusion" when a suspect is convicted years later. They dip into previous events in the family that may have contributed toward the motive, and also cover the story of Mr Whicher, the detective assigned to the case.
I read Saint - With Red Hands first and then waited about a month before reading The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. I wanted to leave a little gap, but not too long that I would totally forget the first book and thus be unable to compare them. It's hard to say whether I enjoyed one more than another as they had slightly different focuses and structures.
With Red Hands, for example examined the case chronologically starting with the day before the murder and then dealt with each event as it happened. Suspicions on the other hand only dealt with events in the order they were brought to the authorities attention. This meant details about a missing nightdress were given to the reader in a different order. In this respect I preferred With Red Hands as I could sleuth and make my own theories as I went along. Maybe I should have preferred Suspicions as then my sleuthing would have been at the same pace as Mr Whicher himself.
Suspicions was broader in scope than With Red Hands as it gave a lot of Mr Whicher's back story and that of the development of the detective wing of the Met which was taking place at the time of the murder. I did enjoy and find this aspect interesting.
I found that With Red Hands gave a more detailed account of the crime, witnesses, trial and evidence (lost or otherwise). There were some details that I read here that were hardly covered in Suspicions, which, because of the order I read them in, made me feel that I had enjoyed With Red Hands more. Maybe these details were left out because with time since the event they have been discredited.
The time since the event, and between the two books, allowed Suspicions to include more recent research, especially around the fate of the Kent family post-conviction. It followed the siblings to Australia and had detail and a range of evidence about their activities there.
Overall I think that The Suspicions of Mr Whicher was a lighter, more diverse read, but that Saint - With Red Hands gave a more detailed case file.
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
He Took Me Kidney, Then Broke My Heart by Dave Spikey
He Took Me Kidney, Then Broke My Heart by Dave Spikey (2009)
Read: Sometime in 2009 most likely
Ah we do love Dave Spikey. Obviously starting with Phoenix Nights and then we saw him in stand up and had a brilliant night (he was supported by the tiger-face one from Phoenix Nights too whcih was cool!) at the Corn Exchange. In fact from what we've seen of Peter Kay live DVDs because he is in such huge venues it doesn't seem as good at all as Dave Spikey.
The book is based on bizarre news stories and Spikey provides commentry. This is an idea we loved and laughed so hard at when we saw him in London. In book form it starts to translate, but it's not wuite as good as live. The headlines mainly have it, sometimes a few lines from the stories themselves are classic, but for about half of them it feels like clutching at straws or that he is working too hard to press home the gag - not needed.
Not as good as the stand up, but still a great book and I'd love to see him live again.
Read: Sometime in 2009 most likely
Ah we do love Dave Spikey. Obviously starting with Phoenix Nights and then we saw him in stand up and had a brilliant night (he was supported by the tiger-face one from Phoenix Nights too whcih was cool!) at the Corn Exchange. In fact from what we've seen of Peter Kay live DVDs because he is in such huge venues it doesn't seem as good at all as Dave Spikey.
The book is based on bizarre news stories and Spikey provides commentry. This is an idea we loved and laughed so hard at when we saw him in London. In book form it starts to translate, but it's not wuite as good as live. The headlines mainly have it, sometimes a few lines from the stories themselves are classic, but for about half of them it feels like clutching at straws or that he is working too hard to press home the gag - not needed.
Not as good as the stand up, but still a great book and I'd love to see him live again.
Monday, 12 October 2009
Payback by Margaret Atwood
Payback by Margaret Atwood (2008)
Read: October 2009
Interesting premise - especially in the current climate. Not just exploring finance, but non-monetory forms of "oweing".
Scroodge analogy works and is interesting at first, but an extended metaphore bores the point home.
Read: October 2009
Interesting premise - especially in the current climate. Not just exploring finance, but non-monetory forms of "oweing".
Scroodge analogy works and is interesting at first, but an extended metaphore bores the point home.
Sunday, 11 October 2009
By Any Means by Charley Boorman
By Any Means by Charley Boorman
Read: September-October 2009
We'd enjoyed this series on TV, as well as Charley's previous Race to Dakar and Long Way Round/Down, so thought we'd get the book over the summer for a good summer read.
It was a good summer read and covered the story in a little more detail than the TV programmes did. Fortunatly the book didn't make as big a deal about the "different forms of transport" used which seemed quite dubious at times in the show. The book focused more on the different countries and cultural expereinces Charley had but again had Russ and Mungo featured which we both enjoyed - adding a bit more than just Charley-fest to the show/book.
We've now started watching By Any Means 2 where Charley travels North through Australia and then around the Pacific Rim to Japan (I think that's where he will end up). This does rememdy the "we're going to count every single vehical we get in, no matter how similar it was to the last one" problem, and grounds the show more in the area of using culturally/geographically interesting/unique forms of transport, which I am pleased about. On the other hand though it seems Russ is producing from a distance, and the camera focuses solely on Charley. One of the aspects that I liked about this book and the original series was the interaction between Charley and the others, so we'll just have to see how this pans out.
OK gone on enough about the next series, back to the original By Any Means - good book again by Charley, in the same vein as before so if you liked the others this one will be a good read.
Read: September-October 2009
We'd enjoyed this series on TV, as well as Charley's previous Race to Dakar and Long Way Round/Down, so thought we'd get the book over the summer for a good summer read.
It was a good summer read and covered the story in a little more detail than the TV programmes did. Fortunatly the book didn't make as big a deal about the "different forms of transport" used which seemed quite dubious at times in the show. The book focused more on the different countries and cultural expereinces Charley had but again had Russ and Mungo featured which we both enjoyed - adding a bit more than just Charley-fest to the show/book.
We've now started watching By Any Means 2 where Charley travels North through Australia and then around the Pacific Rim to Japan (I think that's where he will end up). This does rememdy the "we're going to count every single vehical we get in, no matter how similar it was to the last one" problem, and grounds the show more in the area of using culturally/geographically interesting/unique forms of transport, which I am pleased about. On the other hand though it seems Russ is producing from a distance, and the camera focuses solely on Charley. One of the aspects that I liked about this book and the original series was the interaction between Charley and the others, so we'll just have to see how this pans out.
OK gone on enough about the next series, back to the original By Any Means - good book again by Charley, in the same vein as before so if you liked the others this one will be a good read.
Saturday, 26 September 2009
Knowledge of Angels by Jill Paton Walsh
Knowledge of Angels by Jill Paton Walsh
Read: September 2009
This book was kindly left with us by a visitor last year and we both took a long time in getting round to reading it. Scotty raed it first about 6 months ago and I finally picked it up when we were heading to Dahab for a holiday. I think I read it within a week. It was one of those "can't put down" books but with real substance and a meaty topic, so although you want to keep reading you, you are already mourning the fact that you will finish it soon.
Knowledge of Angels is set in a ficticious time on a ficticious island when a traveller and a child raised by wolves appear. The Church doesn't know what to do with these two non-believers and somehow an experiment takes place to see if knowledge of god is alraedy within us, or does it have to be taught.
A really interesting read, as I said, and one I in fact used in my Theory of Knowledge class in discussions of "how do we know?"
Read: September 2009
This book was kindly left with us by a visitor last year and we both took a long time in getting round to reading it. Scotty raed it first about 6 months ago and I finally picked it up when we were heading to Dahab for a holiday. I think I read it within a week. It was one of those "can't put down" books but with real substance and a meaty topic, so although you want to keep reading you, you are already mourning the fact that you will finish it soon.
Knowledge of Angels is set in a ficticious time on a ficticious island when a traveller and a child raised by wolves appear. The Church doesn't know what to do with these two non-believers and somehow an experiment takes place to see if knowledge of god is alraedy within us, or does it have to be taught.
A really interesting read, as I said, and one I in fact used in my Theory of Knowledge class in discussions of "how do we know?"
Mapping America
Mapping America by
Read: August-September 2009
Full author details on their way - have lent this book to someone and can't find details online!
This book was about how America was graually mapped and settlers and explorers moved Westwards. It divided its focus between the cultural aspects of the process of settlement and the mechanics of mapping the new land.
The process of apping took place in a very systematical way - simly East to West, no matter what the terrain! While the process of surveying the land and mapping it was taking place, there were advances in getting a single unit of measurement recognised, and this aided the project.
Culturally the book also considers the change in attitudes towards land and land ownership. It is interesting to see this documented in America and then comparisons drawn to the rest of the world at the time.
Whilst the book allows you to see the American Dream building, it does not dwell overly on desire to own land and the consequences this had for indigenous people and inpact on society today.
An interesting book that goes into the detail of the process of mapping and development of a single measurement unit.
Read: August-September 2009
Full author details on their way - have lent this book to someone and can't find details online!
This book was about how America was graually mapped and settlers and explorers moved Westwards. It divided its focus between the cultural aspects of the process of settlement and the mechanics of mapping the new land.
The process of apping took place in a very systematical way - simly East to West, no matter what the terrain! While the process of surveying the land and mapping it was taking place, there were advances in getting a single unit of measurement recognised, and this aided the project.
Culturally the book also considers the change in attitudes towards land and land ownership. It is interesting to see this documented in America and then comparisons drawn to the rest of the world at the time.
Whilst the book allows you to see the American Dream building, it does not dwell overly on desire to own land and the consequences this had for indigenous people and inpact on society today.
An interesting book that goes into the detail of the process of mapping and development of a single measurement unit.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Friends Like These by Danny Wallace
Friends Like These by Danny Wallace, 2008
Read: August 2009
We bought this book when it came out last year as we have read and enjoyed all of Danny's other books. Scott read it last summer, but we left it in the UK so I only had a chance to read it when getting back there this summer.
Like his other books, Danny writes in a really relaxed style that is enjoyable to read. I can really see the "boy projects" he embarks on and how they are fun, but possibly frustrating for others! I felt that sometimes in this book Danny played up the "I'm not ready to grow up yet" card, but there was a nice sentiment around the idea of finding old friends that you'd lost touch with.
It was really funny, because in the middle of reading this I had an appointment at the doctors near MVR and bumped into a friend from Primary school that I hadn't seen in a good 5 years. What made it more random was that although I knew his parents, and my parents, still lived in the same area, the surgery was one that neither family went to when we knew each other. It turns out that he has been living abroad for the past year and is doing a second year abroad too - small world!!
Read: August 2009
We bought this book when it came out last year as we have read and enjoyed all of Danny's other books. Scott read it last summer, but we left it in the UK so I only had a chance to read it when getting back there this summer.
Like his other books, Danny writes in a really relaxed style that is enjoyable to read. I can really see the "boy projects" he embarks on and how they are fun, but possibly frustrating for others! I felt that sometimes in this book Danny played up the "I'm not ready to grow up yet" card, but there was a nice sentiment around the idea of finding old friends that you'd lost touch with.
It was really funny, because in the middle of reading this I had an appointment at the doctors near MVR and bumped into a friend from Primary school that I hadn't seen in a good 5 years. What made it more random was that although I knew his parents, and my parents, still lived in the same area, the surgery was one that neither family went to when we knew each other. It turns out that he has been living abroad for the past year and is doing a second year abroad too - small world!!
Friday, 4 September 2009
The Olivetti Chronicles by John Peel
The Olivetti Chronicles by John Peel, 2008
Read: June and September 2009
Fabia gave us a copy of this book for Christmas 2008 - thanks to J&N for bringing it over! Scott read it first in Jan-Feb-March (it's a big book!) but it took me a little longer to start on it you'll see! It's a collection of articles that John Peel wrote over three decades for various magazines from the music press to Radio Times. The articles aren't organised chronologically, as I'd expected, but instead are alphabetical. His widow, Sheila, explains that the family chose this order, as it meant you got a surprise and something new as you read it.
As the articles are all only a few pages, it is a great book to dip in and out of - very suitable for toilet reading - and so it wasn't a problem that I read this in Cairo, either side of our summer break in England. I'm not a toilet-book kind of person really, so would try and read this for longer periods of the time on the couch instead. I found myself needing to take a little break between each article to make sure my head was clear for the sudden change in direction and time that each new page brings.
John Peel has an amazing written style, that manages to be as personable as his radio presenting. You always feel that he is talking directly to you and you feel that you not only know him, but you know his family, and that he knows you and yours. I must admit that some of the musical references went over my head, not being as familiar with the broad range of music that he was - is anyone??!! The glory of his writing is that he talks about the mundane, but then also talks about the amazing - such as backstage at festivals - and brings out the mundane.
This was a really nice book to read this summer alongside his autobiography, Margrave of the Marshes. I'm not sure the best order to read the two in - maybe do it as I did and read his autobiography in the middle of this one! Having read his autobiography, and have him talk about all aspects of his life, it was great to read all he had written at the time about his life, the mundane and the slightly less mundane.
Read: June and September 2009
Fabia gave us a copy of this book for Christmas 2008 - thanks to J&N for bringing it over! Scott read it first in Jan-Feb-March (it's a big book!) but it took me a little longer to start on it you'll see! It's a collection of articles that John Peel wrote over three decades for various magazines from the music press to Radio Times. The articles aren't organised chronologically, as I'd expected, but instead are alphabetical. His widow, Sheila, explains that the family chose this order, as it meant you got a surprise and something new as you read it.
As the articles are all only a few pages, it is a great book to dip in and out of - very suitable for toilet reading - and so it wasn't a problem that I read this in Cairo, either side of our summer break in England. I'm not a toilet-book kind of person really, so would try and read this for longer periods of the time on the couch instead. I found myself needing to take a little break between each article to make sure my head was clear for the sudden change in direction and time that each new page brings.
John Peel has an amazing written style, that manages to be as personable as his radio presenting. You always feel that he is talking directly to you and you feel that you not only know him, but you know his family, and that he knows you and yours. I must admit that some of the musical references went over my head, not being as familiar with the broad range of music that he was - is anyone??!! The glory of his writing is that he talks about the mundane, but then also talks about the amazing - such as backstage at festivals - and brings out the mundane.
This was a really nice book to read this summer alongside his autobiography, Margrave of the Marshes. I'm not sure the best order to read the two in - maybe do it as I did and read his autobiography in the middle of this one! Having read his autobiography, and have him talk about all aspects of his life, it was great to read all he had written at the time about his life, the mundane and the slightly less mundane.
Dalek I Loved You by Nick Griffiths
Dalek I Loved You by Nick Griffiths, 2007
Read: August 2009
Nick Griffiths grew up a Dr Who fan, often with Dr Who being present in defining moments of his growing up. Now a journalist, he has lived out many a Who-fans dream by meeting the stars, writers and going on set. This book is about his love for Dr Who and how it features in his life, then and now.
An enjoyable book, but some bits were difficult for me as I never really watched Dr Who growing up. I remember the odd Sylvester McCoy and Ace episode and then timing my bathroom visits with the entrance of Daleks on the scene. So references to Tom Baker and many a classic episode did go over my head.
It's refreshing to see a journalist be in awe of his interviewees and so nervous about what to say and do around them. Not because they are Branjelina-style famous, but because they are so famous to you, personally. For me, watching the "new" Dr Who, you sometimes feel you know Eccleston, Piper and Tennant, so it is reassuring when he talks about having met and interviewed them - they are as lovely and personable in real life as you feel the characters are on screen.
.....looking forward to the last Christmas Special for Tennant's Dr and then we'll just have to see if the magic remains with a new Dr, companion and writing team. I certainly hope so :)
Read: August 2009
Nick Griffiths grew up a Dr Who fan, often with Dr Who being present in defining moments of his growing up. Now a journalist, he has lived out many a Who-fans dream by meeting the stars, writers and going on set. This book is about his love for Dr Who and how it features in his life, then and now.
An enjoyable book, but some bits were difficult for me as I never really watched Dr Who growing up. I remember the odd Sylvester McCoy and Ace episode and then timing my bathroom visits with the entrance of Daleks on the scene. So references to Tom Baker and many a classic episode did go over my head.
It's refreshing to see a journalist be in awe of his interviewees and so nervous about what to say and do around them. Not because they are Branjelina-style famous, but because they are so famous to you, personally. For me, watching the "new" Dr Who, you sometimes feel you know Eccleston, Piper and Tennant, so it is reassuring when he talks about having met and interviewed them - they are as lovely and personable in real life as you feel the characters are on screen.
.....looking forward to the last Christmas Special for Tennant's Dr and then we'll just have to see if the magic remains with a new Dr, companion and writing team. I certainly hope so :)
Bit of a Blur by Alex James
Bit of a Blur by Alex James, 2007
Read: August 2009
This was an HMV special buy and about as close as I get to a "light summer read" not really being a girly-book-on-the-beach type reader.
Alex James obviously wrote it to coincide with getting back into the public eye - writing for various country/mens mags and Blur reforming last year. It's got a style to it, that makes you feel Alex James has actually written it, rather than being heavily ghost written, as some autobiogs can be. But the writing and the book itself doesn't have very much depth.
The most interesting parts of the book are when Alex talks about getting to college - where the first person he meets is Graham. It is through Graham that he is invited to meet Damon and possibly play in a band. The early days of Blur, nee Seymore, are interesting as they start out, but he jumps ahead too quickly and on reflection there isn't much about how they started together and tried to make it.
The book doesn't talk as much as I would have liked it to about how they wrote their songs. Although a lot of song credits go to the band as a whole, it seems to be Damon that writes the lyrics and outline melody that the rest of the band then fill in. Alex James comes across as very arrogant about his own playing, and the band itself. Maybe this isn't a problem for other readers who are huge fans, but it does feel like a stuck record whenever the narrative talks about how they wrote this hit, or that, and just describes it as "we were just brilliant as a band and all knew each other's playing instinctively". The exception is when he talks about Song 2 and then his side-project of Fat Les and the song Vindaloo. The detail here is great and a real insight.
A "Bit of a Blur" is about right, when it comes to Alex James talking about the bands antics and alcohol. I should probably give him credit for being truthful about the amount of booze and he drank and women he slept with, but I had no sympathy for him when he talked about the dilemma he faced between being a slag around London and his girlfriend from home that was his soul mate.
Although there were some nice insights in this book, I didn't enjoy reading about his infidelity and arrogance.
Read: August 2009
This was an HMV special buy and about as close as I get to a "light summer read" not really being a girly-book-on-the-beach type reader.
Alex James obviously wrote it to coincide with getting back into the public eye - writing for various country/mens mags and Blur reforming last year. It's got a style to it, that makes you feel Alex James has actually written it, rather than being heavily ghost written, as some autobiogs can be. But the writing and the book itself doesn't have very much depth.
The most interesting parts of the book are when Alex talks about getting to college - where the first person he meets is Graham. It is through Graham that he is invited to meet Damon and possibly play in a band. The early days of Blur, nee Seymore, are interesting as they start out, but he jumps ahead too quickly and on reflection there isn't much about how they started together and tried to make it.
The book doesn't talk as much as I would have liked it to about how they wrote their songs. Although a lot of song credits go to the band as a whole, it seems to be Damon that writes the lyrics and outline melody that the rest of the band then fill in. Alex James comes across as very arrogant about his own playing, and the band itself. Maybe this isn't a problem for other readers who are huge fans, but it does feel like a stuck record whenever the narrative talks about how they wrote this hit, or that, and just describes it as "we were just brilliant as a band and all knew each other's playing instinctively". The exception is when he talks about Song 2 and then his side-project of Fat Les and the song Vindaloo. The detail here is great and a real insight.
A "Bit of a Blur" is about right, when it comes to Alex James talking about the bands antics and alcohol. I should probably give him credit for being truthful about the amount of booze and he drank and women he slept with, but I had no sympathy for him when he talked about the dilemma he faced between being a slag around London and his girlfriend from home that was his soul mate.
Although there were some nice insights in this book, I didn't enjoy reading about his infidelity and arrogance.
Teacup In A Storm by Mick Conefrey
Teacup In A Storm: An Explorer's Guide to Life by Mick Conefrey, 2005
Read: July 2009
In this book, Mick Conefrey looks at the art of exploration and all the different factors that go into an expedition. The book is enjoyable as it isn't too academic, but remains non-fiction.
The author draws on a range of examples for each section of the book; planning, selecting a team leader, selecting an expedition team, retuning home etc. I really like the different sections, as I hadn't thought of an expedition on those ways before. The examples range from classical, to more modern day expeditions, different climates, different physical environments and different styles of expedition. Some are exploratory, some more experimental. But all offer an interesting view into life, in some form or other, as part of an expedition.
I especially enjoyed sections on periphery roles, such as wives that are staying at home, or the animals that form part of an expedition. It was also interesting when the author showed two different sides to a documented expedition.
Margrave of the Marshes by John Peel
Margrave of the Marshes by John Peel, 1996
Read: July 2009
While Scotty was helping Kevin set up his computer at the start of the summer, I was having a nose around downstairs and came across this. I cheekily asked if I could borrow it to read and having been granted permission both Scotty and I devoured it this summer.
This is John Peel's autobiography, although tragically he himself only was able to write less than half of it before his sudden death. His wife Sheila writes the remaining chapters with the help of their children. Again the writing is so personable that you not only feel that he is talking directly to you, but he is someone you know and who knows you. It is such an easy style to read and such an enjoyable one. Sheila manages to maintain this in her section of the book and for a moment you forget that one of the most influential broadcasters is no longer with us.
The other autobiography I read this summer glossed over an uneventful childhood, but Peel recalls some great stories, from bus journeys to dormitories, life at home to life at boarding school. When he talks about being not sure what he wants to do when he leaves school, you really feel for this kid who is just looking for something....just not very actively! I had no idea he'd been in the armed forces, but it seems he did his bit...again, just not very actively! A DJ in the making already?!
His story really kicks off when he arrives in America and is a bit more compelled to do something. His small, but expanding, collection of vinyl gets him a gig on a local radio station and his Liverpudlian accent propels him even further with Beatlemania hitting America. John obviously enjoys playing his records and he gradually finds his way, by playing records and finding and buying more to play. I really loved reading this section of the book, especially the crossing of paths between John and JFK.
As I read the book I was compelled to regularly turn to the pictures section to see the one of him in his studio at home - with the tonne of records all around him. It reminds me of MVR and my dad's room of books; there is an order than only one man can understand :) I also loved mention of demo tapes that John was constantly receiving. His dedication to promoting new music has no comparison, especially considering the genres that John would become involved in.
A great coda to this book is the inclusion of two letters John wrote to his publisher when first discussing the prospect of an autobiography. These letters contain two long lists of things that John plans to include in a shorthand with hints of stories to come. Just beautiful.
Read: July 2009
While Scotty was helping Kevin set up his computer at the start of the summer, I was having a nose around downstairs and came across this. I cheekily asked if I could borrow it to read and having been granted permission both Scotty and I devoured it this summer.
This is John Peel's autobiography, although tragically he himself only was able to write less than half of it before his sudden death. His wife Sheila writes the remaining chapters with the help of their children. Again the writing is so personable that you not only feel that he is talking directly to you, but he is someone you know and who knows you. It is such an easy style to read and such an enjoyable one. Sheila manages to maintain this in her section of the book and for a moment you forget that one of the most influential broadcasters is no longer with us.
The other autobiography I read this summer glossed over an uneventful childhood, but Peel recalls some great stories, from bus journeys to dormitories, life at home to life at boarding school. When he talks about being not sure what he wants to do when he leaves school, you really feel for this kid who is just looking for something....just not very actively! I had no idea he'd been in the armed forces, but it seems he did his bit...again, just not very actively! A DJ in the making already?!
His story really kicks off when he arrives in America and is a bit more compelled to do something. His small, but expanding, collection of vinyl gets him a gig on a local radio station and his Liverpudlian accent propels him even further with Beatlemania hitting America. John obviously enjoys playing his records and he gradually finds his way, by playing records and finding and buying more to play. I really loved reading this section of the book, especially the crossing of paths between John and JFK.
As I read the book I was compelled to regularly turn to the pictures section to see the one of him in his studio at home - with the tonne of records all around him. It reminds me of MVR and my dad's room of books; there is an order than only one man can understand :) I also loved mention of demo tapes that John was constantly receiving. His dedication to promoting new music has no comparison, especially considering the genres that John would become involved in.
A great coda to this book is the inclusion of two letters John wrote to his publisher when first discussing the prospect of an autobiography. These letters contain two long lists of things that John plans to include in a shorthand with hints of stories to come. Just beautiful.
Summer Books
Over the summer Scotty and I managed to read a fair number of books. We took to reading different books and then swapping once we had read them - and tended to coincide with each other quite well despite the different lenght and content.
Scotty ordered a few books online from PostScript and we bought some new books from HMV. Those which we didn't read over the summer we bought back with us rather sneakily in my hand-luggage. Sneakily, I say, because we have a weight limit for our hold bags, but not hand luggage - you only have to be able to "lift it without assistance into the overhead locker" and thus 13.6kg of books are now in Cairo :)
Scotty ordered a few books online from PostScript and we bought some new books from HMV. Those which we didn't read over the summer we bought back with us rather sneakily in my hand-luggage. Sneakily, I say, because we have a weight limit for our hold bags, but not hand luggage - you only have to be able to "lift it without assistance into the overhead locker" and thus 13.6kg of books are now in Cairo :)
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
Read: June 2009
This was another weighty but not heavy book from the Twilight series - and the last one...
I was told that this story was better than the last two and that there was lots of sex in it!
To be honest I found it much the sme as the other few books. That there was too much story to get through, and so much explaination and description that the 700-page book could have been two books, or coudl have been shortened to be more punchy.
There were a good few twists in the story that I didn't predict. Again it was the twists around Jacob's story that I enjoyed the most and there was some good humour in it.
I think Buffy The Vampire Slayer had some better morals - sleep with your boyfriend and he turns nasty! But this had some good morals too - unprotected sex leads to pregnancy!!
Most of the loose ends in the story have been tied up - Bella is happy, Charlie is happy, etcetc, but nothing has been totally closed from a future book. Woudl I read another book? I probably would as I have the time here and trashy/easy books can be fun. But I wouldn't buy it. I think reading this series and some of the other fiction I have read this year reminds me why I do enjoy non-fiction more, but maybe it's because I haven't quite found the fiction for me...not a teenage romance, not a singleton looking for love, but something else. I'll just have to keep looking - I have the time at least!!
Read: June 2009
This was another weighty but not heavy book from the Twilight series - and the last one...
I was told that this story was better than the last two and that there was lots of sex in it!
To be honest I found it much the sme as the other few books. That there was too much story to get through, and so much explaination and description that the 700-page book could have been two books, or coudl have been shortened to be more punchy.
There were a good few twists in the story that I didn't predict. Again it was the twists around Jacob's story that I enjoyed the most and there was some good humour in it.
I think Buffy The Vampire Slayer had some better morals - sleep with your boyfriend and he turns nasty! But this had some good morals too - unprotected sex leads to pregnancy!!
Most of the loose ends in the story have been tied up - Bella is happy, Charlie is happy, etcetc, but nothing has been totally closed from a future book. Woudl I read another book? I probably would as I have the time here and trashy/easy books can be fun. But I wouldn't buy it. I think reading this series and some of the other fiction I have read this year reminds me why I do enjoy non-fiction more, but maybe it's because I haven't quite found the fiction for me...not a teenage romance, not a singleton looking for love, but something else. I'll just have to keep looking - I have the time at least!!
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Palace of Desire by Naguib Mahfouz
Palace of Desire by Naguib Mahfouz
(1957, English translation 1991)
Read: May 2009
At just over 400 pages, this book was shorter than Palace Walk and I was really keen to read it in one go, before the summer holidays started. It starts six years after Palace Walk concluded and is named after the street where Yasin's mother had lived, and where he goes to live during the story.
Again the story is told by multiple people, but I noticed this time that the story would follow a character for a few chapters, before changing narrator. I also noticed that the narrative always stayed with male characters in this book, whereas I think that in the first book the mother narrated part of the story. As the two daughters have married, they are now living with their husbands and so play more minor roles in this book, compared to the first. Amina also plays a more minor role, with the story focusing on Yasin, his father and Kamal.
The six year gap between books is illustrated through a nice description of mother as she has aged. The new family that now takes its place for the coffee hour also shows this, as Khadiga and Aisha with their husbands and young children all take their seats. Their conversation also reflects the passage of time; as now talk turns to the trouble Khadiga has with her mother-in-law. It brings a wry smile to your face that the girl who was so good in the first book at dishing it out is now being reined in.
You also feel that time has passed in the frailty of the parents. When Al-Said becomes ill, the family are reminded of the precarious nature of life. They also remember the loss of their brother at the end of the first book. At the time, A-Said was very much against his involvement in politics, but now they see him having died a martyr which I think would have made him happy that his family were proud of what he did.
The family does a good job in the first book of remaining innocently oblivious to Al-Said's other (night) life. In this book though it seems that the sons, especially, weren't so innocent to have not been influenced by his actions. There is only mild surprise that Yasin is becoming more and more like his father, as he, now divorced 6 years, takes another wife, only to soon to be divorced by her for a third (who in fact his father has already had relations with!). I'm not sure how I feel about Yasin; whether to feel sorry for him that he struggles to find a partner to make marriage work, or whether I dislike him for his attitude to marriage and women (he says he soon tires of a wife, but remains interested in a women who is only a mistress). He has inherited a lot from his father, and although his father has this same interest in mistresses, he still manages to keep a marriage and family.
I was surprised though when the rite of passage for little Kamal is not just that of academia. He excels in his academics and he maintains his strong beliefs. What surprised me though was that Kamal too followed in his father's and brother's footsteps by allowing romance to overtake him. Normally a rational person, Kamal's falters, but doesn't just falter, rather falls head over heels and leaves himself no route back to life. The upside to Kamal's journey is the bond he then develops with his brother. Yasin is so pleased to be able to induct his little brother into the life of the underworld of women and alcohol.
The book closes with Al-Said Ahmed suffering from tension and illness. The severity of his suffering is a shock to himself and his family. He resolves to stay off alcohol and women as his family care for him and members of the community pass their kinds thoughts. He seems a reformed character. I wish he were, but can't help being sceptical. Bring on book three!
(1957, English translation 1991)
Read: May 2009
At just over 400 pages, this book was shorter than Palace Walk and I was really keen to read it in one go, before the summer holidays started. It starts six years after Palace Walk concluded and is named after the street where Yasin's mother had lived, and where he goes to live during the story.
Again the story is told by multiple people, but I noticed this time that the story would follow a character for a few chapters, before changing narrator. I also noticed that the narrative always stayed with male characters in this book, whereas I think that in the first book the mother narrated part of the story. As the two daughters have married, they are now living with their husbands and so play more minor roles in this book, compared to the first. Amina also plays a more minor role, with the story focusing on Yasin, his father and Kamal.
The six year gap between books is illustrated through a nice description of mother as she has aged. The new family that now takes its place for the coffee hour also shows this, as Khadiga and Aisha with their husbands and young children all take their seats. Their conversation also reflects the passage of time; as now talk turns to the trouble Khadiga has with her mother-in-law. It brings a wry smile to your face that the girl who was so good in the first book at dishing it out is now being reined in.
You also feel that time has passed in the frailty of the parents. When Al-Said becomes ill, the family are reminded of the precarious nature of life. They also remember the loss of their brother at the end of the first book. At the time, A-Said was very much against his involvement in politics, but now they see him having died a martyr which I think would have made him happy that his family were proud of what he did.
The family does a good job in the first book of remaining innocently oblivious to Al-Said's other (night) life. In this book though it seems that the sons, especially, weren't so innocent to have not been influenced by his actions. There is only mild surprise that Yasin is becoming more and more like his father, as he, now divorced 6 years, takes another wife, only to soon to be divorced by her for a third (who in fact his father has already had relations with!). I'm not sure how I feel about Yasin; whether to feel sorry for him that he struggles to find a partner to make marriage work, or whether I dislike him for his attitude to marriage and women (he says he soon tires of a wife, but remains interested in a women who is only a mistress). He has inherited a lot from his father, and although his father has this same interest in mistresses, he still manages to keep a marriage and family.
I was surprised though when the rite of passage for little Kamal is not just that of academia. He excels in his academics and he maintains his strong beliefs. What surprised me though was that Kamal too followed in his father's and brother's footsteps by allowing romance to overtake him. Normally a rational person, Kamal's falters, but doesn't just falter, rather falls head over heels and leaves himself no route back to life. The upside to Kamal's journey is the bond he then develops with his brother. Yasin is so pleased to be able to induct his little brother into the life of the underworld of women and alcohol.
The book closes with Al-Said Ahmed suffering from tension and illness. The severity of his suffering is a shock to himself and his family. He resolves to stay off alcohol and women as his family care for him and members of the community pass their kinds thoughts. He seems a reformed character. I wish he were, but can't help being sceptical. Bring on book three!
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
New Moon / Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
Read: March 2009
Read:May 2009
After my annoyance at New Moon I decided to do a double entry for these two books, as I didn't think I would have much to say. Having said that, I did enjoy Eclipse more than New Moon. Mainly because Jake had a really good and central role, where his character could not only develop, but, in my opinion, really rival Edward.
Jake's character really grew in this book and the friendship between him and Bella also developed into something strong. I think that Bella starts to fall for Jake, and I think that she is right to do so, as his character is much more an even to Bella, than Edward. Jake seems more "healthy" for Bella, than a blinkered relationship with Edward.
The twist in this book was that Jake, and others on the reservation, have turned into werewolves. This was actually a great twist, as the vampires and the werewolves are enemies and won't go onto each others land. The story takes a nice turn in that the vampires and the werewolves have to work together to defend the land and look after Bella. Even as a wolf, Jake retains his humour and friendliness and this really endeared him to me. It was actually quite fun to see him and Edward compete for Bella's attention and she becomes genuinely torn between them, as they offer her something significant. I was glad that Jake was so open about his feelings, to try and convince Bella to go for him instead of Edward. I don't know if I'd have been able to do the same. Even though it doesn't end in Jake's favour, he gave it his best shot.
As you can probably tell, I probably enjoyed this book more than the others so far - mainly as Jake's character could develop and provided some light relief and realism to the whole thing. Annoyingly though, in the final part of the book, Bella again pleaded to be turned into a vampire. Edward is not keen to turn Bella, as he feels that a human life is more valuable than one as a vampire and that he and his family did not have a choice, when Bella does. Edward tries to warn Bella that if she is turned, this cannot be reversed and therefore it is a huge decision, but she is adamant that Edward is THE ONE and she wants to be with him forever (do you really meet THE ONE when you are 15? Do you really know you have met THE ONE when you are 15?). Edward is more cautious and asks her to marry him. His reasoning being that if she will marry him, then they have already made a commitment to be together forever. I had to laugh when Bella wouldn't agree to marry Edward, but was still insistent that she wanted to be turned. She said herself that it wasn't right to marry so young, but again was insistent that she knew she wanted to be turned. In the end Bella does agree to marry Edward, but again remains very shy about it (not wanting to tell her parents or any of her friends). I guess here my feelings on marriage and lifelong commitment are coming through. If I knew someone was so reluctant about one type of commitment, then I would not be confident of their commitment in another area. I know this isn't real life, but has been written as a bit of teenage romance/fantasy fun, but I would bet against this lasting.
I've been promised that the final book is the best and will keep me awake all night turning the pages!
Read: March 2009
This is the second in the quartet from Stephanie Meyer that starts with Twilight. I knew this book would along the same lines as Twilight, as so I was prepared for it not being the most interesting or challenging read, but wanted to read it as other colleagues had and had enjoyed the series.
I got really annoyed at the first quarter of this book, because it was basically Bella moping and being depressed as her love Edward had left. I found this really annoying and it didn't make me like the character any more. I'm sure that I'd feel differently if I was a teenage girl, and this would seem SO true to life, but for me it just got on my nerves that she couldn't see a life beyond a crush.
The book got better in the second quarter when Bella started being better friends with Jake. Jake had been a friend growing up and lives nearby. I found that their friendship felt really genuine. Jake feels a natural character, and their scenes together ring true - they are written nicely as two teenagers who are family friends and have grown up together.
But just as I thought the book was getting better, Edward returns and he and Bella go on an adventure together. Bella just totally forgets Jake and abandons him to SAVE Edward. I was disappointed that the story went back to blinded teenage romance where nothing else matters and this person is the only person you care about and you don't think that there might be any other way of living. The book also ended with Bella again pleading to be turned into a vampire, which also annoyed me.
I really forced myself to finish reading this book, as I really didn't agree with what happened in the second half. I told my colleague that I hadn't enjoyed this book as much, and she agreed that this was the weakest book, but that things improved. I hoped so....
Read:May 2009
After my annoyance at New Moon I decided to do a double entry for these two books, as I didn't think I would have much to say. Having said that, I did enjoy Eclipse more than New Moon. Mainly because Jake had a really good and central role, where his character could not only develop, but, in my opinion, really rival Edward.
Jake's character really grew in this book and the friendship between him and Bella also developed into something strong. I think that Bella starts to fall for Jake, and I think that she is right to do so, as his character is much more an even to Bella, than Edward. Jake seems more "healthy" for Bella, than a blinkered relationship with Edward.
The twist in this book was that Jake, and others on the reservation, have turned into werewolves. This was actually a great twist, as the vampires and the werewolves are enemies and won't go onto each others land. The story takes a nice turn in that the vampires and the werewolves have to work together to defend the land and look after Bella. Even as a wolf, Jake retains his humour and friendliness and this really endeared him to me. It was actually quite fun to see him and Edward compete for Bella's attention and she becomes genuinely torn between them, as they offer her something significant. I was glad that Jake was so open about his feelings, to try and convince Bella to go for him instead of Edward. I don't know if I'd have been able to do the same. Even though it doesn't end in Jake's favour, he gave it his best shot.
As you can probably tell, I probably enjoyed this book more than the others so far - mainly as Jake's character could develop and provided some light relief and realism to the whole thing. Annoyingly though, in the final part of the book, Bella again pleaded to be turned into a vampire. Edward is not keen to turn Bella, as he feels that a human life is more valuable than one as a vampire and that he and his family did not have a choice, when Bella does. Edward tries to warn Bella that if she is turned, this cannot be reversed and therefore it is a huge decision, but she is adamant that Edward is THE ONE and she wants to be with him forever (do you really meet THE ONE when you are 15? Do you really know you have met THE ONE when you are 15?). Edward is more cautious and asks her to marry him. His reasoning being that if she will marry him, then they have already made a commitment to be together forever. I had to laugh when Bella wouldn't agree to marry Edward, but was still insistent that she wanted to be turned. She said herself that it wasn't right to marry so young, but again was insistent that she knew she wanted to be turned. In the end Bella does agree to marry Edward, but again remains very shy about it (not wanting to tell her parents or any of her friends). I guess here my feelings on marriage and lifelong commitment are coming through. If I knew someone was so reluctant about one type of commitment, then I would not be confident of their commitment in another area. I know this isn't real life, but has been written as a bit of teenage romance/fantasy fun, but I would bet against this lasting.
I've been promised that the final book is the best and will keep me awake all night turning the pages!
City of Love and Ashes by Yusuf Idris (1956, English Translation 1999)
City of Love and Ashes by Yusuf Idris (1956, English Translation 1999) Read: April 2009
Race to Dakar by Charley Boorman (2006)
Race to Dakar by Charley Boorman (2006)
Read: April 2009
This was one of the books that we asked for for Christmas, as we wanted a good read with a bit of adventure. We really enjoyed the series and book of Long Way Round that Charley did with Ewan McGregor and Long Way Down. Scott read the book first and then we managed to watch the short series before I got onto the book. It was a great choice for reading on the long drive to and from Dahab where we were doing our PADI diving course.
I really enjoyed this book and the writing style is easy to follow, but really engaging. The first part of the book covers Charley's preparations for the Dakar Rally, and the second part is dedicated to his Dakar race with the final part of the book is Charley as he supports the rest of the team once he is out of the Rally. The first part of the book is a bit technical as they develop the bikes and the car for the Rally, but it is fascinating to see how specialised the vehicals must be to not only be allowed to compete (there are various safety criteria each competing vehical must meet) but also to have a chance of actually making it to Dakar. One side-story that I liked was that of the mechanic Gareth - who was a Mechanics student at Bristol or Bath University, but worked on Rally bikes in his free time. He had helped the team on Long Way Down and now was being asked to re-build the custom bikes from scratch but also travel with the team as their mechanic throughout the Dakar.
Charley put in a lot of effort with the training he did in the year leading up to the race. It seems he was in Wales most weekends to learn how to ride on the rough terrain, which I know put a lot of strain on him and his family. So all credit to him. But I did feel that he felt throughout the training and race that he wasn't going to make it. It was quite clear that he didn't have the mental attitude of a Dakar Racer. Simon describes the mentla resilliance needed as being prepared to crawl on broken glass to Dakar if that was what it takes. For example, Charley didn't finish his first two endurance, Enduro, races in England because of rather lame excuses (compred to what he would be doing in the Dakar). I think he let this get to him too early on in the training and he didn't have a chance of the Dakar because he had already allowed himself an easy way out. He did prove me, and everyone else wrong though, when he rode over 300km with two broken hands/wrists through the dunes and desert in the first week of the Dakar. You could really tell that he had the dedication needed to make it through to Dakar at that point - jut not the physical means. He was so upset when it was confirmed that he'd broken his hands and that he wouldn't be able to ride that it did make me wonder if he would come back and try again.
Russ features again in this adventure, as the Producer and fixer for the Race To Dakar team. He and Charley have a good relationship and it is nice to see. When we first emt Russ, in Long Way Down, he often clashed with Ewan and Charley - especially Charley. But they have both developed an understanding of how the other works and a respect for the job and the expereince that each other bring to the team. I was relaly pleased to see them working together again.
One of my favourite parts of the book is when the narrative splits. We hear Charley's story as a fixer, now helping the Race To Dakar team get themselves and equipment from Bivvi to Bivvi, we hear Matt's story as he finishes his Dakar with exhaustion and is picked up by the Sweeper truck, and we hear SImon's story as he soldiers on, the last member of the Race To Dakar team trying to make it all the way for the whole team. Their stories become very different, and I think that Charley achieved what he ahd set out to do - telling the story of the Dakar from the point of view of a self-financing racer - rather than what you see on the big screen TV coverage of the professional teams.
Whilst I enjoyed the book, I think that watching the TV series that accompanied it is important too. I wouldn't say that one is better than the other, and although they fundamentaly tell the same story, the two perspectives - Charley's narrative and the camera's tale - provide the real story. I'm looking forward to reading and watching Charley's next adventure!
Read: April 2009
This was one of the books that we asked for for Christmas, as we wanted a good read with a bit of adventure. We really enjoyed the series and book of Long Way Round that Charley did with Ewan McGregor and Long Way Down. Scott read the book first and then we managed to watch the short series before I got onto the book. It was a great choice for reading on the long drive to and from Dahab where we were doing our PADI diving course.
I really enjoyed this book and the writing style is easy to follow, but really engaging. The first part of the book covers Charley's preparations for the Dakar Rally, and the second part is dedicated to his Dakar race with the final part of the book is Charley as he supports the rest of the team once he is out of the Rally. The first part of the book is a bit technical as they develop the bikes and the car for the Rally, but it is fascinating to see how specialised the vehicals must be to not only be allowed to compete (there are various safety criteria each competing vehical must meet) but also to have a chance of actually making it to Dakar. One side-story that I liked was that of the mechanic Gareth - who was a Mechanics student at Bristol or Bath University, but worked on Rally bikes in his free time. He had helped the team on Long Way Down and now was being asked to re-build the custom bikes from scratch but also travel with the team as their mechanic throughout the Dakar.
Charley put in a lot of effort with the training he did in the year leading up to the race. It seems he was in Wales most weekends to learn how to ride on the rough terrain, which I know put a lot of strain on him and his family. So all credit to him. But I did feel that he felt throughout the training and race that he wasn't going to make it. It was quite clear that he didn't have the mental attitude of a Dakar Racer. Simon describes the mentla resilliance needed as being prepared to crawl on broken glass to Dakar if that was what it takes. For example, Charley didn't finish his first two endurance, Enduro, races in England because of rather lame excuses (compred to what he would be doing in the Dakar). I think he let this get to him too early on in the training and he didn't have a chance of the Dakar because he had already allowed himself an easy way out. He did prove me, and everyone else wrong though, when he rode over 300km with two broken hands/wrists through the dunes and desert in the first week of the Dakar. You could really tell that he had the dedication needed to make it through to Dakar at that point - jut not the physical means. He was so upset when it was confirmed that he'd broken his hands and that he wouldn't be able to ride that it did make me wonder if he would come back and try again.
Russ features again in this adventure, as the Producer and fixer for the Race To Dakar team. He and Charley have a good relationship and it is nice to see. When we first emt Russ, in Long Way Down, he often clashed with Ewan and Charley - especially Charley. But they have both developed an understanding of how the other works and a respect for the job and the expereince that each other bring to the team. I was relaly pleased to see them working together again.
One of my favourite parts of the book is when the narrative splits. We hear Charley's story as a fixer, now helping the Race To Dakar team get themselves and equipment from Bivvi to Bivvi, we hear Matt's story as he finishes his Dakar with exhaustion and is picked up by the Sweeper truck, and we hear SImon's story as he soldiers on, the last member of the Race To Dakar team trying to make it all the way for the whole team. Their stories become very different, and I think that Charley achieved what he ahd set out to do - telling the story of the Dakar from the point of view of a self-financing racer - rather than what you see on the big screen TV coverage of the professional teams.
Whilst I enjoyed the book, I think that watching the TV series that accompanied it is important too. I wouldn't say that one is better than the other, and although they fundamentaly tell the same story, the two perspectives - Charley's narrative and the camera's tale - provide the real story. I'm looking forward to reading and watching Charley's next adventure!
The Family Way / One For My Baby by Tony Parsons
The Family Way (2004) by Tony Parsons
Read: February 2009
One For My Baby (2001) by Tony Parsons
Read: March 2009
I read these two books as they were recommended as "easy reads" - although I did turn down two other fiction books as I felt they were too easy a read. These were light reads, something to get stuck into on holiday I guess, but after reading them I don't think that "relationships fiction" is really for me.
I started The Family Way thinking it an interesting story of three sisters and their different families as they grow up; one loving the single life, the other desparate for a baby and the third wanting a partner, but no baby. However I soon got frustrated by the superficial decisions that the characters, especially the mother was making. I am sure that one aim of the novel was to discredit the mother's attitude to children (that as a child you live your parents life, and as an adult you live the life of your child), but actually her attitude and some of the other negative attitudes towards family and friendship didn't make this a totally enjoyable, laugh-out-loud read for me.
Maybe it was a good thing that I started on The Family Way, as the attitude of the protagonist in One For My Baby was even worse in many ways. I did feel for him as a character when we flashback to his wife dying in a scuba accident - I don't like to think about how I would feel in such a situation. Although I know his father was designed to, again, be a character with a difficult-to-understand attitude towards finding love and family values, this first upset me and then annoyed me. The redeeming aspect of the story was that of Jackie and Plum, and of the grandmother. Descriptions of her slow death to cancer felt painful accurate to me. Despite the unbearable sorrow that I feel for the protagonist on losing his wife, his actions and attitudes to relationships with those around him were not justifyable. I don't think that he turned himself around enough for the book to end on the positive note that it did.
Sorry! These seem like two really negative reviews! I just think that I now understand why I don't like relationship fiction - beacause I am not in control of the characters and how they act in relationships and this is frustrating for me to follow a story about love, when I cannot read about love the way I love.
Read: February 2009
One For My Baby (2001) by Tony Parsons
Read: March 2009
I read these two books as they were recommended as "easy reads" - although I did turn down two other fiction books as I felt they were too easy a read. These were light reads, something to get stuck into on holiday I guess, but after reading them I don't think that "relationships fiction" is really for me.
I started The Family Way thinking it an interesting story of three sisters and their different families as they grow up; one loving the single life, the other desparate for a baby and the third wanting a partner, but no baby. However I soon got frustrated by the superficial decisions that the characters, especially the mother was making. I am sure that one aim of the novel was to discredit the mother's attitude to children (that as a child you live your parents life, and as an adult you live the life of your child), but actually her attitude and some of the other negative attitudes towards family and friendship didn't make this a totally enjoyable, laugh-out-loud read for me.
Maybe it was a good thing that I started on The Family Way, as the attitude of the protagonist in One For My Baby was even worse in many ways. I did feel for him as a character when we flashback to his wife dying in a scuba accident - I don't like to think about how I would feel in such a situation. Although I know his father was designed to, again, be a character with a difficult-to-understand attitude towards finding love and family values, this first upset me and then annoyed me. The redeeming aspect of the story was that of Jackie and Plum, and of the grandmother. Descriptions of her slow death to cancer felt painful accurate to me. Despite the unbearable sorrow that I feel for the protagonist on losing his wife, his actions and attitudes to relationships with those around him were not justifyable. I don't think that he turned himself around enough for the book to end on the positive note that it did.
Sorry! These seem like two really negative reviews! I just think that I now understand why I don't like relationship fiction - beacause I am not in control of the characters and how they act in relationships and this is frustrating for me to follow a story about love, when I cannot read about love the way I love.
Saturday, 4 April 2009
Expat: Women's True Tales of Life Abroad, Christina Henry De Tessan (editor) (2002)
Expat: Women's True Tales of Life Abroad, Christina Henry De Tessan (editor) (2002)
Read: January 2009
Read: January 2009
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (2007)
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (2007)
Scott was given a copy of this book by one of his students as he left his previous school. It is a very apt book to give a teacher, as the book itself is about the huge impact that one teacher, Mister Pip, has on a young girl in a village on a Papa New Guinae island.
It is an inspirational book. It is inspiring in terms of what Mister Pip sets out to achieve with these young people despite non-existant resources and a war raging around them and their families. His dedication to teaching these young people is what makes them dedicated to him, even though they find him, and his wife, a little wierd (all teachers are a little wierd to children, aren't they?). Matilda faces challenge after challenge, but rises to them through trauma to go onto pay homage to Mister Pip in her further education, but also personally making the circle of his life complete.
Scott was given a copy of this book by one of his students as he left his previous school. It is a very apt book to give a teacher, as the book itself is about the huge impact that one teacher, Mister Pip, has on a young girl in a village on a Papa New Guinae island.
It is an inspirational book. It is inspiring in terms of what Mister Pip sets out to achieve with these young people despite non-existant resources and a war raging around them and their families. His dedication to teaching these young people is what makes them dedicated to him, even though they find him, and his wife, a little wierd (all teachers are a little wierd to children, aren't they?). Matilda faces challenge after challenge, but rises to them through trauma to go onto pay homage to Mister Pip in her further education, but also personally making the circle of his life complete.
Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany
Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany (2002, English translation 2004)
Read: July 2008
My parents raved about the film, Yacoubian Building, when it came out in 2006 and I think they later did read the book. I only read the book though just before coming out to Egypt. It was perfect timing, to be honest, as in early July Alaa Al Aswany was having a reading at the South Bank. We went along and he read from his new book, Chicago, but also spoke about life in Egypt and his other work. After the reading we bought a copy of the new edition of Yacoubian Building and maganed to chat to him for a little while when he signed our copy.
MORE OF A REVIEW ON ITS WAY!
Read: July 2008
My parents raved about the film, Yacoubian Building, when it came out in 2006 and I think they later did read the book. I only read the book though just before coming out to Egypt. It was perfect timing, to be honest, as in early July Alaa Al Aswany was having a reading at the South Bank. We went along and he read from his new book, Chicago, but also spoke about life in Egypt and his other work. After the reading we bought a copy of the new edition of Yacoubian Building and maganed to chat to him for a little while when he signed our copy.
MORE OF A REVIEW ON ITS WAY!
A Breastplate for Aaron by Simon Harvester
A Breastplate for Aaron by Simon Harvester (1949)
Read: December/January 2008/9
I think that this book has one of the best opening lines, and I have enjoyed re-reading it again and again.
My father found this book - once again - in the way that normally does, and brought it over with him when my folks visited in November/December. He chose it as the story follows characters through Cairo, Alexandria, Lydda, Jerusalem and back to the Mediterranean. The story starts in Sharjah, Oman, which was another great link, as we had just booked a holiday in Oman for March.
The book follows Blunden who is searching for a man, Bastaev, who saved his life when he was fighting Rommel's Afrika Corps. Blunden knows few details about Bastaev, but what he does know takes him into the Middle East and then on a journey through places old and new as he follows the enigmatic Bastaev's trail. The story is an interesting one, as it starts out almost as a mystery, with Blunden looking for Basteav, but soon turns into a murder mystery as Blunden dodges two dead bodies. The story then manages to hot up the trail, and you are never sure whether Bastaev is a good-guy or not, and although Blunden never gives up his search, you become unsure whether he still wants to find him to thank-him, or for another reason.
Along Blunden's travels, you visit some interesting places. These aren't just in the countries the book travels through, but the hotels and market places along the way. It seemed a romantic time when you would correspond with a friend via the last hotel they stayed at. There is also a lovely description of Alexnadria whose fortunes have "fluctuated delicately with those of the Nile Valley and the Mediterranean". But it isn't all romance, as Blunden wanders the darkened alleys of Alexandria in search of the doorway that should lead him to his lost friend.
Unfortunately though, the characters aren't well developed. In particular, Miss Cotten, whom Blunden meets at his first hotel and later joins him on his travels, in unendearing in her support for Blunden. Also, the book comes to a surprising end, which almost appears out of nowhere, with very little build up in terms of the characters and plot. It is an exciting close, no question, but feels a little out of the blue and out of sorts with the rest of the story.
This is a beautifully cotton-bound hardback, that, in searching for the publication year I have found out is worth more than the 50p probably spent on it in a jumble sale. It is also a nice tale that introduces the reader to the Middle East as everyone searches for something - whether they really want it, or not.
Read: December/January 2008/9
"Soon after three o'clock, when the town was still so hot and dusty that camels and donkeys tethered in the thin shade fretted unhappily, Blunden came to t understanding that the tall thin man in the immaculate beige linen suit and neat Panama hat was following him. Again"
I think that this book has one of the best opening lines, and I have enjoyed re-reading it again and again.
My father found this book - once again - in the way that normally does, and brought it over with him when my folks visited in November/December. He chose it as the story follows characters through Cairo, Alexandria, Lydda, Jerusalem and back to the Mediterranean. The story starts in Sharjah, Oman, which was another great link, as we had just booked a holiday in Oman for March.
The book follows Blunden who is searching for a man, Bastaev, who saved his life when he was fighting Rommel's Afrika Corps. Blunden knows few details about Bastaev, but what he does know takes him into the Middle East and then on a journey through places old and new as he follows the enigmatic Bastaev's trail. The story is an interesting one, as it starts out almost as a mystery, with Blunden looking for Basteav, but soon turns into a murder mystery as Blunden dodges two dead bodies. The story then manages to hot up the trail, and you are never sure whether Bastaev is a good-guy or not, and although Blunden never gives up his search, you become unsure whether he still wants to find him to thank-him, or for another reason.
Along Blunden's travels, you visit some interesting places. These aren't just in the countries the book travels through, but the hotels and market places along the way. It seemed a romantic time when you would correspond with a friend via the last hotel they stayed at. There is also a lovely description of Alexnadria whose fortunes have "fluctuated delicately with those of the Nile Valley and the Mediterranean". But it isn't all romance, as Blunden wanders the darkened alleys of Alexandria in search of the doorway that should lead him to his lost friend.
Unfortunately though, the characters aren't well developed. In particular, Miss Cotten, whom Blunden meets at his first hotel and later joins him on his travels, in unendearing in her support for Blunden. Also, the book comes to a surprising end, which almost appears out of nowhere, with very little build up in terms of the characters and plot. It is an exciting close, no question, but feels a little out of the blue and out of sorts with the rest of the story.
This is a beautifully cotton-bound hardback, that, in searching for the publication year I have found out is worth more than the 50p probably spent on it in a jumble sale. It is also a nice tale that introduces the reader to the Middle East as everyone searches for something - whether they really want it, or not.
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Twilight by Stephanie Myers
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Twilight by Stephanie Myers
Published 2005, Film released 2008
Read February 2009
I was loaned this book by a colleague who had read it and said it was a really good read. Before that, though, I had seen the book around work, with many of the students reading it and others in the series (there have been four books released to date). I normally read a "difficult" book and an "easy" book at the same time, and this was my easy one alongside Palace Walk by Naguib Mafouz.
Twilight is a classic teenage novel about a girl who is new to a small-town school and feels out of place and alone. She soon meets Edward, who is a mystery to her, and most of the school, but somehow they are drawn to each other.
I guess it is a spoiler, but I can't write much more without saying that it soon turns out that Edward, and his family, are vampires. The book treats this revelation rather predictably; Bella happens to touch his hand and it is ice cold, he is really pale, he is really strong and really fast etc, and so Bella goes on the Internet and finds out about The Cold Ones! She then buys and book and all of the clues add up - surprise! This part of the story does follow a really predictable formula and does feel Buffy-esque. As Bella and Edward get to know each other, Edward tells her all about his strengths, weaknesses, how vampires are made etc, so their conversations become a plot device for introducing the reader to Myers own brand of vampire mythology.
Going back to the story, the book is well written enough to establish that Bella is a clumsy, outsider in this small-town and feels like a typical teenage girl thrown into the lion pit that is an unfamiliar high school. The book starts well painting the distance between Edward and Bella as being insurmountable for an actual romance to occur. But, as this is a teenage novel, and not real life, they manage to fall for each other and open up without much of a to-do. The story does a better job though at portraying the difficulty Bella actually has with being accepted by Edward's family all of whom are vampires who portray themselves as a set of foster parents and five foster siblings). Rosalie and Jasper's feelings towards Bella cover what otherwise is dealt with too quickly, the issue of inviting a human into a vampire coven.
This book is a page-turner and you can easily get into the story. It would definitely be an enjoyable read for teenagers, and it is fun for adults, but unlike other books such as the Northern Lights trilogy, there isn't "another level" for adults to read the book at. I found many aspects of the book predictable and unoriginal (probably because of my love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer), but as you can see this didn't stop me reading it, and it won't stop me reading the next book in the series. Mainly because I am intrigued as to how Myers is going to deal with the issue Bella raises in the closing chapters; that she would like to become a vampire. I think that Bella feels a need to become like Edward because of her vulnerability as a human, more than not wanting to grow old without him. My reading of the character may be wrong, but this basis doesn't endear her as a character for me. Hints are made that she may become a vampire, but with four books to go, I can't imagine it happens any time soon. I have also heard that one of the later books deals with the story of Twilight from Edward's perspective and if this is done well, should be a very interesting read.
Twilight by Stephanie Myers
Published 2005, Film released 2008
Read February 2009
I was loaned this book by a colleague who had read it and said it was a really good read. Before that, though, I had seen the book around work, with many of the students reading it and others in the series (there have been four books released to date). I normally read a "difficult" book and an "easy" book at the same time, and this was my easy one alongside Palace Walk by Naguib Mafouz.
Twilight is a classic teenage novel about a girl who is new to a small-town school and feels out of place and alone. She soon meets Edward, who is a mystery to her, and most of the school, but somehow they are drawn to each other.
I guess it is a spoiler, but I can't write much more without saying that it soon turns out that Edward, and his family, are vampires. The book treats this revelation rather predictably; Bella happens to touch his hand and it is ice cold, he is really pale, he is really strong and really fast etc, and so Bella goes on the Internet and finds out about The Cold Ones! She then buys and book and all of the clues add up - surprise! This part of the story does follow a really predictable formula and does feel Buffy-esque. As Bella and Edward get to know each other, Edward tells her all about his strengths, weaknesses, how vampires are made etc, so their conversations become a plot device for introducing the reader to Myers own brand of vampire mythology.
Going back to the story, the book is well written enough to establish that Bella is a clumsy, outsider in this small-town and feels like a typical teenage girl thrown into the lion pit that is an unfamiliar high school. The book starts well painting the distance between Edward and Bella as being insurmountable for an actual romance to occur. But, as this is a teenage novel, and not real life, they manage to fall for each other and open up without much of a to-do. The story does a better job though at portraying the difficulty Bella actually has with being accepted by Edward's family all of whom are vampires who portray themselves as a set of foster parents and five foster siblings). Rosalie and Jasper's feelings towards Bella cover what otherwise is dealt with too quickly, the issue of inviting a human into a vampire coven.
This book is a page-turner and you can easily get into the story. It would definitely be an enjoyable read for teenagers, and it is fun for adults, but unlike other books such as the Northern Lights trilogy, there isn't "another level" for adults to read the book at. I found many aspects of the book predictable and unoriginal (probably because of my love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer), but as you can see this didn't stop me reading it, and it won't stop me reading the next book in the series. Mainly because I am intrigued as to how Myers is going to deal with the issue Bella raises in the closing chapters; that she would like to become a vampire. I think that Bella feels a need to become like Edward because of her vulnerability as a human, more than not wanting to grow old without him. My reading of the character may be wrong, but this basis doesn't endear her as a character for me. Hints are made that she may become a vampire, but with four books to go, I can't imagine it happens any time soon. I have also heard that one of the later books deals with the story of Twilight from Edward's perspective and if this is done well, should be a very interesting read.
A few weeks after finishing the book we flew to Oman and the film, Twilight, was available on the plane. I did watch Slumdog Millionaire first - as although I was interested in the film I felt it was more important to have seen Slumdog than Twilight (!) but on the way home I managed to catch it.
I found the film to be equally watchable, but not challenging. Most of the characters appeared as had imagined in the book, but there were a few differences for me. I found that the film better conveyed the idea of vampires attracted to the scent of Bella. There was a recurring image of a fan or wind that gave away her irresistible scent. The portrayal of Edward's siblings was well done despite much dialogue or screen time. However I didn't feel that the film adequately covered the ostracism that Bella felt when she arrives at the start of the book. She covered her face a bit with her hair in a few scenes, trying to hide, and then about twn minutes later, it felt, she was in his arms. Like the book, the film was watchable, enjoyable (for what it was), but never challenging.Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Palace Walk by Naguid Mahfouz
Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz (The first part of the Cairo Trilogy) (1956, English translation 1990)
Read: mid-Feburary- April 2009
When I started reading some of the translated Arabic Literature here I soon realised that I wanted to try and read the famous Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz. Talking to any Egyptian they see him as a hero of Arabic literature and although this trilogy is particularly famous and well regarded he has a whole body of work (that takes up a whole shelf in the school library!). This book is a biggie (500 pages) and I read many other shorter books whilst I had it "on the go", which is why it took me so long to read. But as I got to know the characters I really enjoyed it and have already taken out Palace of Desire the second book in the Trilogy to start this weekend.
The book follows a family living in downtown Cairo at the end of World War 1 and the English occupation (the trilogy continues the story into the 1950's). I found the language of the text and their speech to be very formal and very reverend, which indicated to me that they were a learned family. Talking to a colleague though she said that they represent an Upper Middle class family. They couldn't be an Upper Class family, because they didn't have any international links or schooling (the sons go to a local school and the father own a local shop). Apparently the Upper Class at that time would have travelled abroad, or have links with other nationals. They are definitely an Upper-Middle Class family though because of the father's status with his shop.
The tale of the family of the family of five is forever encompassed by their devotion and reference to God, Allah. This is seen in their activities, routine, practices and language. I found some of the conversations to be very stilted by this language, but also their nature meant that emotion was often lacking in their choice of words.
I found that the novel does give a very detailed and particular insight into life at this time. The routine of Amina (sometimes, very formally, referred to as "The mother") waking at dawn to help the maid to prepare bread for the oven. The Coffee Hours that turn from simple drinking, to socialising, playful and touching scenes that the young boys, sisters and mother look forward to each day and lament the loss of as they age.
All of the five children (two girls and three boys) age differently in the few years that the book spans. Kamel loves being the youngest and yearns daily for this mother's affection. When his mother can no longer give him this attention it coincides with the British occupying the street on which they live, so Kamel turns to entertaining the British soldiers on his way home from school. Kamal is written as a young, cheeky boy who has an innocence to most of what is going on around him. Both girls long for marriage, but Aisha does more so than her younger sister. Her attractiveness leads her to desire something more than the confines of their house, with its wooden screened windows. Their devotion to God and the rules of the house are clear, as is their bending of them, and Ahmed Al Sayed nearly discovers that Aisha has been courting a suitor from behind the modesty screen. I found it touching the way that her marriage affected the rest of the family. Kamal in particular sorely missed his sister when she left to live with her husband, and when Yasin's new wife moves in she is no substitute.
A vivid scene is when Ahmed confront his second eldest, and most academic son, Fahmy about his rumoured involvement in the Movement. It isn't just Ahmed's standing that would make him reluctant to have a son involved in the Nationalism Movement, but anyone would naturally be weary at a time of high tensions to put themselves in a dangerous position. So I wasn't surprised when Ahmed confronted his son, but, taking after his father, Fahmy manages to wriggle his way away from the truth of the matter and almost gets away with it. The father raises the stakes when he asks Fahmy to swear on the Koran, and this in fact causes Fahmy to flee the room rather than swear on something he couldn't keep. Prior to this scene I had wondered whether the family was as devoted as their spoken language suggested, but this scene proved how seriously Fahmy and his father take their beliefs.
I may feel differently after finishing the rest of the trilogy, but for me this book was very long and didn't have a finite ending point. There were many climaxes which could have heralded the end of this Chapter in their lives. However, the ending itself may seem more significant as I read the final two books.
Read: mid-Feburary- April 2009
When I started reading some of the translated Arabic Literature here I soon realised that I wanted to try and read the famous Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz. Talking to any Egyptian they see him as a hero of Arabic literature and although this trilogy is particularly famous and well regarded he has a whole body of work (that takes up a whole shelf in the school library!). This book is a biggie (500 pages) and I read many other shorter books whilst I had it "on the go", which is why it took me so long to read. But as I got to know the characters I really enjoyed it and have already taken out Palace of Desire the second book in the Trilogy to start this weekend.
The book follows a family living in downtown Cairo at the end of World War 1 and the English occupation (the trilogy continues the story into the 1950's). I found the language of the text and their speech to be very formal and very reverend, which indicated to me that they were a learned family. Talking to a colleague though she said that they represent an Upper Middle class family. They couldn't be an Upper Class family, because they didn't have any international links or schooling (the sons go to a local school and the father own a local shop). Apparently the Upper Class at that time would have travelled abroad, or have links with other nationals. They are definitely an Upper-Middle Class family though because of the father's status with his shop.
The tale of the family of the family of five is forever encompassed by their devotion and reference to God, Allah. This is seen in their activities, routine, practices and language. I found some of the conversations to be very stilted by this language, but also their nature meant that emotion was often lacking in their choice of words.
I found that the novel does give a very detailed and particular insight into life at this time. The routine of Amina (sometimes, very formally, referred to as "The mother") waking at dawn to help the maid to prepare bread for the oven. The Coffee Hours that turn from simple drinking, to socialising, playful and touching scenes that the young boys, sisters and mother look forward to each day and lament the loss of as they age.
All of the five children (two girls and three boys) age differently in the few years that the book spans. Kamel loves being the youngest and yearns daily for this mother's affection. When his mother can no longer give him this attention it coincides with the British occupying the street on which they live, so Kamel turns to entertaining the British soldiers on his way home from school. Kamal is written as a young, cheeky boy who has an innocence to most of what is going on around him. Both girls long for marriage, but Aisha does more so than her younger sister. Her attractiveness leads her to desire something more than the confines of their house, with its wooden screened windows. Their devotion to God and the rules of the house are clear, as is their bending of them, and Ahmed Al Sayed nearly discovers that Aisha has been courting a suitor from behind the modesty screen. I found it touching the way that her marriage affected the rest of the family. Kamal in particular sorely missed his sister when she left to live with her husband, and when Yasin's new wife moves in she is no substitute.
At odds with the religious observance in conversation and in daily life in the household - such as Amina, the mother, always preparing her husbands clothes for him when he rouses - is the father's behaviour outside the family circle. It could be seen as reassuring that even the strictest, most devout of men have vices, but soon I came to feel that it was more than a vice. It becomes more a lifestyle, life choice that Ahemd makes and keeps from the rest of his family. I, personally, didn't like the idea of having, needing, something so separate from the rest of his family. Especially whilst the women in the family where not allowed to leave the house so as to avoid the evil eye and being looked upon by any men. However, Ahemd does make and pursue this choice, and I feel he gets his just deserts when he finds his son Yasin may be taking after him. It brings a sense of realism to the story, a sense of understanding that this family is very much a real family, for the right and wrong reasons.
One really touching scene is when Yasin is called to his mother's house as she is on her deathbed. Despite Yasin's misdemeanours as he has grown up into a young man, he turns into the model son again. You can feel both his regret, and that of his mothers at the news of his divorce after less than a year of marriage. I am interested to see whether this changes Yasin's attitude at all in the subsequent books.
A vivid scene is when Ahmed confront his second eldest, and most academic son, Fahmy about his rumoured involvement in the Movement. It isn't just Ahmed's standing that would make him reluctant to have a son involved in the Nationalism Movement, but anyone would naturally be weary at a time of high tensions to put themselves in a dangerous position. So I wasn't surprised when Ahmed confronted his son, but, taking after his father, Fahmy manages to wriggle his way away from the truth of the matter and almost gets away with it. The father raises the stakes when he asks Fahmy to swear on the Koran, and this in fact causes Fahmy to flee the room rather than swear on something he couldn't keep. Prior to this scene I had wondered whether the family was as devoted as their spoken language suggested, but this scene proved how seriously Fahmy and his father take their beliefs.
I may feel differently after finishing the rest of the trilogy, but for me this book was very long and didn't have a finite ending point. There were many climaxes which could have heralded the end of this Chapter in their lives. However, the ending itself may seem more significant as I read the final two books.
Birds of Amber by Ibrahim Abdel Meguid
Birds of Amber by Ibrahim Abdel Meguid,
First published in Arabic in 2000, English translation published 2005
Read: January-February 2009
Birds of Amber is Meguid's third novel and the second that I have read. In a similar style to No One Sleeps in Alexandria, Birds of Amber is set in modern day Alexandria at a time of historical significance. Instead of the Second World War, this time the setting is the Suez War of 1956. Again the railroad workers and poor neighbourhoods feature, but rather than the railroad linking the characters, the Mahmudiya Canal does. Even more so in this novel though, Meguid shows the diversity of life and characters in Alexandria; the story follows half a dozen of them over the year and their New Year's Eve.
What ties the characters in Birds of Amber is that their stories take place at the same time in and in the same location, with the stories converging on the teeming life of the projects by the Canal. But very few of the stories actually cross over, meaning there isn't a single narrative throughout the book. I feel that the common theme that links the main characters is that of a search for self-expression.
Nawal is a young woman who dreams of becoming a singer, and all that do hear her voice are in love with it. Although I wasn't familiar with the songs that she sang, the lyrics in the texts showed their beauty. In her journey to achieve her dreams of becoming a singer though, she becomes tangled in a web of a potential Communist uprising in Alexandria - the desire of another character to achieve their self-expression in a policed state and closed political system.
In one way the sweetest manifestation of this was in the character, Eid. This young boy didn't seem to ask anything of anyone, but simply wanted to look at women - any/all women. In one way this is a simple pleasure, but the sexual undertone soon becomes an overtone in his story. Maybe it is because I never used to read much fiction in the UK that the regular appearance of sexual references surprises me in more Arabic literature. This definitely surprised me in the first translated novel I read; The Jacoubian Building, and then Alaa Al Aswany's follow-up, Chicago. I do accept though that in those two novels, as well as this one, the sexual attraction between characters and their relationships was an important part of the story - so it is probably me that needs to adapt to the reality of modern literature!!
Again a strong theme that comes through with all the characters is that of the importance of family and community. The strength and bravery of Nawal's parents when she is caught up with accusations of Communism is unrelenting and the most uplifting part of the book. Similarly when the men of the project unite when their goats for sacrifice are stolen and they must try to find and return them. Even once the culprit is found, the blood of the Canal runs thicker than the water of the Nile along which their journey has been.
Although I enjoyed reading Birds of Amber, I preferred No One Sleeps in Alexandria for a few reasons. I found it difficult at times to follow the half dozen characters in the book as the narrative jumped around yet was always in the first person. I also felt that the historical significance of the Suez War was only a bit part, compared to the Second World War in his second novel, and I had been looking forward to finding out more about the Suez War from the man on the street in Alexandria. I did find the book an interesting read though, and it definitely reinforced my understanding and imagination of Alexandria as a cosmopolitan city, which constantly seems to be a melting pot for Arabic and European peoples and their ideals.
First published in Arabic in 2000, English translation published 2005
Read: January-February 2009
Birds of Amber is Meguid's third novel and the second that I have read. In a similar style to No One Sleeps in Alexandria, Birds of Amber is set in modern day Alexandria at a time of historical significance. Instead of the Second World War, this time the setting is the Suez War of 1956. Again the railroad workers and poor neighbourhoods feature, but rather than the railroad linking the characters, the Mahmudiya Canal does. Even more so in this novel though, Meguid shows the diversity of life and characters in Alexandria; the story follows half a dozen of them over the year and their New Year's Eve.
What ties the characters in Birds of Amber is that their stories take place at the same time in and in the same location, with the stories converging on the teeming life of the projects by the Canal. But very few of the stories actually cross over, meaning there isn't a single narrative throughout the book. I feel that the common theme that links the main characters is that of a search for self-expression.
Nawal is a young woman who dreams of becoming a singer, and all that do hear her voice are in love with it. Although I wasn't familiar with the songs that she sang, the lyrics in the texts showed their beauty. In her journey to achieve her dreams of becoming a singer though, she becomes tangled in a web of a potential Communist uprising in Alexandria - the desire of another character to achieve their self-expression in a policed state and closed political system.
In one way the sweetest manifestation of this was in the character, Eid. This young boy didn't seem to ask anything of anyone, but simply wanted to look at women - any/all women. In one way this is a simple pleasure, but the sexual undertone soon becomes an overtone in his story. Maybe it is because I never used to read much fiction in the UK that the regular appearance of sexual references surprises me in more Arabic literature. This definitely surprised me in the first translated novel I read; The Jacoubian Building, and then Alaa Al Aswany's follow-up, Chicago. I do accept though that in those two novels, as well as this one, the sexual attraction between characters and their relationships was an important part of the story - so it is probably me that needs to adapt to the reality of modern literature!!
Again a strong theme that comes through with all the characters is that of the importance of family and community. The strength and bravery of Nawal's parents when she is caught up with accusations of Communism is unrelenting and the most uplifting part of the book. Similarly when the men of the project unite when their goats for sacrifice are stolen and they must try to find and return them. Even once the culprit is found, the blood of the Canal runs thicker than the water of the Nile along which their journey has been.
Although I enjoyed reading Birds of Amber, I preferred No One Sleeps in Alexandria for a few reasons. I found it difficult at times to follow the half dozen characters in the book as the narrative jumped around yet was always in the first person. I also felt that the historical significance of the Suez War was only a bit part, compared to the Second World War in his second novel, and I had been looking forward to finding out more about the Suez War from the man on the street in Alexandria. I did find the book an interesting read though, and it definitely reinforced my understanding and imagination of Alexandria as a cosmopolitan city, which constantly seems to be a melting pot for Arabic and European peoples and their ideals.
No One Sleeps in Alexandria by Ibrahim Abdel Meguid
No One Sleeps in Alexandria by Ibrahim Abdel Meguid (1996, 1999 English translation)
Read: November 2008
This was the first ranslated Modern Arabic novel that I bought and I bought it in Alexandria on our first trip there. It follows the lives of two Egyptians; one a Copt and one a Muslim, at the time of the Second World War when they must leave Alexandria to work on the railway in El Alamain.
MORE REVIEW ON THE WAY! I loved this book!
Read: November 2008
This was the first ranslated Modern Arabic novel that I bought and I bought it in Alexandria on our first trip there. It follows the lives of two Egyptians; one a Copt and one a Muslim, at the time of the Second World War when they must leave Alexandria to work on the railway in El Alamain.
MORE REVIEW ON THE WAY! I loved this book!
Chicago by Alaa Al Aswany
Chicago by Alaa Al Aswany
First publish in Arabic in 2007, English Translation published in 2007
Read: December 2008
Where The Jacoubian Building followed the lives of a group of Egyptians living in a building in Downtown Cairo, Chicago follows the lives of a group of Egyptians who have left Egypt to live and study in Chicago. The story is set in the present, and centres around the University in Chicago where there is a clustering of Egyptians who are academics and students over on scholarships.
The characters in Chicago are all at different stages of their life outside of Egypt. There are those who are settled in Chicago, having lived there for a number of years, whether as a student or an academic, then there is Tariq who has only been studying for a few years who is joined by Shaymaa when she moves there at the very start of the book.
They all have different feelings about their home country and some advocate a black-and-white approach to why they are studying and working at a university in America, rather than at home. I can sympathise with both points of view; the first group feel that they are studying in America to gain the best international experience and knowledge they can, so that Egypt will benefit on their return, the other group see this as an opportunity to escape and develop themselves, and do no see themselves returning to Egypt to develop their country. The motif of social mobility runs through the book especially in Danana, who leads the Union representing Egyptians in Chicago. His desire to create and maintain a political and social structure in Chicago that echos that of Egypt itself makes him stand out but also makes others follow him.
I was quite surprised by some of the things Alaa Al Aswany's characters got away with saying in this book. One of the characters openly and articulately criticises the Egyptian government, which whilst this is a work of fiction, the words really cut through the page. I think that the international popularity of The Jacoubian Building, and hence the international community and Arabic community eagerly awaiting this novel, paved the way for Alaa Al Aswany to make such statements that other authors would not be able to make. I actually found it a really interesting read; to see a range of current political opinions being expressed whilst change is taking place in and around Egypt.
As well as politics, the book explores issues of love, sex and family for these estranged Egyptians. Alaa Al Aswany was able to capture beautifully not only the feelings of first love, but also those of a lost love and a love where the fire has long since died out. The female characters are strong, and battling the internal and external pressures they feel as their multiple identities of being Egyptians, Muslims and Americans, collide. Alaa Al Aswany does not limit his story to Egyptian characters, as Carol, an African-American also tries to do what is right for her and her family.
I am increasingly seeing a pattern in Modern Arabic Literature where authors favour writing about a number of characters who lives are somehow, although not obviously at first, connected, rather than writing a single narrative. Part of me wonders if this is just "modern" way of writing that I am not used to - having not read much fiction in recent years in the UK. Having said that I found the multiple narrative easier to follow in Chicago than I have done in other novels, such as Birds of Amber.
Chicago is a really engaging book and, as an expat living in Egypt, provides a window into the experiences of those who've made the opposite journey to me. The range of story lines, from the settled, to the new, the political to the apolitical, the loved to the lost, means that something about every character will draw you in. Each story has a climax, where characters strength of beliefs are tested. I personally found Tariq and Shaymaa's story most moving, but was most engaged in that which drew the characters together throughout the novel, that of the impending visit of Egypt's President. Instead of an insight into Egyptian, or Arabic life, this shows the struggles of living in another's world.
First publish in Arabic in 2007, English Translation published in 2007
Read: December 2008
Where The Jacoubian Building followed the lives of a group of Egyptians living in a building in Downtown Cairo, Chicago follows the lives of a group of Egyptians who have left Egypt to live and study in Chicago. The story is set in the present, and centres around the University in Chicago where there is a clustering of Egyptians who are academics and students over on scholarships.
The characters in Chicago are all at different stages of their life outside of Egypt. There are those who are settled in Chicago, having lived there for a number of years, whether as a student or an academic, then there is Tariq who has only been studying for a few years who is joined by Shaymaa when she moves there at the very start of the book.
They all have different feelings about their home country and some advocate a black-and-white approach to why they are studying and working at a university in America, rather than at home. I can sympathise with both points of view; the first group feel that they are studying in America to gain the best international experience and knowledge they can, so that Egypt will benefit on their return, the other group see this as an opportunity to escape and develop themselves, and do no see themselves returning to Egypt to develop their country. The motif of social mobility runs through the book especially in Danana, who leads the Union representing Egyptians in Chicago. His desire to create and maintain a political and social structure in Chicago that echos that of Egypt itself makes him stand out but also makes others follow him.
I was quite surprised by some of the things Alaa Al Aswany's characters got away with saying in this book. One of the characters openly and articulately criticises the Egyptian government, which whilst this is a work of fiction, the words really cut through the page. I think that the international popularity of The Jacoubian Building, and hence the international community and Arabic community eagerly awaiting this novel, paved the way for Alaa Al Aswany to make such statements that other authors would not be able to make. I actually found it a really interesting read; to see a range of current political opinions being expressed whilst change is taking place in and around Egypt.
As well as politics, the book explores issues of love, sex and family for these estranged Egyptians. Alaa Al Aswany was able to capture beautifully not only the feelings of first love, but also those of a lost love and a love where the fire has long since died out. The female characters are strong, and battling the internal and external pressures they feel as their multiple identities of being Egyptians, Muslims and Americans, collide. Alaa Al Aswany does not limit his story to Egyptian characters, as Carol, an African-American also tries to do what is right for her and her family.
I am increasingly seeing a pattern in Modern Arabic Literature where authors favour writing about a number of characters who lives are somehow, although not obviously at first, connected, rather than writing a single narrative. Part of me wonders if this is just "modern" way of writing that I am not used to - having not read much fiction in recent years in the UK. Having said that I found the multiple narrative easier to follow in Chicago than I have done in other novels, such as Birds of Amber.
Chicago is a really engaging book and, as an expat living in Egypt, provides a window into the experiences of those who've made the opposite journey to me. The range of story lines, from the settled, to the new, the political to the apolitical, the loved to the lost, means that something about every character will draw you in. Each story has a climax, where characters strength of beliefs are tested. I personally found Tariq and Shaymaa's story most moving, but was most engaged in that which drew the characters together throughout the novel, that of the impending visit of Egypt's President. Instead of an insight into Egyptian, or Arabic life, this shows the struggles of living in another's world.
Taxi by Khaled Al Khamissi
Taxi by Khaled Al Khamissi (2008)
Read: November-December 2008
Taxi is a really great read. It was actually my husband that spotted a poster for the English Edition in the bookshop, and it proves that you can judge a book by its cover. For us, the cover is a classic image summarizing life in Cairo; the Black and White Taxi. Inside, the book tells 53 different stories of taxi journeys where the conversationshad with the drivers give an insight into the most common job in this bustling city.
I could make up some numbers about how many Taxi's there are in Cairo compared to the number of people living here, but suffice to say there are a lot. So many, that when you stand on a street corner you will normally have at least half a dozen trying to either mow you down to pick you up as a fare, or beep you into submission with their horns. Through each individual story, Al Khamissi tells of the woes and wonders that these people come across every day. When I saw that one of my students was reading the original arabic novel I asked him whether he thought the stories were true and accurate, he replied that he thought they were, but that I should really read the book in arabic to get the true feel for the language and culture of this city of taxis.
Read: November-December 2008
Taxi is a really great read. It was actually my husband that spotted a poster for the English Edition in the bookshop, and it proves that you can judge a book by its cover. For us, the cover is a classic image summarizing life in Cairo; the Black and White Taxi. Inside, the book tells 53 different stories of taxi journeys where the conversationshad with the drivers give an insight into the most common job in this bustling city.
I could make up some numbers about how many Taxi's there are in Cairo compared to the number of people living here, but suffice to say there are a lot. So many, that when you stand on a street corner you will normally have at least half a dozen trying to either mow you down to pick you up as a fare, or beep you into submission with their horns. Through each individual story, Al Khamissi tells of the woes and wonders that these people come across every day. When I saw that one of my students was reading the original arabic novel I asked him whether he thought the stories were true and accurate, he replied that he thought they were, but that I should really read the book in arabic to get the true feel for the language and culture of this city of taxis.
The City of the Sharp-Nosed Fish by Peter Parsons
The City of the Sharp-Nosed Fish by Peter Parsons (2007)
Read: October-November 2008
This book was given to us by a good friend shortly before we left England for Cairo. It was a really thoughtful gift, as we are both interested in non-fiction books and wouldn't have been moving out here if we weren't interested in Egyptology!! The by-line for this book is "Greek papyri beneath the Egyptian sand reveal a long-lost world" It is the Greek connection here that will always mind me of our friend, because she lived in Greece for a number of years herself.
This was a non-fiction book, but it was also a rather academic book, which meant I had to concentrate a lot of make sure that I understood and picked up everything I was reading. The book is really a study of a huge find of papyrus near Cairo which dated from the time of Alexander the Great (332BC). The book starts by talking about the way the papyrus were found just South of Cairo and that it was calculated that they belonged to the Greek city there, Oxyrhynchos, the Glorious most Glorious City of the Sharp-Nosed Fish. Although the find was initially made in 1897, it took ten years for the many many fragments to be shipped to Oxford for study, and many more years for sense to be made of all the findings.
The book gives a good overview of the Greeks in Egypt - a time that can be easily overlooked when history books and programmes on Egypt are overwhelmed by the Pharaohs. This was still a proerous time, and the Nile Delta became a real mixing pot for Greek, Roman and Egyptian iconography and traditions (something we have seen ourselves at the amazing Catacombs in Alexandria).
I can see why it has taken so long for a study of this amaing find to be published, as these really were only fragments of writing that were found. On top of that, the find is believed to have been a rubbish dump, and therefore finding consistency in the content of fragments has been a huge undertaking, as every piece of life in Oxyrhynchos was mixed in to one huge mound.
The book then looks at different aspects of City life in turn; with the evidence for each of these being based on the papyrus writings found. The papayrus evidence makes this a very different book to your typical how-did-people-used-to-live book, becuase the evidence is so minuetly specific and there is so much of it. When Parsons examines The Market, he not only knows that there wa a bustling market, but how each vendour would price their goods, what days trading too place on, how much each vendour had to pay to hold a stall there, and of course, the good old shopping lists of the market's patrons.
The book also includes pictures of the statues and paintings found at the site ofthe old city, and some wonderful photographs of the original papyrus found. These pictures emphasise the difficulty in making sense of the wealth of information at the site, but my favourite picture also provides a lighter side to the story; a schoolchild's doodling of a picture and writing "King Midas has ass's ears"
Read: October-November 2008
This book was given to us by a good friend shortly before we left England for Cairo. It was a really thoughtful gift, as we are both interested in non-fiction books and wouldn't have been moving out here if we weren't interested in Egyptology!! The by-line for this book is "Greek papyri beneath the Egyptian sand reveal a long-lost world" It is the Greek connection here that will always mind me of our friend, because she lived in Greece for a number of years herself.
This was a non-fiction book, but it was also a rather academic book, which meant I had to concentrate a lot of make sure that I understood and picked up everything I was reading. The book is really a study of a huge find of papyrus near Cairo which dated from the time of Alexander the Great (332BC). The book starts by talking about the way the papyrus were found just South of Cairo and that it was calculated that they belonged to the Greek city there, Oxyrhynchos, the Glorious most Glorious City of the Sharp-Nosed Fish. Although the find was initially made in 1897, it took ten years for the many many fragments to be shipped to Oxford for study, and many more years for sense to be made of all the findings.
The book gives a good overview of the Greeks in Egypt - a time that can be easily overlooked when history books and programmes on Egypt are overwhelmed by the Pharaohs. This was still a proerous time, and the Nile Delta became a real mixing pot for Greek, Roman and Egyptian iconography and traditions (something we have seen ourselves at the amazing Catacombs in Alexandria).
I can see why it has taken so long for a study of this amaing find to be published, as these really were only fragments of writing that were found. On top of that, the find is believed to have been a rubbish dump, and therefore finding consistency in the content of fragments has been a huge undertaking, as every piece of life in Oxyrhynchos was mixed in to one huge mound.
The book then looks at different aspects of City life in turn; with the evidence for each of these being based on the papyrus writings found. The papayrus evidence makes this a very different book to your typical how-did-people-used-to-live book, becuase the evidence is so minuetly specific and there is so much of it. When Parsons examines The Market, he not only knows that there wa a bustling market, but how each vendour would price their goods, what days trading too place on, how much each vendour had to pay to hold a stall there, and of course, the good old shopping lists of the market's patrons.
The book also includes pictures of the statues and paintings found at the site ofthe old city, and some wonderful photographs of the original papyrus found. These pictures emphasise the difficulty in making sense of the wealth of information at the site, but my favourite picture also provides a lighter side to the story; a schoolchild's doodling of a picture and writing "King Midas has ass's ears"
Silent No More by Lesley Lababidi and Nadia El-Arwbi
Silent No More by Lesley Lababidi and Nadia El-Arwbi (2002)
Read: September 2008
This is a book about special needs in Egypt, written in 2002 and published by AUC. It looks at the history of disability in Egypt, legislation and the many NGOs and schools that exist for disabled people. The book contains individual perspectives and extensive interviews with key players.
Read: September 2008
This is a book about special needs in Egypt, written in 2002 and published by AUC. It looks at the history of disability in Egypt, legislation and the many NGOs and schools that exist for disabled people. The book contains individual perspectives and extensive interviews with key players.
Coming to Egypt with a background in disability and knowing that I would be working in the area of special educational needs I really wanted to read and have this book. It is a valuable resource for me, and would be for anyone else in the field. The main section of it takes on an almost directory format to look at the schools catering for special needs.
Although the interviews with disability activists and disabled people give a human perspective on the current climate of disability issues here in Egypt, it is dissapointing that there is not more of a political agenda in this book. It is very much looking back at where the disabled people and the disability climate has come from, rather than looking forward to what should happen for disability equality. Mrs Susanne Mubarak has written the forward and I wonder whether they authors balanced the desire for a political agenda with a desire for current political approval.
Seven Years in the Sun by Rhoda Gorden Amine
Seven Years in the Sun by Rhoda Gordan Amine (1959)
Read: September 2008
This is a memoire written by an English woman who married an Egyptian in the 1950’s. It is an interesting account of Egyptian life and culture from her perspective at the time of Nasser and the Suez crisis. We were given this book by Uncle Roy who had found this book in the place that Jim and Roy normally find books J He said he thought it looked interesting and he was right. It is a first edition hardback (but actually there never was a second edition as far as I can tell) and the dust jacket is very much frayed, torn and worn (i.e. doing the job of a good dust jacket).
Seven Years in the Sun is an autobiography covering Amine’s life as an Englishwoman who marries an Egyptian and lives in Cairo in the 1950’s. The book starts as her adventure starts; when she leaves England for Cairo in 1950 and the book closes when she “sailed out of Alexandria harbour” in 1957. In the introduction, Amine comments that she had always wanted to write a book about her life in Egypt, but that whilst living there she had neither the “leisure nor the detachment” to do so. I can sympathise with her position here in terms of the leisure time required to write, but I feel differently about her point on detachment which I will explore more later.
Amine grew up in China, because of her father’s job, but returned to England when she was 16 years old. She suggests that her many trips through the Suez Canal as she travelled between England and China on home leave gave her a desire to visit the Pyramids, and when she returned to England after her schooling, she structured her further study around making this dream a reality.
Amine lands employment working at a British/English School in Cairo, although most of the pupils are Egyptian. If this sounds familiar, it was doubling reassuring to have one of the teachers describe a student as follows “She speaks in three languages, but thinks in none!”
What I enjoyed about reading this book, was that despite it describing life and experiences in Egypt and Cairo 50 years ago, the stories she tells about the culture here still resonate. I read this book when we had only been here a few weeks and I found it so reassuring to be reading about a Westerner’s difficulty with fitting in to the culture here.
Alongside the narrative of her family life, she gradually introduces Arabic words and customs. I enjoyed this structure because you don’t find out about the culture and language in one go, but it is a gradual process – that really is never-ending! She mentions baksheesh, and that despite people being very poor here, they are still proud. Other words she introduced me too included “itfaddal” which literally means “take your pleasure” but conveys more a feeling of “tuck in” or “join us” for a meal.
Despite being an Englishwoman, Amine’s story soon turns into that of an Egyptian wife. Even the way she meets her husband-to-be is more Egyptian, than English, which may be unsurprising considering this is the culture that is all around her, but I did find it surprising as she is a very strong willed person, who doesn’t lose or shy away from, at first at least, her British identity. The almost arranged marriage and the husband-to-be’s honest desire to “marry an English woman” therefore come as a surprise. Once she marries Osman though, in 1953, she becomes fully integrated into Egyptian life and culture.
It is through her marriage though, that I think Amine achieved what she really wanted, to understand another culture and live the exotic life. And it is through this marriage that we not only meet an Egyptian man, her husband, but his family, family life and true day-to-day life in Egypt. Amine comes to know her husbands sisters, mother and brothers’ wives very well, as she becomes integrated into the role of a woman in a traditional Egyptian household. We get to see the delicate dance that families perform when a marriage is arranged, and when it fails. We also get to see her frustrations at having achieved so much in her education and life experience (having taken herself through university and lived in three different continents) yet then finding herself in a role she feels so limiting. It is not that she is fulfilling the role of wife and mother that she finds constraining, but the family and structures around her that dictate her moves.
The third part of the book looks at Islam, which was all the more interesting to me and as I was reading this during Ramadan. The phrases and beliefs she translates are now part of our everyday life “Allah Akhbah” God is Great “Iftar” the breaking of the fast “Humdu lillah” Praise God! This Chapter also explained the initially extravagant need for every apartment we had visited to have two living rooms. As we mentioned on our blog, when we arrived in Cairo we were surprised to find an additional living room at the back of the apartment – as were friends in their apartments. Amine explains that although the standing of women in cities is much more advanced than that in small towns, the women of the household would still retire to this separate, private, living room should a male guest arrive alone. She also adds that “Cairo flats are generally so planned that guests can be received without penetrating far into the home” and once reading this I always notice that the door to an apartment opens into the living room space, with the kitchen close by, and often there is an arch where a modesty curtain could be hung.
For me the experience and language that stands out the most in this book, is when Amine recalls the regularity that she is called “Ya Khawaga!” a phrase which although comes from the Turkish for Mister, is used as a form of address for any foreigner in Egypt. From her description though it seems that although this is a formal, polite address, by its vary nature it marks out the recipient as different, as a foreigner. This word seems to follow her around her life in Cairo, despite her integration into family and Egyptian life. Although she learns to not become upset at being called a Khawga, her Egyptian husband takes offence and no protestations by either of them that they are Muslim, that she lives in Egypt, speaks the language and is of one blood will reduce the frequency of the address. Although this is one of the words that regularly marks her time in Cairo, it is not one that I am yet familiar with – maybe it has gone out of fashion as a phrase, or maybe everyone is so used to Westerners in the Cairo suburb where I live that it doesn’t serve a purpose. We think we did hear it once, when exploring the streets behind a traditional market near the Metro; there were some children playing football who called out to us from the maze of streets – streets deemed so unimportant and undesirable that they are not on any map – so maybe it is still used, be we just don’t often find ourselves in places where we could be a Khawga.
The book closes as the Suez Crisis takes hold and Amine finds her position as a Khawga in Cairo and in Egypt untenable. This was the first book that I read that refers to the political situation in Egypt and I found it very interesting to see the History unfold and the impact that this had on everyday Egyptians and on Westerners in the country.
Overall I did really enjoy reading this book and found it so interesting, especially at a time when so much here felt so new, but then could feel so familiar when I recognised them in the text. The book also contains some wonderful pictures that Amine took during her time in Egypt. These really depict everyday life in Cairo and its bustling streets – some thing feel like they haven’t changed in the 50 years since they were taken. I don’t know if I agree with Amine’s statement in her Preface that she didn’t have enough detachment when she was living there to write. She may not have had enough detachment to make a true account of her time living in Cairo, but I don’t think you need to wait to be detached before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), in fact, I think that there is a huge value in writing in the moment – as you will never have that moment again. With hindsight though, you will always reflect differently on a situation, but I don’t think this takes away any of the value in capturing the moment as you live it.
Read: September 2008
This is a memoire written by an English woman who married an Egyptian in the 1950’s. It is an interesting account of Egyptian life and culture from her perspective at the time of Nasser and the Suez crisis. We were given this book by Uncle Roy who had found this book in the place that Jim and Roy normally find books J He said he thought it looked interesting and he was right. It is a first edition hardback (but actually there never was a second edition as far as I can tell) and the dust jacket is very much frayed, torn and worn (i.e. doing the job of a good dust jacket).
Seven Years in the Sun is an autobiography covering Amine’s life as an Englishwoman who marries an Egyptian and lives in Cairo in the 1950’s. The book starts as her adventure starts; when she leaves England for Cairo in 1950 and the book closes when she “sailed out of Alexandria harbour” in 1957. In the introduction, Amine comments that she had always wanted to write a book about her life in Egypt, but that whilst living there she had neither the “leisure nor the detachment” to do so. I can sympathise with her position here in terms of the leisure time required to write, but I feel differently about her point on detachment which I will explore more later.
Amine grew up in China, because of her father’s job, but returned to England when she was 16 years old. She suggests that her many trips through the Suez Canal as she travelled between England and China on home leave gave her a desire to visit the Pyramids, and when she returned to England after her schooling, she structured her further study around making this dream a reality.
Amine lands employment working at a British/English School in Cairo, although most of the pupils are Egyptian. If this sounds familiar, it was doubling reassuring to have one of the teachers describe a student as follows “She speaks in three languages, but thinks in none!”
What I enjoyed about reading this book, was that despite it describing life and experiences in Egypt and Cairo 50 years ago, the stories she tells about the culture here still resonate. I read this book when we had only been here a few weeks and I found it so reassuring to be reading about a Westerner’s difficulty with fitting in to the culture here.
Alongside the narrative of her family life, she gradually introduces Arabic words and customs. I enjoyed this structure because you don’t find out about the culture and language in one go, but it is a gradual process – that really is never-ending! She mentions baksheesh, and that despite people being very poor here, they are still proud. Other words she introduced me too included “itfaddal” which literally means “take your pleasure” but conveys more a feeling of “tuck in” or “join us” for a meal.
Despite being an Englishwoman, Amine’s story soon turns into that of an Egyptian wife. Even the way she meets her husband-to-be is more Egyptian, than English, which may be unsurprising considering this is the culture that is all around her, but I did find it surprising as she is a very strong willed person, who doesn’t lose or shy away from, at first at least, her British identity. The almost arranged marriage and the husband-to-be’s honest desire to “marry an English woman” therefore come as a surprise. Once she marries Osman though, in 1953, she becomes fully integrated into Egyptian life and culture.
It is through her marriage though, that I think Amine achieved what she really wanted, to understand another culture and live the exotic life. And it is through this marriage that we not only meet an Egyptian man, her husband, but his family, family life and true day-to-day life in Egypt. Amine comes to know her husbands sisters, mother and brothers’ wives very well, as she becomes integrated into the role of a woman in a traditional Egyptian household. We get to see the delicate dance that families perform when a marriage is arranged, and when it fails. We also get to see her frustrations at having achieved so much in her education and life experience (having taken herself through university and lived in three different continents) yet then finding herself in a role she feels so limiting. It is not that she is fulfilling the role of wife and mother that she finds constraining, but the family and structures around her that dictate her moves.
The third part of the book looks at Islam, which was all the more interesting to me and as I was reading this during Ramadan. The phrases and beliefs she translates are now part of our everyday life “Allah Akhbah” God is Great “Iftar” the breaking of the fast “Humdu lillah” Praise God! This Chapter also explained the initially extravagant need for every apartment we had visited to have two living rooms. As we mentioned on our blog, when we arrived in Cairo we were surprised to find an additional living room at the back of the apartment – as were friends in their apartments. Amine explains that although the standing of women in cities is much more advanced than that in small towns, the women of the household would still retire to this separate, private, living room should a male guest arrive alone. She also adds that “Cairo flats are generally so planned that guests can be received without penetrating far into the home” and once reading this I always notice that the door to an apartment opens into the living room space, with the kitchen close by, and often there is an arch where a modesty curtain could be hung.
For me the experience and language that stands out the most in this book, is when Amine recalls the regularity that she is called “Ya Khawaga!” a phrase which although comes from the Turkish for Mister, is used as a form of address for any foreigner in Egypt. From her description though it seems that although this is a formal, polite address, by its vary nature it marks out the recipient as different, as a foreigner. This word seems to follow her around her life in Cairo, despite her integration into family and Egyptian life. Although she learns to not become upset at being called a Khawga, her Egyptian husband takes offence and no protestations by either of them that they are Muslim, that she lives in Egypt, speaks the language and is of one blood will reduce the frequency of the address. Although this is one of the words that regularly marks her time in Cairo, it is not one that I am yet familiar with – maybe it has gone out of fashion as a phrase, or maybe everyone is so used to Westerners in the Cairo suburb where I live that it doesn’t serve a purpose. We think we did hear it once, when exploring the streets behind a traditional market near the Metro; there were some children playing football who called out to us from the maze of streets – streets deemed so unimportant and undesirable that they are not on any map – so maybe it is still used, be we just don’t often find ourselves in places where we could be a Khawga.
The book closes as the Suez Crisis takes hold and Amine finds her position as a Khawga in Cairo and in Egypt untenable. This was the first book that I read that refers to the political situation in Egypt and I found it very interesting to see the History unfold and the impact that this had on everyday Egyptians and on Westerners in the country.
Overall I did really enjoy reading this book and found it so interesting, especially at a time when so much here felt so new, but then could feel so familiar when I recognised them in the text. The book also contains some wonderful pictures that Amine took during her time in Egypt. These really depict everyday life in Cairo and its bustling streets – some thing feel like they haven’t changed in the 50 years since they were taken. I don’t know if I agree with Amine’s statement in her Preface that she didn’t have enough detachment when she was living there to write. She may not have had enough detachment to make a true account of her time living in Cairo, but I don’t think you need to wait to be detached before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), in fact, I think that there is a huge value in writing in the moment – as you will never have that moment again. With hindsight though, you will always reflect differently on a situation, but I don’t think this takes away any of the value in capturing the moment as you live it.
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Musicophilia, Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sachs
Musicophilia, Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sachs (2008)
Read: January-February 2009
This was one of our early request books that came shipped out to us by visiting parents. I'd read one of the Oliver Sachs book before....or maybe two... and found them interesting - a bit science-y but also quite accessible.
This was a lot harder than I expected. I thought it would be again science-y but about music and it was, but the science weighed in too heavy for me and parts were quite difficult and heavy to get through. It did give a few interesting examples that I liked, such as seeing colours as music, but the case studies were really quite long.
I got through it with a lot of effort. Scott started it, but couldn't get far. I only really persevered because I knew we'd asked for it specifically to be bought out!
Read: January-February 2009
This was one of our early request books that came shipped out to us by visiting parents. I'd read one of the Oliver Sachs book before....or maybe two... and found them interesting - a bit science-y but also quite accessible.
This was a lot harder than I expected. I thought it would be again science-y but about music and it was, but the science weighed in too heavy for me and parts were quite difficult and heavy to get through. It did give a few interesting examples that I liked, such as seeing colours as music, but the case studies were really quite long.
I got through it with a lot of effort. Scott started it, but couldn't get far. I only really persevered because I knew we'd asked for it specifically to be bought out!
Friday, 30 January 2009
In the Suitcase
So our Cairo bookcase started off looking like this;
Northern Lights (also known as The Golden Compass) by Phillip Pullman (1995) a trilogy we both really enjoyed
The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman (1997)
The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman (2000)
Making History by Stephen Fry (1996) one of Scott's favourite books
Seven Years in the Sun by Rhoda Gorden Amine (1959) a wedding gift from Roy
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (2006) a thank-you gift from a pupil of Scott's
The Yacubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany (2002, translation 2007) our signed copy from the South Bank reading he did in July 2008
City of the Sharp-Nosed Fish by Peter Parsons (2007) a good-bye gift from Ellen
Northern Lights (also known as The Golden Compass) by Phillip Pullman (1995) a trilogy we both really enjoyed
The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman (1997)
The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman (2000)
Making History by Stephen Fry (1996) one of Scott's favourite books
Seven Years in the Sun by Rhoda Gorden Amine (1959) a wedding gift from Roy
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (2006) a thank-you gift from a pupil of Scott's
The Yacubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany (2002, translation 2007) our signed copy from the South Bank reading he did in July 2008
City of the Sharp-Nosed Fish by Peter Parsons (2007) a good-bye gift from Ellen
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