Hello everyone! Finally time for another proper blog post (mainly due to coursework procrastination). This time I'm reviewing the four books I read in January which were: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Maquez, Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz, Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart and Volpone by Ben Jonson. Here we go!
Love in the Time of Cholera
This one might be a bit of a cheat as I actually started it back in September, but I FINISHED it in January so it totally counts (honestly).
Love in the Time of Cholera is one of the first post-modern novels that I've actually managed to finish which was a bit of a struggle but I think completely worth it. At first it was a bit of a slog, I struggled to identify with the characters due to their age and the style and format of the writing was difficult to get used to. For example there are no chapters so I never could decide where to stop reading, but then this is the point of post-modernist literature, it is entirely experimental and, at times, bizarre. Once I understood the point of the story and how it was going to pan out then I really began to enjoy it. The story is very real, the relationships are very real and the situations are very real. However strange it may seem at times couples with the idea that life and people are strange, everyone is different and everyone changes. It was very poetic in its message that love has a time if you only give it a chance, despite your age, and I think it is very beautiful in its depiction of this message. Some of the characters are questionable, I found Florentino Ariza disgusting and dangerous but (and I don't know how Marquez did it) I was cheering him on at the end with his quest to get the girl. Even if he is a complete pervert.
All in all I give it between 3 and 4 stars. It was a fantastic experimental and truthful piece of work but a bit too much effort to read a second time. I definitely encourage someone looking for something more challenging to give it a go though, it's one of a kind.
Odd Apocalypse
I reviewed the first in the Odd Thomas series a while ago as one of my first reviews and I couldn't stop raving about it. As the series has gone on, however, I'm finding myself becoming more and more underwhelmed. That's not to say the books aren't good, they still are captivating reads, but I feel as though they've lost the sparkle and charisma that characterises the original.
In this latest installment, Odd finds himself in an even stranger situation than in Brother Odd (the third installment in the series) with the paranormal aspect being, in my opinion, even less believable. I don't want to give anything away so I'm just going to say that it's weird and crazy and I'm not sure even Dean Koontz had any idea what he was writing about. With Odd still being on his impromptu road-trip, Koontz is having to introduce more and more characters to keep the story rolling and I feel that they are losing their charm. So far none of the characters have the likeability of Little Ozzie or Stormy Llewellyn, or the disgusting factor like Fungus Man, they are becoming far too two-dimensional, and it is becoming more and more difficult, in my eyes, for Koontz to come up with anyone unique. With each new book launch there is the promise of an even more terrifying and horrific villain, and these are promises which are hard to keep. Yes, each of the characters are horrific and disgusting, but none have made my heart beat as much as the ghost of Fungus Man and this is slightly disappointing.
The story is still gripping and intriguing but for me it is the characters which gave the first three books their spark, and recently, the characters in Odd Thomas have been lacking. I give Odd Apocalypse 3 stars.
Is It Just Me?
This is only the second autobiography I've ever read - the first being that of Frankie Boyle, hm - and as I'm such a fan of Miranda Hart, I was quite excited. It contained all the charm of her television series with a lot of "what-I-call"s and "my dear reader chum"s and all the hilarious, laugh-out-loud embarrassing situations which make the comedienne so popular. The lay-out of the book was a bit strange at first with the chapters being based around aspects of society such as "Holidays", "Pets" or "Relationships" rather than key periods in Hart's life which gave a greater insight into the way her mind works but a more disjointed view of her career. It's possible to piece together an overall picture of her childhood and early adulthood with some memorable anecdotes - school trip, anyone? - whilst maintaining some sense of privacy for her private life, something which was unexpected but a responsible choice for this kind of book. The presence of an 18 year-old Miranda voicing her opinions made for an entertaining read and directed the book to a heart-warming conclusion.
All in all, I found it a nice book to read, funny in places but not extraordinary and not something I would read again. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Volpone
This is considered to be Ben Jonson's masterpiece - a story depicting the corruption and avarice of 17th Century London whilst being set in exotic and erotic Venice. Volpone, a cunning fox, tricks three upstanding members of society (Corbaccio, Voltore and Corvino) into believing he is gravely ill in order for them to compete for the chance to be his sole heir. With the help of Mosca, his assistant and his fly, Volpone causes what appears to be harmless trouble until his insatiable lust lands him in court on rape charges.
As this is a play, it is quite difficult to judge the quality of content when I've only been able to read it. What I read I certainly enjoyed - especially the character of Sir Pol, a buffoon on holiday from England, completely out of his depth in exotic Italy - and the depth into which we have explored in class makes this an exiting text to write about. While I cannot particularly recommend you to read Volpone, I would insist it is worth going to see if a performance is put on in your local area. I definitely will be keeping my eyes peeled.
Love in the Time of Cholera
This one might be a bit of a cheat as I actually started it back in September, but I FINISHED it in January so it totally counts (honestly).
Love in the Time of Cholera is one of the first post-modern novels that I've actually managed to finish which was a bit of a struggle but I think completely worth it. At first it was a bit of a slog, I struggled to identify with the characters due to their age and the style and format of the writing was difficult to get used to. For example there are no chapters so I never could decide where to stop reading, but then this is the point of post-modernist literature, it is entirely experimental and, at times, bizarre. Once I understood the point of the story and how it was going to pan out then I really began to enjoy it. The story is very real, the relationships are very real and the situations are very real. However strange it may seem at times couples with the idea that life and people are strange, everyone is different and everyone changes. It was very poetic in its message that love has a time if you only give it a chance, despite your age, and I think it is very beautiful in its depiction of this message. Some of the characters are questionable, I found Florentino Ariza disgusting and dangerous but (and I don't know how Marquez did it) I was cheering him on at the end with his quest to get the girl. Even if he is a complete pervert. All in all I give it between 3 and 4 stars. It was a fantastic experimental and truthful piece of work but a bit too much effort to read a second time. I definitely encourage someone looking for something more challenging to give it a go though, it's one of a kind.
Odd Apocalypse
I reviewed the first in the Odd Thomas series a while ago as one of my first reviews and I couldn't stop raving about it. As the series has gone on, however, I'm finding myself becoming more and more underwhelmed. That's not to say the books aren't good, they still are captivating reads, but I feel as though they've lost the sparkle and charisma that characterises the original.
In this latest installment, Odd finds himself in an even stranger situation than in Brother Odd (the third installment in the series) with the paranormal aspect being, in my opinion, even less believable. I don't want to give anything away so I'm just going to say that it's weird and crazy and I'm not sure even Dean Koontz had any idea what he was writing about. With Odd still being on his impromptu road-trip, Koontz is having to introduce more and more characters to keep the story rolling and I feel that they are losing their charm. So far none of the characters have the likeability of Little Ozzie or Stormy Llewellyn, or the disgusting factor like Fungus Man, they are becoming far too two-dimensional, and it is becoming more and more difficult, in my eyes, for Koontz to come up with anyone unique. With each new book launch there is the promise of an even more terrifying and horrific villain, and these are promises which are hard to keep. Yes, each of the characters are horrific and disgusting, but none have made my heart beat as much as the ghost of Fungus Man and this is slightly disappointing.The story is still gripping and intriguing but for me it is the characters which gave the first three books their spark, and recently, the characters in Odd Thomas have been lacking. I give Odd Apocalypse 3 stars.
Is It Just Me?
All in all, I found it a nice book to read, funny in places but not extraordinary and not something I would read again. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Volpone
As this is a play, it is quite difficult to judge the quality of content when I've only been able to read it. What I read I certainly enjoyed - especially the character of Sir Pol, a buffoon on holiday from England, completely out of his depth in exotic Italy - and the depth into which we have explored in class makes this an exiting text to write about. While I cannot particularly recommend you to read Volpone, I would insist it is worth going to see if a performance is put on in your local area. I definitely will be keeping my eyes peeled.
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