The Reader by Bernhard Schlink: A Review

I was given a copy of The Reader by a friend as part of the World Book Night scheme in the UK so thought it only polite to give it a shot. I am still not entirely certain as to whether or not I enjoyed it and the my opinion of it improved mostly due to the novel's final chapters because they almost moved me to tears. Schlink tells a woeful story of shame, obsession, guilt and cruelty, one that grips you right from the start as his two protagonists engage in a short, inappropriate and unbalanced love affair. It is when the novel jumps forward many years that you begin to realise the gravity of this novel as the object of the narrator's affection is put on trial for atrocities committed during her service in a Nazi concentration camp.

The writing itself goes from compelling to tortuous, and I quite often found myself drifting off when the narrator goes on about law and philosophy, I felt that some of the passages were not crucial in the understanding of the message given. It was interesting as a reader to observe the narrator battling with his feelings for Hanna, as he goes from deep obsession over his first love into denial, guilt and coldness although it was clear to me that the obsession had never passed and he carried it with him indefinitely. Hanna is an intriguing character study, my feelings on her fluctuated throughout from hate, to disgust to empathy. She is the enigma in the narrative, and one that is not so easy to understand. Her treatment of the narrator seems cruel at times and she takes advantage of his youth and innocence to meet her own gain, then we go on to learn that her past has hidden horrors that paint her as guilty of war crimes and my hatred of her felt all the more justified. Schlink turns this around as we reach part three, and we are shown more of Hanna as a person, and what was black and white suddenly becomes grey. In spite of the atrocities committed I started to empathise with Hanna, she becomes a bit more real and less ghoulish, yet still retains her otherness. 

This is not just a novel about character, but also one about time and place. Schlink uses The Reader to explore and reveal the thoughts of a generation of Germans overshadowed by the crimes committed under Nazi Germany. He talks of the differences between generations, the shame felt by the youth with regards to their parents and grandparents and the movements of a community to restore themselves and atone for that which has gone before. I do not know enough of the impact of this terrible history on German culture to really go into any informed depth about Schlink's observations, but it is clear to me as a reader that the events in this novel are indicative of a country trying to move on whilst facing it's past all the while, Michael's emotional journey with Hanna is another indicator of this as he tries to block her out yet his feelings, his memories of her never go away and continue to plague his actions in life.

This is not an uplifting novel, it's deeply sad and moving in spite of some of the more clunky prose, and this might be due to the translation more than anything else. Well worth the read, even if you are not sure about it, the story is fascinating and has a realness to it that makes it all the more harrowing. The Reader is one of those rare books that is an engaging read although it's impossible to actually 'like' any if it's characters. I still feel unsettled by my reading of it and have no doubt that the novel's ending will stick with me for some time.

Casino Royale......Bond, James Bond

Completely outside of my comfort zone and my first real foray into the espionage genre, and what a place to begin.  No one can deny that this is one of Britain's more famous fictional characters and thanks to a massive fan base I am pretty sure there are very few people you will encounter that have not heard of James Bond.  I fancied something a bit different and I certainly got that.  I have obviously seen a lot of the rather cheesy Bond movies and I have also watched Casino Royale, which was by far my favourite of the franchise (and not just because of Daniel Craig being cast into the lead role).  I loved the raw, somewhat harsher Bond that Royale brought to the table, and as it turns out, this is a Bond we see in the novel as well.

As I am sure most of you are aware, this is the first of Fleming's novels about the famous James Bond.  Our introduction to Bond thrusts us into his world of indulgence and risk as he takes on the sinister Russian operative known as 'Le Chiffre'.  Bond's mission is to drive him to ruin at the baccarat table, forcing his employers to retire him for his lack of funding.  But of course, no one really plays fair and Bond must face his own confusing emotions over a dangerous female agent alongside the terrifying consequences of pushing 'Le Chiffre' too far.  We learn about what it takes to become a double 'O' as well and we get our first glimpses of 'M' Bond's elusive boss.

Now, we all know Bond from the films as a charming, ruthless spy with some cringe worthy one-liners and a penchant for martini (shaken not stirred).  The Bond in this novel is not what you would expect if you have only seen the films.  He is a cruel, cold man that drinks to excess, smokes far too much and has a huge love of gambling, not to mention of course his misogynistic thoughts about women.  Yep, that's right folks, the guy hates women and he cannot cope with the idea of having to work with one as his thoughts drift to unprofessional behaviour and weakness.  In spite of this Bond is of course a brilliantly drawn character that you can't help wanting to follow through the novel, his drive to focus on the job at hand coupled with his vices gives us a more believable characterisation of a human being, this is not someone who is perfect, and I liked this.  I also can't fault him for his love of vodka, a good choice in my opinion.

As for the narrative, just brilliant.  It's easy to follow whilst somehow remaining complex, as I am sure all good spy novels need to be.  It is also surprising, it's unpredictable, I was open mouthed when the two guys with bombs end up blowing themselves up in a botch job on Bond's life.  Flemming's description of said explosion is harrowing, even down to the detail of "an obscene smell of high explosive, of burning wood, and of, yes, that was it-roast mutton."  Gory stuff and a definite extreme of attention to detail.  I did not expect this from the novel at all so was still in a state of surprise when Bond gets tortured to the brink of insanity or death, whichever got to him first.  Incredibly gripping writing.

Perhaps the most dangerous part of the novel was Flemming's description of the game at hand, baccarat.  It is not the boring, tiresome explanation I was expecting (I had been forewarned).  Let's just say I now want to high tail it off to some fancy casino and play baccarat until I pass out from sleep deprivation or alcohol consumption, whichever hits me first.  The description is looped into Bond's playing of the game itself, and it's just brilliant.

It is said that Flemming wrote much of his own personality into Bond's character, and having browsed over his biography online I can well believe that.  Flemming was a talented writer but must have been a formidable man and it is sad that he only lived long enough to see two of his novels adapted for the silver screen.  It is safe to say he managed to create one of the most talked about and loved franchises of both British cinema and literature.  You can now add me to the list of fans, I thought this novel was a fantastic read and will be recommending it to anyone that has not yet picked up one of Flemming's novels (and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' does not count).  I have already picked up a copy of Moonraker to delve further into the world of James Bond.

It is worth pointing out that if you are expecting the novel to be 'exactly' like the film, well, it ain't.  Both formats are highly worth indulging in for their own merits, so go get your Bond on.

Wyrmeweald: Returner's Wealth......there be dragons, many, many dragons

If a book turns up in the post with a dragon on it there is a very likely chance I am going to read it.  Not only did Wyrmeweald boast a rather beautifully drawn white dragon on the front cover but it is also shiny, impossible to resist in other words.  Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell are a duo that are not to be trifled with, they have shared a great deal of success with past ventures in the kid's market and it is rather nice to see them venturing forth into the Teenage market with a darker, more adult, fantasy novel.  Now let's be honest here, there was absolutely no chance that I was going to dislike this novel and this was obviously the case, I loved every second of it.

BEWARE, I have included some spoilers in this review.

Wyrmeweald sets the scene in a fantasy world rife with dragons, travellers and epic, unforgiving landscapes.  Micah leaves home to search for his own helping of Returner's Wealth, said to be abundant in the Wyrmeweald, a dangerous and barren place filled with cut throat pioneers and a whole host of dragons just waiting to make the most out of another lost and naive adventurer.  As expected Micah's time in the weald is nothing but dangerous, exciting and a steep learning curve as he encounters a whole host of wonderfully drawn characters.  After a rather unfortunate incident on the wrong end of a Wyrmekin's lance Micah is introduced to Eli, a man who will become his guide and who is full of surprises about the Weald.  Eli is a man of secrets and honour, a rare find.  An troubling incident with a dragon's egg results in another addition to this unlikely pair of travellers in the form of Thrace, a Wyrmekin.  The trio must work together to overcome their obvious differences and act out a revenge most foul on those that have wronged them and the careful balance of the world of the Weald.  Micah must make his own decisions about the influences that surround him  and whether or not to respect the dragons of the Weald or to exploit them to earn his wealth.

This is such a wonderful novel about overcoming difference, and is essentially a coming of age novel for Micah (if you can say that about a fantasy novel).  Micah's character is so gentle yet strong of spirit that you can't help but be drawn to him and empathise with the losses and gains that he endures in the novel.  The budding romance between himself and Thrace is enticing and complicated, and one that you want so badly to bloom in spite of their obvious differences.  It is not only Micah's characterisation that is strong, all of the characters you encounter are so intricately woven that they seem real, there are multiple levels to each of them.  You will find no one dimensional characters in this novel.

There are just dragons absolutely everywhere in the book, in the landscapes, in the skies, in gatherer's luggage.  The people of the Weald live off of hunting or scavenging from dragons, this is how they obtain the coveted Returner's Wealth which is the element that drives Micah into the wilds in the first place.  The notion of this is so interesting, and of course indulgent of you are as much of a fan of dragons as I am.  The creative genius of these two is utterly overwhelming, and I love it, right down to the stunted blind Wyrme on a rope.

It is not just the story that will grip you, it's the style in which the novel is written.  At the beginning the location and time changes from chapter to chapter to build the foundations of the story, and this is done incredibly well.  These individual stories gradually merge as all of the parties involved encounter one another within the narrative, every little detail is important, there is no padding whatsoever in the telling.  For example, Micah's encounter in a cave as he begins his journey becomes all the more relevant at the conclusion of the novel, the danger he initially faced becoming all the more clear.  There are characters like this too, not just locations, Ichabod the Preacher's harsh madness is explained by the time you finish reading and it invokes a great sadness as you realise he is as much a victim as those he tricks on his travels.

This is yet another wonderful addition to the legacy that is Stewart and Riddell and works well as a standalone although it is the first of a series.  If you have never read anything by them this is as good a place as any to start and there might be a chance you won't be able to stop.  It is brilliant to read something a bit darker, a bit more vicious and all the more tender for it in places, I can't wait for the next one in the series.  Maybe they will take a step further after this and explode onto the adult fantasy market as Wyrmeweald really isn't too far off in my opinion.  This is a great read for anyone who enjoys a good fantasy, especially if you are after a lighter, quicker read than something as epic as George R. R. Martin or Stephen Donaldson.  This is a fantasy world you will love.

Wyrmeweald: Returner's Wealth is out now in paperback with the follow up Bloodhoney just out in hardback.

The Age of Miracles....a warning to us all!

This is one of the much heralded titles on the Waterstones 11 list this year.  This is a list of, yes, 11 debuts that are set to be the next big thing, this is the only title so far that has appealed to me.  I would not have even picked the novel up unless one of my colleagues thrust the proof into my hands telling me that it was my sort of book, they weren't wrong.  It seems I am getting far too predictable in my tastes, makes life easy I suppose.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker really is not what you would expect.  It is somewhat of a cautionary tale of humanity and has inklings of a coming apocalypse, something out of our control and totally unexpected.  Walker renders the a scene of American suburbia in crisis, the knock on effect of a worldwide catastrophe.  The spinning of the Earth on it's axis is slowing and scientists can neither explain nor prevent the phenomena.  Walker goes on to describe the ascending progression of this catastrophe, starting with the lengthening of daytime and nighttime by minutes and moving on to the deaths of birds and crops.  The reader has this story explained to them by the young, revealing narrator Julia.  This wonderful character describes the world around her as everything that we take for granted starts to fall apart, friendships, families and natural ways of life.  The story seems all the more harrowing told through the eyes of a teenager struggling to deal with the effect this global occurrence has on the world around her.


I would love to know more about the science of this novel, the details were very interesting and thought provoking.  The author must have put some really hard work into researching the effects of prolonged sunlight and prolonged nighttime as you never doubt the knowledge you are presented with.  It is weird to think of days and days of sunlight and how this would effect our world, and how dangerous it really would be, I would not recommend sunbathing at all!!  This is set off by the long nights and the effect of these on plant and animal life, how ecosystems are just completely destroyed.

I was moved throughout this book, Walker cleverly combines science with moving passages about the people of this story.  She reveals a human resilience, our need to carry on with routine, to follow a clock that no longer reflects night and day.  Alongside this resilience we see rebellion as well, as individuals decide to live their lives by the sun rather than by the 24 hour clock.  It is all very saddening as you can't help but feel for the people that are trying so hard to live how they want, yet become discriminated against by people that used to be their allies, their friends and neighbours.

The dramatic altering of day and night is obviously a very clear and important part of this novel, however, Julia's story is just as important.  It is this story that leads us through the novel and Julia's perception of others that make it such an engrossing read.  There is romance, heartbreak, loss and persistent challenges to face as Julia has to continue being a part of a world that is crumbling around her, literally and metaphorically.  Her family life becomes one of secrets, and we are encouraged to understand that sometimes secrets are what saves people from harm.  It is a very interesting and difficult view to digest, but one that Walker expresses with tenderness and tact.

The most moving part of the novel for me was a scene set upon a beach as Julia acts impulsively to join her crush, Seth, to look at the beached whales.  It is so sad to think of these beautiful creatures driven to confusion over the changing of tides and times, dying helplessly in the blazing sunshine and there is just nothing that can be done to help.

From moving to haunting, the message of the book is very clear on the notion that there are just some things we cannot prepare for or reverse.  Global warming and nuclear holocausts are things that can be affected by human behaviour and in some cases controlled, the looming apocalypse in this tale is completely out of human control and it is terrifying.

I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good old fashioned end of the world sci fi.  This novel is more subtle, it is more gentle, but you wont be able to put it down because it is never a heavy read.  Also good for folks that want a thought provoking read, you really don't need to be a sci fi fan, there is no fancy gadgets or futuristic spaceships in sight.  Maybe I am just saying that anyone could enjoy this, it is just a clever, brilliant read.

Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker is due out 21/06/2012

The Island of Dr. Moreau - A Cautionary Tale?

I enjoyed this novel tremendously, being a huge fan of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein this struck a tone with me as it feels almost like it has echoes of Shelley's masterpiece in the telling.  It certainly follows the Prometheus concept as we are faced by the crazed Dr. Moreau who is destroyed by his own hand.

Our narrating protagonist Edward Prendick is cast adrift when the boat he is upon sinks in the middle of the ocean.  After losing his lifeboat companions to the ravenous sea he is rescued by a motley crew and nursed back to life.  This is ultimately where Prendick's surreal narrative really starts to begin.  He is taken and left on an island ruled by the 'mad' scientist Dr. Moreau whose interest lies in the creation of beasts via vivisection, and these beasts populate the island under the vicious and watchful eye of Moreau.

This is ultimately a novel of horror, and the chase scenes are truly terrifying as Prendick is pursued by one of Moreau's beasts on more than more occasion.  Beautiful, chillng atmospheric writing, and the madness of Moreau's "House of Pain" is dizzying.  Prendick is constantly haunted by the wails and screams of a puma, another of Moreau's unfortunate subjects.  The images conjured up by this poor suffering animal's screaming are just harrowing, and it stays with you long after reading.

Moreau's ultimate goal is scientific advancement, to create animals that resemble humans in both posture and intelligence and he is convinced he is close.  It is this blind ambition that drives the man's madness and strikes fear into the hearts of his many creations.  Moreau's monsters form a community on his island, one where they try to adhere to the "law" as stipulated by Moreau himself, all of which tries to keep them from returning to their animal nature.  Yet they do feel cast aside, you never feel as though Moreau takes responsibility for these experiments and it is this that leads to the spiraling events that in turn become the violent crescendo of this novel.

You can't help but draw parallels between Moreau and modern day genetic experimentation, and view this narrative as a cautionary tale, this cannot end well!

"Each of these creatures, despite its human form, its rag of clothing, and the rough humanity of its bodily form, had woven into it, into its movements, into the expression of its countenance, into its whole presence, some now irresistible suggestion of a hog, a swinish taint, the unmistakable mark of the beast."

Wells' does use this novel to express his views on society, science and to a point explore biblical themes as well but I don't want to go into to much depth over these ideas, there are plenty of places online where you can explore these topical themes in a great deal of detail.

All in all a bloody brilliant read, it has made me want to go and pick up more of Wells' novels.  His writing has a timeless feeling to it and by no means feels dated which is what makes this a classic that anyone could pick up and enjoy. Oh, and it's a short novel, so a super fast read.

Pop to http://www.gradesaver.com/the-island-of-dr-moreau/study-guide/major-themes/ if you want more insight into the themes covered by this masterpiece.

Ta ta for now!