Review: The Golem’s Eye by Jonathan Stroud

The review of “The Amulet of Samarkand”, the first part of this series, can be found here;

SPOILER WARNING

If you haven’t read the first part of this series yet and you value highly an unspoiled reading experience, it would be advisable to put off the lecture of this review as it contains several spoilers concerning the Amulet of Samarkand’s plot. I tried to limit them as much as possible but I had to mention some facts, notably the ending, in order to keep the synopsis logical and coherent.

It is said time and again that an opposition party and the same opposition party which has just won the election are two different things altogether. I suppose this remark is equally pertinent when it comes to people : if an underdog becomes a successful hero he/she must and should change. In what direction will the change go, though?

Synopsis

More than two years had passed since the rebellion of Simon Lovelace, prevented by Bartimaeus and Nathaniel. Our hero is now known solely as John Mandrake (his birth-name must be kept secret literally from everybody, friend or foe; in fact, apart from Nathaniel himself, only Bartimaeus knows it but he is in the Other Place). Instead of an undervalued, mistreated weedy boy of twelve we see suddenly a successful young man of almost fifteen, apprenticed to one of the most powerful magicians in the country, a prominent member of the government, Ms Jessica Whitwell. We had glimpsed this lady shortly in the previous book, torturing poor Bartimaeus in the Tower of London. She looks mighty like Cruella DeVill but she is far cleverer and definitely tougher. Her new apprentice tries to match her - Nathaniel is now fashionably dressed and lives in her spacious apartment near the Westminster enjoying such fantastic amenities as a walk-in wardrobe and a bathroom en-suite (swoon! I had to mention it! it was written by a guy about a teen boy!). He also becomes rather arrogant and full of himself. Small wonder, even the Prime Minister, Rupert Devereaux, is personally interested in his career (Nathaniel saved his life after all). Having received a stipend from the government, our protagonist was also employed in the Department of Internal Affairs, led by Ms Whitwell, and it is not a sinecure, far from it. Clearly Nathaniel has been earmarked for top jobs in the future. He is climbing the social ladder at great speed.

Not everything is exactly rosy, though. Nathaniel swiftly discovers that he has been transferred to an even more hostile environment than the household of his previous master - many magicians and apprentices hate him simply because they are deeply jealous of his privileged position and talent (no surprises here). He must watch his back (or make others watch it) constantly. Among such people he can’t make true friends – he has to deal with either temporary allies, more or less willing, or sworn enemies, more or less overt. That’s why he is missing his old pal Bartimaeus more and more with every passing day (he had to dismiss the djinn right after the demise of Lovelace, such had been their mutual agreement). True, he can have other magical entities at his disposal now but they are neither as intelligent nor as straightforward and truthful as his old companion. What’s more, Nathaniel still must produce outstanding results in order not to change from a rising star into a short-lived meteor. This time the task might seem a bit easier –  uncovering and eliminating an elusive group of Commoners, mostly children or teenagers, called the Resistance.
He had met them before and even has had a score to settle with them as they had mugged him, taking the last keepsake of his previous life, his hand-made scrying mirror. In this book, we get to know the Resistance a lot better. This small but efficient organization, led by a girl called Kitty Jones and an elderly man called Mr. Pennyfeather, is a group of people who had been hurt, neglected and/or injured by magicians, usually without any valid reason. Some of them had tried (and failed) to find justice in courts. As a result, they had got an awfully big grudge against the establishment; they don’t believe in the system anymore and some of them are immune to different forms of magic. It is, by the way, a perfect example how any dictatorship might create really formidable enemies just being too self-important to notice big tragedies of small folk. DIY foes, nothing less. On the other hand, it is also a showcase how your morale must deteriorate when you get too accustomed to committing crimes day in day out.

As the pressure mounts, Nathaniel becomes even more distracted by a series of terrifying attacks on the capital, performed by a very powerful being. Now everyone expects him, the golden boy, to solve the imbroglio and save the day; however, with enemies and traitors around, it certainly won’t be easy. Time to summon Bartimaeus again but will he be really happy, seeing this new Nathaniel, so similar in some aspects to his old nemesis Simon Lovelace?

What I liked:

The second part of this series I liked even better than the first. The introduction of Kitty and other Resistance people with their personal histories was a perfect addition to the plot, making the whole story more touching and believable. Mechanisms of power, described by Stroud, are dark, ruthless and tantalizing, in short taken straight from our political life - really something I enjoyed and appreciated as an adult reader. After all, nobody said children’s books must be dull and syrupy sweet. We also witness a dynamic development of the character of Nathaniel/John Mandrake and the Resistance members as well; although, from time to time we might not be sure whether to love or to hate them.

What I didn’t like:

Not enough of Bartimaeus (but it will change in the last book) and too many mediocre spiritual entities instead (with one prominent exception). Sure, those foliots and imps are funny but already their tricks have become a bit repetitive.

The final verdict:

A fantastic read. Witty, intelligent, lively.

Wishful Wednesday June 30

This wishful Wednesday I would like to present a book by Abraham Verghese "Cutting for Stone".

A short review:
"Beginning in India, the story progresses to Africa where it remains until the protagonist immigrates to America. Marion, the narrator of this fictional autobiography, is one of a set of identical twins. His birth and life at the mission, Missing, provide the basis for the conflicts and triumphs contained in the novel. The historical backdrop, Ethiopia's internal conflicts and coups, impart additional depth to the book's realistic atmosphere. The title "Cutting for Stone" is taken from the Hippocratic oath, but may also reflect a double meaning. The biological father of the Marion and his twin, Shiva, is Thomas Stone, a famous surgeon. In what may be a subconscious effort to emulate and impress their absent parent, both become skilled surgeons. They are "Cutting for Stone".

Tuesday Teaser

 

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should be Reading:

I would like to quote from the Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud, p. 279, reviewed by me not so long ago:

" 'Nasty, ain't it?' The imp's voice dripped with satisfaction. 'Being at someone else's mercy. Now you know what it feels like. Face it, kid- you're on your own. You've got no one there to help you.'

Something tapped on the skylight window."

Review: The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

Continuing my reviews of book appropriate for summer fun and lounging in the sun (but not only), I would like to present  the first part of the Bartimaeus trilogy. Reading the blurb you might think it’s just another clone of Harry Potter series. I am happy to announce at once that nothing could be further from the truth.

Firstly, the magical community, invented by Mr. Stroud, is definitely a  more mature and dangerous world. There are no schools of magic and wizards are rather made than born. It works like this: some children aged five are freely given up by their parents to follow the magical training. They come from all walks of life. For their parents it means a large sum of money as compensation; small wonder there are always willing volunteers and the ads in newspapers provide even more encouragement. For children it means leaving their biological family forever, hiding, (at best - totaly forgetting) their real birth-name for security reasons, undergoing a series of tests and finally being allocated to the house of an adult wizard or witch who usually becomes their master or mistress for the rest of their training period. At twelve, the symbolic coming of age, they are allowed to choose a new name by which they will be known as a magician and a man (or woman). In return, they get a chance of becoming a member of the ruling class, living in relative comfort, maybe even making a brilliant career providing they are gifted and ruthless enough. 
Secondly, it is the duty of every witch and wizard to train an apprentice every now and then. Witches and wizards don’t have any children of their own as it used to have disastrous effects in the past, leading to competing dynasties and blood feuds. No exceptions. In fact, even without children they constitute a bunch of ambitious, mean, backstabbing careerists, only waiting around for any mistake of their colleagues – a typical pack of wolves. They don’t trust each other but they distrust the entities enslaved by them, their sources of power and glory, even more vehemently. It’s a constant tug-of-war - who will outwit whom. Magicians win most of time but sometimes they die (get eaten or dismembered or both). 
Finally Stroud introduces the fascinating workings of the 'seven planes' of spiritual world (magicians can see three of them only with special spectacles), the pecking order of magical beings, and the requirements of various spells and enchantments — plus the intrigue behind a group of non-magical commoners known as the Resistance.

Synopsis

The book starts with the presentation of the spiritual side of magic: the entities which enable wizards to perform the tricks of their trade. We meet one representative of these powers as we are ushered into a room where the temperature plunges dramatically, icicles form on the curtains and ceiling, and the scent of brimstone fills the air. Suddenly, the narrator reveals itself as the old and powerful djinn Bartimaeus, appearing in front of  a 10-year-old  apprentice, who has summoned him secretively in his room. The boy is called Nathaniel (but the djinn doesn’t know his name yet) and he lives in the household of a Junior Minister, Arthur Underwood; Nathaniel commands Bartimaeus to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from a hotshot upstart, Simon Lovelace as he nurses a grudge against him. Some time ago Lovelace, paying Underwood a visit, ruthlessly humiliated his apprentice in front of everyone present in the room, including one of the boy’s favourite teachers. Although officially masters are supposed to protect and defend their apprentices Arthur failed to do so, clearly afraid of the influential opponent. To add insult to injury he also punished the boy for trying to stand up to an adult, stronger wizard and endangering his position in the ministry. Outraged Nathaniel, a rather ambitious and  highly gifted pupil, decides to kick up secretly his magical training using books from his master’s library and pay Lovelace back. Summoning Bartimaeus is a part of his plan. However, the revenge backfires as the boy clearly has bitten more than he can chew. It's true that Bartimaeus proves to be more than up to the task set by his young master, but the act of stealing a powerful magical object sets in motion a lot of unpredicted events, catching Nathaniel and the djinn in a whirlwind of espionage, blackmail, murder, and finally a revolt. Apart from that, Nathaniel finds out that summoning beings as old and devious as Bartimaeus is one thing and controlling them is quite another. Will he be able to cooperate with the recalcitrant djinn and punish Lovelace for the committed crimes? Will his master help him?

What I liked:

The magical world created in this trilogy has a truly original touch - finally we see not only wizards performing awesome deeds but we are also informed about the source of their magic and its inner workings. You can even find here some subtle satire on real political parties and politicians. The whole storyline is also darker and edgier than other similar fare, remaining humorous and entertaining at the same time. The character of Bartimaeus is a powerful creation, sometimes even overshadowing poor Nathaniel and his fellow wizards and I must add we got  a very talkative and intelligent djinn – the footnotes of his chapters are one the most hilarious parts of the book!

What I didn’t like:

Sometimes the plot was too predictable. Fortunately not very often. It’s a children’s book after all!

The final verdict:

A highly addictive stuff - if you start reading the first part, you will want to read the rest for sure. Luckily the whole trilogy is available on the market so we don’t have to wait for ages for another installment. It would be unbearable, even though there are no cliffhanger endings here.

Silent Saturday...say it with pictures!

Review: Grasshopper by Barbara Vine

Grasshopper by Barbara Vine

If you know that under the nom de plume of Barbara Vine is hidden Ruth Rendell, the bestselling crime novelist, you will think immediately: psychological thriller. Quite correct but it is not a typical mystery. This book is also a first person narration about how much you must change in your life in order to restore your inner peace after a very traumatic event.The horror here isn't evil. It's disastrous consequences committed by people with the best intentions.

The narrator and the main character is, very characteristically for this author, a young woman. Clodagh Brown was involved in a serious accident while still attenting a secondary school. She and her boyfriend, Daniel, used to climb electricity pylons and one time they became too cocky and their luck ran out - Daniel died from electric shock. He was younger than Clodagh and, as the girl managed to survive, plenty of people started to blame her for the boy’s death, her parents among them. An older girlfriend should have known better than climbing a transmission tower, dragging poor, innocent boy behind, right?

What do parents normally do when the child doesn’t meet their expectations? Either they try to help him/her or they try to send him/her away and banish from their life. Clodagh's parents tried both methods and finally their daughter was sent away to London, officially to go to GUP but it was evident that mom and dad started to perceive her case as hopeless and wanted to get her out of sight. Officially her situation was a bed of roses. She was properly taken care of as she went to live with Max and Selina, her relatives, who offered a nice basement flat under their own without any charge. It was like another punishment for claustrophobic Clodagh, though. Her college course didn’t seem interesting enough to keep her occupied and the route to the University, with several subterranean passages or the necessity of taking the Tube, was like a hellish nightmare. One day, in the middle of her claustrophobic crisis she met a boy called Silver. He and Clodagh fell in love, and both became intrepid midnight roof climbers.


Sliver, whose parents were very rich, happened to be Max and Selina’s neighbour - he had a loft of his own on the same street. His flat became a favourite haunt for a bunch of very miscellaneous misfits who had been climbing the roofs of London’s terraced houses with him for some time. The group became more and more colourful and conflicted, consisting of Wim, a secretive and very handsome Dutch of mixed racial origin, Liv, a mentally unstable Swedish nanny on the run from her host family, Johnny, an amoral criminal and a bully who used to be Liv’s boyfriend, and some other girls and boys, taking advantage of Silver’s incredible generosity and naïvety. Soon climbing roofs and hanging out with Silver would become not only Clodagh’ favourite pastime but also the only thing she truly loved doing in London. The girl didn’t realize that once again she was on the verge of being involved in a crime story and once again it wasn't her fault but she had to face the consequences.

One evening Clodagh and Silver discover a hidden location of a pair of  fugitives. They are thrilled but the pair, hiding in an empty flat with the child they were accused of kidnapping, is less than happy - harassed by tabloids they are at the end of their tether. Clodagh and Silver decide to help them but doing so they must break the law and rely on Johnny, the only person with criminal experience and contacts. It gives the plot a huge and unexpected twist and it leads to truly dramatic ending, definitely not happy for some of the characters mentioned above.

What I liked:

I love this multi-layered style of narration - at the beginning this book doesn't really have one main story line, but multiple threads, without a central conclusion. After a while they connect with each other and all of them lead to the grand finale of a kind. I must admit every detail, every character in this book has been very well though-out and the whole structure resembles to a work of architecture or a piece of classical music, with no unnecessary part or adornment. The story is gripping, full of surprises and twists. You will never get bored till the very end.The fact that it wasn't a classic "whodunnit" didn't put me off at all.

What I didn’t like:

At some point, somewhere in the middle of the book, I thought there were too many details and characters brought into focus but after a moment it all worked just fine. Really fine.

The final verdict:

One of my favourite books to read during the summer – a novel I feel like returning to.

Thoughtful Thursday - sanity day!

One of the definitions of sanity is the ability to tell real from unreal. Soon we'll need a new definition.
Alvin Toffler

I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.
Edgar Allan Poe 

Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting.
John Russell

Sanity is madness put to good use.
George Santayana

I know the topic might be a bit heavy but who is to say we can't handle it? It's all about our brains...

Do you agree with the quotes I chose and posted above? Which ones? Why? What does it really mean to be sane? Do geniuses are just mentally ill people whith outrageous ideas which somehow happen to turn right? Do you need to/must be sane to write good books? Why so many people nowadays, although officially completely sane, according to A.Toffler have serious problems with telling the real from unreal? 

Wishful Wednesday June 23

I wish this Wednesday to be thrilled and read "The Overton Window" by Glenn Beck.

"There is a powerful technique called the Overton Window that can shape our lives, our laws, and our future. It works by manipulating public perception so that ideas previously thought of as radical begin to seem acceptable over time. Move the Window and you change the debate. Change the debate and you change the country.For Noah Gardner, a twentysomething public relations executive, it's safe to say that political theory is the furthest thing from his mind. Smart, single, handsome, and insulated from the world's problems by the wealth and power of his father, Noah is far more concerned about the future of his social life than the future of his country. But all of that changes when Noah meets Molly Ross, a woman who is consumed by the knowledge that the America we know is about to be lost forever. She and her group of patriots have vowed to remember the past and fight for the future--but Noah, convinced they're just misguided conspiracy-theorists, isn't interested in lending his considerable skills to their cause."

And then the world changes. I would love to see it.

New design of the page...

I've changed it recently not being totally happy with the previous version.

Do you like it? Do you hate it? Did you prefer the previous one? I do care about your opinion and I want this place to be nice to visit - please let me know what you think!

Review: “Hunted” by P.C Cast and Kristin Cast

“Hunted” by P.C Cast, Kristin Cast

Synopsis (from the book jacket as I really don’t feel like writing my own. Sorry.)

 At the start of this heart-pounding new instalment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey’s friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren’t Neferet’s secrets any longer. But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threat he poses. Kalona looks gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading influence, but what if this past life shows Zoey secrets she doesn’t want to hear and truths she can’t face?

On the run and holed up in Tulsa’s Prohibition-era tunnels, Zoey and her gang must discover a way to deal with something that might bring them all down. Meanwhile, Zoey has a few other little problems. The red fledglings have cleaned up well – they’ve even managed to make the dark, creepy tunnels feel more like home – but are they really as friendly as they seem? On the boyfriend front, Zoey has a chance to make things right with super-hot ex-, Eric, but she can’t stop thinking about Stark, the archer who died in her arms after one unforgettable night, and she is driven to try to save him from Neferet’s sinister influence at all costs. Will anyone believe the power evil has to hide among us?

What I liked

I can only say I liked the previous four books definitely better. They have always had one factor that counts the most, especially during a holiday season – their readability. This one lacks it…well, let’s pass to the next part, shall we?


What I didn’t like

“Hunted” is the fifth novel in P.C & Kristin Cast’s House of Night series for Young Adults. I can only say it fills a much needed gap. Let me explain. The previous parts were rather original and much more interesting. I was even toying with the idea of comparing them with “Harry Potter” books (a similar plot device was used– a bunch of “chosen ones” go to a rather special school where they are prepared for a rather different lives etc etc) but now I think it would be a huge overstatement. I might have my issues with HP world but the books had been charming and readable to the very end. This one is, sadly, in my very humble and biased opinion, not.

Trading on the popularity of previous installments of this series and the general popularity of vampires in teen fiction ("Twilight") the authoresses seemed to become complacent about their success and tend to rather "produce" the next parts than write them properly. Have they run out of ideas? A brain cramp? A vampiric problem of different nature? No matter what the reason is, the magic of previous parts is sorely missed here. At any point during the first half of the book I could have happily put the book down and never picked it up again; I didn’t do it just because of my stupid and rather enervating compulsion to finish a book which I have already started. Fate of the world hanging in the balance... Zoey’s “too-many-boyfriends-at-the-same-time” drama repeated at nauseam... evil on every street corner – contrary to the previous books, which featured more “daily vampire fledglings’ life” scenes, none of it actually seemed either believable or engaging. True, I am a reader much older than their intended YA audience but still I hoped that the series would get better and better. Naïve creature, aren’t I?
The timeframe for the story is just two days during which our main character is mostly unable to decide which piece of boy-candy she wants to bite first. A bit too little action, don’t you think? No crucial questions (at least crucial to me) were answered here - why some vampires had died previously? Why nobody has investigated these crimes? Why kids, who were supposed to be as dead as a doornail, are found all of a sudden undead (and very very thirsty)? The main character is also becoming less endearing and more schematic with every page. Her "incredible" powers still consist of the same bag of tricks although her tattoos multiply. To tell you the truth I liked Zoey better when she had been dumped by all of her sweethearts for two-timing them in an almost shameless way. The dialogue seems repetitive and we don’t see any development or growing up of the main characters. After all, teenagers, even vampire teenagers, tend to grow up and mature, don’t they? Especially if they face life-or-death situations? Well, they did when I was younger anyway. Reading this book I felt old and misunderstood.



The final verdict


After having enjoyed and recommended the first four books in the series, I must admit that “Hunted” seems truly disappointing by comparison. Don’t buy this book. If you have to, borrow it.

It's Monday - what are you reading?

Actually yesterday I started the next instalment of "The House of Night" by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast ("Hunted") and I think it will be my first DNF since I became a blogger...if I find enough bile to write a review it will contain a heck of criticism; I am not good at being spiteful, however, so I might not write anything at all.

Review: A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

Review : Marina Lewycka „ A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian”

Synopsis

As you see, sometimes wishes come true very quickly - here is the review of the book I had presented in the last Wishful Wednesday instalment. I bought it and had it delivered in trully record time!

Once upon a time there were two middle-aged sisters and their elderly father, a widower, Nikolai. They had come from Ukraine but they inhabited a beautiful country called the United Kingdom, enjoying relative prosperity and peace of mind. Two years after the funeral of his first wife, though, Nikolai phoned the younger daughter, Nadezdha, and told her all of a sudden that he would like to remarry. “But Pappa, have you really thought this through?” asked anxious Nadezdha, finding out that her new prospective step-mother, a buxom blonde from Ukraine called Valentina, is more than forty years younger. Her father didn’t have any doubts - after all, he got to know his future wife well. He already elicited her views on Nietzsche and Schopenhauer and she agreed with him in all respects. What’s more, she admired Constructivist art and despised neo-classicism, exactly like him. Her large-breasted figure made him salivate. How could you turn down such a lovely creature? Even if she is a divorcee, comes with a teenage son in tow and doesn’t speak English very well? Poor soul - she only tries to escape the abject poverty and rampant crime of her barbaric native country. As there’s no better candidate for marriage around, Nikolai feels it’s his mission to help Valentina. People should help each other, shouldn’t they?

Nadezdha, sensing danger, phones the elder sister, Vera. They haven’t spoken with each other since the burial of their mother when they quarrelled bitterly over money. However, the new situation forces them to cooperate. After all, Valentina’s goals are only too clear to them: she wants to trick their father into marrying her so she can stay with her son in the UK; she has already started wheedling him out of his savings. Unfortunately, poor elderly Nikolai is only too easy to touch – despite his eighty-four years (and maybe because of them) he can’t deny pretty Valentina anything. It’s enough for him to look at her ample bosom and he simply begs her to take everything he has accumulated over the years for a moment of fondling (not to mention, of course, those long discussions about Nietzsche and Schopenhauer…). He writes poems, he is in love and finally he marries Valentina in spite of loud protests uttered by the daughters on the phone. He is an adult man, he has experience, he knows what’s best for him, right?

Right. Be careful what you wish for because sometimes you can get it- this adage sums up the rest very well. As soon as the money of Nikolai ran out Valentina showed her uglier side, stepping into the role of an evil step-mother without second thoughts. She had demands, plenty of them, but every civilized human being has demands, don’t they? She wants to live in proper comfort, she must have a showy car, a fur coat, everything the best. Her son is a genius – he must be able to attend Oxbridge, it would be such a waste of his potential if he didn’t. Valentina works but she doesn’t pay any bills, she doesn’t clean Nikolai’s house, her cooking is inferior to that of his first wife. Even Schopenhauer couldn’t save the day. After some time poor Nikolai is in such a state that his daughters fear for his sanity and life -Valentina is not beneath beating and manhandling her weaker husband. Nikolai decides to divorce her but the process won’t be easy – the woman is tenacious and fully determined to achieve her goals. The situation becomes even more complicated when the former Ukrainian husband of Valentina visits Nikolai and finds his ex-wife…pregnant. Obviously the elderly husband has been cuckolded but who is the father? Will Nikolai be able to finish the book about tractors he started to write as a form of escapism from the ugly reality?

What I liked:

The pace of narration is splendid - this book is a real page-turner, although it deals with just ordinary lives of a bunch of immigrants. The sense of humour, sometimes simply uproarious, soothes even those scenes which you might have found disturbing otherwise. The characters are well-rounded and funny; even the evil Valentina is presented with a touch of humanity (and plenty of make-up). After all, in this book, as in real life, every cloud has a silver lining – even serious problems sometimes bring positive effects by forcing you to make decisions and deal with long forgotten issues from the past. Finally, like a good fairy tale, the story ends on an optimistic note- everybody finds their right place and lives happily ever after.

What I didn’t like:

I just have one “but” – the history of tractors itself. I do understand its role and meaning; nevertheless, I found myself tempted to skip those fragments as they were, in my humble opinion, a little bit boring. Especially compared to the rest of this delicious story.

The final verdict:

Definitely a position worth buying, reading and rereading many times!

Silent Saturday...say it with pictures!

Thoughtful Thursday

Every Thursday or so I am going to give you all some food for thoughts. Let's start with these excellent quotes (two were borrowed from another blog -thanks The Red Witch!):

"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives" Abba Eban

Our ignorance of history makes us libel our own times. People have always been like this" Gustave Flaubert

"History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies." Alexis the Toqueville


"History is a pack of lies about events that never happened told by people who weren't there." George Santayana



Are we condemned to repeat the mistakes of the past? Do people really need exhausting all other alternatives to finally take wise, responsible decisions? Is the adage about "good ole times" mostly true or mostly false? Is it possible to know everything about different historical events? I would love to know your opinion!

eta: I know it's actually Friday but still I wanted to start the meme and yesterday I was rather busy. I promise next instalments will appear on Thursday.

Wishful Wednesday June 16

It's Wishful Wednesday again and my friend Tracy has provided me with a perfect book to wish for: "The Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian" by Marina Lewycka.

It tells of the exploits of two feuding sisters trying to save their elderly father from a Ukrainian divorcee, Valentina. This book won the 2005 Saga Award for Wit, the 2005 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize, and was shortlisted for the 2005 Orange Prize for Fiction.

Stylish blogger Award

I got this award from Community Bookstop, thank you very much :) it means a lot to me - getting such a nice award after I barely started my blog. The criteria in accepting this, is to list 5 random things about myself and pass this award onto 5 other bloggers!!! The 5 things are:

• I am a weirdo
• my favourite colour is turquoise blue
• I own a dog and a snail (temporarily)
• I love buying shoes
• my favourite part of day is evening.

Now I would like to pass this award onto:

1. Addicted to Books for her elegant blog layout, awesome reviews and pictures
   
2. Distracting from the Now for her epic battle for translating "Gesta Francorum" into English
3. Reading in Colour for incredibly colourful and mind-broadening reviews
4. The Bluestocking Guide for mind-broadening reviews as well
5. Terribletwosomeplustwo for beautiful theme bokeh ;).
   

Teaser Tuesday today and I decided to quote a fragmet from "Lustrum" by R.Harris (p.3, the very beginning of the first chapter), reviewed by me not so long ago...;)

"Two days before the inauguration of Marcus Tullius Cicero as consul of Rome the body of a child was pulled from the River Tiber, close to the boat sheds of the republican war fleet. Such a discovery, though tragic, would not normally have warranted the attention of a consul-elect. But there was something so grotesque about this particular corpse, and so threatening to civic peace, that the magistrate responsible for keeping order in the city, Gaius Octavius, sent word to Cicero asking him to come at once."

Review: Robert Harris, „Imperium” and „Lustrum” (a.k.a. “Conspirata”)

Synopsis

These books are two parts of a planned trilogy based on the life of Marcus Tullius Cicero, taken mostly from his own letters and transcripts of his speeches. The rise to power of that well-known self-made Roman senator and lawyer is told from the perspective of Tiro. He was Cicero’s loyal slave and amanuensis, the inventor of the first shorthand system which enabled him to accurately record every word the Senator uttered (or anybody conversing with him for that matter). We meet him in the twilight of his years (Tiro is said to have lived till one hundred, no mean feat in those times), composing his memoirs and acting as our humble narrator, knowing his days are counted and therefore he doesn’t have to be afraid of anyone anymore. The focus here is not on Tiro, though, who, as a slave, is reduced to being just a fly on the wall, but on the events which swirled around him and he happened to live in very interesting times; through his eyes we witness the final days of the Roman Republic full of dramatic events – the result of scheming and conniving of the best, the brightest and the richest Roman citizens to gain more power. Cicero’s court victory over the murderous tyrant Verres, despite him being supported by the aristocracy, using only the power of his oratory, was a show worth live tv transmission (pay-per-view of course, nothing less!). The victory opened Cicero the way to the highest position available in the ancient Roman Republic. It was also the beginning of his end. Sometimes when people finally reach those highest honours and posts they had strived after so badly they simply lose their focus as there’s nothing left to fight for. I think it was also the problems of Cicero – “Lustrum” is a downward ride as “Imperium” was an upward journey and the pace is truly similar to that of a good rollercoaster. It starts with an ugly murder of a young slave boy who apparently became a human sacrifice as the body had been strangely mutilated. Who killed him and what for? Cicero as the new Consul would like to solve this crime but it proves more difficult that he ever imagined, especially as he must fight a more demanding opponent than Verres – the psychopathic but likeable aristocrat, Lucius Sergius Catilina. Meanwhile we are shown the unstoppable accession to power of the ruthless but very clever Gaius Julius Caesar, financed and helped secretly by a general-cum- businessman, Marcus Licinius Crassus. Abroad, Rome is consolidating its massive empire with the help of another general, Gnaeus Pompeius the Great, who is a figure very respected by his soldiers but definitely lacks Caesar’s brains and insolence. A no-holds-barred struggle for power is brewing and there will be plenty of casualties. Will Cicero be able to defend his position and come unscathed? Who will he support? What effect will his decisions have on his family and friends?

What I liked:

Plenty. Even if you are familiar with the history of the ancient Rome and you know pretty well how the Republic ended you will be neither bored nor annoyed. The author is clearly confident that he's preaching to the choir : the narration is presented in such a non-condescending but captivating way that you are simply swept up by the current of events. People and their motives are unchangeable after all, so whether we see power-hungry politicians, ruthless businessmen, high-born psychopaths or vain generals we usually can relate. To put it shortly both books are well written, fast-paced and in parts so gripping that I would find myself reading yet another chapter long after I should have gone to sleep. Harris, unlike e.g. Dan Brown, truly excels in creating three-dimensional characters. The scenes set in the senate and court houses are worth the entry fee alone.

What I didn’t like:

The final gesture of Tiro, after being liberated by his master (I won’t tell you what it was as it would be a spoiler) was a bit too much soap-opera thing for me. I also would like to see more scenes with women playing the main role. Where’s the final part, by the way?

The final verdict:

These two books are highly recommendable - even if you are not into historical books you will be delighted!







.

I am going to reread "Imperium" and "Lustrum" by Robert Harris - the reviews are coming, watch out for them!

Review: Tracy Chevalier, “Girl with a Pearl Earring”

Synopsis

Have you ever experienced such a moment: you admire a fascinating portrait painted by a famous artist and you would like to know more about the model; you glance at the title of the picture and you find out that the model is anonymous…what a pity. On the other hand, though, your imagination has been immediately set at work to fill in the void. Who was this woman? Family? A friend? A stranger? I suppose such a feeling might have been a source of inspiration for this book.

We are shown the household of Johannes Vermeer, one of the 17^th century Dutch geniuses, whose 35 canvases are like precious crown jewels for every art museum in the world. He needs a new maid to clean his studio and decides to hire Griet, a 16-year-old daughter of a tile painter who had become blind in an accident at work. It was partially an act of charity and solidarity of guild members– at the time of that accident Vermeer had been the headman of the Guild of St Luke and Griet’s father, although just a simple artisan, belonged to that organization too. Griet is a perceptive and intelligent girl; her new master quickly sees she might be also artistically talented. Soon enough the new maid advances to an unofficial part-time assistant and ultimately she sits for her master as a model with the pearl earrings of his wife in her earlobes. And then an avalanche of problems is set in motion. Vermeer’s eternally pregnant wife, Catharina, despises Griet (as wives always know when their hubbies get too interested in another girl), and the children, following the example of their mother, give her some grief too. Other maids start to spread gossip about the nature of intimacy between her and Vermeer– it is known that some servant girls have got pregnant while doing modelling for their masters. Such rumours might seriously hurt Griet’s chances to find a husband and she needs a husband very badly as her family can no longer support her financially. She suffers further losses. Her younger sister dies during a bout of plague. Finally her beloved brother, Frans, loses his job in scandalous circumstances and has to go away from Delft. Griet’s biggest ally is Maria Thins, Vermeer’s taciturn mother-in-law , who does everything in her power to make her son-in-law paint and earn more and more as they are heavily indebted. Will she be willing to help Griet, though, when the girl is accused of stealing? The book ends with a twist and, although we will never know whether this story was true, we finish it being sure it was very well told.

What I liked:

I am sure the authoress has made a lot of research because all the facts concerning the life of Vermeer are in perfect accordance with all rare documents we currently have at our disposal. The plot is not very intricate but you soon find yourself glued to the book and compelled to finish. The mood of the masterpiece simply seeps through the pages and the fictional girl with a pearl earring is as likeable as her portrait. A very nice read!

What I didn’t like:

I wish this book were longer – some more descriptions of life in the 17^th century Delft (and of Griet’s family too) would please me very much. What happened to her brother? I hate the fact that we were told nothing about the fate of Frans.

The final verdict:

I definitely recommend this novel, although some other books of this author I didn't like that much.

ETA: I've forgotten to add: Griet is the Dutch version of Margaret which means "pearl"...

Review: „The Agency – A Spy in the House” by Y.S Lee – first part of the trilogy.


Short intro into the series.

The Victorian era should be called the Age of Hypocrisy, especially when you compare the morals, allegedly high, with the real, rather uncivilized situation of women and the poor. For a modern person it’s sometimes difficult to understand why women, even those rich and/or famous, usually could neither work nor pursue their interests and hobbies freely. Florence Nightingale and Clara Schumann were just two exceptions to this rule. As Victorian morality espoused sexual restraint, low tolerance of crime and precisely outlined roles for both sexes, women were often forced to marry or left to starve. Generally, if you failed to fit in you were severely punished. An era with so many contrasts is always an interesting setting for a book or a movie, especially if the main hero or heroine comes from the underprivileged – this simple truth was grasped very well by Dickens and other writers and painters as well. After all, who doesn’t love seeing an underdog getting his or her sporting chance against all odds?

Synopsis

Mary Lang, the main character in the book, is unquestionably such an underdog. She was born in London; her father, a Chinese merchant sailor, had perished in a shipwreck. As a result of such a blow her mother, a seamstress, had a miscarriage, fell ill, lost her job, became a prostitute and finally died. Mary had no choice – she joined an army of street urchins, so numerous and notorious at that time, to earn (or rather steal) her living. First, the girl trained as a pickpocket and then she progressed to more lucrative but also more dangerous burglary. Although intelligent and skilled, she finally got caught. As it was only too common in the 19th century, the judge sentenced her “to hang by the neck until she was dead”. Here the action begins because, contrary to the sentence, Mary is not executed. She is rescued from the gallows by an organization which actively looks for clever girls in dire straits to help them. Do I have to add it is led by women only? Officially they run one of many private London schools – “Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls” – but it is hardly a typical Victorian institution. Giving poor, neglected girls a real second chance in the form of a paid job is one of its aims. Not that the job choice is rich. A young, properly educated woman could work as a clerk, a nurse, a teacher, a lady companion, a governess. Finally, she might become a high-class mistress or a wife if it suited her and she was attractive enough. None of these career choices appeal to Mary so her tutors suggest something highly unorthodox. Some carefully selected pupils are asked to join the ranks of an elite top secret corps of female private investigators, known as the Agency, employed even by the government as they are known for solving the most intricate cases. Mary is overjoyed at this prospect. It might give her not only an active interest in work but also a truly professional satisfaction – all things usually reserved for men. Will she be able to fulfill her duties in a satisfactory way, though? Can her mixed racial origin – the only secret she hasn’t revealed to her benefactors, or anybody, yet- become an obstacle? Or maybe she will find a young man she would like to marry?

Mary’s first mission consists in spying on a rich merchant, Mr. Thorold, who is suspected of smuggling precious Hindu artifacts and arranging shipwrecks in order to obtain compensation payments. Officially she is hired by Mrs. Thorold, a very sickly woman, to accompany her only child, Angelica. Mary must work fast, she is left alone and, although she tries her best, she can’t find even one shred of useful evidence. Her task becomes even more difficult when other people get secretly involved in checking Mr.Thorold’s interests – Mary’s path is crossed by James Easton, a young engineer whose older brother, George, has fallen in love with Angelica and wants to marry her as soon as possible. Practical James doesn’t consider it such a great idea, though. After several encounters, some of them rather embarrassing for both, James and Mary decide to cooperate but they don’t trust each other – Mary can hardly tell him the whole truth about her role so he becomes suspicious of her very soon. The plot thickens as some innocent people die apparently for no reason at all. It soon becomes obvious that the culprit, no matter who they are, is very ruthless and won't stop at anything to save their skin. Mary is also haunted by the shadows of her past as she must visit the Imperial Baptist East London Refuge for Destitute Asiatic Sailors during her secret investigation. Will she find traces of her father there? Will it help to find the evidence she is looking for? Will she manage to meet the deadline, set by the Agency’s clients?

What I liked:

I love the whole idea of a book about the Victorian era in which the characters recognize and try to correct some social flaws of that time. I would say if such an Agency never existed, (and most probably it didn’t, but you’ll never know, they were definitely more secretive than James Bond) it’s lovely somebody invented it. As this somebody happens to have her PHD in Victorian literature and culture, the book is properly researched, every detail rings true and it never fails to entertain you– even with the stinking river Thames in the background. The pace of narration is quick and the plot – well composed, making this book is a real page-turner; once you start it, you can’t put it down till the very end. I only hope the second part, to be released soon, will match this one.

What I didn’t like:

I must admit that the identity of the baddie was rather easy to predict but this fact didn’t diminish the fun of following Mary and James and their pursuit. Also this book was too short.


The final verdict:

One of better books I've come across recently, definitely worth reading!

Silent Saturday...say it with pictures!

my new guest blog - I owed that one!

http://www.communitybookstop.com/ - my new review of "Death in the Family" by Charlaine Harris. Enjoy!

It's still Wednesday at my place so I wish I could finally get my hands on "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society". Better late than never.;)

Hello, this is my first post...

...and being so it won't be either very informative or very long. It will be a blog with book reviews and other titbits related to books and reading. Every book is a journey of its own so let's have a nice trip together!