Saints of the Shadow Bible

 Doomed from the start?

Ian Rankin is well established as one of the most successful contemporary crime fiction writers.  According to the Guardian, he accounts for 10% of all UK crime fiction sales.  This latest novel brings Rebus out of retirement in a supporting role to his previous junior, Siobhan. Its classic Rankin and Rebus, and for the devoted follower of Rankin or crime fiction, it does not disappoint.  The characters are masterfully developed, the dialogue's strong, plotting is tight and Edinburgh looms as large as ever.  

Despite Rankin's mastery, he did not delight all the Hussies. He didn't flop but he failed to excite or delight.  

The harshest criticisms of this book concerned his plotting.  Why was it all so like an adult Enid Blyton?  Each episode was followed by lashings of Malt, all the mysteries solved and all the baddies captured.  

Cynics interpreted his celebrated dialogue as shameless scripting for an inevitable TV production.  

Other critics simply expected more thrills and drama - the stuff of crime thrillers rather than traditional crime fiction. 

So were the  Enid Blyton remarks negative or positive?  Surely successful crime fiction is characterised by its predictability and its adherence to certain rules?  Fans of this genre expect to find out whodunnit, how the baddies were captured and how all the loose ends and red herrings  were tied up. Are crime fiction fans seeking the comfort, familiarity, and safety offered by their childhood stories? If so, perhaps a Blyton comparison is a compliment?  

Similarly,  the TV adaptations of previous Rebus stories meant that all the Hussies approached this book as viewers as well as readers.  Such an audience surely presents additional challenges for successful authors?  

Ultimately, it seems that the Hussies just aren't huge fans of crime fiction and so, as a master of this genre,  Rankin was doomed from the very first page.  

Bouchons Bistro in Hexham displays certain Rankin tendencies.  It too is a master of its own genre  - french style cooking - and consistently delivers a small selection of its most popular dishes.   It knows what it's about and doesn't try to be all things to all palates.  If you like good quality French style food then you will like Bouchons.  If you fancy curry, fast food or a huge choice of dishes then you're doomed from the start! 

If you don't want french style food then you're doomed from the start ! 

Our next read is something completely different.  Was Slavomir Rawicz doomed from the start ?  Or not?

The Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

Yet more Kabul in The Black Bull

Apologies to all our readers and followers awaiting this review - we discussed this on 3rd November 2014  but, for a whole host of reasons relating to a group blog, we're just getting to sharing our thoughts with you.  Please forgive us.

Firstly the venue.  We met for lunch at  The Back Bull in Corbridge which is well known for providing good quality pub food and service.  On this occasion, the Hussies tested the pub to its limits.  One Hussy, already grumpy about how difficult it is to park in Corbridge at lunch time,  disappeared at the ordering stage to sort out a puncture,  another was feeling too queasy to dine and another had issues with the salmon!   

Secondly the book.  It was OK.  Its main problem was that we all had previous. We had all previously read a lot  about women living in Afghanistan - Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns",  Rodriguez's other book "The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul" and "The Bookseller of Kabul" by Asne Seierstad, are the main examples that come to mind.   And so, we learnt little new from  Rodroguez on this occasion.  

In the absence of enlightenment, we sought entertainment - great characters, plot twists and a satisfying ending?   Rodriguez writes well, and it was an easy read, but this was neither a page turning satisfying plot nor an autobiography.  It was frustrating to wonder where autobiographical fact ended and fiction began.  

In reality, the book and the food were probably very good.  But somehow,  on that cold, queasy, punctured  day, the salmon, the tyre and the Kabul Beauty School left us all feeling flat. 

Still, the great thing about reading is that there's always another story, another page...so  we parted with high hopes for 

PS - For anyone interested in 'geographical fiction' then why not visit Guardian World Fiction for inspiration. 

'Bodies of Light' by Sarah Moss

                                                    'Illuminating Victorian Values'

A cold dark December evening found the Hussies back at one of their favourite Italians. Cheered by the welcoming lights of Corbridge's Il Piccolo, determined to make this meeting an improvement on the last, the book club shrugged off their winter coats ready to discuss 'Bodies of Light', the third novel by up and coming author Sarah Moss.

                                 

                                         

King Prawns in a sambuca sauce warmed the bones and half a portion of pasta helped to add another layer of insulation. Good food at reasonable prices and happily, decaffeinated coffee available to round off the meal. The only downside was that the delicious cooking aromas from the kitchen permeated the restaurant, confusing the senses of the diners who wanted to savour their own selection. As always friendly service helped to give the evening a pre Christmas injection of goodwill.

Impressively all the Hussies had read the book, a definate vote of confidence in the author. 

Although set in Victorian Manchester, this book is chiefly about family relationships and how the mistakes of the past are often revisted on future generations. A young mother who parents in the same misguided and damaging way as her own mother. A father too weak to intervene who emerses himself in his art. A mismatched couple, Mr and Mrs Moberley bring up their daughters in a world where women are prohibited from many professions, notably medicine, a society that  uses and abuses vulnerable young women blaming them for their own downfall. Mrs Moberley, an evangelical social reformer, is determined to mould her daughters into productive members of society. Whilst her aims are admirable her methods are cruel and callous, particularly in the case of her eldest daughter Althea who suffers physcological damage as a result. Mr Moberley, an artist and interior designer does what many men who are married to strong women do, take the path of least resistance, hiding in his work rather than stepping in to protect his daughters.

Each chapter is built around a piece of art by the father, or his close friend and colleague, a mysterious figure with an ambiguous relationship with the young Moberley girls. The author's ' show, dont tell' style leaves the reader wondering if Aubrey's interest in the girls is rooted in something rather more sinister than a love of artistic beauty. Interestingly, the younger daughter May, was a character in Moss's earlier novel, 'Night Waking', this could explain why her fate seems to be brushed over in the second half of 'Bodies of Light'. Definately worth rereading the earlier work to find out exactly what happened to the character.

On the whole a good read that examines the role of women in society, shedding light on the trials and tribulations endured by generations of women who were determined to enter a world dominated by men. An important reminder of the need to promote and protect gender equality and ensure that women all around the world have access to a good education and the opportunities it brings.

Join us in January when we meet to review our next book, 'Saints of the Shadow Bible' The latest addition to the ongoing series of crime novels featuring Detective Rebus, written by the very well established master of crime fiction, Ian Rankin.

At The Double

A damp and dreary autumn morning saw the Hussies meet up for a private showing of 'The Double", director Richard Ayoade's film version of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's classic novel. Disappointingly only two of our group actually made it to the end of the Russian author's tale of madness and misery. It was a fascinating read that raised more questions than it answered and so we hoped the film version would cast light on our darkness. 

Coffee quaffed, scones savoured we took our seats for what seemed a deliciously decadant way to while away a weekday morning. The trailers preceding the main movie gave a hint of what was to come, dark, depressing off the wall movies aimed at a trendy young art house audience, did we fit the bill? I wonder...

The opening credits set the scene, grey and menacing, a joyless soviet state circa 1970. Perhaps it was this introduction and our knowledge of the original book that set the tone of the viewing, we expected no laughter and so there was no laughter. It would be interesting to gauge the reaction of a young fresh audience who are unfamiliar with Dostoyevsky's work as they might find hilarity hidden within the drab sets and serious characters.

The plot stayed true to the original although transposed into a dystopian world where social structures were not as obviously observed as they would have been in the original setting. The majority of the characters were cold and unlikeable although the protagonist engendered pity and had the Hussies rooting for him to triumph over his evil Double. The whole film , like the book is depressingly fatalistic, we know it will end badly for all involved. Jesse Eisenberg played both Simon and James brilliantly, although irritating at times, a believable portrayal of a man on the edge of madness. Mia Wasikowska of 'Alice in Wonderland' fame played the very unsympathetic love interest who's lack respect for Simon was thrown into sharp relief by her idolisation of James.

Like the book the film leaves the audience wondering was there really a double at all? and like the book it deserves a second viewing.Perhaps a 'double' take will clear the mist and we will finally know what it was all about! 

Two Brothers by Ben Elton

                             A MORE PERSONALISED STORY AMIDST THE HORRORS OF THE HOLOCAUST!

....   A quick blogless blog to keep my place in the blogging order!!  The hussies turned up at the new, tastefully constructed, club house of Close House, now aptly named No. 19, offering a hearty menu for many a discerning golfer.  

 

....   Pictures and reviews regarding the book and restaurant are to follow as comments dribble in from the hussies.  I'm sorry to report that the book wasn't completed by the members and, therefore, a fitting blog could not be produced to the credit of the book.

....   So, all I can say at the moment is - WATCH THIS SPACE!!..

                  The next book proposal is The Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez.

....   Take Two  -  The Brothers by Ben Elton

....   Finally, a book we all agree upon as 'a page turner'.

....   This is a sensitive and intimate fact based story written with such passion that we were all immediately immersed in 1920's Berlin.  Two brothers. Two girlfriends.  Two families. Two sides of The Second World War!

....   The book is set in 1920's Berlin and tells the story of loyal and loving twins Paulus and Otto, sharing everything life has to offer, except 'blood' , and ending up on opposite sides during the war.  The story delves further into the day to day lives of Jewish families before and during the Nazi uprising which subsequently resulted in their demise - human rights stripped away little by little until they were regarded as worthless human beings.  The bond of childhood friendship between the twins, Dagmar and Silke, and the formation of 'The Saturday Club' is tested throughout with the many twists and turns leaving  the reader wondering - 'who is Mr Stone'.

....   It was noted that the language and phrasing was not always fitting to the period and that the story could have been more condensed in the middle section  where it was a bit repetitive.  As the story unfolded, it seemed a little rushed, not spending enough time on the other members of 'The Saturday Club'.  Still, the book was enjoyable, it draws you in making you care about the characters which makes for a bitter/sweet end as it was felt some of the characters were a let down as we had come to expect better of them.  It was quite an education learning about the Nazi practices and the fact that they thought Jews could be identified by the circumference of their head.  The factually correct events such as Kristalnacht.  The Jazz age and the depreciation of their currency all add to the education.  It is different to other hollocaust books as it is focused on the lead up to the war and concentrates more on how the different personalities deal with the events.  Although entertaining and informative, maybe by focusing on the children's aspect, this book may not be considered a classic.  On the whole we all finished the book and we all enjoyed the book.

....   There were mixed reviews regarding Number 19 at Close House, Northumberland.  This is a newly stone built, contemporary building which sits well in its surroundings.  The decor wasn't to everyone's taste and the food ranged from 'disappointing' and 'nowt special' to 'good , after golf, hearty food'.  The prices were reasonable and the service was good albeit feeling like a Metropolitan Wine Bar rather than a Country House Golf Club!  We were all at the same place, honest!!  Maybe it deserves another visit, especially during the day where you can appreciate the views!

....   Join us very shortly to share our views regarding :

                                               The Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

                                                    

                                                                                                                          8th November 2014

The Last Scroll by James Fricton

Comes with a health warning 

In the beer garden of The Dyvels , on a balmy Northumberland evening, the Hussies could barely contain their laughter as they quoted from their latest text,  The Last Scroll  by James Fricton.

Fricton, from the University of Minnesota, specialises in managing chronic pain and wrote this novel to reach his audience through the potentially transformational medium of metaphor.  It is a brave effort and there are some gems of wisdom in this long and relatively expensive text (£8 on kindle, £16 in paperback) but, sadly, it falls short of its noble goals.

In a style which emphasises ‘Tell’ rather than ‘Show’,  Fricton takes us on a tour of Italy with his hero  - a doctor in search of a new lease of life – to witness a “Da Vinci Code” style thriller/ love story and discover the various factors which perpetuate or relieve suffering.

Fricton’s health advice is grounded in international research and offers hope and guidance to all of us, not least those who suffer the daily burden of chronic pain.   Unfortunately,  it is difficult to either distil or believe this advice amidst everything else which is going on in his novel.   

The writing is at its best when describing sex and the Italian food,  but his portrayal of characters relies too heavily on the labels they wear (perhaps he has a deal on commission from Gucci, Benetton, and every other designer he specifies?).  The incredible plot follows Dr Ryan  for a lengthy 600+ pages  as he does this, he does that, he then does this and he then does that.   Multiple typos provide a further distraction from the potentially life changing messages.

It is a shame, that the writing in The Last Scroll distracts from Fricton’s health advice which is both aspirational and potentially inspirational.  Avoiding and relieving personal suffering  appears to be as complex as writing a novel, requiring us all to develop our own protagonists,  dialogue, settings and actions whilst shaping our audience and the real world we all inhabit.

In a real life parallel, worthy of Fricton’s plot, the new manager at The Dyvels, appeared to be Gino,  another Italian with an interest in food.   Sadly, we were unable to comment on many of his culinary delights as the chef was struggling to meet demand that summer night and most of our choices had sold out.

Despite the book and the food, we had a great evening in a very pleasant setting, and in  Fricton’s words,  we were "highly energised in our social, emotional and mind realms".   

Great venue for a summer evening

We will continue to follow Fricton's advice, stimulating our Mind and Social realm, by spending August, reading and reviewing Two Brothers by Ben Elton.

The Double By Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

                            

                                          More Like Double Dutch!

                               

....   Hailed as a masterpiece by some, branded unreadable by others, this early novella from the famed Russian author is a real 'marmite' read. In it, Dostoyevsky chronicles Mr Goldyakins' alarming descent into madness.Yakov Petrovich Goldyakin, a minor office worker, is ground down by the demands of a highly ordered, bureaucratic society in late 19th century Russia. Essentially the main character struggles to find and express his own identity, meeting his double who is exactly like him and yet exactly the opposite of him. Goldyakin junior is everything Goldyakin senior wishes he could be. The reader is left unsure as to whether the double really exists or is just part of the protagonists physcosis, a projection of his inner turmoil. The love hate relationship that develops between the two main characters demonstrates Mr Goldyakin senior's paranoia, he is convinced everyone is plotting against him. 

... The book is full of long monologues in which Goldyakin senior uses the first, second and, occasionally, third person highlighting his almost manic state of mind. He becomes more and more anxious as the story unfolds,  because he feels driven to wear a mask or false identity in public. The way in which the narrative jumps around excentuates his growing anxiety and loss of sanity. 

Although this is a short book it is a demanding read and skimming is not an option. The repetition of long Russian names takes a lot of getting used to and can detract from the plot. This was by no means a page turner but a worthwhile read and for the two Hussies who finished it, a great feeling of achievement. Interestingly, the novella is structured to mirror events, each scene having its own double. 

There are two scenes with Mr Goldyakin and the Dr, two scenes are set around carriage rides and two scenes depict the main character being ejected from an event. It would probably be worthwhile reading another version of this Russian tale.

.... Although Dostoyevsky himself felt the novella didn't work, it has been turned into a movie, written and directed by Richard Ayoade, it is due for release in 2014.

.... We met at Vercelllis Italian restaurant in Hexham to discuss The Double, a vast cavernous interior totally transformed several years ago from a filthy pit into a trendy modern space. Tastefully colour coordinated in shades of coffee ( brown), the restaurant felt clean and fresh, its wooden furnishings made it a little echoey but this added a vibrance to the atmosphere. The food was good and the service efficient and friendly. The portions were huge leaving no room for pudding or coffee. At £17 per head for half  a starter and a main course this wasnt a particularly cheap night out but it seemed quite reasonable value. 

                

....   Above shows a few sample dishes from the Vercelli Menu!

Our next book is on a medical theme....

                               THE LAST SCROLL by JAMES FRICTON

                                        

....   Join us and share your views for what should be a controversial read!