I Read Therefore I Am discussion

Hilary suggested that it would be nice to have a thread where we could review some of the books mentioned in "What are you reading at the moment?
Reviews can be as long or short as you like.

The Grass is Singing - Doris Lessing
I was a bit scared of trying this at first as Ms Lessing has the reputation of being difficult. This book, at least, is very readable, gripping infact. The book begins with the aftermath of the murder of Mary Turner - the wife of a poor white farmer in what was "Southern Rhodesia" - now Zimbabwe. With an impartial sympathy Lessing then goes back to the beginning of Mary's life and lays out what led to this terrible event. The book describes the contaminating effects of poverty, an unhappy marriage and the unthinking all embracing racism of colonial society on Mary and her husband and although many of Mary's thoughts and actions are repugnant to us Lessing manages to keep our sympathy for both of them right until the end.
This is an amazing book - it made me think enormously and I can see that it's a book I'll go back to many times in the future.

I liked this a lot too Lee, I thought it was much more accessable than 'The Golden Notebook'.

I'm definitely going to read some more of her stuff - my Dad really likes her science fiction

I never knew she did science fiction, but then I haven't read anything by her. I'll add this one to my To be Bought list.

Some of the books I remember seeing on my dads shelves are Shikasta, The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four, and Five and The Sentimental Agents in the Volyen Empire

Just finished Raising Steam Terry Pratchett's latest. It deals with the invention of steam trains on Discworld and has a cast of the usual Ankh Morpak characters doing all the usual inventive things to stay in the good books of Vetinari. This is the first of Pratchetts books that I've found disappointing and I'm not sure if it's because of his illness or that he has simply run out of ideas. It's still funny and inventive but somehow doesn't have the fizz that his previous books have had. Not one I'd recommend unless you are a died in the wool fan.

Hilary wrote: "Just finished Raising Steam Terry Pratchett's latest. It deals with the invention of steam trains on Discworld and has a cast of the usual Ankh Morpak characters doing all the usua..."

I was a huge fan of his in his early days but I haven't bothered with this one. To be honest I think he started to go downhill after Interesting Times. Very sad about his illness of course.

I'm really lucky - in that I've only just discovered Mr Prachett - thanks to Hilary - so I have all those wonderful books still to read. Alzheimer's is a terrifying disease - Iris Murdoch suffered an early onset too - but I think there was even less understanding of the disease then and it took her over very quickly.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist: A Novel
Set in Lahore, an American traveller is approached by a young Pakistani man and invited to tea. "Do not be afraid of my beard, sir. I am a lover of your country" he says. And it transpires he has lived in New York, was an ace student at Princeton and a financial high-flyer. The book is in the form of a monologue but so skilfully written that we 'hear' the American's replies and feel his discomfort with the other people around him in the foreign market-place. As evening draws on and turns to night, so the plot becomes darker and chillier.... (I will say no more).

As well as being an unusual suspense story, the book explores the cultural differences between East and West, the experience of an outsider trying to fit into a strange society and how acceptance can quickly be changed to hostility by acts of violence.

I can really recommend this book to anyone who has not yet read it. It's my Best Book of the Year (so far)!

Sounds amazing - I shall add it to my to read list forthwith

THE BORGIA CABINET. I'm usually quite good at resisting Kindle deals but this title intrigued me so I bought it. It's basically a detective story and there are many twists and turns in the plot. It's an easy read, not a patch on Agatha Christie, and I found it dated in a way that Christie isn't although the story is set in the same era and the same social class. Very disappointing to be honest with a detective who seems clueless as I could see almost from the beginning "whodunit" but he seemed blissfully unaware.

Not a review really but this is what I've just finished:Night Film by Marisha Pessl - really intriguing and creepy mystery set in new York about a disgraced journalist investigating the death of a famous and reclusive film director's daughter. Loved the way Pessl ratcheted up the tension and keeps the reader guessing about what actually happened to this girl but didn't like the main character - he was a bit slow on the uptake! Would have got 5 stars of not for that and the author's annoying habit of over-using italics.

Daniel Deronda by George Eliot - amazing book, this was brilliantly written and I was so invested in the characters. A bit slow but this is the way Eliot writes, she is interested in social commentary rather than delivering a edge of your seat plotline but that didn't spoil it at all for me. Loved it!

@Laurel I like Elliott but I've never read that one, I'll make sure I add it to the list.

Me too.

There are 2 excellent reasons for reading Kidnapped : one is the thrilling story - it's exciting whether you know the plot or not (which is just as well as Mr Stevenson has a tendency to give it away in his chapter titles) and the other is the friendship between Allan Breck - a wildly romantic, highland Jacobite and David Balfour - a law abiding, slightly narrow minded Lowlander.
Just make sure that your copy has notes as there is a lot of old Scottish dialect .

The Thirteenth Tale . This is a wonderful mystery with a gothic feel. Vida Winter, an elderly famous author who has kept her personal life a secret, invites a young woman called Margaret to write her biography. The story of Miss Winter's childhood is revealed gradually, alongside revelations about Margaret's own life. The novel is very well plotted and I found it engrossing - I didn't guess the truth about Miss Winter's identity, although there were hints and clues aplenty! The characters are convincing and the atmosphere of of confinement, both physical and emotional, is created with a great economy of language.
My only reservations about this book are the last couple of chapters - the story is complete, in my opinion, and the last chapters (especially 'Post Scriptum') spoil it.

I really like the Thirteenth Tale too. I've got her 2nd book Bellman and Black on my kindle - but I've been putting off reading it as I've seen a number of poor reviews.

Oh that's a shame, Lee. I was going to buy it - hadn't seen the reviews. Might hold fire for a bit. (I've just downloaded the complete works of George Eliot, so I've got something to keep me going...)

I should say! There were some good reviews as well, though.

I've had Dune on my Kindle for a while - must bump it up the To read list.

This is one of my favourite SF books. I have read it so many times, my copy is yellow with age and almost falling apart. The next couple in the series are almost a a good but then, as with a lot of long series, they start to go off a bit. Still very readable just not exceptional.

Just weighing in, I loved Dune too. It was much more engrossing than I expected and like you Daria am hesitant about starting the next one (even though it was given me for Xmas two years ago...)

We have the series ready to watch too! Must get onto that :)

Definitely!! I love a read-along :-)

Burial Rites A very moving historical fiction account of Agnes, a woman convicted of murder (along with another woman and a man) and sentenced to death in early 19th century Iceland. We follow along as she relates the story of her life and events leading up to the murders to her clergyman confessor and the rural farm family selected to house her until her punishment is finally determined, never really sure of her culpability or knowing exactly what happened during the murders until the end of the story. Based on a true story, it is an eye-opening glimpse into Icelandic rural farm life in the early 1800s, including a smattering of its religious and political background. Very moving account of one woman's struggle with societal misperception. Highly recommended.

I read Burial Rights last month and really enjoyed it too - I thought the last couple of chapters were particularly powerful. It reminded me rather of Margaret Atwood's marvellous Alias Grace - have you read that one?

No, I hadn't heard of it. Will check it out. Thanks.

Just looked at the review on Good reads. Added it to my to read shelf. Over 600 pages in paperback, too. Always a plus with me, short reads just end too quickly. I think I need to build an immediate to read shelf, perhaps with my next 5 choices. My TBR is getting rather out of hand. Not a bad thing, mind you. Alias Grace will christen the new 'read next' shelf.

That's not a bad idea - I think I might do the same.

I agree Lee. As I was reading Antipodes review I immediately thought of Alias Grace.

Just finished The Bell JarI didn't have a loathe it or love it reaction as most people do. I found it just meh for me.

I'm not sure if it's because I don't have experience with mental illness and so just didn't "get it" but (no offense to anyone who may have suffered a mental illness past or present as I don't have experience in the subject) most of the book I found myself just wanting to slap her and tell her to snap out of it.

I got this very selfish/superficial vibe from Esther and with such I was unable to sympathize with her no matter how hard I tried.

I gave it 3 stars since I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either.

I found The Daughters of Mars quite slow to begin with but found it difficult to put down as it continued. Set in WW1 it tells the story of two Australian sisters, both nurses, who volunteer to join the Medical Corps being sent to support the Australian army at Gallipoli. I have read a number of books on WW1 but none from this viewpoint. It brought home the dreadful variety of injuries suffered by the soldiers and the volume of casualties that there were. I would definitely recommend the book, it is well written and suspenseful right to the very end.

What a really strange book Slaughterhouse-Five is and I would be interested to hear the views of others on it. I don't know if there is a deeper meaning in it that has passed me by or if it actually is an absurd, comedic, tragic story told in a fragmented, intriguing and occasionally very moving fashion. The story of Billy Pilgrim, POW, survivor of the bombing of Dresden and a time traveller into the bargain who simply lives in the moment. He doesn't seem to take any action at any point but is simply catapulted through a variety of normal and abnormal experiences rather like a human pinball. I suspect I am rambling but then so does this story, so all I'll say is that I don't know if I would recommend it but personally I couldn't put it down!

Hilary what a fantastic review! You have hit the nail on the head. I love his writing because it completely sidesteps everything you expect when being told a story. For the writing alone i would recommend it. It's a weird book no doubt, but it's so unique that it deserves the attention it gets.

I think I shall make this my second Vonnegut .

Vonnegut himself, as I understand it, was a survivor of the firebombing of Dresden as a POW during WWII. It has been ages since I read the work for high school lit class, but I think the work has many autobiographical components. I agree with Angela, Hilary - I think you hit the nail on the head and would not doubt that Vonnegut himself felt rather like a pinball in a surrealistic pinball machine during his own Dresden experience.

Thanks everyone. My edition actually starts and ends with Vonnegut talking about himself, Dresden and his difficulties in writing this book. They aren't marked as intros or postscripts so I assumed they were an integral part of the novel. As you say a strange book!

Every Man Dies Alone/Alone in Berlin - this is an amazing book, set in around 1942 in the the atmosphere of fear and paranoia that pervaded wartime Berlin. It introduces us to a range of Berliners - some fervent supporters of the Nazi government, some risking everything to resist it, some doing all they can to help others and some simply out for anything can get for themselves.
At the heart of the story are Otto and Anna Quangel an ordinary couple who after the death of their son suddenly decide to start their own private war against the Nazi Regime.
I had 2 tiny problems with the book - one that right at the beginning there were a couple of events that just didn't seem quite believable to me, and two that I never really felt that I understood the Quangels or their motives - perhaps the author had the same problem - possibly because they were loosely based on real people.
All in all though, I was deeply impressed by this book - the last 2 thirds in particular. It moved me, shocked me and made me seriously consider what it would have been like to live in Nazi Germany - and how I might have acted.
I thoroughly recommend this book.

Just finished Honestly if i could have rated it 0 stars i would have done. Sardonic humour - where? it was a collection of sentences that took me nowhere. Disjointed and unfollowable for most of the book. At the end i did almost get where the author was going but most of thetext surrounding Colonel Zia was just drivel.

Breakfast of Champions
Got this as a Kindle Daily Deal to try a Kurt Vonnegut book. Really hated it. Full of stupid drawings and trite, patronising (and offensive) words. Might be OK if you're a Vonnegut fan, because he's probably sending himself up (the central character is a science fiction writer). Not my cup of tea and won't be reading any more of his books.

Lee wrote: "Every Man Dies Alone/Alone in Berlin - this is an amazing book, set in around 1942 in the the atmosphere of fear and paranoia that pervaded wartime Berlin. It introduces us to a ran..."

Great review Lee! Going straight on the TBR :)

Marie wrote: "Just finished Honestly if i could have rated it 0 stars i would have done. Sardonic humour - where? it was a collection of sentences that took me n..."

I'd heard about this book Marie and intentionally left it off my list. Glad to see I made the right choice!! :)

Oh dear - better luck next time Marie and Anna :0)

I've added Alone in Berlin to my to buy list. It's very uplifting to read stories of individual fights against oppression I find. The book I read not long ago about young Jews who fought the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto in continual guerrilla skirmishes was amazing. They survived and lived to a grand old age in Israel. It was truly inspiring. As usual the title escapes me I must look it up.

It was The Avengers, A Jewish War Story by Rich Cohen, who was I think related to one of the leaders in some way.

Another one for the To Read list.
I wouldn't call Alone in Berlin uplifting but - as well as showing some of the worst faults of humanity - it does show some of it's very best qualities.

Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead is a very odd little book. Emma, Hattie and Dennis live in a small village with their self absorbed father and tyrannical, rather mad Grandmother. The story begins with a flood and then as the waters recede more and more villagers start to run mad and die in bizarre ways. The style of the book alternates between whimsy, macabre and real poignancy - it must have been even more startling to read in the 1930s when it was originally published.
I would definitely recommend this book.

I like the look of that one, will have to see if the library has a copy.

The Courilof Affair
Leon M is an old Russian Revolutionary - he was, as he says, born into the Party - both his parents were revolutionaries and after the death of his mother he was brought up by the local revolutionary committee.
In old age he looks back to one of his earliest assignments - the liquidation of Courilof the ruthless Minister of Education - responsible for the arrest, exile and death of many students.
In order to carry out his mission he has to gain entry to Courilof's household and as soon as he does this - he realises how much harder it is to kill a man when you know him.
Courilof is not a very attractive figure - but he is not a monster - in fact we get a number of hints that Leon M was responsible for far more deaths than him after the revolution.
At it's heart The Corilof affair is an exploration of the morals of revolution and terrorism and of the idea that the ends can ever justify the means.
Recommended.

Stoner

Really enjoyed this strangely enough probably more than I would have if I hadn't read The Man with the Golden Arm immediately before it. Both are well written but in very different ways. Williams writes in simple, sparse prose. Every word is exactly the right word and there's not one that's superfluous. Stoner, a farmers son, who escapes into college life firstly as a student but then in the same university as an assistant professor. He, his wife and daughter lead lives of quiet desperation, trapped in a loveless existence every bit as sad as Frankie Machines, but they are decent people who are flawed but carry on trying to lead decent lives.

At times it's desperately sad, but never hopeless, I loved every page of it and would definitely recommend it.