nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

Just let me finish this chapter...

HalloweenJack

I've always liked reading but got back into it in a big way in lockdown and have kept it up since. In 2020, I read 31 books; 55 in 2021 and 46 last year. I try to average a book a week so we'll see how this year goes.

So far in 2023, I've finished The Midden by Tom Sharpe. This was a gift from my brother-in-law as it is one of my father-in-law's favourite authors. The story is a complicated farce and it just wasn't the kind of humour I'd be looking for (lots of silly names and Carry On-type antics). There was a hint of satire but the whole plot was quite muddled and it was a slog at times. It just wasn't for me.

Currently reading Returning Light by Robert Harris, a memoir from someone who worked on Skellig Michael for thirty years. Its a mix of bird-watching, journalling, poetry and appreciation for nature so far. It can be quite slow at times but then I found I was flying through it in other parts.

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

HalloweenJack

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

One of the weaker Booker winners from recent years.

It explores some great ideas with some lovely descriptions but what little plot included feels reduced to passing commentary on the characters. It feels more like an essay. I get the feeling of being removed from Earth and being able to better observe and contemplate what goes on down there. Its a scientific dissection of life on Earth. It works very well in that aspect but it doesn't tell much of a story.

HalloweenJack

Topographica Hibernia is an interesting collection of short stories, some more focused than others. There are good stories at the heart, similar to Kevin Barry ones, though, at times, they are wrapped up in a thick layer of wordy language.

There's one, the Pistels of the Dandelions I think it was called, which had me on the edge of tears, a heart-wrenching tale that animal lovers can relate to.

HalloweenJack

Good Material by Dolly Alderton

Not something I would have chosen on my own but my wife enjoyed it and I'm up for expanding my scope.

I enjoyed it. It's quite light-hearted in spite of its topic (a long-term couple in their mid thirties break up and it mostly focuses on the male's perspective). There's observational humour, nothing laugh out loud, just familiar things that you laugh along to. The story is interesting and the pages turn themselves. There is a bit of a twist towards the end that helps bring closure to the story. There is a satisfactory, optimistic ending. Good job.

Onto Topographica Hibernica by Blindboy now. I listen to his podcast a fair bit but hadn't read any of his writing before.

HalloweenJack

The first time I read it, I did so in Spanish and I was likely so focused on understanding it that I didn't appreciate how well it is written. There are some brilliant descriptions in it, more so than I can remember in other books of his. A lot of the attention he gets is for his humour but he was a skilled writer as well.

Hermy

It's years since I read The Third Policeman but I don't think I appreciated the writing at the time as I was all at sea trying to deal with the absurdity of it all.

HalloweenJack

The Third Policeman was a pleasant surprise. I had read it a few years ago but hadn't appreciated it as much. There is some seriously impressive writing in it, something that I find overlooked when Flann O'Brien's work is assessed.

There are some absurdly hilarious moments and it is quite a typical example of O'Brien's devilish sense of humour, with its unresolved ending, blurring of reality and the feeling that he is playing a practical joke of sorts on his devoted readers (e.g. the footnotes).

HalloweenJack

Completed 29 books in all in 2024.

My Cat Yugoslavia, Piranesi, Prophet Song, Despair and the Buddha of Suburbia are the ones that stood out the most, the first being one of my favourite books I've ever read. I hope to read more of his work. I can't think of any books that I didn't get anything out of at all, though I was underwhelmed by the Shadow of the Wind.

Currently working my way through The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien, the usual mix of high concept science and absurd humour.

HalloweenJack

At Swim Two Birds by Flann O'Brien

It's certainly an interesting take on a novel and he ties it all together quite subtly, starting off with three separate storylines which eventually merge together.

I couldn't really tell you what it was about and I'd argue its almost an exercise in structure and something of a practical joke on the author's part. There aren't as many laugh-out-loud moments as The Poor Mouth or The Third Policeman or the Myles naGopaleen columns. I wouldn't be rushing back to it before other pieces from the same author.

Weird Ireland by Brinsley McNamara

Christmas Day present and I've got through most of it already. It's an interesting collection of oddities from around the country, not much else to it.

HalloweenJack

A Lethal Legacy by Fin Dwyer

I'm a big fan of his Irish History Podcast and this was an interesting take, looking at isolated murders from specific times in the nation's history and placing them within their historical context.

Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I read this a few years ago when my uncle died suddenly and remember appreciating someone else's take. Unfortunately, I've gone back to it after another bereavement. Its thorough. Its all over the place (that's not a criticism) and mostly recounts her memories and impressions of her father while ruminating on the theme.

HalloweenJack

Finished the Magician. An enjoyable read, though quite poignant too, especially at the end.

It'd probably be described as a fictional biography but Toibin really did his research and he presents a very real version of aibling rivalry, most noticeably. There is quite a bit of grief, for lost ones and a lost country, and trying to avoid extremism without being too critical, an interesting topic in these times.

HalloweenJack

Quite enjoying the Magician but was home for a few days and took the opportunity to browse my mother's extensive library and got through the following in the space of a few days:

The Poor Mouth by Flann O'Brien

My Irish is far too rusty to attempt to read the original but the translation is brilliant. It's a brilliant parody of those Gaeltacht biographies and also pokes fun at the landscape of the Irish language movement in the 20th century. Highly recommended.

Despair by Vladimir Nabokov

I'm not very familiar with Nabokov, though I've read Lolita. I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Its entertainingly written and there is brilliant use of the pompous narrator as a self-righteous, blissfully naive anti-hero of sorts. The story itself is an intriguing take on the 'perfect murder' plot device and I was quite impressed by the style it was written in. Another recommendation.

Back to the Magician for now, though I took with me At Swim Two Birds, which I started and abandoned during college, and The Third Policeman, which I've read before but in Spanish.

HalloweenJack

I've read a few different things lately but they were unpublished works that friends wanted feedback on so won't comment.

Spring Flowers, Spring Frost by Ismail Kadare.

A brief look at Albania coming to terms with the fall of communism and which direction it should look to in order to continue its development. The story itself blends folklore and everyday life and there's a hint of magical realism where the boundaries of reality and fantasy tend to overlap. Some of the writing is top notch, though at times it feels as if he's trying too hard to tie two different stories together and he doesn't quite achieve it.

On to the Magician by Colm Tobin now, despite having a copy of it at my bedside pretty much since it came out. I'm a big Mann fan and enjoyed Brooklyn so I have high hopes. Its well written so far.

HalloweenJack

My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Stanovci.

A brilliant read and an incredible achievement.

The story is about a Kosovan family who emigrate to Finland in the 1990s. The story is fleshed out through the perspectives of the mother before and after the move and the youngest son as an adult.

Intertwining two different timelines can be trickey but this one does it well. Very hard to put down once you get into the swing of it. It impressively deals with generational trauma while presenting you with characters who seem clueless. At times, you can't believe what the main characters are doing despite it so clearly being wrong yet you reach a point where it begins to come together.

I highly recommend it, one of the best books I've ever read.

HalloweenJack

The Shadow of the Wind.

I had a feeling I wasn't going to like it because of the type of readers that were recommending it and I was right.

I would describe it as over-written in parts whereas in others its quite repetitive (towards the end, at least in the translation, several different images are described as 'tears' which dulls the impact). There are too many background stories. Even though it did come together somewhat towards the end, I found myself having to think hard to remember who certain characters were. In other parts, the story was very twee and almost too perfect while some of the characters were quite two-dimensional for me.

The writing could be very good but there were times where too much information was given or the author was going too far.

The story itself has plenty of twists and turns but having read plenty of James Ellroy, I wasn't left surprised. Two of the bigger plot twists didn't surprise me as they'd already been signposted (see the bit above about too much information), though one had been buried in my memory somewhat because the book is far longer than it needs to be.

I don't regret reading books but this has been a read that'll make me wary of anyone who recommends it to me or says its one of their favourites.

HalloweenJack

The General of the Dead Army by Ismail Kadare.

An interesting study on trauma and its echo. It also has a lot of commentary on the responsibilities of bigger countries towards smaller ones when the latter 'gets in the way'. Its a straightforward book, not hard to follow and not too many characters. The chapters are short, too. There's a good atmosphere to it.

Definitely worth a read.

HalloweenJack

RTP was a decent read but quite grim at times and overly preachy at others. There are sections that feel like they are literally pulled from a manifesto which interrupts the flow a bit. The ending felt a bit rushed, too. The character names, which at times are like something out of Monty Python, can be outright silly and takes away from what is a very serious book.

Worth a read but Strumpet City tells a similar story in a more complete and realistic way.

I've also fit in some basic history books when I got bored with RTP but nothing that'd be incredibly innovative and notable.

HalloweenJack

Finished Antony Beevor. Its well-written, just a lot to get through.

Also read the Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus. Short and sweet. I found it inspiring in spite of it being a gloomy topic.

I'm onto the Ragged Trousers Philanthropists now. Handy enough to read, Tressel's constructed a decent story so far.

HalloweenJack

It didn't take me long to ditch Antony Beevor again.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke was one I picked up relatively recently when I saw it on sale and remembered it's synopsis had intrigued me.

It's a delightful book, written in an onion style; very slowly you peel away at the story as it reveals itself more and more. Its a very impressive piece of work and an interesting take. I could argue that its concept is something of an allegory for depression or abusive relationships but I'd a lot more time to think about it and develop it. Highly recommended.

HalloweenJack

My reading slump continues. I've only got through two books since my last update.

The Last Days of the Ottoman Empire by Ryan Gingeras. Gave history a go and I was hopeful that a topic that I'm fascinated by would help. Its chock full of information for quite a condensed period but it wasn't written on the most engaging way.

I started Russia: Revolution and Civil, 1917-1921 by Antony Beevor. Another topic I enjoy and an author whose work I find engaging. Its easier to get into and it flows faster but it inevitably ends up being something like: "Lenin gave an order. Stalin disagreed in private and Trotsky went on a diplomatic mission." I'm about halfway through but its a slog.

In my desperation, I went back to fiction and read Perfume by Patrick Suskind, a book my wife loves. It was well-written and I did get into a good rhythm with it, though I did struggle with suspension of disbelief at times.

But it served its purpose and helped me get back into Russia, though its still tough-going.

HalloweenJack

Beautiful Star by Yukio Mishima

I picked this up having read Confessions of a Mask and this is something quite different. A family in 1960's Japan discover they are in fact each from a different planet and set about preparing for the end of of the world.

Nuclear war is a background topic as well as the whole meaning of life and understanding human behaviour while also having a go at political elites and the establishment. There is a substantial chunk of the last third dedicated to a back-and-forth justifying human's right to exist.

There's a lot going on and I reckon it requires a re-read to get more out of it but it is an interesting read. There are some fine passages of writing and beautiful imagery, though Mishima tends to spend a lot of time inside people's heads, explaining an awful lot more than necessary.

HalloweenJack

The Buddha of Suburbia

This one was quite an enjoyable read. Some laugh out loud moments mixed with some tender ones while also being a varied case study of 1970s England. There are also some very fine flourishes of prose. The ending is pretty well resolved, if not a tad quick. Some very interesting takes on characters at the time, some still quite relevant though the titles have changed somewhat.

Highly recommend it.

HalloweenJack

The Plague by Albert Camus.

This shouldn't have taken me so long but my mind's been elsewhere lately and I'm just not reading as much as I'd like to.

Honestly, my reading was very stop-start that I can't give a faithful review as I'd put it down for days at a time and pick it up again with no idea who the characters were.

I did highlight a few insightful passages and I have another Camus book lying around that intrigues me but I couldn't confidently state how good this book was.

I agreed with the overall helpless outlook of it and perhaps that's why I'm struggling to enjoy reading lately.

HalloweenJack

The Last Colony by Phillippe Sands

A factual account of how the natives of an island in the Indian Ocean were removed by the British to make way for an American air base in the 1960s. Written by a lawyer who has brought the case all the way to the Hague. Very well researched and presents a good argument of how poorly treated the natives have been and how appallingly and hypocritically the British have behaved.

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

I always look to read the Booker Prize winner and this was a good one. Its a timely read and is very much a character study as opposed to going into great detail about the overall plot. Its a carefully constructed story, like a wall being built one brick at a time. There comes a moment about halfway through where it feels like there's a sudden shift in the main character's study but you actually realise its been carefully building up all along. There is some incredible writing in this, I especially enjoy how he often uses nouns as verbs, making the sentences far more direct and providing a more accessible image.

Onto the Plague by Albert Camus now, though I'm not so sure if its the right book for me at the moment as I've been quite philosophical lately.

Everlong1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743527#Comment_120743527

Ever see the movie adaptation with Richard Burton as the lead? Great film, shot mostly in Dublin I believe. (Says a lot about Dublin in times past that it could stand in for cold war East Berlin!).

HalloweenJack

Two and a half months later...

Life and Fate was an interesting read about a topic that I'm quite interested in.

But it was not an easy one. Lots of short chapters then the odd longer one. The story jumps between characters at odd times. The story is about the battle of Stalingrad but there are parts that are like encyclopedia articles or newspaper reports from the future looking back at it (the author was a war correspondent). I don't think it's entirely linear and at 1100 pages, it was tough to get into a decent rhythm.

The Christmas period didn't help and I had a few other things going on but I didn't expect it to take me this long to get through it so I need something lighter to get back into the swing of things.

HalloweenJack

It'll be a while before I'm posting again as I've got into Life and Fate by Valeri Grossman. All 1100 pages of it... I hope to finish it by the end of the year but I've only read a 100 pages in the week since I started.

It will be no. 46 if I finish it. I'm happy with that number as there's a few there that I've struggled with.

My most recommended from 2023 would be The Bluest Eye, Seven Moons, American Pastoral, Here Are The Young Men and This is How You Lose Her. These are certainly the most accessible and easier to read ones.

Independent People was also quite impressive but it takes a bit of effort. I'd say similar about The Dream of the Celt.

I don't have any regrets but I wouldn't be in a rush to read Tom Sharpe again.

HalloweenJack

Brighton Rock

This started off very well but the pace slowed down quite a bit after the initial burst. There is a sense of inevitability about the story; early on, you know how its going to end, it's just a matter of what route the author takes to get us there. That said, this technique does increase the suspense at certain stages and made me eager to keep going, especially towards the end.

I found the overarching theme (good triumphing over evil) to be somewhat naive. It doesn't come about because of some super-natural force, more because of character's having a guilty conscience.

There is a decent flow to it and, at times, the pages flew by. Some of the writing can be quite delicate and Greene offers some beautiful imagery and there some quite unique similes to appreciate. I would criticise the amount of time he spends in his character's heads. At times, there is simply too much detail given about the characters' thoughts and you can see how they are going to act in the remainder of the book.

HalloweenJack

Iceland's Bell is done. 407 pages in three-and-a-half weeks which is surely my slowest read for a long time.

I can't quite put my finger on it. It was slow and dense. I had a three-hour flight last Thursday and managed 75 pages. Flying back on Sunday, I had 50-odd pages to go and didn't even bother (I was also hungover). I slogged through it the last few days and got there. And I didn't feel the payoff I had expected.

There are more quotable sections towards the end but the story is multiple viewpoints from multiple locations, swinging between disjointed and repetitive. The topic is interesting: Icelanders asserting themselves and their country over their smug Danish rulers and most Irish readers can identify but it was really hard to get into any rhythm with it. I'd need to re-read it to give a more definitive review but that's the last thing I want to do right now. This book nearly killed my interest in reading; that's how much I struggled with it.

Onto Brighton Rock now, a breath of fresh air and flowing through the pages.

HalloweenJack

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

A book that came highly recommended and it was certainly interesting but I didn't get what was so inspiring about it. I would actually argue that it doesn't inspire: it just shows how difficult it is to 'succeed' when others have a headstart.

I'm currently slogging through Iceland's Bell by Halldor Laxness. I had similar struggles with Independent People but there was a payoff in the end so I'm hoping the same happens here. Frankly, it's what keeps me going because I haven't really got into it yet and I'm over a hundred pages in.

HalloweenJack

Men without Women

A collection of short stories by Haruki Murakami. Its pretty standard fare for Murakami: people who like books and music, some odd coincidences with a hint of the supernatural, obsession with women. The common theme in the stories is that of the title, another common Murakami topic. A friend of mine said she sometimes plays Murakami bingo and this collection would be a quick one to finish.

If you're a Murakami fan, its what to expect. If you want to get into him, he has better books.