Oh, Sarah Waters, how I love thee! Let me count the ways …
A tender and erotic love story, a sumptuous historical novel of post-war London, a gripping Oh, Sarah Waters, how I love thee! Let me count the ways …
A tender and erotic love story, a sumptuous historical novel of post-war London, a gripping psychological suspense thriller, a clever murder mystery, a riveting courtroom drama, an eviscerating examination of English class and gender hypocrisies, a heart-breaking story of a young woman struggling to do what is expected of her against her every instinct and inclination … The Paying Guests is all this and more.
Sarah Waters is, I think, the most brilliant writer of our times. Her books are grand and deep and strong and powerful, but the pace is so swift and silky-smooth the pages just fly past. I have read all of her books now, and adored them all, and now I hunger for more, more, more. I am just going to have to read them all again while I wait.
The Paying Guests takes place just after the end of the First World War. Frances lives with her mother in a house that is much too large for them now. Her father and brothers are dead, and they can no longer afford servants. Bills are mounting up. So they decide to take in lodgers (though they call them by the more genteel name of ‘paying guests’).
The arrival of Leonard Barber and his wife Lilian shakes everything up. They are young, modern, a little vulgar. There are hints of tensions below the surface. Frances is fascinated despite herself. It is Lilian she is drawn to, and they slowly become friends.
It is impossible to describe any more of the plot without giving too much away. This is a story of slow burning suspense, and you must travel it step-by-step with Frances to truly feel the gradual inexorable tightening of the screw. Having finished it, I now want to read it all over again....more
The five books in ‘The Dark is Rising Sequence’ are among my most treasured books from my childhood. I have the old Puffin paperbacks, which cost my aThe five books in ‘The Dark is Rising Sequence’ are among my most treasured books from my childhood. I have the old Puffin paperbacks, which cost my aunt $2.75 each when she bought them for my 11th birthday. I have read them so many times they are battered and creased and faded. I read them again this Christmas as part of an international reading challenge initiated on Twitter by British authors Robert Macfarlane and Mary Bird. Thousands of readers joined in to read The Dark is Rising, Book 2 in the series, which takes place between Midwinter Eve (20th December) and Twelfth Night (5th January). Some read it in one big gulp (like me) and others read each chapter on the date that corresponded with events in the book (i.e 1-2 chapters a day). Readers shared their memories of the book, discussed the meaning of symbols and events, created original art, found kindred spirits. It was absolutely wonderful.
I went on to read all five books in the series:
Over Sea, Under Stone is the first book in the series, and was written by Susan Cooper in response to a publishing content organised to honour the memory of Edith Nesbit, one of the great Golden Age children’s writers. She did not finish the manuscript in time to enter, and the book was subsequently turned down by more than twenty publishers, before being accepted by Jonathan Cape and published in 1965.
It tells the story of Simon, Jane and Barney who go to Cornwall on a holiday with their family and end up being caught up in a quest to find the lost Holy Grail. Drawing on Arthurian mythology but set in contemporary times, the book introduces the children’s Great-Uncle Merry, a professor at Oxford who ends up revealing mysterious powers. The book is more like an old-fashioned mystery than a traditional fantasy, except with eerie unsettling moments of darkness and magic, particularly towards the end.
The second book in the series, The Dark is Rising, was published in 1973. It tells the story of Will Stanton, seventh son of a seventh son, who turns 11 on Midwinter Eve, and finds his safe and comfortable world threatened by strange and eerie events. For Will is, he discovers, an Old One, destined to fight on behalf of the Light against the ancient and malevolent forces of the Dark. Merriman Lyon – the character of Great-Uncle Merry – returns as the Oldest of the Old Ones, and becomes Will’s guardian and mentor. Will needs to find Six Signs if he is to defeat the forces of darkness this midwinter and help fulfil a mysterious prophecy:
“When the Dark comes rising six shall turn it back; Three from the circle, three from the track; Wood, bronze, iron; Water, fire, stone; Five will return and one go alone.
Iron for the birthday; bronze carried long; Wood from the burning; stone out of song; Fire in the candle ring; water from the thaw; Six signs the circle and the grail gone before.
Fire on the mountain shall find the harp of gold Played to wake the sleepers, oldest of old. Power from the Green Witch, lost beneath the sea. All shall find the Light at last, silver on the tree.”
Of all the books in the series, The Dark is Rising is my favourite, perhaps because it was the first I ever read, perhaps because of the vividness of the setting (a small snow-bound English village that seems outwardly normal but is still shadowed with magic, menace and danger), perhaps because I loved the idea of an ordinary boy who finds himself the carrier of an extraordinary destiny. The book as a ALA Newbery Honor Book in 1974, and is often named on lists of the best books for children ever published.
Greenwitch, the third in the series, brings Simon, Jane and Barney back to the little Cornish village where they had discovered the lost Holy Grail. Jane watches an ancient ritualised offering to the sea and makes a wish that then helps the Light unlock the secrets of the Grail. Greenwitch is the favourite of many female readers of this series, because the key protagonist is a girl and she triumphs not because of any battle of strength, but because she is compassionate and empathetic.
The Grey King, the fourth book, returns to the point-of-view of Will. He wakes after a long and terrible illness with no memory of his role as an Old One and at risk from the forces of the Dark who seek to strike him own while he is vulnerable. Sent to Wales to recuperate, Will meets an albino teenager called Bran who has a strange dog like a wolf. Guided only by snatches of memory, Will and Bran must find the golden harp that will waken the Sleepers under the hill. This is my favourite second of the series, again because of the setting – the wild mountains and moors of Wales is brought so wonderfully to life – and also because of the sense of the great struggle between the forces of good and evil. The Grey King won the 1976 Newbery Medal.
Silver on the Tree is the final book in the series, and brings Will and Bran together with Simon, Jane and Barney and their mysterious Great-Uncle Merry. They are searching for a magical crystal sword which will enable them to cut the mystical mistletoe, the ‘silver on the tree’, in the final battle against the Dark. Drawing on Welsh mythology and stories of a drowned land, the suspense is heightened by the presence of a hidden enemy, someone who is trusted but betrays them in the end.
It was truly wonderful to re-read this series, which had such a powerful shaping force upon my imagination as a child. And a great deal of the pleasure came from sharing it with like-minded people. The twitter book club set up by Robert Macfarlane and Mary Bird intends to choose other great works of fantastical literature to read over the year. I’ll can’t wait to be a part of it....more
I am such a huge fan of Sarah Waters. I think she may be my favourite author at the moment. I’ve been slowly working my way though her backlist, and fI am such a huge fan of Sarah Waters. I think she may be my favourite author at the moment. I’ve been slowly working my way though her backlist, and finally had the chance to read The Night Watch, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker and the Orange Prize.
The novel has an unusual and audacious structure, in that each new section of the book moves backwards in time rather than forwards. So the first section begins in 1947, in the aftermath of World War II, when the people of London are struggling to get their lives back together; the second section is set in 1944, when it seemed the war would never end; and the final in 1941, during all the chaos and horror of the Blitz. We are introduced to a handful of people whose lives are linked, we shall discover, in surprising ways. There is Kay, a young woman who dresses like a man and who cannot recover from a broken heart. There is Duncan, a young man who spent much of the war in prison. And there are Helen and Viv, two young women who work together and yet know surprisingly little about each other’s secret private lives. Working backwards through their stories, much like an archaeologist may dig deeper for new revelations about a place and time, has an unexpected effect of slow-building suspense. The book, though slow and deep, becomes unputdownable. I cared so much for them – especially heart-broken Kay and soul-damaged Duncan – that I could almost not bear to reach the parts where the hurt was done.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot, because this is a book rife with spoilers. All I will say is that – like all of Sarah Waters’ books – it is utterly brilliant! I wish I could write so well....more
Somehow I never got caught up in the Eat, Pray, Love fervour – I was busy and it just didn’t sound like my kind of book. Then I met Elizabeth Gilbert Somehow I never got caught up in the Eat, Pray, Love fervour – I was busy and it just didn’t sound like my kind of book. Then I met Elizabeth Gilbert at the Perth Writers Festival and she was very warm and personable. Quite a long time later, I asked the twitter-sphere for the most inspiring book on writing or creativity that they had read that year, and dozens of people named Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic. One lovely reader even sent me their copy. So I read Big Magic and liked it a lot. After I blogged about it, a lot of people said to me, ‘oh you must read The Signature of All Things. You’ll love it.’
So I did read it and they were all right. I loved it.
Such a wonderful book! It’s big and deep and clever and wise, telling the story of a brilliant and unconventional woman in the early 19th century. Alma Whittaker was the daughter of the self-made millionaire Henry Whittaker, who made his fortune in the quinine trade. She is fascinated by botany, and studies on her own, developing a theory of evolution very like that of her contemporary Charles Darwin. Tortured by unfulfilled desire, angered by the society in which she lives, Alma refuses to be anything but herself – and the resulting story is utterly original and captivating.
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. ...more
Brian Selznick is an artist as well as an author, and his books combine words and pictures in the most wonderful of ways. The story in the first half Brian Selznick is an artist as well as an author, and his books combine words and pictures in the most wonderful of ways. The story in the first half of The Marvels is told entirely through exquisite pencil drawings. Storms at sea, shipwrecks, angels, babies abandoned at theatres, old lunatics in the basement, a devastating fire … all is revealed through one delicate complex drawing after another. The second half of the story is told in words, and turns everything the reader thought they knew upside down and inside out. I can’t express just how brilliant this book is … but I will tell you I turned the last page with a lump in my throat and tears on my face. This book is not just for children … it is a tour de force, a work of genius, and a collector’s item. Buy his other books at the same time - The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck – for extraordinary works of art unlike anything else in the world. ...more
The Snow Goose is set in the years running up to the evacuation of Dunkirk in the Second World War. Originally published in 1940 in the Saturday EveniThe Snow Goose is set in the years running up to the evacuation of Dunkirk in the Second World War. Originally published in 1940 in the Saturday Evening Post, it was brought out in book form the following year by Knopf, Michael Joseph and M&S simultaneously. It won the prestigious O Henry prize that same year and has been continually in print ever since. The Snow Goose has inspired a number of musical scores and albums, has been made into two feature films and moved generations of readers. A new feature film will be released in the coming year.
Beautifully written, with a powerful ending, and breathtakingly illustrated, this is an exquisite edition of Gallico’s masterpiece.
I remember reading this beautiful book when I was a child. It’s the story of a young crippled man, a girl, and a snow goose in 1940s Essex, in the lead-up to World War II. It’s a story of kindness and friendship, of the beauty of nature and our need to protect it, and of the importance of not judging by appearances. It is also a love story. Philip Rhavader is a hunchback, shunned by all, who looks after hurt and injured animals. He makes friends with a young girl named Fritha who brings him a snow goose to tend. As she grows into a beautiful young woman, he falls in love with her but cannot speak of what is in his heart. Then the Second World War breaks out, and Philip sails across to France to help rescue the thousands of soldiers stranded at Dunkirk. As a child, the book made a strong impression on me, but I had not read it in years. When I saw this lovely new edition, with exquisite illustrations by Angela Barrett, I had to buy it for my daughter....more
A historical novel about the invention of ice-cream, and the seduction of Charles II by the French spy, Louise de Keroualle. The book begins at the coA historical novel about the invention of ice-cream, and the seduction of Charles II by the French spy, Louise de Keroualle. The book begins at the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and then moves to England and the court of Charles II, and is – once again – replete with wonderful descriptions of food. ...more
Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favourite writers from my childhood and Cart & Cwidder is one of my favourite of her books, and so it was the one I choDiana Wynne Jones is one of my favourite writers from my childhood and Cart & Cwidder is one of my favourite of her books, and so it was the one I chose to re-read for DWJ-month in the blogosphere – a global celebration of her books and writing. This is the story of a family of musical travellers in a world divided between North and South, and has DWJ’s trademark mix of the ordinary and the magical. A truly delightful children’s fantasy....more
I was utterly enthralled from the very first line of this novel: ‘Sometimes death comes like an arrow, sudden and swift, an unforseen shot from an unhI was utterly enthralled from the very first line of this novel: ‘Sometimes death comes like an arrow, sudden and swift, an unforseen shot from an unheeded bow.’
THE CRIMSON RIBBON is set in England in 1646, in the midst of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell leads the army of the people against a tyrannical king, witches are hunted down, the skies are full of evil portents. A young woman named Ruth Flowers is on the run, trying to find a safe place for herself. She is helped by an enigmatic young soldier named Joseph, but – bruised by the encounter - takes refuge in the house of an extraordinary young woman named Elizabeth Poole. Her beauty and kindness ensnare Ruth, and she uses an old charm to tie herself to her new mistress. But Elizabeth is as troubled as she is charismatic, and – as the King of England finds himself imprisoned and on trial for his life - Ruth finds herself drawn into danger, intrigue, witchcraft, and treason.
I found myself utterly unable to put this book down, constantly surprised, and constantly rewarded. This is an astonishingly assured debut title from Katherine Clements, and I’m really hoping she has more stories like this one up her sleeve! ...more
A perfect title for a book that is, indeed, struck with wonder. I absolutely loved Brian Selznick’s earlier book, ‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’, whicA perfect title for a book that is, indeed, struck with wonder. I absolutely loved Brian Selznick’s earlier book, ‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’, which was turned into a gorgeous movie called ‘Hugo’ by Martin Scorcese. Like that book, ‘Wonderstruck’ is told partly in extraordinarily beautiful and detailed pencil drawings and partly in text. It tells the stories of Ben, who has lost his mother, and Rose, who stares longingly at pictures of a silent screen movie star. The first narrative is told in words, the second in pictures. Slowly the two tales intersect in surprising ways, becoming a heart-touching story about love, art, and joyousness. Although this would be a wonderful book for a child who loves both stories and art, this is really a book for everyone who still has room in their lives for a little wonder. ...more
As soon as I heard about this book, I grabbed hold of it and read it. There were two reasons for this. One: I really enjoyed Nancy Horan’s earlier booAs soon as I heard about this book, I grabbed hold of it and read it. There were two reasons for this. One: I really enjoyed Nancy Horan’s earlier book ‘Loving Frank’, about the passionate love affair between Mamah Borthwick Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright. Two: the novel tells the story of Robert Louis Stevenson and his wild, strong-willed American wife, Fanny. I have had a soft spot for Robert Louis Stevenson since I was given his poetry to read as a little girl. In particular, his poem ‘The Land of Counterpane’ (about being a sick boy made to stay in bed) resonated with me strongly as I was a sick girl who spent far too much time in hospital. Consequently, I have read nearly every book he has ever written, including obscure ones like ‘Catriona’, plus have read many biographies of his life and collections of his letters. I was always intrigued by his relationship with his wife, and was eager indeed to read Nancy Horan’s imaginative recreation of their turbulent romance. I was not disappointed. This is a brilliant book, that brings the lives and times of RLS and his circle vividly to life. Read it! ...more
Oh my gaudy heavens! What a brilliant book. Utterly compulsive, suspenseful, clever, surprising. I think it may be one of the best murder mysteries I Oh my gaudy heavens! What a brilliant book. Utterly compulsive, suspenseful, clever, surprising. I think it may be one of the best murder mysteries I have read this year. Perhaps even ever. Told from the first person point of view of Beatrice, and addressed to her murdered sister Tess, the story packs a really powerful emotional punch (perhaps because I am so close to my sister Belinda and so could so well imagine the anguish Beatrice was feeling). Although the book follows Beatrice’s dogged investigation into her sister’s death and ultimate confrontation with the killer, it is so much more than that – it’s an exploration of the bonds of love and duty between sisters, a meditation on the harrowing experience of grief, and a clever literary game. Ten seconds after I read this book I bought her next book and I cannot wait to read it. ‘Sister’ was that good!...more
Elizabeth Wein’s novel Code Name Verity was one of the best books I read last year, and I was very eager to read her latest book, Rose Under Fire.
BothElizabeth Wein’s novel Code Name Verity was one of the best books I read last year, and I was very eager to read her latest book, Rose Under Fire.
Both books are set during World War II, and both pack a hefty emotional wallop. In Rose Under Fire, the heroine is a young American woman who is caught by the Germans while flying an Allied fighter plane back from Paris. She is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women's concentration camp. Trapped there in horrific circumstances, she has to try and survive, even while the German war machine grinds ever closer to genocide. Rose makes friends among the Rabbits (young Polish women who were experimented upon by doctors) and recites poetry to keep herself to stay sane. This book is so intense and powerful that I had trouble breathing by the end – like Code Name Verity, is one of the best WWII books for teenagers that I’ve ever read. Expect to be emotionally wrung out whilst reading it. ...more
New Zealand writer Helen Lowe reimagines the Sleeping Beauty story from the point of view of the prince in this beautiful, romantic fantasy for young New Zealand writer Helen Lowe reimagines the Sleeping Beauty story from the point of view of the prince in this beautiful, romantic fantasy for young adults. Prince Sigismund has grown up in a castle whose gardens and parklands are surrounded by a deep, tangled forest. He is kept locked away from the world, and so longs for adventures like the ones in the stories he loves so much – fantastical tales of knights-errant and heroic quests, faie enchantments and shape-shifting dragons. One day a beautiful and mysterious lady in a fine carriage speaks to him through the castle gates, and Sigismund's world begins to change. He dreams of a raggedy girl trapped in thorns, and a castle that lies sleeping … soon he is caught up in an adventure as perilous and strange as that of any story he had ever heard …
I absolutely adored this book! I love fairy tale retellings, especially ones that are full of magic, peril, and romance, and ‘Thornspell’ is one of the best I’ve ever read. It reminded me of Robin McKinley’s early books, which are still among my favourite fairy tale retellings. ‘Thornspell’ very deservedly won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best YA Novel – it’s a must red for anyone who loves fairy-tale-inspired YA fantasy. ...more
I have had this book on my shelf for over a year now and have been avoiding reading it because I knew it was going to be a harrowing read. And it is! I have had this book on my shelf for over a year now and have been avoiding reading it because I knew it was going to be a harrowing read. And it is! However, it is also utterly brilliant. It deserves every bit of praise it has garnered. I urge you all: READ IT! Another book which I am insanely jealous about and wish that I could have written. ...more
‘The Spaniard died in agony. That much was evident from the contortions of his once handsome face and limbs and the black foam caking his lips. A horr‘The Spaniard died in agony. That much was evident from the contortions of his once handsome face and limbs and the black foam caking his lips. A horrible death to be sure, one only possible from that most feared of weapons. Poison.’
What a great opening to what proved to be a real page-turner of a novel. The book’s heroine, a young woman named Francesca Giordano, kills a man to prove that she is the better poisoner. Her reward is to become the official poisoner of Rodrigo Borgia, during his dangerous quest to become the next Pope. Francesca wants the job so she can find out who murdered her father, who had been poisoner before her. She finds herself caught up in an action-packed roller-coaster ride of an adventure, with intrigue, treachery, romance and murder a-plenty. A fabulous read!...more
Mary Stewart is one of my all-time favourite writers and I am just sorry she wrote so few books as I have loved them all. She’s one of my go-to writerMary Stewart is one of my all-time favourite writers and I am just sorry she wrote so few books as I have loved them all. She’s one of my go-to writers when I am tired, or rundown, or unwell. I love her deft mix of romance and suspense, her exotic settings, and the ‘To Catch A Thief’ atmosphere of 1950s glamour and style. I simply cannot understand why all her books have not been made into movies.
The Gabriel Hounds (first published in 1967) begins when Englishwoman Christy Mansel unexpectedly runs into her cousin Charles in Damascus. Their fathers are twins, and very rich, and Christy and Charles are used to having their own way. Christy is about to head on to Lebanon, and Charles asks her if she plans to visit their Great-Aunt Harriet who lives there in an ancient walled palace, dressing like a man in a robe and turban and doing as she pleases (à la Lady Hester Stanhope). Christy is intrigued at the idea and so steals a march on Charles by dropping in uninvited. Her suspicions are aroused by the squalor of the half-ruined palace and the strange behaviour of her great-aunt. A storm maroons her there, but she manages to speak with Charles across the gushing torrent of water. She shares her concerns, and her cousin scales the walls of the seraglio to be with her. (I kid you not. Sigh).
And so begins a swift-paced tale of greed, treachery and murder that sees strong-willed, outspoken Christy tested to her limits. The setting is incredibly atmospheric, the romance sweet but fiery, and the denouement never fails to bring a little sting of happy tears to my eyes....more
Wow! What an amazing read. From the very first page, I was unable to put this book down, reading late into the night and sneaking back to it during thWow! What an amazing read. From the very first page, I was unable to put this book down, reading late into the night and sneaking back to it during the day when I had many other things to do. It is so full of menace and atmosphere, and the characters are truly fascinating. Although it’s very clearly a medieval murder mystery, it has the page-turning compulsion of the best thrillers and the depth and vividness of the best historical novels. One of the best books of the year so far!...more
I love this book so much - its one of my absolute all-time favourites. I like to re-read it every year or so - if you haven't read it, you mustI love this book so much - its one of my absolute all-time favourites. I like to re-read it every year or so - if you haven't read it, you must...more
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