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Chris's reviews
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Chris posted a review at 2010-10-27 02:51:22 for 50 People Who Buggered Up Britain.
(Language: English)
   
I hated this book on many,many levels but damn, that reactionary, traditionalist, right wing twat can write.
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Chris posted a review at 2010-09-30 02:31:36 for E.T..
(Language: English)
Never, ever, read the novelisation of your favourite movie.
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Chris posted a review at 2008-11-03 11:14:27 for Don't Stop Me Now.
(Language: English)
I got this as a present from my Mum last Christmas, which was surprising for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I haven’t owned a car for a decade. Granted my last motor was a Peugeot GTi which I boy-racered to death by repeatedly stamping on the accelerator, but essentially I know not the first thing about today’s automobiles. Secondly, I was under the impression my Mum, along with a fair percentage of the population thought Clarkson was an arse. I clearly looked confused as Mrs A proffered the following explanation – “You do like Top Gear”. So, is Clarkson an arse? There’s some evidence here to suggest he might be – his chapter on the Mini Cooper S Convertible takes the form of a rant about the police force being at war with the middle classes (It’s not - I’ve heard nothing and they’d probably of told me as I’m situated slam in the middle of Clarkson’s supposed hot zone). And even his chapter praising South Africa reads like a series of back-handed compliments – he clearly likes the place, but you wouldn’t know it from reading the first page. The man’s cruise control is set at ‘patronising grumble'. Sometimes he even critiques some cars. But this, of course, is why Don’t Stop Me Now proved so infuriatingly readable; this is clearly the work of its author, and you can hear his over-pronounced vocal inflections booming through every typed word. Clarkson’s done well really. Given his opinionated nature and blatant disregard for fashion, he could easily have gone the way of the Michael Winner or Peter Stringfellow. But he’s still here because of his wit, intelligence, passion and sheer belligerence, which now land him guest spots on QI. Whisper it, but Clarkson is actually a bit of a national treasure. And, taken in small doses – say a chapter a night or even a review a week from the newspaper this collection was taken from - his writing makes for exceedingly good company. Even my Mum watches Top Gear these days.
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Chris posted a review at 2007-12-05 10:22:29 for Into the Wild.
(Language: English)
Into the Wild looks at the true life adventures of wandering spirit, Chris McCandless; a romantic, pioneering graduate who entered into the Alaskan wilderness one spring and was found dead several months later. To my mind he was an utter goon, but luckily personal opinion as to McCandless' character doesn’t obstruct enjoyment of Into the Wild. Krakauer’s approach is that of an amateur flat-foot’s investigation, piecing together clues from McCandless’ notes, and interviewing everyone & anyone who met him on his travels. The book smartly assembles facts in an attempt to root out the adventurer’s motives, grasping, like a decent biography, to comprehend his contrary, complex character. Although biased in McCandless’ favour, Krakauer tends to present information candidly and thoroughly enough to allow a reader to draw their own conclusions, and we all like that don't we? That said, the most intriguing and thrilling section of the book comes when Krakauer retells a rock-climbing adventure from his own youth. Evoking the loneliness, fear and exhilaration of a wilderness journey most of us will only ever imagine, it’s a fascinating side-step, told by a man reigning in the inherent sensationalism of his tale, to provide a frank account of youthful arrogance in the face of nature.
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Chris posted a review at 2007-11-25 05:15:51 for The Remains of the Day.
(Language: English)
Sometimes it's difficult to review a good book. The fun of criticism often lies in the, ahem, criticising, and enthusiasm is just harder to convey through word processing. And so, unfortunately, it must be reported here that Remains of the Day is marvellously good, attaining an intangible greatness which the book's narrator would probably attribute to it's possession of 'dignity'. It's an unusual tale. Elderly butler Mr Stevens reminisces whilst travelling by car across England to meet an ex co-worker - housekeeper Miss Kenton - to retain her services once more at the grandly titled Darlington Hall. What's remarkable is the breadth of subjects and themes dealt with in Remains; pride, fathers and sons, lost love, self deception, the nature of memory, and (what book would be complete without it) the rise of Nazism. Nothing feels half considered and, incredibly, all these threads are bound so tightly together, it's impossible to imagine the story with any of them removed. The only problem is that it all ends too soon. I found myself hoping Stevens would take a detour mid-tale to 1) postpone what you gradually suspect may be a tragic ending, and 2) add an extra chapter to this remarkable book.
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Chris posted a review at 2007-11-12 01:50:47 for The Bloody Chamber & Other Sto.
(Language: English)
There’s a marvellous concept behind Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber and Other Short Stories. Reworking classic fairy tales with lashings of sensuality, sympathetic villians, and a woman's perspective, Carter’s work has gained a feminist reputation for injecting female experience into narratives we’ve known since childhood. All of which is essentially a very cool idea, and when it works, as it does with the icy allegory of The Snow Child, the threatening sexuality of A Company of Wolves, and the feral energy of Wolf-Alice, it makes for a magical read. This is not to imply that The Bloody Chamber is single-minded in approach or inaccessible to anyone who runs screaming for Sky Sports and lager at the mention of feminism. Carter possesses a chameleon-like talent for adapting her style, so the legend of Blue Beard becomes an effective horror novella (albeit one where the heroine’s Mum saves the day) and Puss in Boots is reinvented as a bawdy French sex farce – Molliere with lusting protagonists. Unfortunatly, not every tale benefits from these reinventions, and sometimes Carter’s work feels redundant. A few of the stories deal with the Beauty & the Beast legend, which in it’s original incarnation contains so much abusive, misogynistic behaviour towards it’s heroine, by such a charming, redemptive monster, that the writer’s themes add little more than the Disney version (although the last paragraph of The Tiger’s Bride is a bit special). Worse than this though, is The Lady of The House of Love - a tragic tale of love-sick vampires and metaphorical red roses. Perhaps time has not been kind here, but it really is the worst kind of goth tosh. I came to Carter through an admiration for the film adaptation of The Company of Wolves, expecting to find a new favourite author, which is frankly foolish behaviour. I’ll go back to Carter at some point, but the mixed success of The Bloody Chamber means it won’t be in a hurry.
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Chris posted a review at 2007-10-26 02:38:57 for The Name of the Rose: including the Author's Postscript.
(Language: English)
It’s tempting now, 20 years after its writing, to see The Name of the Rose as a thinking man's Da Vinci Code; there are mysteries to solve, there are codes to break, and the very nature of The Church is at stake. Of course it's far better; Rose is philosophically smarter, and comes from a talented writer who absolutely knows his stuff. However, with this wisdom comes a determination not to belittle the reader, which results in paragraphs of Latin, pages of theological rhetoric and whole chapters devoted to the history of Franciscan monks. It’s never pretentious but it can be damn hard work. In some ways it's a traditional whodunit with Holmes & Watson replaced by Brother William of Baskerville and his young charge Adso. The actual investigation of grisly murders is quite fun. Well, sort of. William proves a dry wit, and there’s a charm to his gruff, affectionate mentoring, but the actual sleuthing is a bit leaden; the pair plod around an abbey's geography (don’t worry, there’s a map) collecting clues in much the same fashion as the protagonist of a computer game. It's always interesting, but rarely compelling. That’s not to say this isn't a good book. In many ways it’s great; it has an infectious enthusiasm for knowledge and a passionate need to pass it on. Whereas other novels pepper their narratives with titbits of dubious information to pick up the dull parts, this has wisdom to spare and wants to share it. I just wanted to like it more. Perhaps I should try Dan Brown again.
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Chris posted a review at 2007-10-03 04:18:07 for The Tenderness of Wolves: A Novel.
(Language: English)
A poetic tale that vividly evokes the rugged wilderness of a mid-19th Century Canada full of pioneering adventure and desperate romance. There is something missing. Perhaps it’s a sense of depth, and certainly the decision to follow a number of character perspectives leads to a degree of repetition. But these are minor quibbles against the book's achievements. There is a scope and grandeur to the bitterly cold environment and emotional landscapes conveyed in this haunting novel.
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Chris posted a review at 2007-09-11 02:12:29 for The Diamond Age.
(Language: English)
At the centre of Diamond Age is an inspiring coming-of-age tale about a girl steered into womanhood by an unusual guide and mentor. When it's good, the book's reminiscent of His Dark Materials best parts, and there's at least a couple of protagonists it's easy to root for. What a shame then, that this sci-fi novel is frequently guilty of the worst excesses of the genre with it's pompous attitude, a barrage of invented terminology, a shambolic final act and an only to be expected, but nonetheless alienating, fetishisistic approach to science.
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Chris posted a review at 2007-08-10 02:13:40 for The Cloudspotter's Guide.
(Language: English)
Not likely to keep anyone up till the wee small hours on tenterhooks, The Couldspotter's Guide's gentle, cheerful prose is better suited for drifting away on miserable public transport jouneys (although, said journey's will be spent glancing out of windows to verify new-found knowledge, so it's not ideal for tube commuters). An informative and calming book, this is the equivalent of reading Radio 4.
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Chris posted a review at 2007-08-03 05:05:32 for Harry Potter and the deathly hallows (ill., engl.ed).
(Language: English)
As horrifically derivative as these books may be (and increasingly in need of a braver editor), there's just no getting away from the fact Potter's a bit special. Hallows occasionally drags and there are times you don't feel in safe hands with Rowling's meandering and Harry's sulks, but this wizarding world still comes fully realised and the excitement, when it sporadically arrives, is genuinely thrilling. Coming to care for these characters over the years feels like an intensely personal experience untill you glance up and remember that cheering them on has become an international pastime. Incidently, I didn't weep once which I understand can be used as medical proof that I'm clinically dead.
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Chris posted a review at 2007-07-14 11:24:22 for Battle Royale 10.
(Language: English)
Offering the same twisted excitement as it's equally notorious movie adaptation, Battle Royale's exploitive pleasures come from an enticing premise which makes the reader at once nostalgic for, and horrified by, the social rituals of school. Fun though this all is, it's marred by some clumsy paragraphs (presumably down to a clunky translation) and dreadful 'us against the system' politics.
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