My Review of Some Books

I have around 35 unread books on my bookshelves. Some are standing vertically, some lie horizontally. Some I've had for only a couple of weeks and may read soon (eg The Algebraist by Iain M Banks). Some I have owned for many years and just never got around to reading (eg Slant by Greg Bear). This is about the same amount of unread books as I had at the start of the year.

I decided back in around March, after taking nearly three months to get through a single one, that I needed to make more of an in-road into this veritable book mountain, and I set myself a target of 24 books for the year. Reasonably respectable, though I'm sure some of you will have got through more, especially those of you who have not progressed beyond short little books like Noddy. As of yesterday, I have reached 20, which is equivalent to 2 a month. With 4 books and with over 2 months to go, I am ahead of target. Anyway, with all these books I have read, I thought I'd share some of them with you with the first in a very irregular series that I will call "My Review of Some Books". They are in no particular order, and I offer no marks out of 10.

My Review of Some Books

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Although this was first published in 1938, I only got round to reading the book this year. It's the story of an (unnamed) serving wench who gets off with a rich bloke whilst she's on holiday in France with her mistress. They fall in love and head back to Blokey's English country home, Manderley where there are layers of mystery coating all the surfaces. Who is Rebecca? And why can't rich bloke just get over her death? Will our heroine ever find true happiness?

Some or all of these questions may get answered, but not here, not now, not by me.

I wasn't sure whether I was going to enjoy Rebecca or not. I used to think it was one of them books like Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice that only girls like, but that would be doing it a disservice. It's a downbeat, haunting novel, pleasantly evocative of England in the first half of the last century, and I did enjoy reading it. It loses points for not featuring any spaceships.

Rebecca is a work of fiction.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
It is possible that I am the last person in the Western world to have read this book. I still maintain that Dan Brown does not have a great writing style. He does tell a good story though, mixing up history and legend to liven up what is basically a big treasure hunt. Like the other two of his books that I've read, it takes place roughly within a 24 hour period, and features his patented Cliffhanger On Almost Every Page technique. Which whilst getting slightly wearing after a bit, does at least keep you turning the pages.

I also get quiet irritated with the way that the characters all think in italics constantly, as if I care what is going on in their not very well characterised heads. Why does Brown keep on doing this? The lead character (This is the second novel to feature him) only has two character traits: He's claustrophobic, and he has a Mickey Mouse Watch. That is pretty much it.

If you've read any of DB's other books, then I suspect you won't be too surprised by the twists, or too put off by the misdirections. But you'll probably enjoy it too. Personally, I preferred the preceding book, Angels and Demons.

The Da Vinci Code is also a work of fiction.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
I haven't actually read this book. I think it's got a dog or a cat or something in it. And maybe sharks.

Life of Pi may or may not be a work of fiction. I don't know.

Dude, Where's My Country? by Michael Moore
Michael Moore is angry. He's angry at America. He's angry at Republicans. He's angry at George W Bush. But most of all, he's angry at you. No, just joking. He's mostly angry at Bush. I don't have time or space to delve into the whys and wherefores here, but he really is a bit miffed.

On an almost relevant tangent, I downloaded Farenheit 9/11 a few months ago (and never quite decided whether it was legal or not in the end. Not that I care), but haven't got round to watching it yet. I will eventually.

Unfortunately, Dude, Where's My Country is not a work of fiction.

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This ends My Review of Some Books. I'd better go off and read some more. The year is ticking ever onwards.