Freedom - Jonathon Franzen

Freedom

Jonathon Franzen

4th Estate

Freedom. It encapsulates people's hopes, dreams, aspirations, experiences and beliefs. It inspires and moves us. It rouses us into action. It can be manipulated, stripped, abused and denied. And whilst some go to extreme lenghts to gain it, most take it for granted.

Freedom is the story of Patty and Walter Berglund; their children Joey and Jessica; and their friend Richard Katz. Its a portrait of modern America - not the star spankle, clean cut version, but the ugly, selfish, wart-riddled society it has morphed into. It's a story of how individuals use their personal rights to deny others theirs. The ever increasing self-centredness of individuals and their refusal to put the needs of society before their own.

The dialogue is witty and razor sharp in its accurate portrayal of 21st century society. My one criticism however is the long waffling passages. Franzen likes to take the reader inside the protagonist's head. He walks us inside their shoes and we are privy to their every thought. This leads to long segments that slow the narrative and detract from the overall message of the book. I would have preferred to have the characters just take me on their journey rather than invite me to a therapy session that stretch beyond the customery one hour.

Thankfully towards the end, the narrative takes on a different pace. Franzen rewards the reader for their patience by giving them a sharp and highly satisfying ending. Yes the journey is at times arduous. Yes the characters are unlikable and at times infuriating. But atleast for this reader, the end made the journey worthwhile. 4 stars.

How I became A Famous Novelist - Steve Hely

How I became A Famous Novelist
Steve Hely
Black Inc

Pete Tarslaw is America's foremost literary opportunist. By day he works for for EssayAides, a service for wealthy kids that turns their gibberish into polished college application essays. But one day watching a daytime show interview a best-selling novelist, that he begins to wonder whether he can better utilise his talents to gain fortune and fame.


With dreams of attracting an audience of 'young women in little sweaters and tight jeans, pliant and needy' - and the second alterioir motive of upstaging his ex girlfriend at her upcoming wedding - Pete sets offto Barnes & Noble to browse through the genres. To his dismay he finds writing thrillers with their regular twists, rapidly moving plot line and veiled threats too exhausting. Literary fiction on the other hand he finds much easier. Believing that by manipulating the reader with 'wordy spackle', he can trick them into thinking there is great wisdom within the novel's pages.


Hely does not hold back any punches and no one is spared from his poison pen - not even Oprah. It is at times an uncomfortable read - a bookseller, author and literary tragic, I too have sighed over adjective-chocked passages. In fact in the future, I might just refer back to Hely's book, not as a satirical gib but a reference to becoming a famous novelist! 4 stars

Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom

Tuesdays With Morrie
Mitch Albom

The best selling memoir, chronicles Albom's visits to his old college professor, Morrie Schwartz, in the months before Morrie passed away from a Motor Neuron Desease.

Morrie Schwartz is an inspirational teacher and mentor, touching the lives of his students. Sixteen years as passed since Albom last seen his professor. He is reminded of the promise he made on his graduation to keep in touch and learning of Morrie's illness decides to visit him.


Visiting his old prefessor every Tuesday, Morrie's wit, wisdom and the joy he takes in living strikes a strong chord with Albom. Having moved away from the ideals he once held in college, Albom is witness to the values that although have not made Morrie rich, have remunerated him with a rewarding and happy life. Growing up, Albom once inspired to the same principals of happiness but has lost sight of them in his quest to become a successful sports reporter. Each Tuesday Albom learns a new lesson from his professor... the secrets of living a happy life.

This is not the type of book I normally choose to read. Picked by a member of our book group (she also picked Eat, Pray, Love), it smacks of smug, over bearing sentimental clap trap that makes Oprah fans salivate. There is nothing new to be learnt that we have not already been taught by Oprah in her quest to educate and better our lives. I have not seen the Albom-Oprah episode but can only imagine the visit was filled with lots of tear-jerking sentiments and heart-felled audience enthusiasm who despite having heard the same message a thousand times (afterall most of it is just commonsense), believe it to be far more powerful when received from the whispy last breaths of a dying man.

Albom's memoir, however noble in its intention, still comes across schmaltzy and preachy. It might be a reflection of our society that we flock with such enthusiasm towards parables in the hope of unlocking the secret to life's happiness. Maybe if we are serious about change, we should stop looking to outside sources and take a quiet moment to reflect on ourselves. We might just find the answers already there. 3 stars

The Street Sweeper - Elliot Perlman

The Street Sweeper

Elliot Perlman

Vintage

On a busy New York City corner, four people, a street sweeper, an oncologist, a history professor and a little girl are clustered in a small group. From those who pass them on that busy corner, few if any have any idea as to what has led the group here. Yet these seemingly unrelated individuals from different walks of life are bound by a common history of struggle, bravery, and unexpected kindness of those who have come before them.

Recently released from prison, Lamont Williams is an African American janitor working on probation in an Manhattan hospital and seeking to locate the daughter he has not seen for the past few years. By chance on one of his shifts, Lamont befriends an elderly patient, Henryk Mendelbrot, a Holocaust survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau prison camp.

Whilst Henryk recalls the horrors of those dark days in Poland from his hospital bed, a few kilometers uptown, the historian Adam Zignelik, a history professor at Columbia University and the son of a civil rights lawyer, is on the cusp of a professional and personal crisis. Desperate for something to save him, he uncovers the remarkable story of a man who was determined to record the voices and stories of Holocaust survivors.

As the two men struggle to survive in the early 21st-century New York, their different paths converge in ways neither could have foreseen. Their stories span the 20th century, sweeping across continents and touching on pivotal historical moments, to finally bring us to the present. In the hands of a less skillful author, The Street Sweeper could have ended up a sentimental Holocaust or a preaching civil rights story. But Perlman's fresh approach and skill breathed new life into these well-visited chapters of our history. 4 stars

To Be Sung Under Water - Tom McNeal

To Be Sung Under Water

Tom McNeal

Abacus

The first time we fall in love, lasts forever.

Love is complex. It can uplift spirits and it can bring them crashing to the ground. Traversing between Vermont and Nebraska where her parents have separated to, Judith meets and falls in love with Willy Blunt. They separate, promising to wait for one another when she leaves for college. But now Judith is introduced to a different world and has new sets of friend. She meets Malcolm and consciously starts to let go of her past; starts to let go of Willy and the promises she made him.

In her mid-forties, Judith is living in California. She is married to Malcolm and together they have an intelligent teenage daughter. In her career, she's a successful film editor and puts in long hours to meet deadlines. By all counts, Judith has everything a modern career woman aspires to in the 21st-century. But Judith is not happy. She suspects her husband is having an affair; her daughter behaves distant and she feels threatened by the new breed of ambitious editors gunning for her job. As Judith becomes more disillusioned with her life, her thoughts return to happier days. And to Willy Blunt. At this point the author raises the philosophical question: if you had the chance to reunite with your first love, would you do it?

For Judith it means returning to Nebraska and track down Willy Blunt. She discovers Willy shrunken by life. Married with two sons, he has never forgotten Judith. Alone in the log cabin he has built, he confesses to her these poignant words.

For you, I was a chapter-a good chapter, maybe, or even your favorite chapter, but still, just a chapter-and for me, you were the book.

Although To Be Sung Under Water has all the ingredients of a sweet and tender love story, and although McNeal's writing is staggering, I could not find myself being drawn to the story or the characters. I understand that there are loves that never leave our hearts; feelings that no amount of time or distance can erode. But I failed to understand Judith. She has a comfortable life. Her suspicions over her husband's infidelity are unfounded and her relationship with her daughter can be resolved if she spends less time holing herself in her past and more time with her.

I had high expectations from To Be Sung Under Water. I really hoped to fall in love, to swoon, to be heart sick over the unrequited love. But in the end, the story failed to connect. 3 stars

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern
Harvill

Le Cirque des Rêves arrives unexpectedly one day. Behind the black & white striped canvas tents lays an enchanting world of beauty and unexplainable illusions. A sumptuously rich and textured tale, The Night Circus is dark as it is dazzling.

At the centre of the tale is the rivalry between two magicians and their pupils, trained from an early age for a single purpose. Celia and Marco unbeknown to one another have been hand picked to compete in a game where only one will be left standing.

The circus is the venue by which the opponents display their skills and set challenges for the other to follow. But this time, the opponents are too well matched, and what begins as a show of talent grows into something deeper. And darker. Something that could effect the fate of the circus and those involved with it.

The Night Circus is a tale of love, rivalry and wondrous illusions. The plot is cleverly played out, and tucked between chapters are small invitations for the reader to experience the circus firsthand. Highly original and artistic, The Night Circus is sensuous and ultimately satisfying.

4.5 Stars.

For The Term Of His Natural life - Marcus Clarke

For The Term Of His Natural Life

Marcus Clarke

Penguin

Accused of a crime he did not commit, Richard Devine- an English aristocrat, is sentenced to life imprisonment at the penal colony of Tasmania. Taking on a new identity (to save his mother grief and shame), the now Rufus Dawes sails to Van Diemen's Land on board a convict ship. What he discovers upon arrival, he encounters a penal system entrenched in treachery, savagery and cruelty.

This book polarised our small book group. Whilst some debated the circumstances which conspired to convict Dawes, I argued in favour of Clarke's writing. Whilst the dense layout of text irritated some of our readers, I applauded the content and prose. And whilst they thought the relationships were highly improbable, I again stood my ground and pointed out its merits.

In truth, I forgive the book's follies because I enjoyed the imagery and took great pleasure in the structure of the sentences. I sighed longingly at my inability to match Clark's skill. Had Clarke been a lesser writer, then I may have been less forgiving. But since he's not, I continue to argue in his favour.

4 Stars

Tiger's Wife - Tea Obreht

The Tiger's Wife
Tea Obreht
W&N

There appears to be a new trend amongst the up and coming literary giants. Beautifully composed and artfully layed out novels, this new breed of young authors are telling stories steeped part in legend and part in reality. The Tiger's Wife is one such book. An amalgamation of interwining stories, it encapsulates the purity, mystery and darkness of the human spirit.

The book opens with the protaganist Natalia hearing the news of her beloved grandfather's passing. A shroud of mystery surrounds his death and his decision to travel to the remote village just before he passes away. Deciding to investigate, Natalia heads out to the village to unravel the mystery. As the story unfolds we come to realise the key to her grandfather's life and death "lies between two stories: the story of the tiger's wife, and the story of the deathless man".

Mistaking the style at first glance as YA, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a tale that effortlessly transcends genres to knit a mystery shrouded in darkness and Balkan folklore. Unravelling each piece of the puzzle presented new joy and my delight in Obreht prose was endless.

The Tiger's Wife is extravagant, folkish, bizarre and ultimately a joy to read.

4 Stars

Fall of Giants - Ken Follet

Fall Of Giants
Ken Follet
MacMillan

Fall Of Giants is both wonderful and disappointing at the same time. An epic novel, it has a cast of characters with intertwining lives, whose stories traverse across a sweeping world stage.

What makes 'Fall Of Giants' wonderful is its vast historic content. With an army of historians at his disposal, Follet weaves a tale on a massive scale, taking care to illustrate all view points. I particularly enjoyed the Russian revolution and Follet's close attention to detail which had me absorbed throughout the second half of the book.

What let the book down for me is Follet's writing. Historical facts are drummed in with patronizing regularity. Follet has a habit of drawing the readers' attention to obvious points. As the result the narrative comes across coerced and details that may have been better served left subtly for the reader to decipher are force fed.

Another issue I have with this book is the two main characters Ethel and her brother Billy. Despite their very limited schooling, both possess superior oratory talents. Follet explains this rather unlikely skill (several times as if trying to convince not just the reader but also himself) by the family's minister father's habit of encouraging his children to debate around the dinner table.

Overall, Fall Of Giants is an ambitious and enjoyable read. Heavily researched, it makes for an entertaining saga filled with war, love, betrayal and intrigue. 3 stars

Whatever You Love - Louise Doughty

Whatever You Love

Louise Doughty

Faber & Faber

There are moments in our life that change us forever. For Laura, the moment arrives with a knock on the door. Expecting to see the small form of her nine year old daughter, she is surprised by the two larger shadows against the paneled glass. Opening the door, she is momentarily puzzled by the presence of the two uniformed officers on her front step. Her brain does not compute what they tell her. And its not till later, after she follows them to the hospital, and even much later, when her daughter's funeral is over, that the force of the words finally hit her. Betty, her golden-haired child is killed by a speeding car as she and a her best friend cross the road. And Laura vows to take away from her daughter's killer, the one thing he cherishes most in the world.

Whatever You Love strikes a hard punch at the core of every parent's heart. Without resorting to sentimentality, Doughty straddles our basic human needs: love, shelter and security. She illustrates that love makes us vulnerable; it propels us to fight, and fuels our innate need to protect Whatever You Love.

4 stars.

Netherland - Joseph O'Neill

Netherland

Joseph O'Neill

4th Estate

Hans van den Broek, is a Dutch-born equities analyst who lives in New York with his English born wife Rachel, and their son. The events of 9/11 forces them to move uptown to the run down Chelsea hotel and here, their marriage slowly begins to unravel.

There are many levels to this book, all of them seamlessly melting and shifting into one another. On one level its the story of Hans, his pain of being separated from his family, and his inner yearning to again a sense of belonging in this fast shifting world. On the other hand its a story of cricket, its followers and the passion it invokes in the heart of its participants.

Hans partially finds solace from his loneliness in the group of largely West Indian cricket players. He befriends Chuck Ramkissoon- a West Indian entrepreneur with dubious business dealing and grand ambitions to open New York's first world class cricket stadium. Unfortunately for Chuck his cricket plans don’t pan out, and he vanishes under murky and ultimately grisly circumstances.

I will confess I have a lot of trouble with this book. The narrative often veering on a tangent, left me bereft and confused. On the other hand I can appreciate original work and to O'Neill's great credit, Netherland is a truly original. His narrative deftly holds a mirror to our modern life. And closely observed, it reveals at times the dark, the insecure and increasingly disfranchised aspects of our society. 4 stars

Town Like Alice - Neville Shute

Town Like Alice

Neville Shute

Post WWII, Jean Paget a secretary working in a London shoe factory, is informed by the solicitor Noel Strachan that she has inherited a large amount of money from an uncle she barely knew. Placed as her trustee, Strachan - also the narrator of the story - acts as Jean's adviser. He reluctantly agrees to give Jean some of her inheritance to build a well in a small Malayan village in return for the kindness the villagers had shown her during the Japanese invasion of the island.

As a POW during the Japanese invasion, Jean along with a group of women and children are marched from one village to another by their captors. Not allowed to settle in any spot and not used to the hard physical labour, many die. Speaking fluent Malay, Jean takes leadership of the group and after many months on the road, finally convinces a village elder to let the remaining group to live amongst them for the duration of the war. It is during this time that she meets and strikes a friendship with a young Australian soldier, Sergeant Joe Harman. Risking his life, Harman steals food and medicine for the women but finally caught, is crucified and left to die by the Japanese.

When Jean returns to Malay, she by chance hears news that Harman having survived, has returned to Australia and decides to travel to the outback town of Willstown to meet him. In a bizarre twist of events, Harman also hears that Jean lives in London and at the same time she is travelling to meet him, is on his way to find her. They eventually meet and romance blossoms. Deciding to stay in Willstown, Jean sets out to transform the town to a town more like Alice Springs. Again drawing on the same ingenuity and resourcefulness that helped her survive Malay, Jean achieves her goals, breathing life into the stale outback town.

Despite the strong story line, I feel hard pressed to shower praise on this book. For one thing, I cannot fathom why Shute decides to narrate the story through the solicitor rather than Jean, hence keeping the main (and the strongest) character at an arms length to the reader. I also find the Laconic Harman and his cliche euphemisms, cartoonish. With such story line, there is ample opportunity to draw on the readers emotions. Yet oddly, Shute's execution is dry, the narrative soldiering through the text with the stiff upper-lip formality of post-war English middle-classes. 2.5 stars

Almost French - Sarah Turnbull

Almost French
Sarah Turnbull
Bantam

There is plenty we can learn from the French - appreciation of all things beautiful and how to avoid looking like a slob (someone who has not made an effort in dressing well is an assault to the French sensability). There is also a lot the French can learn from the rest of us -how to be inclusive and less hung up on all things French.

Light and fluffy like a soufle, Almost French documents the entertaining recollections of a young Sydney girl who falls in love with a 'very French Frenchman' and moves to Paris. Yes, a trite cliche, and one can be forgiven in assuming the book will descend into lots of lovely moments motoring through the city of Love, and reminiscences of sharing 'Eclair de chocolat' and flaky croissants. Thankfully Turnball avoids this well-trodden path and instead chooses to recount how she navigates the highs and lows of Parisian life as an outsider.

Initially puzzled by the cool rebuffing from her partner's friends and appalled by the strict adherence to everything from the order of food at mealtimes, to the manner of one's dress, Turnball struggles to fit into her new life. But like many expats around the world, she eventually grows to understand and appreciate the differences. Living within the peripherals of both cultures, the notion of home becomes confused as one culture fuses into the other to create its own identity.

Acutely insightful and filled with laugh-out loud observations, Almost French is about what it means to be a foreigner etching a life in the adopted homeland. 4 stars.

Hand Me Down World - Lloyd Jones

Hand Me Down World

Lloyd Jones

Text Publishing

I devoured this book, finishing it in three days. Hand Me Down World has been receiving plenty of publicity and much praise which is definitely justified.

Hand Me Down World is the story of Ines (not her real name), an illegal African refugee who is washed onto the shores of Italy on a seemingly impossible mission to find her son. With no language and little money we hear her story through the people whose lives momentarily intertwine with hers. Each story is presented as a new piece of a puzzle, fitting into the next to give a clearer picture of this unassuming yet determined woman.

We eventually get to hear Ines's story through her own perspective. And from her we are presented with new takes on the previous stories. Just like the question over her real name, it's never clear which recollection is the truth and which is altered to favour the opinion of the storyteller. One thing that is apparent however, is Ines's single minded determination to be reunited with her son.

Hand Me Down World is a touching and beautiful tribute to the extent of a mother's love for her child. Whilst highlighting the plight of the illegal immigrants and the sometimes ugly nature of man, Hand Me Down World is also a homage to random acts of human kindness, as time and again we encounter men and women who willing to go out of their way to help their fellow man. 4.5 stars.

The Novel In The Viola - Natasha Soloman

The Novel In The Viola

Natasha Soloman

When you have loved a book like Mr Blumenthal's List, had invested time praising its merits and had pressed it with assurance onto reluctant buyers hands, you can't then turn around and ignore the next book by that same author. Still, I wish I had since The Novel In The Viola met none of my expectations.

Elise, a Viennese girl from a family of famous Jewish artists, leaves her home and immigrates to England. The year is 1937 and Austria is under the spell of Hitler's antisemitism. Moving to a small sea-side town, she is hired as a maid at Tynford estate. Culture clashes, home sickness and worries for her family add to her unhappy introduction to her new life. The situation changes for the better when Kit, the son of her employer, arrives home from university and a budding romance ensues.

Elise's character starts out interestingly but any spark she possesses at the beginning seems to fizzle out by the second half of the book. Her friendship and love affair with Kit is too convenient and in my opinion, rather unrealistic. The supporting characters are colourful, with the exception of Mr Tynford, who reminded me of a limp handshake.

Despite her assured sense of storytelling, Solomon has produced a tempered tale. The Novel In The Viola is pleasant enough and has a few interesting moments but as a whole, failed to reach the heights of the author's debut novel. 2.5 Stars

Bronte's Story - Bronte Cullis

Bronte's Story

Bronte Cullis

Random

Bronte Cullis is a neurotic teenager. Despite coming from a loving, supportive family, she is anxious and obsessive. Her life is ruled by phobias and fears over protecting her family. Fragile and brittle, she's an easy target for bullies at school. Its not surprising that when her grandmother develops cancer and her only friend leaves the school, her neurosis and anxiety spill into self harm. For six long years Bronte listens to voices inside her head. And the voices tell her to stop eating.

Bronte's Story outlines the destructive power of anorexia and its hold on its victims. Scattered are entries from Bronte's journal that provide an insight into her dark inner thoughts. Whilst struggling through her illness, Bronte comes to the notice of Channel nine's 'A Current Affair'. She and her family are interviewed by Ray Martin and her progress becomes the focus of several follow up segments.

Bronte's Story should have remained a five-minute segment on television - or alternatively a 6-page women's Day article. The journal entries combined with a narrative repeating the same thought come off clunky. The publishers were clearly trying to fatten the word count by adding supporters' letters and the exhaustive journal entries. As fascinating Bronte's Story is to me, the narrative failed to hold my interest and I spent half the time skipping entries. 2 stars

Caleb's crossing - Geraldine Brooks

Caleb's Crossing

Geraldine Brooks

4th Estate

Too many books, too little time. So why should anyone stick to a single author? Why indeed, except of course if the author is innovative enough to re-invent themselves with every book. I've come across very few who do this: Margaret Atwood, Vikram Seth, Andrew McGahan and Geraldine Brooks. All brilliant. All original. All exciting. And in this culture of homogeneous, neatly bottled and presented genres, refreshingly brave enough to step outside the box.

From this illustrious pack, Brooks is by far my favourite. I love how she lets her imagination rest on the 'slender scaffolding' of history, transporting her readers to a forgotten past. Caleb's Crossing is no different. Set in 17th century Martha's Vineyard, it's inspired by the tale of the first Native American man to graduate from Harvard College in 1665.

The daughter of a Puritan Minister, Bethia is denied the education she craves. On a chance meeting with a Chieftain's son, she discovers in him a kindred spirit, equally curious and thirsty for knowledge. Teaching him to read, she introduces him to her Christian God. In return he teaches her the secrets of the island and his native language.

Despite the obstacles placed by her gender and circumstances, Bethia strives to learn and exercise her intellect whilst quietly observing and celebrating Caleb's achievements. Together they form a bond that's unshakable despite the growing tension between the island's natives and the colonists. As the clash of cultures unfolds resentment escalates, inevitably resulting in tragedy.

Caleb's Crossing depicts the harshness of pioneer life against the sad withering and disenfranchisement of an ancient culture. 4.5 stars

Past The Shallows - Favel Parrett

Past The Shallows

Favel Parrett

Hachette

At first glance, Parrett's writing appeared simplistic and better suited to YA. But as I settled into the rhythm and flow of the narrative, I discovered a deceptively simple, stripped back prose that carried a heavy punch, which once delivered, left me breathless.

Set in the wild and beautiful south east coast of Tasmania, Past the Shallows is a story of family secrets and the intimate spaces of the human heart. It's the story of love, loss and the bond between brothers. Harry and Miles live with their father, an abalone fisherman. Their older brother Joe moved out after the tragic death of their mother, leaving the two younger brothers to bear the brunt of their father's anger and self-loading. Things are made harder by the drop in abalone numbers due to over fishing. To make money, their father takes bigger risks, fishing illegally in the protected areas.

A marvelous achievement by the first-time novelist, Past the Shallows reminds me of my last year's favourite, The Book of Emmett by Deborah Forster. Masterful and heartbreakingly beautiful, the quiet prose seeps in the hearts and minds of readers and continue to resonate long after the last page is read. 4 stars

Under This Unbroken Sky - Shandi Mitchell

Under This Unbroken Sky

Shandi Mitchell

Weidenfeld & Nicolson

In the spring of 1938, Theo Mykolayenko returns home after a year in prison for the crime of stealing grain to feed his family. Having escaped Stalin's Ukraine, Theo refuses to be beaten. Unable to purchase land under his own name, he comes to an arrangement with his sister to buy a quarter land in her name with the understanding that he will pay her back once the grain is sold. Theo takes to the land with unbending resolve, clearing, ploughing and harvesting grain. As the first shoots sprout and the crops grow, the family slowly heals and strengthens.

Abandoned by her abusive husband, Theo's sister Anna and her children rely on her brother and his family to help them survive their harsh surroundings. But not all is well with Anna. She is broken and unhinged and when her husband returns with an unforgivable plan to rob Theo of everything he has built, she agrees to go along with it.

When the clash comes between the two families, it is as harsh as the landscape itself. The dramatic conclusion and its tragic ending leaves the heart resonating with compassion. I wanted so much to reach into the story and put things right. To reverse time. To help them heal.

Absorbing and beautifully written, Under This Unbroken Sky is storytelling at its most powerful.

4 stars

The Logic Of Life- Tim Harford

The Logic Of Life

Tim Harford

Life sometimes seems illogical. Individuals do strange things: take drugs, have unprotected sex, mug each other. Love seems irrational, and so does divorce. On a larger scale, life seems no fairer or easier to fathom: Why do some neighborhoods thrive and others become ghettos? Why is racism so persistent? Why is your idiot boss paid a fortune for sitting behind a mahogany? And why oh why are there no eligible men left in the city?

The poorer cousin to its predecessor Freakanomics, The Logic Of Life opens promisingly but falls away when the author runs out of things to say and resorts to laborious passages that eventually overstay their welcome. A possible logic behind ladening his book with uninteresting fillers could be that in order to justify the advance he wanted from his publisher, Harford had to fatten his word count. 3 stars

So Cold The River- Michael Koryta

So Cold The River

Michael Koryta

Eric Shaw is a cinematographer who once worked on big Hollywood films but since has spiraled down to making commemorative videos for weddings and funerals. Shaw's life took an about turn when the wealthy Alyssa Bradford approaches him with the offer of making a documentary on her billionaire father-in-law, Campbell Bradford.

Born in a small town in Indiana, Bradford left the town just before the town and its famous spa resort fell into ruin. Restored again to its original beauty, Shaw visits the resort taking with him the antique bottle of mineral water Bradford had kept all his life. Tasting the water Shaw experiences visions that appear as portals into the past, a past that may unravel the secret of Campbell Bradford.

The succinct prose and the cast of complex well drawn-out characters, help to make So Cold The River a riveting read. The paranormal aspect is tasteful and never detracts from the plotline. I went through a few sleepless nights, impatient for what happens next. 4 stars

North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell

North & South

Elizabeth Gaskell

Wordsworth Classic

A tale of misunderstandings, assumptions and personal prejudices clouding over judgement. No I'm not confusing this with 'Pride and Prejudice', although one could easily recognise elements of it throughout North and South. Combining Austen's wit (although not enough of it) and Dicken's depiction of the poor (thankfully sans his incessant dribble), Gaskell weaves a novel about life's struggles and conflicts.

The protagonist Margaret Hale, is resilient and confident -a characteristic which is often mistaken for haughtiness- and shows none of the 'delicate' qualities expected of women in her day. Whether its shouldering the responsibility of informing her mother of her father's decision to resign from his Parish and move the family to Milton, or putting herself between angry strikers and their employer John Thornton, Margaret draws on this inner strength with grace and propriety. Similarly, when the need arises for her to take the role of nurse, carer and organiser, she resumes her role with little fuss or fanfare.

Aside from Margaret's character, I enjoyed the passages relating to the events that lead to her brother's exile and Mrs. Thornton's cutting views added a spice to otherwise dreary narrative.

In truth I'm not a real fan of Victorian novels. Their middle-class concerns with marrying well and point scoring - whilst sipping copious cups of tea - is tedious. As much as I loved 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Oliver', I cannot say the same for North and South. 2.5 stars

The Reversal - Michael Connelly

The Reversal

Michael Connelly

Allen & Unwin

The Reversal is my first foray into Connelly's Bosch and Haller characters. Alternating between Haller's first-person narration and the third-person narrative following Bosch, Connelly sears a heart-thumping court room thriller that guarantees to keep the reader glued to the pages.

Representing The People, Haller and Bosch have teamed up for the trial of a previously convicted felon. Twenty years ago, Jessop is jailed over the abduction and murder of a twelve year old girl. New forensic evidence based on the DNA found on her dress, have cast a doubt over the conviction. With the help of his ace defender, Jessop hopes to reverse the verdict and clear his name.

It's so easy for the author's to resort to the 'good prevails over evil' cliche. Thankfully Connelly has not only resisted this path but deftly illustrates the muddy boundaries of the laws and the point scoring tactics of ambitious lawyers willing to manipulate these blurred edges to further their career. Combine that with a page-turning narrative and you have yourself a superior entertaining novel. 4 stars

The Death Instinct - Jed Rubenfeld

The Death Instinct
Jed Rubenfeld
Headline

A term coined by Sigmund Frued, The Death Instinct refers to the two competeing desires that drive men: one that drives him towards death and destruction and the other towards love and life. Now how do these desires relate to the work of madame Curie?

To answer that, we need to enter the prolifically creative mind of Jed Rubenfeld.

The book opens with the real life historical bombing of the Wall street in 1920 during which a billion dollars of US gold goes missing and causes a near invasion of Mexico by US forces. To make matters worse, President Wilson suffers a stroke that leads to a Presidential power vaccum. Add to this the rise of the industrialisation and the use of radium in consumer goods and you will have the thickening plot that sets the backdrop to The Death Instinct.

The American doctor Stratham (also in Rubenfeld's first book Interpretation of Murder) is this time teamed up with the gorgeous French scientist Collette. Together they are on the quest to solve the mystery of the missing gold and the curious illness that befalls the local factory workers. Freud's cameo appearance half way through the book also adds an interesting twist to the narrative.

Fusing facts, fiction and a little romance, Rubenfeld navigates the reader towards a heart-thumping, action-packed conclusion that leaves one guessing to the very last page. 4 Stars

I Capture The Castle - Dodie Smith

I Capture The Castle
Dodie Smith

Chosen by a bookclub member, I Capture The Castle came highly recommended. And like most things that come highly recommended, it created an expectation the story failed to deliver. Initially enchanted by the setting and the characters, I thought I will be embarking on a quaint tale of pre-war England. And although there were a few amusing episodes (all involving the eccentric novelist father), I did not fall in love with the tale.

The heroine, the seventeen year-old Cassandra Mortmain lives in an old sparsely furnished castle with her desperately romantic older sister Rose, her one-hit-wonder novelist father James, her beguiling stepmother Topaz, her school boy brother Thomas and the poetry reciting, gorgeous live-in help Stephen (who also happen to be in love with her). With little money, the Mortmains have a tough time to make ends meet. Their fortunes take a turn when a new family moves in to the nearby manor house. The new owners turn out to be rich Americans whom to Rose's delight, have two eligible sons and she quickly sets out to snare the oldest brother.

So far so good.

Unfortunately this is where the fun ends. Rose whines with irritable regularity, James's inability to get started on his next book is frustrating and I just about tore my hair out over Cassandra's foolishness in not returning Stephen's love. There is an unexpected twist near the end which promises to spice things up. But I guess being English and proper, Smith manages to resolve it in the most unsatisfying yet politely civilised manner. 3 stars

How it Feels - Brendan Cowell

How it Feels
Brendan Cowell
Picador

Four teenage friends living in Sydney’s Southern Shire, have finished their final exams and are about to embark on different paths. In one wild, drug and alcohol fuelled end of year celebrations their lives change forever and friendships are broken.

This is a strange and unusually crafted novel. I confess I left it half way through mainly because of my irritation with Neil and his narcissism. The characters live on a daily orgy of promiscuous sex, alcohol and drugs that seem over exaggerated and unreal.

Cowell has a mixed bag of narratives where moments of great prose are littered with passages of overblown swearing and colloquialism. Despite showing potential and artistry as a novelist, too much effort is spent on trying to be cool. How it Feels best suits adults in their late teens or early twenties. 3 stars