Review: ‘Absolution’ by Patrick Flanery

Patrick Flanery’s novel is about contemporary South Africa and how Apartheid continues to cast a shadow over the country and its inhabitants.

This post-modern novel has echoes of Philip Roth and the way Flanery interweaves several narratives together is ambitious but he carries it off.

As aging novelist Clare Wald opens up her life to biographer Sam Leroux but she is haunted by her perceived crimes against her country and her own family. In the meantime, Sam is hiding his own agenda. This is a story of regret, guilt and repression. Flanery’s descriptions capture the feeling of paranoia and claustraphobia in South Africa, as well as the constant threat of crime.

‘Absolution’ considers issues of identity, belonging as well as the potent issue of race.

A good read.

Vic x

Review: Stephen Merchant at Newcastle City Hall 11/10/11

As you will know, if you’re a frequent reader of this blog, I have a bit of a crush on Stephen Merchant, the tall geeky side-kick of Ricky Gervais.

Thirty-six year old Steve is touring the UK with his show “Hello Ladies”. He says being a stand-up worked to attract women to Russell Brand so he thought he’d try it out in order to find a wife – not a groupie, though, a wife. I’ve always had a thing for tall geeks and Merchant is no exception. If I was a single girl, I’ve thought I’d be interested in becoming Mrs Merchant.

Not often getting a word in edgeways when he’s with Gervais, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from Merchant as a stand-up. Looking around the audience, it was obvious that he appealed to a certain demographic – young, educated couples mainly.

Steve combines an intelligent string of stories with a physicality that I hadn’t expected. He moves a lot during the routine and it added a lot to the show. Stephen admits that being 6’7″ gives him an air of arrogance tempered with neurosis. As a tall person, I sympathised with Merchant’s stories of how difficult life is for a man of his stature.

I guess being Gervais’s “other half” may have made Merchant a famous name but the show demonstrated that he is not only an intelligent writer but a gifted and talented performer. Merchant shows with his show that he is more than capable of stepping out of Ricky’s shadow.

His reinterpretations of the Last Supper and how Venn diagrams were invented were inspired. Merchant obviously isn’t afraid of stepping out of his comfort zone and taking the mick out of himself. At one point in the show, he uses a tiny camera on a microphone stand to give the audience a close-up of his face as if he were bearing down on you – to demonstrate why there aren’t many repeat visitors “Chez Steve”.

I have to admit that many of the stories that Merchant tells didn’t endear me to him as a potential spouse. He’s a pedant, which isn’t a problem to me, as I am too. He says he’s not tight, just careful with money and many of the stories he tells are obviously embellished for comedic effect but I get the feeling that my frivolity with cash wouldn’t go down with Stephen – the thirty-seven year old who still sleeps in a single bed because “there’s no point in wasting the money” as he’s still single. He tells a story about a dull family and their annoying toddler at a wedding, perhaps not what I’d look for in a husband – someone who doesn’t like kids.

His encore, where he invited two members of the audience on stage to re-enact a play he’d written at school, is just cracking. It’s so well executed right down to the noisy chair movements in between scenes.

I would definitely go to see Merchant again, but perhaps I’ll stand back and let the other girls fight over him.

Vic x

To read a blog post by me, inspired by Stephen, click here: http://www.craigrobertdouglas.com/general/tall-people-have-feelings-too-you-know/

Why ‘The West Wing’ scares the bejesus out of me

I only just started watching ‘The West Wing’ a couple of months ago. Since then, I have watched the first 2 seasons and have realised how much stuff goes on behind the scenes and under the radar.

The Boy Wonder is fond of the shots of The White House where you can see armed guards patrolling the roof. I’d never thought of that but now that he’s mentioned it, it seems stupid not to have realised the amount of security that is involved of the every day protection of the President.

‘The West Wing’ has made me think how, to be President, you must not have to worry about privacy – apparently you have aides and staffers calling upon you at all hours of the day and night, not to mention the guards outside your bedroom door.

What really scares me, though, are the covert operations you see Bartlet and his team undertaking on a fairly regular basis, only telling the public about them once the issue has been resolved – if they tell the public at all. There have been scuffles between India and Pakistan, issues with Iraq over oil and, in the most recent episode I’ve watched, there were some undercover agents kidnapped in Columbia and only released after the President agreed to release one of the biggest drug barons in the world. However, when the Press Secretary told the press, she announced that the Columbian President had released the prisoner of his own accord.

What frightens me about ‘The West Wing’ is that this seems like an accurate portrayal of what goes on in Washington. I understand that some operations have to be covert but what scares me is the frequency with which it seems to occur. Does this really happen in real life? What is Barack Obama (and all his foreign counterparts) keeping from us? I am a firm fan of ‘Barry’ but watching ‘The West Wing’ has really put the creeps up me.

As a Type-A Personality, I like to be in full possession of the facts and like to at least feel like I’m in control. This portrayal makes me think I am nowhere near in control or know any of the facts. Scary.

Vic x

Review: ‘Tony and Susan’ by Austin M. Wright

Apparently this novel was first released in 1993 but is being given a second crack at success. And rightfully so.

This is an intelligent story within a story – Susan is a middle-aged housewife who lives in her second husband Arnold’s shadow. She receives a manuscript from her ex-husband Edward and the reader gets to enjoy Edward’s novel along with Susan’s reactions to the narrative. The reader also is privy to the resurgence of Susan’s memories which are provoked by Edward’s sudden reappearance in her life. Susan has barely heard from Edward in 20 years but his letter, asking her to read his novel, provokes a dearth of memories of him and his desperation to be a writer. She doubts the novel will be any good but what we were treated to is a gripping thriller that keeps the reader guessing. In his novel, Nocturnal Animals, Edward writes of right and wrong, retribution and revenge.

The reader can compare their own critique of Edward’s novel with Susan’s, as well as feeling her quiet desperation at dreams lost and suburban life. As both stories progress, we also get to learn about Susan and Edward’s back story while she examines the life choices she made.

Nocturnal Animals itself is a great thriller but I was disappointed with the last third of the book although Susan didn’t seem to notice, despite admitting she was often over-critical of Edward’s writing during their marriage. Nocturnal Animals was written with such tension that I was expecting a big reveal or twist at the end which I never got so that was a disappointment and I have to admit I expected a confession or an unusual outcome but it never happened. Although, I daresay that was the point.

Tony and Susan is a great read and justifies Atlantic’s decision to reissue it.

Vic x

Review: ‘Afterwards’ by Rosamund Lupton

Following on from one of last year’s biggest selling novels (and the fastest selling debut from a British author), Rosamund Lupton continued her success with second novel ‘Afterwards’ which went straight into the Top 10 on its release and, within a month of its release, became the fastest selling e-book ever.

‘Afterwards’ is the story of Grace, a mother of two, who runs into a burning school building to save her daughter Jenny. Afterwards, Grace needs to find out the identity of the arsonist and try to put her family back together while protecting them from an unknown threat. Not only does Grace have to contend with these issues but she has to accept the fact that no-one but Jenny can hear her – and that they may never wake up.

Lupton is really carving herself a niche in the thriller genre. The only other book I can think of written in this style in ‘The Lovely Bones’ by Alice Sebold but ‘Afterwards’ leaves it looking simplistic.

As with ‘Sister’, there are many red herrings thrown in for good measure, so much so that you suspect someone, dismiss them and then suspect them again which makes this novel seem all the more realistic. It is cleverly plotted and the prose is almost lyrical. Not only is this an intelligent thriller but it is, yet again, an honest portrayal of family life and relationships.

My one bugbear with Lupton is that she often writes in the second person – “I said to you….” – which can be distracting at times although I know she does it to make the reader feel entirely involved.

Think Jodi Picoult meets Audrey Niffnegger. This is a unique novel that is eloquently written, you will be blown away by it.

Vic x

To order your copy of ‘Afterwards’, click here: http://amzn.to/l0kfFY

Review: ‘The Weight of Silence’ by Heather Gudenkauf

‘The Weight of Silence’ is a tense thriller which focuses on two little girls being discovered missing one summer morning. Seven-year-old Calli has selective mutism brought on by a tragedy in her early years. Petra is Calli’s best friend and also works as her voice. But no-one knows where either of the girls are.

This non-linear narrative tells the story from various character’s points of view as well as revisiting the past to reveal family secrets. The book follows Calli and Petra’s parents, as well as the sheriff involved in the search and Calli’s older brother Ben.

I found this book a real page-turner with a compelling narrative. For a debut novel, this is quite a feat. Intelligently and sensitively written, Gudenkauf manages to explore the intricacies of family life as well as the effect secrets have on people.

The prose is almost lyrical in places and Gudenkauf manages to make you desperate to reach the conclusion of this tale.

Vic x

Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/q1dC5n

Box sets to keep you entertained (if my films choices didn’t appeal).

If my suggested films didn’t interest you, here’s a list of TV programmes you might like to catch – or find the box set of – to pass the time.

• Outnumbered: a great portrayal of modern family life in the UK. Fab child actors. Order your copy of Series 1-3 here: http://amzn.to/q6fMHp 
• Damages: a complex but worthwhile drama about New York lawyers. Order your copy of Seasons 1-3 here: http://amzn.to/nlU5X8 
• Blackadder: an intelligent comedy following the same characters in different times. A very moving ending. I watched it as a child and believe it’s partly why I love history. Order the complete series here: http://amzn.to/n60GiV 
• The X Files: an absolute classic – all things paranormal investigated. Order your complete collection here: http://amzn.to/n1ymSf 
• Sex and the City: although the film franchise ruined this, still a great, fun and brutally honest show. Order your box set here: http://amzn.to/pSz30r 
• Desperate Housewives: the unluckiest postcode in America. House prices must be cheap as chips! Funny, scary and pushes the boundaries of believability but still fun to watch. Order your copy of Seasons 1-6 here: http://amzn.to/pAe4M8 
• The Royle Family: another honest family sit-com. Cringe-inducing but hilarious. Order the complete collection here: http://amzn.to/qJ74oc 
• The Ricky Gervais Show: great animation. Doesn’t matter if you don’t like Gervais – the star of this show is Karl Pilkington. Order your copy of Series 1 here: http://amzn.to/qea026 
• 30 Rock: one of the best shows in the last 20 years. Follows Liz Lemon, head producer of The Girly Show at NBC. Irreverent humour. Order your copy of Seasons 1&2  here: http://amzn.to/oUvahf 
• Gavin & Stacey: Boy meets girl and all that jazz. Great fun with a fab cast.  Order the complete collection here: http://amzn.to/oRmMM5 
• Dawson’s Creek: one from my teenage days. The first teen show that spoke to teenagers as intelligent humans rather than monosyllabic idiots. Order the complete box set here: http://amzn.to/pn7rUf 
• Teachers: absolutely hilarious show about secondary school teachers.  Order the complete collection here: http://amzn.to/nmLdRd 
• Glee: not to everyone’s liking but a feel-good show, full of fun but with plenty of heart. Order your copy of Series 1 here: http://amzn.to/o96Ynx 
• Shooting Stars: first few series (featuring George Dawes and Mark Lemar) are cracking. Went downhill for a while (the Will Self / Johnny Vegas era) but recent episodes (featuring Angelos Epithemiou) mark a return to form. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/nYJudb 
• Bang Bang, It’s Reeves and Mortimer: another Reeves and Mortimer classic. Sketch show featuring memorable characters like Davey & Donald Stott and Tom Fun and his friend Derek. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/peROYm 
• The Thick of It: featuring the foul-mouthed Malcolm Tucker as he terrorises members of the DoSac team. A funny portrayal of British politics. Order the complete box set here: http://amzn.to/pSVLVG 
• Dexter: one of the most intelligent programmes on TV at the moment. Blood spatter analyst Dexter Morgan spends his evenings doling out retribution to criminals who got away. Order your copy of Seasons 1-3 here: http://amzn.to/oIK97i 
• Grandma’s House: starring Simon Amstell and Rebecca Front, this is a wonderfully amusing series about Simon’s dysfunctional family. Order your copy of Series 1 here: http://amzn.to/n1Y9Q7 
• The West Wing: only just started watching this myself but a very interesting portrayal of life in the White House. Punchy dialogue. Order the complete collection here: http://amzn.to/nG36eP 
• Frasier: no other modern show does farce as well as ‘Frasier’. It’s silly but still maintains its intelligence. Order the complete box set here: http://amzn.to/qrPmZT 
• The League of Gentlemen: the town of Royston Vasey have some original inhabitants, including Edward and Tubbs and Papa Lazarou. Funny, disgusting and downright dark at times – but so original. Order the box set here: http://amzn.to/mVGPoX 
• The Walking Dead: based on a series of graphic novels, the show is a post-apocalyptic horror series following a group of survivors after zombies have taken over America. Order your copy of Season 1 here: http://amzn.to/pvM1p3 
• Psychoville: written by two-thirds of ‘The League of Gents’, this dark comedy is another hilarious but freaky show. Order your copy of Series 1 & 2 here: http://amzn.to/oaDmTv 
• Phoenix Nights: Peter Kay’s wonderful comedy about life in a working men’s club. A great cast, some incredible one-liners and an all-round chuckle-fest. Order your copy of both series here: http://amzn.to/qOZSxW 

Vic x

Films to keep you entertained on a rainy weekend.

I’ve woken up this morning to torrential rain and the prospect of a miserable weekend, meteorologically speaking. Let’s face it, even if we went out and about through the day, Saturday night TV is appalling now. So I’ve come up with a list of films to keep you entertained. Not all of these will appeal to everyone but hopefully you’ll find something to keep you busy during these miserable days.

• The Dark Knight: even without all of the hype surrounding Heath Ledger’s death, this film remains an amazing spectacle. Although I’m a total Batman nut, I reckon even non-fans would enjoy this cracking story. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/r32Au9 
• My Name is Khan: a little-known Bollywood film about a wonderful man with autism who finds love but goes on a quest to prove his religion’s innocence after 9/11. So moving, one of the best film I’ve ever seen. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/oaBRcx 
• Away We Go: a cracking indie comedy-drama about a couple trying to decide where to raise their unborn baby. A stellar cast and an unusual story. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/nKtya3 
• Kill Bill Vol. 1: the first Tarantino film I ever watched and what a film! It’s got a great soundtrack, in true Tarantino style and it’s really intelligent. It is full of violence and gore as well as profanities, stay away if you don’t like that stuff! The 2nd one is worth a watch to finish the story but I didn’t enjoy it anywhere near as much. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/r84qhV 
• Hairspray (2007): a great feel-good film with songs that will make you want to sing and dance along. It has got a very serious message at the heart of it too, it’s not all fluff. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/qqnYeX 
• A Lot Like Love: a chick flick but a little bit different from the usual narrative. Starring Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet about a couple whose relationship develops over the course of seven years. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/rqrruV 
• Crash (2004): Oscar-winning drama about racial and social tensions in LA. The ensemble cast and their interlinking stories paint a realistic, but quite scary, picture. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/qCHeUO 
• Gremlins: one of my childhood favourites although I’m not quite sure why I was allowed to watch this during my formative years. A classic set at Christmas-time, featuring lots of black humour. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/mYs4U6 
• One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest: Based on the Ken Kesey novel about sane people in insane places and how certain behaviour in certain settings can be misinterpreted. It also is a study on mental illness and friendship. Winner of 5 Academy Awards. The book is also a really great read. Order your copy of the DVD here: http://amzn.to/o1xkN2 
• In The Loop: based on the wonderful ‘The Thick of It’ by Armando Iannucci, this film follows behind-the-scenes advisers who are working to prevent or promote a war in the Middle East. A great cast and a hilarious script. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/nrrmEj 
• V For Vendetta: a Wachowski brothers thriller based on the Alan Moore and David Lloyd comic/graphic novel. Rather 1984-esque where the totalitarian government in London rule with an iron fist but revolution is coming. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/nhSffw 
• The History Boys: featuring the original stage cast – including Dominic Cooper and Jame Corden - about eight grammar school boys in Sheffield in 1983 hoping to get into Oxbridge. Funny and touching. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/p5wULQ 
• The Hours: one to watch if you’re feeling depressed, or perhaps not. Based on the Michael Cunningham novel, it follows three women at various stages in time linked by Virginia Woolf’s ‘Mrs Dalloway’. An intricate study of mental illness. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/ocZq0X 
• The Shining: a writer (Jack Nicholson) accepts a job as off-season caretaker of an isolated hotel. Soon after he moves his wife and son into the hotel, they’re cut off by a snow storm and very strange things start happening. A must-see, with the lights on. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/owEJb5 
• Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory: another childhood favourite of mine. Gene Hackman embodies Willy Wonka as he invites golden ticket holders into his factory. It’s a sad, funny and ultimately uplifting story. The 2005 remake is not a patch on this. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/q66wNK 
• Four Lions: a really original British comedy about a group of British Jihadists who decide to blow up the London marathon. This satire is directed by Brass Eye’s Chris Morris and stars the wonderful Kayvan Novak (Phone/Facejacker). It may not be for everyone due to its subject but if you take it in the way it is intended, it really is very silly and therefore very funny. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/pw1gVL 
• Bobby: a fictionalised account of the hours before the assassination of Robert Kennedy at The Ambassador Hotel in LA. The film centres on a stellar ensemble cast going about their business in the hotel but is intercut with actual footage of Senator Kennedy. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/qyupsN 
• Donnie Darko: a mind-bending thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a troubled teenager who looks for an answer to the troubling visions he’s been having. Do not bother with the sequel. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/qUuzfX 
• East is East: a cracking film about a mixed ethnicity family living in Lancashire in 1971. The father wants his children to behave according to traditional Pakistani rules but they’re increasingly rebellious. It’s not only funny but sad. Such an honest portrayal. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/ppi7ep 
• Forrest Gump: one of my all-time favourite films. Funny, moving, intelligently done. Incorporating Forrest into a series of real events was a touch of genius. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/p8Rldr 
• The Silence of the Lambs: based on the novel by Thomas Harris, the film focuses on Clarice Starling, a young FBI agent, who asks for Hannibal Lecter’s help in apprehending Buffalo Bill. Scary and gory, a classic. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/nEutsI 
• Carrie: another Stephen King adaptation. The story of a social reject who gets her revenge after being humiliated one too many times. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/qc97WU 
• Halloween: The first appearance of Michael Myers, one of the creepiest serial killers in cinematic history. Although I have seen every one of the franchise, this remains a classic. Order your copy here: http://amzn.to/nXdOkB 

Hope you find something that tickles your fancy…..

Vic x

Goodbye cruel NOTW

If you get the opportunity to see this front page up close – look at what some of the headlines they’ve chosen as their most memorable headlines / finest moments. It says so much about the quality of the paper. One also has to wonder how many of the headlines were due to illegal practices.

It is a shame that many of the staff who have been made redundant may have had nothing to do with illegal phone hacking, but let’s face it – NOTW was never a particularly reliable or intelligent read. It was salacious, grubby and often libellous. Today has not seen the death of something the British should be proud of.

It is amusing that although NOTW’s current editor Colin Myler commended his staff for coming into work and putting on a show of professionalism and producing what he called “a wonderful paper…. to be proud of”, the various pictures appearing on Twitter and online news sites show hastily printed t-shirts, cupcakes and cans of booze littering desks (in true journo fashion).

It is a shame for the innocent people caught up in this, I honestly can’t say that enough, but the real innocents are the victims of the phone hacking. I feel that, to some extent, celebrities and politicians put themselves for some attention as they are keen enough of involving the press when they need them to promote a film, song, tour, policy, election and so on but families of murder victims, injured soldiers, people killed in terrorist attacks and so on are the real victims of this saga. What the journalists and investigators did when they hacked into phones was cruel, callous and unforgivable.

I don’t feel that the staff of NOTW deserve our sympathy – they sold their souls to the devil when they chose to work for that newspaper, and that corporation. Even if some individuals didn’t do anything illegal, some of their legal undertakings were pretty appalling too.

Vic x

Save our libraries.

As you know, I’m a book worm. I wouldn’t know what to do without a book on my person. I carry a book / my Kindle everywhere I go just in case I am presented with a couple of seconds to read. It might be in a waiting room or waiting to meet a friend, it might be in the hairdressers or when there’s nothing on TV – there’s nothing I love more than the written word. What may surprise you, however, is my next statement: I don’t go to the library.

I have a vivid memory from my childhood, I was aged about four at the time, of being in the library with my classmates when I flicked through a book and found a questionable-looking smear on a picture book. Was it blood or something worse? I’ll never know, nor do I want to. That experience put me off libraries for life. Even during my three years as an undergraduate, I made as few trips to the library as humanly possible. I spent a lot of the money I earned on buying books instead of borrowing them. I hate how library books make my hands feel dusty and I still can’t get that smear out of my mind.

However, when I took some time off last year to concentrate on completing my Masters, I found myself without a regular income and a dwindling number of books. That was when The Boy Wonder convinced me to visit the library with him. I was determined I wouldn’t touch anything while I was there but the sheer amount of books, some in darn good condition, seduced me.

Newcastle City Library got a complete overhaul a couple of years ago and now looks almost futuristic. However, even the local libraries that aren’t having millions spent on them do a darn important job. I was lucky as a child, my parents could afford to buy me books. Not everyone’s parents can afford those luxuries but with libraries, every child has the opportunity to access books and, in turn, develop their imaginations, knowledge and vocabulary.

Having spent more time in libraries in the last year than I have in my whole life, I can say with conviction that they provide a great service. There are the ‘bounce and rhyme’ sessions that they hold for babies and their parents – a great opportunity for social interaction for both – the weekly school trips, free computers for the public to use – very handy for jobseekers to use to search and apply for jobs.

However, I’m also aware that certain members of society abuse this great resource. I know that teenagers use libraries as a place to access Facebook, distracting the genuine patrons and causing a disturbance. Some parents use the library as a free baby-sitting service; sending their children there with packed lunches or dinner money during school holidays while they go to work. I’ve seen people there to use the toilets, sleep and cause a disturbance.

The role of the library needs to be reassessed. There need to be tighter controls over what websites can be viewed, and the length of time and purpose people use the computers monitored. Libraries are a great place to publicise local activities as well as a helpful learning resource but they need to be respected.

Vic x