All That Is Solid Melts into Air by Darragh McKeon (Review)

Title: All That Is Solid Melts into Air
Author: Darragh McKeon
First published: 2014
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Rating: ★★★★★

I've just returned from an Italian holiday! Love this country: food and Renaissance are both amazing! Before the journey, I had thought for quite some time about what I wanted to read on the trains, and had decided on probably the least holiday-themed book ever. But somehow, it fitted perfectly. The thing is, I went on this trip with my mom, and we always have these heated discussions about politics and Soviet Union. She's often resentful of me being so negative about the whole period. I guess she's nostalgic of the era of her crazy young life, or maybe the propaganda is so ingrained into your brain that you can't easily get rid of it. I try to listen to her, but I can't but remember all the facts that I've read and that are painting a very different picture than what she remembers. The picture this book paints, for example, is not pretty. It is true and painful and urgent and shows exactly what was wrong with the social system in Soviet Union at the time of the Chernobyl catastrophe.

I'm usually skeptical about non-soviet authors writing about soviet times. True, there is such thing as research, but I didn't believe you could write based on research as believably as if you'd lived it. Well, this book proves me wrong. Every little detail rings true, beginning with the mundane stuff like living arrangements to the unsaid fears deep in the people's minds. The writing is very vivid and precise, and it lulls you into the atmosphere of the book so that it's very difficult to put down.

I admit I didn't know much about Chernobyl meltdown before reading this book, just the basics. As it turns out, the catastrophe was much more horrible than I could have imagined. And the most horrifying thing is not radiation itself, it's how the system prevented any kind of effective counter-actions. There was even no backup plan or emergency procedure, because preparing them would mean admitting the plant could fail, and that's just unthinkable, right? If you just imagine how many lives could have been spared if they actually counted for something! Medical advice was ignored to honor subordination and save the face of the officials and the nation and people were treated.. well, in the same way as people were always treated in Soviet Union.

In my book: A very powerful book that shows the big picture of the catastrophe and the small, individual picture of the lives of the people caught in its whirlwind. Really stunning!

Seduction by M.J. Rose (A Rant)

Title: Seduction
Author: M.J. Rose
First published: 2013
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Rating: ★★☆☆☆

I haven't participated in Plagues, Witches and War Historical Fiction Book Club for quite some time now, and this was definitely NOT the book to encourage my further participation. It's so full of bullshit from the beginning! There are Celts, spiritualism, reincarnation, Jungian therapy, suicides, Satan with his deals, myths, personality disorders, drugs and what not. It's as if the author tried to just put everything she knew in the book, and it's even not much, at least concerning myths. The worst thing however is that the author is SERIOUS about all this stuff. I like a bit of mysticism, but I like it to be more subtle. There should be some reasonable explanation for everything happening, even if the atmosphere suggests that there's not. But the book demands the reader to actually believe in reincarnation. Seriously?

Why two stars still? Well, the writing is good. I think the author has made a descent attempt to mimic Hugo's writing, or at least 19th century writing. So when the heroine was not in a fit or in the middle of a discussion or action that didn't make any sense, I could even enjoy the flow of words.

In my book:
Bullshit, full stop.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - A Rant

Note: I know many people totally love this book, so if you think me ranting about it would spoil your day, don't read the review :) That's precisely why I've put "A Rant" subtitle to the post header.

Title: Outlander
Author: Diana Gabaldon
First published: 1991
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Rating: ★★☆☆☆

With an impressive 4.13 rating on Goodreads and so many recommendations, I expected this book to become my new favourite. There's time travel, Scotland, a strong female character, hot scots... I like all these things, but somehow them being put together by Gabaldon resulted in total crap. Well, maybe not TOTAL, but we'll get to it. Let's begin with the bad stuff, OK?

First, the book is sooo long! Generally, I love long books, but there'd better be something actually happening on all those pages. OK, there are a lot of adventures, battles and other things, all right, but they are all so monotonous! By the middle of the book I had an urge to yawn every time Jaime was hurt or Claire was abused. Again. Besides, this brings me to the next point: the abundance of unsettling and disgusting descriptions. I do realize that the time was not pretty, but some scenes in the prison and afterwards were totally unnecessary. Not that I cared by that time. In the second half of the book there were several action sequences in which I had no idea what was happening... And I didn't want to re-read to make sense of them. It's still a mystery to me how the prison escape was managed and how getting high on opium and fighting cured blood poisoning in the end.

My next problem with the book was sex scenes. I like me some good steamy sex in a book, and I do admit that some of them actually WERE good, but not for 200 pages non-stop! I'm not kidding, there's a part in the book in which they hardly do anything else. Again, I got bored. Besides, some stuff really disturbed me. Remember the scene when they have sex near the body of a soldier killed by Claire just before? Or that sex after a month on the verge of death. Seriously???

Even with all the aforementioned problems the book would be OK if I liked the characters. But Jaime is just some sickly-sweet ideal of a man, who everybody older than 12 years old should understand doesn't exist, and Claire... I didn't really care for her. I can't figure out why, but probably because her reactions to things happening around her are so unbelievable that I can't think of her as a real person.

Now to the positive moments, as promised :) The book is obviously well-researched and gives a nice overview of life in Scotland at that time. Although I'm not a specialist and I may be wrong here. Also, the dialogues are usually good and witty, and some even made me smile. Hmm.. That's probably all. Not much :)

In my book:
If you are not into hard-core "women's fiction", skip it! Spend some time NOT wanting to punch the characters in the face instead :)

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Review)

Everybody seem to be participating in the read-a-thon today, and I'm missing it again, because I have zero time... As usual :( So I've decided that I'll at least find time to post a review or two :) My reviews are a bit behind my reading...

Title: The Shadow of the Wind
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafón
First published: 2001
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Rating: ★★★★★

I knew I'd love this book, and I did. And I love it when I'm not disappointed :) It is a mystery set in a post-civil war Barcelona, which is dark, dangerous and irresistible. This mystery revolves around a book and it goes a couple of generations back, to the beginning of the century. There is love, murder, betrayal and some wonderful characters besides (and I mean Fermin here, of course :))

The story is anything but realistic or believable, and the characters don't seem real too, but somehow it didn't irritate me at all. It reads like fantasy, although the setting is real, and I was willing to accept any improbable plot turns. Speaking of the setting, Barcelona is portrayed beautifully, and I longed to return to it every time I opened the book. I visited it a couple of years ago, but only for a day, and it is certainly not enough to see everything! But it helped me to imagine the scenery of the story and added to my experience.

In my book:
A very entertaining and captivating book, if only you are ready for something unfeasible :)

A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger (Review)

Title: A Burnable Book
Author: Bruce Holsinger
First published: 2014
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Rating: ★★★★☆

In the times of Richard II and Chaucer strange rumors and verses start to spread through London. The verses predict the death of Richard II with frightening exactness and the rumor is they come from a book of ancient prophesies... The book travels from lords to bawds, leaving corpses on its way. Meanwhile, the fateful St. Dunstan's day mentioned in the prophesy approaches...

There is everything in this book that you can wish for in a historical fiction novel: a lot of details of everyday life, an old map of London (I love maps!), intrigue, mystery, danger and the love of books. It not only has quite a few remarkable female characters, is has a transgender character! I was... well, confused with Eleanor/Edgar at first, but then I realized that he/she works well in the plot: he/she decides in which situations it's more efficient to dress as a man and when - as a woman, and therefore is able to transgress certain limitations of gender.

Sometimes it was a bit difficult to keep straight all the characters at court, but by the end of the book everything fell into place. Some of the characters' motivations were left unclear to me, but overall the intrigue was well rounded. Although bawds have a lot of action in the book, there is nothing very coarse in the descriptions and the language, which I really appreciated (OK, I guess I'm mentioning it just because I'm reading another Martin right now, lol!). Overall, if I wasn't sure Holsinger is a man, I'd say the book is written by a woman. Rarely do men have so many distinct and interesting female characters in their books. Bravo!

In my book:
A very entertaining and well-researched historical mystery. Perfect relaxing read!

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (Review)

Title: Wolf Hall
Author: Hilary Mantel
First published: 2009
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Rating: ★★★★☆

Last year when I was in Vancouver on a conference I stumbled upon a wonderful bookstore selling used books. I didn't have much money on me, but I still spent an hour there and bought three rather thick books. Then I walked about 15 km with this heavy parcel in my hand because my hotel was already far behind and I had big touristic plans for the day. I was so dead at the end of the day that I cursed my book-buying addiction. But I repented thinking so as soon as I looked at my precioussssses again (and took a bath!).

These three books were Titus Groan, Wolf Hall and Watership Down (which I haven't read yet, but will soon!). Now I can say that at least two of them were totally worth the effort :)

Sometimes I think that half of all the historical novels out there are about Henry VIII. But I doubt any of them are anything like Wolf Hall. The novel is written from the point of view of Thomas Cromwell, one of the most powerful courtiers of Henry VIII's time. He is behind Henry's first divorce, the new legislation concerning ecclesiastical matters and foreign politics of the time, so his is a VERY informed point of view! He is also an interesting person himself - born a son of a smith, having served abroad for the most of his youth, learned not only in economy but also in theological matters, with wide correspondence abroad and an infinite influence at court, but still despised by every titled man of the realm for his descent... An outstanding person indeed!

The most striking feature of Wolf Hall is its writing. It is sometimes hard to get into it after a long pause, but as soon as you do, it doesn't let you go. And I mean, literally! I physically couldn't stop reading, I didn't notice how many pages ago I should have put it down to go do something useful (like getting food! Once I missed the shop's closing time and had to order a pizza.) Mantel doesn't give you the story in chunks, set in different places and peopled with different characters, divided by cliffhangers. Instead, she somehow makes you turn the pages even though the narrative is very calm and meditative, and nothing sudden happens.

The only problem I had with the writing was that Cromwell was always referenced as "he". Although the narrative is totally first person. Does it have some clever name? Help me out here, English majors! Anyway, I found it really confusing, because sometimes it was difficult to understand who is speaking or doing something. Imagine a passage like this: "Sir BlaBla remarks: "blablabla". He goes to the window". You would think that the "he" here refers to Sir BlaBla, but it doesn't! It's actually Cromwell who is doing it. So confusing.

In my book:
A beautifully written and haunting novel! Recommended even to those who are sick and tired of Henry VIII and his public family life.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (Review)

Title: A Tale of Two Cities
Author: Charles Dickens
First published: 1854
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Rating: ★★★★★

I must confess I haven't read enough Dickens in my life. I read Oliver Twist when I was a child and I remember it was gloomy and depressing and rather dull. In my teens I read an adapted version of Nicholas Nickleby for my English classes and all the while I was reading it I was wondering why write two books with the same plot. In my defense I can only point out that it was again all about a small boy against the world and that I wasn't paying much attention. In the university I pretended to read only highbrow stuff and gave The Pickwick Papers a try. I struggled through the first half of it and then gave up. It was funny in the beginning, but then it became repetitive and unbearably detailed. Or maybe I was just impatient due to my flourishing and complicated private life at that time :)

The first Dickens I actually liked was A Christmas Carol, which I read a year ago. I could finally appreciate the writing, and the story was not overly long. Then was an unhappy choice of The Old Curiosity Shop, which left me totally frustrated when I finally finished it after dragging through it for three months.

So overall my experience with Dickens was not very enjoyable. However, I am happy to announce that I've finally found a Dickens novel I LOVE, and this is of course A Tale of Two Cities. I was expecting a difficult read, and it was rather difficult in the beginning, but then I got used to the writing and I totally loved it! The descriptions are very vivid and metaphorical, the narrative flows in and out of places and people's heads, and oh the repetitions! How I loved the repetitions! There is something from music in them...

Apart from choosing a setting which cannot be dull per se - the French Revolution, Dickens has knitted (yeah, this word!) a wonderful and gripping plot for his book. Parts of it don't make sense in the beginning, but then everything falls into place. Some things are of course predictable, but that makes them long-expected rather than boring. And the ending is just... Well, you need to read it yourself, because my writing is unequal to giving it the credit it deserves.

I'd like to particularly note female characters in this novel. Usually Dickensian women are either saccharine and useless or mad and evil. Here, however, they have more depth. OK, Lucie IS stereotypically sweet, but she also has quite some courage and is surprisingly tough. But think about Therese Defarge! I don't think I've seen anybody quite like her in literature! "A great woman, <...> a strong woman, a grand woman, a frightfully grand woman!" And consider Miss Pross with her brave "you shall not get the better of me. I am an Englishwoman". Overall, according to Dickens, women made revolution. They suffer, but remember, persist, support their husbands and never give up. That's quite impressive! 

In my book:
An exceptionally well-written novel! My favourite Dickens so far! :)

The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl (Review)

Title: The Dante Club
Author: Matthew Pearl
First published: 2003
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Rating: ★★★☆☆

This novel is a literary detective set in Boston shortly after the Civil War, when the first American translation of Divine Comedy into English was being done. While the Dante Club, a society of poets, is concerned with the nuances of meaning and word choices, horrible murders start to happen in the city, and only the members of the club can see that they copy the tortures of Dante's Inferno.

I really liked the premise, but wasn't very impressed with the novel itself. To begin with, I didn't appreciate graphic descriptions of the tortures. With my unhealthy imagination, flesh eating maggots can easily spoil not only my meals but also my sleep, which they did. Also, the writing was not my thing. I can't even say what was wrong with it, but I fell asleep even at the most suspenseful and revealing parts.

I'm not an expert in mysteries as I don't read them often, but I do know that I prefer a close circle of suspects. I enjoy guessing who did it, betting with myself and changing my opinion as new evidence turns up. Here, new characters keep appearing all the time, and soon you just stop guessing, because you know somebody much more suitable will be introduced soon.

This said, the historical setting was really interesting: post-war and post-slavery problems, literary discussions, immigrants, police work - all these aspects of Boston life in the nineteenth century are important parts of the story, and this makes it quite educational.

In my book:
A nice historical mystery, but not my cup of tea.

P.S.
I read this for Plagues Witches and War: The World of Historical Fiction Book Club, which is a wonderful group that you totally need to check out! :)

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks (Review)

Title: Caleb's Crossing
Author: Brooks, Geraldine
First published: 2011
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Rating: ★★★★☆

One astonishing fact inspired this book: in 1665 one Caleb became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. 1665! Amazing, right? How did it happen? Well, apparently, back then when religiousness was really crazy, natives were encouraged and bullied to become Christians. To that end, a sponsorship was organised to pay and provide for those Indians who wanted to get education in hope of their help in advancing religion further. They were to have a profound brainwashing in college and then to go preach to their fellow countrymen. Of course, it was very difficult for them, because apart from mastering English, they had to excel in Latin, Greek and Hebrew, they had to endure not only the hardships of living in a poor-provided establishment which was Harvard, but also the contempt of the Englishmen and distrust and sometimes hate of the fellow natives. But some of them willingly pursued this course in hopes of obtaining means to protect their people from the advancing "civilization".

It's an amazingly interesting topic, but not much is known about it, unfortunately. That's why, I reckon, although the novel does tell Caleb's story, it's not in the focus of the narrative. Instead, everything the reader sees is from the point of view of Bethia, a daughter of a missioner, who meets Caleb when they are both children and introduces him to her world. She is the center of the novel, and she is a great character! She is quicker and cleverer than her brother and is eager to learn, but, being a woman, is not allowed to do so. Her father tells her: "I would do you no favor if I were to send you to your husband with a mind honed to find fault in his every argument or to better his in every particular." So she resorts to eavesdropping on her brother's lessons and then agrees to go into service in a prep school just to continue overhearing stuff. Apart from her eagerness to learn, she is also interested in the Indian culture. Instead of shunning from their religion and beliefs as from the "work of Devil", she tries to understand it, and that's why her friendship with Caleb is possible.

Caleb's Crossing is very well researched, and it was very interesting to read about the early settlements, communication with the natives and the towns and universities of that time. The ugliness of the treatment of women and the Indians (and especially Indian women) is not smoothed, and the state of the medicine is really horrifying. Science also leaves much to be desired, as it was very mixed with and dependent on religion, and pretty useless for the most part.

As for the style of the novel, it is written in a form of Bethia's diaries, and I enjoyed the flow of her writing, which draws one into the story and doesn't let go.

In my book:
A very decent historical fiction book, with amazing characters and a captivating story.

P.S.
The book is the first choice for Plagues Witches and War: The World of Historical Fiction Book Club, and I'm really happy I've joined it!

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (Review)

Title: Julius Caesar
Author: William Shakespeare
First published: 1599
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Rating: ★★★★★

For me Shakespeare's tragedies work much better than comedies. He has this sixth sense as to how to make them pathetic and believable, dramatic and realistic at the same time. And no 16-century weird humour, thank you!

Julius Caesar tells about - guess, what? Correct, about the assassination of Julius Caesar. But it's a mistake to think the guy is the main character in the play - the centre of everything is rather Brutus, who is struggling between his love to Caesar and his duty as a citizen. The most interesting part of the plot is all the polemics about the necessity and reasons to kill Caesar. On the one hand, he is a great and very estimated man, but on the other hand he is on the verge of being asked to become an emperor, and this no free citizen can abide. I also really loved how Brutus and Antony in turns bring the mob to their side, people changing their opinions cardinally in a matter of 5 minutes just because of some words they hear. The power of rhetoric!

Brutus is a very well-developed character: principled, valiant and thoughtful. His is a really tragic figure, as he knows all the consequences of his deed, but he still does it because of his beliefs and in spite of personal feelings. Another favourite of mine is Portia, Brutus's wife, who will not be treated as merely a wife and a woman, but rather as an advisor and friend. Her idea of a marriage is sharing not only a bed and a table, but also thoughts, anxieties and plans. Rather modern!

Let's finish, as usual, with some wonderful quotes:

"Cowards die many times before their deaths;"

Portia's greatest phrase:

"I have a man's mind, but a woman's might."

"The ides of March are come.
<...>
Ay, Caesar; but not gone."

A great judicial principle for all times:

"What touches us ourself shall be last served."

Very meta:

"<...> How many ages hence
Shall this our lofty scene be acted over
In states unborn and accents yet unknown!"

Brutus's reasoning:

"Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. <...> As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him."

About historical judgement:

"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;"

"When love begins to sicken and decay,
It useth an enforced ceremony."

"Words before blows"

And my personal favourite:

"There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries."

In my book:
A beautiful tragedy with a lot of controversial moral loading. Great characters, great dialogues! One of the Shakespeare's best plays!

Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman (Review)

Title: Here Be Dragons
Author: Sharon Kay Penman
First published: 1985
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Rating: ★★★★☆

I treated myself to this beautiful book while in Vancouver, which has HUGE bookshops, all in English, where I spent hours. I call it a treat because it was ridiculously expensive. Sometimes I think that people who buy "real" paper books must be millionaires. But I just felt like buying a nice book, you know, and I was not disappointed! Recently I have noticed that I feel more invested in the "real" books, either because I choose so well or because I've already paid so much money for this - psychology in action! But I think I would have loved this book in any format.

The list of things I love about Here Be Dragons begins with the title.You know, this is the phrase that was written over unknown territories on old maps. I ADORE old maps, and the cool thing here is that the book is about Wales, and not only was it completely misunderstood by England, they also have a dragon on their flag. Clever, eh? The next cool thing is the setting: the story unfolds between 1183 and 1234 which means it covers the end of Henry Plantagenet's rule, his children's rivalries, the rules of Richard Lionheart and John Lackland and ends with the beginning of Henry III's rule. Rather epic, right? But the story is focused on Wales, where at this time Llywelyn the Great rose to power and more or less united his country against the unceasing England's conquest. While I knew quite a lot about English kings and the situation between England and France at this time, I was completely ignorant about what was happening in Wales. All we got in the textbooks was that the castles were built there at this time as part of the conquest and some beautiful pictures. So the story is really interesting from the historical point of view, especially because it's very well researched and is true to the remaining historical sources.

I wouldn't have liked the story so much if it was purely historical, but it is also a very good romance. The main heroine is Joanna, an illegitimate daughter of John Lackland, who was married to Llewelyn as part of the treaty with Wales. It was horrible for her to go to another country with different language, where everybody saw her as a foe. And she was only 14 then! She loved her father and she came to love her husband, but needless to say the treaty between them didn't live long. Torn between the two men she loved, she played an important role as an ambassador of peace between England and Wales and her entreaties to her father not once saved quite some Welsh lives, including her husband's. She, John and Llevelyn are all very interesting and well-developed characters, and I was really involved in their relationships. There are some rather graphic scenes of Joanna and Llewelyn's private life that I found rather indecent and out of place, but that really didn't bother me that much. I guess this was done for certain public that needs to know EXACTLY how well they got on sometimes :) Well, that doesn't include me! However, this is just a fly in the ointment.

The description of everyday life (mostly Norman everyday life, of course) was not romanticized at all, which I also liked very much. The realities were very harsh back then, with horrible medicine, childbirth and life conditions. All this is shown very well in the book. What never fails to shock me most, although it's a well-known fact, is the disposal of women as part of treaties and alliances, no matter what age they are. It was a usual thing to marry off a daughter at twelve and expect a husband to consummate the marriage immediately. Of course, some men were kind enough to wait, but they were in minority. Moreover, married life in itself was very harsh for women. When in Wales, Joanna was surprised at finding out that, unlike in England and France, a wife could divorce or request compensation if she found her husband unfair to her (shock!!) and that husbands were not accustomed to beating their wives (unheard of!). So, well, welsh women were rather lucky, but that was certainly an exception.

In my book:
It is a very engaging historical fiction and romance, so I would definitely recommend it to anybody who is interested in either of the genres. It will keep you up late at night, I promise :)

The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier

Title: The Lady and the Unicorn
Author: Tracy Chevalier
First published: 2003
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This review will be a short one, because the novel doesn't deserve much. It grieves me to think that this kind of book could make it to New York Times bestseller list. Where is people's taste? As for me, I selected the book for Around the World in 12 Books challenge, as it is set in Belgium - our May country. Moreover, I love the tapestries described in the book, and I think a much more amazing story could have been written about them.

So the 6 tapestries composing The Lady and the Unicorn set you can see below. They are really a masterpiece! The idea of the book was to describe the process of waiving them and expand the idea of the set, which is believed to represent 5 senses, by the supposition that each of the women on the tapestries meant something to the painter. The problem is that the author had fantasy for only 4 girls out of 6, and the relationships between the painter and the girls were... meh. Especially sex. Strange how people are attracted to this kind of writing, but I've mentioned it already, right? On the positive side, I think that Brussels and the process of waving are described quite accurately, so some research has undoubtedly taken place.

No more about the book, let's just enjoy the beautiful tapestries!

Taste

Hearing

Sight

Smell

Touch

À Mon Seul Désir

Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Bernard Nordhoff and James Norman Hall

Title: Mutiny on the Bounty
Authors: Charles Bernard Nordhoff and James Norman Hall
First published: 1932
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I guess most of you have heard about mutiny on H.M.S. Bounty, a tragic and probably the most renowned (after Cook's voyages, maybe) event in the history of South Seas exploration. Of course, I have heard of it, too, but without any particulars. This book provides a lot of them. Particulars, I mean. The novel, although fictitious, is based on the recollections of the sailors, ship logs and court records. Sometimes it imparts a somewhat dry style to the book, but also makes the account of the events very believable.

The story is told from the point of view of a young gentleman Byam, a novice at sea, invited to the voyage for the purpose of compiling a dictionary of Tahitian language. A protagonist which is a linguist! I love the idea :) He has some off-center ways of learning the language, like marrying a Tahitian woman, but still. The main purpose of the expedition, however, is not making of the dictionary, but collecting breadfruit trees with the view of their further cultivation in British India. Captain Bligh, a former companion of captain Cook, is a harsh and rude man, who believes that strict discipline is everything and never hesitates to severely punish somebody, often not going into if he is guilty or not. He is also suspected of food speculation, resulting in undernourishment of the crew, which is the least tolerable unfairness at sea. All this results in a mutiny, and as the mutineers take the ship, the loyal crew must leave it in a launch with the captain at the head of it.

Byam takes no part in the mutiny, but he is left behind on the ship with the mutineers due to restricted place in the launch, and is believed to be one of them by the captain, who overheard his dialogue with the mutiny leader the night before and misinterpreted it. Nobody expects the captain and his men to reach England safe, but they do. So a case is started against the mutineers at the Admiralty and a ship is sent to recover them from the South Seas and bring them home for trial and execution.

The novel is very good at showing different sides of life at sea, the causes and consequences of the mutiny and the severe marine law system at the time. The characters, however, are quite shallow, most of them are either good or bad, although it it justly shown how effective a harsh captain can be in case of emergency. I was also not quite satisfied with the description of Tahitians, they are shown as an idyllic race without any troubles and flaws, which was not really true. But the end of the golden age of Tahiti due to the destruction brought by the Europeans is really heartbreaking.

It is a very enjoyable book overall, but I'm sure I'd enjoy it better if I was an 11-year-old boy dreaming of sea adventures, without high expectations for complex characters and unpredictable endings. But still, it's definitely worth the time.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
First published: 2005
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This amazing book made me cry for an hour yesterday night, although I was supposed to be asleep or at least to be prepared for the ending. But I still cried because even though you have an idea how things were at that dismal time in that dismal part of the world, reading Zusak (or should I rather say Death?) telling it is a very different thing.

Yes, Death is a narrator in the book, and a very implacable one. Usually the first thing the reader knows about a character is that he will die soon. And that is one of the things that make this book so amazing: you know it all from the beginning. You are not expecting miracles, you are not expecting anything, actually, but you keep reading not for the ending, but for the words.

Words play a great role in the book. Words is what matters most in the end: they can form a nation, they can kill and humiliate, but they can also support, console and save lives. Liesel learns reading from her foster father, which makes them close friends, and she keeps reading through repressions and war, and her reading calms people in the bomb shelter, brings a dying man back to life and helps the ones who have lost someone to the war live further.

Although most of the characters are known to die soon, they seem more than alive through the book. The reader is invited to meet people living on Himmel street, a poor area of Molching, Germany in the times when Death had a lot of work to do: 1938-1944. And it takes all this time and even more to really understand who is who deep inside. And thanks to the imaginative and compelling language and composition of the book, this exploration is fascinating.

Please don't be put off by this humble review and don't discard this book as too grim and depressing. It is not. The book puts everything right and the consolation is there is you look carefully. And looking carefully is what you should really do with this book!

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Title: The Name of the Rose
Author: Umberto Eco
First published: 1980
Add it: Goodreads, The Book Depository

This book has been stirring my imagination for some time now. I've heard that it's a kind of historical mystery, but the opinions about it were very different, ranging from hate to love. Of course I was interested! And now I can say that I'm completely on the lovers' side!

May the word "mystery" not drive you to the conclusion that it's an easy and relaxing read. It is certainly not. The book if FULL of theological discussions, gospel citations and historical references. Fortunately, my edition had a very good commentary section, and I consulted it all the time, as my historical and ecclesiastical background was definitely not enough to understand anything. But all this created the unique atmosphere of the book, and in the end it all made sense regarding the motives of the murderer.

The setting is fascinating - a rather secluded monastery in the mountains, full of scholars from all over Europe, attracted by the riches of the biggest library of the Christian world. And this library is a very mysterious place. As it is not considered safe for everybody to read anything he might want (and some writings there are very dangerous by the measure of the church), only the librarian has access there and knows the secret of how to find his way in this labyrinth. To scare everybody else away, there are tales of spirits and demons hunting the library at night, and some disobedient monks have encountered them. In this mysterious atmosphere a murder happens.

Two days after Brother William of Baskerville with his apprentice Adson, our narrator, comes to the monastery. He is known for his outstanding deductive abilities (look at his name :) ) and his successful work as an inquisitor in the past. So no surprise he is asked to look into the case by the abbot himself. One corpse, however, does not seem to be enough for the murderer, so soon there are more homicides, and the investigation unveils some very nasty secrets of the monastery.

Even though there are some rather difficult and lengthy passages in the book, overall it is so gripping that I read it through the beginning of my exam session and then through my BF's visit, which doesn't happen that often. But there is actually nothing strange here, as a mystery connected with books and a library, which is also a labyrinth is just a combination of all my favorite things! So for everybody sharing my passion for the mentioned above this book is just a must read!

Germinal by Emile Zola

Title: Germinal
Author: Zola, Emile
First published: 1885
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This was my first Zola ever and I picked it up for the Zoladdiction reading event this month. I must thank the girls for hosting it, as it was a nice start and I'll definitely be reading more Zola eventually!

Speaking of nice, this is not the word to describe the book itself. Dealing with the strike at the coal mines, it is very dark, depressing and over-realistic. But it is at the same time very moving and beautifully written. Etienne Lantier's search for a job during an economical crisis brings him to a coal mining town Montsou, where he is finally given a job. He observes the harsh conditions that the workers have to suffer, and he is determined to fight for them and with them according to his inchoate revolutionary beliefs. And eventually, following the change in the salary tariffs, a strike happens.

One of the main points of the book it that you can't control the mob. When you set it to action, be prepared that this action can and will become destructive and violent. Etienne likes the feeling of being a leader, and his proclamations and suggestions are usually quite reasonable, but he soon becomes aware that the hungry people want only revenge and violence. So after several months of protesting and a lot of unnecessary deaths it all ends quite badly and avails to nothing.

Why does it end so? Well, I think that the reason is lack of preparation and education. Even Etienne doesn't have a solid plan of how to make the governing board listen to their demands. There is one person who knows quite a lot about revolutionary movement and could have helped, and that is Souvarine, a Russian political emigrant. But he sees no hope in any actions except terroristic, and it is shown very clearly in the novel that this is not an option.

In the end of the book, when everybody goes back to work and to the new unfair tariffs imposed by the governing board, Zola tries to draw some hopeful conclusion. It is said that this strike would not be forgotten and would lead to more revolutionary actions in the future, that though unsuccessful, their actions stirred something which would grow and take a form of the complete change of the society. But somehow this doesn't sound so reassuringly to me when I think about all the horrible deaths that ensued from the strike.

As you have probably noticed, the book was quite moving for me, and this is entirely because of Zola's writing, which is very precise, realistic and visual. However, I feel that he overdid the description of the miserable life of miners just a little bit. I find it hard to believe in all the sex habits these people had. At least I haven't seen it in any other books on the same topic. There is really too much sex in the book, to my liking. And dear Zola, people don't do it after being blocked underground without food for 2 weeks!!

Anyway, I have really enjoyed the book, and I'm glad I've read it. Now I want to try reading from the beginning of Rougon-Macquart series to see some more of the time with Zola's eyes!

Henry V by William Shakespeare

And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

This famous speech was one of my first encounters with Shakespeare in English. We had classes in the history of England at the University, and our professor tried to make it interesting and entertaining for everybody, so we read literature, watched films and illustrations, etc. It was fun, really! So when the topic was Henry V, we of course read St. Crispin’s Day speech. There were some difficult words, but the overall heroic mood of the battle was really well-depicted and helped to imagine how it was.

I'm not sure if I can judge the play from the point of view of historical accuracy, as I have forgotten a lot from those history classes, but as a reader I find the course of events rather believable. The French campaign description begins with the justification of the invasion that the English found for themselves. It was inheritance, of course - the question which was rather confusing at that time when it was not sure if women could inherit. But it seems that everybody, even the king, understood that it is only a pretext for the war. Henry was worried before the battle that so many people will die for an unfair cause. He was very fast in convincing himself and everybody else that it's no king's fault, though :) Such a nice demagogue!

The battles themselves are described rather ruthlessly both from the point of view of the common people and the nobility. The reader is shown no only what is going on in the middle of the field, with people fighting for their lives, but also what happens in the night before the final stand, when everybody prepares himself for the battle and waits for the break of day. And both English and French camps are shown, which helps compare and contrast them. Now, I think French are described rather unfairly, their nobility is shallow and vain in the play, they discuss only their horses and equipment, and they are ever so sure of their victory. This is biased of course, but I think Shakespeare had to be patriotic, as this was part of the Tudor propaganda. Besides, I think common people liked their villains to be really villain :)

Shakespeare understood the difficulty of portraying a historical event without decorations and special effects, so a special man, called "Choir" comes out on the stage in the beginning of each act and gives some perspective of the events. Moreover, he humbly asks the viewer's help in imagining real horses, thousands of people instead the couple impersonating them, etc. It makes such a bond between the writer and the reader, that makes it hard not to like the play. Especially when the writer cares for his public so much:

There is the playhouse now, there must you sit,
And thence to France shall we convey you safe
And bring you back, charming the narrow seas
To give you gentle pass; for, if we may,
We’ll not offend one stomach with our play.

This is my first Shakespeare history ever, and though I felt a bit overwhelmed with names and long speeches at times, I really liked it. It is believable, if not unbiased, and stirs the reader's imagination. Henry is also very likable and inspiring, so I was rather happy he found his love in the end. And I'll finish with the advice he gives to her when convincing her to marry him:

And while thou liv’st, dear Kate, take a fellow of plain and uncoined constancy, for he perforce must do thee right because he hath not the gift to woo in other places. For these fellows of infinite tongue, that can rhyme themselves into ladies' favors, they do always reason themselves out again. What? A speaker is but a prater, a rhyme is but a ballad, a good leg will fall, a straight back will stoop, a black beard will turn white, a curled pate will grow bald, a fair face will wither, a full eye will wax hollow, but a good heart, Kate, is the sun and the moon, or rather the sun and not the moon, for it shines bright and never changes but keeps his course truly.

True, right?

Banquo from The Tragedy of Macbeth

Why is this picture here again?
Because it's awesome, of course!

When we say "Macbeth" we probably think of Macbeth himself or his wife or the witches. We don't usually remember Banquo. Who is he anyway? He even dies in the third act.

However, his role is crucial in the play. His name is first mentioned in the play in scene two of act one, and together with the Macbeth's name:

DUNCAN
Dismay’d not this
Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?

And this makes us understand, that they are compared throughout the play. This is confirmed in the scene of predictions. See how the witches hail Macbeth:

FIRST WITCH
All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!
SECOND WITCH
All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!
THIRD WITCH
All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!

And Banquo:

FIRST WITCH
Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.
SECOND WITCH
Not so happy, yet much happier.
THIRD WITCH
Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none:
So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!

And it is Banquo who first warns Macbeth to beware the predictions of witches:

And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s
In deepest consequence.

When Macbeth becomes king, he starts to fear Banquo. I think, that apart from Banquo suspecting Macbeth of "playing foul", there is an issue of fertility/infertility between them. Banquo is promised to have his sons on the throne, and his name will continue in the generations, while Macbeth will perish, and all his treacherous deeds have been for nothing.

Banquo is not only the opposite of Macbeth, staying faithful and not seduced by the promises of future. His death takes place in the very middle of the play (scene three of act three) and marks the "point of no return" for Macbeth. There still was hope for the new king if he hasn't continued to kill, but he does. And after Banquo killing is easier and easier for Macbeth.

So Banquo, a nobleman of Scotland, is Macbeth's doppelgänger, a symbolical character that helps the reader get some important ideas of the play

Macbeth - Act V and final thoughts

Act V is a retribution for all the terrible things done by Macbeth couple.

Lady Macbeth becomes mad, can't sleep and commits suicide. Macbeth is abandoned by all his lords and attacked in his castle by thousands of English soldiers. The witches' predictions came true, but not to the favour of Macbeth: the forest came to his castle, as soldiers held the branches in front of them to conceal their numbers, and he was killed by a man who was not born by a woman, but who was "from his mother’s womb untimely ripp’d". This is a nice touch that all the prophecies were actually correct, but not in the way Macbeth interpreted them.

Dunsinane Hill from Black Hill

So what the play is about? I think it is about fate and the will of a man. To which extent are our deeds predetermined? Can we avoid our fate if we stay faithful, honest and clean? Somehow all that was prophesied by the witches comes true, but it is also clearly shown that it was Macbeth's choice to begin murdering.

The play is about the natural order of things, which must not be broken, and that a murder is the most horrible of the deeds that can break this natural order. But it also shows us that this order will inevitably be restored, and life will go on. But not for those who have opposed the nature and have made their life as horrible as Macbeth's:

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Macbeth - Act IV

Scene 1

In the cave of the witches the cauldron is boiling, and Macbeth comes to get answers to his questions. Only we never hear his questions, as it is said that the apparitions know his thoughts. He again gets three predictions. An armed Head tells him to beware Macduff, a bloody Child - to be bloody and resolute, as "none of woman born shall harm Macbeth", and a Child crowned with a tree in his head prophesies, that "Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him". This reassures Macbeth, but something else tortures him - he wants to know if "Banquo's issue ever reign this kingdom". Now, why does this trouble him so much? I guess it is the issue of fertility here - Macbeth has no children, and that's what really troubles him. Anyway, witches show him the line of kings of Banquo's blood. Macbeth is in rage, and when a messenger comes to tell him that Macduff has gone to England, he decides to "surprise" his castle and kill his wife and children. (Seriously, I think he really has some complex about not having children, if he wants to kill everybody else's)

Scene 2

In Macduff's castle his wife is worried that her husband has left them, but still hopes that nobody will touch he and her children, as they haven't done anything. Of course, this didn't convince the killers sent by Macbeth. She and all her children are killed.

Scene 3

The war is coming. Macduff has found Malcolm in England, and they arrived to the decision to go to war for Scotland. When Ross comes with news of the slaughter of Macduff's family, they are even more determined. Moreover, England is ready to give some thousands for their cause. 

What I like most in this scene is the description of the state of affairs in Scotland, as seen by a patriot:

Alas, poor country!
Almost afraid to know itself. It cannot
Be call’d our mother, but our grave; where nothing,
But who knows nothing, is once seen to smile;
Where sighs and groans and shrieks that rend the air
Are made, not mark’d; where violent sorrow seems
A modern ecstasy; the dead man’s knell
Is there scarce ask’d for who; and good men’s lives
Expire before the flowers in their caps,
Dying or ere they sicken.

How much sorrow is there in those lines! Can't it be applied to some countries today? Yes, it can. And I'm not even pointing at the one in particular. At least not explicitly.