My Bookshelf[2]
I value other people's book recommendations so I thought I'd share my favourite books. I may even make a list of my favourite User Experience and Design books at some point but for now here are my favourite bedtime reads.
Top Shelf (5 Stars)
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte(read it around 1997; rate it *****)
Having been a bit too dim to read proper English Literature at school, I challenge myself to get through some classics as an adult. This is one that made me realise that classics are classics for a reason! Probably the best £1 I ever spent! I really struggled with the first chapter so I re-read it, clicked the English and then was extremely entertained with its humour (particularly the bit with the dogs).
This is an incredible, twisted and dark story about love. Strongly recommended, and perhaps my favourite book. It's all the more incredible to discover Emily Bronte was quite a recluse - how could a recluse come up with something like this? They say, through stories she heard of the outside second hand.
Well, I've even made the pilgrimage (no hardship because I like Yorkshire!), and wandered out on the moors and ate my sandwiches on the roof of the ruined Top Withens farm. It's a pretty atmospheric place - a great place to read the book if you live locally!
If you are wondering, the film with Juilette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes is pretty good too!
The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien(read it 20 years ago!; rate it *****)
Reviewing this is ridiculous, since I read it 20 years ago. But, the world Tolkien created, and all the characters he populated it with have always stayed with me. I don't think I've yet read a fantasy equal to this imaginative and involving story. I was no great reader when I was 15 but I remember the great sadness of getting to the end of this 1000 page book.
What do you read next after this? Certainly The Silmarillian was a total dead loss - one of the most disappointing books I've ever picked up. The Hobbit provided some more of the same kind of story but nothing really approaching the greatness of The Lord of the Rings. I eventually discovered Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever and found a decent fantasy read, with an unusual hero (a leper).I also enjoyed discovering Eddings, eg The Belgariad and much more recently, Feist's Magician which was excellent, though I didn't get to the end of the series, so I think the plot dried up a little after a few books, which was disappointing.
During a recent bout of particularly drawn out DIY the BBC radio verion of The Lord of the Rings Audio Book kept me going - an excellent way to re-live the story allowing my imagination to paint the picture in the way the latest films cannot.
The World According to Garp by John Irving(read it 15 years ago!; rate it *****)
Read this around 15 years ago so reviewing it now is just silly. Mind you, I remember this being an excellent and moving read and a brilliant story. So, I highly recommend it and hope you remember the plot and the enjoyment of the read 15 years later too. Garp's mother had an interesting, independent philosophy of life, which is how he came about. Garp turns into a great character with a particular fondness for wrestling. Like with many of Irving's books there's a twisted plot that can rip your heart out.
In case you are wondering, the Robin Williams film of this is sadly rubbish.
The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain De Botton(read it Sept 2003; rate it *****)
This is one of the best books I've ever read. I read Jostein Gaarder's 'Sophie's World' a few years ago and found it interesting but hard going. Well, that was interesting enough to get me to sign up to a philosophy evening class, which was also interesting but hard going. By comparison, like some great philosophical works themselves, 'The Consolations of Philosophy' is an easy read - if you want to delve into philosophy you could do a whole lot worse than start right here.
The book starts with Socrates and what he had to say. The gripping nature of the book for me came from the great way de Botton describes the lives of the philosophers whose work he is interpreting for us. For me it means something that Socrates took his own life for what he believed in, as did Seneca - well, in fact both were ordered to do so. It means something that Neitzche had a great affinity for mountains. In understanding their philosophy my mind opens more readily when the philosopher is presented as a human, not just some high ideas.
Through all the philosophers covered, Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, de Botton shows the relevance of what they said to our lives. I was going to say 'modern life' but that's not really the case, since this book concerns what being human is all about and would have been relevant 2000 years ago, and will be 2000 years in the future. I read this book whilst in Madrid and it was the perfect book for that little trip, spending many hours in art galleries and finding examples in de Botton's book taken from some of the art I had just seen. Right book for the moment.
I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone. In fact, if I can get a bulk discount somewhere this is all my christmas presents taken care of at once!
The Outsider by Albert Camus(read it 3 years ago; rate it *****)
This is again, not a fresh review but I remember this read quite clearly. I'm not great philosopher so take these comments with a pinch of salt.
I first heard about Albert Camus when I saw a play, a monologue in fact, called, 'Albert Camus, What's the Score?', which I probably didn't understand properly but was weird enough to get me interested. Camus was an existentialist philosopher and a pretty good international level goal keeper who played for Algeria! It's great when philosophers have interesting lives - it always gets me hooked.
So, anyway, I bought 'The Outsider' and delved in. I'm never convinced that 'Outsider' is quite the right translation, since the original is called L'Etranger (the stranger?). Either way, this is an excellent read - perhaps 'Outsider' is a better description than "Stranger', I can sort of see that because being an 'outsider' is perhaps a more permenant state than merely being a stranger.
I really like existential philosophy, such as I understand it. In, The Outsider, the first person novel famously starts, "Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know". In the end, the main character's apparent uncaring attitude to his mothers death contributed to him standing trial. The trial cunningly puts existential philosophy itself on trial, helping the reader better understand what it's all about. It's a remarkably easy read and seems to very well explain existential philosphy through a story.
After reading this I tried reading some Satre but didn't get far with it. I also tried, Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus' and didn't get far with that either.
An Innocent Anthropologist - Notes from a Mud Hut by Nigel Barley(read it 1997; rate it *****)
I reviewed the Hardcover version of this book on Amazon - here's what I said on there (it's a very funny and informative yarn - and it's true!)...
I read this book whilst completing my PhD in ethnography. It is totally brilliant! It doesn't really have an academic focus but you can pull that out if that's what you're looking for. Nigel is conveyed as just an ordinary bloke who sets out to study an African tribe (he's actually and Anthropology prof). His battles with African bureaucracy are highly amusing, especially when he works out how to get through it all! The phrase, "it's my job" in response to a question about why he wanted a permit to study this tribe, spoke volumes about his eventual grasp of bureaucracy. This much fun was only the start of his adventures with the tribe.
Describing how he learned their tonal language and the very easy mistake that led to him coming out with obsenities by mistake. The basic greeting, "how is the sky for you?" was easily corrupted by an inadvertant supplementary obsenity by mis-use of tone. Very funny for all concerned. And the flatulant goat story had me in stiches (as well as the tribe by all accounts - pockets of laughter errupting around the tribes huts as the story spread).
Humour aside, though there is much of it, this is also the true story about an anthropologist studying a very interesting African tribe.
This book is my standard birthday present for people when I'm stuck for something! So, actually I'd rather other people didn't read it because that would dry up my source of presents!
Nigel returned to Africa some years later. The story of that trip is recorded in A Plague of Caterpillars: a Return to the African Bush. Not quite as good as the first book but if you liked the first as much as I did this one will not disappoint.
Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucia by Chris Stewart(read it 2001; rate it *****)
I read this a couple of years ago so here's what's left in my memory from reading this...
Chris Stewart - what a character! Once a drumnmer in Genesis (replaced by Phil Collins I think and not bitter about it at all). This is Chris and his wife's story about selling up and moving to a wrecked farm house in a sleepy part of Andalucia. It's an amazing and real feeling story. Chris is certainly an optimist and copes with the locals, the sheep and the house repairs with 'can do' practicality.
The sequel, A Parrot in the Pepper Tree, is amazingly just more of the same, a great read. One particularly memorable bit of the book is when he introduces the local Andalucian farmers to the concept of electric sheep shearers. Suspicious locals were very concerned about the welfare of their flocks as Chris clumsily sheared the first raggardy old sheep but he eventually gets into his swing and ultimately wins them over.
There is some looming sadness towards the end of the story with the proposed introduction of a new dam eventually likely to wipe out Chris' farm if it goes ahead. Sadly, we'll have to await the next book to see how the English optimists dealt with that struggle. Though, I very much doubt they are the give up and go home types - Andalucia is clearly their home now.
Chris employers WWOOFers to help out with the farmwork (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) - since writing the first book I doubt he's had a shortage of willing labourers!
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (read it Feb 2003; rate it *****)
This is the second John Irving book I've read, after loving 'The World According to Garp' 15 years ago. Can't believe I waited that long. My English is inadequate to express how good this book is and I wouldn't want to say too much for fear of giving the story away anyway. Irving has a knack for an ingenious plot that keeps you from putting this book down. Yet more impressive are the characters and the depth with which you get to know them and their lives. This is funny, entertaining and clever but if you get to the end without shedding a tear you have no soul.
Touching the Void by Joe Simpson (read it around 1996; rate it *****)
This book is remarkable because of the ordinaryness with which Joe describes himself and his mountaineering adventures. Joe comes across as one of us, not as some other world climbing hero. [Note: I am reviewing this several years after having read it]
The story has become legendary in climbing circles and even in the popular press. After a fairly serious climbing accident, Joe broke his leg badly and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, was forced to lower him down the mountain - a very unconventional way to come off a serious mountain. All went well until Joe one time failed to make himself safe, so was just hanging dead weight on the rope 50m below. Unable to communicate, Simon gradully began slipping in the shallow snow seat he was belaying from. Ultimately, and famously, Simon had to cut the rope or die himself, so he sent Joe to his death.
Unbeknownst to Simon, Joe didnt fall to his death but he wasnt in good shape before he was dropped into a crevace, and he certainly wasnt in good shape afterwards. Much of the story is devoted to Joe's remarkable, gritty, survival and his close shave with death. Or, perhaps that is just what I remember most, that this book had a lot to do with death and survival.
It's a very compelling read, and if you see Simon Yates doing a climbing talk somewhere - go listen. He was working on a building site when this story hit the papers (The Sun). Sometimes climbers do airy jobs on building sites, tightening bolts on huge scaffolding and stuff, to save up money for the next big trip. Well, when the story broke Simon took a lot of stick from his colleagues. Ultimately he would deal with this by appearing above the perpertrators with a knife in his teeth - it seemed to stop the insults!
Life of Pi by Yann Martel (read it July 2004; rate it *****)
Beautifully written book about an Indian boy caught in a shipwreck who ends up sharing the lifeboat with a handful of zoo animals. Of these, it is the Bengal Tiger that endures and complicates Pi's survival strategies.
An excellent, realistic read with an ultimately shocking plot.
Second Shelf (4 Stars)
Dracula by Bram Stoker(read it 2002; rate it ****)
My friend Phyl bought me this and she was right to do so, I really liked it!
Dracula is well written and I can see why it's a classic. Mind you, what surprised me was that having seen lots of dracula films, the actual plot of the book is quite different than anything I'd ever seen in a film, which was very nice! This is a very spooky and real seeming book - a nice combination.
The Cider House Rules by John Irving(read it August 2003; rate it ****)
This is the 3rd John Irving I've read and in common with Garp and Meany it has GREAT characters and Irving's usual clever plot. The story centres around an orphanage in Maine where the Doctor, Wilbur Larch, delivers orphans or carries out illegal abortions professionally (after seeing the results of back street abortions): both without judgement.
One of the orphans, Homer Wells, over the years struggled to find a family and ended up staying on and learning LarchÕs trade. Fully expected to take over from Larch, things didn't work out that way for Homer after his first summer away working at an apple orchard.
A great book but not quite as good as Meany in my view.
Third Shelf (3 Stars)
English Passengers by Matthew Kneale (read it spring 2004; rate it **)
Historic novel about Manx smugglers who end up ferrying an odd bunch of English Passengers to Tasmania (one searching for Eden).
Didn't enjoy this all that much and didnt realise until I read the epilogue that a lot of the historical context was true. I'd recommend reading that before reading the novel! Well researched but I didn't find it to be a great read.