Trash by Andy Mulligan

Doomed to a life of crushing poverty, the "Trash" children climb through mountains of garbage in a city dump. Members of a lowly underclass, they scrounge through sickening waste as their friends, relatives and neighbours live in shacks that are scattered among the discarded refuse. Resigned to a miserable existence, the scavengers are convinced that they will never find anything important.

But when 14-year-old Raphael Fernandez makes a remarkable discovery, he unleashes a series of events that forever changes the lives of him and his two friends, Gardo and Rat. From the lowest caste in society, this heartbreaking trio embark on an adventure that will reveal political corruption at the highest level, and reveal to them heroic men who are trying to improve their country.

I discovered this book by chance while at the library. It was displayed in a prominent location near the entrance and on a whim I took it. I am very glad that I did. This teenage novel describes the tragic reality of countless thousands (or it is millions?) of people around the world who are so poor that they have to scrounge their lives lives through trash dumps. While revealing this injustice, however, the novel also provides a first-rate mystery tale that is very well written. It is therefore not a surprise that there are plans to turn this book into a movie.

English writer Andy Mulligan worked as a theatre director for many years before teaching English and drama in Britain, India, Brazil and the Philippines. His idea of writing a novel about a shanty town in the middle of a garbage dump was based on experiences he had in the Philippines. This experience has produced a very realistic portrayal of poverty, while his impressive storytelling skills make this book a page turner. A wonderful novel that contains tears, smiles and adventure, but most important hope.

4 out of 5 stars

Saturday by Ian McEwan

Is it obligatory for a reader to praise literary brilliance? This peculiar question arose in my mind after reading Saturday by renowned English novelist Ian McEwan. The book is set in London and takes place on a single day, Saturday, February 15, 2003, on the date of a massive anti-war demonstration against the planned 2003 invasion of Iraq. The novel follows Henry Perowne, a 48-year-old neurosurgeon, as he goes through his day. We see Henry watch a fiery plane in the sky through a home window as it makes an emergency landing at the airport; observe the massive anti-war protest after leaving his house; get into an argument with a troubled man following a car accident; play squash with a colleague; perform surgery; and prepare dinner for a family gathering with his two adult children, wife and father-in-law.

As his day progresses, Henry thinks about the impending war (he believes Saddam Hussein is a monster and is not convinced that the war would be a bad thing); reflects on the relationship with his children and wife; wonders how human consciousness arises out of the brain; questions the validity of literature; and asks difficult questions about forgiveness. The writing is ridiculously good (one could even use the word "genius"), the themes fascinating, and the narrative structure highly original.

So why did I shrug my shoulders when I finished the book? Probably for the same reason that I shrug when I hear opera. If you go to the opera, you can't help be appreciate the incredible skill required for each performance, the theatrical presentations, and the wide range of themes that can be presented. At times, I must confess that I have been swept away by certain operatic pieces, and moved by some storylines. However, when I look at opera in general, I can't help but conclude that this is a pompous artform that takes itself way to seriously. Is this a gauche opinion? Perhaps, but it's what I think.

I had a similar feeling with this book. During several passages, I was left with the sense that I was an audience member hearing a speech by a highly intelligent man, who had done meticulous research. As the speech progressed, however, I had the sense that the "orator" was more interested in making clear how smart they were, rather than  engaging with the crowd. My favourite books are those in which the author and reader form a partnership in the telling of a story. This novel, in contrast, seemed more like a lecture than a common journey through a fictional world.

I am sure that a lot of people would disagree with this point of view. For instance, a review in the English daily The Times stated that McEwan was potentially the best novelist in Britain. It is also true that an army of English PhD students could find countless things to analyze and discuss about this book. That is why it is unsurprising that this novel, in both hardcover and paperback format, sold hundred of thousands of copies. That being said, this book did not captivate me. So to answer the question at the beginning of this review, no, it's not mandatory to fall in love with literary brilliance. Just as there is nothing wrong with disliking opera, one can shrug their shoulders when reading high-class literature. As well, for what it's worth, I would recommend a novel like Everyman by Philip Roth, rather than Saturday, if you wanted to read a meditation on the human condition.

3 out of 5 stars (if you don't like "opera")
4 1/2 of 5 stars (if you are an "opera" lover)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

When Jacob Portman was a little boy, his grandfather would tell him incredible stories about a magical orphanage on an island in Wales. Among the peculiar residents was a girl who could levitate, an invisible boy, and a child who was so powerful he could lift a boulder. When Jacob cast doubt on the truth of these tales, his grandfather produced a series of old photographs to prove that he lived there as an orphan.

However, after getting teased at school after retelling these stories, Jacob told his grandfather that he no longer believed him. In response, his granddad stopped recounting the tales of when he lived in the Welsh orphanage. Years later, when Jacob was 16, he received a panicky call from his grandfather, in which he yelled that the monsters had found him. After rushing to his granddad's house, he realized to this horror that his grandfather had been savagely attacked. As he lay dying in Jacob's arms, he told his grandson to "go to the island" where he could be safe.

The death of Grandpa Abe leads to a series of events that take Jacob to a mysterious island off the coast of Wales. On the island, he discovers the remains of the old orphanage that his grandfather told him about, where he discovers that the stories he heard as a child were true. During this fantastic journey he learns a truth that he could never have imagined.

This wonderful novel spent 63 weeks on The New York Times  best sellers list for children's chapter books. Between April 29 and May 20, 2012, it was #1 on the list (see source here). While listed in the children's category, this work is aimed at adolescents, although its great writing also makes it enjoyable for adults. A highly original book, this work combines writing with a collection of fascinating pictures. In fact, this mix of words and photos result in a wonderful work of art, with the first-half of the novel being absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, the second-half of the story descends into a regular action packed thriller, which takes away from the originality of the book. If it weren't for the ending, I would call this novel outstanding. That being said, this is still an excellent work and I would recommend reading it.

4 stars out of 5

Gunpowder Empire by Harry Turtledove

The parents of Jeremy and Amanda Solters work for Crosstime Traffic, the groundbreaking company in the late-21st century that has discovered how to travel to different earths with alternate histories. From places where the Nazis won World War Two, to an alternate North America in which the United States was never created, to worlds where the planet was destroyed by nuclear war or in which humans never existed, Crosstime Traffic employees visit many numerous "earths".

For the Solters family, they have been assigned to travel to a world in which the Roman Empire never fell and which has survived for more than 2,000 years. In this earth, technological progress has been incredibly slow, although a primitive form of gunpowder and guns do exist. When their mother gets ill, their parents travel back to the home timeline for medical treatment, leaving the two teenage children behind in Polisso, a Roman city that is located in what we would call Romania.

After the parents leave, something goes wrong with the computer system hidden in the basement of their house that they use to communicate with the home timeline. To their horror, the Solters' children realize that the communication link has been cut-off, and that they have no way of getting in touch with their parents or anyone back home. The situation becomes grave when war breaks out and a neighbouring empire attacks Polisso. Will they be stuck in this alternate history forever? Will they ever see their parents again? And will the city fall to the invading army?

These questions form the basis of a fairly interesting plot. Unfortunately, this potential is squandered by robotic writing and one-dimensional characters. While I appreciated the alternate history, the story did not engage me very much.

This book is the first novel in the six-volume Crosstime Traffic series for young adults. Each part of the series, however, is a standalone story, so it is not necessary to read them in order. In fact, I previously read three other volumes (see reviews here, here and here). From what I have read up to this point, it is clear that this series is based on a formula: Crosstime Traffic employees travel to an earth with an alternate history; a female and male protagonist drive the story; the Crosstime employees return to their home timeline after making an impact in the alternate world.

Sometimes this formula works, as is the case when the characters tackle such themes as slavery, sexism, war, inhumane treatment of animals and resource extraction. However, the positives are often undermined by characters that are pure plot robots, i.e. wooden personalities without any interesting identities of their own, whose only purpose is to move a story along. In addition, the writing is often clunky. The latter makes sense given that Harry Turtledove is a prolific writer. This impressive output, however, means that the writing often seems rushed, as if output was more important that quality.

Of the four Crosstime Traffic books that I have read this is my least favourite. Part of my opinion comes from the fact that I am now familiar with the series formula, and that this technique is repetitive. Even though the setting is different from other novels, and the characters are not connected to the other books, this story feels like a clone of the others. Hopefully the other two books in the series that I have not read are better.

2 out of 5 stars

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood

In the late-1990s, John Wood was an executive in Microsoft when he decided to take a well-deserved vacation in the Himalayas. While travelling in Nepal, he visited a remote school, where he discovered that the students had almost no books in their school library. An avid reader who was blessed with a solid education, he decided to do something to help these children. This experience led to a life altering decision, in which he decided to quit his lucrative position in Microsoft and start Room to Read, a charity dedicated to building schools and libraries in third-word countries.

Today, Room to Read operates in 10 countries in Asia and Africa. In addition to helping build libraries and construct classrooms, the organization promotes gender equality in education by giving scholarships to young girls, promotes reading in youth by publishing local-language children's books, and trains educators. One of the key principles of the group is to co-invest with local populations whenever engaging in a project. This leads to a strong relationship in which locals help to build schools, deliver books and teach the young students, so they can acquire a sense of ownership.

This autobiography is an inspiring tale. At several points in the book I had to wipe away tears as I read about the immense impact that this charity has had. To illustrate how successful Room to Read has been, below is a chart that I took from their web site that indicates what they have done to date:

Schools	1,566
Libraries	14,627
Books Published	723
Books Distributed	12.1 million
Girls' Education Participants	19,622
Children Benefited	7.8 million

John Wood is a great role model who has inspired me to become more involved in charitable work. This wonderful story provides a practical example for how to make a difference in the world. An excellent, excellent book that is not only worth reading, but also acts as a catalyst for change.

5 out of 5 stars

Under The Skin by Michel Faber

For years, Isserley has driven in the Scottish Highlands in her red Toyota Corolla on the lookout for men. Searching for strong, muscular hitchhikers, she cruises the highways for males. (Females hitchers do not interest her). The men that get into her car include a wide range of personalities, such as: unemployed drifters; a frantic father desperate to get to the hospital to witness the birth of their child; the mentally disturbed; travellers; rapists; drunks; those running away from their lives; and adventurers. What brings all of the men together is the common threat of a horrific fate that they are completely unaware of.

Who Isserley is and what she is doing in the north of Scotland is something that the reader needs to discover for themselves. What can be revealed, however, is that this book is a brilliant – if not downright creepy – story that reveals a first-rate talent.

This highly original novel, which was shortlisted for the 2000 Whitbread Award, is difficult to pigeonhole. Combing elements of horror, science fiction and classic literature (the Guardian has compared Michel Faber to Joseph Conrad), this work is a wonderful debut of a fanstaic author. I must confess that in certain parts of the book I shivered with the creeps, as the captivating story overtook over my imagination. As I pushed myself to read further, however, I soon discovered a plot that was utterly fascinating and also tragic. This is a great read that will spook you, make you think and, perhaps most importantly, allow you to discover a fantastic writer with a incredible imagination and skill.

5 out of 5 stars

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

This novel is a beautifully written story that contains a heartbreaking meditation on human mortality. Written in a straightforward yet utterly engaging style, this is a brilliant science fiction book that masquerades as a traditional fiction novel. For those who are not familiar with the plot, (and if you are not, I highly encourage that you not find out before reading this story in order to let the book fully work its magic), the tale begins like a classic literary novel. If you didn't know better, you could be mistaken for thinking this was a classic book of English literature set in contemporary times. As the story evolves, however, the brilliant plot and themes begin to reveal themselves,  leaving the reader mesmerized.

The book's narrator is a woman named Kathy H., who recalls her time as a student in a peculiar boarding school in the English countryside called Hailsham. Remembering her experience growing up with her friends Ruth and Tommy, Kathy begins to reveal the mystery of the school, and more importantly the tragic destinies of the school's students. When the reader finally discovers what the students are, and then near the end of the book what the teachers were trying to accomplish with the school, the reader can't help but be overwhelmed with emotion and thoughts on justice, ethics and ultimately mortality.

Never Let Me Go was shortlisted for the 2005 Man Booker Prize but lost out to John Banville's The Sea. In my opinion, the jury awarded the prize to the wrong author, as Kazuo Ishiguro's novel is, in my view, vastly superior to Banville's book. While The Sea is a well-written book, it did not capture my imagination, nor was the plot that captivating. (See my review here). By contrast, I found Never Let Me Go to be a fantastic novel with a highly original plot and wonderful writing.

5 out of 5 stars

The Disunited States of America by Harry Turtledove

Earlier this month I started reading the six-volume Crosstime Traffic series by Harry Turtledove. The first novel that I read I enjoyed, while the second one not so much. Fortunately, this story was more like the former than the latter.

Like all of the Crosstime Traffic books this tale takes place in an alternate earth with a different historical timeline. In this case, the story is set in a North America that is divided into numerous autonomous states, in which the United States never came to be. The book opens with Beckie Royer, a teenager from the independent territory of California, travelling to the country of Virginia with her grandmother who is visiting relatives. During their visit, a war breaks out between Virginia and Ohio, both of which are separate nations, and which sees Ohio use biological weapons by spreading a virus that was created in a laboratory.

The other main protagonist is Justin Monroe, a teenage boy and employee of Crosstime Traffic, the company in the "home" earth that has discovered the ability to travel between alternate worlds. As part of his assignment, he travels to Virginia where he meets Beckie, and then is stranded due to the Virginia-Ohio war. The resulting narrative is a captivating story that is pretty good.

This book is meant for young adults, and as such much of it's language is written in PG form. In the hands of a weak writer this could be a big problem. Fortunately, Turtledove is able to convey the idea of swearing without actually using the F-word or other cuss-terms. The result is a funny literary style that is fairly witty. However, while the language is PG, much of the content is not. Covering such themes as racism, oppression, the horror of war and the political history of the United States, this novel allows teenage readers to think about some fairly heavy subjects.

Out of the three books that I have read so far in this series this is the best. In total I have enjoyed two and given the thumbs-down to one. Hopefully the others will be as good as this one.

3 1/2 stars out of 5

Curious Notions by Harry Turtledove

This novel is the second book in the six-volume Crosstime Traffic science-fiction series for young adults. The premise of the series is quite interesting: Set in the 2090s, a company called Crosstime Traffic has discovered technology that allows company employees to travel to other earth-like worlds that have alternate histories.  Each book tells the story of a different set of characters, so the only overlapping element among each of the books is the common premise.

Earlier this month, I read The Gladiator, which is the fifth volume in the series. While that book was not spectacular, I enjoyed it enough to pick up another book in the collection. Unfortunately, Curious Notions is a pretty weaker novel. Set in San Francisco in a world in which Germany wins the First World War and then conquers the United States after bombing it with nuclear weapons, the story revolves around Paul and Lawrence Gomes, a father-and-son duo who run a store called Curious Notions. As employees of Crosstime Traffic, they sell gadgets from the "real" earth in order to buy produce from local farmers in order to meet agricultural shortages in the home timeline.

When the German authorities start to wonder where these strange gadgets come from, they shut down the store and arrest Paul's father. While trying to rescue his dad, Paul teams up with Lucy Woo, a teenage girl who works in a shoe factory. As the novel progresses, the mysterious Chinese Triads who operate in San Francisco's Chinatown put pressure on Lucy to find out who Paul is and where he really comes from.

In most contexts, this plot would produce a very good novel. In what is a big disappointment, however, this interesting storyline is converted into Disney-like mush. In order to make the tone appropriate for "young" adults – a big emphasis on the word young – the dialogue, content and plot twists are reduced into pretty bland stuff. It is one thing to write a book for teenagers, it's quite another to treat them like children. In too many parts of the book the narrative flow sounds like a children's film from Disney, rather than an interesting science fiction story for teens.

Now that I have read two books in the series I will like finish all six volumes. My hope, however, is that the other books are more like The Gladiator and less like Curious Notions.

2 out of 5 stars

The Gladiator by Harry Turtledove

Crosstime traffic is a six-volume series for young adults by science fiction writer Harry Turtledove. Set in the late 21st century, the premise revolves around a company called Crosstime Traffic, which has developed a technology that allows people to travel to different earth-like worlds that have alternate histories.

In The Gladiator, we are introduced to a place in which the Soviet Union has won the cold war, and communism has become the dominant global ideology. The title of the book refers to a game shop of the same name, in which capitalist-inspired board games from the "real" earth are sold. The aim of the shop is to subtly subvert the totalitarian control of the Marxist governments that rule the different countries in this alternate world.

Set in Milan, Italy, the story revolves around two teenagers called Gianfranco and Annarita whose family share the same apartment. Gianfranco is a regular at The Gladiator shop where he regularly plays a board game called Rails across Europe. However, when the authorities become suspicious of the game shop, they decided to shut it down, and in the process radicalize the two teenagers. Their desire for freedom becomes especially acute when they discover that there is another world in which capitalism has triumphed and in which people are free.

This book was a fun read. While the politics are pretty simplistic – the struggle between capitalism and communism is presented in an almost childlike fashion – the story is enjoyable. While this novel is no masterpiece, and the writing can be pretty wooden at times, it is entertaining. If you are looking for a serious discussion on political theory, then this book is not for you. However, if you want to be entertained with a light and quick read on a grey weekend afternoon, then this story may be what you are looking for.

3 out of 5 stars

The Sea by John Banville

Picture the following scene: You are having dinner with a brilliant, erudite and cosmopolitan person. Initially, your guest mesmerizes you with stories of travelling around the world and meeting famous people. However, as time passes by, the conversation begins to drag on, and what was once magical is now slightly annoying. By the time dessert arrives, you want dinner to end and your guest  to go on his way.

For me, reading John Banville's The Sea was like having dinner with the aforementioned fictitious guest. For many people this statement is likely outrageous, especially given that this novel won the 2005 Man Booker Prize. Banville is without a doubt a magnificent writer, and to say otherwise is bound to create criticism. However, if I were to be completely honest, I must confess that this book slowly started to wear on me. It's true that in the opening sections I was captivated by the writing. However, with each passing page, I become increasingly (dare I say it?) bored. The intriguing ending saved the novel for me, but not enough to make me rave about this book. Yes, I could write numerous English PhD theses on the book's different themes, while making varied commentaries about art, death and longing. Yet, to be perfectly frank, I have to say that I found some of the commentary on this book to be a tad pretentious.

This story tells the tale of Max Morden, a middle-aged Irishman who returns to the seaside town where he spent his holidays as a child. Dealing with the recent death of his wife, he recalls his time with the Grace's, a wealthy family in which he experienced love and death for the first time. On the surface this is an interesting premise, and I really enjoyed parts of the book. Nevertheless, by roughly the middle part of the story, I couldn't help but want the novel to end. I am glad that I read this book, and I do plan to read other literary works by Banville. That being said, I did not fall in love with this story.

3 out of 5 stars

Dragon Keeper by Carole Wilkinson

This book for young adults is listed in the collection, "1001 children's books you must read before you grow up". After finishing the novel I am not sure why it is considered a must read.

The story itself is interesting: A young orphan girl in the western mountains of the Han Empire is held captive by a cruel master. In a sudden moment of bravery, the girl frees a dragon named Danzi, who is also imprisoned by the master. Following their escape, they proceed on a journey across China towards the eastern sea, in which they come across kind peasants, cruel dragon hunters, the emperor and necromancers. Throughout the journey they protect a mysterious dragon stone.

As a fan of fantasy the story caught my interest, and I was definitely predisposed to enjoying this book. Unfortunately, I found the writing to be a bit stale, and by the end of the novel was not that particularly engaged. The characters sounded wooden, while the action seemed contrived, reminding me of a forgettable action movie filled with obligatory explosions and car chases. Although this is the first book in a series, I am not sure if I will read the other volumes.

2 out of 5 stars

The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton

I have wanted to read this book for a long time. A Canadian classic in the field of personal finance, I have heard for years about this groundbreaking work. Written as a novel, the book focuses on a character called Dave, a married father who requires financial advice. After asking where he can get such advice, he is told to go to visit Roy, the local barber who has become a millionaire by implementing a common-sense financial plan.

Thus begins a series of monthly lessons in which Roy offers his wisdom on such areas as insurance, RRSPs, saving 10 per cent of your income and whether to implement a personal budget – his answer to the latter may surprise you . Amazingly, even though the book was first published more than 20 years ago, it is still highly relevant to the contemporary reader.

Given the plethora of financial books available today, a lot of the tips in this book have since been repeated elsewhere. For instance, the "pay yourself first" mantra is a staple of many financial authors. What is really impressive about this book, however, is that it was providing groundbreaking advice more than two decades ago, years before many of today's popular financial planning authors. While I do not agree with all of the advice, (e.g. I found the section on funding the post-secondary education of children to be outdated), I found many of the tips incredibly useful.

In short, I think this is an excellent book that is worth the read. It's true that a lot of newer books say many of the same things, and that in certain areas you would be better served if you read more recent books. This is especially true if you want to know more about Registered Education Savings Plan. (Here is one suggestion to find out more about RESPs). However, if you want to become familiar with the basics of sound financial planning and want to do so by reading an easily accessible book, then this novel / financial planning guide provides an excellent start.

5 out of 5 stars

The Wealthy Barber Returns by David Chilton

This book reminds me of a bound volume filled with nothing but famous quotes. Instead of providing a cohesive thesis that builds over several sections, The Wealthy Barber Returns is comprised of very short "chapters" (i.e. think between 2 to 5 pages) that contain a wide range of David Chilton's financial ideas. Some of his thoughts are quite interesting, such as the point that people who associate with others in a similar social class spend less money. His views on the wisdom of index funds is also very insightful.

Many other chapters, however, are filled with scattered thoughts that contain folksy and cheesy humour. While the The Wealth Barber is considered a Canadian financial classic, and I fully intend to read it, this "sequel" seems more like a rushed job than a collection of solid analysis.

This book would be perfect for a waiting room in an office or a bathroom, as the chapters are short enough to read in a few minutes. There are also enough good ideas to spark several interesting train of thoughts in a reader. Like a book of quotes, however, this work only scratches the surface. There is no cohesive theme, and many of the profound ideas are only discussed in a superficial manner.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Stuart Little by E.B. White

Watching my little baby girl grow up has inspired me to read children's books. One of the novels that I recently read was the classic Stuart Little, the ageless tale of a small mouse who is born to a human family in New York. Despite his diminutive stature, Stuart proves to have an explorer's heart, as shown by his adventures sailing a toy boat and his scuffles with the house cat.

His greatest adventure, however, arises when his best friend Margalo, a little brown hen-bird, escapes from his nest. Determined to find his trusted companion, Stuart starts off on a quest to find him.

This book is very well written and wonderfully told. Like Kafka's classic novel Metamorphosis, in which a travelling salesmen wakes up one day as a bug, the reader can easily suspend disbelief and accept the fact that a tiny mouse can be born into a human family. If I had one small critique, however, is that the book ending seems a bit rushed. The final scenes do not seem like the logical consequences of the story, but rather as the quick scribbles of a tale that needed to end suddenly.

Overall, however, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the day when I can read it to my daughter.

4 out of 5 stars

Toby Alone by Timothée de Fombelle (Translated from French by Sarah Ardizzone)

As a new parent, I recently decided to start reading children's literature. One of the first books that I borrowed from the library was Toby Alone, a harsh tale about a small boy named Toby who is only one-and-a-half millimetres tall and lives in a tree.

Although advertised for young people, this book tackles many adult-themes. For instance, the subject of dictatorship is raised through the character of Joe Mitch, a very coarse, brutal and disagreeable man who connives to take control of the tree, which serves as the world for Toby's tiny race. The depletion of natural resources and climate change are also discussed through the actions of Joe Mitch's men, who are mining, carving and building in the tree at an unsustainable rate.

The plot of the story is quite interesting, even if it is a bit violent. The novel centres around the family of Toby, whose father is a great scientist. One day, Toby's father makes an incredible discovery, but fearful of how it could be used in the wrong hands, refuses to divulge its secret. In retaliation, the family is banned to the lower branches of the tree, far away from their family. The story revolves around the consequences of this exile, while Joe Mitch's men are rapidly destroying the tree.

As pure story-telling this book is excellent. The imagination required to write this story is quite impressive, as is the skillful combination of hard themes into a tale that children can understand. Nevertheless, I must admit that the level of violence in the novel disturbed me. The scenes of beatings, fighting, death and mentions of executions were unsettling. While I would recommend this book to my adult friends, I am not sure if I would feel comfortable giving it to my daughter before she turns into a mature teenager.

4 out of 5 starts

Where's Spot by Eric Hill

My baby girl is now a toddler who loves to waddle around the house. Although she can can't form sentences yet, I want her to appreciate books, so I have been borrowing some from the library for her.

Where's Spot? is a cute pop-up book for little children that allows them to "search" for Spot the dog who is hiding somewhere in the house. The book is a lot of fun, even if some of the reviews are a bit over the top. (Parent magazine said: "Spot is one of the essential experiences of childhood," which is a bit much). That being said, this is a great story that will encourage your little ones to love books.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

This masterful book is a wonderful work of art. Set in Paris in 1931, the story revolves around a 12-year-old orphan boy called Hugo Cabret, who lives in a busy railway station. After the death of his father, the boy is taken to the train station by his uncle where he works as a clock keeper. (Hugo’s mother, who is never mentioned, is assumed dead).

After his uncle disappears, little Hugo continues to live in the railway station where he maintains the station's clocks. What truly inspires him, however, is his almost obsessive work in fixing an automaton that his father, who was a fixer of clocks, discovered before his death. In order to repair the mechanical robot, Hugo steals mechanical pieces from a toy store inside the railway station, which is manned by a man named Georges.

The ensuing story is a masterpiece of children’s literature. With 158 pictures and 26,159 words, Brian Selznick reveals George’s cinematic secret, the magic inside the automaton, the incredible story of young Hugo, and the friendship that develops between the boy and Isabelle, the friendly girl who lives with her godfather Georges and his wife. The combination of illustrations and written text is an aesthetic delight, which is like nothing I have ever read before. If I had to use a metaphor, I would say that this book is a literary sculpture, in which the story is told through text and images.

In a publicity letter, Selznick writes that the book is a, “531 page novel in words and pictures. Unlike most novels though, the images inside don’t just illustrate the story, they help tell it. … [T]his is not exactly a novel, and it’s not quite a picture book, and it’s not really a graphic novel, or a flip book, or a movie, but a combination of all these things.”

This book was so captivating that I read it in a single sitting. The illustrations are beautiful, the story magical, the writing masterful and the combination of pictures-and-text a true work of art.

5 out of 5 stars

Hallucinating Foucault by Patricia Duncker

This is a brilliant novel. The book revolves around an unnamed 22-year-old Cambridge graduate student in French literature, who is writing a thesis on the work of Paul Michel, a fictitious homosexual French novelist. In the beginning, our narrator is not interested in Michel the man, but only in his written work, which first emerged in the 1960s. However, after his girlfriend tells him that Michel has been held for years in a mental institution after being diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, he decides to go to France to meet the author of the books he is studying.

Once in France, the narrator meets Michel and falls in love with him. After pleading with the hospital to release the famous author, the two men embark on a road trip that changes both of their lives. Hiding in the background, meanwhile, is the ghost of French philosopher Michel Foucault, and his mysterious relationship with Paul Michel.

The central theme of this book is the relationship between author and reader. Some hold the view that this relationship should be limited to the printed page, and that the life of a writer outside the confines of their work is not important. In this excellent novel, however, Duncker turns this proposition on its head, by presenting a vivid portrait of the novelist Paul Michel, while keeping anonymous the name of the “reader”, presented in the form of the young Cambridge student.

In the hands of a less talented writer, this book could have been incredibly pretentious. In the skillful hands of Duncker, however, questions of love, human relations, the role of literature, and the symbiotic interaction between author and audience are presented in a captivating and thought provoking way.

A great book that should be read by anyone who loves literature.

5 out of 5 stars

Mr Mee by Andrew Crumey

Andrew Crumey is a literary contradiction. On the positive side, he is capable of being a brilliant novelist who can weave literary magic. When he’s at his best (which is often the case) his words are a sheer delight to read and his narrative flow hypnotic. Unfortunately, he can also come across as an academic bore, and in the process affirm the worst stereotypes of university English departments. He is also not shy about getting weird, as is the case with the creepy sex scenes in this novel that are borderline porn. To use a metaphor, reading Crumey is like listening to a breathtaking symphony, but just as the orchestra is building to its climax, the music suddenly stops and a crazy person – with a whoopee cushion in hand – suddenly starts making fart noises while taking off his clothes. As I said, this book is part-genius, part-child-prank.

This is the third novel by Crumey that I have read. The first I thought was so-so, while the second I loved. This book falls somewhere in between. From a stylistic point of view Mr Mee is extraordinary. Crumey’s ability to construct a single, unified tale by combining three separate stories is masterful. While it’s true that he uses the same narrative structure as in Music, in a Foreign Language, his writing is so good one can easily overlook the fact that he’s recycling a previously used narrative structure.

But not everything is perfect with this novel. In certain parts, the narrative flow comes across as the dry musings of an old, boring literature professor, whose pedantic whine will put anyone to sleep. In his defence, Crumey could argue that the character in question is a middle-aged literature professor, and that my problem is that I don’t like this character, not that he is poorly written. There is some truth to this. Nevertheless, a boring personality is still a bore, and no amount of literary analysis can say otherwise.

On the opposite spectrum, some of the sex in this book is unnecessarily voyeuristic. This disturbed me a bit, as I got the feeling that the final sex scene was inserted not because it fit, but because Crumey simply wanted to write a creepy sex scene. If the central theme of your book deals with sexual taboos (e.g. Lolita) then it makes sense to include otherwise shocking sexual acts. If your book does not require it, however, then inserting gratuitous sexual behaviour in an otherwise excellent book is simple gratuitousness.

What about the plot? Well, this novel weaves together three separate tales. The first narrator is Mr Mee, a mind-boggling naïve Octogenarian who is searching for the mysterious Rosier Encyclopaedia, an 18th century work that reportedly proves the non-existence of the universe. The second narrator is a middle-aged professor in the same town as Mr Mee, who writes a book about two men called Ferrand and Minard, two minor characters who appear in the Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The third story describes the adventures of Ferrand and Minard, which may or may not have been written by the middle-aged professor. In masterful strokes, this novel blends these three stories into a coherent whole. This otherwise fantastic work, however, is undermined by certain chapters that are mind-numbing, as well as some sex scenes whose only purpose it would appear is to allow Crumey to write them.

In short, this novel is half-Beethoven-genius, half-whoopee cushion clown.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars