April - May books

Its been a slow couple of months on the book front, so there are only a few:

March by Geraldine Brooks

The March in question is the missing Mr March from Little Women. Here his experiences away from his girls fighting in the civil war are vividly imagined. In stark constrast to the sweet and gentle Little Women of Louisa Alcott's story, March sees and experiences the worst that humanity has to offer during the bloody conflict. Based around letters and diaries of Louisa Alcotts father, this is at times unsettling, but very readable. 8/10

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

Following the lives of four people as they live in London during WW2, this book tells the story backwards - starting in 1947 and working back to 1941. Whilst featuring intriguing characters and some clear insights into people's psyche, this didn't really work for me and I felt it ended very abruptly. I still read itquite quickly though, as once I started there were elements of the story I had to get to the bottom of. 5/10

The Mango Orchard by Robin Bayley

Robin's Great Grandfather lived and worked in Mexico around the turn of the 20th century. a hundred years later, Robin follows in his footsteps with a vague feeling there is something to find 'in a small town, near a small town near Guadalajara.' Undertaking a long and winding journey into the unknown, Robin encounters bandits, guerilla fighters and witches as he travels around South and Latin America eventually finding all he was looking for and more.

Witty, fascinating and very entertaining, this is deeply evocative of the sights and smells of Mexico, making me want to visit despite his brushes with bandits and the like. An excellent read. 9/10

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

The more old classics I read, the more surprised I become at how many are not quite what I thought. There is more to this book than can possibly be put into any film and its definitely worth reading the original. It also provides some fascinating insights into how our perception has changed over time, particularly with regard to attitudes to the poor and needy. Well deserving of its classic status. 9/10

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

The story of the people who occupy three flats overlooking Highgate Cemetery in London, revolving around the twin girls who are bequeathed the middle floor after their aunt dies. Niffenegger writes in a truly beautiful way, and in both her books focus' on the relationships between people rather than the circumstance they find themselves in. She is extraordinarily good at putting feelings into words. This book has some absolutely beautiful passages, but while it started amazingly well, I didn't really like the ending. There were far too many unanswered questions for me. 7/10

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

I first read this when I was a teenager, and my first clue is that I didn't remember it at all. I re-read for my book club and as we discussed it we realised why its so popular in schools - there are so many themes that can be pulled out of it and turned into essays. However, for me, as a straight read, I wasn't that bothered and didn't really get that into it. 6/10

Girl with A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

The picture on the cover is a painting by Johannes Vermeer by the same name as the novel. The book is an imagined story of how that painting came into being, featuring a young girl who goes to work as a maid in the house of Vermeer. The actual origins of the painting remain a mystery, and this is informative on a period and country I knew nothing about. Interesting. 6/10