traceculture's reviews
380 reviews

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

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4.0

I quite enjoyed this book. I didn't hear any of the hype, it came recommended, so I had no expectations. I thought the premise was unique and original, both time-lines kept me interested. I liked the romance, the deathless love stories but most of all the character of the sculptress Marianne Engel, I loved her whole sculpting routine - she just becomes obsessed, doesn't eat, sleep, wash until the stone is carved, she is engulfed by the process, its like what happens to my sister when gets the urge to paint!
Engaging read.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

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3.0

Interesting enough fairytale about a mysterious circus that arrives and disappears without warning and opens only between sunset and sunrise, oh and only in dry weather (problematic if ever visiting the west coast of Ireland)
Two rival magicians bestow their respective charges with the magical skills necessary to manipulate the world and themselves, in some kind of phantasmagorical battle of endurance (not too different to reading this book actually). The descriptions of the characters, the circus, the amazing wonders such as the ice garden, cloud maze etc are stunning but tedious. I found myself zoning out quite a bit. It's a long-winded slow-burner. It's confusing. The character who turns out to be the Mesiah of the story doesn't feature until midway through and even then doesn't do much until the very end. I also didn't buy Celia and Marco's (the charges) love story and found there incorporeal demise rather unsatisfactory given the investment this very long book demands. Some magic lovers, circus lovers, fantasy lovers will enjoy this book, others will be disappointed. However it is worth a speed read, not worth the hype.
By the way - What happened to the kid who ran away with the circus? The cops made him bring it back!
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

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3.0

I enjoyed this book. A Gothic novel with two main stories. One of biographer, Margaret Lea, an antique book-dealers daughter and the story of her subject, novelist Vida Winter. The secretive Ms. Winter has one hell of a past to document filled with enough obsession, jealousy, loss, madness, experimentation, manipulation, death, lies and secrets to make you feel a whole lot better about your own life and family. There were times I felt uncomfortable about the subject matter, though not enough to stop reading, but written in Setterfield's shadowy hand I came to understand that their can be something sinister about little girls, disturbing about governesses and plain evil about people and the places they occupy. It took me a while to get into it and sometimes I wanted to scream JUST TELL ME ALREADY! but all in all a good read, full of suspense and tragedy and weirdness.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

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5.0

Let me begin by announcing that I LOVE HAROLD FRY! Of all the characters in the books I've read so far this guy had me from the opening pages, as he tugged a handkerchief from his pocket and blew his nose. Harold decides to walk 627 miles to visit a dying friend, Queenie Hennessy, whom he wronged many years ago when they worked together at the local brewery. The journey itself is one of perseverance, self-discovery, reflection, awareness and resolution. Harold left home in what he was wearing, including the yachting shoes he would have to tape together a number of times along the way. He meets some interesting people between Devon and Berwick-upon-Tweed, many hijack his pilgrimage for their own purposes and Harold's backtracking to avoid them leaves him disoriented and exhausted. His primary purpose is to save a life but also to come to terms with the past and to heal his marriage to the reserved and remote-loving Maureen. This book is about the normal, the routine, the ordinary and I guess this is what makes it so delightful. Joyce herself says that her experience as a radio writer has taught her that every scene must have a beat, in this regard I think she's written a bona fide page turner. Also, this was the first book I've ever read that made me cry! Honestly, 11.30pm propped up in bed on my pillows blubbing like a 4yr old who just had her teddy taken away and put in the washing-machine. That's how much this book moved me. Bravo Rachel Joyce!
I would highly recommend this book to everyone and anyone who believes in throwing their hearts over the fence - and jumping!
The Infinities by John Banville

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4.0

The book involves a reunion of the Godley family and the story is narrated by the gods Hermes, his father Zeus(god of sky & thunder) and mother Maia. I use the word story loosely, as Banville's tales always seem to be more character driven than plot driven. I rather enjoyed the God's interfence with the mortal characters, they toy with the humans like Banville does with language. His prose is extraordinarily good and despite the fact that I had to reference the dictionary more times than I was comfortable with, I still couldn't put the book down. I read Banville for the poetics, the lyricism of his language which transports me to another place and time. I realise some find Banville's writing tedious and haughty, but I find it rich, imaginative and elegant. If its language and its magical potency you're after then The Infinities comes highly recommended.
The Book of Evidence by John Banville

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2.0

I'm sorry John Banville, but I'm glad this uninspiring book is over. This is my forth Banville novel (might be my last for a while) so at this stage I know what to expect as far as his writing style goes, I'm a sucker for poetic fiction. There is no doubt he is a master wordsmith, look at this for example 'I had an image of him as a child, out on some bog in the wastes of the midlands, stacking turf with his da: quake of water in the cuttings, smell of smoke and roasting spuds, and the flat distances the colour of a hare's pelt, and then the enormous, vertical sky stacked with luminous bundles of cloud.'
But something didn't work for me in this book. I couldn't garner any feeling, affection or aversion, for the protagonist Freddie Montgomery, gentleman/murderer. I simply didn't care.
He's in a bind. Steals a painting. Murders someone. Waits it out at a friends house. The law finally catches up with him.
I didn't enjoy reading this novel but that doesn't mean it's not worth reading. I hate downing on JB. In his defence however, this was one of his earlier books, 1989, so I guess he hadn't quite honed his craft. I mean when you consider 'The Sea' which came in 2005, and won the Man Booker Prize, there's no comparison. Banville is a marvellous writer and if you're new to him, might I suggest starting with 'Infinities' - it's fun and frolicsome and contains all the usual lyricism and poetics, characteristic of the author.