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traceculture's reviews
381 reviews
The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan
3.0
Good little novella. The aftermath of the Irish property crash is told through twenty-one voices including out-of-pocket builders, their partners and children, unmarried mothers, ghosts and foreigners. All have their own unique and interesting thoughts on their fate and that of their small-town neighbours. Ryan’s prose is engaging, there's an endearing musicality to his colloquial speech and he incorporates humour to good effect. Grappling with so many points of view wasn’t as confusing as I thought it would be. Each character is given one chapter and every monologue falls seamlessly into the narrative which centres around the young foreman Bobby Mahon. It doesn’t take long for some hard to swallow truths to surface about the narrow-minded, back-biting, begrudging nature of life in rural Ireland. The token blow-in, the old busy-body, tortured fathers and sons along with a murder and missing child eventually bring the whole sorry lot together. A too-soon reminder of the crash that brought the country to it’s knees, and the egomania that’s at risk of putting us back there. Better it was short. Worth the read.
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
3.0
The more books written about mental ill-health the better, even more so when they're written by people who've experienced it. For sufferers, for families and friends of sufferers this is a book worth reading, a starting point to gaining deeper knowledge and insight into what depression is, what anxiety is, what it's like to live on the fringes of society.
Being a writer, Matt Haig does an exemplary job of describing his experiences, how he felt and what he did to get better, expressing what, for many people in the fog of depression, is the inexpressible. He was fortunate to have a caring family and a loving partner who, it seems is nothing short of a saint, who took care of him, stood by him and led him through the dark tunnel out into the light of wellness. Many people are not afforded this luxury however and have to suffer in the darkness alone, or in the care of the mental health services, which, in this country at least, is worse than being alone.
I understand that this is Matt’s journey but I found some of what he had to say a bit preachy in places. It’s great he was able to voraciously read his way to wellness, without medication, without therapy etc., but again, for the majority, this is not always the case.
Although the book has a lot of useful information, statistics, self-help techniques, a new vocabulary to help explain symptoms and cognitive hurdles etc., I just found there to be something disingenuous about it, I don’t know why, maybe Haig was holding back, maybe there were a few stones left unturned, but I sensed a smugness that I wasn’t happy about and as a result, didn’t feel as inspired as I possibly should have.
Being a writer, Matt Haig does an exemplary job of describing his experiences, how he felt and what he did to get better, expressing what, for many people in the fog of depression, is the inexpressible. He was fortunate to have a caring family and a loving partner who, it seems is nothing short of a saint, who took care of him, stood by him and led him through the dark tunnel out into the light of wellness. Many people are not afforded this luxury however and have to suffer in the darkness alone, or in the care of the mental health services, which, in this country at least, is worse than being alone.
I understand that this is Matt’s journey but I found some of what he had to say a bit preachy in places. It’s great he was able to voraciously read his way to wellness, without medication, without therapy etc., but again, for the majority, this is not always the case.
Although the book has a lot of useful information, statistics, self-help techniques, a new vocabulary to help explain symptoms and cognitive hurdles etc., I just found there to be something disingenuous about it, I don’t know why, maybe Haig was holding back, maybe there were a few stones left unturned, but I sensed a smugness that I wasn’t happy about and as a result, didn’t feel as inspired as I possibly should have.
Ordinary Genius: A Guide for the Poet Within by Kim Addonizio
4.0
Great book! Really enjoyed it. Still enjoying it actually, I dip into random chapters over breakfast most mornings just to kick-start my Juno :)
I'm forgetful and so need constant reminding about how to use line breaks, correct grammar, how to open doors in poems, how to use tricks like repetition and interruption. Ordinary genius has all of this and more and I love Addonizio's frank, straight-talking approach: ‘poetry is a bitch’ she says ‘ it wants your energy, your intelligence, your spirit, your time’.
It’s all about commitment to the craft which can take years of hard apprenticeship.
There are some great ideas for creative writing classes in here along with exercises that will stretch your beliefs as well as your imagination. There are in-depth discussions on metaphor, meter, redrafting and revision; close reading to learn from the experts and find your own poetic voice. As poets, we need to pay attention to the music of what happens, we are looking for the essence of the land and in this regard, awareness is everything, Addonizio reminds us that all we have to do is check-in with the evidence of the external world, it won’t ever fail us.
I’d strongly recommend this book to new and advanced writers of any genre, it’s about opening yourself up to the magic of words, letting yourself be inspired, trusting yourself and exploring the wonders of your own imagination. What can be more thrilling than discovering, tapping into and further nurturing your own creative self, your own poetic voice?
My only criticism is that Addonizio doesn’t go far enough, I was hoping for more lyrical secrets, more pearls of poetic wisdom, more shimmer as she calls it.
I'm forgetful and so need constant reminding about how to use line breaks, correct grammar, how to open doors in poems, how to use tricks like repetition and interruption. Ordinary genius has all of this and more and I love Addonizio's frank, straight-talking approach: ‘poetry is a bitch’ she says ‘ it wants your energy, your intelligence, your spirit, your time’.
It’s all about commitment to the craft which can take years of hard apprenticeship.
There are some great ideas for creative writing classes in here along with exercises that will stretch your beliefs as well as your imagination. There are in-depth discussions on metaphor, meter, redrafting and revision; close reading to learn from the experts and find your own poetic voice. As poets, we need to pay attention to the music of what happens, we are looking for the essence of the land and in this regard, awareness is everything, Addonizio reminds us that all we have to do is check-in with the evidence of the external world, it won’t ever fail us.
I’d strongly recommend this book to new and advanced writers of any genre, it’s about opening yourself up to the magic of words, letting yourself be inspired, trusting yourself and exploring the wonders of your own imagination. What can be more thrilling than discovering, tapping into and further nurturing your own creative self, your own poetic voice?
My only criticism is that Addonizio doesn’t go far enough, I was hoping for more lyrical secrets, more pearls of poetic wisdom, more shimmer as she calls it.
A Day Called Hope : A Personal Journey Beyond Depression by Gareth O'Callaghan, Gareth O'Callaghan
2.0
The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright
4.0
This is a fantastic novel. Anne Enright is such a pro. There is nothing about the human condition, character or temperament that passes unnoticed. Her writing is flawless, and I love the fresh attitude to adultery and motherhood, she so honestly and entertainingly presents. It’s set at the tail-end of Ireland’s Celtic Tiger and considers the flamboyant and gaudy middle-class actualities of the day: the trophy wives, brunches and barbeques, interior decorators and designer hand-bags.
Gina is in the midst of an adulterous affair with Sean and she’s basically trying to make sense of the what, how and why of it all. Sometimes you get caught up in the events of life without really knowing how you feel about them. There comes a point where you need sit down and take stock and that’s what Gina is doing, remembering and making sense.
She recalls too, with such passion, the first meetings, the romance and seductions, the hotel rooms where ‘only the air knew what we had done. The door closed so simply behind us; the shape of our love in the room like some forgotten music, beautiful and gone.’
The only thing standing between Gina and the serial adulterer she’s in love with, is his daughter Evie, ‘the woman he loves but can never desire.’ Trying to win over this, now nearly 12 yr old, is tough going for child-free Gina, who has little patience with kids and can’t understand why her sister Fiona indulges them and their friends. At a party, where Fiona serves up Lasagne with real linen napkins, real glasses and cutlery, Gina thinks, ‘These were big, uncomfortable children, not grown ups - throw a bag of tortilla chips at them, I thought, and retire’ - brilliant! A woman after my own heart. I love too, the way she describes Sean’s prowling around her friends baby ‘he was like something on David Attenborough, one of those silverback gorillas maybe, who has forgotten where baby gorillas come from, then Mammy Gorilla pops one out, and he doesn’t know what to do. Cuddle it? Eat it? Pick it up and throw it in a bush?.’
Gina’s attempt to construct an acceptable account of her life before and after Sean, bring to surface some hidden insecurities. I think the impact of her Father’s drinking and subsequent death when she was young, sibling rivalry, the death of her Mother and unspoken concerns about Sean’s infidelities, past and possible, reveal a more frightened character than she would have us believe. Someone a lot less conniving and indifferent to the hurt caused by mistrust and betrayal. She’s an ordinary woman, whom I am fascinated by.
The Forgotten Waltz is an honest portrayal of a universal theme, it’s a keeper, a story of love, wonderfully told.
Gina is in the midst of an adulterous affair with Sean and she’s basically trying to make sense of the what, how and why of it all. Sometimes you get caught up in the events of life without really knowing how you feel about them. There comes a point where you need sit down and take stock and that’s what Gina is doing, remembering and making sense.
She recalls too, with such passion, the first meetings, the romance and seductions, the hotel rooms where ‘only the air knew what we had done. The door closed so simply behind us; the shape of our love in the room like some forgotten music, beautiful and gone.’
The only thing standing between Gina and the serial adulterer she’s in love with, is his daughter Evie, ‘the woman he loves but can never desire.’ Trying to win over this, now nearly 12 yr old, is tough going for child-free Gina, who has little patience with kids and can’t understand why her sister Fiona indulges them and their friends. At a party, where Fiona serves up Lasagne with real linen napkins, real glasses and cutlery, Gina thinks, ‘These were big, uncomfortable children, not grown ups - throw a bag of tortilla chips at them, I thought, and retire’ - brilliant! A woman after my own heart. I love too, the way she describes Sean’s prowling around her friends baby ‘he was like something on David Attenborough, one of those silverback gorillas maybe, who has forgotten where baby gorillas come from, then Mammy Gorilla pops one out, and he doesn’t know what to do. Cuddle it? Eat it? Pick it up and throw it in a bush?.’
Gina’s attempt to construct an acceptable account of her life before and after Sean, bring to surface some hidden insecurities. I think the impact of her Father’s drinking and subsequent death when she was young, sibling rivalry, the death of her Mother and unspoken concerns about Sean’s infidelities, past and possible, reveal a more frightened character than she would have us believe. Someone a lot less conniving and indifferent to the hurt caused by mistrust and betrayal. She’s an ordinary woman, whom I am fascinated by.
The Forgotten Waltz is an honest portrayal of a universal theme, it’s a keeper, a story of love, wonderfully told.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
5.0
The problem with books this good, is that it makes all the others look shite!
Despite being set against the backdrop of the 2nd world war, it’s horrors, evils and disturbing circumstances, I was naive to the warm light I couldn’t see gathering furtively around me each night as a I read, absorbed and became increasingly more invested in the lives of the characters of this extraordinary book. That was a long sentence. I had obviously been living in a bunker, because I missed the hype and publicity accompanying Anthony Doerr back in 2014. But I’m here now.
Even-though I found the story difficult to lock into at the beginning (which may have had more to do with my own personal state of mind at time than any real fault of the author) I persevered and found characters of strength, courage, loyalty and depth and out of the terrible immorality of war, found kindness and love.
Briefly, the story revolves around Marie-Laure, a French blind girl, and Werner, a German boy whose gift for radio mechanics gets him enlisted into the Nazi army. His job is to locate and destroy illegal radio transmissions - all the while bringing him closer to meeting Marie-Laure in the French coastal town of St. Malo. She and her father evacuated here from Paris after the German occupation. Doerrs’ prose is beautifully descriptive throughout but he handles their exodus so touchingly, how he carries her when her feet hurt (I was listening to Nick Cave’s We Came Along This Road at the time, so tears were spilled). In fact, their relationship is one of the great triumphs of the book, as is the bond between herself and her great-uncle Etienne, voice of the broadcasts we hear at the opening.
I was gripped by these ’children with a conscience’, their experiences, their fates, Marie-Laure’s infatuation with Jules Verne and Werner’s passion for science. I was also very impressed by Doerr’s sentiment, his insights and writing style. He was criticised I think, for normalizing the Nazi historical record, but I don’t believe that was the point of the novel. I didn’t talk about the miniature neighbourhoods, the Sea of Flames, the sea ‘big enough to contain everything anyone could ever feel’, the snails or the messages in baguettes but bravery, intellect, memory and unwavering hope combine to move the reader in innumerably emotional ways. The fact that it’s possible all of humanity, dead and living, communicate in unseen light along inexplicable wavelengths is just pure poetry to me. Full marks all round.
Despite being set against the backdrop of the 2nd world war, it’s horrors, evils and disturbing circumstances, I was naive to the warm light I couldn’t see gathering furtively around me each night as a I read, absorbed and became increasingly more invested in the lives of the characters of this extraordinary book. That was a long sentence. I had obviously been living in a bunker, because I missed the hype and publicity accompanying Anthony Doerr back in 2014. But I’m here now.
Even-though I found the story difficult to lock into at the beginning (which may have had more to do with my own personal state of mind at time than any real fault of the author) I persevered and found characters of strength, courage, loyalty and depth and out of the terrible immorality of war, found kindness and love.
Briefly, the story revolves around Marie-Laure, a French blind girl, and Werner, a German boy whose gift for radio mechanics gets him enlisted into the Nazi army. His job is to locate and destroy illegal radio transmissions - all the while bringing him closer to meeting Marie-Laure in the French coastal town of St. Malo. She and her father evacuated here from Paris after the German occupation. Doerrs’ prose is beautifully descriptive throughout but he handles their exodus so touchingly, how he carries her when her feet hurt (I was listening to Nick Cave’s We Came Along This Road at the time, so tears were spilled). In fact, their relationship is one of the great triumphs of the book, as is the bond between herself and her great-uncle Etienne, voice of the broadcasts we hear at the opening.
I was gripped by these ’children with a conscience’, their experiences, their fates, Marie-Laure’s infatuation with Jules Verne and Werner’s passion for science. I was also very impressed by Doerr’s sentiment, his insights and writing style. He was criticised I think, for normalizing the Nazi historical record, but I don’t believe that was the point of the novel. I didn’t talk about the miniature neighbourhoods, the Sea of Flames, the sea ‘big enough to contain everything anyone could ever feel’, the snails or the messages in baguettes but bravery, intellect, memory and unwavering hope combine to move the reader in innumerably emotional ways. The fact that it’s possible all of humanity, dead and living, communicate in unseen light along inexplicable wavelengths is just pure poetry to me. Full marks all round.