Wool - Hugh Howey

Hello everyone!
I'm back! Please forgive my extended holiday. It was the end of the school year and well, it gets super busy in schools as we try to prepare for the new academic year!
But yes, I'm back - with a long overdue review!
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“We are not the people who made this world, Lukas, but it's up to us to survive it. You need to understand that.""We can't control where we are right now," he mumbled, "just what we do going forward.” Hugh Howey, Wool Omnibus 

Maybe you read this a few years back? Maybe. I only recently came across it and I am absolutely glad I did!

This is a post-apocalyptic thriller that takes place in a silo buried deep in to the earth. Stairs run through the silo connecting the hundred or so levels. 

The only contact the people of the silo have with the toxic outside world is through a camera. A camera peers outside at the bland scenery and the population are able to see out. Any questions regarding life in the silo can see the perpetrators sentenced to 'Cleaning'. Cleaning is a death sentence... the prisoner is strapped in to a suit and is sent out to the outside world to clean the camera lens. The strangest part of the cleaning process though, is how always, without fail, perpetrators always, ALWAYS go and clean the camera.

Inside the silo they have farms, livestock, mines, hospitals etc etc. It's a very organised machine where people know their place and rarely venture out of them.

The Audiobook
Susannah Harker was the narrator for this particular version of the audiobook. There's another one narrated by Minnie Goode too, she did the omnibus version. 

Harker was ace though, I was strangely surprised as I usually like a more passionate performance and she was very slow and steady. There have been times where I've not been able to listen to an audiobook because of that type of pacing but Harker owned her voice and I thought she was magnificent. Of course she was also aided by excellent writing, and a great production too!

The Story
Okay, I admit it, I have a soft-spot for post-apocalyptic and dystopian novels. I just do, and this was right up my street!

The pacing is brilliant, the writing is awesome and although it is an exploration of a very popular genre - I found it re-imagined, unique and wholly entertaining.

I usually try and discuss the story in a bit more detail here but I don't want to spoil it. You see, this story is a spider's web and I'm sure that if I give any little parts away and you decide to read it... well, it'll all click too quickly and you'll curse me for it.

All I can say is this, keep in your mind the very strange phenomena of the prisoners being sentenced to go outside but then always choosing to clean the camera lens (CREEPY), and also keep in mind that the silo has everything that anybody needs; Farms, livestock, water, air, coal etc etc.

I really, really enjoyed this book but I will not give away any more than that... I promise!

If you go on to read it, please please come back here and let me know what you think. Maybe you'll agree with me, or maybe you won't at all! Anywho, enjoy and let me know!

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Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell [Book Review]

“Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.” 
― David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

“Spent the fortnight gone in the music room reworking my year's fragments into a 'sextet for overlapping soloists': piano, clarinet, 'cello, flute, oboe, and violin, each in its own language of key, scale, and color. In the first set, each solo is interrupted by its successor; in the second, each interruption is recontinued, in order. Revolutionary or gimmicky? Shan't know until it's finished, and by then it'll be too late.” 
― David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

If you're looking for a complex read... read this. 

This novel is split up in to six narratives about novella length. The novellas are then neatly sat within the next narrative. It's kind of like you took six books, you take the first book and slot a second book in to the first, you then take a third book and slot it in to the centre of the second, you then take a fourth etc etc (remember when you used to do that when you were supposed to be reading something and you hid a comic book inside and read that instead? Yeah, it's just like that) and so because that is the make-up of the narrative each story is interrupted by the next. 

Yes. Even my description is complex!

So, the first half of the first novella takes place in the 18th Century. We are introduced to a hypochondriac lawyer, Adam Ewing, who is befriended by a doctor who collects and sells teeth. 

The second novella sees us introduced to a young aspiring composer named Frobisher. Frobisher sends a series of letters to his lover in Cambridge, both mentioning the diary he is reading, but also how he is working for one of the greatest living composers in Europe. 

In the future, Luisa Ray comes across those letters and hunts down a rare piece of music by Frobisher and they inspire her to make sacrifices to become an amazing journalist. We are interrupted by Timothy Cavendish and eccentric publisher, and realise that Luisa Ray's narrative is a book he's been sent for perusal. 

Cavendish is victim to a series of very, very unfortunate events and his life is being watched as a movie by a clone, in the distant future called Sonmi-451 who is the unknowing leader of a revolution. 

The next narrative is from a post-apocalyptic future, Zachary a goat-herder and his tribe worship Sonmi as a goddess. A woman from the Prescients has come to study the way his tribe live. 

What do all these characters have in common? The key character in all of the narratives have a shooting-star shaped birthmark somewhere on their body.

The Audiobook
I bought this book from Audible (as usual) and I was very happy to see that they had recruited six different narrators for this awesome job. I think it was necessary so that the book felt as broken up as it should have. Sonmi-451's voice was simply brilliant. She had that robotic quality that we would imagine! Also, Timothy Cavendish's narrator sounded... I kid you not... just like Jim Broadbent (who played Cavendish in the movie); It was genius. The production was excellent! 

The Story
Although the book is complex, it is so very elegant. The book won't be for everybody, I admit, but it is so beautifully crafted I really did feel in awe. Mitchell knew exactly what he wanted to achieve with this book. He did not become lost. Although all the stories are connected and lay over and interrupt each other, he is master of all the characters and does not allow them to run away with him. 

Timothy Cavendish's story is a hilarious one, which I enjoyed so very much. Nearly all the novels are super heavy and so Mitchell offered comic relief to allow the reader to giggle. It was one of my favourites, but my real favourite was Sonmi-451's narrative. It was beautiful. Slightly disconnected but also feeling. 

The most amazing part, I found, about the whole book was how Mitchell managed to forge the English language to suit each time. Of course, the 18th Century Ewing would write in a way that we would expect from the 18th Century. Timothy Cavendish is in present day London and so his language reflects this. Luisa Ray's story takes place in the 70s and so the colloquialism is reflective. But then Mitchell does something extraordinary, he fashions whole new dialects for the narrators in the future. It is incredible. Sonmi-451's language is brilliant. Instead of using words such as 'TV/Television' she calls them 'Sony's'... because it is a super commercialised world she lives in, things are known by their brand names rather than their actual names (kinda like in the UK where a vacuum cleaner is called a 'Hoover'). When we fast forward even further in the future to Zachary's narrative, it takes a little time to get used to the dialect, well, it's just amazing. I'm sure you can tell that I was just so, so impressed.

The only issue I have with this book is that it was difficult to stay interested! For instance, I loathed Adam Ewing, I found his narrative painfully boring! But because it is pretty impossible to even skip a few minutes/pages of this book for fear of missing something crucial I had to painfully listen through it. 

I tried not to extract meaning from the books as much as others have. There is much discussion of the idea that the stories are just repetitions of each other from different time periods including the same soul, but y'know what... I didn't get that. I felt that they were connected because their lives effected both the future and the past, but I left it at that. When I re-read it I will try and decipher it all!

Is the book a good one? Well, it's an amazingly crafted book. The language is amazing, the writing sensitive and in command. The characters are varied and brilliant. But as a story does it work well? I'm not sure... it would all depend on the person I believe. I've seen this book get rated 5/5 but also receive a mere 1/5. This book has the potential to frustrate some, whilst mesmerising others.

If you have a short attention span, or no real love for language or literary craftsmanship I would avoid the book. It'll make you angry! If though, you can be patient, enjoy beautiful writing, and can admire the time, love and dedication an author has put in to his work then I promise this book will definitely enlighten and awe you. 

The movie was released in 2012. I will be offering up a review of it too, BUT I must watch it again before I can! 

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Speed Review - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

In a Nutshell:
In a continuation of the previous instalment Harry Potter and his friends set off on a quest to locate and destroy Lord Voldemorte's Horcruxes. At the same time they are all intrigued by the Deathly Hallows, a super-brilliant wand, a resurrection stone and a fabulous invisibility cloak. At the same time as trying to maybe find those three things they also need to try not to be caught by Voldemorte's posse... as they've taken over the ministry and Harry is first on Lord Voldemorte's hit list. What ensues is a lot of popping in and around dramatic landscapes, arguments, a humungous battle as Harry Potter and friends must defend Hogwarts from the oncoming war.

The Audiobook:
Oh Jim Dale... you served me well. You were really brilliant, and if I ever meet you I will applaud right in front of you... on my own, like a cheesy 80s movie. He was awesome. Very good. As good as man with a deep voice can be. I absolutely loved his narration pretty much all the way through. I made a few comments regarding his lady voices - but well, that can't be helped can it?

The Story:
Wow, what an epic piece of fiction. It was great. I enjoyed it immensely. 
The writing was fabulous although at times it did feel a little drawn out, but I totally forgave Rowling just because it was so awesome.
I am glad it ended as it did. It couldn't have ended any other way (I'm not talking about the epilogue by the way). The story was a true coming of age story with the final battle being that fateful moment where they all had to become adults. 
I was quite surprised about how the final battle compared with the movie... and even the death of Lord Voldemorte. It seemed like a total anti-climax compared to the epic movie fight scenes. 
The thing I found hardest and found it a little too much... was the fact that pretty much everybody kinda died. I know there are thoughts a plenty as to why Rowling did this, but I just thought it was just too much. It's like nearly everybody who came from his father's generation i.e. his father's friends all just died. Maybe I'm just a big wimp... but it was overwhelming.

My final thoughts on Harry Potter will be coming up soon! Don't hold your breath though, as it won't be coming up in three minutes, you may have to wait a little longer than that!

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Speed Review - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

In a Nutshell:
Harry Potter is mysteriously entered in to a Tri-Wizard Tournament by an unknown person. He's under-age  terrified and has the whole school suspicious. He is required to pass three tasks competing with students from other wizarding schools to try to win the cup. The only problem is this... there is a traitor at Hogwarts who is determined to deliver Harry Potter to the ever stronger Lord Voldemorte. 

The Audiobook:
Jim Dale is brilliant at commanding all the different voices in this novel. I'm always amazed that he doesn't get mixed up or forget who is supposed to have what voice. What more, this book features new voices such as Madame Maxine, Igor Karkaroff and Viktor Krum, who have international voices! As usual it is the female characters that suffer the most, as Dale just isn't that good at them... but he's a man, with a deep voice... I'll excuse him just this once!

The Story:
I have to say that this one is quite easily my favourite so far. Rowling is completely in her stride and her writing is exemplary in this instalment (of course I've not finished the others yet, but I'll update you later!). I had a sense in this book that Rowling, from the beginning, had a very succinct plan, and that she knew exactly what was going to happen and when (which I haven't always got a sense of in her other books. Although she did seem in control in The Chamber of Secrets).
I was so very impressed with The Goblet of Fire, and funnily enough it was my least favourite movie of the whole series!  

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Speed Review - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

In a Nutshell
A criminal has escaped from the notorious wizard prison Azkaban and has set his sights on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 
Under the watchful eyes of Professor Lupin, McGonagall and Dumbledore, Harry potter must negotiate his way through threats such as Dementors, bullies, exams and of course the criminal Sirius Black who cannot wait to have his revenge. Harry Potter knows that his past and future are linked with Sirius Black - he just doesn't know how. 

Audiobook
As you know, Jim Dale is narrating the series and he does a stunning job! His Sirius and Lupin are great.... especially Lupin.

The Story
I think that so far, this book in the series has to be one of my favourites (although, having completed The Goblet of Fire that is my favourite at present). Quite honestly, it is only now that I feel that I have fallen in love with J K Rowling's imagination, and really appreciate the world that she's created. 

I quite simply loved the idea of the Dementors, the inclusion of werewolves and of course the magical creature the Hippogriff. Everything just seemed as it should be. There wasn't a part of this book that I felt that Rowling just threw in for good measure. 

The idea of Azkaban was what I enjoyed the most about the story as it highlighted that even in the world of magic, there was still room for responsibility and punishment for offenders. 
I also quite enjoyed the film too!

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Speed Review - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

In a Nutshell:

Harry Potter and his friends unite again in the second year of school to fight against an unseen monster who is Petrifying students at Hogwarts. With a magical soul-possessed diary as their initial guide, they do their best to uncover the what the Chamber of Secrets is, and how to prevent students coming to harm. 

The Audiobook:

Jim Dale is narrating the whole of my Harry Potter audiobook set. He's awesome as I've said in  previous reviews. He reads at a pretty reasonable pace and so if you're wanting a quick read I recommend actually reading the books. I'm sure that I will end up rereading these novels in paperback, just to get a feel of them without (the pretty epic) Dale's voice.

The Story:

Funnily enough, The Chamber of Secrets and The Goblet of Fire were my least favourite Harry Potter movies. I just found the stories a little half-baked and rushed, but, in all honesty the books were great, and totally redeemed the novels. 

I loved the pace of Rowling's narrative of The Chamber of Secrets, and the suspense and mystery she unfolds was not unlike reading a crime novel. Unlike in later books it was very nice to see her writing at her best in this book... she wrote like she knew all the details, rather than creating details as she goes along. I've noticed that there are many people who did not enjoy this book because of the plot, but I enjoyed the plot too, not just her writing.

Hermione is a lot less annoying in this novel... so, ten points for Rowling.

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Speed Review - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

As mentioned in a previous post, this is my first time through the legendary Harry Potter series. I'll be writing up mini, speed-reviews until I complete the whole bunch - and then I'll offer up a mega-review of them all. 

In a nutshell:
Rowling spends this book introducing us to her boy wonder, Harry Potter (a.k.a 'The Boy who Lived') and his quirky chums Hermione Granger and Ron Weasely as they battle trolls and the semi-resurrected Lord Voldemort. 

The Audiobook:
The audiobook set I have is read by the very awesome Jim Dale. Dale is a master of many voices and his Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore and Hagrid are brilliant. Unfortunately though, his other female voices have much to be desired.

The Story:
I really enjoyed the story although I did find it quite painful to start off with. I just found the vocabulary, similes and metaphors to all be pretty standard and repetitive, which became quite difficult to listen to. But, regardless of all that, I was surprised that I enjoyed the plot and characters as much as I did, as I really did not enjoy the movie as much. Ah well, never judge a book by its movie.


So that's it for now. 'Stay tuned' for more Harry Potter speed reviews!

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The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami

“All right, then, I thought: here I am in the bottom of a well.” 

― Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

Now this quite literally is the strangest book I have ever read. Although it was strange, and although it went against every literary convention I am used to, and confused me, and puzzled me, and frustrated me, and infuriated me - it filled me with such intrigue and such hunger that I almost feel like I need to fill the hole (with another Murakami book) that it left once I completed it.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is made up of three books: The Thieving Magpie, Bird as Prophet, and The Birdcatcher. All three books are narrated by the main character Toru Okada. He is a man-child, he has no job, no accomplishments, no aspirations and a failing marriage (though he does not seem to be aware of this).

The story opens with Okada being deeply concerned that his wife's cat has disappeared. This perplexes him so much that he becomes obsessed with finding it. One morning though, he wakes up to find that his wife - who had not come back from work the night before - was also missing and so he then searches for her. All the while, through all these searches, he bumps in to and makes friends with characters that veer from the odd to the outright weird. 

I am realising that this sounds like the most bizarre description of a book ever... it's because the book is so fragmented and so strange. At some moments within the book you do not know if Okada is dreaming, telling the truth, is crazy, or imagining the personalities he meets or their stories. One thing you do know though, is that the characters that he meets (a psychic, a prostitute, a mute, a sixteen year-old girl, a war-veteran) bring a little colour to his otherwise grey world.

The Audiobook
The book is fabulously narrated by Rupert Degas. He does, quite simply, an excellent job in narrating and emoting a story that is quite chaotic. 

His pronunciations of Japanese and Manchurian names and places seem to be so well executed that to my untrained ears it sounds as if he is a native speaker (of course I do not speak Japanese and this is just my uneducated assumption). 

Degas does his best with the female character voices, which can sometimes be quite funny to listen to, but you do get used to it - and they do start to sound quite convincing! 

The Story
I have to say that this book just blew me away, and maybe not for all the right reasons. 

Whilst listening to it, I felt like I was pacing on a treadmill that I was unable to stop - that I was watching the brilliant imagery and scenes pass by me, not really able  to absorb the scene before being moved on by the author to the next part.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle on stage

Surreal images, scenes and situations are experienced or described to Okada and he seems to show the same confusion, or apathy that the reader does. The sub-plots, which are all so painfully curious, are threaded beautifully throughout the novel, but as one reaches the end it is easy to become panicked as you'll come to realise that not everything will be explained. 

Destiny and fortune is a recurring theme personified, which is ironic, as Okada's lack of direction is reflected in the book's lack of direction. For those who love a tidy ending, and tight structure, this book will bug you to no end. 

Everything about this book should have had me hating it.
But I really quite loved it actually. The book was so refreshing and so tantalisingly curious that I could do nothing but need to listen on. I found the story monotonous at times, the characters so bizarre that they were bordering on annoying, and the hardest part of the novel was that nothing really happens. All the while, Murakami is winding you up, making you hold you breath so patiently, sure that there is going to be a climax that will make your eyes pop out of your head - but there is nothing.... and at the same time, in true style, there is everything.

I recommend this to anybody who wants to try something new. Anybody who enjoys surrealist literature, and anybody patient enough to read 600 plus pages and run the risk of blinking at the end, confused as to what you've read.

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P.S. Okado spends a good bunch of pages sitting down the bottom of the well, walking through well walls in to hotels and curing people with a spot on his cheek that he got from said well.

P.P.S. Don't let the above 'P.S' put you off.

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