The Other Boleyn Girl

 This book very much made me think that this is what reading fanfiction must be like. All of the characters in the book were unlikable. Maybe Queen Katharine of Aragon was the only one that was not nasty, but maybe that was because she did not have a significant role in the book. I disliked Mary Boleyn's hypocrisy, her lack of self-awareness, her insincerity, and how immature she was. All characters were so immature, perhaps Anne Boleyn was the most immature, and so simple minded. Which is a shame, because from the little I have read about the true Anne Boleyn, she seems to have been an interesting woman in real life. It took me a long time to accept the creative narrative that Philippa Gregory, author of the book, was offering in this alternate universe in which so many things happened contrary to the academic historical consensus. But my verdict is that all that literary licence was simply not worth it. This book did not offer an interesting alternative to the canonical interpretation of the reign of Henry VIII. It took itself too seriously, and most of the text was a boring, uninteresting filler plot, which was excessively repetitive.

Kidnapped

 I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand I enjoyed it so much because I was brought back to Scotland, I was reminded of all the beautiful things that I lived there. I enjoyed learning so many new words: 127 new words in a book that is relatively short (my copy had only 314 pages). Yet, I was not really interested in the storyline and it took me much longer to finish reading the novel than it really should have. Yes, some of it was due to my characteristic procrastination, but in this case I strongly believe the core reason must have been that I failed to find something meaningfully interesting in the book.

Call Me by Your Name

 I was not expecting to like this book, mainly because I have seen the movie and did not particularly like it. But it was a cute story. It was a cute book. Now, they say that standards are good but double standards are better. There are multiple sex passages and sex references in this book. Normally I would be put off by that. I find modern descriptions of sex in contemporary literature rather gratuitous. That, for example, is part of the reason why I tend not to like things written by Haruki Murakami. But I have mostly read books that deal with heterosexual sex. For that reason, it feels somewhat unfair that this book, with its various descriptions of homosexual sex between men, did not elicit in me a similar criticism of the prose. I wonder whether Hannah Fidell, the creator behind FX on Hulu's series "A Teacher", would also hold this book to a double standard. A quick reminder: "A Teacher" is scathingly critical of sexual relationships between adults and minors. The female teacher in that series was severely punished and there was no mercy shown to her for the sexual relationship she had with a male minor. I wonder what Hannah Fidell would think of a sexual relationship between an adult male graduate student and a male minor. Clearly, André Aciman thinks there is nothing wrong with that. Quite the opposite. Am I missing something? Is there an argument I am not seeing that explains why the creator of "A Teacher" and the author of Call Me by Your Name reach polar opposite conclusions about the same kind of sexual relationship? Or could it be that Elon Musk is at least partly right in saying that there is a woke mind virus that is infecting the minds of many in the United States? I would like to know. Verdict on the relationship between Emmanuel Macron and his wife: pending—it will depend on whether the judge is Hannah Fidell or André Aciman.

How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia

There is not really much one can say about this book. At least it had the decency of being so short that you do not really have to spend much time with it. I read The Reluctant Fundamentalist in 2009, before I started this blog so I do not have a record of my opinion on that book. But from what I can remember, it was a more interesting read, which renders How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia a disappointment.

A Gathering Light

 This book reminded me of Katherine Clements's The Silvered Heart, except A Gathering Light is better. Both are novels based on historical events yet I found myself more interested in the tale Jennifer Donnelly was telling. There were no gratuitous sex scenes, which might have helped create a more elegant narrative. Yet, there was something missing. At several points I felt I was reading a children's book: a simple and somewhat shallow story. Given the various times we were told of how fond Matt was of writing stories that portrayed the real challenges of life, and given all the misfortunes that actually happen in the book, there was a point where I genuinely thought the book would end on a bitter note. That is why I was pleasantly surprised when Matt took the right decisions and left Royal, paid the Hubbards' taxes, and finally decided to go to university. Not that I thought that Royal was not a good match for Matt. It is just that Royal, in his anger, was going to take a very wrong step in buying the house of the Hubbards. I choose to believe that that was also the determining factor when Matt was taking the decision to leave Royal. It must have been a very hard decision for her. However, I cannot get rid of the feeling that what made this story more interesting was the author's note at the end where it tells the true crime story of Chester Gillette and Grace Brown. And I do not think that the worth of a novel should be measured by anything but its own text.

Fireside Gothic

 This book is a collection of three short stories: (i). "Broken Voices," (ii). "The Leper House," and (iii). "The Scratch." I did like them, but only mildly. To be honest, it might be that I am just not that into that kind of fantasy. Note: I am not saying I am not into fantasy. I just found these stories a little... bland. Of the three my favourite was "The Scratch," and that might be because it was the one closest to reality, the most real story. I still have on my shelf one book that might be similar to Fireside Gothic, it is H.P. Lovecraft's Necronomicon. I am, however, hoping that the Necronomicon is much, much better. If you do get the opportunity to read "The Scratch," read it. It is quite decent. And if that opportunity comes in the form of having the whole Fireside Gothic with you, well... I guess read all three short stories. It will not take you more than five days to read them all.

New Grub Street

 This book is a hidden gem. Wait, is it? I had not heard of New Grub Street, not even George Gissing. I mean, I know I am very ignorant and it may be the case that he is well known in Britain but I am going to be very bold and say that he is not one of the best known, world famous, English authors. Such a shame, because he should be. Granted, this is the only novel I have read of his out of 23 of his published novels. But I loved it. I do think it is a masterpiece. One of which I probably would have never heard of had not my friend Maddy bequeathed her library to me when she left Deans Court, and with it a copy of New Grub Street.
  New Grub Street tells a harrowing story of literary men in 19th centrury England. Its story was heavily influenced by George Gissing's experiences, and it is told in a way that feels very much like it could have been a true story. Because of that it was interesting to compare certain aspects of life in England back then and life in England now. The book focuses on authors that mostly live under economic hardship, and at some point I did wonder how poor they actually were. Were they the poorest of the poor? Fortunately, the book addresses that point somewhat tangentially when it talks in this way about Harold Biffen: "In his present state of mind he cared nothing how disreputable he looked to passers-by. These seedy habiliments were the token of his degradation, and at times he regarded them (happening to see himself in a shop mirror) with pleasurable contempt. The same spirit often led him for a meal to the poorest of eating-houses, places where he rubbed elbows with ragged creatures who had somehow obtained the price of a cup of coffee and a slice of bread and butter. He liked to contrast himself with these comrades in misfortune. 'This is the rate at which the wold esteems me; I am worth no better provision than this.' Or else, instead of emphasising the contrast, he defiantly took a place among the miserables of the nether world, and nursed hatred of all who were well-to-to." (p. 301). Meaning, they were not the poorest in society. That made sense to me. Because, even when the characters (Edwin Reardon, Harold Biffen, Jasper Milvain, Alfred Yule) are poor, to me they did not appear to be living the grimmest aspects of economic hardship. They were educated, well spoken, and were fine authors who were quite committed to literature. Now, with respect to contrasting life in England in the past with life in England now, I wonder how the healthcare system worked back then. And to some extent I wonder how it works now. What I mean is, Alfred Yule had cataracts and is at first given a prognosis by what seemed to be a doctor with an independent practice—well, he was more of a destitute person than a practicing medic. Alfred Yule paid this destitute medic for his prognosis, and was later vexed not knowing how he would pay for the surgery he needed. I understand most common medical procedures are currently covered by the NHS, but I also know there are some other medical expenses that are not covered (like egg freezing.) Was the healthcare system more commonly private in the past? Would a cataract surgery be covered by the NHS now? It was very sad that Alfred Yule was so stressed by his situation, especially knowing that he most likely would not have had to worry about such matters had he lived in present-day Britain. Lastly, and just as a minor note, Katherine Mullin (the editor of the edition I read) noted that in England, back then, "railway accidents, often fatal, were relatively common, widely reported in newspapers, and frequently provided plot twists in fiction" (p. 483). What?! Nowadays one does read about railway accidents, with more frequency than one might like, but in places other than Britain.
  There are two main love stories in the book. Edwin and Amy Reardon, and Jasper Milvain and Marian Yule. Both ending in unexpected ways, the descriptions of human life and interactions are told in a detailed style worthy of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. The way in which the book ends very much reminded me of Scott Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and Damned. Except, of course, Fitzgerald's novel was published 31 years after New Grub Street. The reason I am comparing both books is because both authors seem to be (correctly) saying that there is no karma. Life is unfair. But we do not need to read anything to know that. That said, I was quite affected by the experiences of Edwin and Amy Reardon. After their reconciliation I genuinely forgave them both, and was even left thinking of Amy as a good person. Precisely because of that I could not accept the narrative that followed. I felt like George Gissing betrayed her in favour of a quick and easy ending for the book. He could have invented some other character. Why did it have to be her? I was very annoyed, very disappointed. But perhaps that was the point.
  My last remark is: George Gissing later revised New Grub Street and shortened it. I am usually in favour of shortening novels for the sake of eliminating the boring and banal parts of the book. However, this time I did not feel like the book needed to be shortened. I thought it was great the way that it is. I am intrigued to know which parts George Gissing deemed unnecessary.
  All in all, I am very grateful that I read this book. The feeling might be enhanced by the fortuitous way in which I happened to own my copy of the book. I do hope I may read more novels by George Gissing. He deserves to be better known.

References:
[1]. Gigging, G. New Grub Street. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Oxford University Press, 2016.

The Silvered Heart

Not knowing anything about the legend of the Wicked Lady, except after reading the bonus material at the end of the book, I read this novel as if it were simply fiction. Well, the only thing I did know about that period in time in England was thanks to me having recently watched the film "Cromwell" (1970). This book, written from a royalist's perspective, of course has a different feel from that of the movie.
  I imagine one can enjoy the book only if one sympathises with the Lady Ferrers portrayed in the book. I did not sympathise with her. Her logic at all times felt bogus, her motivations childish, and despite her constant insistence at every new chapter of her life that she was now finally aware of how wrong she had been in the past, she never truly changes, she never truly learns anything. She is doomed to make the same fey mistakes over and over again. The way in which the story developed did feel like it would make for a classic Netflix film or series.
  Honestly, the most interesting part of the book was the bonus material. Those extra six pages on actual history were the most interesting and most enlightening.