The Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom Wolfe

I picked up this book for a holiday read and wished I had read it a few years ago when we had the chance to visit New York. The story contrasts the two different sides of New York life - the amazingly rich and wealthy white Manhattan community with that of the poor and violent black community. The two worlds collide when a "successful" white businessman accidentally takes the wrong exit on a motorway and ends up in the "wrong part of town". Wolfe exposes the motivations of all the different characters - their hypocrisy and lust (for both sex and power) - in both communities as the businessman life quickly unravels and he paints a soul-destroying picture of justice, business and the role of the media in shaping events. Although the book is set in the 1980s world of dramatic "winners and losers" the issues seem to be still depressingly relevant. A fast pace read that should spark a few debates!

The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen

I was recommended this book by a good friend - in fact it is also in a collection of books I apparently must read before I die! I struggle to describe this book - it is brilliantly written and manages to graphically describe the thoughts and actions of a middle-class American family and their dsyfunctional lives. It is not for the faint hearted - the grown up children's sexual behaviours are extreme as Franzen opens up the minds and lives of the characters in explicit detail. I didn't warm to any of the characters but I came to understand some of the reasons for why they acted in the way they did. The portrayal of Alfred, the father, dealing with dementia really makes this book, for me, worth reading. Many reviewers see great wit and humour on the pages but I only laughed out loud on page 575! I was also disappointed by the ending and at times the intensity of the writing lens became oppressive.... but having said all that, the writing is clever and thought provoking and it will have a lasting impact on me.

Mao, The Unknown Story - Chang & Halliday

Well, it has taken me 6 weeks to read and I feel exhausted! This book will probably permanently affect the way I view Mao and China. It is written with such attention to detail that at times it is hard not to feel bombarded with facts – which all point to Mao being a ruthless, self-serving and power-obsessed man. The details of “purges”, brutal killings, public executions and the complete disregard for the lives of the ordinary citizen remove any previous romanticism around “revolution”. The myth of the Long March, the exposed reliance on Moscow for Super-power status and the revealing of vast donations of scarce food to other communist countries (in affect condemning to poverty and death millions of Chinese) all challenge the official version of history. Chang estimates that over 70 million Chinese perished under Mao’s rule in peacetime – a mind-blowing number. I left the book with the view that even if Chang managed to get even half of her facts wrong, she leaves no room for sitting on the fence in regard to Mao and the suffering he caused to the majority of the Chinese people.

Small Island, Andrea Levy

A fascinating book looking at England at the end of WW2 from the perspectives of 4 characters. The book majors on the issues of race and the racism of the white British empire which I found shocking but not surprising (recent surveys show that, depressingly, attitudes have barely changed). I was struck more by how each character viewed their own motives/story as being rich with meaning whereas their view of others was that they were superficial and shallow. I was desperate for their stories to somehow overlap/engage. Switching between the characters gave the book extra momentum and allowed the reader a better chance at making more rounded judgements on each character. Definitely worth a read.

Oryx and Crake, Margaret Attwood

This is a stunningly disturbing book exploring a world where man has been able to create its own race. The consequences of genetic engineering, environmental polution, the growing divide between rich and poor, the dominance of corporations etc are played out into a future world with disastrous effects. "Snowman" acts as the narrator believing himself to be the only human surivor. Cleverly written.

Useful links
Official PR site - www.oryxandcrake.com

Hey Nostradamus! Coupland

A birthday present! A fascinating book using four narrators all in search of meaning. Here's my response to my friend

Finished the book yesterday – many thanks! I like the style of the writing – very fast paced and cleverly done. He clearly has managed to capture the angst of our generation and that is why I found it clever. I had read the book by the mother of the daughter who was killed in the real massacre and so it was interesting to see the implicit references to it and the underlying cynicism of her account (at the end of the book in a footnote her account is challenged for its historical accuracy as well as a reference made to Todd Beamer). I liked the fact that the writer demolishes a religion that is merely rules (harsh ones at that) and is able to deal with the “greyness” of issues….although I think that there is an Eastender quality to it (!) – ie life remains “grey” and faith in God seems left as a compromised intangible “guess” rather than something which feels healthy and hopeful. One test for me is whether I would share it – I certainly would recommend it but I guess I might issue a health warning…..this book may diagnose a condition but perhaps not move you forwards……does that make sense. Take in contrast the book I’ve just read - Cry the Beloved Country…..whilst it also not scared to deal with human suffering and the issues of faith/no faith – it leaves you with a sense of hope in something greater – perhaps it points more to “love” - a concept which Coupland seems to struggle? Maybe that just reflects the condition of my heart – the need for hope! In summary I find Coupland’s diagnosis of the human condition and the inherent tensions around faith to be very insightful but leave me with little to hold on to……I guess that may be for others to provide!!

Cry, The Beloved Country

A good friend of mine recommended this book saying that it was one of the best books he had ever read. Published in 1948 it is set in South Africa and deals directly with its racial problems. Centred on a rural black pastor's search for his son in Johannesburg the novel works at a number of different levels dealing with faith, fatherhood, families, race, industry, rural and city life, tradition and"progress" etc. Two fathers, one black and one white, are brought together because of the deaths of their sons - sons who have gone in very different directions to their parents - living in an alien world that their parents have not trained them for. Through their sons deaths their fathers begin to look on the world in new ways.

Why Mad about Books?

We're mad about books and we like people who are also mad about books! Our quest is to sift through the dross and find the books that the really get under people's skin and understand why. Our dream for this blog is a build a group of readers from all round the world - equally passionate about learning and exploring their world.