Tag Archives: romance

Book Review | ‘A Room With A View’ by E.M. Forster

24 Tuesday Apr 2012

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A Room with a ViewA Room with a View by E.M. Forster

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“It isn’t possible to love and part. You will wish that it was. You can transmute love, ignore it, muddle it, but you can never pull it out of you. I know by experience that the poets are right: love is eternal.”

EM Forster, where have you been all my life? I tell you where; mouldering unassumingly on the shelf buried in anonymity, that’s what. I, the one who gags at the mere mention of romance novels may possibly, possibly have been won over with ‘A Room With A View’. But how? What sets this novel apart from others of its’ kind?

First off, it is wonderfully absent of the dewy-eyed, sugary prose that is the staple of romance novels and which ultimately makes my stomach churn. No ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ for me, thank you very much (two words: strawberry picking). There are no embarrassing outpourings of love, one-dimensional suitors or fainting maidens (okay, there is one, but for good reason!) Neither does it flog around the familiar, old-fashioned clichés commonly associated with the genre. It looks at love from an angle of improbability and tries at least to keep up with the kind of love we might experience in our day-to-day lives; the type that is fought for and jealousy guarded BECAUSE it is so hard-won.

“When I think of what life is, and how seldom love is answered by love; it is one of the moments for which the world was made.”

The characters are flawed and unconventional, because Forster is a wonderful analyst of personalities and knows exactly what combinations produce the most interesting chemistry. His grouping of characters therefore is delightfully uncanny and quirky, which reflects precisely what we all come to know and love about the ‘quintessential’ Edwardian era. This social comedy has its’ fair share of stiff-upper lips in the form of Charlotte Bartlett (a spinster cousin), Cecil Vyse (the socially appropriate suitor) and his awful mother Lady Vyse. However Lucy, our heroine, is a sensible lass and despite having been brought up in this inbred atmosphere of social rights and wrongs, realises that sometimes rules must be broken and that the real folly is to live one’s life according to what society expects from you.

But let’s talk a little of the story itself and how this odd romance begins in the best of all possible places; an Italian pensione. It is here that Lucy Honeychurch and her chaperone Miss Bartlett enter the scene and promptly bemoan that they have been denied their promised ‘room with a view’. It is also here that they meet the elderly socialist Mr. Emerson and his morose son George, who in a moment of rash chivalry offer their rooms to the ladies instead. This offer seen as gross lack of manners is kindly but firmly rejected. But after much insistence the ladies get their ‘rooms’ and begin their exploration of Florence thanks to a trusty Baedeker.

After this encounter Lucy gets to know the Emerson’s a bit better and decides that poor Mr. Emerson is a misunderstood soul whose heart is in the right place. His quiet, sullen son however is enigmatic in a way that both intrigues and repels her. Yet fate has it that their paths should collide at the plaza where a terrible, random tragedy unfolds. The event jars and awakens both of them to emotions that had hitherto lain dormant. Yet before Lucy can be sure of her feelings another event takes place; one where George makes it very obvious how he feels. This ultimately causes a small crisis that is resolved by a speedy escape to Rome.

There Lucy meets Cecil and his mother Lady Vyse; influential family friends who below to the upper echelons of English society. Needless to say Cecil falls for Lucy, deeming her a worthy mate (even though she is socially beneath him, but never mind, his mother says he can bring her over to ‘their side’), and begins to pursue her persistently. After they return from Italy his determination is rewarded with an eventual ‘yes’ and everyone deems it a very good match.

However betrothed bliss is short-lived, as Lucy’s nervous cousin Miss Bartlett intrudes into her life once more, bringing with it the scandalous ‘incident’ that caused her to run from Florence in the first place. In the wake of this bad luck harbinger, comes the shocking news that Cecil (out of subtle cruelty or irony) has brought the Emerson’s to Lucy’s neck of the woods. Of all the places! Tension surmounts as Lucy tries to keep a cool head, yet fate has a way of uncovering the truth and one of those is the obvious fact that Cecil simply is not and cannot ever be husband material.

And so the story goes, of which I will NOT talk, for fear of giving away too much. But before I end the review I just want to say how much I liked Lucy. This is probably because our heroine is far more able than her previous counterparts. Lucy Honeychurch is NOT dumb, she is not some silly lopsided caricature of femininity. Lucy has her own thoughts and feelings, can make decisions for herself and is aware that she needs to expand her horizons. She’s tough and once she makes a decision she tries to follow it through. In fact, Lucy might be said to have her own code which comes about after her fateful trip to Florence and Rome, where the hot-blooded continental spark for life fires her imagination and imparts the gift of transforming her into a ‘thinking woman’.

“This desire to govern a woman — it lies very deep, and men and women must fight it together…. But I do love you surely in a better way then he does.” He thought. “Yes — really in a better way. I want you to have your own thoughts even when I hold you in my arms.”

As George puts it, love is not about controlling anyone, it’s about loving them just the way they are. I think this will always be the case, as George and Lucy do love each other completely; warts and all. Cecil’s sneering attitude grated on my nerves and the way he looked down on everyone was just bad manners even though he was supposed to be the most well-bred out of the lot of them.

Through reading this novel I have discovered that I can definitely do this kind of earthy love story, that has its’ share of ups and down and is tempered by well-timed comedy. If you are like me too in that you can’t stand most romance novels, give this one a try. You might be surprised!

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Book Review | ‘The Bridges of Madison County’ by Robert James Waller

06 Friday Apr 2012

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The Bridges Of Madison CountyThe Bridges Of Madison County by Robert James Waller

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

After glancing at a few reviews by other fellow Goodreads readers I think it’s pretty clear that this is a book you are either going to love, or hate. And to confess, I’m in the club that doesn’t really believe that this book is as special as it’s made out to be.

The plot is based around a chance encounter between Robert Kincaid, a freelance photographer who Waller tries to sell as a cross between a magus and ‘the last cowboy’ standing and Francesca Johnson, a bored out-of-her-wits housewife in Iowa. The encounter happens when Francesca’s children and husband are away on a trip to the county fair. During this time Robert drives into town and turns up to enquire about a ‘bridge’ that he is looking to photograph.

Kincaid’s reason for being in Madison County in the first place is because of his National Geographic assignment to write an article about the Counties famous ‘covered’ bridges, which in all honesty was the only interesting part in the novel. In fact, as other reviewers have suggested, please make a point of going to see these bridges. It’s far better than reading the book! This spontaneous meeting and the subsequent short-lived affair that blossoms after is the turning point of the novel. Waller uses Johnson as a character to probe into the moral rights and wrongs of extra-marital affairs, and chooses to walk the moral ground of having her decline Kincaid’s subsequent offer of running away with him.

Essentially Waller’s message is ‘do not leave your family under any circumstances’, yet as we find out Francesca suffers immensely after her decision and never truly forgets her lover. The story is supposed to be about two people who are ‘soul mates’ and about finding the one you love only to lose them again.

To be fair, I didn’t really care much for the characters, because I felt there was something missing about the way Waller wrote about them. As personalities they were not fully formed somehow. All I can say is that ‘Bridges of Madison County’ is a nice ‘easy’ read for when you just want a comfort book. It certainly served that purpose! And for anyone looking for a romantic, girlie book that is more conservative than the steamy vampire/ werewolf action going on in most romance novels these days, then go for this. On another note, I remember briefly watching the movie version with Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep and can say it is an honest representation of what goes on in the book. I advise you watch the movie version. It’s much better.

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Book Review | ‘One Day’ by David Nicholls

21 Friday Oct 2011

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One DayOne Day by David Nicholls

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“What are you going to do with your life?” In one way or another it seemed that people had been asking her this forever; teachers, her parents, friends at three in the morning, but the question had never seemed this pressing and still she was no nearer an answer…”

In my opinion there are three kinds of books. The ones you love, the ones you hate and the ones you read just for the sake of it. ‘One Day’ is of the fourth kind, a brand new type that you like at the beginning, loathe towards the middle, then when you are finished, wonder what the hell it was that you have just been made to experience. Normally I wouldn’t pick up a book like this. I mean, I’m of the camp that likes their fiction well-aged, like wine. If it’s less than 10 years old then it has no place on my bookshelf. A book must carry the battle-scars of critique; it must be a warrior among tomes.

So when I was lent this as a holiday read, I didn’t really think much about it. At the time the movie was also all over the cinemas, and lovey-dovey couples were all flocking to see it. Now that I’ve read the book I wonder why on earth they would want to see it, because it’s the most depressing love story I have ever come across. And make no mistake; ‘One Day’ is horrendous on more than one level.

Yes, ‘One Day’ is confusing, but not because of language or narrative structure, but rather of the uncomfortable impressions it tends to leave. They are like stinging nettle bites; very painful and hard to get rid of. These are impressions of the type that is termed as ‘a bit too close to home’. I’m not sure how it affected others, but I can’t remember the last time I was so disgusted by a character (I mean REALLY abhorred them) nor felt so much kinship to one. Dexter and Emma’s story of finding then losing each other grated on my nerves because despite it being fictional it had some uncomfortable parallels with real life.

These two star ‘crossed lovers meet on St. Swithins Day on the last day of university, fall in love, then part ways. The narrative favours the epistolary tradition, as every chapter becomes a glimpse into their current status in life as the years roll by, allowing us to see their highs and lows and progress as individuals. There are many moments when they come close to getting together, but an unfortunate circumstance or simply one of life’s cock-ups keeps them apart. There is a delicious momentum of longing that slowly builds up. As readers we clearly see their mistakes and that is the frustrating part. They are so blind to their own shortcomings I wanted to shout at them. But aren’t we all? Success also comes to each at different times; while Dexter is at his TV presenter peak, Emma is still slaving away in a sweaty Mexican restaurant, wondering what the hell happened to her dreams.

Theirs’ is not a conventional love story, which is ok, because in reality there is no such thing as conventional. But this is literature and surely we are owed that, right? We must be allowed to live out our dreams through the pages. But Nicholls thinks otherwise, and questions that very same ideal. He also attempts to hit the highest and riskiest note of all in his readership: acceptance of a novel even when we might not like the story, or even the characters.

In this book a reader can find so much of oneself in it, disturbingly so. And this can either be a terrible thing, or a thing of startlingly beauty. As you can see I haven’t quite decided on that yet. Even though I’m not fresh out of university, I could still identify with Emma’s feeling of loss as to what to do with her life. Her love of literature, dream of writing a book one day and even her quest to becoming an English teacher all struck chords with me. That’s maybe why I hated Dexter, who let’s face it, it’s the most pleasant character of all with his haughty, selfish rich-boy ways. Emma is the strong one who works her way to solid success while Dexter fritters away the many opportunities handed down to him by his parents. You know what this means don’t you? Dexter doesn’t deserve Emma. Here is a love story where the guy is an absolute git, and the girl an earnest diamond. Sure, both make their mistakes but when you get to the shock ending, pretty much everybody is one Emma’s side.

“Live each day as if it’s your last’, that was the conventional advice, but really, who had the energy for that? What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn’t practical. Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you. Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved, if you ever get the chance.”

This is my first time reading Nicholls, and I realise he is a genius at recalling the past in all it’s uncomfortable glory. It’s true what they say. Life is what happens when you are too busy doing something else, and not paying attention to what should REALLY be done. And that’s what happens to Dex and Em. And that is what’s happening to us right now all over the world. Opportunities are passing us by at a frightening speed all because we are too busy feeling sorry for ourselves or frantically feeding our egos. In this sense the former is represented by Emma and the latter by Dexter.

In some ways, I suppose I must give credit to Nicholls. He actually saved me from going down the dark spiral of never-never land that Emma was so dangerously close to. Reading this was like a stern, psychological kick up the arse, a ‘pull yourself together’ warning. Since finishing the novel and writing this review I have finally decided to take the plunge towards teaching. Yes, after years of dilly-dallying I have turned my life around so to speak, and this is one of the wonderful things Nicholls’ terribly unconventional novel did for me; get me moving in the right direction. It’s a beautiful and rare thing when a novel can do that for you.

Tell me, what books have you read that have totally changed your attitude to life?

NOTE: Current rating might go up to a four, depending on how this book will age on me.

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Book Review | “The Spy Who Loved Me” by Ian Fleming

26 Tuesday Jul 2011

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The Spy Who Loved Me (James Bond)The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“Love of life is born of the awareness of death, of the dread of it.”

My initial thought when I began reading this novel was, ‘Hang on a minute… this isn’t the Bond I know. Nor the Fleming I’m used to for that matter. What’s going on?’ And indeed, I think a lot of people will recognise the stark difference of perspective that Fleming chose when he decided to write ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’. This time round, readers get to see Bond through the eyes of a young innocent French Canadian girl by the name of Vivienne Michel, who as things would have it is on a run from her own painful past. However, what Michel is yet to discover is that fate has more tragedy in store for her in the guise of two murderous villains Sol Horror and Sluggsy Morant.

Michel meets these two unsavories at a motel, which she has been working at for the past two weeks and has been left in charge of till the boss comes to close it for the season. The setting is as follows: Tragic and vulnerable heroine is left all by her lonesome, in the middle of a thick pine forest, with no one around for MILES. To add to the fright, a godalmighty lightning storm kicks off, knocking out the electricity supply. Can things get any worse? Fleming thinks they can. Enter two nasty guys posing as insurance people (Michel stupidly opens the door for them) and you have yourself one big, nasty party.

But Bond is never too far from the scene (apparently he is just in the vicinity), and arrives after Michel suffers a terrible night of ‘alluded’ rape and torture to take the bad guys out. Hmm… In fact, if it weren’t for Bond’s punctured tyre, Michel would never have been saved.

Ok, let’s get onto the actual review, this book shouldn’t be taken seriously. There are a lot of plot holes, and I mean a LOT. Take Michel for instance; she is an intelligent girl who had a semi-decent job in the editorial business. But she goes and sleeps with the boss (not good) who is a self-confessed nazi-minded ‘purist’. You would have thought our Michel had some sense, because before that she had the misfortune of losing her virginity to an Eton snob in a dirty forest! So why on earth did this girl think it was a good idea to travel through America by herself (on a scooter no less) is beyond me. And of all places, to allow herself to end up alone, in the middle of nowhere, in a run-down motel.

But Bond is no better. Oh no. Commander Bond, for all his suave, cold-blooded killer instincts fails to do away with the thugs at the first chance he gets. In fact, it takes him three attempts to actually kill them. I almost laughed out loud when he apologised to Michel, saying he was getting a little rusty. I think so too! I mean here’s a guy who is in a class of his own when it comes to espionage, yet two hard-boiled jailbirds very nearly succeeded in offing him. No wonder many Bond fans didn’t like Fleming’s 10th instalment. Because not only does Bond’s reputation and prowess come under scrutiny/ doubt, but we have to read the whole thing through the slightly whiny, sensual language of Michel, who can’t seem to find fault with our hero.

If you ask me, it’s good that Fleming took notice of his reader’s reactions and did not write any more novels in the same vein. I’d rather have Bond in the centre of the action, and not have to wait until he shows up halfway through the book, only to put on a mediocre show. Bond is better than this, much better. Accept no compromises people!

Overall, I can’t say it was brilliant, but it was certainly entertaining. Though I’m glad that female characters have a lot more backbone to them these days. Apart from that, it’s fun seeing Fleming attempt to write several ‘tasteful’ sex scenes.

This is one Bond novel you need to read in order to decide whether you like it or not. Can’t really recommend it.

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