A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving

75%
18.06.15

Several years ago, a radio dramatisation of this made a big impression on me so I'm not sure why it's taken so long to actually read it. And it is, of course, brilliant. Endlessly complex and multi-layered but at heart a tale of love, loss and friendship (oh, and religion; there's plenty on religion), it's one of those books that make you wonder why other, less accomplished, writers bother.

The Shock of the Fall - Nathan Filer

75%
15.04.14

I think I've stopped crying now. I don't usually get on with sad novels, and this one is utterly tragic. But it's written with insight and precision, so that it's ultimately moving and, yes, oddly uplifting. As I was born a Bristolian, there's the added bonus of recognising the hospital that features in many scenes. I'm going to lend it to everyone I know.

The Beginner's Goodbye - Anne Tyler

75%
26.10.12

I made an unseemly dive for this at the Wordstock Bookswap (having nobly contributed my emergency spare copy of Woman's World). The latest novel from the wonderful Anne Tyler? Yes please! Was it a fair swap? Of course. Tyler's recent novels, while wise and ironic, have been a little unfocused but this brings the pain of loving, losing and living into sharp perspective. So many wry observations, so many perfect turns of phrase, so many sudden glimpses into the darkness and oddness of reality. Just one thing (there has to be one) - that last chapter? Unnecessary. And I'll overlook the jokes at the expense of editors.

Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

75%
29.10.07



I started this reluctantly but soon became engrossed in its vivid account of civil war. The characters were engaging, and the plot and narrative were masterfully structured, given extra strength by the compelling cultural background.

Vernon God Little - D B C Pierre

09.11.05
75%




At last - a challenging novel with something to say. Cleverly constructed, poetically written and sharply satirical., it's almost like a lot of other books - but better. Perhaps not an enjoyable read, but a rewarding one. Brilliant.

A Patchwork Planet - Anne Tyler

75%
11.04.04




Another fabulous novel by Anne Tyler that makes me want to go straight out and find more. She doesn't need big, sensational plotlines to illuminate the quirks of human nature or to say something profound and hopeful about life. That's the essence of an ideal novel, I think.

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

75%
03.01.04




Is it a fable? A subversive political satire? An old-fashioned adventure story? Who cares? On any level, it's clever, absorbing and funny - as well as a very useful survival manual if I should ever find myself shipwrecked with a tiger.

The Bell - Iris Murdoch

75%
18.10.03




This, on the other hand, is how a novel ought to be. Wise, funny, meticulously constructed, and with obsessively realised characters, convincingly inconsistent in their thoughts and behaviour. Dated only in the sense that most modern writers wouldn't dare to tackle issues of religion and sexuality in this way.

The Sea, The Sea - Iris Murdoch

75%
31.01.03




It might be too long, it might be too stodgy, it definitely could have done with some editorial pruning, but it's a relief to read such a complex and fascinating novel that leaves me itching to write an analytical essay about it - quite a feat. The central character is cleverly drawn, and as he descends into arrogant self-delusion, this initially plotless novel becomes a page-turner, full of suspense and humour. Once accessed, it's far more accessible than I'd expected.