The Suspicions of Mr Whicher - Kate Summerscale

I don't usually read mysteries and I would have never picked this book up had a friend not recommended it. Even when recommended I thought, "Hmm, really - what could be so special about it - other than that fact that it won the Samuel Johnson Prize?".

This is a true story told like a novel. THE story that started the mystery genre and the novels that would come out of England in the late 1800's - including the famous Sherlock Holmes.

The beginning is captivating as the story unfolds to tell of a brutally murdered baby in a country home just outside of London. Mr Whicher is the detective whose keen instinct points him to the murderer very early.

Although I did appreciate Mr Whicher, that's not what made the book for me - it was the last few chapters that detailed the lives of the suspects. This was absolutely fascinating!! I could have a read an entire book on these characters (mostly, brother and sister of Road Hill House, William and Constance).

William, a Marine Biologist, captured me with amazing watercolours, drawings of marine life and his interest in the communication between sea horses. Constance, a not-so-nice girl (to put it light), went on to become a nurse, giving her time freely to lepers and those in need. Ironic.

A very interesting topic at the end, told by Constance - who went on to live to be 100 - was about the bowel obstruction that killed many of her family members due to her father's possible past with syphilis. The description of the hereditary teeth which suggested this was fascinating!!

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

I decided to read this novel after a few blogs listed it as a favourite for 2008 and Catching Fire (part two) for 2009. I was intrigued as to why.

What an interesting plot - something different, that's for sure. I thought it might be gruesome... It was not at all.

Basically, in a futuristic, fascist society, one boy and girl are taken each year from each village, based on draw results, to fight until death. The winner will have it all - money, fame and comfort for his/her family. Of course, like real life, emotions get in the way of pure ambition and survival.

The Hunger Games are very similar to our current reality T.V. shows - display it all and relish in others misfortune and misgivings in the spirit of entertainment and competition.

I like the idea of intellect, physical strength, emotions and morals battling it out. In the end, what matters most is still survival, though, and the one guaranteed to do this is not necessarily the one most prepped, pampered or endowed.

An easy and entertaining read.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

A few people told me this was their least favourite Harry Potter novel, so I didn't have high expectations.

Although it did start out slow and a little depressing for Harry, I really enjoyed this novel - especially the realness of the ministry's hold on the lives of the wizards and students at Hogwarts. It made me think about how controlled we all are - and actually FEEL it.

People joke "It's real life, not Harry Potter" but I have to say that J.K. R brings her life experiences to her novels and this makes them much more real than many of the non-fiction books out there.

New York Visit

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'engle

I noticed this novel while browsing Chapters one night. I thought it sounded enlightening and vaguely remembered reading it as a child and liking it. Somehow I thought I would appreciate it even more now. I did.

A very simple story on how to overcome darkness and evil, with adventure along the way. Though written as a sci-fi, many of the themes are very real. Instead of using magic, as in Harry Potter, the medium the children work in is science - very basic - but science. I liked this, especially the time travel aspect. I loved Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and Mrs Which.

I may read it again soon, and eventually the other books in the series.

The Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov

Contemplating this novel exhausted me! Definitely a must-read.

**SPOILERS** (I had to keep notes. Have a pen and paper handy when you read it, especially to write down names).

Satan, a sharp-dressed man with extreme character, named Woland, and his entourage (a black cat, a fanged angel of darkness, and an ex-choirmaster) visit Moscow to avenge - due to their fascist, non-authentic lifestyles - elite members of Russian society.

The first to be visited is an atheist editor who is commissioning a poet to write a poem about how Jesus did not exist. Woland explains to the editor, during a very weird meeting in a park, that Jesus did exist and that he (Woland) was there at the crucifiction, and that despite the editor's status and wealth, he is not in control of his own destiny. Woland then delivers a terrible fate to the editor to prove this. The poet, Bezdomny, whose name means "homeless", witnesses the grizzly event and ends up in a mental hospital.

The novel then takes a turn and focuses on a biblical-time dialogue between Jesus Christ and Pontius Pilate. Jesus claims that the nature of man is innocent and Pilate claims the nature of man is evil.

We all know the story from here - Pilate sentences Jesus to death by crucifiction, based on accusations (Judas) and for not following authority (Caesar) - even though he knows Jesus is innocent. Pilate later pays a price, consciously and spiritually, and so does Jesus, physically. The two carry on a relationship through time and space.

The story then moves forward to 1930’s Russia, focusing on the love affair between the Master (an authentic artist/writer) and Margarita, a rich women with significant intelligence and spirit, who's in an unhappy marriage. The Master is writing the story of Pontius Pilate and Jesus, and Margarita is encouraging his work. She leaves her secure life behind for him.

The couple are living in love and bliss, but because of the literary elites' ridicule and authority, the Master’s tale will never be told and the couple's happy fate comes to an end. The Master checks himself into an asylum (the same one as the poet) and leaves Margarita because of his depression and assumed defeat, and she is left with emptiness and longing for him.

Bezdomny and the Master meet up in the mental hospital and the poet is afterwards transformed, claiming authenticity and new awareness, realising that he was previously a scam of an artist.

Woland, who delivered the horrible fate to the editor, visits Margarita through one of his retinue - Azazello, the charming but frightening angel, and asks her to join him for a night. The promise is she will be reunited with the Master - but first she must host a ball with all of Woland's followers. Margarita asks Azazello if Woland wants to use her for sexual purposes and Azazello smugly says, "in your dreams", and that this is not the reason for his request.

Margarita accepts and begin her journey, becoming a liberated witch and having fun along the way. She has trouble facing His followers (decayed beings who like to party, who have committed some awful crime in the past). However, she is prompted by Woland's gang to treat all the guests humanely. She does, far and beyond, but not without suffering. She is rewarded.

Eventually the fate of everyone is revealed, including our friends back in biblical time, and the novel displays again and again the continual polarity of light and dark, good and evil, confusing the reader... but in a very interesting way.

Did Woland know all along that love would prevail and that Margarita would return to her Master - or perhaps hope this - or plan it? There does not seem to be a higher power other than he, and it does seem that he causes more good and actually goes after the "bad" (why this book was so controversal, I'm sure, and why The Rolling Stones who wrote a song about this novel called it Sympathy for the Devil, including the lyrics, "But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game").

Woland does make a comment to a follower of Jesus: "Where would your light be without darkness? Of course you will not argue me on the point, you are too stupid". He's got a point - would light need to exist, or really exist at all, without darkness?? But this is tricky :)

The complexities are never ending. You have to read and reread to fully grasp this novel.

Catcher in the Rye - Salinger

I've struggled with the review for this one! I read it a few years ago and just recently came across a review which made me wonder if I had been too harsh in my judgement, not caring for it at the time, or maybe not understanding it. (I don't think so, but I should have read it as a teenager, I probably would have had a different view).

So, generally speaking, I didn't like this book - it was annoying and I didn't relate to the main character or appreciate the language (lousy this, lousy that)...although I did agree with Holden Caufield's view on how phony society can be - and kudos to him for having the courage to say it!

The underlying importance of this book, for me, is the thought that in order to change the world you must first be submissive to The Powers That Be, join them and then, when armed with the ammunition necessary, continue on your own path.

That's all I got from it. Maybe it's just me....