Literature II

My train commuting lifestyle at the moment means that I am ploughing through literature at a rate of around about one book a fortnight. Here is some of the stuff that I have read recently and some thoughts about it without giving away too much about plot details:

Merde actually by Stephen Clarke. This is a book for the guys I think but that’s not to say that the girls won’t like it too. It’s a delightfully randy (without being literary porn) and a highly entertaining little jaunt around France. I thought it was great because the lead character ended up doing what I was screaming in my mind for him to do around a chapter later. This is my favourite recent read by quite a long way, not least because I could totally relate to the lead character. (You also might like to think of reading the prequel, A year in the merde before this though but as I read Merde actually without realising there was a prequel until after I had finished it I wouldn't say it was a definate prerequisite).

A short history of tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka is not about tractors and isn’t set in the Ukraine. It’s a good book but unlike Merde actually I totally failed to relate to any of the characters making it slightly lacklustre, at least for me.

Past mortem by Ben Elton delivered the usual Ben Elton style fairly obvious plot developments but this time coupled with stomach wrenchingly gory scenes. I don’t recommend reading this on a fast train as the combination of blood, guts and gore and the slightly bumpy non-stop section between Hayes and Slough made me feel a little queasy at times. It was still a good read mind.

And yes ok, so I read the Da Vinci code. Yes it’s a bit trashy and the plot developments are pretty obvious and designed to make you feel smarter than the supposed experts that the book is about (sometimes they are way dumb though). But you need to read it before going to see the film and the conspiracy theories are quite engaging.

Blink by Malcom Gladwell isn’t a novel and it’s not a self help book. It’s about ‘thin-slicing,’ using your instincts as opposed to your ‘brain’ to work stuff out. A book about one of my favourite things, teaching you stuff you already know but didn’t realise you did.

I am presently reading Long way down by Nick Hornby which is shaping up to be an engagingly structured piece, albeit a little morbid.