Spring Snow - Yukio Mishima

It's 1914 and Kioyaki Matsugae is the privileged son of a family who are descended from Samurai. They have advanced from that position and are making their way up the ladder of aristocracy. As a result Kioyaki has more privelege than most of his school chums. He is granted an automatic place amongst the aristocracy regardless of how he does at school. Which is just as well because he spends his time contemplating his life and then chasing his old friend Satoko Ayakura. Satoko is the daughter of a family who has a long history among the aristocracy but have fallen on tough times. They rely heavily on the Matsugae family and as a thank you they teach Kioyaki the artistocratic way. Kiyoaki has therefore spent a lot of time with Satoko and doesn't realise until it's too late that she is deeply in love with him.

If this sounds like the story of a spoiled brat who doesn't realise what he wants until it's too late you would be correct. Kiyoaki is not only privileged he is beautiful too and an enigma to his own family. He is spoiled and hard to like. Only his best friend Honda seems to like him and even he loses his patience with him at times. He is vain and fickle and little realises or appreciates the hard work his family have put in to get where they are. Then there is his views on Satoko. She is an irritant to him as her behaviour and words confuse him. He doesn't realise all her words are to show how much she cares for him but instead believes she is trying to be difficult. It's only when he can no longer have her that the little light in his mind clicks. He realises he loves her too and like the spoiled child he is goes after what he can't have.

I have little doubt that I am not endearing you to the story. Every word of this is true and yet you will want to read on. If only because of the beautiful writing. Japanese writers seem to have a talent just to make their words flow and Mishima is no exception. It makes the book a delight to read and you don't really mind too much that Kioyaki is a spoiled brat. His friend Honda who gets a voice in the book more than makes up for it. If anything he is everything Kioyaki should be. His family isn't quite as privileged and he knows hard they work. He works hard too and is determined to get everything he can out of his education. He knows his friends faults and watches him as though he is a study on human nature. Yet he still loves his friend and helps him when Kiyoaki finally opens up to him about Satoko.

The Siam Princes are also a pleasant contrast to Kiyoaki. They truly come across as innocents as they are visiting Japan and have no choice but to see Japan through the eyes of Kiyoaki. At least what Kiyoaki chooses to reveal to them. They cling to him even when the have to move to the school dormitories. It's their openness as well as their innocence that makes them such a contrast because really for much of the story Kiyoaki is an innocent too. A young boy who doesn't know he is in love.

If I say more about the story I will probably spoil it. It's the first book in a series of four and I know a little how each of them are connected thanks to my classic loving friend. It was that interesting premise alone that got me reading it and I definitely want to read the others. I am not exagerating when I say that Mishima writes beautifully.

Plus once again, how lovely is the vintage cover? Even if my friend hadn't sold me on it. Had I seen this cover I would have immediately picked it up.

The Sealed Letter - Emma Donoghue

Emily Faithful (Fido to old friends) has become successful in her own right. Almost unheard of in Victorian London. She is a woman of business and has dedicated her life to helping secure the freedom of women. Bumping into old friend Helen Codrington could change all that. Helen is unhappy in her marraige and is having an affair with a young officer. Somehow Fido is dragged into Helen's life as it spirals out of control. Soon the courts are involved and Fido's reputation and lifes work are in danger of being tarnished forever.

This is actually based on a true story. There really was an Emily Faithful who fought for womens rights before the suffragette movement. Her name was then tarnished as she was associated with the scandal of her friends very public divorce. Until round about then divorce was a difficult thing to come by and until the laws changed very few people would sought after one. Charles Dickens was mentioned in the book as one of the first to take advantage of the new laws. I found the historical aspects all very interesting. There is even a section in the back which tells you where the author expanded on the facts and what happened to Emily after the events.

As for the story telling itself I quite enjoyed that too. It wasn't at all what I had expected. I have to be honest that I didn't pay much attention to the blurb as I picked this up after reading Room by the same author. It's nothing at all like that first book and could in fact almost be written by a different author. I felt that the author did very well in writing for that period and whilst she obviously used artistic liscence for some of it (particularly thoughts, feelings and conversations) I didn't feel like I was being duped. Instead I was intrigued by Emily who appeared to be intelligent and yet could follow her friend so blindly. Although, I confess that I was duped a little by Helen too and didn't realise just how calculated she was until near the end. At that point I wanted to shake Emily for continuing to believe her friend.

What interested me too was the affect this all had on Emily's reputation. Of course it had an affect on the cause she was fighting for. A cause that was difficult enough to get support for without a tarnished reputation. Then there was the ending. I had never really heard of Emily Faithful so that ending was a little surprising to me.

A good piece of historical fiction. Especially if you like those which are based around a real event.

Pure - Andrew Miller

In the time just before the French Revolution a young engineer is looking to make his way up in the world. Jean-Baptiste Baratte has been called by one of the King's ministers for a special job. Baratte is to go to Paris to clear out Les Innocents Cemetery which has been poising that area of the city despite being closed. Not exactly a glamorous job but Baratte intends to do it well. What he didn't expect was people to be upset by his task. As well as overcoming the problem of how to clear the cemetery Baratte must overcome all the people who are against the destruction of the cemetery. For some it is part of their world. It's where they work and live.

I had been looking forward to this but after the first few chapters (which are short) I was less than overwhelmed. I thought it was going to be extremely dull. I thought it was going to be a book reflecting on the run up to the French Revolution. Instead it was droning on about a cemetery and one very naive engineer. Thankfully it picked up and political unrest was there in the background.

I disliked Baratte at first for his naivety. I cringed as he allowed people to take advantage of him. He was naive about his place in life too believing that he was finally moving up in the world. Just a little pompous without any real reason to be. It didn't last long mind you and it took a crack on the head for him to wake up to the real world.

As work on the cemetery finally begins the pace of the writing and the story picks up to. The pace of political unrest also picks up but again this seems to be more a part of the back ground. For the sake of Baratte, who had grown on me, I couldn't wait for the task to be finished. At the same time I didn't want it to be over as it would mean saying goodbye to some very interesting characters. Bit of a change from my feelings about the book at the start. It will never be my favourite historical fiction but it grew on me and it still hasn't left my head.

London - Edward Rutherfurd

London is one of the biggest cities in the world which began as a small celtic village. After several invasions the village eventually became a city which was prosperous for some and not so much for others. The Duckets', Doggets', Bulls', Silversleeves and Barnikals' are just a few of the oldest family lines. They each have interacted with each other which has had consequences throughout their future descendants. They have interacted with famous historical figures, Kings and had a part to play in many historical landmarks. They have each shown that even the smallest decision can change the fortune of future generations.

Writing that wee blurb was actually quite hard. How do you write a blurb for a book that follows family lines from before the roman invasion right up until WWII? All his books follow this method but with different places. Sounds formulaic but it's one of the best ways of writing historical fiction. Or at least one of the most interesting that I have come across. The amount of research that has went into each of these books is astounding.

The book is split into chapters and each chapter interacts with an important era in history. For example the first chapter we the the Celtic family, later known as Ducket, as they prepare for the roman invasion. The families have interacted with famous figures such as Shakespeare and Dick Whittington. I especially enjoyed reading about figures that I have read up on myself such as Henry II and Henry VIII. Although I am not an expert there didn't seem to be any errors to me although the author would have taken liberties when these figures interacted with his characters.

The characters themselves are just as interesting. I liked the fact that the good fortune of a family didn't necassary continue through out the family line as misfortune or greed took over. In one era the main character from one of the families might be a nice guy that we hope will get everything he is looking for. One or two generations down we might hope the character with the same family name gets what is coming to them. It felt more realistic that way and as a result was far from dull.

It is a large book but if you wanted you could take each section and read other things in between. I did try that since it was too large to carry around. In the end though I found that the book I was reading alongside this got left behind as I wanted to keep going. A huge book and I couldn't put it down which is why I read it in two weeks. It would have been quicker had I been able to carry it around.

I've only read his New York one and whilst I like that one better I was more aware of the history behind this one. I think it was the simplicity of the writing which mirrored the simplicity of the era the author was writing about. It did seem to grow more complex as time went on. I can see why the author did that but it meant that it took me a little longer than normal to warm to it than I did to New York. That's the only downside to the book. For me anyway. I love the historical aspect though. Well worth the 1300 odd pages.

The Sisters Brothers - Patrick DeWitt

Eli and Charlie Sisters are guns for hire. They mainly work for the Commodore who sends them out when he wants rid of someone. Just back from a job they are being sent out on another. This time they are heading out West, to California during it's gold rush. There they are to kill a prospector who has reportedly stole something from the commodore. Eli isn't happy as his brother Charlie has been put in charge of the job which means less money for him. Plus Eli got left with the useless horse that he is determined not to care for. Along the way they come across many strange characters and manage to make themselves some money. When they finally reach San Francisco they discover that the job isn't all that it seems.

This was one of the books shortlisted for last years Man Booker prize. Although it didn't win (Julian Barnes walked away from that one) it has won other awards. These are the only two out of the nominated books that I have read and I very much enjoyed them both. I'm not sure I could have chosen a winner between these two alone.

That's not why I picked it up. It's a little different from my usual reads. Whilst I do like an historical novel I don't think I have ever read a Western based novel. I was intrigued by it. I quite liked that side of it and it certainly gave a good feel for the era. Riding by horse across America to reach the West, sleeping outside when there is no town nearby and not to mention Eli's visit to the dentist. So much more than that gave it the atmosphere it needed but I would be here all day if I was to list them. Needless to say it was well done and it worked.

As for the characters, Eli is the narrator of the tale (or tales) and as the story grows it's hard to picture him as a killer. You can see why his brother is the one calling the shots as much as Eli might not like that. Charlie in the end is the bad brother who has dragged Eli (unwittingly in Eli's case) into this kind of life. We see Eli with a conscience. He doesn't really like the job and he is the first to question the commodore's motives. We also see through the characters he meets that he just wants a normal life really but loves his brother too much.

In the end it's rather a sweet story of brotherly love. It's not so obvious at the start but by the end of the book I found myself feeling rather emotional for these two brothers.

What's Next!

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel published May 2012.

This obviously isn't the image for Bring Up the Bodies. There isn't on yet. In fact the title of the second book was only announced this week. I read this book before I started this blog. Which is a shame because it means I haven't shared with you how amazing this book actually is. If you love historical fiction then I have no doubt that you will enjoy this. For those of you who don't know the book is written from the point of Thomas Cromwell, a controversial adviser to Henry VIII. He has often been portrayed as a rather dark character. One who uses situations for his own political gain and is blamed for the downfall of Anne Boleyn. This book instead gives a more sympathetic view of Cromwell. He is seen as a family man who hasn't had the best start in life and is now just trying to do what is best for his family and his King. He is more a victim of circumstance. It's a rather large book and the writing style felt a little strange at first but I soon was caught up in the story and quickly devoured it. I have enjoyed Booker Prize winners in the past but this is the first time I have felt the need to rave about one. It was also the first historical fiction that I had read. A new genre for me to explore.

Enough raving about the first book. As I said the title of the second book was announced this week. I knew that there was going to be a sequel due to the way Wolf Hall ended. It was set up so that the second book would be about the downfall of Anne Boleyn. What I didn't know was that it is going to be a trilogy. I read an article in the guardian this week which said that the author had decided that when writing Bring Up the Bodies that she felt that it needed a third book. Very excited about that and I really can't wait for the publication of Bring Up the Bodies.

Making History - Stephen Fry

Michael Young has a reason to celebrate. He has just finished his thesis which means he will be Dr Michael Young and will soon be asked to become a fellow of the college. His mentor though doesn't quite appreciate his take on history and sends him back to re-rewrite. Leo, a professor on the campus that Michael met by chance, does appreciate it. He's a scientist who is also obsessed with one period in history. Having been brought together they decide to remake history. Little do the realise the trouble it will cause or that the history they create is worse than the original.

I love Stephen Fry. I think he is witty and intelligent. He also has one of those voices I could listen to all day. Yet, I was reluctant to read any of his fiction. I think I didn't want my view of him spoiled. His biographies didn't so I don't know why I thought this might. A friend of mine loves his books and insisted I try it. I'm not sure why I picked this one but it still collected dust after many years.

I am pleased to say that this book hasn't changed my opinion of the author. It was cleverly written and I did love the characters. I loved the idea of it too. Two people who want to correct a horrific era of our history only to make things worse. I found Michael to be endearing. He suited his nickname - pup. I especially enjoyed the second half of the book. That probably comes from me enjoying dystopians so much. Michael finds himself in an alternative history where he is brought up in a different country but he still remembers who he used to be. Leads to some very funny moments.

I loved the ending too. I have to say if it had ended any other way I might have been upset. Although I did have a horrible feeling at one point that the whole thing was going to go off in a circle again. I am so glad that it didn't. Maybe the reader is meant to have that heart stopping moment of fear that the whole thing is going to start over again. It worked on me regardless and the relief that it didn't was extreme.

It was well written as I would expect from any book by Fry. He definitely has a talent for words and his knowledge of history certainly shined through. Despite all that I did find it a bit of a slog 200 pages in. I was read to give up on it if I am truly honest and in fact stopped to read another book. I decided to give it another go and it was only through getting to the second part that I decided to keep with it. I had to know what happened. I would say that it says more about the little time I have for reading these days than it does about Fry's ability to grip the reader.

This books was also part of the 'Books I should Have Read By Now' challenge. It was supposed to be from last month but I took so long in reading it that it bled into October. At the moment I am considering whether or not to continue with the challenge.

Silent In The Grave - Deanna Raybourn

The death of Julia's husband was sudden although not unexpected since his whole family die young from heart conditions. So when Mr Brisbane suggests murder Julia is shocked and doesn't believe a word of it. She spends the next year getting used to being in mourning as befits a lady of her station and looks forward to ridding herself of her widows weeds. Round about then she clears some of Edwards things and finds a rather threatening letter. Maybe Mr Brisbane was right after all. Convinced that Edwards death might not have been natural after all she begs Brisbane to take up the investigation once again. He agrees but to his horror/amusement Julia insists on helping. Little does she realise the danger it will put her in nor how it will possible taint her reputation.

Gabe of Gabriel reads recommended this book months back. I finally picked it up last week when I needed something lighter to read. It was the perfect choice. Silent In The Grave made for an entertaining and yet light read. The author clearly has an obsession with the British Victorian period and indeed the author blurb confirms that. It was almost as though she was using the book to prove to us how much she knows about the era. As a result she seemed to be trying too hard to ensure authenticity. There was too much focus on rituals, proprieties and station. Almost as though the author was trying to hammer home the fact that she is an expert of the period.

Despite that it didn't spoil it for me. I enjoyed the story. It wasn't too taxing and I did like Julia and her family. I especially liked the idea that her family are known to be non conformists. I did get the impression in the first few pages that her father was going to be one of these tyrants but I couldn't have been more wrong. Instead he encourages his children to be bold, especially his daughters.

I was worried about the romance side. Most of you will know that I don't really do romance. I have seen this series of books classified as more romance than crime. I worried for nothing though. Other than some tension between Julia and Brisbane there wasn't much in the way of romance. Perhaps this changes later in the series but for now I am happy to read on. Will definitely be reading more of these books.