Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy (1873)

Anna Karenina

I picked up this book immediately after reading Our Mutual Friend, and by a strange coincidence it appears Tolstoy did the same when writing it. He makes an early reference to an obscure character from Dickens’ dark tale, and then proceeds to give us a story which shares its unusual structure as we follow the largely unrelated life stories of the eponymous Anna and of the lovable but overly analytical Konstantin Levin.

Levin’s part of the story is mostly a gentle affair, as he experiences life ups and downs while continuously wrestling with deep philosophical questions of right and wrong, the meaning of existence, and his relationship with his land and the peasants who work on it. He marries a nice girl and eventually pulls himself together to provide a happy ending of sorts.

Anna Karenina’s section is very different. She cheats on her husband, abandons her child and then finds that the life of an adulteress is not easy in 19^th century Russia. Unable to find any easy answers to her problems she eventually spirals towards depression, madness and suicide. It would have been easy for Tolstoy to awaken our sympathy for Anna by making her a better mother, or her husband an intolerable monster but he avoids going down this route. One of Anna’s chief grievances against her spouse, for example, is that he has sticking out ears.

I found myself warming to Anna less and less as the story progressed, despite her beauty, intelligence and charm, and it was only in the very last moments of her life that I found myself suddenly feeling sorry for her – if this was Tolstoy’s aim he achieves it brilliantly. What he does less well is the ending of the book, which in my opinion should have closed with Anna’s death. Instead, in a manner reminiscent of War and Peace, we have to wade through another hundred pages of philosophical waffle in order to find out what happens to Levin (he cheers up a bit).

Another feature which the book shares with Tolstoy’s best known work is the concept of having multiple characters with the same name. I thought he may have done this almost by accident with the many Nikolays of War and Peace, but there is no excuse for giving Anna’s husband and lover the same first name - come on Tolstoy!

Rating: 7/10 – decent effort with a few flaws

Other Resources for this Book:

- Free Download 

- The Bookshelf Review

 

The Woman Who Died A Lot, Jasper Fforde (2012)

I am a massive Thursday Next fan, to the extent that I shed a tear when Thursday died aged 120 at the end of her 4th book, seemingly never to return. Luckily Jasper Fforde doesn't follow the normal rules of literature and Thursday was soon back for more adventures.

As usual the Goliath corporation are up to no good, trying to make money out of the tragic smiting of Swindon by an all powerful deity. It's up to Thursday to stop them in an enjoyable romp involving time travel, cloning and librarians who shoot to kill (as authorised by the "Shush" law).

I found this book more enjoyable than its 2 predecessors, the best since the original (classic) series of 4 books. Fforde has been writing various other books recently - not featuring Thursday Next - all of which are worth reading, but the literary detective remains his finest creation. Keep 'em coming Jasper :)

Rating: 7/10 - the 4th best of the seven in the series.

Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens (1864)

Our Mutual Friend is sometimes considered to be an under appreciated gem amongst Dickens' better known works, so I had high expectations.

The book opens with a sinister and brooding scene that reminded me at once of another of his later works, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The story then shifts rapidly to a humorously satirical portrayal of the Veneerings, a couple of superficial social climbers whose many dinner parties provide the setting for several chapters of the book. The blend of dark tragedy with genuinely comical moments continues throughout an enjoyable story.

If one can take a single message away from this book it would be that love is more important than money, and this point is hammered home fairly hard by the author.

The book follows the largely unrelated fortunes of Lizzie Hexam and John Rokesmith, whose lives are briefly linked when Lizzie's father is wrongly accused of John's murder. Both strands of the tale become love stories as Lizzie falls for an indolent lawyer far above her lowly station, while John pursues Bella - a girl selected for him (for reasons unknown) by his father during his unhappy childhood.

Lizzie's story makes grim reading as we see her lose her father and then attract the attentions of an unhinged stalker, whose obsessive passion forces her to flee London. Meanwhile, John wins Bella's heart while featuring in a real collectors' item - a truly surprising Dickensian plot twist.

I enjoyed Lizzie's half of the book most. Dickens is so busy fooling is with John that by necessity we can't really get to know him, and the way he deceives his young wife "for her own good" is rather unsavoury to a modern reader. That said, the book has one of the author's greatest supporting casts including one of my all time favourites (Jenny Wren). It's a well-written page turner that falls just sort of greatness.

 

Rating: 7/10 - no Oliver Twist, but well worth reading

 

Up Next: Anna Karenina - I'm hoping for War and Peace without all that boring "War" nonsense.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (1814)

Jane Austen impressed me first time around with Pride and Prejudice... could the follow up novel be even better?

The author must have set out to show she had more than one good plot in her, creating a heroine whose situation and character could hardly be more different from P&P's Lizzie Bennett. The story centres around the amusingly named Fanny Price (all the more perfect for being set in a time when marriage was very transactional) who is as timid and insecure as Lizzie was determined and confident.

Placed in the care of her rich and kindly but severe uncle at the age of 10, we see Fanny grow up to be a young woman while falling in love with her cousin Edmund. Fanny and Edmund then arouse the romantic interests of Henry and Mary Crawford, a brother and sister staying with their neighbours. The Crawfords eventually prove themselves to be highly unsuitable and true love wins out, uniting the 2 cousins at the novel's close.

What was good about this book

Just as with Pride and Prejudice it's hard to believe this book was written 200 years ago, thanks to the fast pace and accessible style. The rascals of the story, the Crawfords and mean Aunt Norris, are especially well portrayed. There were some nicely unpredictable situations, and Fanny's eventual fate doesn't become clear until very near the end.

What was bad about this book

I imagine most modern readers will find it hard to warm to shy and cautious Fanny or the excessively pious and moralising Edmund. The fact that love between cousins has fallen out of favour a little over the past two centuries makes it harder to root for them getting together, and I found the selfish and careless Crawfords growing on me instead.

The ending is the worst part of the book, with the reader learning of some of the more exciting events only through letters received by Fanny rather than first hand. The happy ending is hurriedly described in a few lines and I was left feeling like I had been cheated out of another 20 pages or so. 

Lastly, despite the huge scope for innuendo arising from the name of our heroine, Austen gives us only one line to snigger over, as the womaniser Henry Crawford remarks "No, it is 'Fanny' that I think of all day, and dream of all night."

Rating 6/10 - Jane shows promise but must be more consistent in the quality of her work.

Coming Next "Our Mutual Friend" - which I have a feeling may be a little edgier.

The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley (1862)

A classic of Victorian children's literature... perfect for a lover of children's books and all things Victorian?

The story follows the adventures of a young orphan chimney sweep named Tom, who experiences an afterlife of sorts as a water baby after drowning in river. There are many moral lessons for Tom (and the reader) to learn before he can become human once again.

I had fond memories of reading an abridged (and beautifully illustrated) version as a child and expected to love this adventure from start to finish. Sadly I found myself disappointed and was soon counting down the pages before it was over and I could move on to Mansfield Park.

Some of my favourite books, such as Alice in Wonderland or Peter Pan, can be read to today's children with few modifications, but that certainly not the case with The Water Babies. Although it was written for a very young child it frequently dwells on unpleasant subjects (including death) which many listening children would find unpleasant and confusing.

What I liked: 

Much of the book is written in the pleasing tone of a father talking directly to a much loved child. Kingsley frequently breaks off from the narrative to highlight a particular point (usually a moral lesson) to his intended listener. Towards the end of the book, when Tom undertakes a quest which takes him on a surreal journey to the other end of nowhere, the story finally starts to feel like an adventure a child might enjoy.

When gently satirising Victorian society Kingsley reveals a liberal view of the world which will resound with most modern readers.

What wasn't great:

I often found myself thinking "Now the story will really get going" but it never quite did. The basic storyline of "boy becomes a tiny water baby and learns some important lessons about life while having a series of adventures" sounds super to my ears, but is not well executed.

Rating: 4/10 

Did I lose sleep because I couldn't put it down?: No - it was rather a chore to slog through

Next book: Mansfield Park - can't wait! :)

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (1813)

A timeless search for love in the classic blueprint for romance novels - could it set my heart racing?

The first thing that struck me about this book, particularly in contrast to the book I had just put down (Dombey and Son), was the rapid pace at which it introduced me to all the main players and whisked me off to their first ball within the first couple of pages. By the time the ball was over it became clear that amongst the five Bennet sisters central to the plot it was Elizabeth, the 2nd eldest, who was to be our heroine.

Intelligent, independent and determined, Elizabeth has all the qualities that would find favour in a modern romance, so it surprised me that I had never heard her name before picking up the book. This contrasts with the widely known name of her love interest Mr. Darcy, who has somehow become one of the most famous characters in all of romantic fiction despite remaining rather taciturn from start to finish.

After a series of false starts and set backs, Elizabeth and Darcy (whose first name, Fitzwilliam, is barely mentioned) are eventually united at the novels close. The story would actually have been successfully concluded a lot quicker were it not considered ill-mannered to plainly state your feelings about anything.

What was good about this book:

Elizabeth is a very well-written character, in whose minor imperfections I imagine most readers can see something of themselves. The book provides a fascinating insight into a world where women's ambitions were narrowly constrained to marrying well, and a reminder of how difficult simple misunderstandings would have been to resolve without Facebook or text messages. It's impossible not to root for Elizabeth as she eventually prevails over Darcy's snobby aunt and sniping admirers, and the story comes to a pleasing if predictable feel-good ending.

What was bad about this book:

The story lacks the bite of my favourite "love story" Wuthering Heights, and one often has to resist the urge to give the characters a shake/slap as they dance around the most important moments of their lives. There are no surprises to be found as the inevitable happy ending arrives.

The verdict: 

A lighthearted classic of the genre - I'll be going back for more Austen.

Score: 8/10

Dombey and Son, by Charles Dickens (1848)

As a huge fan of Charles Dickens I have read all of his better-known works, and I'm now working my way through his more obscure novels. Dombey and Son came 11th in a recent poll to find Dickens' most popular book, but is it a hidden gem?  

[Spoiler Alert - Don't read this post until you have read the book]

Dombey and Son focuses on the eponymous character's pride and obsession with the grandeur of his business, and the effects of this obsession on his relationships. The hero of the book is his daughter Florence, who struggles unsuccessfully to win her father's affection for nearly 900 pages.

What I liked:

While many critics dismiss the book as becoming pointless after the early death of Dombey's son Paul (and Dickens felt the same about it), I was engaged and touched by Florence's struggle for love and acceptance. This may be because I have a daughter of the same age as Florence is when the novel opens (although my daughter has no such struggle to contend with).

As always with Dickens there are several wonderfully depicted supporting characters, amongst whom the lovable imbecile Captain Cuttle stands out especially. The haughty and self-destructive Edith Granger is an interesting departure from most of Dickens' female characters and Mr Carker makes a suitable panto villain.

It's not big and it's not clever, but lovers of unintentional double entendres are richly rewarded by this book - mostly because of the character Walter Gay. Who could read the following passage without at least a smile?:

'Gay,' said Mr Dombey, turning a little to look at him over his shoulder. 'Here is a—
'An opening,' said Mr Carker, with his mouth stretched to the utmost.

Snigger.

What I didn't like:

Like Oliver Twist, Little Nell and Little Dorrit, Florence Dombey is perhaps almost too perfect for me to fully embrace her. We get to see her grow up from 6 to 17 over the course of the book (unlike those three characters) but over that time her character nevers evolves far beyond the timid girl we meet on page 2.

A fair amount of time is spent arousing our interest in Alice, an interest which feels slightly wasted by the time she dies towards the end of the book having had little impact upon the story's key events.

There is no surprise whatsoever when Gay miraculously reappears after being presumed dead for the past 500 pages - explaining that he has been too busy to write a letter in the year since his shipwreck.

Lastly, the happy ending (drawn out rather longer than usual) is marred for me because we are not privy to Dombey's inner thoughts (he is too grand to allow us that) and we don't really come to feel sympathy for him or understand the thought process by which he finally realizes that he has wronged Florence and that he does love her after all.

Score:
7/10 - a good read, a page turner at times, but not up to the standard of his finer works.

Do you like pandas? I'm rather partial to them. They seem to like eating bamboo.