Little Dorrit

Title: Little Dorrit

Author: Charles Dickens

Pages: 848 (paperback, with some extra stuff at the beginning and end)

Published: April 1st 2009; originally published 1885-1857

Published by: Vintage Classics

Amy Dorrit’s father is not very good with money. She was born in the Marshalsea debtors’ prison and has lived there with her family for all of her twenty-two years, only leaving during the day to work as a seamstress for the forbidding Mrs. Clennam. But Amy’s fortunes are about to change: the arrival of Mrs. Clennam’s son Arthur, back from working in China, heralds the beginning of stunning revelations not just about Amy but also about Arthur himself.

Amy Dorrit lives with her father in a debtors prison, hiding the fact that she works for their living and that her older brother and sister work (or attempt to) to support themselves. He is something of a broken man, once prosperous but now without a penny to his name and dismayed by this fact. Then Arthur Clennam returns from working with his now-deceased father in China and finds her working for his mother. His interest is piqued...and he's not the only one. Soon, an unexpected revelation vastly changes the fortunes of the family. All of this takes place on the backdrop of Victorian England, and with the usual array of slightly mad characters seen in Dickens novels.

So, the BBC did an adaptation of this a few years ago, and I watched it maybe 18 months ago. Now the BBC is pretty good at this kind of thing (Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth, anyone?) and I really enjoyed it. Of course, I'd never read the book so I didn't have anything to compare it to, but still. I liked the characters and the story, and it was very easy to watch.

Maybe it's because I already knew the story - so minimising the suspense of 'what's going on? What's going to happen?' - but I struggled a little to keep going whilst reading it. Part of this may be due to Dickens' writing style. There is quite a lot of description and lists and lists of whatever is going on around the characters: food stuffs, things they can see, what people are wearing etc. There is also quite a lot of superfluous description in general, and chapters relatively regularly started with pages and pages of description of where they were based. Yes, this is good in some ways, but in a book this long it becomes a bit difficult after a while.

I've not read much Dickens, but in this book he did something I'd never come across before. Most of the time, we would follow characters around and their actions would be narrated in the standard fashion. Speech in speech marks and all that. But this time, for one character it was more written from the point of an invisible presence or something. People's actions were described, and it was said that they made comments about one thing or another, but the actual interactions weren't really given. I'm sure there's a technical term for it but I don't know it. Now, I didn't like this, and luckily it only occurred in a minority of chapters, but I still didn't like it.

The characters themselves were wonderful, many of them complete with their own little annoying quirks (you know you all have your own!) and you got a real feel for them and to grow to care about (or dislike, as appropriate) many of them. Little Amy Dorrit is sweet and self-sacrificing, always doing what she can for others before thinking of herself. She cares for her father immensely, and does everything she allowed to for him. Her older brother and sister - though her brother isn't really present all that much - are quite the opposite. They think only of themselves and how to achieve their own ends, though Edward doesn't seem to have quite the same capabilities when in comes to succeeding in this as Fanny does. There is also Amy's uncle, and seeing their relationship in particular is lovely, as you get the feeling that he is the only one who truly understands and appreciates all she does, whatever their circumstance in life.

There were a number of quite amusing secondary characters who had their own roles to play, and the Circumlocution Office (a branch of the government which works towards perfecting how to not do things) is a wonderful parody of the government system even now. I suppose something never change!

The story, though long, is quite interesting. There is a good deal of mystery surrounding a couple of people, their actions and motives, and while some things come as a complete surprise, you can work out a couple of things.

Interesting story with good characters, but there was maybe just a little bit too much extra stuff around it all.

Run With the Horsemen

Title: Run with the Horsemen

Author: Ferrol Sams

Series: Porther Osbourne Jr. #1

Pages: 422

Published: August 28th 1982

Published by: Peachtree Publishers

A boy's account of growing up through the rituals of life on an ancestral farm in middle Georgia between the big wars. It is a rueful, humorous story of the people in one rural county, but the telling cuts so deep it breaks through to the universal. Reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Sawyer, and The Catcher in the Rye, "Run with the Horsemen" is the powerfully moving and delightfully endearing story of Porter Osborne Jr.'s journey to adulthood.

It's deep-south USA during the Great Depression. Porter Osbourne Jr. is just doing his best to grow up among all the other stuff going on. Ambitious and intelligent, but also a consummate (thought not always intentional) trouble-maker, he's lives on a cotton plantation with his parents, sisters and much of his extended family, never mind the coloured people who work the farm with them. This books follows the first 15 or so years of his life.

I'm not entirely sure exactly at which point I began to love this book. It's just a series of stories - with a slightly unsatisfying end, at least up until the point where I was told it was the first in a series - about a boy growing up on a farm in Georgia during the depression. That's it. Just...stuff that happens to him, troubles he faces (and gets himself into) and him growing up.

But I do know why I love it. It is, I think, pretty much entirely because of the character of Porter Osbourne Jr. - most commonly referred to in the narrative simply as 'the boy'. He is determined and intelligent and kind-hearted, with quite a strong mischievous streak running through him which provides much entertainment for him and others, but also getting him into trouble on occasion. His father says something at the end of the fist chapter which I think sums him up brilliantly: "He's not a bad boy. He minds well. I just can't think of enough things to tell him not to do." But for all this, he is principled: he stands up for what he believes is right no matter what, and that is because of his parents.

You don't see much of his mother. She is present but not central, but he obviously loves her and she has done a wonderful job of bringing him up 'proper'. When it comes to his father, he teaches him some very good lessons but is very flawed. The start of the book put me in mind of To Kill a Mockingbird namely because of the setting I believe, but now I think about it, Porter Osbourne Sr. is similar to Atticus Finch, but a less perfect version. He does his best to bring up his children well and give them freedom to grow and learn, but he has some quite significant flaws of his which inhibit this somewhat, and he is a lot more absent that Atticus.

Each chapter is a self-contained little story and while some of them are better than others, all of them are enjoyable. Of course, with this comes the problem that most of the time, though the writing is engaging, there is a natural breaking point at the end of each chapter as whichever little story is wrapped up. Unfortunately, this makes it all too easy to put the book down at the end of each chapter, and is probably a lot of the reason why it took me as long as it did to read this book. On top of this, the very southern accents of the coloured staff made it difficult at times to understand just what was being said. I have minimal experience of this accent, so it may be that this is less of an issue for those who are more used to it, but it was a little difficult at times. 

Still, overall a very good book.

Wool Series

Titles: Wool; Proper Gauge; Casting Off
Series: Wool #1-3
Author: Hugh Howey
Pages: 298 total (ebook)
Published: July/November/December 2011
Published by: Broad Reach Publishing

Blurb from the omnibus edition (Wool #1-5)

This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.

The world has gone to pot, and what remains of humanity resides within a silo: a self-sufficient tower with all they need to survive. Including a window onto the outside, so they can always see the corrosion of the planet due to the toxic atmosphere. The very worst crimes are punishable by cleaning: being sent outside to clean the camera lenses which give them this picture, shortly followed by certain death in spite of the protective suits they are given.

I'll hold my hands up and admit that I started reading this series because they were free ebooks. What's not to like about that? Free stuff is always good! It gives me a chance to explore new authors, and if I don't like them it doesn't even matter 'cos it doesn't cost a thing - a win/win situation the way I see it. But this series is definitely an overall win: I've read the three books over the past two and a half months and thoroughly enjoyed each one of them.

They all follow a separate character, but the progression from character to character makes sense, and all follows and continues the thread of the same story. They each have a distinct voice and move the story forwards in their own way, slowly showing you something of the extent of the corruption within the silo.

First is Holston, the sheriff of the silo. His story unfolds both the present day, and with flashbacks to three years earlier when his wife had gone crazy and demanded to be let outside. The descriptions of life within the silo are well done, and you aren't overloaded with details being thrown at you. They're slipped in naturally in the narrative, and you build up a picture throughout each of the books. By the end of the book, you find out what caused his wife's actions, and come to a shocking realisation about the internal workings of the silo.

Book two picks up right after, this time with Mayor Jahns providing the story. She and the deputy sheriff - Marnes - set off on a journey down the depth of the silo, right to the Mech levels right at the very bottom. This one has more of an information-y feel, giving you more about the functioning of the silo and the power struggles, as well as more clues to the underlying conspiracy. Complete with another shock ending, you are slowly pulled more and more into this world.

The third book followed Juliette as she tries to adjust to life on the top levels after spending decades down in the Mech level. She understands machines, not people, but the analogies she draws between the two are wonderful. Her journey is probably my favourite thus far and I really like her character. She's smart, and quickly gets to grips with the things she needs to, even when thrown in a little at the deep end. The end of this book is the most gripping of the three, and I'm incredibly interested to see what happens in the next book.

Howey has created a wonderfully unique voice for each character, the life they've lived tinting the way they think, the way they see and understand the world and those around them. The silo is well thought out, though the world-building is limited, namely because of the limitations of the whole world being confined to a tower. The plot doesn't really suffer because of this, though. It's interesting and goes along at a good pace. Each book is longer than the last (70, 107 and 122 pages respectively), so each story arc is given more time to develop as you learn more.

Obviously, you know things that the characters in books 2 and 3 don't know - you've followed the progression of events and are party to things that they just can't know, so you have a much more complete view of things than either of them do. You have to sit through them discovering or working out things that you already know, but for the most part this isn't a significant issue. There's usually some new information divulged during the course of this, and the story doesn't drag as a result of this necessary rehashing.

My one real complaint with this book is a technical one rather than a literary one: books 4 and 5 no longer seem to be available as stand-alone novels, which means I'll have to invest in the 1-5 omnibus to finish the story. Of course, what happens at the end of book 3 means that this will definitely be happening at some point! A gripping tale, and one which has me quite eager to get back to Wool's world.

The Song of Achilles

Title: The Song of Achilles
Author: Madeline Miller
Pages: 368 (paperback)
Published: April 12th 2012
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. Here he is just another unwanted boy living in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his wing. As they grow into young men their bond blossoms into something far deeper — despite the displeasure of Achilles's mother. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned.

This story is set around the time of the Trojan war - about 3200 years ago. Greece was just a series of small, independently ruled kingdoms, and they waged war on the heretofore unbeaten city of Troy. Here we see the story of Achilles as he grows up and fights in this war. There are gods, goddesses, demi-gods and centaurs abounding in his journey with his best friend Patroclus.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book. What I knew about Achilles before reading it can be summed up in two (very short) sentences: Fabled warrior who fought against Troy when Helen ran away with Paris from whom the phrase 'Achilles heel' was taken. His heel was apparently his only vulnerable spot after his mother dipped him in a river giving him immortality, but held him by his heel as she did so.

Literally, this is everything I knew about Achilles before I started reading, most taken from the film Troy, and quite a lot only a myth - I doubt that he was immortal or a half-god. He was just a great warrior and myths abounded about him at the time.

This story is about Achilles, but less about his life than about his life with Patroclus. It is Patroclus who we first meet, and through whom we see Achilles. They pretty much grow up together from when they meet at age 10, and their relationship is definitely something wonderful.

Miller has obviously done her research - and as a lecturer of Ancient Greek you'd definitely hope so too - and seems to the know the story as it is recorded very well. The personalities of all the characters come through clearly, and there is always some level of logic to their actions. There is a lot of ancient Greek pop culture/mythology stuff thrown in there, but you never feel overwhelmed by it. Stories are told to demystify characters which would have been household names at the time, and gods and mythological creatures get the same treatment without unnecessary depth.

It covers a rather hefty length of time, 28+ years all told, but it skips over the unimportant parts very quicklys and focuses on those times where things actually happen, and all in all is written in a way which was very easy to read. I can't really pinpoint why, but I never had to work at reading it particularly. No, it wasn't the most gripping book in the world, but it was interesting and there were some places where it was definitely a page-turner.

As I said before, this book is really all about Patroclus and Achilles. It is wonderful seeing them grow up together and grow closer through their life together, and the end is a little bit heat-breaking. The depth of their feeling for each other is wonderfully portrayed, even if there is some question as to the exact nature of their relationship in actuality. You can see the ways in which they help each other, how they help each other to be better in so many ways and how they are utterly devoted to each other.

An interesting book, and something I'd easily recommend.