The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

The Big Sleep is a crime novel set in Los Angeles and is the first book featuring Raymond Chandler’s private detective Philip Marlowe. The head of a wealthy family is being blackmailed because his daughters are wild and get themselves into situations that they shouldn’t. Marlowe is asked to get the blackmailer to stop what he is doing. When he gets to the blackmailer’s house he hears gunshots and goes inside to find him dead. From the start Marlowe constantly finds himself in the wrong (or right, depending on how you look at it) place at the wrong / right time. This leads him into the seedy world of gangsters, gambling and pornography.

The reason I read this book was because I’d sort of seen the film. I say sort of because I was sick at the time and so kept falling asleep in the cinema. So I thought I’d read the book to find out what I’d missed. However, the film is quite different from the book. As the film was made in 1946 there were probably more restrictions on what they could show than there is today. For example, in the book there is some nudity. There is none whatsoever in the film. In a way the film only used some of the book and changed the end to fit what they’d done with the screenplay.

If you were wondering what order to view or read these in, I would recommend watching the film first and then reading the book to fill in the gaps and plot holes where they’ve had to change the story. If you did it the other way around the inaccuracies may frustrate you somewhat.

We then have the fact that it is written in the first person. I don’t know if Humphrey Bogart had an influence on this but I found it difficult to get into the story. The film is done in a sort of film noir style and the book is the same. This made me feel that the book would be better read in an American accent to properly get into it. Unfortunately I can’t do an American accent so I couldn’t help feeling I was missing out. I’d be interested to hear an audio version of the book to compare the two, or even a cast of people reading the book. The person playing Marlowe would narrate it and the others join in when it cuts to the action.

I didn’t find myself drawn in to the book as much as I had hoped. It does have some nice similes and metaphors but apart from that the writing style is fairly average. It would be interesting to read another Raymond Chandler book where I could go into it with no expectations. The Big Sleep isn’t bad, just not what I was expecting. The plot was different from your average crime novel too, as the detective accidentally finds himself investigating murders when to begin with it was just a simple blackmail case. I can’t help but feel it’s an easier read for Americans or people who know America well, which I don’t.

Overall rating 3 out of 5.

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

The Snowman is a crime book set in Norway. It is the 7^th book in the series he has written featuring his detective Harry Hole. Harry is a borderline alcoholic with an ex-wife and step-son who he still has a reasonably happy relationship. So far so every other detective ever. Except they don’t usually get on with ex-partners so he does differ there. I haven’t read much Scandinavian crime but will definitely read more. The only detective I have to compare Hole to is Wallander and I didn’t find him very likeable. Harry is a lot more likeable. He enjoys his job and is determined to get results even if that means he annoys everyone around him.

The book features a serial killer who kills women who have had children as a result of having an affair. The title of the book, and the serial killer’s nickname for each must have one, is because he builds a snowman at most crime scenes. The victim is sometimes found with the snowman, sometimes the snowman is there instead of a body. Before you read the book you may think, like me, that snowmen aren’t something to be frightened of. Once you’ve read the book you will not be able to look at snowmen without thinking of the gruesome murders that occur in this book.

Scandinavian crime is popular at the moment and for good reason. Something about the weather and the people and the geography combine to make a good setting for a murder. However I’ve found that it has made me want to visit Norway or Sweden rather than put me off going. There is still something quite romantic about the countries. A certain charm to them that you feel you could visit and not worry about being murdered. I realise it’s only a story but the sheer volume of crime books coming from that part of the world could put you off.

Jo Nesbo writes really well and pulls you into the story straight away. I suppose you could sort of compare him to Lee Child in his style because once you start reading both authors you are hooked and they are both good at leading you down false trails and then turning everything upside down causing you to think something else. I wasn’t able to figure out who the killer was until it was pretty much a neon sign hovering above the character’s name saying ‘THIS PERSON IS THE MURDERER’. He also takes you on a rollercoaster of suspense, action and emotion throughout the book. A lot of these things you’ve seen before, like people getting chased through woods in the dark, but that doesn’t stop you getting caught up in it every time.

This was the first Jo Nesbo book that I’ve read although I’ve been meaning to read his books for some time now. I chose this particular book as Martin Scorsese is going to turn it into a film which, having read the book, I’m not sure if I want to see as it may be too scary. I am glad it finally got me to read it as it was brilliant. I will definitely be reading more of his work. Nesbo is hailed as the next Stieg Larsson which I don’t think is accurate. Their styles of writing are very different. Nesbo’s books are a lot more accessible the Larsson’s and more fun to read. Not that I didn’t really enjoy Larsson but it was more effort to read.

This is near enough your regular crime novel. It’s something to read to scare yourself before you go to bed. You let the author do all the work while you’re just along for the ride. Fans of crime will like this book. For people who don’t, it’s not your sort of book. It’s best seller material and there’s nothing wrong with that. It won’t win literary prizes, but that’s not why it was written. It was written to be enjoyed and that is absolutely what it does.

Jo Nesbo deserves the praise and new following that he is getting at the moment. He writes from a reader’s view point. He writes what would scare him or what has scared him. And really that’s the only way to do it. To take little things from real life and work them into the story at certain points. If you can relate to or imagine it then you know how scared the character is. Most people can’t imagine what it’s like to have a murderer after you but do know what it’s like to be home alone at night and hear strange noises that you notice on your own that you wouldn’t if there were other people with you. It’s an entertaining story and lives up to the hype.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5.

Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe

The Pirates! in an adventure with Scientists is a silly book by Gideon Defoe. As you can probably guess from the title it is about some pirates. And some scientists. The pirates aren’t especially scary although you wouldn’t want to mess with them as they are still handy with a cutlass. They sail around having adventures and singing sea shanties.

The pirates are lead by the Pirate Captain, who has exceptionally nice hair. The pirates don’t have names, just descriptions. For example, the one with the red scarf and the one with a hook for a hand. You have all of your stereotypical pirate personalities amongst the crew which is good because that way you know they are serious about pirating.

The main scientist that they encounter is Charles Darwin. He is on his way back to England having done some research on chimpanzees. The only problem is that Darwin’s brother has gone missing and is suspected of being kidnapped by the Bishop of Oxford. The pirates offer to help Darwin find his brother, although they need to be careful as they aren’t strictly supposed to be in England after what happened last time.

The book is a quick, fun read and is in many ways a book version of some of the modern animated films. It is fine for all ages but there is something extra for adults too with the subtle jokes. There are also references to other things that you may need to be middle class to get such as Desert Island Discs. Adding these goodies makes you pleased when you spot them but fit with the story in a way that it wouldn’t matter if you didn’t.

Defoe has put footnotes for some of the things he mentions in the book. These are facts that are related to something he has mentioned in the book, like the history of walking the plank. For people like me who struggle to read non-fiction but like learning facts, this is a fun way to do it. You read about pirates doing piratey things and learn about the history of pirating at the same time.

This is a fun book that you can enjoy on more than one level. It is pure silliness at times and at others, while still silly, it does incorporate a certain amount of historical accuracy. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked it up but I wasn’t disappointed. In some ways it does feel more like a children’s book than an adult one but there’s nothing wrong with that. I would read more of The Pirates! series as the titles sound fun.

If you need a book to cheer you up, I would recommend this. It just takes the piss out of the stereotypes of the time. At the end of the book there are also some discussion questions a la book group reads. Only I don’t think book groups will be asking each other whether one of the main themes of the book is ham.

Overall rating 3 out of 5

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

The Pickwick Papers was Dickens’ first book and I chose it for this reason. Having never really tried to read Dickens before I thought I’d start at the beginning. Also the fact that this is a comic book rather than a not very nice story of poverty and abuse, I thought it was a good way to start my introduction to Dickens’ work.

The book is sort of a character study of Mr Pickwick and his friends. Mr Pickwick is a wealthy bachelor who decides to start his own club, named after himself, to let him help young men out when they move to London. He sees these men as his adopted children and does everything he can to help them.

Pickwick and his friends, Mr Winkle, Mr Tupman and Mr Snodgrass, decide to go on the equivalent of a 19^th Century road trip. Along the way, Mr Pickwick acquires a manservant in the form of a young man named Sam Weller. Weller is bright and street smart whereas Mr Pickwick is not. Therefore Sam is required to get Mr Pickwick and friends out of one or two scrapes that they find themselves in.

If the Pickwick papers were set now, it would not be in the form of a book but in the form of bad American comedy films. It has all of the clichés in it that we now take for granted. I don’t know how much these things were cliché back then but it is amusing to read it now and try to think how influential it seems on a lot of comedies we have now. Mr Pickwick and his friends do many silly things including being drunk and falling asleep in a wheelbarrow, unintentionally proposing to women, being tricked by conmen who pretend to be high flyers in society and claiming they can do things but when called upon to demonstrate their claims, it is obvious to all that they can’t. I believe all the things mentioned above have been used in a bad comedy film at some point.

The Pickwick Papers was originally released in serial form, and having the plot device of a road trip helps. It is like having lots of small stories put together. As the characters move from place to place or are introduced to new characters, you can see how it would leave the readers wanting to know what would happen to the gang next. Some of the characters they meet recur and some don’t. You can see how readers would like some of the minor characters and would be pleased when they make a reappearance.

Mr Pickwick’s friends are your general personality types. Mr Winkle claims he is able to do various activities, such as shooting, when in fact he can’t. He is also a fan of the ladies and is out to impress one in particular who he meets on their travels. Mr Tupman doesn’t feature too heavily in the book but he is also partial to the ladies but ends up attracting all the old widows instead of the young, pretty girls. Mr Snodgrass is the poet of the group and any of the entries of the Pickwick Papers written using his notes are always flowery. As you can probably guess, he is also on the lookout for love.

Probably the most interesting character in the book is Sam Weller. He takes it upon himself to look after this hapless bunch, even at the expense of his freedom and love life. Sam is the glue that holds the book together. He organises all their trips, he helps Pickwick make the right choices without realising Sam has manipulated him and he match-makes for one of Mr Pickwick’s friends. We also learn the most about Sam as we get to meet his dad and step-mum and often visit the pub where they live and work. Sam juggles looking after Mr Pickwick with looking after his dad.

Much to my surprise I did quite enjoy reading the Pickwick Papers. It certainly didn’t make me think I would never read Dickens again. If I did read more Dickens I think I’d stick to reading his books in the order they were written in so would read Oliver Twist next. All of the main characters in the book are likable people. Some of the minor characters who aren’t so likable are made fun of by Dickens so you know it’s okay not to like them. Some of Dickens opinions that come through are still relevant today such as egotistical newspaper editors and odious lawyers. Nothing changes.

Overall rating 5 stars

Introduction

Hello. My name is Jo and I am a book addict.

I will be using this blog to post book reviews. It will be a mixture of books; Childrens, YA and Adult books.

I will try to upload a blog twice a week but that depends on the length of the book!