Care of Wooden Floors by Will Wiles

Care of Wooden Floors is about a man who goes to stay in his friend’s flat while he is away in America. The flat is in an unknown country in Eastern Europe. The narrator’s friend, Oskar, is a bit fussy when it comes to being tidy and everything being in its rightful place. Oskar has left helpful notes around the flat suggesting things the narrator might do, go to a concert, and instructions on when and how much to feed the cats. A fact he emphasises is that the wooden floors in his flat are very expensive, so the narrator must try to keep the in the state in which he found them. Clean. As you can probably guess – chaos ensues.

The reader never learns the name of the narrator of the book and I’m not sure why that is. There is no reason for him to be anonymous. The only thing I can think of is that Wiles is trying to make the flat the main character rather than the narrator. However, this is speculation and only come to me having reached the end of the book. The unknown location sort of makes sense because someone from that place will inevitably read it and find something wrong with the description. But why not make a name up? I thought the air of mystery was a bit over-dramatic.

Wiles has quite a flowery style of writing. Not everything needs to be a simile or a metaphor or even both. Wiles didn’t seem to get this memo. Probably half of the descriptions are unnecessary. The book isn’t that long anyway but you could definitely lose a few pages. It distracts you from the story because once you’ve read this long description you then have to remember what happened before that. Although, to be fair, not a lot happens. You can’t help but think he’s just been on a creative writing course and tried a bit too hard to get it exactly right.

This is supposed to be a funny book. I didn’t find anything funny in the book. I can see where he was trying to be funny by causing unfortunate things to happen but that’s not the kind of thing I find funny. Also, slapstick is very difficult to write, being such a visual form. Maybe some nice word play or something would have been better. Comedy is a difficult genre to write and this book shows this. On the other hand, if it’s not supposed to be funny then I’m not really sure what was going on. It’s a little bit like Peep Show, so if you like that you may like this. However, for me neither book, nor Peep Show, are funny. They’re awkward.

The narrator of the book doesn’t seem like a particularly nice person. You don’t really learn an awful lot about him but he doesn’t seem to be very happy but at the same time doesn’t want to change that. He plans to do some writing while staying in the flat yet doesn’t do any. He spends the whole time drinking wine or being passed out from drinking wine. There are only so many times you can have this happen in a book before it gets boring. The book takes place over eight days. Perhaps six of those days he wakes up from having drunk too much. I didn’t find myself able to relate to this book at all.

Overall rating 2 out of 5.

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

The Woman in Black is a ghost story. It is narrated by Arthur Kipps, a solicitor, who has been sent to go over the papers of an old lady who has died to see if there is anything useful there. The lady lives on the outskirts of a small village in the English Countryside. Her house is slightly unusual in that it is only accessible at low tide via a causeway. Arthur starts seeing a woman dressed all in black in different places, sort of following him around. He ends up staying in the house as there is so much to sort through. At night he starts hearing strange noises. He gets properly freaked out as this happens every night in one form or another. He decides the best thing to do is just get the hell out of there, so he does. He is narrating this story because he feels he needs to tell someone because it still haunts him even though he is now an old man.

To begin with, I was a bit reluctant to read this book. I had read another of Susan Hill’s books at school and really didn’t like it. Mainly for the subject matter. So I was a bit unsure how this would turn out. The story is told simply and really doesn’t take that long to read. It gradually builds up the suspense of who the ghost is and why she is there. You can figure out the story for yourself along the way too as she leaves clues that people mention or something that Arthur reads in the old lady’s papers. It was fairly predictable with the plot line, and I would have maybe liked a bit more to happen in it. However, it seems to me that Hill is trying to make it more realistic and less Hollywood, as it the temptation with this sort of book.

The story is well told although I didn’t feel I quite got the sense of just how terrified he was of being in that house. Being such a short story was sort of odd too. She could have easily made the books twice as long with accounts of other villagers’ experiences and more of the ghost. I suppose she figured that less is more and we could fill in the gaps for ourselves. The only problem with that is that not everyone has a very good imagination! In a way, it is perfect for making into a film because you can read the book and then watch it to get the atmosphere. As part of the scariness is the weird noises, that should come across better on screen.

I liked the book more than I was expecting to but it’s not the greatest book I’ve ever read. It’s classed as a teenage book and I think that’s about right. It’s a bit simplistic for an older audience but just about right for a teenager who wants a good ghost story to read. Ghost stories are just as bad as horror stories for their stereotypes. I think Hill has ignored these and just written it how she wants to, which is how I think you need to approach such a genre. I might consider giving Susan Hill another chance and read more of her books as I am aware she is a well liked author. The Woman in Black is a fun read and I will now be watching the film to see how that compares.

Overall rating 3 out of 5.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Cloud Atlas is sort of six stories in one and spans hundreds of years. It starts with the diary of Adam Ewing, an American who has travelled to the Chatham Islands near New Zealand. The letters of Robert Frobisher to Rufus Sixsmith follow this, an Englishman who has been disowned by his father so travelled to Belgium to study under now-disabled musician Vyvyan Ayrs. The text becomes a chaptered story of Luisa Rey. She is an American journalist who, after meeting Rufus Sixsmith, discovers that a power plant are planning to open up despite the fact that the site is unsafe. Investigative journalism can be a dangerous business. Next a monologue. Timothy Cavendish is a publicist who has just hit the big time because one of his clients, Dermot Hoggins, has murdered a critic. Hoggins’ brothers want a share of the money but Cavendish doesn’t have it. He goes on the run and ends up trapped in an old people’s home. We are then propelled into the future where there are robotic human clones who do everything for us. One of them, Sonmi-451, is in prison being interviewed as she’s had the gall to rebel against the norm. With the help of the Union rebels she has become a functioning human. The final part takes place after the apocalypse where nothing is safe anymore. An army is out killing everyone and Zachry has to live with this constant threat.

Although it sounds complicated, all the stories are linked together so it makes sense as you work your way through the stories. The order of the book is Adam, Robert, Louisa, Timothy, Sonmi-451, Zachry, Sonmi-451, Timothy, Louisa, Robert, Adam. To begin with I thought this was a bit odd but because the book takes place over such a long period of time, having that sequence keeps you connected to all the characters. Not all of the characters are likable but you know you’ll be moving on before too long. The style of each story helps differentiate between all the main characters and who the minor characters are in each story. Each main character is so different from the last that it is enjoyable to explore the personality of each person. Some find themselves in peril by accident but others are born into this scary world.

The book is well written and keeps your attention throughout. Some of the stories are left on cliff-hangers until you get to the next part. As long as this is the only book you are reading at the time and you have the time to read it on consecutive days, rather than leaving weeks in between reading, you can pretty much remember where it left off and so join back in with the narrative. Had this been his first book I’m not sure anyone would have gone for it, but as he is an established writer, people trust him to resolve it adequately. Some characters it would be interesting to know how they spent the rest of their lives. But in a way that’s not really the point and you do get some clues in the second half of their tales, or in the next tale in the timeline.

I wouldn’t say that this book is a light read although it does draw you in. I suppose it’s more a comment on the human condition. In general, people are the same, have been and will continue to be. It’s all about survival of the fittest. In our case, the fittest is the person who has power over others either in money or knowledge. There is also that humans like to be in control of their surroundings and their lives. None of our main characters are really in control of their lives and it’s how they react to this, given what control they do have, that is interesting. And at the end of the day, you just have to make the best of what you’ve got.

I would recommend this book although I don’t think it’s to everyone’s taste. David Mitchell knows how to write and I will try and read more of his books in the future. I did try and read this book once before. I don’t think I was in a reading mood particularly and so gave up fairly quickly. Reading it this time I was up for an epic story and that was exactly what I got. The book starts in the middle of Adam’s trip to the Chatham Islands. I had to Google the Islands. Having found out they were real and where abouts they were I felt more engaged with the book and once I’d started I couldn’t put it down! Some of the future scenes were a bit tricky to picture but I think that’s more my problem than the author’s lack of skill.

Overall rating 5 out of 5.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Shadow of the Wind is sort of an adventure book. It begins with ten year old Daniel being taken to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by his dad. Daniel’s dad runs a bookshop in Barcelona and sometimes has cause to visit the Forgotten Books. This being Daniel’s first visit, he is allowed to borrow a book. The Cemetery is a labyrinth and he lets himself get lost until he finds a book that is calling out to him to be picked. That book is ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ by Julian Carax. It is the last book he wrote. Daniel stays up the whole night reading it and wants to read more of Carax’s books as well as find out more about Carax himself. This is not as easy as you would think. Someone has been buying all of Carax’s books and burning them. Daniel wants to know why.

The story takes place between the years 1945 and 1966. The reader follows Daniel as he grows up, makes friends and falls in love. However, his life is never separate from that of Julian Carax. While growing up Daniel is always looking out for Carax’s books and meeting people who knew or remember him. When you are reading the book, there is always a presence lurking in the background, out of the main action. Occasionally Daniel senses or even sees this presence which scares him but doesn’t stop him from wanting to find out what it means. Through his quest, Daniel finds himself becoming part of family’s lives. At the same time he is also reuniting people from Julian Carax’s life who are all now leading separate lives after his disappearance to Paris.

Books play a big part in this book. Without books there wouldn’t be a puzzle to solve and without books there wouldn’t be people who would be able to help. Daniel makes friends with Fermin Romero de Torres, an eccentric war veteran who can talk information out of anyone. As well as being comic relief, he also plays a major role in keeping things moving. It’s not the easiest book to read as there are lots of threads that all join up towards the end. As there are so many strands, it can be tricky to keep track of who everyone is. Sometimes there weren’t enough prompts to remember who people were but there are several families involved, it wasn’t too bad.

The book is really about Julian Carax being told by the people who knew him. Some well, some not so well. Some friends, some enemies. Almost every character gets a full story because they grew up with Julian or explain their background in order to show how they met Julian. Barcelona is the only setting and it could be described a bit more than it is. There are some slum areas where several people are living on top of each other, with just one or two rooms each. There are more affluent areas with mansions that have their own chapels and crypts. The edition that I read had a walk on the back where you could visit some of the locations mentioned in the book. I thought this was a nice idea as it does make you want to visit.

I didn’t really know what to expect with this book but I enjoyed it and will read the rest in the series. I don’t know what it is but the Spanish seem to be able to do threatening and sinister well. One of the characters is very much a baddie who you would definitely not want to get on the wrong side of. This is demonstrated in the climax of the book when everything comes to a head. Once you get three quarters of the way through the book you know what is going to happen and can see what the author is doing with the characters of Daniel and Julian. Other than that the story held my attention throughout and all the information is divided between conversation and letters so that you don’t get overwhelmed with all you are being told. Most of the characters are likeable and you want them to be happy. What is interesting is how different people growing up together can turn out so differently from one event taking place. In this case, the attempted murder of Julian after he decides to pursue a girl who one of the others in his group thinks himself in love with.

As well as being a good story I found it to be a good study of the human being. I suppose that books are very important for that. Different personality types deal with things in their own way and you are bound to sympathise with some more than others. And also how people deal with making their own mistakes and seeing other people make mistakes. Some take note and learn from it while others are not like that. I thought that was interesting.

Overall rating 4 out of 5.

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist follows the story of orphan Oliver from his birth until he is a teenager. In this short space of time, more happens to Oliver than happens to most people in their whole lives. His mother dies giving birth to him and his father is unknown. As a result, Oliver is put into a workhouse where he is lucky to make it through til his twelfth birthday alive. He is then apprenticed to a coffin maker and bullied by a boy who hangs around there. Not being happy where he is, Oliver runs away and gets all the way to London. There he meets the Artful Dodger, Charley Bates and their boss, Fagin. Oliver spends some time with them until he realises they are thieves. He gets taken in by a man who takes pity on him but Fagin is out to get him back. He succeeds and Oliver is sent on a job with Bill Sikes. He gets shot on the job and is nursed back to health by a girl and her mistress, and the local doctor. Due to meeting these people, Oliver finds out who he really is and why Fagin was so keen to keep Oliver with him.

This is a well known story so I already knew what would happen before I read it. However, I didn’t know the specifics and it is a good read. Some of the descriptions of London and where Fagin lives were confusing but I’m not familiar with London and lack the imagination to really picture what it must have been like living in the slums with so many other people and detritus around you all the time. There’s not an awful lot of description of the surroundings as Dickens is more focused on the characters, of which there are a fair number to keep track of.

The same handful of people from Oliver’s past reappear in the book so it helps to have a good memory for names, although you are reminded who they are. The majority of the people aren’t really bad which I think is why people like it. Fagin and his boys may live in the slums but they are making the best of it. They only steal from people, they don’t go out to physically hurt anyone and they mostly steal handkerchiefs and snuff boxes. Sikes is a nasty piece of work but reading it in the twenty-first century, you can tell that he is mentally unstable and should be in hospital getting treatment.

Really, Oliver is just a plot device in order to examine the lives of the poor living in London who are constantly looking over their shoulders for the police and never know where their next meal is coming from, or indeed when. They live a tough life and as a result, are tough people. But they’re not unhappy. They enjoy what they do and make the best of it. Oliver also spends time with some of London’s middle income residents. These people have servants and have other residences in the country. These people aren’t as happy but are content in their own way. A reason for their subdued nature becomes obvious at the end of the book when Oliver’s past is revealed.

This book is worth a read even if you do know the story. Every character, even the minor ones, has their story told and their time in the spotlight. There were only a couple of characters I found myself disliking but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. The main thing that surprised me was that none of the well-known characters in the book have more focus on them than the less known ones, even Oliver. They all have equal time spent on them. I suppose there is something fascinating about the underworld of London that has made them stick in people’s minds. Also they do have the bigger personalities so that makes them more memorable too.

Overall rating 5 out of 5.

The Secret of Crickley Hall by James Herbert

The Secret of Crickley Hall follows the Caleigh family as they move into Crickley Hall for a couple of months while Gabe Caleigh works in the area. The family have taken the decision to move away for a couple of months at this particular time as it the first anniversary of a family tragedy. Gabe scouted out the area in the summer and it looked like a beautiful setting. Come autumn everything is different and the constant rain and wind doesn’t help matters. The family dog refuses to enter the house and in the night they hear strange noises that have no other explanation than paranormal activity. Understandably, the family are a bit freaked out and so try to discover what on earth is going on. They may come to regret that decision.

This book is your traditional horror book. It has the haunted house in a remote location, the family who are emotionally vulnerable, rumours from past occupants and locals and wild storms that cause power to fail and phone lines to come down at inconvenient times. While all these clichés should be off putting, and I must admit I did roll my eyes a couple of times, it doesn’t detract too much from the story. It is still scary and when you think you know what’s happening you don’t always. I think horror must be a difficult genre to write because there are so many clichés but in order to write a horror story you need to use at least some of them.

It started off a bit flowery and I was worried there would be lots of unnecessarily over the top descriptions but there weren’t. The descriptions aren’t too long so they don’t distract you from the plot which allows the story to carry you along with it. I like a book that draws you in doesn’t make you think too hard because you’re too busy reading on in order to find out what happens. James Herbert is a bestseller for a reason. He tells a good story that you can escape in to.

The only other horror novels I’ve read have been by Stephen King and I don’t always find them easy to get in to. With James Herbert I found that happened easily and would read more of his books. It has also made me interested in reading more horror in general. The thought of it being a genre full of people falling in love with vampires and werewolves had sort of put me off. Crickley Hall is a long book and towards the end there is a bit too much exposition all at once but the length felt right for all the twists and sub-plots that there were.

Crickley Hall is one of James Herbert’s recent books and some reviews I have read said his older stuff is better. I will have to look in to this. I was drawn to this one because of the title and I do like an old house. Horror is not my favourite genre but I don’t think it’s given enough credit because it has had the piss taken out of it so much. Also the fact that there are so many scary films around, some people may think that a scary book is just never going to be as scary as a film. To a certain extent this is true as with a book if you get scared you can just flip to the back and see how it turns out. But books can be scary too and especially when the author leaves a chapter on a cliffhanger and then goes and focuses on another character it keeps the suspense going.

Overall rating 4 out of 5.

Blackout by Connie Willis

Blackout is a time-travelling adventure story. It’s set in 2060 and follows three historians, Polly Merope and Michael. Historians in 2060 do their job differently than historians do today. They don’t guess how people lived by finding artefacts or reading works of the time. Instead they travel to the time in question and actually live the history. They have a whole team of people to prepare them for their journey from clothes to important dates to driving the vehicles of the time. Our three historians all go to World War Two to separate areas of England as each is researching something different. They cannot be seen to appear in to thin air so each is given a ‘drop site’ that delivers them where they are supposed to be and allows them to check in when needed.

I do like a time travel novel where people go back to what is, for us, fairly recent history. Having each character looking into their area of interest means we get to see how people in London view and experience the war compared to people in the country who are taking in evacuated children and collecting items to help with the war effort. It helps break the story up and keeps you reading as she often leaves you on a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter and the next one is from someone else’s point of view.

The book is written to draw you in and take you on a journey with these three people. Willis creates vivid images although, having not experienced anything like it, it is still difficult to imagine just how terrifying it is being in the middle of a war. Polly, who is based in London, has memorised all of the big department stores on Oxford Street that get bombed and when so she can get a job that will be safe. She also knows the area that will get bombed each night. Even though she has this information she is still terrified and doesn’t always trust that what she knows will happen will actually happen.

The characters are all fairly similar in that they are all historians and are all based at the same university. They are all keen to be in on the action but their boss is very cautious and doesn’t like them to be in danger zones. They have all time-travelled before too, so they have certain expectations of how their trip will go. However, when things start to go wrong, that’s when you get to see their real personalities and how they cope in unexpected circumstances, away from the characters that have been created for them. They often have their research to fall back to get them through but sometimes they are unprepared as they didn’t always have time to get their research done. This allows them to understand even better, the people whose time they are living in.

Although it doesn’t seem that far in the future, Willis’s 2060 is an advanced time. The time-travellers are unsure how to do things that we wouldn’t even think about, like how to send a letter, where the stamp goes and the address. But the time isn’t so futuristic as to be unrecognisable. Not knowing an awful lot about WWII I enjoyed reading about how everyone did their bit to help and just got on with it once they’d got the hang of the raids. You have to admire the people who stayed behind to keep the country going as well as the amazing things the troops themselves went through. I will definitely be reading the sequel to this as it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Well worth a read if you like Doctor Who or historic or adventure stories.

Overall rating 5 out of 5