As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning By Laurie Lee

At the moment I am reading As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, By Laurie Lee.  It is the second in his autobiographical trilogy, the first being Cider with Rosie and the third A Moment of War.  

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning sees him leaving his Gloucestershire home at the age of 19 to walk to London.  It is the mid 1930s.  Then, knowing one Spanish phrase he decides to travel to Spain.  For a year he walks through a country which is on the verge of civil war.  It is full of vivid descriptions such as:-  ‘Around its rocky site curled the track of the Douro, a leathery arm of wrinkled mud, laced down the middle with a vein of green water………’ 

I first read the book many years ago and it is a pleasure to be reading it again.  I find it is taking me longer to read than my usual reading fodder though, probably on account of the many descriptive passages.  It is not a book that can be hurried.

Sister by Rosamund Lupton

This book spent fourteen weeks on the Sunday Times bestseller list and was the fastest selling debut of 2010 by a British author.  I found it a compelling read and I really liked Rosamund Lupton’s style of writing.  It is at times dark, just what you need for a psychological thriller.  The story is about Beatrice as she searches for the truth about the disappearance of her younger sister Tess.  It is written in the form of a letter from Beatrice to Tess.   It is a powerful technique as the reader glimpses the emotional depth to the sister’s relationship. As Beatrice pieces together the puzzle of Tess's disappearance, she is amazed to discover how little she really knew about her sister’s life.  The letter form of narrative is interspersed with narrative in the present tense as Beatrice is interviewed by Mr Wright, a Crown Prosecution Service lawyer.  The narrative techniques used enhance the overall effect of the story.  I was a little disappointed with the ending.

I can't wait to read Rosamund Lupton's next novel, Afterwards.

More Than You Can Say by Paul Torday

I have read a lot of Paul Torday’s books and for me nothing beats his first one, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.  More Than You Can Say touches on the harrowing experience of ex-soldier Richard Gaunt who is home after a tour of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The book gets off to a good start with Richard accepting a bet, being knocked down and then meeting the mysterious Mr Khan who makes him an offer he can’t refuse – all in the first chapter.  I did enjoy the book, which was written in Paul Torday’s usual easy reading style, but I felt some of the characters were a bit contrived, especially the hapless Emma, whom I hated.  The last paragraph left me feeling a little depressed for Richard Gaunt and his future.

Gone Girl

There was an interesting article on Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl in the Telegraph  - click for the link.