Mayday

Happy birthday to my sister who turns $#% today! Ya still got it sis!

Trini and River

On Mondays I feel like saying, "On your marks, get set, GO!"..but that would imply that I was starting something from a standing position and that would be wrong. I am bored of saying how busy I am. I'm too busy to complain about being busy! It's all getting a bit Groundhog Day-ish.

I am sneaking in some stuff for myself today. I have spent the past few hours in the kitchen, hovering over bubbling pots of yarn immersed in cochineal, Turkish madder, and pomegranate dye,  AND reading 'Cousin Bette' by Balzac, while eating snacks (I stand beside the fridge door...it's a conveniently small kitchen). At the same time I'm updating this blog. Well, obviously I've taken a break from reading because not even I am so talented I can type and read a book at the same time. I am getting close though. And I'm wearing my running stuff because I may attempt to go for a run later. Oh, and I'm trying to fit in some guitar practise so I can take the guitar in to preschool. I like to call it extreme multi-tasking. It's living on the edge and definitely not for the faint of heart.

It's great working at the preschool, I feel like a rock star when I'm out and about. Little kids run up to me and shout, "Victoria, Victoria!" with huge expectant smiles on their little faces. So much fun! Some days I'll have to wear a wig and dark glasses...when it gets too much...ha ha!

I am seriously considering getting back into academics; educational research. A couple of years ago I applied for an M.ed, but didn't get in. Then I began a post-bacc diploma (don't worry, no one knows what that is...you are not alone), at SFU in Early Education. That got side-tracked by breast cancer. I should have gone back to it but blah blah...excuses. The problem with getting back into education is that it is bloody hard to do when you've spent a few years out of it. And it's expensive. (that's two problems, I know). When my friend Mark was here we talked about it a lot and he gave me some hints. I am trying to find out how I can get back into an academic program. We'll see what happens. When would I fit it in? Obviously, something would have to give. Most probably I'll have to give the kids away. That's a joke...don't call social services. I'd never just give them away.

Books n'that

Ahhh...that's better. I just spent the last 20 minutes replacing keys on my computer that River had diligently pulled off. Getting the "N" back was particularly tricky. My computer is a small laptop and fortunately Mark (husband in IT) found me a spare keyboard that I use to repair the (regular) damage. River is obsessed with using "Mummy's compooter", which is password protected. He gets frustrated when he can't figure out the password and after a few attempts to get in he resorts to pulling off the keys...not just the black plastic bit, but the whole spring action key mechanism. Luckily, I am getting good at repairing them. Kid, keep your meat hooks off my computer!

I haven't done a book review in a while. But I recently read "Room" by Emma Donaghue. It was a good, quick read. However, I was surprised that it was shortlisted for the Booker prize. It certainly would not be my pick and I wonder if the Booker is attempting to include more popular titles. This book is popular. I was about #200 on the list when I first put it on hold at the library. It has received many, many positive reviews and many people "just LOVE" this novel. Although I enjoyed the book, and I enjoyed Emma Donoghue's previous books (including Slammerkin), I really didn't think it was worthy of all the hype. I enjoyed reading the review of this blogger whose opinion is along the same lines as mine. The concept is interesting. The story begins 7 years after a young woman has been abducted by a man "Old Nick" and forced to live those 7 years in a small 12 x 12 room (a shed that has been fortified in to a secure cell). There is no way out and only a small skylight for natural light. During her imprisonment she has given birth to a son who is now 5 years old, Jack. The story is narrated by Jack. The book was quite hyped and I listened to Donoghue interviewed on CBC so I knew all this before I began reading.

The first part of the novel deals with the confinement of Jack and Ma; their routines, conversations, games and how they pass their time. I enjoyed the ingenious games and inventions that they made together. And how they utilized their space. Mainly, I enjoyed the telling from Jack's 5 year old perspective, which I thought was extremely credible and resisted being over-cute and sentimental. Jack's only portal to the outside world is the TV. But Ma has made a loving, interesting, and nurturing environment for him and has protected him even from the knowledge that there IS an outside world. We only gradually learn the details of the confinement and that their basic needs are barely met only when "Old Nick" brings provisions. The innocent world of the day is changed when on some nights there is a beep, beep of the coded door at 9pm and Jack has to sleep in the wardrobe counting how many times the bed squeaks while Old Nick is with his mother. Because Jack hasn't known any other life he does not feel the negative impact of his confinement. It is simply the only world he has known, and it is a world filled with the love of his mother, and the routines and games that they have created. However, Donoghue does underlay this with an ever-present sense of evil and danger; the ominous and dark visits from Old Nick, the terrible nature of their confinement and an ever growing sense of helplessness and dread.

The second part of the novel deals with the aftermath of their escape. It seems to begin going downhill at this point. I found the conditions of their escape, while exciting and good reading, to be a little far-fetched. I also found that once they had escaped the narrative went down hill. The story becomes somewhat formulaic and like something I'd already read about in a newspaper; with psychiatrists, doctors, journalists, talk-shows, media speculation. Jack and Ma's characters become relatively predictable and weak and the plot takes over and becomes reminiscent of a storyline for "Law and Order, SVU". Having said that, I still think Jack has a convincing voice and the novel does maintain some depth. The first part is particularly thought-provoking. There was something reminiscent of The Collector by John Fowles in the confinement. But, unlike Fowles, Donoghue steers clear of giving us any real information about Old Nick and (aside from the obvious sex aspect) what it is that compels him to commit such terrible and sustained abuse. All in all it was a fast, interesting read and the first part of the book was excellent. The book didn't even make the long list for the Canadian Giller prize (but, hey, shortlisted for the Booker ain't bad...Giller who??).

In the meantime I continue to trudge my way through Proust's, "In Search of Lost Time"...vol III underway. I can't deny it is tough going in places, like reading philosophy. But at the same time his thoughts and ideas infuse everything so that I find that it is effecting me at quite a deep level. Perhaps more on that when I've read more and am capable of putting my thoughts into writing.

Quiet weekend...

Mark and Bronwyn are away this weekend. They have gone camping back to Birkenhead Lake. I am a little worried because I heard about a massive landslide north of Pemberton. I am hoping they can make it back and that the roads aren't too crazy. I was going to go as well, but decided that I needed some time to plan...and a couple of evenings by myself. It has been a rainy weekend here. I took River out for a bit yesterday. A quick walk and then a bike-ride, we got soaked, but it was fun. We have been so spoiled by good weather that I found myself scratching my head and thinking, "Huh? It's raining...what can we do??" How soon we forget that it rains most of the time here!

I have managed to get a bit of planning done for my kindergarten program. I have to admit I am doing a bit of metaphorical "nail-biting" while I wait to see if anyone is even going to register their child. All along I have adopted an approach that if it works, great. If it doesn't then, oh well. We shall see.

I watched a couple of interesting movies. "White Heat" with Jimmy Cagney. It's one of his later gangster (more Film Noir) movies, but it's still a good one. An amazing performance by Jimmy Cagney as a psychotic gangster overly attached to his "ma". As far as I am concerned Jimmy Cagney played the consummate gangster. I think I will have to rent and re-watch more Cagney movies. I also love Film Noir, but haven't watched anything in a while. Time to change that.

The other movie was a Belgium horror movie, "Calvaire". Very dark and twisted. I've read it described as a mix between "Deliverance", and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (two of my favourite films of the thriller/horror genre), but I think it's more like "Deliverance" gone the extra mile, i.e, what might happen if you found yourself lost, alone, and staying at an inn in the village of the hillbillies. Quite disturbing, but done very well. The director plays with with our sympathies, so that the deranged aggressor is somewhat likable...a nice twist that makes the whole atmosphere of the movie more chilling. I used to watch more horror movies way-back-when. Particularly, during the three mind-numbingly boring years in Kettering, England; I used to watch horror movies just so I could actually feel something...perhaps a bit of adrenalin just to comfort myself that I hadn't yet completely turned into a zombie-drone. I don't watch much these days, and I'm can't stand the stupid "Saw" (torture-porn or whatever) type of rubbish. But movies of the horror-genre with some decent plot and character development that are chilling and somewhat disturbing are worth a watch now and then.

I got a bit of knitting done. Mainly finishing the crocodile for Bronwyn. However, it is difficult to knit during subtitled movies...I forgot about that.

On another note, I am reading "Pickwick Papers" by Charles Dickens (I should have read it long ago...but oh well). It is hilarious! I am enjoying every minute. Maybe the timing is right, but it is simply one of the funniest books I have read in a long, long time.

And lastly, why has River been waking up at 5:30 AM (or before)??? I hope it's not going to be ongoing...

Book updates....

I thought I'd write a few short reviews on my latest reads (more for my own benefit, I have to admit)...but you might enjoy them too.

To Siberia by Norwegian writer, Per Petterson - Per Petterson is one of my all-time favourite writers. The main character and narrator of the is a young Danish girl. But the story is based on her nostalgia and vivid memories - looking back at the age of 60. The novel is set in Denmark and takes place around the time of the German invasion and the beginning of the Second World War. Per Petterson has a way of mixing landscape with emotion to create startling images with acute feeling using clear, lucid prose. His depiction of family life, town life and the relationship between the girl and her brother is extremely evocative. But it is not really a heartwarming tale. There is a coldness that seems to pervade the novel; the town, the characters and the events, both literal and metaphorical - and that coldness seems like a backdrop for the isolated family, the mother's stark christian values, and the cruelty of the war..

Black Dogs by Ian McKewan. This book has been on my to-be-read pile for a while, but I have to say it was quite a disappointment. Although his writing style is superb and the ideas in the book are interesting, the whole effect left me very underwhelmed. I thought the characters of June and Bernard were dull and two-dimensional, as was Jeremy the narrator. In my opinion the characters were sacrificed to the ideas of the book and to a very heavy-handed philosophical debate...one that is as old as time. I've read so many amazing reviews of this book (hence it was on my "to-be-read" pile), but I didn't see what those reviewers saw. I sometimes think there are a lot of educated middle-class people who sit around having philosophical arguments over dinner parties...but otherwise don't get out that much. Anyway, a tad disappointing.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson. I enjoyed this book and plan to read more Shirley Jackson. Written back in 1962, it is the macabre story of two young sisters who live isolated in the family house with their ailing uncle following the strange poisoning of the rest of their family. They are outcasts in the village, but seem to enjoy their isolation and their life and routines. Catherine the older sister has never left the house in 6 years and we learn that she was convicted and acquitted of the murder of her family. The novel is being narrated by "Merricat", the younger of the sisters. She is clearly looking back in her narration. Merricat has all kinds of habits and beliefs and is fiercely protective of her sister and their solitude. It is a strange read. I am reading a collection of short stories by Jackson. Her most famous short story was "The Lottery". That story is a trip in itself.

I finished Swann's Way, the first volume of Proust's, "In Search of Lost Time". Only about five 800 page volumes to go! There are whole careers devoted to analysing Proust - so I won't get into it. I've begun "Within the Budding Grove" and so far I find it moves along a bit more than Swann's Way. In some ways it feels like reading philosophy. I am reading it alongside my other books so I'm guessing it will take me a year or so to finish. It's part of my decision to read some classic literature that I have missed over the years. It's much more humourous and philosophical than I expected. And actually quite enjoyable.

The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein. A bit of a sentimental tear-jerker, but with a lot of references to open-wheel racing. An entertaining, quick read...told from the perspective of a sage dog. Although it is an unapologetic tear-jerker, I didn't find it that heart-wrenching. Perhaps it was too Hollywood style for me. It takes more than that to squeeze a tear out of my eye!

A good bit of history...

So amidst all the chaos of the last few weeks, I finally finished Wolf Hall. It's a meaty read at around 650 pages, but I thought it was well worth it. So did the Manbooker judges, so it seems. It tells the story of Thomas Cromwell (Chief Minister and Advisor to Henry VIII) amidst the turbulent times of the English Reformation. Mantel made the complex, political intrigues of the English split with Rome captivating and understandable. She's done her research (obviously), but doesn't hit you over the head with it. She brought the whole period to life for me with a very contemporary and fluid writing style and beautiful attention to detail. There were many times when I re-read a sentence just to savour it. Cromwell comes across as a witty, interesting, workaholic; loyal and ruthless at the same time. Nothing seems to escape his attention. She describes the massive upheavals of the Tudor period in detail, down to the terrible punishments and tortures meted out in the name of religious fanaticism. There are plenty of details that helped bring me into the novel and carried me along. She manages to juggle a lot of characters and in this respect it isn't a quick read. I had to pay attention. She brought to life all the characters. Her depiction of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn was captivating, as was the character of Thomas More. She concentrates on the political maneouvres and intrigues and less on the (typical) romantic history, and that also made Wolf Hall a good read. I am not a fan of historical romance. Anyway, I thought this book was an amazing recreation of Thomas Cromwell, his character, his life, his rise from a beaten up blacksmith's son to Henry VIII's right-hand man, and his influence on one of the most important periods in English history. A great read if you're interested in the English Reformation (and even if you're not).

Time to read...

Let's sit in a comfy chair with a good book for a while.... I intended to write about this a while ago before the virus took hold of my family and we became the infected... the latest to be infected is poor Bronwyn. I can't remember when we were last all healthy. And the weather here is unusually warm and sunny for September - perfect for staying in doors with aches and pains...grrrr. Anyway, back to the comfy chair...and me blathering about books when I have much more important things to do. I think it's called escapism or procrastination...I do both very well.

I recently read "Me Cheeta" (I am actually trying to read a few of the books on the ManBooker list...a good place to start if you're looking for a good book to read). I think it's one of the most entertaining, hysterical, unusual and heartbreaking books that I have read in a long time. It is the autobiography of Cheeta (you'll remember him from the Tarzan films...particularly the Tarzan films of the 30s and 40s with Johnny Weissmuller). Cheeta is 75 now, living in a sanctuary in Palm Springs. He decides to write his autobiography...from his early days in the jungle to his career with MGM and beyond. It is a parody of the celebrity Hollywood autobiography and through Cheeta we are given an hysterical, fly-on-the-wall glimpse of the "Golden Age of Hollywood". It's full of stories, backstage gossip and innuendo about all kinds of Golden-Age Hollywood celebrities, written in Cheeta's inimitable, sage-like, tell it how it is...manner. It is also a loving biography and tribute to Johnny Weissmuller, through the eyes of the one who loved him most. Added to that is Cheeta's irrepressible love for the human species, despite their obvious flaws. In fact, there are a lot of layers to this book. Unfortunately, it didn't make the shortlist.

I also read The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. This was a really good read. I don't think I wrote anything about it and I don't have time now...but it was good. I need to write when the book is fresh in my mind. It's an interesting novel set in England just after the second world war. It is a testament to Water's skills as a storyteller that the protagonist - a middle-aged, somewhat boring village doctor - can both carry the story and that the events that surround him can captivate the reader. And her attention to detail is so good that you can really feel part of the era (in this case the fast-changing post-war era) that she is describing. It's also an interesting psychological thriller, part ghost story. But even when I write all that I realise there is much more. Suffice to say, it is a very good book.

I am now reading "The Children's Book" by A.S. Byatt. It started out a little dry (with me feeling like I should be taking notes in preparation for an English Lit. exam), and it hasn't got any better. I have struggled to get to page 300 because I read a review on Amazon that said it gets better by page 300. I don't think I can do it. I don't like any of the characters at all - they are like cardboard cutouts in literary form (and there are way too many of them). There's so much historical information, a testament to her research I suppose, that I feel like I'm reading a textbook. All in all, I find it really boring. If only I didn't find the writing so dry and all the characters devoid of any wit, passion or interest. It must be me. I mean it has very good reviews and is a "bestseller". It's also shortlisted for the Booker. Obviously, I'm too much of a thick'ed and I shunt try to read clever stuff what is too brainy. That'll learn me!

Heat wave...ugh!

All I can say is that this week has been hot...really hot! We're not used to this type of heat in Vancouver. There were a couple of days (Wednesday and Thursday I think) when the car thermometer read 36 degrees. Our house was like an oven and it was so difficult to get the kids to sleep. In fact we had 2 or 3 virtually sleepless nights as we tended to River, who woke up constantly. People were generally very cranky and everyone had a tired, desperate look. Only 6% of people in Vancouver have air-conditioning in their homes, so at least we didn't feel like we were the only uncomfortably, over-heated family around. Yesterday the temperature was a little cooler. Still very warm, but compared to earlier in the week it was okay. It was too hot to go to the beach (for me anyway), but we went down to Marpole pool a couple of times. It's a large outdoor wading pool that is great for the kids, as well as adults. Only $2 an adult (kids under 5 are free) so it's also an inexpensive outing. River didn't seem to like it at first, but on the second trip he felt better and thought he could just walk into the deep part without any trouble at all. It's sometimes scary keeping that little boy out of harm's way. He seems to have absolutely no sense of danger.

I read another Emma Donoghue book; The Sealed Letter. It is based on the true story of a scandalous divorce case that took place in the mid 1800s in England. It was a very interesting read about the rigid structure of divorce laws at this time (they were in a certain flux) and the rights of married women during this period in England (they had none). I felt the characters were somehow sacrificed to the plot and that none of them seemed to have a great deal of depth. But it was an interesting read. I just picked up "The Little Stranger" by Sarah Waters. It is long-listed for the 2009 Manbooker prize and, having read her previous novels, I am looking forward to reading it.

Books and stuff...

My latest read was Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue. The novel is set in mid-18th century London and in a town on the Welsh border. Slammerkin means a loose gown and a loose woman. The story revolves around Mary, a young girl obsessed with clothes and finery, who falls into a life of prostitution and is unable to find another path for herself. She is a clever, independent and interesting young character. Donoghue's descriptions of life in London are vivid and captivating, as well as educating. The story is inspired by a real murder committed by a 16 year old servant girl that took place in 1763. Donoghue's writing reminds me a little of Sara Walters (except her story is set 100 years early). They both write historical romps that do not pull any punches. (none of the coy "heaving bodices" and "thrusting manhoods" that you find in other historical fiction). Her research is impeccable - although, having said that, how do I know, I wasn't there? I do believe she's done her research as a scholar of 18th century literature. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Just my type of thing for a bit of escapist reading. I will definitely read another one of her novels. Maybe next up...although I do already have a number of books in my "to be read" pile.

I finished reading Clara Callen and I enjoyed it. The story is set during a 5 year period in the 1930's (1934 - 1939) and is told via the correspondence of two sisters and a few others, and through Clara's journal written over the 5-year period. The sisters are aged about 30 when the story begins. Nora, the outgoing, dramatic, ambitious sister has moved to New York to follow a career in radio. Clara, the village schoolteacher, stays at home. The story is told through Clara. She is an interesting character; solitary and strong-minded, intelligent and passionate. Following the death of her father, she is coming to terms with life alone in her small town. One of the most interesting aspects of the novel is the time period in which it is set; war brewing in Europe, the birth of the movie industry, and a beginning shift in attitudes towards sexuality and marriage. I thought the story flowed smoothly and quickly, despite being told in terms of letters and journals. I enjoyed the characters and thought they all had some depth, Clara in particular.

What's next? I am toying with the idea of reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I've never read it and it keeps popping up on lists of The Greatest Books That Were Ever Written...EVER! I've heard mixed reviews...but I can't really have an opinion until I've at least tried to read it. But then there are so many books and so little time. I'll give it some more thought.

I have started crafting again...kind of. I am getting together on a regular basis with my sister and another friend, Carolyn, to chat and craft. I taught Carolyn to knit! That's Mark, Carolyn and Bronwyn...soon it will be the world...muhahahaha. It's good to get back into some projects.

Music and books...

I am listening to Andrew Bird these days. I really enjoy his new album "Noble Beast". A wonderfully eclectic mixture of sounds and textures. His songs are quirky and interesting and so layered that they can stand being listened to repeatedly. I find the music and the melodies so interesting that I often do not spend a lot of time try to work out his (sometimes very strange) lyrics. I really enjoy the sound as a whole. Every time I listen to his songs I hear something else. I think I prefer "The Mysterious Production of Eggs", which has some really cool tracks.
I just finished reading Alice Munro's "Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Marriage" stories. This was a wonderful read. Her stories are rich and thought-provoking. She can capture entire life-time in one short story. Her stories seem to contain so much wisdom and yet her characters are so fallible and (for want of a better word) human. She can capture the intense complexities of life so well in just a few words and sentences. Amazing.
I've been downloading music this morning...mostly old stuff like Ray Charles and some 60's stuff. But I was suddenly compelled to download one of my guilty pleasure songs. You know, one of those songs that you really like, but don't want to admit to (perhaps it is "uncool" or something). I will admit that one of mine is "Back for Good" by Take That. It always gives me a chill. And I like the video. There, I admitted it...Phew, I feel much better now that it's out in the open. I never could work out what that big Russian hat thing was all about. It was raining...and it never gets that cold in England.

Eat more chicken...

I was reading one of those Yahoo! news articles yesterday...."Eating too much meat will kill you"...blah blah. You know the deal, every week there's a new study being released saying that if you do this or that you have more chance of cancer or premature death. It was wine the other week. Thankfully, they have moved on from that because I was beginning to worry. Now it is meat, or specifically, red meat. Next it will be caffeine etc. The good news is, and I quote from the article, "People whose diets contained more white meat like chicken and fish had lower risks of death". I thought this was amazing. Can I really lower my risk of death by eating fish and chicken? Interesting. But it seems a bit fishy to me...eh eh. Sorry.

I just finished "Paradise" by A.L. Kennedy. It took me longer to read than I wanted and this was due to sheer lack of time and tiredness. Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. It's central character, from whose perspective the story is told, is Hannah, an alcoholic. We accompany Hannah from one drunken binge after another as she tries to keep things together. And while she tries to block out all the shameful embarrassments that drinking has caused her, by drinking more. She meets and falls in love with another alcoholic (although one could argue her real love affair is with alcohol) and what ensues is a not very romantic, but at times, painfully honest description of their relationship. I think the book works because, while being honest and as ruthless as it can be about the nature of alcoholism, it avoids the pitfall of being a moral tale of the dangers of alcoholism, or the the redemptive tale of the reformed alcoholic. Also I did not get the sense that it was driving towards some conclusion about Hannah's life after drink, or whether or not she overcomes her addiction. The writing is poignant, raw, sometimes uncomfortable, and at times very funny. Particularly with Kennedy's witty observations of other people. (I read she is now a stand-up comic). While Hannah revels in self-pity, self-loathing, plain old selfishness, and a near constant shame (the mainstay of alcoholics), I still found her likable and felt for what she was going through, without wondering if she would give up drink or not. I find Kennedy's writing style really stays with me after I have put the book down, but I'm sure it's not for everyone.

I have a couple of possibilities next. I was thinking of delving in some Dickens or George Elliot. Or Indelible Acts, short stories by A.L. Kennedy (seeing as I am on a Kennedy kick). Or To Siberia, by Per Petterson. I'm not sure.

I also have to organize this blog a bit better!

Not much happening...

Last week went fast. One of those weeks where you can't remember what you did, or how you arrived at Friday so fast. But we did...and the kids got fed and Bronwyn was taken to and from preschool and stuff got done. Anyway, I just finished reading "A Prayer for Owen Meaney" and I really enjoyed it. There's tons of reviews out there so I won't add to it all. I felt is was a bit over-long, and it took me a while to get into, but it really is a great story.

Now I am beginning "In the Wake" by the Norwegian author, Per Petterson. I recently read "Out Stealing Horses" by the same author and it instantly became one of my favourite novels. The writing style in "Out Stealing Horses" is understated, simple, and yet beautifully poetic. The main character is a man in his late 60s who chooses to live alone in a remote part of Norway. Whilte there, he looks back on his life and on a series of events that took place when he spent the summer in the country with his father during the second world war. It is both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. Anyway, on to the next one. Mark read the write-up on the back of "In the Wake" and made a comment that I was reading yet another "cheerful" book. I (of course) immediately took the bait and replied with some snippy remark about "happy" books, and then growled that I have been known to read Terry Pratchet, Bill Bryson, and Marian Keyes, thank you very much. Mark snickered in a "ha ha gotcha" type of way. Fortunately for him, I am not PMS-ing...he was spared any serious injury.

Bronwyn and I did some work on our book based on Adventures of Cow. Of course, if you don't have kids, this may mean nothing, but it's basically the silly adventures of a plastic cow, told in funny photographs. We chose to use a plastic horse and call our book "Adventures of Horse" (...Bronwyn's choice). We based our story on the book where Cow goes to the grocery store. So we took plastic horse to the grocery store. We got some funny looks, but we're used to that by now. Here's one of the pictures (the caption reads "First stop, yummy bananas!").

Then this one reads, "These grapes are heavy". Get the idea? Very silly, and fun.

I did my first run of the trails since early December. The snow has just about cleared and we had a bright sunny day. For me, running through the forest trails is one of the pleasures of living in this part of Vancouver. You almost forget that you are actually doing exercise, or, as in my case, clearing the cobwebs due to drinking a bit too much red wine the night before. C'est la vie.

The Northern Clemency - Review

I just finished reading The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher. I had to read it quickly over the Christmas holidays because the library wanted it back. Well, actually it's a bit late. (It's a big book). Anyway, here's a quick review. It's a kind of thinking persons domestic saga set in Sheffield during the late 70s through to the early 90s (following the early Thatcher years and the Miner's strike among other events). The story centres around a couple of families in a middle-class subdivision or housing estate in Sheffield. There is a wonderful domestic quality to the story as the two main families' lives unfold and intertwine. In the midst of their growing is the Thatcher's war with Arthur Scargill and the unions during the early 80s. A conflict that changed the face of England, particularly the North. The political events serve as a backdrop rather than any kind of focus to the story, or so it seems. He writes with amazing detail and insight about family life, and what are essentially relatively mediocre events in the lives of a few people are written with a sensitive and interesting perspective that kept me focused. His attention to the details of life in the North is a bit of a nostalgia trip for me. I think he documents well how fashions, food and people were changed during the period. (He seems fascinated by the development of food - in particular, finger food. We read how the sophistication of the buffet moves from potatoes wrapped in tin foil with sausages on sticks, through sushi, to prawn cocktail being eaten satirically on a restaurant's 70s night). Although I liked the characters, none stood out as particularly interesting, except as children. I felt the women characters (all of them) were two-dimensional and stereotypical and, for me, this was the biggest weakness in the novel. The men characters were given more depth and development (but not that much). I felt the novel could have been shorter. It seemed as though there was a lot of "filler" description. I'd sometimes read a couple of pages and wonder how it related to the rest of the book, only to find out that, in my view, it didn't. Anyway, I did enjoy it. I come from the north of England and grew up in the time period Hensher writes about, that added to my enjoyment. Having said that, if it wasn't the case, I'm not sure I would have liked it so much. It was kind of Dickensian in scope, but lacking the ability to really bring to life any of the myriad of characters. In Amazon style, I'll give it 4 out of 5 starts. It was well written. Now onto A Prayer for Owen Meany. One of those books that's been hanging out on my "must-read" list for years.