Review: A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin

Firstly, apologies for the long absence- unfortunately reading has been demoted down to the bottom of my priorities list yet again, for various reasons. However, over the past few months, I have been reading reading one book, largely in snippets, and today I finally finished it to begin writing this review.

This book is the much-discussed, much-hyped A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin, the first in the A Song of Ice and Fire series which provides the basis for the hugely popular HBO television show. Here is the description from Goodreads:

Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.

As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must … and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty.

The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne.

Now, I must admit that I have committed the cardinal sin of watching the show before reading the novels, however this has been positive for me in two ways: firstly, without being such a fan of the show, I doubt I would even have picked up the novel, as fantasy isn't usually to my taste, and also the television series has helped me to visualise the characters much better, as well as assisting me in remembering who is who in the world of Westeros, with it's Seven Kingdoms and countless families.

So, down to the book itself. To avoid spoilers, I'm keeping this intentionally vague, but my main point is that this novel massively exceeded my expectations. Yes, I'm not an avid reader of the fantasy genre and I tend to avoid eight-hundred page books for time-related reasons, so perhaps my expectations were lower than those of other readers, but I was undoubtedly blown away by the sheer genius of George R.R Martin in creating a world so complex and so different from our own, yet so real that one is completely absorbed in it.

(Just on a side note, that previous sentence has prompted me into wondering whether our own world is actually so different from that which GRRM has constructed, at least underneath it all. It has a historical feel to it, but many of the issues faced by the characters are the same. Discrimination against gender and disability, check, tyrannical rulers, check, wars between divided peoples, check...)

Anyhow, I think the main device in keeping us readers interested throughout such a lengthy narrative is without a doubt the frequent switches in perspective, each chapter belonging to a different character. Admittedly, I have my own personal favourites (Tyrion and Daenerys), whilst others I care less for, yet I still fully appreciate why the author has selected their version of events. A prime example of this is Catelyn Stark, a mother guiding her teenage son as he chooses to enter a fierce battle, whilst her other children are in equally perilous situations in other Kingdoms, and relations with her sister are at breaking point. Her perspective is perhaps more intriguing than that of her son, who is merely trying to follow in his respected father's footsteps. Despite this, there is no sense that each character's tale is separate from the rest- they are very much part of a whole, interdependent on each other's actions.

Another character worthy of note is Ayra Stark, who undergoes an almost inverse Dickens-esque transformation when she finds herself plunged into poverty in an unfamiliar and uncaring city, a huge fall from her original status as the daughter of the Hand of the King. Yet she takes this in her stride, becoming fiercely independent, which endears the Stark family even more to the reader. Yet on the other hand, the wealthy Lannisters, who by all assumptions we should dislike, are equally endeared to us by the story of Tyrion, a dwarf who is a source of embarrassment to his powerful relatives, but whose amusing wit and good heart charms the audience. It quickly becomes clear that none of the characters are perfect, some far from it, however they all begin vying for our admiration as much as they are vying for the Iron Throne.

Overall, I would unreservedly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys losing track of time and escaping to another world- after all, isn't that the purpose of fiction? However this particular fantasy universe is much more complex than it would first appear, with it's multi-dimensional themes of status, gender, rivalry and power which mark it apart from any other novel I have read.

Book Review: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

'Six years after the phenomenal success of The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger has returned with a spectacularly compelling and haunting second novel set in and around Highgate Cemetery in London.

When Elspeth Noblin dies of cancer, she leaves her London apartment to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina. These two American girls never met their English aunt, only knew that their mother, too, was a twin, and Elspeth her sister. Julia and Valentina are semi-normal American teenagers--with seemingly little interest in college, finding jobs, or anything outside their cozy home in the suburbs of Chicago, and with an abnormally intense attachment to one another.

The girls move to Elspeth's flat, which borders Highgate Cemetery in London. They come to know the building's other residents. There is Martin, a brilliant and charming crossword puzzle setter suffering from crippling Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Marjike, Martin's devoted but trapped wife; and Robert, Elspeth's elusive lover, a scholar of the cemetery. As the girls become embroiled in the fraying lives of their aunt's neighbors, they also discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including--perhaps--their aunt, who can't seem to leave her old apartment and life behind.

Niffenegger weaves a captivating story in Her Fearful Symmetry about love and identity, about secrets and sisterhood, and about the tenacity of life--even after death.'

(plot summary from Goodreads)

I can’t review this novel without the inevitable comparison to The Time Traveller’s Wife so I’m just going to get it over with now: Her Fearful Symmetry was not as enjoyable. TTTW was one of those novels that I will (and have) re-read time and time again, whereas this…I’m not so sure.

Now that my judgement isn’t being clouded by that comparison, I can say that there were lots of aspects of Her Fearful Symmetry that I really liked. Firstly, the first sentence. Lots of books try (and fail) to open with sentences that hook you in, but this one is truly masterful in that respect: “Elspeth died while Robert was standing in front of a vending machine watching tea shoot into a small plastic cup.” It just contrasts something so important, so life-changing, with an activity so utterly banal, I just...wow.

I could write a whole essay on its magnificence but I’ll save that little treat for another time.

Anyhow, the gothic setting of London’s Highgate Cemetery created a very introspective feel to the novel which served to reinforce the supernatural ‘ghost story’ theme of the tale. However, it soon becomes apparent that the ghost is confined to an apartment overlooking the cemetery- a very clever ploy by Niffenegger which counters our initial preconception of ghosts traversing the cemetery at midnight. Another important theme is the idea of identity, which is conveyed through two sets of twins- Elspeth and Edie, who have fallen out over a huge family secret, and Edie’s daughters Julia and Valentina, mirror-image twins who are struggling between forging their separate identities and remaining in the safety of each other’s company. Eventually, these two plotlines become crucial to the narrative, which highlights the fact that identity really is everything.

A brilliant touch by the author was the inclusion of a side plot running parallel to the main one, in the form of Martin, a man with severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who lives in the flat upstairs. He formulates complex crossword puzzles for a living and orders everything online so he never has to leave his flat- he is a very lovable character and Niffenegger’s portrayal of him is a joy to read.

You’re probably wondering what made me think this isn’t as good as TTTW. Well, I think the pace of the novel plays an important part. By the time the revelations appear towards the end of the novel, they don’t have the same effect as they would, had they come a hundred pages earlier. This leaves the ending as a bit of a let-down. I was left musing about this novel for quite some time afterwards, and I think due to the fact that there is so many themes involved- loss, identity, relationships, the supernatural- you would expect it to be full of drama but it just…isn’t.

That’s why I would give this novel three out of five stars, overall- an interesting premise but a little lack lustre. 

Book Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Libby Day was just seven years old when her evidence put her fifteen-year-old brother behind bars.
Since then, she had been drifting. But when she is contacted by a group who are convinced of Ben's innocence, Libby starts to ask questions she never dared to before. Was the voice she heard her brother's? Ben was a misfit in their small town, but was he capable of murder? Are there secrets to uncover at the family farm or is Libby deluding herself because she wants her brother back?
She begins to realise that everyone in her family had something to hide that day... especially Ben. Now, twenty-four years later, the truth is going to be even harder to find.
Who did massacre the Day family?

(plot summary from Goodreads)

This was the first book I read after taking a long break from regular reading due to exams, and I am so glad it was the first one I chose. Dark Places is the second novel by Gillian Flynn, her first being titled Sharp Objects (which I am yet to read), and her third being Gone Girl (which it seems that everyone has read). I don’t want this to become a review of Gone Girl but I would say that both novels are equally as good, and I devoured both of them in a matter of hours.  

As the title suggests, Dark Places is, well, a very dark novel. The plot centres around Libby Day, whose family were brutally murdered when she was just seven years old. The narrative switches between her brother Ben and her mother Patricia in the hours before the murders, as well as Libby in the present tense, as she tries to find out what happened during that fateful night. Splitting the narrative between three characters is a strong device because it really helps to keep the novel enthralling, by slowly releasing small hints, as well as red herrings. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Libby is far from a reliable narrator- she is almost bankrupt after spending the money she earned from public donations and book deals, and she is unwilling to seek employment because her anxiety sometimes renders her unable to leave her house.

Indeed, she only tries to find answers about her family’s deaths because she is promised money by the ‘Kill Club’, a group of people obsessed with famous murders. This was one aspect of the plot that I didn’t really like- the Kill Club seemed too unrealistic and just a convenient way of spurring the protagonist into action, rather than a legitimate reason. Despite this, I liked the fact that Libby was an unreliable narrator because it amplified the tension in the novel and kept the reader guessing until the very end. I would say that this was the main strong point of the novel; Flynn is extremely gifted in drip-feeding information and building up suspense to an intense level, thereby keeping the reader utterly gripped.

The only other aspect of the narrative that I was ambivalent about was the satanic theme which developed, particularly towards the end. I’m no stranger to a dark and gruesome tale yet I thought this was perhaps a step too far, given the brutal nature of the original murders: it pushed the novel into the horror genre, and I think it would have been an equally powerful story without this element. Although, this is balanced by the theme of family which is an important feature- Libby’s brother is in prison because of the potentially inaccurate evidence that she gave as a child, and her estranged father is an alcoholic. As a result, it is very interesting to see how she interacts with them in her search for the truth, and how they were before the murders occurred and the family unit disintegrated.

On the whole, I would give this novel 4.5 out of 5 stars- it is by far one of the best novels I have read in a good while and I will certainly be re-reading it in the future.

Book Review: Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty

'Safety and security are commodities you can sell in return for excitement, but you can never buy them back.

Yvonne Carmichael is a geneticist, a scientist renowned in her field but one day, she makes the most irrational of decisions. While she is giving evidence to a Select Committee at the Houses of Parliament, she meets a man and has sex with him in the secluded Chapel in the Crypt. It’s the beginning of a reckless liaison, but there is more to her lover than is at first apparent – as Yvonne discovers when the affair spins out of control and leads inexorably to violence.

Apple Tree Yard is about a woman who makes one rash choice that ends up putting her on trial at the Old Bailey for the most serious of crimes. Like the highly acclaimed Whatever You Love, it is part literary investigation of personal morality, part psychological thriller.'

(plot summary from Goodreads)

I’ve only just found the time to read this book, but I purchased it a few months ago after it was recommended by relatives and received huge praise on Twitter. The blurb instantly marked it out as ‘my kind of book’ so I was expecting great things. Did it deliver? Yes. Did it live up to my expectations? That’s the question which I’m still deliberating over.

The feature of this novel which really makes it stand out for me is the description of the protagonist’s trial at the Old Bailey, which forms both the opening and the close of the narrative. I’ve never really encountered such an in-depth description of the legal processes involved in a criminal trial and it is clear that Doughty put a huge amount of research into achieving this level of accuracy. This, paired with the fascinating insight into the defendant’s thoughts and observations as she watches the proceedings unfold before her, sets Apple Tree Yard apart from other novels. Another aspect of the tale I particularly liked was the enigma of Yvonne Carmichael’s lover, whom she refers to as ‘X’ (this also, cleverly, fits in with her career as a successful geneticist- he is X, she is Y). The mystery surrounding his identity and his occupation is built up until the second part of the trial, when his name is finally revealed and it becomes clear that he is far from what he appeared.

However, the main thing that unsettled me about the novel was its narrative voice, a form of second person, where Yvonne directly addresses ‘X’ throughout. I’m not sure what it was about this that I didn’t enjoy; perhaps it felt a little over the top for me, as her emotions were expressed perfectly well without it. Also, until I read the final page, I was fairly disappointed with the ending. Avoiding any spoilers, there was a plot twist in the middle which enabled me to guess what she and X were standing trial for: from there on it was simply a matter of when and how the crime was committed.

But, as I have hinted, there is another revelation on the very last page that leaves the reader shocked, one which completely rescued me from feeling disappointed.

Overall, I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of Doughty’s novels because I think her writing is extremely skillful in the way that it steadily builds up suspense, and the character of Yvonne Carmichael was a creation that I could easily imagine being a real person- the mark of a truly talented author.

I would rate this novel four out of five stars- a brilliant book but the hype slightly spoiled it for me.

Review: The Armageddon Rag by George R.R. Martin

Onetime underground journalist Sandy Blair has traveled far from his radical roots in the ’60s until the bizarre and brutal murder of a millionaire rock promoter draws him back. As Sandy sets out to investigate the crime, he finds himself on a magical mystery tour of the pent-up passions of his generation. For a new messiah has resurrected the once legendary rock band Nazgûl but with an apocalyptic new beat that is a requiem of demonism, mind control, and death only Sandy may be able to change in time. . . .

(plot summary from Goodreads)

The Armageddon Rag by George R.R Martin is a novel that begins with a fairly typical and regimented structure- the protagonist Sandy Blair travels across the US in his sports car Daydream, seeking out the members of a Sixties rock band called the Nazgul, as well as his old friends from the era. The novel adopts the form of a stereotypical mystery story, in which conversations with each of the people involved reveal information, gradually leading up to the Poirot style grand reveal at the end.

However, as one progresses further into the novel, it becomes apparent that there is more to this story than meets the eye. Without giving too much away, the supernatural element to the narrative is greatly increased in the latter half of the novel, as Sandy becomes immersed in the world of rock and roll once again and begins to experience disturbing visions.

Many people have criticised the sudden change in the direction of the story, which is understandable because it does come as quite a surprise to the reader. Despite this, I would argue that the heightened supernatural devices only serve to reinforce the real theme of the tale: the idea that we have wasted our youths and revolutionary potential, only to become passive and ‘mature’ adults, just like every other generation before us. As this implies, there is also a political aspect to the novel, which draws upon American politics of the Sixties and makes the story a more accurate portrayal of a man who is struggling to deal with the idea that he has given up all the radical zeal of his youth for life as a failing novelist. 

Another thing which sets the narrative apart from others is the stunning description of the band’s music, particularly towards the end, and even the creation of the band itself is a masterpiece. The references to the Lord of the Rings (the term ‘Nazgul’ refers to the servants of Sauron, and the lead singer is nicknamed ‘the Hobbit) appeal to fans of the trilogy like myself, and even for those who are unfamiliar with the series, they make the band seem extremely realistic. Throughout, I could imagine the songs being played, and the atmosphere of a rock concert was captured perfectly.

Overall, I would give this book four stars because I found it to be a very different read from what I originally expected, which I consider to be a positive thing, and I found that I actually quite liked the narrator, despite his unreliability. However, if rock music, politics and Lord of the Rings aren’t your thing, you may find that this mishmash of themes and genres can get quite confusing.

A little introduction...

Hello! Before I start filling this place with book reviews, I thought I’d better do a short introduction just to say who I am and what I want to achieve.

So, I’m Eden, I’m seventeen and I’ve just finished my first year at sixth form (nervously awaiting AS results- eek!)

It’s a well-worn old cliché, but I’ve always loved reading. I was always a self-professed bookworm as a child, but unfortunately, over the past few years, reading has been pushed further and further down my to-do list, simply because of exams and just a general lack of free time. This summer, I’m determined that my holiday will actually be a holiday so I think now is the right time to recapture my love of literature by reading a hell of a lot of books!

Another motivation in setting myself this challenge is that I’ve been writing fanfiction for around five years now, and I’ve always viewed it as a stepping stone to producing my own original material: there’s still a lot of freedom in exploring what happens outside the confines of a tv show, film or book, but the characters and settings are ready made and obviously there’s a defined plot which acts as inspiration. However, five years on and I’m still not ready to move off that stepping stone. A blank page is scary, and a blank page with no guidelines in the form of a plot and characters is even more intimidating! One thing that I can do, though, to give myself a metaphorical push onwards, is to work on my own verbosity and to build up my capacity for creating characters and storylines. Something that I hear authors advising budding authors to do, time after time, is simply to read.

So that is what I intend to do!

In terms of genre, I’m not really picky. I do tend to gravitate towards crime and psychological thrillers, but I’ll read anything if the plot looks interesting and it’s well written. The books that I’ve collected range from historical fiction to romance and more. I study English Literature at A Level, so there’s a few modern classics in the mix as well.

I really hope you enjoy reading my reviews, and please do feel free to let me know if you have any feedback at all. I would love to hear it as I have don’t really have a clue what I’m doing but as usual, I’m just going with the flow. Also, if you want to discuss books or just have a chat with me, I’m down with that! My Twitter is @tk_eden J

Thank you for reading!

Eden x