Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

When I first picked up Cold Comfort Farm I expected it to be rather boring and rural, and to begin with, it was. However, after about 50 pages in, it started to get amusing, satirical and a feel-good sense to it.

Flora Poste is a 19 year old city-girl who is adopted and moves to Cold Comfort Farm where she meets the Starkadder family. Over the next few months she finds herself wanting to advise and change the family for the better.

I've read a few parodies in my time, but not found one that manages to parody all the rural classics in a way that this one does. Having read such novels as Wuthering Heights, Silas Marner and an attempt of Pride & Prejudice I found that I understood the jokes throughout and event managed some laughter here and there. This novel manages to parody such things as country lifestyle, language, appetites/eating habits and names. And it does it very well.

I, personally, found the book to be very optimistic throughout which helped with the reading, I suppose. Normally I've found books written in and around this time to be very dry and plain. Cold Comfort Farm is none of the above. However, one little grumble I do have is that the phonetics sometimes became somewhat annoying. Saying that, it wouldn't have been much of a parody if the language wasn't taken into account.

If you like literature but find yourself getting fed up of the Brontës' farms, have a read of this. If you've never read anything from the fin de siecle, do so before reading this in order to be able to fully understand the jokes within.

After reading this jolly novel and an article on the Guardian website about S. Gibbons, I've found myself tempted to pick up another of her books, to see if they really are some of the greatest comic novels ever.

This gets a 4/5

Deadline by Simon Kernick (review 2)

A few weeks ago I was at a friend's place sat on her sofa and waiting for said friend to get ready so we could go out and have a few drinks for her birthday. On that day I'd brought a spare copy of 'Deadline' round as I've been trying to get said friend to read some SK. Whilst waiting, I started reading the book and when I got home later that night I continued reading it, except it was a different copy.

Andrea Devern is a well-paid, middle-class business woman who gets home one night to find the house is unusually quiet. And then she recieves a phone call which turns her world upside-down. Some kidnappers have taken her daughter and they want half a million pounds in cash or the daughter dies.

The reader is then presented with an extreme game of Cat & Mouse. Like all of SK's books, 'Deadline' is well-researched with characters you both like and dislike. This was a book I had trouble putting down, constantly finding myself reading until 4-5am, wanting to know what happens in the next chapter as, like with all Simon Kernick tales, this one is filled with cliffhangers at almost every chapter-end.

Another thing I liked about this book was that it had some of my favourite Kernick characters in it, notably Tina Boyd and Mike Bolt. Along with this it had a number of scenes in the City in areas that I knew or recognised. This meant that I could easily picture certain roads and areas. Failing that there was always Google Maps.

I wouldn't say this is SK's best book, but it comes pretty close. If you're a fan of fast-paced action and the London ciminal underworld 'Deadline' is well worth a read.

This one gets a tidy 4/5 from me.

The Point is to Change It! by John Molyneux

Taken from a quote of Karl Marx, 'The Point is to Change It!' is an introductory reading into Marxist philosophy. And it's not an easy one. That's not to say it wasn't interesting.

Having recently joined the Socialist Workers Party I've found myself looking for books which will educate me a bit more in Socialism and so this was recommended to me.

Throughout, it gives the reader the basics on all or most points which Marxist philosophy is based around: dialectics, racism/sexism, class struggles, materialism and capitalism (or the fight against it) amongst others. Some bits I understood having studied them previously at college, but others I found myself re-reading or wondering what the hell I just read. However, I did feel that I had learnt something from this book.

The language within is simple and mostly avoids lengthy or confusing words which haven't previously been explained, nor does it go into too much detail too early on. It is, therefore, a worthy read for anybody who has recently or is interested in joining the SWP. Or maybe you aren't interested in joining the party and just want to know what all the fuss is about? Then read this book.

Admittedly it wasn't an easy read in parts, but it was one I was determined to finish in order to learn more. I can safely say it was better than Henry James's 'Turn of the Screw' (previously reviewed) or Gearge Gissing's 'Nether World'. However, Molyneux has clearly done his research and knows what he is talking about as I don't recall finding any unsurities or the like. But really, what do I know? I'm just a new party member.

Overall I'll give this book a 3.5/5 (possibly higher if it wasn't tricky in parts. Damn dialectics!).

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

I had little choice but to read this book as it was one of the set texts for my course. However, if it wasn't such, the likeliness of me reading the whole book is almost equal to none.

Allow me to tell you why through the medium of a review.

The synopsis/blurb on this book includes the words "Widely recognised as one of literature's most gripping ghost stories". Those words couldn't have been more wrong, to put it modestly.

As I read through this book I found myself startng to daydream, updating my Facebook statuses and reading just one chapter at a time. The characters were boring, the ghosts non-existent and the events worth paying attention to far and inbetween.

The story was slow and the presence of any ghosts was rare. When I read the blurb I expected to read something which would be quite stereotypical yet interesting i.e. Scary ghosts and haunted castles with secret passageways. Maybe something similar to Bram Stoker's Dracula. Instead I found myself reading some very dull dialogue and prose which told of a semi-well dressed ghost standing at the window.

As I think back to what I've just finished reading I can't think of anyone I would recommend this book to. Gripping ghost story? More like the literary equivalent to 'The Amazing Spiderman'.

Will I read another Henry James story in the future? It's possible, but after this, I may have to admit being put off from doing so anytime soon. I can sense it having potential to be a really good tale, but in all honesty, it just doesn't cut it.

Overall rating: 2/5

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay by (yes, you guessed it) Suzanne Collins

'Mockingjay' is the third and final book of the Hunger Games trilogy (it wouldn't be a trilogy otherwise, would it?) and a great one it is. "Mind-blowing" according to one review, albeit sometimes confusing.

Katniss Everdeen has now won the Hunger Games twice and is truly feeling the physical and psychological effects of having to kill a large number of people for the entertainment of a capitalist state. However, she won't stop fighting. Not until the rebels, of which she is now the symbol - the Mockingjay - have won.

Despite still suffering from vivid nightmares and being unsure of who to trust, who she is trusted by and whether she will ever be safe again, Katniss has decided that she is going to face the Capitol head-on and, to use a phrase not used in their trilogy, kick the shit out of them.

That's the basic plot outline of which I can't say much more about without giving things away. However, much like the previous two books, this is, again, well-researched and written with great characters/characterisation, lively events and heady cliffhangers which prompt one to read into the early hours.

As mentioned in previous Hunger Games reviews, the plot contains some bits and pieces which could very much be compared to the Revolutionary political activity of today. In Mockingjay, we still have the Capitalist state (Capitol) but there is also the Egyptian Revolution to look into. Now, this is something I'm not extremely knowledgable on, but after attending a meeting earlier this week on said Revolution, I am able to notice some similarities.

Some examples could be the taking down of a state, living in slums and hunger. I'll stop there before I try and be clever but come off as the opposite. I do feel, however, that this book is much more connected to real, current activity than the previous two as it uses less of the 'kids in arenas' ideas and instead draws inspiration from troops patrolling streets and taking down innocent civilians. Or so I'm assuming.

Unfortunately there were some bits which confused me or took some double readings due to there being some slight continuity. I'm not sure if this was my tiredness or a genuine mistake, but I've decided I'm not going to let it affect anything.

Imagery was, again, excellent and presented capitalism and slums at their worst with characters being well and truly injured beyond 'a little scratch' or a sniffly cold. What I also enjoyed was the use of Morphling: a hospital-issued painkiller which, when taken, produces some interesting images. Name and description sound like something you may have taken to cure pain? Yeah, thought so.

All in all this was an absolutely excellent trilogy and well worth the read. If you liked the first film, definitely get these books (all of them, not just the first).

Another 5/5

And remember: "If we burn you burn with us"

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

This time it's a review of the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy. And what a book it was.

After surviving the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen has all the food and money she could ever want/need. However, she's still suffering depressive moments as well as new policies within District 12 and the possibility of an uprising.

To make things worse, it's the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games meaning a 'Quell' will be drawn. The result is that only the victors of each district will be put into the reaping ball. This means that with Katniss being the only female to ever win in District 12 there's 100 percent chance she will be pulled.

And so K is sent to the Hunger Games again. But, like the first book, there's a lot more than just a group of people fighting to the death. An uprising has begun in one district and there is expected to be another in District 12. The Capitol, a capitalist state still controls everything and each district takes care over various trades.

Written in a similar style to the first book, this is filled with cliffhangers, fast-paced scenes and is impossible to put down. The characters are interesting and much different to those in the first, the arena has been changed and deaths are very juicy. If you've managed book 1, you'll need to read this.

Ending with a very big cliffhanger, I feel rather eager to get stuck in to the final book. I can safely say it's been a long time since I've shot through a series of books. I'll also repeat this: despite being written for Young Adults, old adults will find these books an excellent read. The content is political (and very interesting from a Socialist point of view), the deaths are varied in style and, as previously mentioned, it's filled with cliffhangers resulting in a 6 hour read, desperate to find out what happens next.

One could even argue that Suzanne Collins is a writer not dissimilar to Simon Kernick, except she writes for children rather than adults.

Managed in around 3 or 4 days this is well worth a read. Buy these books.

5 out of 5

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

As you may be able to tell from previous reviews, I'm not a big reader of young adult (YA) fiction. However, this first book in the Hunger Games trilogy is really something else.

I saw the film while it was in the cinemas and found myself very impressed and comparing it to the Japanese novel and film Battle Royale. The novel, however, goes beyond that. Although it does have elements of BR with the concept of a group of kids going to an island and fighting to the death, there is a lot more to go with it.

For a starter, the politics within the novel are very interesting, especially after my attending the 5 days Marxism fest. In the Hunger Games, rather than towns, people live in 12 districts with there being the rich districts, the industrial districts and the poverty-ridden districts. Along with this there is the Capitol state which holds the yearly Hunger Games. This is a capitalist state filled with rich people, huge feasts, genetically engineered creatures and spectacular events. This, I believe, is what helps to make the book attractive to adults.

For kids and/or young adults the concept of a bunch of kids fighting to the death creates an attractive story. If politics isn't your thing but fighting is, you'll love this book. If politics is your thing, you'll love this book.

Well researched and thought out it's no wonder The Hunger Games did so well. This is a novel great for escaping into but also good for getting one thinking that it's possible something like this could happen if capitalism took over. Saying that, it would help to get rid of all those bloody teenagers.

I have to admit that I'll be recommending this book (and possibly the sequels) to my little brother who never reads and maybe even my mum who wants to read that 50 Shades of Grey trash. If you wish to do the same, don't! Read this book instead.

This gets a generous 5 out of 5. Keep checking back for book 2.