A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

I finished this book around a week ago, but it's only now that I've managed to push myself to write a review for it, so firstly my apologies for that little mishap go out to anybody who frequently reads this blog and its updates.

Secondly, and I shouldn't really admit this, but I will, I didn't read all of the book. I found that about two thirds of the way through, it began getting a little blank and very slow. However, in the introduction Eggers did warn the reader of this so, yeah, you are not given permission to shoot me for this little fact.

Thirdly: Read this book! Despite being a fairly young journalist/writer, Dave Eggers has lived a very eventful life; He lost both of his parents in a 6 month gap, his mother to stomach cancer and father to alcoholism, had to spend a number of years looking after his little brother and was switching jobs constantly.

When reading AHWOSG, I found the author to be extremely honest (except where stated) and straight-up with his facts, not missing anything out. And when I say 'anything' I mean it. The reader gets to read about what Eggers ate and how, the jobs he worked or looked for and his bedroom activities amongst a lot more.

Written in around ten parts with each part having any number of chapters/sections, AHWOSG is somewhat different to your average autobiography. While the biographies of today's celebrities (which seem to pop up after they've been famous for just 10 minutes) are usually (badly) written in a plain, orderly manner, this one tells Egger's life through a series of mid-length to long anecdotes. It even includes an extremely long interview with the bosses of an American Big Brother-esque TV programme which the writer attempted to take part in as a matter of (almost) survival.

Admittedly, some early parts were a little slow, but they soon picked up. However, I can't really complain as the reader was warned about this in the introduction and even advised to skip some sections. I can't really blame Eggers for saying this though, as there were sections in which I found myself either cringing, yawning or, once, falling asleep. And I hadn't even been drinking. With this in mind, everybody has boring parts of a life, DE just decided to tell us about his.

Despite being the work on an (at the time) unprofessional, this book was one which I found to be well-written and (mostly) gripping as well as funny and even heart-warming in parts. Would I pick it up again and re-read it from the start? Probably not, but there is a big chance that I may look to finish it sometime sooner or later. Who knows?

Overall rating 3.5 out 5

A Simples Life by Aleksandr Orlov

Written by everyone's favourite meerkat, A Simples Life is the autobiography is Aleksandr Orlov, a meerkat moved from Russia to continue running the family business of Compare the Meerkat (not to be confused with Compare the Market).

The book travels back to the 18th century in which Orlov's great-great-grandfather ran out of goods in the Kalahari desert and had no choice but to walk for weeks until he came across a form of transport to get him and his helper to safe land.

After finding a collection of paintings of meerkats, a descendant of Aleksandr decided to set up a market stall comparing meerkats. Despite the concept not working well, the meerkats persisted and, after much of this persistence, comparethemeerkat.shop was opened and a legacy was born.

Today we can't turn on the TV without getting at least one glimpse of the worlds most famous meerkat and despite it being an advert, I've still not read or heard the words "I'm sick of that pissing meerkat". We all love him and if the ad suddenly stopped, nobody would get excited about seeing a meerkat at the zoo.

Finished in just a sitting and a half this was a fairly short book but well worth the money which came off my bursary. Along with telling a life story, the book as entertaining, causer of laughs and included a load of amusing pictures. It would have been better if it was slightly longer though.

Total rating: 4/5